Giving In Worship Part 2
Fundamentals 2021 • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: Fundamentals.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
When it comes to whether or not we are to give there is no real question.
God made the sun—it gives. God made the moon—it gives. God made the stars—they give. God made the air—it gives. God made the sea—it gives. God made the flowers—they give. God made the birds—they give. God made the beasts—they give. God made the plants—they give.
God made man he is to give. In fact, I think this is the “only” act of worship everyone is in agreement on in the world of Christendom.
With this in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.
God’s Ownership Is Comprehensive
God’s Ownership Is Comprehensive
Everything Belongs To God.
Everything Belongs To God.
Heaven and earth are his.
19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Every animal and living creature are his.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.
All the gold and silver are his.
8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.
Every soul is his.
4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
Every Christian are his.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Summary
Summary
Everything in heaven and on earth both small and great are God almighty’s.
This means…
Our’s Is Really God’s
Our’s Is Really God’s
Christians Are Stewards.
Christians Are Stewards.
Everything that we are giving belongs to God and is given to us.
Everything we have God has made us stewards, trustees, and caretakers of.
Therefore, we must be faithful stewards.
10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
We will give an account of our stewardship.
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore, we better not be wasting the goods in our possession.
1 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions.
Summary
Summary
God has always demanded our “first fruits” (Matthew 6:33), do we really give first out of that which we have been made stewards of?
Do we really give the “first fruit” of that which we have prospered?
Knowing that “Our’s Is Really God’s” and that God has trusted us with “his possessions informs us all the more that “God loves us.”
Therefore…
Love Is The Bases Of Giving
Love Is The Bases Of Giving
We Can Only Serve One Master.
We Can Only Serve One Master.
There is no such thing as being devoted to two masters.
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
This is why our “giving” reflects on our sincerity and love for our God and not our money.
You could think of it as a “testing of our sincerity of love” as Paul described.
8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Again, how much we give is voluntary, as there is no forced amount.
12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
Summary
Summary
Our love for God is the bases for our giving, and how much we give has less to do with it than how we give.
There is a reason why, in the New Testament, God never directly, nor by example, nor infers how much we are to give our of our prosperity.
As we saw last week, that doesn’t mean there is no guiding principle found in the Old Testament.
If they gave a tithe based on the lesser of the the covenants how much more should we give considering we are under far greater covenant?
With that said, and knowing our God is a God of logic and reason, what is…
The Pattern For Giving
The Pattern For Giving
Regularly, Individually, & Systematically
Regularly, Individually, & Systematically
2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
Regularly: “on the first day of every week.”
Notice it doesn’t say on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc…
Notice it doesn’t say whenever you want but “every week” you prosper.
Individually: “each of you”
Again this isn’t based on “households” but individuals that have prospered financially.
By financially this could be anything of value wherein we grow financially.
Systematically: “put something aside or lay by in store.”
There must be forethought i.e., preparation and purpose in what we lay aside to give back to God.
The other pattern we find is…
Liberally, Cheerfully, & Willingly
Liberally, Cheerfully, & Willingly
Liberally: The church in Macedonia is a great example of the mindset we are to have when it comes to our giving liberally.
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—
Cheerfully: We can’t help but hear the joy coming from the church in Macedonia concerning their liberally giving which is why again we read Paul write…
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Willingly: Again, giving liberally back to God with joy is product of desire and love for God which is why the one who loves God “willingly” gives back.
12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
Summary
Summary
There is no doubt concerning the pattern given us concerning our worship in giving.
Our giving is to be regular, individually based, systematic, liberal, cheerful, and willingly.
Conclusion
Conclusion
It is wise to remember king David’s recognition of stewardship in 1 Chronicles 29:14.
14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
The world and many Christians simply do not understand the impact their giving can have on their lives.
We live in a time when the “health & wealth” false doctrine has stirred up emotions of rejection.
However, for the true child of God, who is dedicating his/her life to their Creator we should have only excitement and joy at giving back to God so as to further the work of God by way of the local church.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.