Giving ain't so bad, Part 1

What is giving

Intro

Most preachers I know don’t like to preach about money, because we know the stereotypes

but the Bible speaks on money and giving, so I must preach that too

This will be a 4 part series, and it is not my goal to make you feel bad, but to give you a biblical understanding. If you miss a Sunday, it will be so important that you go back and watch that part on YouTube.

Attention grabber

Money is important, we all feel that if I just had some more money . . . what a wonderful world it would be

even the Bible recognizes the importance of money, in Ecclesiastes the Bible says money answereth all things (money can solve a lot of problems)

and the Bible recognizes the danger of money, “love of money is the root of all evil”

don’t fall in love with money . . . it will lead to all kinds of problems

Money is important to us . . . God recognizes the importance of money . . . So it is of utmost importance that we get a right perspective on money, so we will understand that giving ain’t so bad

Psalm 24:1 KJV 1900

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein.

The earth itself belongs to God

everything in the earth belongs to God

and the people on the earth belong to God

God owns everything

God created and owns everything

the earth

mountains, valleys, prairies, desserts, oceans, rivers, lakes

the fullness thereof

animals: tigers, giraffes, bees, and rabbits

materials: wood, steel, silver, gold, diamonds, oil

products: farmer’s harvest, things from Wal-Mart, Amazon, Apple

and they that dwell therein

people of every continent, country, and language

and of course God owns all the money . . . The earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof, and they that dwell there in

God owns everything, and since this is the case, this means that . . .

We own nothing

the things that are yours are not really yours . . .

your home, car, shoes, shirts, food, cell phone

your hands, your eyes, your feet, nails, hair

your kids, your spouse . . . not yours!

we can say, “Amen preacher, it all belongs to God” . . . but our actions often indicate, “it all belongs to God, except my stuff”

because though God owns everything, and we own nothing, it sure feels like that WE own these things, doesn’t it?

When my youngest son was a senior in college, my wife and loved him so much that we didn’t want him to be without a car, especially because of his schedule as drum major, company commander, and musician for his church there

so I fixed up our Ford Focus

I cleaned up our Ford Focus

I drove our Ford Focus down to College Station, and put our keys in his hand

I’m sure somebody in College Station said, “that’s Josiah’s car”

When we would talk to him, even we would say, “How is your car running?”

he drove it like it was his car, he used it like it was his car . . . but it was still our car, our name was on the title . . . and eventually we took it back

and one day, God will take back from you, what belongs to Him

Those who have had to deal with distributing the belongings of a deceased loved one, have seen first hand how none of our stuff belongs to us

with just the stop of a heartbeat . . .

someone else is sitting on that couch

that necklace is around someone else’s neck

someone else is sleeping on that bed

that TV is in someone else’s living room

those kitchen knives are in someone else’s kitchen

God owns everything, and we own nothing

As we think about our giving, and we consider the resources available to us, we should remind ourselves, that these resources don’t belong o me, they belong to God

This is so very important to remember, cause if you start acting like things that don’t belong to you . . . . belong to you, . . . . if you start carrying on, as if someone else’s stuff is really your stuff . . . it leads to stealing and robbing

And often we are tempted to carry on as if God’s money is our money and that’s why the God asks in Malachi . . . will a man rob God?

more on that later, I just want us to understand that God owns everything, and we own nothing

therefore, that makes us

We are managers

Can I speak to the manager? That’s all I’m trying to do today

Can I speak to the manager, the one the owner put in charge

We are managers. we are His stewards, caretakers

When it comes to money, we are his money managers . . . .God deposits his money with us . . . just like you do with your bank

you put it there for safekeeping

adding funds when you want to

with the expectation that we can withdraw funds when you ask

God puts his money with us for safekeeping

adding funds when he wants to

with the expectation that he can withdraw funds when he asks, because we are his managers

Since we are managers, we need to come to an understanding on some things

First, giving ain’t so bad because, when you and I give, we are not actually giving our money, we are managing HIS money

basically, we are returning a portion of God’s deposit . . . King David recognized this, after giving what we would consider millions of dollars for the

1 Chronicles 29:14 NASB95

14 “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You.

if you consider yourself a big time giver, like Kind David, you can take no credit . . .it’s God’s money . . . you are a manager . . . and you are managing God’s money

Yes, we are managers!

Next, a manager is a position of trust

the owner expects and trusts that the manager will to run things properly

that’s why we ask to speak to the manager, when we think regular employees are not acting right . . . because certainly the manger will do what’s right

When afternoon church services were a thing, and we visited another church. Sherry would always turn to the children and ask if they had money for the offering. The answer was always no . . . So before we got out of the car, we would give them money, with the expectation that they would do right and put that money in the offering plate at the proper time

so when the offering music began to play

I would watch to see if Matthew gave my money like I told him to

or after church, Sherry would ask Elijah, to see if he gave her money like she told him to

parents you know what I am talking about

and if that child tries to be slick and keep that money, parents we will not be pleased, the first things out of our mouths will be, “I gave you that money for church”

. . . I can see God saying that to a lot of us!

as managers of God’s money, God has put his trust in us

don’t let Him down

don’t try to take advantage of it

giving ain’t so bad

Mr and Ms. Managers

do what the owner expects

do what the owner instructs

do what the owner ask

we are managing his money, and has put us in a position of trust, and also . .

Change the false perception that God is asking for a lot

the false perception comes from the false understanding that it is our money

Remember, I said that we are like God’s bank

The difference is that we allow our banks to use only small percentage of the money we deposit - fees, ATM charges . . . 99.9% they better not touch

if we go to a check cashing place, we let them keep 1%, but the rest is ours

But God gives us a great bargain, a great deal

He lets his managers keep a large percentage of what he deposits

in the Old testament it was 90/10 . . . keep 90% of my resources for your own personal use

no one else will give you that deal with their money

let’s talk tithing just a little, and we will get deeper into tithing and how it fits in NT times later

we have the perception that 10% is a lot, because we forget that it’s not our money

but tithing is not giving 10% of your money, it’s keeping 90% of God’s money

but as one of God’s money managers, God will place the whole 100% at your command, and trust that you will return the 10%

If I go to Dr. West, and say, “I have $90 I want to give you”, but all I have is a $100 bill . . . just keep the whole $100 bill, use $90 of it, and next week when we see each other, bring me a $10 change.

and next week Dr. Wests shows up and says, “I don’t have your change, you’re asking too much of me”

my response, “Wow! . . . .

God is NOT asking for a lot of HIS money . . . get that false perception out of your head

he is asking for a little of HIS money

giving ain’t so bad

we are managing his money, and has put us in a position of trust, so change the false perception that God is asking for a lot

so what’s left?

Be a good manager

Do what the owner says, wants, expects, desires . . . .

Do what God has said in his written word, the Bible, and we will get into that, this series

on what to give, how to give

just do it - givin ain’t that bad

and we get instructions from God through the Holy Spirit

he will tell us, “help that person, give something to that cause or ministry”

just do it - giving ain’t that bad

be a good manager - Jesus gives several parables of him coming back to see if his stewards, his servants, his managers, have been faithful with what he has entrusted them with

and this extends beyond money - all your resources, and your children, your spouse, your health, your talents, your time . . . be a good manager

do what he says, wants, expects, desires

giving ain’t so bad

When it comes to WMBC, if we want to be the few of the few, the few who were triumphant like Gideon and his army . . . it’s going to start with understanding that everything belongs to God

we are managers on the clock

we are the ones God has entrusted with this church at this time

You ought to want to hear him say, “Well done thy good and faithful servant!”

God created the world, God made us, and sent Jesus to save us by sacrificing himself on the cross . . . God TRULY gave of his own

God has done so much for us . . . out of gratitude and love towards him, God just ask that we be faithful managers of what He has given us

God is responsible for salvation, taking care of all of our needs, an eternal home

He did all the hard parts

And God simply asks, will you be faithful in managing my stuff

giving ain’t so bad . . . no , not for us

it was bad when he was whipped,

it was bad on the cross, nails in his hands and feet

it was bad with the crown of thorns

it was bad when they riducled him . . . but on Sunday morning, he got up!

consider that when God ask you to give, giving aint so bad!