A Giving Heart

Intro: I am so thankful that everyone teamed up to fill and pay for 40 plus boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Y’all you don’t understand how amazing that is, almost $400 dollars raised in just a couple weeks to let 44 children, all around the world, have a gift or stuff they need during this season.

Now, there was a little bribery with me shaving my head, and that was more for encouragement and fun, but I want to talk tonight about why we did this. And that is because of this one truth that Jesus said, “It is better to give, than it is to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

Tonight the title of this message is called: A Giving Heart. And we are going to talk about, in this season:

It is better to give, than it is to receive.

Play Skit Guys Video.

In that video we see the two brothers, one is doing a lot of giving and the other is doing a lot more getting! And he got the xbox, iPad, car, a bible (Who put that on their Christmas list?!), and a camera. The gifts were piling up!

Then what did the other brother give, a picture frame, with a picture of both of them. Isn’t that sweet! But you see that brother that gave all of these things, was giving out of the wrong heart. He was giving to get. He didn’t have the right attitude behind it.

Lets dive in to the word and look at what Paul says in 2 Cor. 9:1-9

2 Corinthians 9:1–9 NLT

1 I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. 2 For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving. 3 But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you. 4 We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them! 5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly. 6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

Two attitudes to have a giving heart. An attitude of:

Generosity

Cheerfulness

Give generously, reap generously.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NLT)

6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

To give generously you have to have this concept in mind:

Have an open hand mentality.

Paul compares generosity as a a farmer who is sowing seed. If he clinches up his seed in his fist, then he is not going to have any harvest, and if he just puts out some because he wants to keep the seed, then what? He’ll only get a little.

I need a volunteer to help me out. Now I am going to throw this ball at you, and you have to catch with your hands. The catch is your hands are going to be closed.

It was hard wasn’t it? Dropped it a few times. Open your hands up, and try to catch it.

That was easier right! Thank you, you may be seated.

You see what we are talking about now? You have to have your hands open with what you have to give, and when you have your hands open you will reap a harvest. God, will bless you. “Those who plant generously, reap generously.” Amen.

Now you can be generous all you want, but until you start having the second part: being cheerful, then you aren’t going to see anything.

God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT

7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

Whatever you decide on what to give that you feel is generous, do it cheerfully. Don’t do it out of obligation, thats what Paul was telling the Corinthians in verse 5. 2 Co. 9:5

2 Corinthians 9:5 (NLT)

2 Corinthians 9:5 NLT

5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.

Having a sour attitude about your giving is not what God wants. He wants us to be glad that we get to bless someone. That we get take the time and help someone that is in need.

Not an attitude that is out of wrong intentions. Not from a “I have to” mentality, but a “God blessed me with this, I want to be a blessing to someone else.”

And that brings me to my second point:

God will provide everything you need.

2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

One of my favorite verses is Luke 6:38

Luke 6:38 NLT

38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

That phrase - pressed down, shaken together, and running over - is what people did with wheat back in that time. They would get their basket and to make sure it was full, they would push the wheat down to compress it and make sure there was plenty of room for more. They would shake it to get the air out, and kept doing this until it was literally running over.

Jesus was telling them, when we give we are freeing up room for God to keep on giving. God will provide everything we need.

God gives, not just so we can get, but so we and give more!

2 Corinthians 9:10–11 NLT

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

How can you give as a middle schooler or a high schooler who might not have money or a job?

Your time

Instead of locking yourself in your room when you get home, you spend it with your family, cleaning the house before your parents come home from work, or spending your time with your siblings not fighting!

Serving others

Being there to serve people who are in need. Serving in the children’s or even in the tech team. Serving others will show people that you care for them. You have abilities that God has given you, use them. At home, school or even here at church.

How You Are Treating others

Are you rude to people? Just being a punk and short with your teachers or not answering/doing what your parents say to do. Heres a way you can give, treating others well. Be nice. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. Right?

Closing

God set an example of giving through Christ.

The best gift and the reason for Christmas: John 3:16

John 3:16 NLT

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

He showed His love for us, for the world, that He… GAVE! The ultimate gift. The ultimate blessing. And Christ then gave His life four ours, and paid our debts so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.

God leads by example. He didn’t give Jesus to us reluctantly. Grudgingly. He gave freely. Lovingly.