Resolutions that Stick: Giving

As we come to the close of January, as we come to the close of this series on New Year’s Resolutions, I stand here today in awe of what God has done. I scratched my head at the last two weeks, having to cancel service two weeks in a row. Having to hold service online. Having to postpone and push back our business meeting, only today to realize what I should have known all along - God knows what He is doing!

In a few minutes we are going to have our business meeting, and in the process we are going to discuss our budget for the year, but before we do that we are going to look at one final resolution that will revolutionize your walk with God this year. What resolution? The resolution to give!

In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul encouraged the wealthy believers in Corinth to "lay aside" money regularly for a special offering to be given to the hurting believing Jews in Jerusalem. The people in Corinth were well off, especially compared to the poor and suffering believers in Macedonia and could "afford" to give. The Christians in Corinth agreed to raise a collection to help the poor saints in Jerusalem.

A year passed between 1 and 2 Corinthians. The time has come to collect the funds. Guess what? The Christians in Corinth…they "forgot" about the love offering. More likely, they simply stopped collecting. "Isn't this enough? We've been collecting money for 6 months!" Paul writes to remind them and to reprimand them as well. The example he uses? The poor Christians in Macedonia. Those who had little to give, had out-given those who had plenty. Look with me in 2 Cor. 8…

Proposition: Before you give your money to the work of God, first give yourself completely to God.

Interrogative: Are you willing to give yourself to God?

TS: The believers in the poor region of Macedonia, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Barea, demonstrated their total devotion to God by their giving. Their giving demonstrated the following signs of faithful stewardship. First it…

1. Made Known the Grace of God v. 1

Grace

Not what we first think of regarding giving

Yet, the grace God shows to us in salvation we can demonstrate to others in our giving

About giving the word grace is used 7 times in chapter 8 and 3 times in chapter 9

God's grace

God "gave His only Begotten Son"

The essence of grace is "giving"

The Macedonians were, prior to salvation, anti-Semitic - Jew-haters

In salvation their hatred of the Jews had passed away and behold, all things were new 2 Cor. 5:17

Their willingness to give demonstrated the work of the grace of God in their lives. How can we demonstrate this grace in our lives? What about at a restaurant? When you tip your server, you have an opportunity to be a blessing, and while the church treasurer may never know, God will! * If you leave a tip inside a tract, it better be a good tip! If the Macedonians could get passed their former hatred of the Jews and realize they were on the same side, we too can show the grace of God in our giving. Another demonstration of their faithful stewardship is…

2. It was Above Their Means v. 2

In great trial of affliction

They were hurting

Yet they gave!

God was testing them, that is the meaning of the word trial James 1:3

James 1:3 KJV 1900

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

They were being put through the furnace much the way gold or silver is tried * silversmith

Realize it or not, we, even we believers, rely heavily on what we can see

We are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight

God had sent them a trial to see how they would respond, and the end result was they came out looking like their Master!

You may be in a trial, know that God is simply refining you

Abundance of their joy

Their salvation experience was so great that they would not let their circumstances rob them of the blessing…Malachi 3:8…did you know that when you don’t tithe, you’re robbing God? More on that later

They realized that in their great poverty, they had not lost anything which would surpass what they would receive in heaven

They gave out of their "deep poverty"

They weren't just poor, they were rock bottom, desperate poor

Yet they followed the example of the poor widow casting in her two mites into the treasury

Jesus witnessed that event personally

In Macedonia, the Holy Spirit witnessed their giving!

I want you to understand that the money they gave for the hurting saints in Jerusalem, was money that they needed to survive on, yet they were willing, not to go without, but to trust God to meet their need! That is not just grace giving, that is faith living!

Their actions put into practice what Solomon declared in Proverbs 13:7 "There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches." Can I just say to you that you cannot out give God! Your motivation for giving ought to not be how much you have, but how much you love God!

3. It was on Volunteer Basis vv. 3-4

Willing of themselves

They were self-choosing to give to this offering

They were not made to

Let it be said from this pulpit, I will preach of the necessity of giving

I will not twist your arm and make you give

Paul did not twist their arm

They gave because they wanted to, because they knew God wanted them to

They were blessed for their obedience

They gave beyond their power

All believers can give something

These believers gave beyond what they had

They went beyond what Paul expected

Even to the point he didn't want to accept their offering!

The Believers forced Paul to accept their gift (v. 4)

Possibly Paul had originally said something like this:

We, the churches in the surrounding areas, will soon be taking up a collection to help the hurting Christians in Jerusalem

God knows the financial hard times you are facing, and God knows your heart, but do not feel as though you must give

To this they begged him to let them participate!

Why?

There was need that needed to be met, there was a blessing to be had and they wanted in!

I'm reminded of Moses when God instructed him to build the tabernacle and how he put the word to the people of the supplies that were needed, the gold, silver, bronze, the fabric, the wood, and all. I'm reminded of the response they gave, to the point he had to make a second announcement, "STOP! We have enough!" These believers wanted to give, to be part of the blessing. Oh, to be like the Macedonians! Do you realize the real reason their giving was so blessed? Because…

4. It was to the Lord v. 5

God isn't interested in your gift, He's interested in you

God doesn't want the gift without the giver

Giving may be the Lord's will, but if it's not your will, you'd be better off with keeping it

For the Macedonians, their giving demonstrated their love and devotion to God

Before they gave a dime, they first gave themselves

They remembered Jesus' forgotten beatitude "It is more blessed to give, than to receive"

Warren Wiersbe says, "If we give ourselves to God, we will have little problem giving our substance to God."

How do we do this? How do we get there? Simple. We must realize that the money we are giving, the money we are being asked to part with, isn't our money in the first place. It's God's. God isn't asking you to part with your entire life's savings, He's not asking you to go into poverty so that others may become rich, He is asking you to give yourself to Him before you give anything else. God doesn't want your money, He wants you.

Let me leave you with some truth about tithing:

God only asks for 10% of our earnings.

Yes, it’s pretax, that’s what “first fruits” means

That leaves you with 90% to live on

God asks you to be a good steward of what is left

That 90% may be yours to live on, but

God supplied it in the first place, so don’t waste it!

Your tithe is not to be confused with your offering

Tithe is 10% of your income

Offerings are anything over and above

God is really only interested in you

Does He have you today? Do you know Him as your Savior? You can. All you must do is believe.