Why Give Anyway?

TEXT: Luke 6:38

TOPIC: Why Give Anyway?

Pastor Bobby Earls, Northgate Baptist Church, Florence, SC

Sunday morning, May 22, 2022

Did you know there are certain words that appear repeatedly in the Bible? Words that are often found in the Scriptures. Words like,

Belief - 272 verses - An important word don’t you think?

Prayer - 271 verses – Another key word that is so important to us as Christians.

Love - 714 verses – Certainly love is a vital part of the Christians life and practice.

Give - 2162 verses – Many are surprised that the word give is used so often in the Bible.

Now it shouldn’t surprise you that the bible speaks a great deal about money. In the gospels alone, Matthew, Mark and Luke, every 6th verse deals with the issue of money. If I were to begin preaching verse by verse through the gospels, every 6th verse would have something to say about money or giving.

But as a preacher of the word of God, I’ve noticed, over the years, that people tend to be rather negative about messages on the subject of giving. Why is that?

1. Misunderstanding – Many misunderstand how this principle fits into their Christian life. There is a broad gap of misunderstanding as to the reason why Christians are asked to give.

2. Methods – The methods people use to promote giving. Pressure, manipulation, guilt are too often associated with requests for giving.

3. Motivation - The reason a person asks. We often question the true reason we are asked to give.

4. Management – When I use the word management I am referring to individual’s own personal management of finances. People often feel uncomfortable or guilty knowing that they are not generous givers because of their own poor management of their own personal finances.

But it is the third reason for giving with which I want to deal today. Motivation; why should you give?

If you have your copy of God’s word this morning, please open it to a single verse of the Scriptures, Luke 6:38. My sermon is entitled “Why Give Anyway?”

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

What is the real motivation for serving the Lord, for obeying the Lord in this area of stewardship? Why do Christians give like they give?

I. MOTIVATED BY FEELINGS

Some are motivated to give out of feelings. Responding to a crisis or giving to meet a need is Christian but should not be our primary source of motivation for giving.

2 Corinthians 8:1-4, 1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. (NIV)

Most churches are wonderful when it comes to giving based on the need of others.

T/S—But there is a second reason why Christians should give.

II. MOTIVATED BY FACTS, THE TRUTH

Some of us are motivated simply by the fact or the truth that the bible teaches that we ought to give.

Beginning way back in Genesis after the expulsion from the garden, Adam and Eve gave their first fruits to the Lord. The concept of giving the best of what you have, the first of what you have has always been taught in the Bible.

Genesis 14 describes how Abraham gave a tenth of his possessions to Melchizedek and was blessed by him. If you study Genesis 14 carefully you will discover that Melchizedek is a type of Christ. Some scholars even believe this was a Christophany, an appearance of Christ in the Old Testament era.

Leviticus 27:30, "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. (NIV)

The Bible tells us the tithe is the Lord’s; it is holy unto the Lord. The tithe of course is ten percent of your income, the first ten percent goes to the Lord. The word of God says it belongs to God, not you. Some people need to be reminded that the tithe is still the Lord’s even if it is still in your pocketbook or checking account.

There are only a couple of things in the Bible that God says are holy and sacred and that belong to the Lord. And one of them is the tithe.

T/S—So we should be motivated to give based on the truth of God’s word. The Bible teaches us we should give. But some are motivated by fear.

III. MOTIVATED BY FEAR

They may be motivated to give because of the curse of Malachi 3:9. If we don’t tithe, God will zap us. (i.e., Car problems, washer or dryer will go out, or the medical bills will pile up.)

Malachi 3:8-9, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me!

But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’

In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse,

For you have robbed Me, (NKJV)

Billy Graham has said the greatest sin America has today is robbing God. We spend more on dog food than we do for religious causes. We spend more on recreation and for our own personal pleasure than we do for the Kingdom of God.

The truth is, some Christians give out of fear, but that shouldn’t be our primary reason for our motivation for giving.

T/S—There is one final motivation or reason for our giving.

IV. MOTIVATED BY FAITH

Faith is taking God at His word. Faith is trusting God.

Did you know that God promises great reward to those who give generously? Listen to just a few of God’s promises to those who trust Him and give generously and sacrificially. Let’s go back to that scary passage in Malachi 3. This time look at verse 10.

Malachi 3:10, NLT, Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!

Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

CONCLUSION:

As we think about the future of our church here at Northgate, it is my desire that God will raise up an army of generous givers who take God at His word when it comes to their motivation for giving.

Why should you give? More than feelings, facts, fear, faith, we should give based on our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Because we love Him, we obey Him.

I have always believed that if a man or a woman or young person loves Jesus like they should then there will not be a problem with their giving to the Lord.

So how is your faith relationship with Jesus Christ this morning? Do you know Him today? Do you love Him the way you should? If your giving were to be used as a test of your love for Jesus, would you pass or fail?

Let’s pray.