A God-Centered View Of Giving

‘A God-centered view of Giving’

Mexia Baptist Church

Frisco City, AL

‘Stewardship Sunday’

June 5, 2022

The Bible talks about money & possessions. Did you know?

*There are over 2,100 Biblical references to possessions- second only to the Bible’s references to love.

* 1/6 of the New Testament is how we should live according to what Jesus taught.

*Almost 1/2 of Jesus’ parables have to do with our possessions.

*Nearly 25% of Jesus’ words in the New Testament deal with biblical stewardship.

*More is said about money than about heaven and hell combined.

‘A God-centered view of Giving’

(Outline)

1. God owns everything.

-Psalm 24:1

-Haggai 2:8

-Psalm 50:10

-Romans 11:34-36

-Colossians 1:16

2. God calls us to be managers of his blessings. Matthew 6:19-21

3. God owns the tithe, and we have discretion over offerings. Malachi 3:8-10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

4. God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, Acts 20:35

(Main sermon text)

1. God owns everything.

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the Beginning and the End.

God is the originator of all things. The creator of life, the author and the provider of our salvation and the sole provider of everything that we have. We owe life to our God. He’s the reason we exist. He’s also the reason we live…to live for Him!

God owns everything. He made us, in His image to find our greatest joy in giving our lives to His purposes.

Gen. 1:26, ‘God created us in His image, male and female He created us.’

• Because He made us, He has rights to His creation. To tell how we ought to live.

• Everything in our lives, begins with God. Because God is the one who gave us life.

• God owns everything. He gives His creation (us) – good things. He wants us to give back to Him the tithe (10%) as the starting place.

Psalm 24:1 says, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.’

Haggai 2:8 tells us, ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.’

Psalm 50:10 proclaims, ‘For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.’

Romans 11:34-36 say, ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him, and it shall be repaid to Him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.’

Colossians 1:16 insists, ‘For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, …All things were created through Him and for Him.’

Clearly, we see that God owns all things. Everything that is created belongs to the Lord. So, we are called to give back to the owner of all things. We are blessed with jobs, an income, and possessions. Yet, God is the dispenser of these good things, and we must follow his principles for giving.

Malachi 3:10, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, Says the Lord of hosts.”

Why should I tithe (10%)? -Because a good and giving God gave you the life that you have.

-Because giving to God is an act of obedience. It’s also and gateway to blessing for you.

Acts 20:35, ‘It’s more blessed to give than to receive’

Randy Alcorn says, “The tithe is God’s historical method to get us on the path to giving. It can serve as the gateway to the joy of grace giving. It’s unhealthy to view tithing as a place to stop—but it can be a good place to start.”

‘Tithing isn’t the ceiling of giving, it’s the floor.’

• The Tithe is the starting point of obedient, joyful giving.

2. God calls us to be managers of his blessings.

Matthew 6:19-21

2 Cor. 8:7, ‘See that you excel in this grace of giving’

We are called to be managers of the blessings God gives us. We are also told to ‘excel in the grace of giving.’ Just like cooking is skill that you develop. Giving is a skill. We must practice becoming a better giver. We learn to give and give more strategically.

In 2 Corinthians 8:3, the Macedonian believers gave ‘beyond their ability’. What does that mean?

How did they manage God’s blessings?

2 Cor. 8:3 ‘means giving past the point where the numbers add up.’

Let me illustrate with a challenge given ‘To advance the Great Commission’.

Illustration - Scott Lewis @ Bill Bright’s conference,

The Great Commission $1 million dollar Giving Challenge. Pg. 67-68 (The Treasure Principle)

“Scott Lewis attended a conference where Bill Bright challenged people to give one million dollars to help fulfill the great commission. This amount was laughable to Scott-far beyond anything he could imagine since his machinery business was generating an income of under fifty thousand dollars a year.