Give And Take

Life is a “give and take” proposition.

A. This is true in the area of material possessions and

money.

1. We give of our time and talents in the work

place and we take an agreed upon wage for

our efforts

B. This is true in love and emotional support.

1. We are ready to give this kind of support to

others and count on it being there when we

need it, ourselves.

a. There is comfort in words and actions....

we know this and as Christians, we are

ready to be there for others.

As we look through God’s word, we are impressed by the

number of “give-and-take” instructions and examples that

are there for us.

A. In the time that we have, let us take a look at just

a few of the “give-and-take” instructions that we

can find.

I. Give of all you posses....consider them the Lord’s and

not yours.

Matt. 5:40-42 - 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take

away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41“And

whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

42“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to

borrow from you do not turn away.

A. We see that the personal things....the things that

might consider valuable....are to be shared with

others.

1. Even with enemies.

a. This doesn’t make “good common sense”

.......human reasoning and “logic”

dictate just the opposite.

** This is reinforced by other passages....

Acts 20:35 - 35“I have shown you in every way, by

laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And

remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is

more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Eph. 4:28 - 28Let him who stole steal no longer, but

rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good,

that he may have something to give him who has need.

II. Give place to wrath....don’t try to even all

scores........pay back evil with kindness.

Romans 12:19-21 - 19Beloved, do not avenge

yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written,

“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

20Therefore“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is

thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap

coals of fire on his head.”21Do not be overcome by evil,

but overcome evil with good.

A. We are not to respond.....in kind.....to the evil that

others may do to us.

1. We don’t respond, “in kind”....but “in

kindness”.

III. Give in.

I Cor. 10:31-33 - 31Therefore, whether you eat or drink,

or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32Give no

offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church

of God, 33just as I also please all men in all things, not

seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they

may be saved.

Phil. 2:14-15 - 14Do all things without complaining and

disputing, 15that you may become blameless and harmless,

children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and

perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the

world.

Rom. 14:19 - 19Therefore let us pursue the things which

make for peace and the things by which one may edify

another.

Rom. 12:18 - 18If it is possible, as much as depends on

you, live peaceably with all men.

A. Our liberty....the freedoms that we have, in

Christ, should never be used to offend another.

1. In points that don’t matter to salvation, we

need to be ready to give in to others and not

to insist on our way.

IV. Give thanks.

A. I know that we all give thanks....to some degree...

each day.

1. We thank God for the day and for the food,

and possibly for one or two other things.

a. Have we ever just sat down and counted

the many ways in which we have been

so richly blessed?

1.) I think that.....for the most part.....

our thanksgiving is shallow and

(as with so much) is very self

centered.

a.) If it hasn’t happened to us, we

don’t need or want to thank

God.

I Thess. 5:18 - 18in everything give thanks; for this is the

will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Eph. 5:20 - 20giving thanks always for all things to God

the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Col. 3:17 - 17And whatever you do in word or deed, do

all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the

Father through Him.

B. Even though we may know to do this.....so often

we start taking everything for granted and

forget to give our thanks to God for the multitude

of blessings that He has blessed us with.