Go! And Give As God Gave To You - Luke 6:38 Series

Go! And Give as God Gave to You - Luke 6:38

INTRODUCTION — “THE MEASURE OF YOUR HEART”

Church, if I were to ask you this morning: What is the clearest evidence of a transformed heart?

Some might say holiness. Others might say prayer. Others might say love.

But Jesus says something surprising.

He says the clearest evidence of a changed heart is generosity.

Because generosity is not merely about money—it is about the measure of your heart.

Jesus’ words in Luke 6:38 (NLT) confront us, challenge us, and call us higher.

“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.”

These words are not a fundraising slogan. They are not a prosperity-gospel trick.

They are the very heartbeat of the King of kings.

Today’s message in our “Go! And…” series is titled:

“Go! And… Live Generously Because God Has Been Generous to You!”

I. WHAT DID JESUS ACTUALLY MEAN?

Luke 6 is part of what many call the Sermon on the Plain—parallel to the well-known Sermon on the Mount.

The context?

Jesus is explaining what a kingdom disciple looks like.

Not like the world. Not like the Pharisees. Not even like the merely religious.

But like Jesus Himself.

The Key Word: “Give” – Greek: didomi (d?d?µ?)

Didomi means more than handing over possessions.

It means:

to yield

to release

to entrust

to extend grace

Giving in this sense is not transactional—it is transformational.

“Pressed down, shaken together…” – First-century imagery

In the ancient marketplace, when grain was purchased, a generous seller would:

press it down to remove air pockets,

shake the container to fill every gap,

and heap it until it overflowed.

Jesus is saying: God gives to His children with shocking generosity—overflowing, abundant, undeserved.

This is not “give to get.”

This is give because God has given, and trust Him with the harvest.

II. SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES THAT UNPACK KINGDOM GENEROSITY

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 (NLT): “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. And God will generously provide all you need…”

Greek: eulogia — “generous blessing”

Paul uses eulogia to describe generosity as spreading blessings.

The Corinthian church was wealthy but reluctant to give.

Paul teaches that giving is never loss—it is sowing.

You cannot out-give God.

You cannot bankrupt heaven.

You cannot be more generous than the One who gave His Son for you.

John Piper: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

Piper reminds us that generosity flows from satisfaction in Christ, not pressure from others.

When Jesus is your treasure, giving is your joy—not your duty.

Proverbs 11:24–25 (NLT): “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Hebrew: berakah — “blessing” or “life-giving favour”

Generosity releases berakah—God’s favour poured out.

In a world that clings desperately, Christians live open-handedly.

You cannot refresh others without God refreshing you.

Max Lucado: “God does not give us money to hoard but to share.”

Lucado captures the heart of discipleship.

God blesses us not to raise our standard of living, but our standard of giving.

Acts 20:35 (NLT): “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” — Jesus

Paul is speaking to the Ephesian elders, reminding them of the example of Christ Himself.

Greek: makarios — “deep, soul-level joy from God”

Generosity is not about earthly happiness but makarios joy—kingdom joy.

Generosity shifts the soul into alignment with heaven.

When you give, you reflect the nature of God Himself.

Charles Stanley: “We are never more like Christ than when we give.”

Stanley is right—giving is not merely Christian behaviour; it is Christlike behaviour.

III. TWO ILLUSTRATIONS THAT REVEAL THE HEART OF GENEROSITY

The Widow of George Müller

George Müller, who cared for thousands of orphans, once received a donation from a widow: two coins.

When asked why she gave so sacrificially, she replied:

“Because God has never failed me—not once.”

She knew the principle of Luke 6:38.

We do not give from surplus—we give from faith.

The Two Seas of Israel

Israel has two major seas:

The Sea of Galilee — full of life, fish, and freshness.

The Dead Sea — dead, stagnant, lifeless.

What is the difference?

The Sea of Galilee receives water and gives it out.

The Dead Sea only receives.

Life flows where giving flows.

Death stagnates where generosity stops.

IV. GENEROSITY AND THE GOSPEL — WHY THIS MATTERS FOR ETERNITY

Generosity is not fundamentally about finances.

It is about the Gospel of grace.

Because God is the most generous Giver of all.