Good Gifts! Series

Text: Matthew 7:9-12

Title: Good gifts!

Series: The Giving Church

Topic: Giving

Occasion: Burnside Christian Church, June 1st, 2008

Proposition: The desire to give used to be part of our God given nature! Let’s look at 4 reasons we give!

Introduction: This month, our focus will turn to giving! Today, we are going to be taking up a special offering to help one of our missions that we support. Saint Louis Christian College. If you don’t know anything about S.L.C.C. then take a few minutes to read up on the institution.

Now when people usually think of giving…one subject comes to mind: MONEY!

But Money is only one area that we have the privilege of giving. As our posted indicates, there are four areas in which we can give. I can give my money, my time, my talents and my love.

Think of these four areas: Time, Money, Talents, Love. Which is the easiest for you to give? Which is the hardest? Is there more than one that is tough?

Today sermon title is:

Good Gifts!

It’s based on our text which will be Matthew 7:9-12

Please turn there. And we’ll get ready to read these verses.

Our verse come to us in the middle of Jesus’ only recorded sermon.

Matthew 7:9-12

9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

(Can I go off on a little bit of a rabbit trail? Is that ok with you?

Verse 11 says that we are evil? I’m evil? The word evil = pawn-ay-ros literally means: causing or having labor, sorrow or pain; hence evil or malignant. It’s the same word used in verse 17 & 18 that is translated “bad”. Therefore, original sin (being born evil) can not be! At one time, even a ’bad tree’ (vs. 18) was at one time good. Something along the way during the life of that tree, causes it to be “bad” or “evil”. The fruit then therefore is corrupt and rotten too.)

12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

How interesting it is that this “golden rule” comes to us in the context of giving!

T.S.: Today, I want to explore the reasons we give…WHY DO I GIVE???

This is the MAIN REASON I GIVE! Jot this down because all giving happens in the context of this main POINT.

I GIVE BECAUSE I’M CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE!!!!

As you read back in Genesis, God looks at how He should create man and decides that man is to be made in HIS image! Something that separates humans from the rest of God’s creation. Giving is part of God’s nature! So when God made you and made me in His image, he created us to want to give! That’s why it makes you feel good when you genuinely give. Because you are doing what you were made to do! (Ephesians 2:10) As we look over these four points, just keep in mind, that the #1 reason you give, is because you were created in God’s image! Ok…having said that,

Lets get right in to our sermon

REASON #1...

1. You give because there is a need.

A. The need is great!!!

--Overwhelming needs

Where to begin? As you live your life and as you look around, it is easy to become overwhelmed and frustrated because there are simply a lot of needs out there! It all the time seems as though someone is asking for your money, or asking you to do something for them.

Or maybe you’re on the other end of the spectrum. Maybe you are oblivious to the needs that exist! There are certainly global needs that are out there. But I want to share with you some needs we have here at our own church.

We have financial needs - we have a large budget. That budget depends on you and your family to give your tithes and offerings each week. The only debt we have currently is the money we owe on our new addition. We desperately want and need to get that paid off. Did you know that you can give to the building fund at any time? All you have to do is write a check and in the memo put “Building fund” and that money will go to pay off our building debt.

At Burnside we have visionary leadership with big dreams on reaching people for Christ. Those dreams (in order to become reality) will require money. We have always trusted that God will provide. Let me let you in on a little secret. God provides through YOU! And thankfully, you have been generous. We’ve never let money stand in the way of where we believe God is leading. And I pray we never will.