Heading Toward Christmas - Thinking About Giving Series

INTRO.- ILL.- The story is told of a very wealthy man who, on the occasion of his daughter’s marriage, sent a check for $5,000 to the bridegroom as a wedding present. He sent it by the hand of the bride’s sister and when she returned, the man eagerly asked: “What did your new brother-in-law say when you gave the check?” The girl replied. “He didn’t say anything, but when he looked at it he began to cry.”

“And how long did he cry?” was the question. And she replied, “Oh, I imagine for about a minute.”

“Only a minute?” roared the giver, “Why, I cried for an hour after I had signed the check!”

Does giving make you cry?

How can we not think about giving when it’s Christmas? That’s the thing to do, is it not? The Christmas spirit is the giving spirit.

- ANNE FRANK: No one has ever become poor by giving.

- WINSTON CHURCHILL: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Giving is a part of life. God so loved the world that He gave. If we love others, how can we not give in some form or another?

ILL.- A preacher wrote a wealthy and influential businessman, asking for a gift for a certain mission project. He promptly received a curt refusal which ended by saying, “As far as I can see, this Christian business is just one continuous give, give, give.”

After a short time the preacher wrote back: “I wish to thank you for the best definition of the Christian life that I ever heard.”

ILL.- The Baptist preacher just finished his sermon for the day and proceeded toward the back of the church for his usual greetings and handshaking as the congregation left the church. After shaking a few adult hands he came upon the seven year old son of one of the Deacons of the church.

"Good morning, Jonathan," the preacher said as he reached out to shake Joanthan’s hand.

As he was doing do he felt something in the palm of Jonathan’s hand. "What’s this?" the preacher asked.

"Money," said Jonathan with a big smile on his face, "It’s for you!"

"I don’t want to take your money, Jonathan," the preacher answered.

"I want you to have it," said Jonathan. After a short pause Jonathan continued, "My daddy says you’re the poorest preacher we ever had and I want to help you."

The way I look at it is this: EVERYONE NEEDS SOME HELP! It may not be money, but they need something. And everyone is poor in certain ways. No matter how much we have materially speaking, we all are still poor. Poor because of sin. Poor because of our need for the Lord.

But we are rich because we know Him and have Him in our lives and yet, we are poor, because we still need more of Him. We are poor because we will never have enough of Him while on earth. But some day we will be the richest of the rich! We will be with Him in the next life.

As we head toward Christmas and heaven, we need to think about giving.

PROP.- Two basic thoughts about giving.

1- Giving to God

2- Giving to man

I. GIVING TO GOD

ILL.- Minister to his congregation: “This morning we will worship the Lord in silent prayer, followed by a silent offering. It will fall even more silently if you fold it.”

Remember the days when it was coins and not bills or checks?

ILL.- A special offering was being taken in a church for missions. A man was approached and asked, “How much will you give, brother?” He replied, “I guess I can give $10 and not feel it.” The other man said, “Why not make it twenty and feel it?!”

Could it be that we don’t give to the point where we really feel it? Meaning, we really haven’t given sacrificially. We only give out of our overflow, our extra. Many will go in debt to purchase something they want but they won’t go beyond in giving!

ILL.- Recently, I had someone ask me, “Don’t I owe the Lord 10 percent?” Well, yes and no. It depends on how you look at scripture and your own faith.

Many Christians go by the principle of Malachi 3:8-10 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, ’How do we rob you?’ "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”