BREAKTHROUGH GIVING
Text: Acts 20:36
Definition:
Breakthrough giving connotes “the act of worshiping God first with our lives and then with all that we are and have (Possessions) so that we can overcome the forces of life.”
The Three Spiritual Laws:
They guide you into breakthrough giving. They are listed below.
a. The Law of Surrender: Rom.12:1-2
b. The Law of Concentration: Phil.3:13
c. The Law of Fascination: Psa.24:5-7
What is surrender?
To surrender means “giving up or yielding all to God and his delegated authorities without any reservations” You don’t surrender because you want God to bless you. Rather you surrender to Him your ALL out of love and to please him. Imagine what happened when men and women fall in love! They are ready to give their all and best. Just fall in love with your Heavenly Father and you will experience full joy in your Christian work and walk. Those who fall in love with God knows that he deserves their FIRST and BEST.
Explaining what Surrender is.
The following five statements explain what surrender is in a true Christian walk.
a. Surrender connotes the fact that God wants ALL not leftovers.
b. Surrender means giving your FIRST and BEST. Gen.22:1-20
c. Surrender shows the core of your love: the most two difficult things to surrender are your money and time.
d. Surrender makes little to become GREAT: 1st Kings.17:8-16; John.6:1-13
e. Surrender is the secret of all success: 1st Cor.8:1-9
Please note this: “Surrender is not about circumstances around you, it is about the circumstance within you.”
Giving: The Approved Method
There are four things that God expects all Christians to do while here on earth. They are:
a. Preach the word by evangelizing the world around you.
b. Pray without ceasing.
c. Give to people around you-Love, Possession, services etc.
d. Serve or work in His vineyard.
The Three Method Approved for Giving: they are
a. Tithing: The debt you are privilege to owe: this 10% of all income it is debt to God like you owe government tax, which is deduced at source.
b. Offering: The seed you are privilege to sow: this is beyond the tithe. It is a sacrifice to God.
c. Alms: The gift you are privilege to let go: this is over and above tithe and offering. It is a service to God.
Types of Givers
a. The Emotional Givers – they give because they were aroused through appeal, sermon and persuasion.
b. The Commandment Givers - they give because they like to follow the law.
c. The Heart Givers – they give because they have relationship with the Lord, and will love to give to their ‘lovers.’
Kinds of Givers
Giving is a spiritual work that all believers should be engaged in:
a. The spirituals that are not givers.
b. The givers that is not spiritual.
c. The spiritual that are givers
How do you give?
People give in three (3) ways:
a. Some people give like Moses rock – only when they are struck
b. Some people give like sponge – only when they are squeezed
c. Some people give like flowers- Because they love to give to whoever is around them.
Tithing: there are 5 major tithes in the scriptures. But we shall look at only three of them. They are:
a. The Lords tithe: this is the tithe of all produce and animals given to the Levites. There’s no option about this, as those who refused to pay are robbing God. It is ten percent of all income. The purpose of this tithe is to perpetuate ministry. Num.18:21-29; Lev.27:30-33; Mal.3:8-10
b. The Festival tithe: this tithe takes full effect when Israelite s conquered the Promised Land, this is another ten percent given for annual celebration. i.e. feasting with ones family, friends and servants. The purpose of this tithe is to build religious celebration and mutual community among God’s people. Deut.12:10-11, 17-18; 14:22-27
c. The Poor tithe: this tithe takes care of social welfare of those who could not provide for themselves. It is ten percent every three years, which comes to 3.3% annually. The purpose is to support the poor. Deut.14:28-29; 26:12-15
YOU PAY YOUR TITHE TO WHERE YOU ARE LOCALLY BASED & SPIRITUALLY FED & NOURISHED. YOU DON’T NEED TO DIVIDE OR SHARE IT.
Tithing Before Moses: there are at least three tithing prior to Moses. They are
a. Adam and Tithing: Gen.2:7-14
b. Cain and Abel and Tithing: Gen.4:1-5
c. Noah and Tithing: Gen.8:20-21
d. Abram and Melchizedek Tithing: Gen.14:18-20; Heb5-7
Tithing in the New Testament: Jesus support tithing because of the following:
a. He said he came to fulfill the law not to destroy it. Mtt5:17
b. He said we should give to God and Caesar what is theirs: Matt.22:21
c. He condemned the Pharisees action but not the tithing. Matt.23:23-28
d. Jesus Christ is watching your giving: Mark.12:41-44
The Macedonians in 1st Cor.8:1-13 demonstrates the grace of giving that every New Testament believer ought to emulate.
Offerings and Alms-This is giving to the Lord beyond the Tithe in love and obedience. When we look at the characteristics of offering as enunciated in Leviticus chapter one. It is sacrificial and sometimes painful.
Some Characteristics of today’s offering that you need to run away from are:
a. Expose your offering for all to see. This is contrary to Matt.6:1-4
b. Put one offering each in both hands, as none of your hands should be empty before God. This was discussed in Exo.23:15-17 and 35:19-20 with regards to first fruit, a kind of offering.
c. Now offerings are raised under intense emotion and appeals with scriptural verses quoted out of context.
d. The rich people in most congregations are exalted when their lifestyle aren’t okay spiritually.
e. The poor people among us are not recognized and sometimes despised and neglected.
f. Offerings most often than not is no more fellowship with God, but fellowship with Pastors and ministers of God.
Kinds of offerings: Exo25:1-9; 35:4-21; Deut.12:6
All offerings are given freewill and voluntarily. There are many terminologies already coined for offerings in most Churches. But what are listed below represent the scriptural kind of offering that are acceptable for New Testament believers.
a. Love offering - Exo.25:1-9; Acts.11:29
b. First fruit offering - Num.2:12-13; Deut.26:1-4
c. Kingdom Investment -1st Chr.29:1-9; 1st Cor.6:1-2
d. Giving to the poor - Deut.15:7-11; Pro.19:17
e. Giving to ministers of God. – Gal.6:6-9; 1st Tim.5:17-18
f. Special projects. – Exo.35:21; 1st Chr.22:3-5
g. Vows and Pledge - Psa.50:14; 66:13-15; Eccl.5:4
h. Special Gifts and Sacrifices – Job.31:32; Pro.31:20; Rom.12:13
I Outreaches and Missions –Phil.4:16-19
Reasons why you should give: you give because:
a. You love God.
b. You want to obey him
c. You want to support the great commission and the Church of Christ.
d. You want to see people get blessed.
e. You are planting seed for your own needs in future.
Conclusion
Giving is an investment in God’s Kingdom, and a return is guaranteed not necessarily in terms of wealth or money but in increasing joy and happiness. Shalom
