Opening illustration: Story of Crystal Jagnow …
Introduction: The Bible tells us it is more blessed to give than receive. There are many spiritual laws in place for the giver. We must all learn to be givers in the right way. The Word of God says that we must be cheerful givers. We also must learn to give without expecting to get something back. (Meaning we are not just giving to get a return!)
What are the Five levels of Blessings in Giving? [Paraphrase all the stories in Biblical Reference]
1. Brook Level (Elijah @ the Brook) 1 Kings 17: 1-7 ~ (pertains to all those in ministry)
God wonderfully suits men to the work he designs them for. The times were fit for an Elijah; an Elijah was fit for them. The Spirit of the Lord knows how to fit men for the occasions. Elijah let Ahab know that God was displeased with the idolaters, and would chastise them by the want of rain, which it was not in the power of the gods they served to bestow. Elijah was commanded to hide himself. If Providence calls us to solitude and retirement, it becomes us to go: when we cannot be useful, we must be patient; and when we cannot work for God, we must sit still quietly for him. The ravens were appointed to bring him meat, and did so. Let those who have but from hand to mouth, learn to live upon Providence, and trust it for the bread of the day, in the day. God could have sent angels to minister to him; but he chose to show that he can serve his own purposes by the meanest creatures, as effectually as by the mightiest. Elijah seems to have continued thus above a year. The natural supply of water, which came by common providence, failed; but the miraculous supply of food, made sure to him by promise, failed not. If the heavens fail, the earth fails of course; such are all our creature-comforts: we lose them when we most need them, like brooks in summer. But there is a river which makes glad the city of God, that never runs dry, a well of water that springs up to eternal life. Lord, give us that living water! (Pertains to God’s divine providence)
Illustration: Story when my parents were unemployed and God provided financial support for my sisters and my education (which was very expensive). More than 35 years have gone by and till today we don’t know from where the help came. But we know God had raised some person somewhere in the world to meet our need. Is there anything impossible for God? Is His hand shortened? Has His treasury run out? …
Application: Many people want to justify their status of not-working or unemployment and live on government aid and do nothing about their life and shift their responsibility on God by saying, ‘He’ll take care of us just as He took care of Elijah.’ They don’t realize that Elijah’s context (he literally was called by God to work for Him) is very different from theirs and we need to work for our subsistence. Let us not forget what Paul told the believers in Thessalonica … “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3: 10)
2. Box Level (Widows Penny) Luke 21: 1-4 ~
From the offering of this poor widow, learn that what we rightly give for the relief of the poor, and the support of God’s worship, is given unto God; and our Savior sees with pleasure whatever we have in our hearts to give for the relief of his members, or for his service. Blessed Lord! The poorest of thy servants have two mites, they have a soul and a body; persuade and enable us to offer both unto thee; how happy shall we be in your accepting of them! Others gave from their abundance but she gave from her scarcity, basically from nothing. God saw her heart above everything else … today God is seeing our hearts … whether we are going to be cheerful givers or grumbling ones. The choice you have to make …
Illustration: Story of a Seminarian who had his last five dollars left in his pocket and gave it away for the offering that Sunday … what followed after that was amazing and unbelievable.
3. Barrel Level (The Poor Widow and Elijah) 1 Kings 17: 8-16 ~
The person appointed to entertain Elijah is not one of the rich or great men of Sidon; but a poor widow woman, in want, and desolate, is made both able and willing to sustain him. It is God’s way, and it is his glory, to make use of, and put honor upon, the weak and foolish things of the world. O woman, great was thy faith; one has not found the like, no not in Israel. She took the prophet’s word that she should not lose by it. Those who can venture upon the promise of God will make no difficulty to expose and empty themselves in his service, by giving him his part first. Surely the increase of this widow’s faith, so as to enable her thus readily to deny herself, and to depend upon the Divine promise, was as great a miracle in the kingdom of grace, as the increase of her meal and oil in the kingdom of providence. Happy are all who can thus, against hope, believe and obey in hope. One poor meal’s meat this poor widow gave the prophet; in recompense of it, she and her son did eat above two years, in a time of famine. To have food from God’s special favor, and in such good company as Elijah, made it more than doubly sweet. It is promised to those who trust in God, that they shall not be ashamed in evil time; in days of famine they shall be satisfied.
Application: First she had to give (make a meal for the prophet Elijah) in order to receive God’s divine and amazing blessings (apparently she didn’t even know what was coming her way).
4. Basket Level (Five loaves and two fish) Mark 6: 34-44; John 6: 9-10 ~
The people sought the spiritual food of Christ’s word, and then he took care that they should not want bodily food. If Christ and his disciples put up with mean things, surely we may. And this miracle shows that Christ came into the world, not only to restore, but to preserve and nourish spiritual life; in him there is enough for all that come. None are sent empty away from Christ but those who come to him full of themselves. Though Christ had bread enough at command, he teaches us not to waste any of God’s bounties, remembering how many are in want. We may, some time, need the fragments that we now throw away. Here Jesus feeds 5,000 men. The number of women and children is undisclosed. We could possibly and safely say they were around 15,000 people in all who had eaten their stomach-full from the five loaves and two fish. The disciples gathered 12 baskets of crumbs after everyone was done. The five loaves and two fish were given to Christ, He blessed them and it turned out that it was not only enough … but more than enough. There were left-overs too … Amen!
Application: Only after this young boy who was able to part with his solitary lunch, Jesus was able to bless it bountifully that there was even more than enough … 12 baskets of crumbs were collected after every one of them had eaten. Let us not forget that our God is Yahweh Jireh our provider. Let me get a big Amen here. Do you have a story like this in your life? … well if you don’t; today it might just turn out to be just like this one. You will be blessed when you will give. I don’t want to withhold or discourage you from availing your blessing … but you have to give in order to receive. Let us not be selfish and come with an attitude that ‘If I give, I’ll receive and be blessed.’ Paul was writing to the believers in Corinth … Only after you give something, God can bless it abundantly.
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver ...” (2 Corinthians 9: 6-7)
Statistics on giving of Christians:
• The average Christian household gives 2.5% to their church
• The average Christian gives only $20 to missions but spends $1,174 on gambling
• Only 1/3 to ½ of U.S. church members financially support their church or any ministry
• Incomes have gone up 9-10 times in the last 20 years while giving has gone down about 50%
• Only 9% of the so called American "born-again" adults tithed/offering in 2004
Illustration: Story of ‘The Drums’ @ Valley Church.
5. Barn Level (Joseph’s story of storing for seven years) Genesis 41: 32-39; 46-57~
• The dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass
• Josephs’ advice - collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years
• store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities
• that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine
• In the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly
• Joseph gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt
• He gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable
• Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended
• And the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread
• So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do."
• The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt
• So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands
Application: Joseph who was in prison for a number of years and almost forgotten but God did not forget him. God had to give a dream to Pharaoh which no one would be able to interpret other than Joseph. It was his time to come out of prison now. God revealed to Pharaoh the next 14 years in his dream. He could have brushed it off or paid heed to it. He chose the latter. No wise men in Egypt were able to interpret the dream. Therefore miraculously Joseph was called out from prison to infer the dream. He did it meticulously and was hired to be the ‘Prime Minister’ of Egypt – second in the chain of command to Pharaoh.
He stored 1/5th of the produce during the 7 years of abundance and when the 7 years of famine showed up, there was famine all over the world except in Egypt. They had their barns, super barns and mega barns filled with grain till the brim. Now it was time to save not only the Egyptians from dying but the entire world. This event brought Jacob and his families to Egypt. God had something big planned from the day Joseph was thrown into the pit. He gave a mysterious dream to Pharaoh.
In order for Egypt and the world to endure and survive, Joseph had to interpret and save grain during the years of abundance. He had to give towards the barns in order to reap dividends later on. Only because of the Egypt’s (nation’s) giving, they were blessed and were able to bless other nations (who were on the verge of extinction).
Conclusion: The Word of God tells us it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20: 35). There are many spiritual laws in place for the giver. We must all learn to be givers in the right way. The Bible says we must be cheerful givers. We also must learn to give without expecting to get something back. (Meaning we are not just giving to get a return!) Let me expound …
When we think of “blessings”, we usually think in terms of “getting” or “receiving”. Much emphasis is put on “prosperity” by modern church movements and it is the desire of many Christians. It is a biblical principle mentioned in 2 Corinthians that if we “Give generously .... Reap generously.” However, if we “Give sparingly ... Reap sparingly.”
Remember … “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6: 21; Luke 12: 34)
"To whom much has been given, much will be required" (Luke 12: 48). God is no one’s debtor.
