I. EXORDIUM:
Are you a cheerful giver?
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To show that our motivation should be out of love not of fear when it comes to giving.
IV. TEXT:
Ezra 7:21-23 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“I, Artaxerxes the king, hereby send this decree to all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River: ‘You are to give Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven, whatever he requests of you.
You are to give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited supply of salt.
Be careful to provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his Temple, for why should we risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and his sons?
V. THESIS:
Our motivation should be out of love not of fear when it comes to giving
VI. TITLE:
Artaxerxes's generous giving
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: unknown. Ezra might have been the compiler
B. Date written: 450 B.C.
C. Purpose: To document GOD's faithfulness, keeping His promises, sovereignly protecting His People and returned them to their own land.
D. To whom written: Jerusalem's restored remnant and future generations.
E. Main theme: Return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity
F. Keywords: Word of GOD, Power of the Word of GOD in human life, Word of the LORD
G. Key verses:
Ezra 1:3 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!
Ezra 7:10 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.
VIII. MAIN BODY:
A. Provide with diligence
"You are to give Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven, whatever he requests of you. "
Matthew 10:8 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
2 Corinthians 8:7-9 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.
I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.
You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.
B. Don't put a limit on your blessings
"You are to give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil"
Luke 6:38 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
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.”
The blessings will be based on the amount you give. We have the Unlimited GOD on our side so let's bring to Him what He already owns.
John 14:27 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
When the LORD JESUS CHRIST gives, it's not like the world gives, so let's bring to Him all things unlike the world gives.
C. Wrong motivation of King Artaxerxes
"for why should we risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and his sons?"
How should we give?
With cheerfulness
2 Corinthians 9:7 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
Acts 20:35 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Our giving should be out of love, because He first loved us, therefore He first gave us the LORD JESUS CHRIST, not of fear. If you're afraid, you can never be cheerful. You have one negative spirit in you and it disallows you to have positive spirit. Invite one positive spirit or a positive mood and you'll have all the positive mood you can enjoy.
IX. CONCLUSION:
The giving is generous, but the blessings were limited by the channel because GOD rejoices over us. Because GOD is GIVER, so therefore He cheerfully gives to us.
Zephaniah 3:17 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
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