GRACIOUSNESS BEGETS GRACIOUSNESS- GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER
A]
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that HE IS REAL and that HE REWARDS THE FAITH of those who GIVE ALL THEIR PASSION AND STRENGTH INTO SEEKING HIM.
Think about David. He wasn't the biggest, strongest, most qualified.
How did he make it to the palace? How did he surpass others that had more natural ability?
The scripture says, "David was a man after God's own heart". David was constantly seeking God.
He was always writing songs of praise, telling God how much he loved him, how much he needed him, how great God was.
When you diligently seek God, you will go places that your natural ability could not have taken you.
B]
1 Samuel 13:14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Friends, God sees every sacrifice you make. He sees when you get up in the morning to seek him. He sees when you take time to pray before you make the decisions.
C]
Acts 13:22 But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
He sees you getting your children dressed, driving down the freeway to come to church. Your effort has not gone unnoticed.
Let me assure you, a reward is coming. You cannot give God something without him giving you more back in return.
You've given God your time by coming today, by watching. God is going to help you to get more done this week.
Many of you gave in the offering. You spent gas money.
God's going to cause what you have left over to go further than if you would've kept it all for yourself. When you seek him, he rewards you.
D]
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you".
Notice the key: in other words, don't seek the blessing. Seek the ONE WHO BLESSES. Don't be consumed by things.
BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS
Don't chase after money, fame, fortune, bigger this, bigger that. Chase after God.
If you will seek the ONE WHO BLESSES, then all these blessings FLOW FROM THAT RELATIONSHIP... this is where many people miss it.
When we seek things, life is very shallow.
Our motive must remain rooted in simple thankfulness for His grace.
But we can know that when the books of earth are closed someday in eternity, no one will ever say that they give more to God than He gave to them.
E]
2 Kings 4:8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where THERE WAS A NOTABLE WOMAN, AND SHE PERSUADED HIM TO EAT SOME FOOD. So it was, as often as he passed by, HE WOULD TURN IN THERE TO EAT SOME FOOD.
9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A HOLY MAN OF GOD, who passes by us regularly.
10 Please, let us MAKE A SMALL UPPER ROOM ON THE WALL; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever HE COMES TO US, HE CAN TURN IN THERE.”
This story is about wealthy woman who asked Elisha the traveling prophet to eat at her house.
He did so and her house soon became a regular stop whenever Elisha came through the area.
Helping Elisha must have somehow been rewarding to the woman, because she began to think of ways that she might be able to bless him even more.
She told her husband that SHE WANTED TO BUILD A SMALL ADDITION ONTO THE HOME TO GIVE ELISHA HIS OWN FURNISHED ROOM WHEN HE CAME.
Then he would be able to come and relax there.
What a blessing! And that’s exactly what they did.
This woman was generously spending her family’s money to provide extravagant hospitality for this man who served God.
Now this woman didn’t do this to “get” anything.
She didn’t make a deal with God that if she built this room for Elisha, she expected certain things back from God.
She seemingly just gave as God led her.
But what happened?
2 Kings 4:11-13
F]
11 And it happened ONE DAY THAT HE CAME THERE, and HE TURNED IN TO THE UPPER ROOM AND LAY DOWN THERE.
12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “CALL THIS SHUNAMMITE WOMAN.” When he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
Elisha wondered aloud if there was a way that He could bless her and his servant Gehazi mentioned that she didn’t have a son
Evidently it was a real desire of her heart that so far had not been fulfilled. So Elisha the prophet promised her a son. And God came through as Elisha promised!
This woman who had been childless had a bouncing baby boy! God is certainly a rewarder!
The blessing of a child was a far greater blessing to her than she had even been to Elisha.
A GENEROUS GOD
Now the story doesn’t end here.
This child grew and as a boy one day working with his dad in the fields, he suddenly died.
Of course, the woman was heartbroken – and even angry at God and Elisha.
She laid the body of her only son on Elisha’s bed in his room and went to find Elisha.
G]
2 Kings 4:28
In her bitter grief she said, "DID I ASK YOU FOR A SON, MY LORD?" SHE SAID. "DIDN'T I TELL YOU, 'DON'T RAISE MY HOPES"
So Elisha went to her house, prayed and laid himself over the body of the boy and God gave her son life again.
God gave her a son to begin with and the God raised him from the dead, giving him to her again.
God is a giver.
But we learn that when we give to God, there is no guarantee that life will suddenly be wonderful and without pain.
When we give, we will still be tested.
H]
2 Kings 8:1Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “ARISE AND GO, YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD, AND STAY WHEREVER YOU CAN; FOR THE LORD HAS CALLED FOR A FAMINE, AND FURTHERMORE, IT WILL COME UPON THE LAND FOR SEVEN YEARS.”
2 So the woman arose and DID ACCORDING TO THE SAYING OF THE MAN OF GOD, and she went with her household and dwelt IN THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES SEVEN YEARS.
3 It came to pass, AT THE END OF SEVEN YEARS, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land.
4 Then the king TALKED WITH GEHAZI, THE SERVANT OF THE MAN OF GOD, SAYING, “TELL ME, PLEASE, ALL THE GREAT THINGS ELISHA HAS DONE.”
5 Now it happened, AS HE WAS TELLING THE KING HOW HE HAD RESTORED THE DEAD TO LIFE, THAT THERE WAS THE WOMAN WHOSE SON HE HAD RESTORED TO LIFE, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.”
6 And when the king asked the woman, SHE TOLD HIM. So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.”
There was yet another time when this Shunamite woman was tested – this time financially Elisha told this woman to leave the land of Israel because God had revealed to him that a seven-year famine was coming.
Evidently the Shunamite woman’s husband who was older had died by then because now she was a widow.
So she left the country of Israel to avoid the famine.
But what evidently happened in those days is that if you left the country for an extended time, your abandoned land would become either the property of the king or perhaps of a relative.
But whoever had it, evidently it was no sure thing that you would get it back.
So when the Shunamite woman came back to the land, she went before the king to beg to get her land back.
This is where God’s rewarding character is again obvious.
When this woman comes to King Joram, Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, just happened to be talking to the king.
Imagine that! And the king has just at that moment had asked Gehazi to tell him about his master Elisha’s miracles.
(2 Kings 8:5-6) "Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life."
{6} The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.”
So how did this woman’s generosity work out in the long run?
HER GIFTS TO GOD WERE INITIALLY JUST MEALS FOR ELIJAH AND THEN SHE BUILT AND FURNISHED A SMALL ROOM FOR HIM.
God’s gifts to her included
• The birth of a son,
• The resurrection of her son,
• Advance warning of a 7-year famine and then
• Coincidence
• God made sure she received her land back –
• Plus, seven years income!
God is an incredible rewarder to those who give to Him out of a grateful heart.
Jesus taught the basic principle that God rewards those who are generous not only financially, but generous in spirit. Listen to the words of Christ.
I]
Luke 6:35-37
35 But LOVE YOUR ENEMIES and continue TO TREAT THEM WELL. When you lend money, don’t despair if you are never paid back, for it is not lost. YOU WILL RECEIVE A RICH REWARD AND YOU WILL BE KNOWN AS TRUE CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, HAVING HIS SAME NATURE. For your Father is famous for his kindness to heal even the thankless and cruel.
36 Show mercy and compassion for others, just as your heavenly Father overflows with mercy and compassion for all.”
37 Jesus said, “Forsake the habit of criticizing and judging others, and then you will not be criticized and judged in return. Don’t look at others and pronounce them guilty, and you will not experience guilty accusations yourself. Forgive over and over and you will be forgiven over and over.
People who do good to others generally find themselves blessed with the same kind of graciousness with which they treat others.
God makes sure that happens somehow. Jesus says next that God gives back even more than a generous merchant.
J]
Luke 6:38 GIVE GENEROUSLY AND GENEROUS GIFTS WILL BE GIVEN BACK TO YOU, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you WITH SUCH AN OVERFLOWING MEASURE THAT IT WILL RUN OVER THE TOP! Your measurement of generosity becomes the measurement of your return.”
“GIVE, and IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. FOR WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE, IT WILL BE MEASURED TO YOU."
A “good measure” meant that when you bought grain in the market, the merchant didn’t do to you what the potato chip people do to us.
When we open the potato chip bag, we often find it half empty when we think it’s going to be full.
But a generous merchant would fill his measure to the brim and then press it down and shake it so it settles so he could get a little more in before giving it to you as the costumer.
Jesus says God is like that generous merchant – only more so!
God will reward us in such abundance of blessings that they will be overflowing our basket and filling the robe in our lap.
God is just that way! He will not be out-given.
What kind of giving is Jesus talking about? He could mean money, but He could also be referring to anything of ours that we give away – time, concern for others, encouragement, money or other material things.
And what kind of return or blessing is Jesus promising?
God may give back to us in many ways. In His miraculous way He can choose to bless us financially through finding us good deals, preventing high expenses or by providing raises or more hours and overtime.
But it could be also be that God bless our “giving” by rewarding us with unexpected time to relax even though we had given away time to serve others.
It could be that God miraculously bless our marriage, restores relationships or health or any number of good things.
Those who give time regularly to serving others in their church, family and community are not shortchanged in the long run.
Providentially, God takes care of the time needs of those who gave time, the financial needs of those who give financially and the encouragement needs of those who give encouragement.
From what we’ve seen from the Shunemmite woman and from Jesus’ words to us here, we can be sure that God will reward our financial giving.
K]
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6 Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but THE ONE WHO SOWS FROM A GENEROUS SPIRIT will reap an abundant harvest.
7 Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it SPRING UP FREELY FROM THE JOY OF GIVING—all because GOD LOVES HILARIOUS GENEROSITY
8 Yes, God is MORE THAN READY TO OVERWHELM YOU with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of EVERYTHING EVERY MOMENT and IN EVERY WAY. He will make YOU OVERFLOW WITH ABUNDANCE IN EVERY GOOD THING YOU DO.
9 Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts in him: Because he has SOWN EXTRAVAGANTLY AND GIVEN TO THE POOR, HIS KINDNESS AND GENEROUS DEEDS WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN
10 THIS GENEROUS GOD who supplies ABUNDANT SEED for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First he supplies EVERY NEED, plus more. Then he MULTIPLIES THE SEED AS YOU SOW IT, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow.
11 You will BE ABUNDANTLY ENRICHED in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when WE TAKE YOUR GIFTS TO THOSE IN NEED, IT CAUSES MANY TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD.
A Pastor was telling a story of how he was invited to a black church and as he preached about their prospective future excitement filled the atmosphere.
The pastor said “This church is like a crippled man who needs to get up and walk under the power of Jesus.”
• The congregation replied, “let it walk preacher, let it walk.”
Then the preacher said, “This church like Elijah on Mount Carmel and has got to run.”
• The congregation replied, “let it run preacher, let it run.”
Then he said, “This church has got to mount up on wings like eagles and fly.”
• The congregation now on their feet replied with great enthusiasm, “let it fly, preacher, let it fly.”
Then the preacher added, “Now if this church is going to fly, it’s going to take MONEY.”
• With a lack of enthusiasm, the congregation responded, “Let it walk preacher, let it walk.”
FIRST IS THE PRINCIPLE OF SOWING.
B]
2 CORINTHIANS 9: 6 Here’s my point. A STINGY SOWER will reap A MEAGER HARVEST, but THE ONE WHO SOWS FROM A GENEROUS SPIRIT will REAP AN ABUNDANT HARVEST.
THE SECOND IS THE PRINCIPLE OF INCREASE.
THE THIRD IS THE PRINCIPLE OF PATIENCE.
FOURTH IS THE PRINCIPLE OF THANKSGIVING.
11 You will BE ABUNDANTLY ENRICHED in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when WE TAKE YOUR GIFTS TO THOSE IN NEED, IT CAUSES MANY TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD.
1. We will have enough to live on
(8). “…having all that you need.” 8 Yes, God is MORE THAN READY TO OVERWHELM YOU with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of EVERYTHING EVERY MOMENT and IN EVERY WAY. He will make YOU OVERFLOW WITH ABUNDANCE IN EVERY GOOD THING YOU DO.
2. Our ministry will multiply
(8,11). 11 You will BE ABUNDANTLY ENRICHED in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when WE TAKE YOUR GIFTS TO THOSE IN NEED, IT CAUSES MANY TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD.
“You will abound in every good work… [God] will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
3. We will have enough to give more
(10-11). 10 THIS GENEROUS GOD who supplies ABUNDANT SEED for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First he supplies EVERY NEED, plus more. Then he MULTIPLIES THE SEED AS YOU SOW IT, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow. “[God] will also supply and increase your store of seed … {11} You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion”
4. People will thank for supplying their needs
(12) The priestly ministry you are providing through your offering not only supplies what is lacking for God’s people, IT INSPIRES AN OUTPOURING OF PRAISES AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD HIMSELF. “… your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God … supplying the needs of God's people…”
5. People will praise God for your obedience to God and generosity
(13) For as your extremely generous offering meets the approval of those in Jerusalem, IT WILL CAUSE THEM TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD—ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR LOYAL SUPPORT AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, AS WELL AS YOUR GENEROUS-HEARTED PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM TOWARD THOSE IN NEED.
6. People will pray for you
(14) Because of this extraordinary grace, which God has lavished on you, THEY WILL AFFECTIONATELY REMEMBER YOU IN THEIR PRAYERS. “And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you."
If we are privileged to live the kind of life described above, our life will be richly blessed indeed!
As I look over this list of God’s rewards, I find that all six of these blessing describe God’s reward on the lives of my wife and I.
It certainly does not mean that there are not many other struggles or trials in our lives, but as we have given to God financially as He has directed us concerning our local church and other ministries, He really has given us these rewards.
END OF SERMON
PRAYER
