Spiritual Discipline - Giving
August 15, 2021
One day a dad was out with his 5 year old son. The boy was hungry and the dad asked him what he wanted to eat. The boy simply wanted McDonald’s french fries. Easy enough! So, they went to McDonald’s. The dad wanted to make it a fun day, so instead of getting a small fry, he asked to have it super-sized.
The boys eyes widened and the smile was precious. It was definitely worth it. Finally, the fries were ready and they sat down and he dug in. He was enjoying the fries. He was smiling, yet very seriously eating those delicious fries.
Then something happened . . . the dad wanted to join in on the fun. So he reached over to grab a couple of fries. And to his surprise, his son quickly put his arms around his fries and said, “No, they’re mine.” It was shocking. It had never happened before.
The dad thought about what was happening. He was thinking, my son failed to realize that I am the source of those French fries. He bought the fries. In fact, he expected something smaller - - and I gave him more than he expected. Yet, he’s calling them MINE!
Of course, the dad knew he was much bigger and if he wanted he could take away the fries. Or, if he wanted he could go back to the counter and order more fries, so that his son could never eat all of them.
His son also didn’t understand that the dad didn’t need the fries. He could get his own.
What the dad wanted was for his son to invite him into the moment that he actually made possible. He wanted his son to share the blessings he received.
We have been given blessings like this from God. God wants us to join Him in these blessings, but He also wants us to share the blessings.
God blesses you and me. He’s given us all some french fries. Some have small bags, others medium, others large and some super size. I don’t care where the fries com from. They can be curly, steak, spicy, salty, unsalted . . . the point is - - God has given us all some fries.
We have this amazing opportunity to share our fries with God as we dine with Him. It’s that great passage in Revelation 3:20, when Jesus said - -
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Jesus wants to sit down with us, as we sit down with Him and eat together. To share the intimacy of this communal meeting. There’s something about being with Jesus like this. He invites us to eat with Him, while He eats with us. There’s a sense of sharing with one another.
Yet, I wonder how different we might be or would we be the same as that boy. As we sit with Jesus to eat, He sees those fries, which He’s provided for us . . . and He just reaches across to take a few, and what’s our response?
“Hey, what are you doing? Those are mine.” Or would we push our plate towards Him and say, “take what you want and enjoy with me.”
We need to realize that everything we have comes from God. He is the source of all that we have. God provides for us, even when we don’t feel like it’s happening. God has theability to give and to take away.
And at the same time we realize that God doesn’t need our french fries, and we get the joy to share our fries with God. God does not ask us to give because God is hurting and in desperate need.
God asks us to give because God wants us to be like Him. God is the greatest Giver of all. He’s modeled that for us and He wants us to model that for the world. In the great verse in John 3:16, Jesus tells us
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.
God gave His Son as a gift. Need I say more!?
Well, we’re talking about Spiritual Disciplines and today if you haven’t figured it out, we’re looking at the discipline of GIVING. I’ll give you an interesting fact - -
when I did my doctorate, I worked on Spiritual Disciplines. And as I was planning this series and doing research, I was shocked that giving is not a spiritual discipline. There was no mention of giving in any book I read. And I’ve got about 30 books on spiritual disciplines, but nothing.
I was really pretty shocked. Because giving does not come easily for a lot of people. We are a pretty generous church. We’ve given lots of money to a lot of causes and when there’s a call to give, we give. For most people, if we were to be really honest, giving your money to the church is pretty tough.
I believe we’re supposed to tithe. I believe that’s biblical. The word tithe, means 10%. I believe that’s what we should do and that’s what Debbie and I always try to practice. Yet, the average giving in protestant churches is about 3%. That’s it. That’s what the average attender gives. Even though we can talk about God’s blessings. We could change the world with that money, but that’s for another day. We should be proud of what we give. Even if you’re struggling financially, I believe there’s a place to financially give.
When you read the Bible, we see that God is always giving. We can’t under-estimate God’s ability to provide for us in ways we didn’t think possible. We’ve looked at this passage recently, but it’s so powerful. It’s from 1 Chronicles 29 - -
As the Israelites were getting ready to build the temple, they generously gave. Lots of gold, silver and bronze was collected. For example, they gave 375,000 pounds of gold and 750,000 pounds of silver. That’s a lot!!
Even David had given thousands of pounds of gold as well. Now, David says --
10 David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our Father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. - 1 Chronicles 29:10-17
Let me point out a few things happening in these verses.
11 . . . for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.
12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all.
14 For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
16 All this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.
17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness.
In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. - 1 Chronicles 29:10-17
Literally, if we would all take seriously, what David is saying, I could just stop talking and we’d be done. It’s really overwhelming what he’s saying. Post these verses on your mirror. Remind yourself of all God has given you AND . . . AND this is really huge what David said in verse 17. In the first part, he said - -
17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness.
So, God’s testing the heart, but more than anything, literally more than anything God wants an upright heart. He wants your heart to be right! He wants you to give because you believe that’s what you should do, not what you must do. And that’s what David is getting at in the 2nd part of the verse.
In the uprightness of my heart I have FREELY offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering FREELY and JOYOUSLY to you. - 1 Chronicles 29:10-17
This is the 3rd time I’m showing this verse because it’s super important and it’s something we don’t always catch.
David and the people are offering these gifts freely. It’s their choice to give or not to give, but they do it freely AND this is vital because it’s about all about the heart . . . they give JOYOUSLY! They do it freely and happily. No groaning, no complaints, no questioning, to anger, no shock! They do it because they know God is the author of all they have.
Everything we think we own, belongs to God. My car, my house, my X box, my computers, my TV’s, my jewelry, my tools, my clothes, my food disc golf discs and really . . . everything . . . belongs to God? You may think you earned it, you worked for it, you traded for it. Yet, you could not have done those things without the strength God provides.
There is nothing we have that God ultimately has not provided. We are growing in Christ when we realize that God gives to us and delights in us giving to others and giving back to Him. Yet, we sometimes act like that little boy and don’t want to share our fries.
This is what Paul is trying to get across to the Corinthian church - -
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Do you see it? God loves joy-motivated giving! When we do this, it indicates a level of contentment in God’s gracious giving to us. So, the call is to gve cheerfully and literally, the Greek word has a root which leads to our English word “Hilarious.” So, we give with hilarity. We give smiling and happy and content in what God has given us.
Finally, the prophet Malachi is telling the people they are robbing from God in their tithes and offerings, then he says in verse 10 - -
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. - Malachi 3:10
Ultimately, God’s telling us we can’t afford not to tithe. We will be blessed for it. Now, we need to be careful not to proclaim a prosperity gospel, that God will give you as you give. Sometimes I believe the blessings come in the form of faith, or different spiritual gifts or talents. Sometimes it is monetary, or material, but I believe God does that because he knows it won’t go to their heads.
It’s easy to spend money on the wrong things. I get it. It’s too easy to pacify ourselves with material good when we don’t feel good, or when we’ve been disappointed, or when we want to feel good about ourselves.
Yet, that’s not the way to experience the power of Christ in you. The power of Christ comes when we put Him and His kingdom first. It’s when we let go of all the other things in the world and embrace the call of Jesus . . . it’s when we give back to His kingdom
The world is saying take care of yourself, you come first. And sometimes in the church we give our leftovers. But God doesn’t want leftovers, He wants to first fruits, He wants us to give before we pay the cable bill, before we pay for those phones, before we do anything, He wants us to set aside what He’s already provided us with so we can give back to others.
It makes a difference. Kids wouldn’t have had school supplies if you didn’t give. Kids in other parts of the world would not have an opportunity to know Jesus if you didn’t give and support Operation Christmas Child. VBS would not be successful and minister to kids if not for you. Different events and programs in the church would not happen if you didn’t give.
We serve a giving God. No other religion can talk about a giving God, a God who loves so much that He would sacrifice His Son to give you life. That’s giving! Giving is a matter of the heart. I believe it always is and always will be. I know some have financial hardship. I know it, I get it.
Yet, when God provides for you, are you like that little boy who pulls the fires away from God, or will you push the plate to God and say here Lord . . . thank you for all you’ve already given to me!
Lord, I give you these fries with joy and contentment and want you to do as you please with them.
Thanks to Rick Gillespie- Mobley via sermoncentral for ideas for this message.
