“Let’s Expect A Miracle of Giving in 2004”
Philippians 4:10-13, 19
A want-to-be truck driver completed an intensive, one-month course leading to being licensed to drive an 18-wheeler. At the end of the course, each candidate was quizzed by a panel of experienced drivers. The questions were grueling. The last question was stated this way: “We are going to describe a specific driving situation, and we want your specific response about what you would do.
Here is the situation. You are driving your fully loaded 18-wheeler down a mountain road. To your right is a 300 foot wall going straight up. To your left is a 1,000 foot drop-off. There is no guardrail, and the space between the road and the drop-off is narrow and covered with gravel. Immediately in front of you is a fully loaded logging truck, traveling very slowly.
“As you pull out to pass, you see a fearful sight. Another 18-wheeler is rounding the curve-coming up the road directly at you. At that instant, a car pulls out to pass the truck coming up the road. You apply your brakes and get no response. You brakes have failed. Four vehicles are now coming together at the same place at the same time. Our question is, "what specifically are you going to do?”
The want-to-be truck driver thought for a few moments and then answered, “I guess I’ll wake up Leroy.” The questioning panel was perplexed, and one of the questioners said, “Who’s Leroy?” “Leroy’s my relief driver, and he’s been sleeping back in the sleeper.”
Now the panel was really confused. One of them asked, “How is waking up your relief driver going to help in any way?”
It’s not really going to help, but you see, Leroy’s from a little town in north Georgia, and he’s never seen a wreck like this one’s going to be.”
This story illustrates the economic times we are living in. The brakes have failed and we’re out of control. Many Americans are living in economic stress with mounting credit card bills and conflict over finances in marriages and no hope seems to be in sight.
Lack of self discipline puts people into crises when they live by spending more than they make. Every week you probably get an opportunity to sign up for another credit card. Advertisers send repeated messages: “You Can’t Live Without It,” “Why Should You Deny Yourself?” “Enjoy Now pay Later.” “There’s little or no cost involved.” “This product or service will meet your real needs.”
In the United States 125 Billion is donated to charities on a yearly basis. George Barna in his research notes that of all people who give donations 3-5% gave a tithe of their income. The average donation by adults per week to a local church is $12.50 or $648.00 a year. Giving this past year in the Willow Vale church was more than twice the national average – 124 different individuals or families gave to the Willow Vale Church with an average yearly giving of $1,400.00.
In Revelation we read about a book that no man could open. Some believe that was the pocketbook.
Throughout the Bible Stewardship of money is taught. Jesus had more to say about money than he had to say about heaven. Stewardship is not about raising money. Fund raising focuses on your obligation to give. Stewardship focuses on the privilege of giving. From the Biblical perspective giving is not a duty it is a privilege.
The Biblical principle for giving is the tithe – ten percent of our income.
Genesis 14:17-24 – Abram’s nephew Lot was taken captive by King Kedorlaomer. When Abram heard about it he took 318 of his trained men and rescued Lot and his family and recovered all their possessions. When they returned from their victory they were met by Melchizedek, king of Salem a priest of the Most High God. He blessed Abram and praised God for giving him the victory over his enemies. “Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
I Chronicles 29:14-18 - David gives his son Solomon plans and instructions on building the Temple in Jerusalem. David personally gave 110 tons of gold and silver to help build the temple. The other families in Israel give willingly a total of 5,250 tons of silver, gold, bronze, iron, and precious stones. David praises the Lord publicly before the people and says, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” V. 14
David stated a Biblical principle: “God owns all and we are His Stewards and Managers of what God has provided.”
David carried that same theme through when he sang out in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
You may earn large sums of money while on earth, but you are not the owner. God is the owner. You are His Steward or manager. Stewardship begins with the recognition that God is owner of everything in earth. God owned everything before you were born and will own everything when you leave. Everything God gives you is given as a trust. The more God gives you the more responsible he expects you to be.
The Old Testament principle of giving was the tithe, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” (Lev. 27:30)
The last book of the Old Testament God gives a command and a promise: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10)
Luke 6:38 – “Give and gifts will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will they pour into the pouch form by the bosom of your robe and use as a bag. For with the measure you deal out with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others, it will be measured back to you.” (Amplified Bible)
The basic principle that Jesus is teaching is that if you want to change what you are getting then we must begin by giving love, goods, services, resources, time, energy, commitment, teaching, intercessory prayer support and whatever it is that we believe would give God the greatest glory.
The Lord gives the promise, “Whatever man sows that will he also reap. (Gal. 6:6, 7) Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully, but if we sow sparingly, then we can expect to reap sparingly. (2 Cor. 9:6)
A story is told about a policeman that pulled over a carload of women. The policeman walked up to the car and politely said, “Ma’am, this is a 65 mph highway why are you going so slowly?” She quickly responded, “Sir, I saw a sigh that said 22, not 65!” The policeman laughingly said, “Oh, that’s not the speed limit, that’s the name of the highway you’re on?”
To which the lady said, “Oh! Silly me! Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be careful.” The policemen than looked in the backseat and saw two other women shaking and trembling. Tenderly the policeman said to the lady driver, “Excuse me, but what’s wrong with your friend back there? They’re shaking something terrible.”
“Oh, we just got off Highway 121, “the lady responded.”
It can be scary for preachers to talk about stewardship and money. But the fact is that our willingness to give is an indication of the depth of our obedience to the Lord.
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke 1 out of every 6 verses deals with money. Of the 29 parables Christ told, 16 deal with a person and his money. Give of your monetary resources or they may end up controlling you and your heart.
Someone has counted over 2,300 references to money and possessions in the Word of God. At the same time prayer is mentioned only 500 times.
Throughout the Gospels Jesus emphasized the importance of giving liberally to the work of God in both tithes and offerings. Jesus taught in parables and sermons the importance of holding on lightly to the things of this world and putting God first in our giving and in our life choices.
From God’s Word we find a number of teachings on how we are to give.
I. Give Strategically
We give our tithe and offering out of obedience to God’s Word and as an expression of our love and trust in the Lord. We don’t give to get something in return. We don’t give as a guarantee that God will reward us with 90 percent of what we give. “Lord I’m going to give $1,000 this month so I expect you to bless me with $10,000 income this month.
In the early Church Christians helped others without any concern for repayment. Acts 4:32-35 “There were no needy persons among them."For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” (Verses 34-35)
Perhaps one of the most comprehensive promises in the Bible comes from 2 Cor. 9:8 that says, “God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all things, at all times, you will have all that you need so you can abound in every good work.” That covers all areas of life so we should not hesitate to give unreservedly with such a complete underwriting guarantee.
Rick Warren, the author of “The Purpose Driven Life” that we are using as a devotional book later this month says that giving has seven benefits to our life:
1.Giving makes me more like God
2.Giving draws me closer to God
3.Giving beaks the grip of materialism
4.Giving strengthens my faith
5.Giving is an investment for eternity
6.Giving blesses me in return
7.Giving makes me happy
We give strategically out of obedience to the Lord. Giving strategically means we give on a regular basis. As we receive income we set aside our tithe first and give to the Lord and ask the Lord to help us carefully manage the remaining 90%.
II. Give Sacrificially
A second principle is to give sacrificially.
Mark 12:41-44 – The Widow’s Offering
2 Cor. 8:1-7 – Macedonian churches
God’s Word teaches that you can be assured that with the measure you give will be the measure that you will receive. If you give much then you will receive much from the hand of God in a way and in the time frame that He deems proper. He who sows generously, will also reap generously.
We are not to give grudgingly to God, but are to give out of obedience to His command and as a response to His overflowing generosity to us.
We give GENEROUSLY without thought of what we might get in return. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and give expecting nothing in return and your reward in heaven will be great.” (Luke 6; 35, 36) We cannot expect God to have to give back exactly what we have given while we are on earth. We have assurance that a greater reward is awaiting us in heaven.
The story is told of a man who reported a horrible dream. “I dreamed that the Lord took my offering and multiplied it by ten, and this became my weekly income.” He said, “Soon I lost my color TV, had to give up my new car, and I couldn’t even make the payments on my new house.” And then he added, “How can a fella live on $10.00 a week.”
There are many excuses people give for not giving.
Some say, “I’m in debt. I cannot give. Giving our tithe helps us to be better stewards and use good money management principles to get out of debt.
Some say, “I will give when I get more.” The fact is that if we have trouble giving a tithe of one dollar we will have trouble giving $10,000 of $100,000.
Research shows that on an average those who make over $100,000 a year only give 1-2 % to charity.
Some say, “I won’t give because I’m mad and bitter. God allowed me to get into this financial mess and I’m mad at God. I’ll not give God’s ministry penny.
There are those who look at life and have the attitude, “What’s God’s is mine, and I’m going to take it. Others have he attitude, “What’s mine is mine, and I’m going to keep it.: The proper attitude, What’s mine is God’s and He can have it.” Everything we have belongs to God.
Solomon wrote in Proverbs 11:24, 25 – “There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more. And there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous and he who waters will himself be watered. He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessings will be on the head of him who sells it… He who trusts in riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.” (Proverbs 11:25-28)
III. Give Cheerfully
We are also to give cheerfully. We give our offering as an act of worship.
Jesus can have our money and not our hearts, but He cannot have our hearts without our money.
2 Cor. 9:6-8 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
Our giving should be an overflowing of joy. We don’t give to God’s work because we have to…We give because we acknowledge all we have comes from God.
“On the first day of each week let each one of you (personally) put aside something and save it up as he has prospered (In proportion to what he is given) so that no collections will need to be taken after I come.” (I Cor. 16:2) Let us give as we have been given, but do it as a habitually plan course in our lives just as we plan out all aspects of our lives and ministries.
Give CHEERFULLY as God loves a cheerful giver. Do not give grudgingly or out of necessity because the motive with which we give is just as important to God as the gift itself.
Illustration: A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church "Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself," she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. "Well," said the little girl, "I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did."
A little boy had the same thought when he was given two quarters -- One for ice cream and the other for the church offering. Unfortunately, he accidentally dropped one of the quarters into the storm sewer. Well Lord, thee goes your quarter!”
Out of our love for the Lord we give cheerfully and as an act of worship.
IV. Give to Set an Example
We also give to set an example.
My mother set an example for me to tithe what I made to the Lord’s work. I followed her example and throughout my life I have given a tithe to the work of the Lord and offerings to charity. When you begin by tithing your first hundred dollars it is easier to tithe your first thousand and then ten thousand and hundred thousand.
We set an example for our children and when we have the opportunity we teach the tithe principle to our grandchildren.
When we give we set as a protection against the sin of covetousness.
V. Give to Invest in the Future
Matthew 6:19-21 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasurers on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, But store up for yourselves treasurers in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”
Your treasurers in heaven represent people that have come to know Jesus as a result of your giving. Your treasurer in heaven is not in gold and silver but in people.
We are to give –
Strategically
Sacrificially
Cheerfully
To Set an Example
To Invest in Heaven
Bishop Ralph Cushman wrote years ago:
Ah, when I look up at that Cross
Where God’s great Steward suffered loss.
Yea, loss of life and blood for me!
A trifling thing it seems to me
To pay the tithe, dear Lord, to Thee,
Of time or talent, wealth or store-
Full well I know I owe Thee more;
A million times I owe Thee more!
This coming year let’s expect a miracle of giving. As we look forward to the New Year we have the promise of Hebrews 10:23 (Message) “Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps His Word.” Phil. 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
9 Biblical Money Management Principles
1. No amount of wealth will ever satisfy a person’s basic needs for security and significance, which can only be met by God.
2. God owns it all. Psalm 24:1 “The world and all that is in it belongs to the Lord; the earth and all who lives on it are his.” (TEV)
3. God uses money to help you mature in your faith.
4. Stewardship means using the resources God has entrusted to you to accomplish His plans and purpose.
5. Money is not an end in itself. It’s a tool which you can use to meet God’s priorities.
6. Husbands and wives will have different financial priorities reflecting their differing priorities of life.
7. There is no such thing as an independent financial decision. Each decision you make will influence every future financial decision.
8. Delayed gratification means giving up today’s desires in order to meet future needs or desires.
9. A faith goal is a measurable and attainable objective toward which I believe God wants me to move.
