The real deal on giving. 1 Kings 17:10-16
J. Paul Getty oil fortune made him one of the world’s first billionaires in the 1900’s (back when a billion was really a billion). But even with all that money, he was notoriously cheap. For example, he’d never be the first to leave a meeting for fear that he’d get stuck with the taxi tab. And in his stately villa in Malibu, he installed pay phones for guests wanting to make a call.
If the truth were know many of us are “Getty-like” when it comes to giving! We’re stingy....miserly....tight fisted!
-The end result, we position ourselves outside of God’s design & will. -That disobedience positions us outside of Gods’ benefit & blessing.
It’s then we sit around & wonder why our finances are in a mess. The answer is easy, if you honor God He will honor you...if you don’t He want!
*In Leviticus 27 God says the tithe is holy & belongs to the Me. *In Malachi 3 He says don’t rob me, bring the tithe into the storehouse. *Jesus said give & it will be given. *Paul what a man sows that shall he reap.
My friend, God desire is that we surrender all to him & that includes our finances. It a matter of commitment.....surrender....Lordship.
Quote: -Martin Luther "I’ve had many things in my hands and I’ve lost them all. But whatever I’ve put in God’s hands I still posses."
This morning as we continue to consider the truth on tithing I want us to consider the attitude & heart that God desires as it relates to our giving.
Set stage: Ahaz bad king. Jezebel bad queen. The nation was steep in baal worship & God has just announced a drought. This was a slap in Ahaz’s face for baal was the god of storms & only he controlled the rain.
1 Kings 17:10-16 10 So he went to Zar-a-fath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" 11 As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."
12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don’t have any bread-only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it-and die." 13 Elijah said to her, "Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD , the God of Israel, says: ’The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’ " 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
As you think about the circumstances in this story, a drought & famine, this lady wasn’t the best choice to supply Elijah’s needs! -She was a widow! -She was poor.
-She was a woman & a gentile woman at that!
Why not chose a prince or king...perhaps someone who was wealthy? God come on!...surely you can do better than a widow!
Yet God chose this unlikely vessel...I believe for two primary reasons: 1. So that He would get all the glory! 2. So that we would understand that a little is a lot in the hands of God!
God’s ways & wisdom are beyond ours!
Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD . "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
1 Corinthians 1:25
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
Sooooo, what lessons can we learn from this widow on giving?
I. She gave willingly: - She was happy to give! Our text tells us that this woman willingly gave what she had even tough she didn’t have a lot!
Why? Because God has ask her to! Notice verse 9 in our text:
9 "Go at once to Zar-a-fath of Si-don and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."
-The widow gave willingly.... -She was happy to give -Because God has asked her to give!
Scripture has something to say about giving willfully & cheerfully...
2 Corinthians 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
Illustration: A notorious miser was called on by the chairman of finance committee of his church. “Sir,” said the fund-raiser, “our records show that despite your wealth, you’ve never once given to our drive “Do your records show that I have an elderly mother who was left penniless when my father died? fumed the tightwad. “Do your records show that I have a disabled brother who is unable to work? “Do your records show I have a widowed sister with small children who can barely make ends meet?” “No, sir,” replied the embarrassed volunteer. “Our records don’t show those things “Well, I don’t give to any of them, so why should I give anything to you?”
-God desires us to give willingly...cheerfully...happily! -There’s great blessing & joy that comes w/ such giving!
Have you ever noticed that those who are stingy...miserly...penny-pinching are usually very unhappy?
Do you know what the root word for Miserable is?......Miser!
My friend, when it comes to giving come to God w/ open hand & not clinched fist!
Learn a lesson from the widow....God can do more w/ a little than you can do with a lot!
When you give do so willingly & happily!
II. She gave Obediently: - She was quick to give!
This poor widow did exactly what God had instructed her to do nothing more & nothing less & in the course of obedience she ran head on into God!
Because she did what God had asked her to do she experienced in her life & the life of her son the provision...presence...& power of God!
-He feed her during the drought & famine! -He snatched her son from the jaws of death! -He revealed Himself as the sovereign Lord. -She placed her faith in Him & became a believer.
She took God at His word & her faithfulness proved His faithfulness!
Scripture says...
Malachi 3:10 The Lord... 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.
Luke 6:38 Jesus said.... give & it shall be given unto you!
2 Corinthians 9:6 Paul
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Galatians 6:7 Paul
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Illustration: summers at Grandmother Hill’s house. (Something on obedience)
When I obeyed her all was well....when I disobeyed, well let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
My friend, when you & I trust God & obey God we position ourselves beneath that window mentioned in Malachi 3 to receive the blessings of God!
Remember the Hymn: Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet, or we’ll walk by his side in the way; what he says we will do, where he sends we will go, never fear, only trust & obey...trust & obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust & obey.
The real deal on giving is this...we must trust & Obey!
III. She gave Faithfully: - She was ready to give! Our story tells us that day in & day out she gave what God had asked her to give & day in & day out God blessed her faithfulness!
This widow learned several things about giving: -God is not concerned w/ the amount but w/ the attitude. –It’s not what we give but how we give. –It’s not about money but motive.
God call us to faithfulness & that certainly applies to our giving!
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Paul says when you come together you are to take a collection!
1Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
My friend, God can do more w/ a little than you can do w/ a lot.
*She was ready to give. *She was quick to give. *She was happy to give.
Illustration: Captain Levy, a believer from Philadelphia, was once asked how he could give so much to the Lord’s work and still possess great wealth. The Captain replied, “Oh, as I shovel it out, He shovels it in, & the Lord has a bigger shovel.
I have learned several things about giving.... -You can’t out give God. - You reap what you sow.
Luke 6:38 "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."
Illustration A woman missionary in the South Pacific Islands was explaining to a group of children the custom and significance of giving gifts at Christmas. "Giving gifts," she said, "expresses love and reminds us of the perfect gift of love we received from God: Jesus."
Later that week, a young native boy came to the missionary’s side and said, "I love you and want you to have this." He pulled from a straw basket the most beautiful shell the missionary had ever seen. As she admired its beauty, she recognized it as a special shell only found on the far side of the island, a half day’s walk from the village. When confronted by this, the boy smiled and said, "Long walk part of gift!"
My friend the walk of faithfulness & obedience is not part of the gift....it is the gift. One that means more to God than anything you could possible give.
Your giving says.... I love you.........I trust you.........Therefore, I want to obey you!
My friend when it comes to giving God wants you to be...
-Ready to give -Happy to give -Quick to give!
