LUKE 6:38 “PLANNING FOR THE OVERFLOW”
A) I think it is time we started emphasizing GIVING, instead of someone’s income!
* We live in a world where our social standing is based on our income.
* God is not interested in how much you make – He is interested in how much you give.
* No one will be able to stand before God and brag on how much they made or how little they
made – Those who received a reward will be those who were willing to give!
B) We are so much like God when we give! * “For God so loved the world that He gave ...”
* The Bible over and over from Genesis to Revelation tells of the Love of God and how He gives!
* If you study the Bible, you will find that Jesus spoke more about giving, than he did about
prayer, or faith.
* Prayer is mentioned approx. 500 times – Faith is less that 500 times and giving is mentioned over
2000 times. * Out of the 38 parables, 16 of them deal with giving.
C) Text ... The symbolism was taken from, in Bible times in the Middle Eastern Grain market!
* The people would bring in a handful of grain and be ready to receive more grain.
* They would blouse out their garment to receive the grain ... A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, and running over would be given to them.
D) A good example is found in the story of Ruth (3:15)!
* Ruth went into the city to get barley, and Boaz told her to hold out her veil or cloak or her shawl
and she did, and Boaz gave her 6 measures of barley .......
* A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over!
E) This is what Jesus wants to do ... He wants to fill your lap with abundant blessings!
* He wants to send you so many blessings it will cause an overflow!
* Do you want to live in the overflow of God’s blessings?
F) Do you want a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over blessing?
* Then give! * You can’t out give God! * You give yours and God gives His!
* The Big Shovel Principle ... As I shovel it out, God shovels it in and God’s shovel is bigger
than mine!
* The Open Hand Principle ... When you open your hand to God, not only can God take what He
wants, He can also put in what you need!
G) God’s hands is bigger than ours! * Story of Little boy and the candy jar .......
* The owner of the store said, “Go ahead, it’s alright, get you a big handful of candy from the
candy jar.” * But the little boy wouldn’t.
* So the store owner finally said, “Here son,” and reached his hand in the candy jar and handed the
little boy a big hand full of candy.
* Later the dad asked, “Son, why didn’t you reach into the jar yourself and get some candy?”
* And the little boy said, “Ah dad, the store owner’s hand was a lot bigger than mine!”
(1) GIVING IS A BIBLICAL COMMAND! * Mal. 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the ...”
A) God is not asking you or suggesting you to tithe and give ... He is commanding you to do it!
* Some might say, “Well, that’s an OT teaching and not applicable today!”
* Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning God created ...” * That’s in the OT too, do you believe it?
* The OT is not done away with in the NT! * As a matter of fact, Jesus said in Matt. 5:17 “Think
not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”
* “That was under the law.” * Well why would a Christian under grace want to give less to the
Lord than a Jew gave under law?
B) God’s design is still in effect ... He provides for His people through His people!
* Abraham started it ... Jacob continued it ... Moses commanded it ... Jesus commended it ... Paul
continued it ... So who are we to discontinue it?
* Now you may be sitting in your seat right now saying, “I am so sick and tired of the Pastor
talking about giving.” * I believe God is sick and tired of you not giving your money to Him!
C) Giving of tithes and offerings is a Biblical command!
* Prov. 3:9 “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:”
* “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,” is God’s command! * Which leads us to this .......
(2) GIVING IS AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE! * 1 Cor. 16:2 “Upon the first day of the week let ...”
A) Without debate, discussion, or denial, I am convinced that the most sensitive subject that a
pastor ever has to deal with is not the subject of sex .......
* It is not the subject of politics ... Drinking ... Or religion!
* The most sensitive subject that a pastor ever deals with is the subject of money!
* One of the most difficult tasks that a pastor faces is motivating people to give to the work of God.
B) I read some interesting ways this week in which certain pastors have tried to do that .......
* I heard about one pastor who came up with the idea of wiring all of the pews with electricity.
* So on Sunday morning he announced to the people that they were going to begin a building fund.
* He said, “Now I want every one of you who will pledge $100 to the building fund to stand up,”
and he hit a button and about fifteen people involuntarily stood up.
C) He then said, “I want all of you who will pledge a $500 to the building fund to stand up.”
* He hit a second button, and this time about 25 people involuntarily stood to their feet.
* Well the pastor was getting excited now ... Finally he said, “I want everyone of you who will
pledge $l000 to the building fund to stand up.”
* With that he threw the master switch and electrocuted seven deacons!
D) If God tells us to do something and we do not do it, that is disobedience!
* Then we must agree that a person who is not giving is living in disobedience.
* It is a dangerous thing to live a life of willful disobedience to God!
* Not to give is to rob God! * Mal. 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.”
E) I’ve come to believe that how a person reacts to the subject of giving is a pretty good
indication of the condition of their heart!
* When the Lord Jesus came into the world the Bible tells us He came with the attitude of giving.
* Jesus said one time, “The son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
his life a ransom for many.”
* What we know about the Lord Jesus and what the Bible teaches concerning His coming is that
He came willingly, voluntarily, and freely from his heart .......
* He was willing to give Himself unto us. * One time Jesus said about His going to the cross and
His dying: “No man taketh my life from me, but I give my life.”
* Jesus was saying that He gave with an attitude of an open and free heart.
(3) GIVING IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP! * “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse ...”
A) The storehouse is the church ... We are to bring the tithe into the church!
* All through the Bible when people came to worship God they always brought something in their
hand. * 2 Sam. 24:24 “Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which
doth cost me nothing.”
* To come to church and sing or preach or even lift our hands in praise, and not give to God, is
pure hypocrisy!
B) I heard about a Christian and a Jew who were talking together about the differences in their
worship services and how the Jew went to the synagogue and what he did in the synagogue!
* The Christian was talking about what he did when he came to church on Sunday.
* Among other things they discussed the matter of giving.
* The Christian said, “How do you give?” * The Jew said, “You know our Old Testament law
commands us to give a tenth of everything we possess.”
* “So I give 10% when I go to my synagogue on the Sabbath day ... What about you Christians?”
C) The Christian said, “We don’t operate that way at all!”
* “We’re not under law, we’re under grace ... We believe we must give freely.”
* “So at the end of the week, after I’ve spent my money, bought everything I want, whatever I have
left over I just bring it to church on Sunday.”
* The Jew looks at the Christian and said, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
* I’m afraid there are a lot of Christians who have that kind of attitude when it comes to the matter
of giving! * Giving is an act of worship!
(4) GIVING BRINGS THREE GREAT BLESSINGS FROM GOD! * Mal. 3:10-12 ...
A) One: Open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing ....... (Overflow)
* Two: Rebuke the devour ... Three: All nations shall called you blessed!
* Giving is not a contribution, it is an investment! * Let me explain .......
B) In the earthly bank when you write a check to pay a bill that amount is deducted from your
checking account!
* But in the bank of Grace, when you write a check to the church or the work of the Lord, that
amount is credited to your account! * Let the hallelujah’s roll!
* Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over ....... Planning for the overflow – Give!
CLOSE
A) Acts 20:35 “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give
than to receive.”
* I believe it is a natural thing when a person gets saved to want to be able to give.
* I think there is something unnatural about a Christian who has received the gift of eternal life
who doesn’t want to give something to God in return.
B) If you are faithful and will sow bountifully to His work, God will see to it that all the needs
of your life will be met!
* I don’t know what they are, but when they are needed God will provide them and God will take
care of them.
* David said in Psalm 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” * God will meet your needs!
* He may not make you a rich man, but God will provide the needs of your life!
C) Do you want to plan for the overflow? * There’s only one way to get it ... GIVE!
* There’s also another side to this ... Mal. 3:9 “Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed ...”
* What does it mean to be cursed? * To put it simple: A curse is the opposite of blessing.
* It is to remove God’s favor from your life!
D) So let’s weigh it out ... Luke 6:38 or “cursed” ... Which?
