SACRIFICIAL GIVING
I heard a message this past weekend which made the point concerning heaven.
Everybody wants to go but nobody wants to leave. Many want to go there, but does anyone want to leave right now and go?. I thought why is that? Sacrifice. You have to give up all that you know and love for something you really know very little about.
Whatever it is that you want involves some level of sacrificial giving.
You want a great prayer life. Sacrifice.
You want great relationships. Sacrifice.
You want a great single/marrieds ministry. Sacrifice.
You want humility, to be close to God. Sacrifice.
We want great things or things to be great but sometimes we don’t want to give sacrificially to get it.
This is so unlike God. God wanted something to and he was and is willing to sacrifice. Let’s look at what he wants.
1 Tim 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- 1 Tim 2:2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
1 Tim 2:3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
1 Tim 2:4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim 2:6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.
God wanted all men to be saved and he was willing to sacrifice so that it could happen? Why? Love.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE. AND HIS GIVING WAS TOTALLY SACRIFICIAL.
God was willing to give sacrificially because of his love for the world. Best example of sacrificial giving known to man. Let’s look at another example:
Luke 7:36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
Luke 7:37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,
Luke 7:38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
Luke 7:39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."
Luke 7:40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.
Luke 7:41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
Luke 7:42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Luke 7:43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Luke 7:44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
Luke 7:45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
Luke 7:46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
Luke 7:47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
Luke 7:48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
What did she want? We don’t know for sure. At the very least she wanted to see Jesus.
She saw him, she loved him, she gave sacrificially to Him.
The more you love, the more you give sacrificially.
She loved much, she gave much. Simon loved little, therefore gave little.
What do you want tonight?
How much love do you have for what you want?
Jesus taught his disciples that if they wanted to be great it would involve sacrifice, but not the kind that they might have thought. It would involve servitude.
(Mat 20:26 NIV) Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, (Mat 20:27 NIV) and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
(Mark 9:35 NIV) Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
Whatever it is that you want pray, trust God and be willing to sacrifice in whatever way he calls you and to God be the glory!
