Sermon – Cheerful Giving June 26, 2005

Intro
I want to talk today about a difficult and sensitive subject: money. I like the low-pressure way Harvest Christian Church collects offerings; money is not pushed and the offering box is hidden in the back. We make sure you really want to give around here. That is great because the Bible says:

2CO 9: [7] Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Statistically only 10 percent of Christians nationwide give regularly. According to this verse, it is not that we have too many stingy Christians, but that we don’t have enough cheerful Christians. Cheerful Christians give freely.

The charity organization Bread for the World says if we could produce $13 billion more per year we could feed the world. We have over two billion Christians in the world so this would only be $6.50 each, above what we are giving, to solve world hunger.

But running around, pushing a guilt trip on Christians to give is not the answer. That is the reason offering plates are not passed here. We don’t want any grudging givers. Giving is a privilege and a joy and I want to show you seven Biblical principles about giving that have come out of my own struggle in this area.

My story began many years ago when I was making a good wage. This brings us right away to principle number one:

Principle 1 -- Wealth is Not Sin

1 Tim 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

It is not money that is the root of evil; it says the love of money is the problem. You and I were born into a wealthy country. That is not a sin. There were many in the Bible whom God blessed with great wealth such as Solomon and Job. It is okay to be rich. It is not okay to view wealth as an end in itself. Then it becomes our idol, our god. Wealth is a tool, a resource to be used for kingdom work.

I was a Christian when I started working and I wanted to give some to the Lord. The problem came when I always wanted - not needed, but wanted - more things, so there was rarely anything left over. I knew this was a problem so I disciplined myself to give a pre-tax tithe. There was nothing wrong with that approach. In fact the Bible says:

1CO 16:1 Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. [2] On 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.

So we have in this verse two more principles to add to our list:

Principle 2 – Give Regularly

1 Cor 16:2 says to set the sum aside every week. I take this to mean monthly or semi-monthly, or however I am paid; so long as it is regular.

Principle 3 – Give a Percentage

Verse 2 says a sum “in keeping with his income;” in other words, a percentage of before- tax income. My problem was in choosing the percentage, I stepped backwards into the Old Testament laws. I wanted to give the bare minimum to keep God happy so I could spend as much as possible on me. I could not find any rule or percentage given in the New Testament, so I went to the book of Leviticus and found that a tithe of everything was to be given. The word tithe means ten percent. So for many years I gave ten percent to appease my conscience.

I totally missed applying the law of the Spirit to my giving.

Rom 7: [6] But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Christ came to free us from the regulations of the law. Let me read from the:

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
The Talmudic law of tithing extends the Mosaic Law, with most burdensome minuteness, even to the smallest products of the soil. Of these, according to some, not only the seeds, but, in certain cases, even the leaves and stalks had to be tithed (Ma'aseroth 4 5), "mint, anise, and cumin" (Dema'i 11 1; compare Mat_23:23; Luk_11:42). The general principle was that "everything that is eaten, that is watched over, and that grows out of the earth" must be tithed (Ma'aseroth 1 1).

Setting up rules on minimal amounts and grudgingly giving is exactly what Jesus came to put an end to. We are now free to be filled with the Holy Spirit and give from a place of joy. Still, the New Testament says we should decide on an amount to give.

2CO 9: [7] Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give…

And back one chapter Paul was on the subject of giving and said:

2 Cor 8:11
11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

In other words, whatever you planned to give, give. Not only does this demonstrate the principle of planned giving, it also introduces another principle.

Principle 4 – Follow Through

So many times I had good intentions of giving, but for one reason or another the offering never got put into the box, and once skipped, I didn’t replace it the next week to catch-up.

So, back to my story. I was stuck trying to determine a percentage. I now knew a tithe was not necessarily right, but how was I to decide what to set aside every week? Several passages spoke to my heart on this. First and foremost was Romans 7:6 which we already read:

Rom 7: [6] But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

What did it mean to serve in the new way of the Spirit? I finally discovered that my giving was to be decided by prayer and waiting on the Lord. The other passages which also helped were:

2CO 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. [7] Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [8] 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. …

2CO 9:10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. [11] You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Mark 12:41-44
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on."

Mark 8:36
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

Mat 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I needed to take a long look at where my treasure was. What I discovered was a lot of my treasure was in my garage. I had a nice house with a nice garage in which I kept nice cars and a lot of nice man-toys. We had a garage sale and it was embarrassing how much sports activities gear I had that was never used. There was a whole sporting goods section out on the lawn: tennis rackets, skis, rollerblades, a canoe, golf clubs, volleyball stuff, camping equipment, rock climbing gear (which I have yet to sell).

God tests us in this matter of giving to insure that we don’t hang on to our possessions and wealth so hard it becomes our snare. In Africa they catch monkeys by putting a banana in a jar then they wait for the monkey to reach in and grab the banana. As long as he hangs on to that banana, he can’t get his little hand out of the jar and can’t drag the heavy jar fast enough to get away. His own greed becomes his downfall.

I had my grip on my toys and it is impossible to get free of the world’s jar while hanging on to earthly treasure. So this brings us to the most important principle on giving.

Principle 5 – Live Off the Surplus

I held a concept that my income was mine and what was left over was God’s. I needed to switch that around in my head. It all belongs to God and I am blessed to use what I need to live, but it is mostly there to benefit the kingdom. I used to say, “God, thanks for the gifts. I’ll give some back to You so You’ll leave the bulk alone.” I needed to switch that around to say, “God, the bulk is yours; I can live off the surplus.”

Principle 6 – Ultimate Worship

There is probably no greater opportunity for worship than in giving. Singing to God is wonderful, prayer is important, coming to church shows our devotion, but giving is a deeper level of worship. Giving of time and money is a way to say to God, “I will give back to You what is most vital to my existence. I will give and trust You to take care of my needs.”

Perhaps you have heard the story of the acrobat in New York who announced he would tightrope across Niagara Falls? He had a cable stretched across the great gap and set up a stage. On the designated day thousands of excited fans showed up. The world - renowned acrobat carefully walked across and back. The crowed clapped and cheered. So he announced he would push a wheelbarrow across. He asked the crowd, “Do you think I can do this?” They clapped and shouted their encouragement. So he pushed the wheelbarrow across and back.

Next he announced he would push the wheelbarrow across with someone in it. He asked the thrilled masses, “Do you think I can do this?” Again they cheered and shouted their encouragement. He asked them, “Who believes in me so much they will volunteer to sit in the wheelbarrow?” Suddenly the crowd went silent. They were willing to believe in him but not to sit in the wheelbarrow.

To give generously and cheerfully of our time and money is to believe in God and to sit in the wheelbarrow while He pushes it over the tightrope of personal finances.

I can testify my life is infinitely fuller since I switched the whole of my assets over to God and chose to live off the surplus. I have so many stories of God’s faithfulness to provide for my needs I could keep you here all day. I encourage you with all my heart, don’t deprive yourself from the blessing of giving to God and seeing what He does in return.

That brings us to the final principle:

Principle 7 – You Can’t Out-give the Giver

We will end with this verse:

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.