The Spiritual Discipline of Giving
Notes
Transcript
Last week we began this new series titled HOW WE GROW, and I told you that over the next 5 weeks we would look at 5 spiritual disciplines.
Now a spiritual discipline is something that we practice, individually, that help us to grow spiritually in our relationship with Jesus Christ. To give you a small example of a spiritual discipline is when you take time to pray alone. No one is around, you are not praying in front of a big crowd, but your are taking time to be quiet and pray before the Father.
Last week we talked about the spiritual discipline of guarding yourself. Protecting your self, spiritually. Guarding your time, guarding your heart, and putting boundaries up, keeping the things of this world away.
This morning we are going to look at the spiritual discipline of giving. What does the bible have to say about giving. And what is our responsibility in making sure we are following what the Bible says about giving.
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The Spiritual Discipline of Giving. When you hear that word …giving… and it is said in church, what do you think of? The offering, right? What we just did. We passed the buckets, and talked about how the money would all go to our mission offering this year. When we think about giving, we think of money. But did you know that God wants more money. Giving your money as a tithe and offering is biblical and we will see this, but did you know that he wants your obedience in other areas of giving? That’s what we will see today.
Open your Bibles to Matthew 6.
Matthew 6 part one one big sermon from Jesus that spreads over Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. We know this is the Sermon on the Mount. In Chapter 6 we see the disciples ask Jesus how to pray and he shares with them an example of how they should, then is verse 19 he talks about the spiritual discipline of giving.
Look at verse 19...
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
As we look to the spiritual discipline of giving, what I want you to see here is what is not said in this verses.
Do you see the word money? No. Do you see the word naira? Of course not. That’s because when we talk about the spiritual discipline of giving, we are not going to focus on money. Giving money, is part of giving, but it’s only a part, not all.
He does mention treasure, so as we enter this thought of giving treasure, we need to turn our minds away from treasure being money, and understand that it means much more than that.
This morning let’s look at treasure this way...
1. Treasure can be time.
2. Treasure can be resources (many things, including money)
3. How can we handle these the right way for God. (How can be be good stewards?)
All of these point to the spiritual discipline of giving.
1. Giving Time.
Last week we talked about time, and how important it was that we take the time, to get away and spend time with God. Maybe that is in the morning, at night, or another part of the day when you can withdraw and focus on him and his word.
But today let’s look at time as a treasure in a way that we can give some of ours away to someone else. What fills your time? We all have things that are part of our 24 hours. Sleep. Who sleeps here? I do. Most of you have school, me too. You have chores, things you have to do everyday, me too. Then there are things that we do on certain days. When you add all of those things up, there is still time left over. Time to relax, yes. Time to chill, yes. But as Christians, we have a call to use our time wisely.
The Apostle Paul told the believers in Colossae that their time is important. He said..
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
How do we grow as a child of God walking down that path of righteousness? We have to make time to tell others about Jesus. You have the greatest news ever to be proclaimed. In the history of the world, one event is bigger than any other, and that is that Jesus Christ came into this world to die for sinners. What are we doing with that. Do we treasure that? Do we treasure it so much that we want to tell others? Because when we do, we are placing treasures in heaven, they won’t spoil here…they are eternally kept.
What does he say in verse 21?
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Where your treasure is, that is where your heart is.
I told you last week, when the Bible talks about our heart, it speaks to who we are, our passion, our mind, the way we carry ourself. So when he says where your treasure is, that is where your heart is, he says this is your priority, this is what you want the most. This is how you are defined.
How are you defined? Does giving your time to love someone mean that you want to make sure they know Jesus. If that is you, then you are laying up treasures in heaven. In not, Jesus says here, the things that matter to you will spoil and really don’t matter.
2. Giving Our Resources
What are your resources?
Money, food, a piece of clothing, or maybe something that you have that someone else may need. Not want, but need.
James talks about giving our resources and the different they can make. Look at James 2:15-17
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
In Proverbs it says...
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
We are told to give of our resources when we can. When we have the ability we are to make a difference in peoples lives.
You may say Dad, I don’t have anything to give. I’m just a student. I don’t have a job. How can I give?
Look what Paul said....
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
Paul, knew whatever he had, he owed to the Lord.
The question is, will you be obedient?
As I was preparing for this message, two women from the Bible came to my mind. Both of these women had nothing, but they gave everything they had out of obedience to the Lord.
The first one was the widow woman that Elijah met.
1 Kings 17:8-16
She was getting ready to prepare a last meal for her and her son. There was no more food, and they would starve after this meal. Elijah shows up and says, make me some food. He told her if she did the Lord would supply. She made the meal and the Lord provided.
The other woman was seen in the temple.
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
All of these rich men were coming with their offering and proud of their big amount of money they were placing in the offering plate, and Jesus points to this woman who gave ALL she had. She gave it to the Lord.
But don’t think about her money or that she gave everything she had…think of it this way…she gave her heart… trusting that out of her obedience, he would use it. She was storing up treasures in heaven, where moth and dust cannot destroy.
Before we move on, I want to say this. I told you that resources is not just money, it can be but it is not only resources.
But as we practice giving in various areas, we also need to understand that we are commanded to be obedient in bringing our first fruits to the Lord.
What does that mean?
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
HONOR=WORSHIP
When we give towards an offering or tithe , it is a form of worship, and it is something that we are commanded to do.
The Bible shows us that a tithe is 10 percent, and it should be given back to the Lord. They way we do this is through the church. The church, then should use this tithe or offering to reach more people with the gospel message. Our church is different, your Pastor does not receive a salary, the offering doesn’t go to pay for teh building or fuel in teh gen. But in most churches, the tithes and offerings go to those things and making sure that the church can continue to reach people with the gospel.
But let me say this. Just because there are not those things have have to be provided, doesn’t remove you from being obedient in what God says. He still calls you to worship. Some of you make money. God has blessed you with teh chance to earn money, cultivating, doing this or that. God gave you that ability. The Bible says in Leviticus 27:30
30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.
AND
8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.
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Part of giving of your resources is the giving of your tithes and offerings.
How We Grow … the spiritual discipline of Giving. Giving our time and Giving Our Resources.
And lastly, we need to be good stewards of what he has given us.
3. Being a Good Steward
A good steward means someone who keep things well. They think, they prepare, they keep a mind that is always mindful of doing the will of God and making sure they do what God asks of them.
Remember the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30..
The two men who did what the master wanted and didn’t waste what they had were given more responsability. That’s what a good steward does. What was the masters response to doing what they were asked...
21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Those men didn’t store their treasures on earth where moth and rust can destroy ad thieves can steal, they stored up their treasure in heaven for the glory of God.
Let me give you an example. I have two Bibles in my hand. This smaller one was the Bible I brought with me almost 9 years ago when I moved to Nigeria. When I came, this Bible was in good condition. The cover was shiny and black and the papers looked new and white. Look at it now. The cover is worn, the pages are brown. I haven’t thrown it on the floor, it has always sat on my desk or table, but the environment here, my windows open, the dirt blowing around, the moisture in the air, the heat, all of these things over the years have changed the condition of the book.
Now look at this Bible, I have had it here in Nigeria for the last three years. But with this one, I have done something different. If I am not using it, I put it inside this cover. It is protected from these things when I am not reading it.
Look at the difference.
Now think about the treasure you have…your time and resources, what happens when they are only here with you on earth…they begin to look like the condition of my old Bible.
But what happens when you send those treasures to heaven, where they are kept and protected?
God wants you to be eternally mindful. Your hope and treasure is not here, so don’t keep it here. In every thing you do, have eternity in mind.
Live in the now, but make sure you heart and mind are pointed towards the day you enter into his presence.