Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/alphon_2/7649/giving.f07

Text File | 1992-10-31 | 7KB | 162 lines

     GIVING                                       Study. No.7.

True fellowship and trust in the Lord and in one another will place
within us a growing desire to give and share all we have.  The
spirit of the world today is to get and keep as much as possible.
Each man is concerned with his own selfish interests and needs.
Human nature warns us that if we give something away we are that
much poorer.

But God completely reverses the world's understanding of giving and
receiving.  When we give in God's way, obedient to Him and with an
attitude of faith, we become richer: richer in our hearts as we
receive His blessing, and more secure materially as we receive the
promises of God's abundant supply for all our needs.  Read Acts
20:35.

     "One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another
     withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.  A
     liberal man will be enriched, and one who waters will himself
     be watered." Proverbs 11 :24,25 (RSV).

Financial giving is to teach us a principle which then applies to
every other area of our lives so that we learn to give freely of our
time, our abilities, our friendship and our love, without fear of
hurt or loss.  Read Isaiah 58:6-12; Romans 12:1.

WHY SHOULD WE GIVE?

1.  Created in God's image.

We are created in God's image and share His nature.  His great
love is not simply a feeling towards us but is expressed in
continual abundant giving, expecting nothing in return.  He has
given us His love, and we share it with those around us in our
giving.  Read Genesis 1:27; Genesis 22:14; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians
8:9; 2 Peter 1:4.

2.  A command and a blessing.

God clearly commands us to give.  As we obey, He meets us with His
blessing and continued provision, Read Malachi 3:6-12; Luke 6:38;
Proverbs 3:9,10.

3.  God is the possessor of heaven and earth.

God owns all things - that includes us and all we have.  Our homes,
money, clothes, time and everything else we call our "own" are only
"lent" to us by Him.  They are His.  When He directs us to give, we
are not giving what is ours, but simply returning to God what is
already His.  Read 1 Chronicles 29:14-16; Psalm 24:1.

4.  Dependence on God.

God uses man as the means of supply for the needs of His children
and His work, but He Himself is the source.  We are not to be
dependent on ourselves, our employers, our relatives or our friends,
but on Him.  Our ability to give is not measured by our means: what
we have now, or what we expect to have, but by our faith.  God's
riches - in spiritual grace, and material provision - are unlimited
and inexhaustible.  He wants to be able to trust us with His money,
to be channels for the supply of the needs of His kingdom.  As we
are faithful, He can pass through our hands money far in advance of
our usual income.  It is not only for the rich to give.  Some of the
most outstanding stories in the Word of God concern the generosity
of the poor.  God multiplies our gifts for the blessing of many.
Read Luke 21:1-4; John 6:1-13; 1 Timothy 6:6-8, 17, 18.

WHAT SHOULD WE GIVE?

1.  The Tithe.

Under the Old Covenant (Moses' law), the people were commanded to
give one tenth of all their produce and wages to the Lord.  Even
before the law was given, both Abraham and Jacob gave tithes and
received the blessing of God.  Read Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers
18:26-28; Deuteronomy 12:5-18; 14:22-29; Genesis 14:18-24; 24:1;
28:20-22; 30:43.

Now, under the New Covenant, this principle still operates: Jesus
rebuked the Pharisees for their lack of judgment and mercy, but
commended them for tithing.  Tithes are taken on all our property
and are given to God as a practical acknowledgement that all things
belong to Him.  Read Matthew 23:23.

a.  Given into the storehouse.
The storehouse was the place where grain was kept: for food that
would be eaten and seed for sowing the next crop.  The tithe is to
go to the place where God has led us to receive our spiritual food,
and spiritual seed for sharing with others, that is, our local
church.  Read Malachi 3:10.

b.  For the support of the ministry.
The Old Testament tithes went to the Levites - God's chosen
representatives who ministered among the Israelites.  Christians are
responsible for the adequate support of those who minister the Word
of God to them.  Read Numbers 18:21,24; 1 Corinthians 9:1-14;
Philippians 4:10-19; Matthew 10:1Ob.

2.  Offerings.

Beyond the tithe, we are to give as the Lord directs us.  Scripture
shows us that our attitude should be one of readiness to give freely
at any time, in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  It is
a free-will offering, expressing our love and commitment to our
heavenly Father in response to His generosity and love.

a.  For the work of the Lord.
Today God is building His Church, and extending His kingdom
throughout the world - His people are the channels for supplying all
that is needed for his work.  Read Exodus 35:4-9, 21-29; 36:3-7; 1
Chronicles 29:1-9.

b.  For Christians in need.
We are responsible for one another's physical, spiritual and
material welfare in the family of God.  Read Acts 4:32, 34, 35; 1
1:27-30; Romans 15:25-27: 2 Corinthians 8:4, 13-15; 9:12.

c.  For the poor.
Concern for the poor is a command.  Under Moses' law, a tithe was
taken every third year especially for the poor.  Jesus makes very
clear our responsibility for those less fortunate than ourselves.
Read Deuteronomy 15:7,10,11: Matthew 5:42; 25:31-46.

HOW SHOULD WE GIVE?

In all of God's dealing with us, His aim is to produce fruit within
us.  He is not as much concerned with our acts as He is with our
attitudes.  As we are obedient to this principle of giving, there
comes in our lives freedom from anxiety about material things, a
greater trust in our heavenly Father as He miraculously provides for
us and through us, and a release from our natural self-centered
concern with our own interests - a basic goal of God's work in our
lives.  Read 1 Corinthians 13:3.

Attitudes in giving:

 1.  Ourselves first. 2 Corinthians 8:5; Romans 12:1.
 2.  Generously. 2 Corinthians 8:2,3; 9:6; Romans 12:8 (RSV).
 3.  With joy. 2 Corinthians 9:7; 1 Chronicles 29:9.
 4.  With faith - even beyond our means, if that is what God
     desires.  It is a thrilling opportunity to test our faith in
     God, and see how He in turn provides for us. 2 Corinthians
     8:2,3.
 5.  Not drawing attention to ourselves.  Matthew 6:1-4.

ABUNDANT RETURN FROM GOD.

We cannot outgive God.  It is impossible for us to put Him in our
debt.  Many scriptures show us a divine principle of supply in
operation: the more you give, the more you get back.  God owns
everything, and if we have faith to obey Him and give, even though
it might mean some hardship, we enter a relationship with God of
trust and dependence, and an unlimited abundance of supernatural
provision.  Malachi 3:10; 1 Kings 17:8-16; Proverbs 3:9,10
2 Corinthians 9:10,11.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always
having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good
work." 2 Corinthians 9:8.

THE END