SERIES OF STEWARDSHIP MESSAGES BY RICK WARREN
PART 4 - ‘LIVING GENEROUSLY’
Bible Reading : Acts 20:35 and Selected
Introduction
Look at Acts 20:35 it's a spring board for a number of verses we will look.
Remember the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'There is more happiness in giving than receiving' - Good News Bible.
Do you really believe that? There is more happiness in giving than receiving. Happiness is based on living generously. Let me give you some key word out of the Bible, the word believe or believer or believing is used 272 times. The word prayer, pray, praying is used 371, the word love, loves, loving is used 371 times but the word give, gives or giving is used 2157 times. The bible is a book about giving. It is the essence of Christian living.
Jesus was the ultimate giver.
The Bible says 'Give and it will be given to you for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you'.
What do I get back? Seven benefits of becoming a generous giver.
1.Giving Makes Me More Like God
God is a giver. The Bible says 'God so love the world He gave'.
Everything we have is a gift from God. You can give without loving but you cannot love with out giving. Learn to become a giver.
Rick tells his story how he fell in love with his wife Kay. He could not keep money in his pocket; he kept spending it on Kay, because you cannot love without giving.
2.Giving Draws Me Close to God
The Bible says, 'Where you treasure is your heart will be also'.
Where is your heart today, Family, career, house, business, where ever your treasure is. Every time I give to God it draws me a little closer to Him. God is much more interested in raising disciples than he is in raising dollars.
3.Giving is Victory Over Materialism
There is a lie around that happiness can be purchased. If I could just get a certain thing I could be happy. You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give. Every time I give it breaks the circle of materialism. We are to put our hope in God.
Make a life by giving. Deuteronomy 14:23 'The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives' - Living Bible.
4.Giving Strengthens My Faith
Giving tests and strengthens my faith.
Malachi 3:10 'Test me in this' Giving strengthens my faith.
There are more promises in the Bible than any thing else and with every promise there is a premise. God says you give, it requires faith. Proverbs 3:5 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart'.
5.Giving is an Investment for Eternity
You can't take it with you but you can send it on through people, investing in people. Jesus said, 'store up treasure in heaven'.'
How do you do that? I Timothy tells us 6:18 'Command them, to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life'.
6.Giving Blesses Me In Return
I get more out of it than I give. Proverbs 22:9 'A generous man will himself be blessed'. No man is honoured for what he receives in life, he is only honoured for what he gives.
Rick talks about how he remembers his mum for being so generous.
What you give in life you will so often get back. If you give out criticism, what do you get back, criticism? If we give encouragement what do we get back, encouragement.
Law of life we sow and reap and what we sow we reap.
7.Giving Makes Me Happy
Jesus said there is more happiness in giving that receiving.
God is teaching me to give, my nature is to be selfish. Happiest people in life are givers. Jesus said loose your life to find it, give it away.
Miserable comes from the root word miser, the more I hold on to what I have the more miserable I become. The person who is generous in his life style is happy.
I Chronicles 29:9 the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.
HappyChurch is a giving Church.
How Do You Get the Most Out of Giving?
(How to Enjoy an Offering)
1 Chronicles 29
It is a passage how they all gave sacrificially in an offering to build the temple in Jerusalem, so it gives a model.
Notice 5 ways to get the most out of giving.
1.Give Willingly
Verse 5 and 17
Giving is a matter of willingness not wealth. It's attitude.
II Corinthians 8:12 'For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Not equal gift but equal sacrifice. It's the willingness that makes the difference.
2.Give Generously
Verse 2-3, 14
Giving is an opportunity. II Corinthians 8:3-4
Begging Paul to take an offering.
3.Give Joyfully
II Corinthians 9:7
They got excited about giving. They wanted to be like Jesus.
4.Give Thankfully
Verse 13
Psalm 1:16
5.Give Expectantly
You cannot out give God. II Corinthians 9:6 Principle of farming.
How big a harvest do you want?
Giving is not as debt we owe it's a seed we sow. It's not an obligation it's an opportunity.
II Corinthians 8:5.
Application
God wants you, but he does not have you unless he has your money.
You need to say, God it all belongs to you my time, my energy, my life I am yours, that's what it's all about.
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