Giving, Generosity, Greed, the Gospel, and the Glory of God

Establish some Baseline Biblical Truths (overarching realities)

• Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength includes the use of money. (stewardship)
• Matthew 22:37-40 - And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
• Matthew 6:19-21- 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.
• where & how we spend our money is a reflection of what we value
• Everything we are and have been given is a gift from God and for God - including money.
• if the commandment is the hub of stewardship, this would be the ball-bearings
• money - a tool for the glory of God given from a generous heart
• stewards of what belongs to God, including money
• Psalm 24:1 - The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein
• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
• Because of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus, He deserves the best of what we have been given.
• giving generously is an expression of worship; response of worship; gratitude; love; adoration; allegiance; loyalty; devotion
• Romans 12:1- I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
• Pursuing after money for its own sake with a greedy heart is sinful and idolatrous.
• Matthew 6:24 - No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
• 1 Timothy 6:6-10 - Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Big Idea for Today (2 statements constitute the big idea)

• The purpose for giving in the NT was to meet the needs of people and to further the gospel.
• The teaching of the NT on money focuses more on the “why”, “where”, and “how” of giving rather than on a percentage.

Questions (giving - includes money, but is so much more than money)

• Why do we give? Motivation
• Gospel - 2 Corinthians 8:9 - For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
• Love - 2 Corinthians 8:8 - I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.
• Needs of others - 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 - I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, "Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack."
• Where do we give? Investment
• needs & mission of the local congregation - Acts 2:44-45 - And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
• needs of the community - Luke 10:35-37 - And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."
• needs of our partners in the gospel - Philippians 1:3-5 - I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
• How do we give? Attitude
• In proportion to how God prospers - 1 Corinthians 16:2 - On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
• In response to God’s giving of Jesus - 2 Corinthians 8:9
• With a cheerful heart - 2 Corinthians 9:7 - Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
• with a generous heart - 2 Corinthians 9:6, 10-13
• ESV 2 Corinthians 9:6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
• ESV 2 Corinthians 9:10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,

Questions for Reflection

• Does our use of money reveal an unhealthy (idolatrous) attachment to this world and the things of this world? (1 John 2:15-17)
• Does our use of money reveal a heart that seeks first the kingdom of God or our own kingdom? (Matthew 6:33)
• Does our use of money reveal that Jesus, the Gospel, and the Great Commission are central priorities in our life?

It is the gospel that sets us free from the entrapment to the love of money and its snares. In the gospel we find our greatest treasure in Christ rather than anything that money could buy on this earth. And, therefore we are set free from trying to find our comfort and status and worth and value in money or what money can buy. Therefore, we seek to use money as a tool that God has entrusted to us for His glory to meet the needs of others and the for the furtherance of the gospel, to extend the kingdom of God that is based upon generosity rather than our own kingdoms that are based upon selfishness and unhealthy worldly attachments and pursuits.