Stewardship: Giving and Forgiving

6:21 - "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Stingy - Satan
Sharing - God

The closer to sharing a person comes, the closer to God he gets.

Sharing has nothing to do with wealth . . .
Sharing has nothing to do with health . . .
Sharing has everything to do with attitude!

D. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SOW

1. Galatians 6:7,8 - Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Many times this verse is preached to the sinner, telling them that when they sow to the flesh they will reap judgment. This verse should also be preached to Christians. When they give money to God, they will reap blessings.

E. STATEMENTS ON SOWING MONEY

1. Life returns what life receives.

Life is like a mirror, what is reflected into the mirror is seen there and is reflected out. What we sow in life, is what we get out of it.

Life is like the old fashioned pump on the farm. We had to take water and prime the pump, i.e. we have to pour water into a pump before we can get water out of a pump.

The Christian life is like an apple orchard, we must plant apple sprouts to get apple trees. Even when we plant an apple sprout, we have faith to believe, "one day this will be an apple tree."

2. Where we sow is as important as what we sow.

Some people sow to the flesh and they reap corruption. Some people sow to the Spirit, and they reap eternal life from God.

There are two kinds of people in the illustration.

First, the first person uses material blessings in a spiritual way and reaps eternal life.

The second uses material blessing in a fleshly way and reaps corruption.

The fact that you’re saved does not change the harvest of the seed that you sow. You can be saved and sow to the flesh and you will get God’s judgment. You can be saved and sow to the Glory of God, and get God’s blessing.

3. We reap in proportion to what we sow.

a. 2 Corinthians 9:6 - "He who sows sparingly so also reap sparingly, he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully."

God wants to bless you totally. But he can only bless you totally when you give yourself to him . . . TOTALLY!

4. The goal for 1996 . . . "start sowing."

E. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE

1. Galatians 6:9,10 - "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."

2. Those who sow money to get money from God usually get very slow return because it’s not the money you give to God, it’s the attitude to which you give to God. The most unhappy people in the church are those who give a tithe expecting a financial return, and they are waiting for God to keep score. But God’s score starts with our attitude. When we give unselfishly, our attitude has been transformed, i.e. we are changed. And when we are changed, it makes a difference at home, at work, with everything in life.

Note the challenge to "do good to all men." Be the initiator, don’t wait on someone to do good to you, you initiate and do good to them.

3. The world