Intro: in the book the Blessed life we receive the secret blessings that are tied to giving. As we approach the video series for the next two Sundays, I would like to lay down one simple principle that will run through the entire series. It is the principle that you get what you give and more. It is a principle that goes way deeper than finance, it goes into every area of our lives.
Community: You Get What You Give and More–Luke 6:27-38
1. However you want to be treated, treat people that way-v.31-do unto others what you want them to do unto you.
It is as simple as that, it is the golden rule. You will be treated by people the way you treat them. If you feel like people don’t care about you, maybe you don’t care about people. If you feel people are always negative toward you, maybe you are negative toward them. If you have no friends maybe you aren’t very friendly.
2. Whatever you give out, it will be given to you by God-v.36-37 This is a wonderful thing, God will give to you in response to your giving to others. If you show mercy, you get mercy, if you forgive others, you will be forgiven, if you judge others, you will be judged in the same manner.
It makes me want to really give great things into the lives of others. It makes me careful in my attitudes and judgments of others. It makes me want to give into the lives of others, knowing God is wanting to bless those who bless, and give to those who give.
3. If You Are Wronged, Let it Go, God sees–27-31This is an area that seemingly goes against the grain of a blessed life. Let people do you wrong, don’t worry when people cheat you, if someone steals something from you, it’s okay. You will have a blessed life anyway, because God is in control of your life, and He works on a different plane and a different timetable. They will get theirs, and you will get yours. Don’t ever get on their level, let God take care of it.
4. Give Not Expecting To Get Repaid–32-35 Here is another area of the blessed life that seems very confusing. Give to people you know can’t pay you back. Throw a party for someone knowing you won’t get a party in return. You will be blessed in so doing. When God throws your party, it will be a big one.
5. Your Measure will be Measured Back to you–38d
God is into measures. He takes the measure you give to others and measures it back to you. But we find one difference, when your blessings come to you, they are pressed down, shaken together and running over. Here is the point, whatever you give, God is going to double, triple, even give a hundredfold of it back to you. If you forgive people, God will multiply forgiveness to you, if you give mercy, mercy multiplied. If you give finance into God’s work, it will multiply into your life.
6. When You Give This Way, You are God’s Child-v.35 now this isn’t a natural way of living, it is a supernatural way of life. God doesn’t expect us to go just the first mile but the second mile. God wants our lives to be more excellent than the life of sinners. We operate on a higher law, but we receive greater blessings. If you want abundance and blessings, give more, do more, be more for God.
7. What Your Giving, Is What Your Getting–v.38 give and it will be given you. There is one thing that you must notice, if you give love, you receive love, if you give mercy you receive mercy, and if you give finance, you will receive finance. If you want your finances to grow, sow finances. If you want abundance of anything in your life that seems missing, start giving that away. If will come to you, pressed down, shaken together, running over. Not only in the life to come, but this lifetime.
Close: I have never been more excited about a video series than the Blessed life. I have finished the book and it is a must read for everyone in this church. God isn’t into rewarding something for nothing. We tie the hands of God if we don’t participate in His laws of sowing and reaping. Ships don’t just sail in, you must send something out in life for it to come back. Throw some bread on the waters and it will return on every wave.
