Why Give to God?
Series: Stewardship
Chuck Sligh
March 2, 2015
TEXT: 2 Corinthians 8
INTRODUCTION
Joke: Today we’re going to talk about giving, and it reminded me of a story I once heard: Two men were shipwrecked on an island and the minute they got there one of them started frantically screaming and yelling, “We’re going to die! We’re going to DIE! There’s no food! No water! WE ARE GOING TO DIE!”
The second man was propped up against a palm tree, acting calm as a cucumber.
The first man said, “Don’t you understand? We’re going to DIE!”
The second man nonchalantly replied, “No we’re not. I make $100,000 a week.”
Dumbfounded, the first man looked at him and asked, “What difference does THAT make? We’re on an island with no food or water! We’re going to DIE, man!!!”
The second man answered, “You just don’t get it, do you? I make $100,000 a week and I tithe ten percent on that $100,000 a week. My PASTOR will find me!”
To those without Christ, this whole thing about giving to God is mystifying. Even many believers in good Bible-believing churches are under the mistaken impression that they need not or cannot give to God.
So my question for each one of you today is “WHY Give to God?” Does the Bible have anything to say about giving, or is it just something left to each individual believer’s personal whim? Are there blessings promised to those who give, or is it merely a Christian DUTY we have to get out of the way each Sunday with a stiff upper lip?
Now first of all, let’s define our terms so that we’re all reading from the same sheet of music. Some people don’t understand the different kinds of giving in the Bible.
JOKE: It reminds me of the little boy who, when the offering plate was passed, took off his little clip-on tie and put it in the offering plate.
His mom grabbed it back out and whispered, “Johnny, why in the world did you put your TIE in the offering plate?”
“Well,” Johnny replied, “the pastor told us to give our TIES and offerings.”
Johnny didn’t quite understand the meaning of the word “tithe,” but he did have a good heart.
So let’s define our terms (Write these in on the reverse side of your study sheet):
• The word “tithe” itself simply means “10 percent.” – Giving a tithe is when a believer gives back to God into the storehouse of his local church ten percent of his income as a reminder that ALL he has belongs to God and to put God FIRST.
• An “offering” is what you give to God above the 10 percent. – I believe that can go to your local church, or be given outside your local church as the Lord directs.
• A “faith promise offering” is a special type of offering. It’s a promise to give above your regular tithes and offerings on a systematic basis for a specific period of time for a specific need. – Most churches use faith promise offerings to raise money for missions, as we do, but it can also be used to raise money for other things.
Now that we’ve defined our terms, let’s address the question of WHY we should give to God at all in the first place. Why not keep it for ourselves and use it for our own personal benefit? Let me give you three reasons why believers should give to God.
I. FIRST, BECAUSE GIVING TO GOD PAYS SOMETHING – 2 Corinthians 9:6 – “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
In 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul is really talking about an offering the churches had promised to give over a year’s time toward the relief of believers in Jerusalem during a famine—in other words, a “faith promise” offering.
But the principles he mentions concerning giving a Faith Promise offering actually apply to all types of giving because they’re all mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. One principle is that if you’re stingy with God, God will be stingy with His blessings; but if you’re a generous giver, He’ll be a generous blesser in your life.
Jesus put it this way in Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (ACT OUT THE UNDERLINED PORTIONS.)
This is what God wants in your life. He wants for you to be so full of His blessings, you can hardly pack in another one! But before the reaping there must first be the sowing; before the blessings there must first be the giving. “Give…and [THEN] it shall be given to you…”
Why don’t you try God and see if He won’t bless you above measure?
Proverbs 3:9-10 promises: “Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
Look with me at Proverbs 11:24-25 – “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
He says there are some who are generous, big-hearted givers, and they prosper and increase. On the other hand, there are those who are stingy, and God withholds from them blessings He would give them if they were generous in their giving.
Turn with me also to Malachi 3:10 [Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament] – “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
God invites us to test Him and see if His promises are true. Why don’t you “prove” the Lord? That means to TEST Him to see if His promises are true. I’ve met Christians around the world who have put God to the test.
Illus. – My Dad told me about the first time he and Mom started giving to God. He was just an airmen in the Air Force with a wife and two children to support. He got it all down on paper, and humanly speaking it was IMPOSSIBLE for them to live on 90 percent of their income. But they decided to put God to the test and they tithed just to please the Lord. At the end of the year, they couldn’t explain it, but somehow they lived better that year on the 90 percent than they had ever lived on the 100 percent. They tried to work it out on paper, but the figures just didn’t add up. Dad and Mom were thrilled—but you know, they weren’t really surprised. As young Christians, they had already seen God do great things in their lives, and this was just another of them.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.…”
And you know what?—God’s STILL looking for people to show His power in. He says in Malachi, “Prove me—TEST me—and see if I won’t pour out to you the WINDOWS of heaven.” If you’ll test Him by faith, I guarantee you, God will show His power in your life.
II. SECOND, WE SHOULD GIVE TO GOD BECAUSE IT PROVES SOMETHING – 2 Corinthians 8:8 – “I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.”
Now remember that Paul is talking about giving in this chapter. In verse 7 he had said that just as the Corinthians had abounded in other areas of Christian growth, so they should abound in generous giving as well. Then he tells us in verse 8 the REASON to grow in the area of giving—to prove the sincerity of your love to God.
Look also at verse 24 – “Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.”
What does giving to God prove? It proves the sincerity of your love. You see, loving ALWAYS involves GIVING.
Illus. – Let me see if I can illustrate this for you: I can tell Susan I love her till the cows come home, but she doesn’t believe me unless I back up the sincerity of my love by GIVING.
Suppose I’m at the office and I give Susan a call one day and say, “Hi, Sweetheart, you sweet, little ole Sugar-Babe. I sure do LOVE YOU.”
She says, “I love you too.”
Then she says, “Honey, I need some cash for some MAKEUP. Can you withdraw twenty dollars and give it to me when you get home?”
And I say, “Twenty dollars? Are you kidding? My soul, do you think money grows on trees? No ma’am, you can’t have a PENNY for that.”
And then I say, “Well, my sweet, little sugar dumpling, I LOVE you.”
So she says, “On your way home, do you mind picking up me A DR. PEPPER for me?”
Now I know Susan LOVES Dr. Pepper!
But I say her: “A Dr. PEPPER! Do you mean you want me to spend 50 CENTS on a Dr. Petter for you? Water’s free and it’s better for you anyhow.—Oh, by the way, Sweet Cakes, I sure do LOVE you.”
So Susan says, “Forget the Dr. Pepper. You’re going to need another kind of doctor after you get home!”
And then she says “Chuck, can’t we spend some time together? We’ve had no time together for over a month.” – And I say, “Why, you selfish wench! You know I don’t have time for that kind of stuff. I’m important and have important things to do. Oh, by the way Baby, I sure do LOVE you!”
Now if you overheard such a conversation, you’d assume I really DON’T love her that much, wouldn’t you?—Because love ALWAYS is PROVEN by some form of GIVING.
And so it is with the Lord. If you truly love Him, you’ll GIVE to Him.
You sing, “My Jesus I love thee, I know thou art mine…” Okay—good. You say you love Jesus—PROVE IT! Prove the sincerity of your love by GIVING to Him.
You sing, “Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, Because He first love me.” So you love Jesus?—PROVE it! How do you prove the sincerity of your love? By GIVING—and not just giving your money:
• If you love Him A LITTLE—then give Him only the bare minimum— THE TITHE, your 10 per cent.
• If you love Him MORE—you’ll be willing to give more generously.
• And if you love Him with all your SOUL, and with all your HEART, and with all your MIND, as He commanded you to do, then…
Give Him your ALL… (PAUSE)
Give Him your HEART.… (PAUSE)
Give Him your SOUL, your FAMILY, your SERVICE, your ACTIVITIES, your ASPIRATIONS, your DESIRES, your PLANS, and yes,…your WALLET.
And when you do—God will bless you!
III. THIRD, WE SHOULD GIVE TO GOD BECAUSE IT PICTURES SOMETHING – 2 Corinthians 8:9
Now remember that verse 9 follows what Paul had just said in verse 8.
He had just told the Corinthians to prove the sincerity of their love, and then he says: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
You see, your giving pictures what Christ did…“Though He was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Jesus emptied Himself. He put aside His heavenly garments. He surrendered His heavenly rights. He came to this earth and GAVE HIS ALL.
Look with me at Philippians 2:5-8: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God [in the Greek, this means Jesus was God in His VERY ESSENCE. So Paul’s saying,…“Who though He was in His very essence God Himself…”], thought it not robbery to be equal with God [that means He did not consider His exalted place of equality with God the Father and God the Spirit something to be selfishly grasped or held on to. So he continues in verse 7]: 7 But made himself of no reputation [in the Greek, this literally means He poured out or emptied Himself. In other words, He didn’t selfishly hold onto his divine prerogatives, but emptied Himself of them to become a man, and, Paul continues in verse 7…], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Folks, Jesus could NOT have given ONE THING MORE to give to us. Not only did He give up His heavenly privilege; on this cross He gave His ALL. What more can one give than His own life?
Your giving should picture what Christ did for you. What does your picture look like?
Illus. – One time a Sunday School teacher asked her children to draw a picture of their favorite Bible story. One boy drew this picture [SHOW POWERPOINT SLIDE]—which showed an airplane with two people in the back and one was in the front. Puzzled, the teacher asked the little boy what his picture portrayed and he said it was Joseph and Mary in the back and PONTIUS THE PILOT in the front.
You laugh, but really, is the picture of YOUR giving look any better? If you give nothing, then your sketch looks like an empty cross without Jesus on it. If you do give, your picture more accurately depicts Jesus who gave of Himself in service and sacrifice and then gave His life on a cross to die for you and for me.
Do you want to know what your picture should look like?
• First, it ought to look like 2 Corinthians 8:5, where it says that before giving anything else, the Corinthians gave THEIR OWN SELVES.
• Then to finish the picture, it should look like two other passages in 2 Corinthians:
> Look first at chapter 8, verses 1-3 – “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit [i.e., I declare to you] of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.”
The churches in Macedonia didn’t HAVE money to give, BUT THEY GAVE ANYWAY! They were in DEEP POVERTY—yet they were willing to truly sacrifice.
And notice the last phrase, “…they were willing of themselves.” In other words, they gave this offering willingly; of their own accord; because they WANTED to. They didn’t sacrifice with long faces. They were WILLING, and thus even in their DEEP POVERTY, they were generous givers who ABOUNDED in liberality.
> Finally, turn with me to chapter 9, verse 7 – “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
Here we have purposeful, willing, desirous giving. Not giving grudgingly, or merely out of duty—but giving CHEERFULLY.
The word “cheerful” means “hilarious.” (ILLUSTRATE) Are you a HILARIOUS giver, or a HEARTBROKEN giver? Do you give with cheer or chagrin? Does giving to God make you joyful or jumpy? Is it a desire or a duty? Remember: “…God loves a cheerful giver.”
CONCLUSION
Quote – I don’t know where I found this, but listen to this thoughtful quotation:
When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, “Does this hurt? How about this?” If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there’s something wrong, and the doctor will say, “We’d better do some more tests. It’s not supposed to hurt there!” So it is when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard. Or perhaps there’s something wrong. In that case, I say, “My friend, we’re in need of the Great Physician because it’s not supposed to hurt there.”
In today’s sermon, I’ve tried to gently push and probe because I love you and want your best. As I have, has it “hurt there”? Well, it’s not supposed to hurt there. Why not make it right with God today and give to God EVERYTHING first of all, and then in regards to your money and your means—become a cheerful giver to God.
Why?
• Because it PAYS something. – That’s a good reason, but it’s a little SELF-SERVING.
• Second, because it PROVES something. It proves the sincerity of your love for God. That’s not a self-serving reason, but a SPIRITUAL reason.
• And finally, because it PICTURES something. It pictures what Christ did for you. He gave His all! That’s a SUPERIOR reason to give.
