## Questions About Giving

## II Corinthians 8:8

Tonight we will conclude the series on the Christian and money. Consider with me several questions about giving.

I. What Should Be My Motivation For Giving?

A. God doesn't want me to give out of a sense of duty or obligation.

1. Instead I should give voluntarily…

2. From a willing grateful heart…

3. As an expression of my love for God and others.

(2 Cor 9:7) "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

B. I should not give in order to be seen of men.

1. I shouldn't try to use my giving to impress others of my 'spirituality'.

2. I am to give 'as unto the Lord'.

3. I give to please Him and to lay up treasures in heaven.

(Mat 6:1) "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven."

C. I must guard against using my giving as a means to an end.

1. I should never use my giving to buy friendships, gain power, influence, or control over others.

2. My giving is to be done with a servant's heart and the willingness to lay down my life for others.

(Prov 19:4) "Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour."

(Prov 19:6) "Many will entreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts."

D. Giving money and 'things' cannot be a substitute…

1. For giving myself, my time, my talents…

2. To God and others.

(2 Cor 8:5) "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

3. My giving must be an expression of a heart that has been cleansed by the grace of God.

II. How Am I To Give?

A. Systematically

1. That simply means it should be planned.

2. Regular (weekly) rather than sporadic.

(1 Cor 16:2) "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

B. Quietly

1. Giving should be done without fanfare.

2. It should not be done to receive the praise of men.

(Mat 6:3-4) "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: {4} That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

C. Sacrificially

1. It is not enough to have good intentions.

2. It is not enough to plan to give or even be willing to give.

3. God desires that I actually follow through and give sacrificially.

(2 Cor 9:2-3) "For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. {3} Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:"

(2 Cor 8:11) "Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have."

D. Abundantly

1. God wants us to give today, out of my abundance…

2. Believing that tomorrow, if I have a need, God will use the abundance of others to meet my need.

(2 Cor 8:14) "But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:"

III. Where To Give

A. God has always had a place for giving

1. Tabernacle, temple, storehouse

2. Today it is the local N.T. church

B. Family

1. I am to make sure that the material needs of my family are met.

2. This is not just my wife and children, but also includes my parents.

3. However, this is not giving to the Lord.

(1 Tim 5:8) "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

C. I am to share my abundance with other believers who have needs.

(James 2:15-16) "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, {16} And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?"

D. I am to be particularly sensitive to the needs of widows and orphans.

(James 1:27) "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

E. I have a responsibility to meet the material needs of those who have ministered spiritually to me.

(Gal 6:6) "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things."

F. I am to give financially to help support those who have given their lives to preach the gospel.

(1 Cor 9:14) "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."

IV. How Much To Give.

A. God wants me to abound.

1. This word means to be in excess.

2. Generous giving should be one of the outstanding characteristics of my life.

(2 Cor 8:7) "Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also."

B. The tithe.

1. The O.T. law required that the Jews give approximately 23 1/3 % of their income.

2. The tithe is only 10%.

3. Under grace, we have an even higher motivation and reason to give that the law placed upon the O.T. Jews.

(Mat 5:20) "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

(Mat 5:42) "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

C. Jesus is our standard.

1. In all areas He is the standard for us to be measured.

2. The same is true in the area of giving.

3. We need to give as Jesus gave.

(2 Cor 8:9) "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."

D. No one is exempt.

1. Every believer has a responsibility to give.

2. We are to give as God has prospered.

3. My giving should be an accurate reflection of how much God has prospered and blessed me.

(1 Cor 16:2) "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

E. The level of my giving determines the size of the harvest I will reap.

(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."

IV. The Results Of Giving

A. My needs will be met.

1. If I give God's way…

2. God will make sure that my needs are met.

(Prov 3:9-10) "Honour 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."

3. The needs of my children will be met.

(Psa 37:25-26) "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. {26} He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed."

B. The more I give…the more God will give.

1. This is a principle of grace giving.

2. This is never the motivation to give, but it is a result.

(2 Cor 9:10) "Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)"

C. God will be glorified.

1. I will become more thankful…

2. And I will give God greater glory for His blessings upon me.

(2 Cor 9:12-13) "For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; {13} Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;"

D. My faith will be increased.

1. As I give…I will depend upon the Lord in a greater way.

2. This will increase my faith in His supply.

(Mal 3:10) "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."

3. A lifestyle of sacrificial giving defies the god of this age…materialism…and is a powerful witness to the lost world.

4. When we begin to live lives that are characterized by giving (like Christ) then our testimony is brighter and more effective.

Are we giving God's way? With the proper motive… The proper way… The proper amount… The proper place… Only then will we see the results.