## Promise Giving

## Luke 6:38

Over the past few weeks we have been talking about the promises of God. We have seen how that everything that the believer does in their Christian life is based upon faith in the promises of God. Why should our giving be any different? God wants us to be promise believers in this area as well.

There is a difference between promise giving and faith-promise giving. In faith-promise giving we ask God, by faith, to supply and then we will give (Like Hannah did when asking God to give her a son). In promise giving we give first, believing that God will give it back with increase.

Note: 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."

I. Obstacles to Becoming a Promise Giver.

A. Being ignorant of God's promises.

B. False Philosophies or wrong thinking!

1. Some will say, "Save it for a rainy day." but God's Word says, "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." (Pr. 11:24)

2. Others have the idea that Christ -ians are supposed to be poor. Pr. 8:18, "Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness."

3. Still others doubt that giving will help them in any way. Pr. 11:25, "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."

C. Another obstacle is lack of spiritual growth.

1. A child of God must grow spiritually and mature.

2. One measure of spiritual growth is seen in the are of giving.

3. 2Th. 1:3, "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;"

D. We must overcome these obstacles if we are to become promise givers.

1. God desires to bless us with true riches, but we must first meet the conditions of His promise.

2. Lu 16:10-11, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?"

3. Can we be trusted?

II. Promise Giving:

A. Requires faith in the honesty of God.

1. Do we believe Him who has given us the promises?

2. Titus 1:2, "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began"

3. We must believe that He is faithful to fulfill His promises.

4. Heb. 11:11, "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised."

B. It is motivated by love.

1. God was motivated by love in giving us His Son.

2. Our love for God motivates us to give.

3. Our love for others motivates us to give.

4. 1Jn. 3:17, "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"

C. It is made possible by grace and made effective by our obedience.

1. Remember, grace is God's supernatural enabling strength to do what He has commanded.

2. God will always supply the grace, but we must be obedient.

3. It will take a step of faith on our part, but God will do some remarkable things in our lives!

4. Note: Peter walking on the water.

5. Note: Abraham & Isaac

The pastor came to Mr. Jones and asked him, "If you had a million dollars would you give half of it to the Lord?" Mr. Jones replied, "Of course I would, pastor!" "If you had two houses would you give one of them to the Lord?" "Of course I would, pastor!" Then he asked, "If you had two cows would you give one of them to the Lord?" Mr. Jones answered, "Now pastor, that's not fair! You know I have two cows!"

God doesn't want what we cannot give. His desire is that we be obedient in what we can do! Be a promises believer and be a promise giver!