A Season of Giving and the Joy of Living

2019-11-17

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Malachi 3:8-10 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.    9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

“Windows of Heaven” – The word translated “floodgates” (or windows) occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible and usually refers to an opening in the wall of a building, whether a window (Eccl 12:3) or a chimney (Hos 13:3). The phrase “floodgates of heaven” occurs elsewhere in Gen 7:11; 8:2 (where it is translated “floodgates of the heavens”) as the source of the rain that flooded the earth.[1]

Rick Warren says:“The Bible is very clear: God uses money to test your faithfulness as a servant. That’s why Jesus talked more about money than he did about either heaven or hell”[2]

1.  God wants us to give

1 Cor. 16:1-2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2 On the first dayof the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier mattersof the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

  • The pharisees were considered hypocrites by Jesus because they tithed on every little thing yet neglected justice, mercy and faith
  • But He does say…these you ought to have done…

2. God wants us to give properly

2 Cor 9:7a So let each one giveas he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity…

  • Faithfulness

Deut 16:17 Every man shall giveas he is able, according to the blessing of the Lordyour God which He has given you

  • Not to be seen (Matthew 6:1-4 …do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.)
  • Not because of being manipulated (vs 7 “of necessity” – anan-kēs= pressure)
  • Not to receive in return

3. God wants us to give with the right heart

2 Cor. 9:7b …for God loves a cheerful giver.

  • Worship
  • Cheerful (hilaros “hee-la-ROS”)

4. God’s response to our giving

2 Cor. 9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

• Sparingly (pheidomenõs “fade-oh-MEAN-os”= limited, scant)

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds ofevil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

• Bountifully (eulogia “you-lo-GIA”= generous gift)

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

[1]Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, p. 424). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[2](The Purpose-Driven Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002], 267).

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