What Does Jesus Teach About Giving Money?
DOESN’T IT SEEM ODD THAT GOD WOULD WANT MY MONEY?
Have you ever had difficulty finding a gift for someone who already has everything they want or need? Perhaps even as an adult child you had difficulty coming up with a meaningful gift for your own mom or dad. If God has all he needs why does he ask us to give of our money? God does have everything he needs, but the surprising thing is that God does not have EVERYTHING he wants. There is something God wants that only you can give him. Only you can love him with all your heart. Nobody else can do that for you. And sometimes our love of money keeps us from expressing our love to God.
Although I know many people are sick and tired of hearing preachers and churches talk about money—believe me I know—and I also know that sometimes you are sick of this for very good reasons. There is something else I know. I know that Jesus taught far more frequently on money than most people are comfortable with. Why did he do this? He taught on money because he knew that the love of money is a big problem that comes between us and God. We let our love of money keep us from loving God with all our heart.
Matthew 6:19-24 (NIV) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Money Is A Magnet
Where your money is pulls your heart there also. Where's your heart? It's wherever your treasure is -- wherever you put your money. If your money is in an investment, that's where your heart is. If your money is in your house, that's where your heart is. If your money is in a boat, a career, a hobby, or anything else, that's where your heart is.
Jesus is saying money is like a magnet. Wherever we put it, it pulls our heart there. When we give money to God, it's like a magnet. It pulls us closer to God.
Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money?” Most people who hear this for the first time think, “I don’t get it, why not?! Why can’t I serve and love both God and money!?” Jesus tells us that the love of money is a powerful magnet that pulls us off center.
Only one love can be the center of your heart and life. Everything else revolves around that center. If self is the center of your life, you are self-centered. If money is the center of your life, it affects your values and beliefs about everything. What is it that makes you happy? What is it that makes you feel secure? What is it that gives you meaning? What is it that you are working for? What are you aiming for? Do you see how this works? Only you have the ability to turn to God and love him with all your heart. Because God wants a relationship of love, God refuses to make you love him. If God made you love him, this would not be love.
However, like a good father, God is willing to motivate you. He is willing to teach you, and instruct you. He is willing to help you. But only you can choose to love him with all your heart. Consider the following sampling of truths God teaches us about giving.
GENEROSITY IS GODLY
Giving makes me more like God
"God so loved the world that He gave..." (John 3:16). God gave his most precious gift to you, at a very high cost.
When you are fully motivated by God’s love, his magnetic love breaks us free from self centeredness, and we can be generous because God held nothing back from us.
If you're going to be like God you're going to have to learn to give.
Those of you who are parents, do you enjoy watching your kids when they are unselfish? Sure. You like to see your kids be generous. You like to see your kids share their toys. You like them to be giving and generous.
So does God. When God watches you being generous, and he sees you sharing what He gave you in the first place, this pleases him.
Nobody is more generous than God is.
GIVING BREAKS THE GRIP OF MATERIALISM
Would you agree that we live in a culture that's very materialistic? We live in a sea of selfishness. Unselfish giving shines in that sea of darkness. Our culture affects us. Giving is an antidote to selfishness. There's only one antidote to materialism or greed. God’s generous love motivates us to give like he gives, and love like he loves. Giving is an antidote to materialism or greed. The essence of materialism is get -- get, get more. Give is the opposite of that.
Every time I give, I am breaking the grip of materialism and greed on my life. It is a spiritual victory. It is a counter cultural move. It defeats the schemes of our spiritual enemy who whispers that it is really all about me, and all about now.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 "You cannot serve both God and money." In other words, I'm going to have to choose what's number one in my life. What is going to be ruling my life? What is going to occupy my center, my heart? I want to be a Christ Centered person, not a self-centered person.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV) Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. {18} Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. {19} In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
"Command those who are rich..."? We think, “That’s not me”. Isn’t it? We live in one of the wealthiest countries on the globe. The poorest of the poor in our country is rich compared to many parts of the world. Most of the world would love to have our problems. What they're worried about is where's the next meal going to come from.
Circle "enjoyment" and "share". That's what God wants you to do with your money. He wants you to enjoy what he provides and He wants you to share what he provides. He wants you to do both in the right way.
GIVING STRENGTHENS MY FAITH.
Sooner or later you've got to decide, "Can God be trusted with my finances? Can He be counted on to keep His promises?"
The Apostle Paul instructed in 2 Corinthians 9:13 "Your giving proves the reality of your faith." Giving proves how much faith you really have. Giving is one way you can prove to yourself God is faithful. In Malachi 3:9-10, God says, here's how you can prove Me: Tithe (this word means a tenth, or 10%), this is the practice of giving first to God. This kind of challenge from God is an unusual challenge. God is in effect saying "I dare you! Tithe. Take the first ten percent of everything you make. Give it to Me and see if I won't care for your needs and bless your life. I dare you. Just try it." He says. “Test Me in this”. Take the challenge. Take the tithing challenge. I will show you that you can trust me to provide for you.
Some years ago we had what we called the “Time To Build” campaign and it could not have come at a more challenging time for my family. I believed it was time to challenge each of us in our church to ask God how much he wanted us to give hoping to move forward in our relocation. This campaign effort came at a difficult time for us because our son was about to head off to a Christian College. We didn’t know if we could afford it. And at the same time we were asking ourselves how much we might give sacrificially. We didn’t know how we could afford to give the amount we decided to give, but we gave a sacrificial amount.
Do you know what happened? My wife Gina who had been working part time at Yavapai College was offered a Full Time position. The timing was perfect. God blessed far beyond even that! Our son received scholarships. We didn’t need a loan. He didn’t need a loan. He graduated debt free. It was God’s unpredictable, unforeseeable provision.
I have seen God play this fun little game many times in my life. Every time we think we are out giving God’s provision when we stretch ourselves out with a sacrificial gift by faith, God says, “Did you think you could out give my provision? You lose! You can’t out give me". It's a fun little game! God out gives every time.
GIVING IS A TEST OF MY MATURITY
The Bible says this in Luke 16 Jesus said, "If you are untrustworthy with worldly wealth [that means you don't manage it well] who's going to trust you with the true riches of heaven?" Do you see the implication? Jesus said that if I'm not faithful with my money on earth, God's not going to trust me with greater spiritual responsibility. God knows that our management of money is an acid test of our maturity. How mature are you? Have you moved from spontaneous giving (when you feel like it) to intentional giving, making it a habit? Have you moved from giving from what you have left over, to giving out of your “first fruits” before your harvest comes in? Our loving Father taught us how to mature in our faith.
GIVING IS AN INVESTMENT FOR ETERNITY
Jesus says store up treasure in heaven. There is no greater place to invest your treasures than the kingdom of God. It is protected. It is proven. Giving is a way for you to participate in eternally significant and meaningful work. When we give, we are making a difference in peoples lives forever.
GIVING MAKES ME HAPPY
Acts 20:35 (NIV) “…remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
GENEROSITY is Spelled with 4 “P”s
PROVIDES: God provides. Every good gift comes from him. Giving says thank you! It celebrates God and our dependence upon God. Make your generosity an act of worship celebrating God’s provision.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV) {17} Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NIV) Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
PRIORITY: Giving is God’s priority. He gave his son. He gives life. He gives grace. Giving must become our priority also. Can God see that HIS KINGDOM is our priority from our finances? Move from leftover giving to “first fruits” giving by being more intentional and from the first part rather than the what’s left. The “first things first” principle usually turns people’s finances around!
Exodus 34:26 (NIV) "Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.
Matthew 6:33 (NIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
PERCENTAGE: Start with a percentage you think you can stretch to and then give it consistently. Give out of faith, and gratitude. Watch how God can take the remaining percentage and make it do more than before you were giving.
2 Corinthians 8:11 (NLT) Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.
Malachi 3:10 (NIV) “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
PROGRESS: Make progress in generosity from intentional percentage giving toward 10% (a tithe) percentage giving, then as God guides and provides, move toward BOLD giving. Jesus affirmed the tithe in Matthew 23:23, and assumed it in the financial context of Matthew 6:33. For many people the tithe is a good faith starting point. Intentionally start somewhere and make progress.
2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV) But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
A tithe simply demonstrates that you understand that everything comes from God. It isn’t saying, “Here’s your 10% God.” It is saying, “I understand it is all from you, I’m trusting you with everything.”
Luke 14:33 (NIV) In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
The ability to give boldly comes from God’s grace to us.
Wherever you see yourself in the “grace of giving” are you willing to move from wherever you are to where God wants you to be—"excelling in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7)?
At Verde Valley Christian Church, we believe it is best that the amount of money you give is just between you and God. Our pastors and board members are not given access to any giving records. The giving records are maintained by a separate accounts receivable team to keep such records for your convenience.
Thank you for your generosity.