Why Give ?

 

This message was preached by Colin DCruz via zoom at Word Of Grace Church on  January 10th 2021. for the audio please click here.  TO listen to the worship please click here

We go through different seasons in the church, Easter, Christmas etc. One such thing is Gift Day Offering. Jesus is the only hope for India. We look at countries like America and the UK and millions say they want to go there. Why do they do that? Because of the order and prosperity. It was the gospel that changed things in those nations. 

We want to give towards Regions Beyond, church planting across the nation and meet the needs of the poor. Word of Grace is a giving church and that is commendable. 50% of the Bible speaks about money and possessions. Jesus said, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed by the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind”. We need to change our mind-set to a mind-set based on the word of God.

Why do we give?

1.      Because of our Salvation: At salvation, our hearts are transformed. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, hated by all Jews and considered a sinner. Jesus just said I must stay at your house today. In that brief transaction, Zacchaeus was saved. How do we know this? Luke 19:8 “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”” Jesus said to him, today Salvation has come to your house. When we know what it is to be saved, it is easy to part with our wealth because we know what God has done for us. We have a great salvation. On the other hand, what do we have if we gain the whole world and lose your own soul?

 

2 Cor 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich” Do you know for certain that you are saved? When we put our faith in Jesus, we are saved. And the evidence of this is in our transformed heart and the way we deal with our riches.

 

2.      Because of our Evaluation: Luke 21 1-3 “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”” Jesus is watching and evaluating.

 

3.      Because of Heaven: Matt 6:19-20 ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” How do we store our treasure in heaven? 1 Timothy 6:18-19 “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

4.      Because of the harvest: 2 Corinthians 9:6 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”. Another way for us to give is to not give reluctantly or under compulsion. 2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” These are promises from God. We cannot out-give God because He is a giver.

 

How to give:

1.      Give Proportionately: One person gives 5000 and the second one gives 50,000. Who gave more? The amount doesn’t matter, it’s the proportion. Luke 21: 1-3 Jesus says that the woman gave more because she gave everything she had. 1 Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

2.      Give Generously: John 12:3 “Mary therefore took a pound[a] of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume”. The Bible tells us in verse 5 that the perfume was worth a year’s wages. How did Jesus evaluate this giving? He says in John 12: 7-8 “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me”. Many people came to anoint and embalm his body, but He was no longer there, he was alive. Only Mary got to anoint him. Elsewhere, Jesus says, she has done a beautiful thing and said that her story will be told every time the gospel is preached.

3.      Give Sacrificially: 2 Sam 24:24 “But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” We can give money where it doesn’t pinch us much, but God is looking for a fragrant sacrifice. Sacrifice is always costly. 1 Corinthians 8: 2 – 5 “for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” They gave even beyond their ability. What are you sacrificing in order to give for gift day?

As we give, God is going to bless us! Let’s pray!

  Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.