Giving - Part 1

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on June 11th 2023  by Colin D Cruz. For the audio & video please click here. 

GIVING - PART 1

This year several great pastors/ preachers have passed away. These were giants of the faith. If we are human, we are mortal – one day we must go. There is only one generation that will be there when Jesus returns.

Paul knew he was going to go. He said I fought the fight and knew his end had come.

Our relationship with Jesus determines where we go – this is true for everyone big, small, rich poor. The question after our death that will be asked is Who is Jesus to you and the answer to that will determine where we will spend eternity.

So, if there is anyone who has not put their trust in Jesus, you can do it today. If you believe in Him and His sacrifice on the Cross and confess your sins and acknowledge Jesus as Lord, you will be with Him in paradise one day.

We all heard about the horrific train accident – life can go in one moment. But we know that when we die, we will be with Jesus forever. This is our great hope.

Jesus tells us how we need to prepare ourselves for heaven. At 40 degrees C, we cannot think of packing thermals for cold weather.  Next time I will pack and prepare better. But for heaven there is not a second chance. We need to know how to prepare ourselves well.

Matt 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Someone lost 2.4 crores on an internet scam.!!

Jesus’ command is not to store treasure on earth. The whole world is running after money and quick rich schemes. Jesus is not against us storing treasures.

Look around everything we see will be destroyed when Jesus comes back. There will be a new heaven and new earth. So everything will be gone. Jesus is not against you storing treasure he is concerned with where you store it. Store it in heaven. As we give to the work of God, to the poor it is being credited to your account in heaven.

My message this morning is on giving and not tithing.

Lev 27:30 our tithe belongs to the Lord. We are just bringing it to the Lord as it belongs to him in the first place.

We have not started giving yet.

How we give is very important.

There are different ways in which people determine how we give.

Let me tell you how your giving has impacted others. We support Education for All which runs schools in very poor rural areas giving them quality education. These children work as rag pickers, in sweatshops and then come to school in the afternoon. These few hours help them get educated and they enjoy it, and it gives them hope to dream.

We are amazingly blessed. We have so much in fact too much! Think about those living in abject poverty and we can make a difference.

How much should we give?

Mk12:41

Keep in mind a few things. The people here will not know how much you gave but Jesus will know. He sat near the treasury and watched how people gave and commented on how they gave.

Our giving is in secret, but it’s known to Jesus. Rich people threw in large amounts. We may feel proud or embarrassed about how we are giving.

There was this poor widow who put in two small coins. People would have judged the rich man’s giving as a lot and the poor woman’s giving as of no consequence. But Jesus commended her as having put in more than all the others! The others gave out of their wealth, but the widow gave everything she had!!

So much we give is not important but what proportion we give. So, Jesus commends us on the amount and proportion.

As we give proportionally, generously and in faith where lives are being changed, that is our great reward.

We need to give sacrificially.

2 Sam 24:13 David takes census which God had told them not to do. God sent a plague (v13) and 70, 000 people died. David buys Arunah’s field and did not take it free. He did not want to sacrifice anything that did not cost him anything.

How much therefore does it cost or pinch you? Is it a sacrifice to God? David was a man after God’s own heart despite all his sins. Let’s give sacrificially.

1Tim6:18-19

Paul commands those who are rich to do good as they will lay up treasures for themselves in heaven.

 Conclusion

Our giving will result in treasures in heaven. There are blessings on earth as well that we will receive.

Paul says lay up treasure in heaven that is a firm foundation. We get only one chance to do this – that is our one lifetime.

Let’s give proportionality and sacrificially. We are blessed and God has entrusted wealth in our hands let us be good stewards of it.

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 part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.