1 Timothy 6:17-19
NKJ
1 Timothy 6:17-18
‘Command those who are rich in
this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the
living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
18
Let them do good, that they be rich
in good works, ready to give, willing to share’
,
NLT
1 Timothy 6:17-18
‘Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in
their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly
gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
18
Tell them to use their
money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in
need, always being ready to share with others’.
Transition:
Picking
up after last week. I want to speak as some opposing ‘spirits’ to that which
should/could be a generous one.
Interrogative
? So why do we give of our $
or resources?
Giving / Tithing / Honoring
the Lord with our blessings (money, resources) is a very firmly established
principle in God’s Word.
James 1:22-25,
‘But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
23
For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
24
You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25
But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it’
. (Jam 1:22-25 NLT
2. Shows / Demonstrates that Jesus is Lord of our Lives
First and foremost, God wants us to give because it shows that we recognize he is truly the Lord of our lives.
James 1:17,
‘Every good and
perfect gift
is from above, coming
down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting
shadows’
.
(
NIV)
God instructed Old Testament believers
to
give
a tithe, or a tenth
because this ten percent represented the
first, most important portion of all they had. The
New Testament
does not suggest a
certain percentage for giving, but simply says for each to give “in
keeping with his income.”
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-church-giving-701992
Paul is quite clear on
this:
“For if the readiness is
present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what
he does not have”
(
2
Corinthians
8:12
).
Put another way Paul is
saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. He said it
this way in
1 Corinthians
16:2
,
“each one of you is to put aside and
save, as he may prosper.”
This means at least two
things:
(1) since we are all
supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to
give more [we who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], and
(2) the Lord never asks us
to give what we do not have or contribute beyond our means.
Question
?
Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the
Lord has given you?
It comes from a
heart of worship
that recognizes everything we have and give already belongs to the Lord.
Giving is considered an act of worship!
Let’s go back and look at
1 Corinthians 16:2. Paul’s word’s
“On
the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save”
(
1 Corinthians 16:2
).
Application
: Share
a little about what it takes to run/be a church.
Application: Sometime I wonder if we don’t think that
because others use our facilities that we’re all good and taken care of
financially. This is not the case!
Last month we were $335 in black. That includes what we took in from rental
use.
TRUTH
: Regardless of rental income or not, we are
still responsible for doing our part individually.
Transition
:
4. Helps / Blesses Other
Acts 20:35,
‘”I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said,`It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
(NKJ)
V
5. Values Graces, Appreciates Mercy, Unleashes Love
Question
: Daphne Delay, ‘
Have you ever been so thankful that you’ve
asked yourself, “What can I give back to God for the blessings He’s poured out
on me?”
The writer of Psalms 116 asks this very
question:
“What shall I render [give] to the Lord for
all His benefits toward me?”
Like many of us at times, he
recognized GOD IS GOOD and His benefits are overwhelming!
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm
103:1-5)
Proverbs 19:17, He who has pity on the poor
lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given. (Pro 19:17 NKJ)
Romans 5:8
‘But God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’.
(NKJ)
Ephesians 2:8
‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9
not of works, lest anyone should boast’.
(NKJ)
I
6. It Has a Promised Return
2 Cor. 9:6-7,
‘But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he
who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not
grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver’.
(NKJ)
Luke 6:38,
“Give, and it will be given to you:
good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into
your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to
you.”
(NKJ)
Malachi 3:10,
‘Bring all the tithes into the
storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the
LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I
will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try
it! Put me to the test!
(NLT)
Galatians 6:7,
‘Do not be deceived, God is not
mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap’
. (NKJ)
Conclusion
: We
need to Cultivate a Generous Spirit and deal with those areas of our lives that
just don’t match biblical soundness.
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