- Christian attitudes concerning giving
- Last week: attitudes toward money
- Centered on purpose and motivation
- Can’t serve both riches and God – Matthew 6:24
- Prosperity is good and has purpose – III John 2; Ephesians 4:28
- Actively seeking after riches is dangerous – Luke 18:24
- We must understand the difference.
- Giving depends on an established need, desire, prosperity, planning, and following through.
- Need
- Communicated by leadership – Acts 11:22-30
- Recognized by individuals – Luke 7:12-15; 10:33
- Results - Exodus 36:2-6
- Desire
- We should want to follow the example of Jesus
- We should want to be like God – Acts 14:15-17
- We should desire the fellowship of giving – II Corinthians 8:3-5
- Prosperity
- Our giving is out of our prosperity – I Corinthians 16:2
- We need to recognize when we have prospered
- It is sufficiency
- It is not necessarily riches
- Park of sufficiency is “sufficient to give”
- We should not make ourselves needy by our giving – II Corinthians 8:12-13
- Prosperity is as much attitude as amount
- We should desire excellence – II Corinthians 8:7
- We should recognize such excellence comes from God – II Corinthians 9:8-10
- We should be cheerful to give of or share our prosperity
- Planning
- Giving is not haphazard – II Corinthians 9:7
- Giving demands thought; premeditation; intent
- What to put into the collection
- What to give to charitable causes
- What balance to strike – II Corinthians 8:13-14
- Giving requires consideration of the gift
- It’s ours – Acts 5:3-5
- God put it into our care
- We should remember it is a gift from God
- We should consider how God would have us use it
- Following through
- When we purpose, we determine to do what we purposed
- We’re called to be steadfast – I Corinthians 15:58
- A sign of maturity – Ephesians 4:14
- When we purpose, we determine to do what we purposed
- Need
- Individual charitable giving
- Who is needy? Psalms 41:1-3
- Where do we find them?
- What are they in need of? Isaiah 58:6-11
- How much to we give?
- Could vary according to need.
- The rule is within your heart. II Corinthians 9:6-11
- Remember Matthew 25:32-46
- Don’t let your faith die a lonely death – James 2:15-17
- Fun facts on Old Testament giving
- How much did Israelites give under the Law of Moses (Hint: it was not 10%)
- What giving was there besides the tithes? How about Leviticus 19? How big were the corners and how hard did they strike the trees? Deuteronomy 24:19-21
- How much was given in the form of sacrifices? Start looking with Leviticus 7. Much more to follow.
- What gifts were shared between the giver and the receiver? Deuteronomy 12:17-18; 14:22-29
- What was a votive offering? How often was it offered? Trick question!
- Giving under the law of Moses is not quantifiable. There was more free will than specified amounts. It was easily over the commonly accepted 10%.
- Last week: attitudes toward money
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