God’s
1/39 Promise
Luke
6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and
shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the
same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Intro: This verse is an
amazing promise of God that has ONE word of CONDITION, and THIRTY NINE words of
COMPENSATION. I am convinced that a large percentage of Christians fail to
understand just how much they are robbing themselves of God’s blessings by
their unscriptural view of GIVING.
Many Christians look at the Biblical teachings of
giving like a speed limit law. If you do it, you’re OK. If you don’t, you’re
under condemnation and punishment. God’s
Word is clear – our giving enables God’s desire to bless us. Our giving is the trigger that activates God’s
manifold grace in our lives.
·
QUOTE:
“We make a living by what we get. We make
a life by what we give.” ― Winston S. Churchill
I. It is a Biblical Command
·
Deut. 16:17
Every man shall give as he is able,
according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
·
Proverbs
3:9 Honour the LORD with thy
substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
·
Proverbs
3:27 Withhold not good from them to
whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
·
Proverbs
11:24 There is that scattereth, and
yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth
to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be
watered also himself.
·
Proverbs
22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye
shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
II. It is Basic Christianity
A. The example of giving was set by God Himself.
·
John 3:16
For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
B. The example of giving was set by Jesus Christ.
·
Ephesians
5:25 Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
C. The example
was given by the Christians in the first church at Jerusalem.
·
Acts 2:44 And all
that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their
possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
·
Acts 4:32
And the multitude of them that believed
were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the
things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles
witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them
all. Neither was there any among them
that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and
distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
III. It is a Blessing
Compounded – see text verse Luke 6:38
·
Acts
20:35 I have shewed you all things,
how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words
of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to
receive.
·
Malachi
3:8-12 Will a man rob God? Yet ye
have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and
offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole
nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I
will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of
your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field,
saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations
shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of
hosts.
