Blessed to give
When everything is stacked up against you
- When nothing seems to be going right
What do we do?
Every step I take, I did a deeper hole
- Darkness and despair are the only friends I know
- Yet I will praise Him
but what else will I do?
Acts 20:35 NKJV 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.'”
- Example of Sijo and giving him Jesus’ peace.
- Walk by faith. This is walking by faith.
It is time to operate in that principle, that precept and this one
Matthew 6:33 NKJV But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
- How do we seek first His Kingdom?
- How do we seek His righteousness?
- Because I want the blessings of God; His things to be added to me.
Let us start with His righteousness
- What did Jesus say?
Matthew 5:20 NKJV For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
The Pharisees were very “righteous”
- As far as possible, they adhered to the law of Moses
- It is said that before a scribe wrote down the name of God, they took a bath.
How do you exceed that?
- We cannot, especially us gentiles, unless God initiates and does something
- God did just that.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
So we understand that we exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees by becoming the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV 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.
I taught a little bit about the Grace of God the last two weeks
- Now we understand “not of works”, not righteousness that exceed the scribes and Pharisees
- But a gift of God lest anyone should boast.
Now how do we seek first His Kingdom?
- The first thing of giving is giving of praise, yet I will praise Him.
- The second thing of giving is giving your talents
- Giving of praise
Hebrews 13:15 NKJV Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
A sacrifice
- 2 Samuel 24:24 King David said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
- That became the Holy of Holies.
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness
Isaiah 61:3 NKJV To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
- The peace that surpasses all understanding
The second thing of giving is surrendering your talents to God’s use scripturally.
- This is the main thing, giving yourself to the Lord
Matthew 19:20-22 NKJV The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” [21] Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” [22] But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
- The rich young man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions
- Remember Lot’s wife
- Where have you placed your faith in?
Sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.
- God does not want you to be poor.
- But this is said to activate a principle by which you leave God no choice but to respond
- By force, take the kingdom, the widow and the judge
- Make God accountable, get Him involved.
Proverbs 19:17 NLT If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD- and he will repay you!
You are giving a loan to God,
- Such kindness will be repaid in full and with interest.
- God doesn’t want to be indebted to you.
- Not just monetarily
2 Kings 6:28-29 NKJV Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ [29] So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”
2 Kings 7:1-2 NKJV Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.'” [2] So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
2 Kings 7:19-20 NKJV Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, “Now look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” [20] And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.
The king is not named in the chapter, Jehoram, son of Ahab.
- There was a siege. He had nowhere to go.
- Then He sought the Lord, and the Lord gave him a breakthrough
- The unbelieving officer was told that he shall only see it but not eat of it, and was trampled by the rush and he died
God asked Moses in Exodus 4:2-4 “What is that in your hand?”
- Give, and it will be given to you
Luke 6:38 NKJV 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.”
- Give to the Lord
- Give to His Kingdom work
- Not just money, but your talents
Hebrews 6:10 NKJV For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
- Your self, sacrificially.
Philippians 4:18-20 Voice With what Epaphroditus delivered to me from your generous pockets, I have even been blessed in excess. I am fully satisfied. I know God is pleased with your dedication and accepts this gift as a fragrant offering, a holy sacrifice, on His behalf. [19] Know this: my God will also fill every need you have according to His glorious riches in Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King. [20] So may our God and Father be glorified forever and ever. Amen.
- The Lord will repay
- It will be given to you
1 Timothy 4:15-16 NKJV Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. [16] Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.