Giving! – Matthew 6:1-4
Giving! – Matthew 6:1-4
By Pastor Lee Hemen
March 31, 2019
We are not a giving society. Yes we give a lot to charity but the real reason we give may not be as altruistic as we want others to believe. God is not fooled. Giving comes from what is inside a person and can never be done out of guilt, coercion, or tax evasion! We often forget that if do not give for the right reasons we will suffer the consequences of our giving and is why Paul would write that we would do well to “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV)”
Giving like a lot of things in Jewish life had become a matter of course or regularity. Kind of a ho-hum thing that a person did because they wanted God to like them and the neighbors to think they hadn’t become pagans. Today folks wrestle with this as much as they do with the concepts of sin, judgment, and church attendance. Giving has become almost a dirty word within the local church that everyone knows they should do it let alone actually talk about it. It’s kind of like the crazy aunt. Let’s see what Jesus taught about giving and why…
READ: Matthew 6:1-4
“To give or not to give” is not a line out of Shakespeare’s Hamlet but rather an unconscious argument that goes on each week within the minds of many. Many are willing to give something but not actually tithe. The first thing we learn is that…
I. Giving flows from the heart of God! (Vv. 1-2)
Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
1. Jesus taught that what mattered most was what was inside of a person because it affected their outward attitude and actions. He now goes from instruction about the Pharisees’ teaching to their hypocritical deeds. Living a right life that was holy is totally different than just saying you do or by simply doing certain good deeds in order to be seen by others as a “good” person. This is why Jesus tells his audience, “Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them.” This was totally different than what the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law did in Jesus’ day. In fact it is not so different than what a lot of folks do every Sunday morning by showing up for worship on Easter or Christmas, going on a mission vacation, or feeding the homeless at Christmas! Why is this so important for Jesus? Jesus knew that it is easy to say you care or even to have short term acts of compassion but to live a life worthy of the Lord was a completely different matter. He knew that if we do our acts of kindness so that they can be seen and acknowledged by others they are worthless because “If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Wow, what a completely different emphasis! We are to live according to the Father’s character of grace to commend ourselves to God the Father who saw in secret, where the eye of man could not see! Jesus continued that “when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men.” Our giving should come from the overflow of our heart that has found mercy and love in him who died for us. Paul would write that when we give out of that compassion that we “will be made rich in every way so that (we) can be generous on every occasion” and our “generosity will result in thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV)!” Giving flows from the heart of God!
EXAMPLE: Brother MacMillan was one of the kindest and compassionate people I knew. He was not only a giving person he did it with grace and joy. I asked him why he had such a good attitude about giving and he responded by telling me, “I give the same way Jesus gave to us. To do otherwise would not give him the honor he deserves.” Brother “Mac”, as we all knew him, was correct and this is exactly what Jesus was trying to teach his followers with his sermon. It’s matter of attitude and what is truly inside of a person that shows what they really believe about God because it come out in their actions and attitudes. Giving flows from the heart of God!
Erroneously there are those who actually believe that church and worship is all about them. For these narrow-minded Sunday morning saints church is like a business. If it doesn’t give them more “bang” for their buck they are gone. The only problem is these are the very folks who do give the way they are supposed to because just like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day they have forgotten that…
II. Giving is what believers are to be about! (Vv. 3-4)
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
1. Giving is supposed to be from the overflow of grace we have received from the Lord. It is not to be forced or compelled. This is why giving is listed as one of the Spiritual gifts and the writer of Proverbs remarked that “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Proverbs 19:17 NIV)” So Jesus tells his listeners, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.” Jesus is not teaching that you should give ignorantly or without some kind of discernment. Far too many give out of guilt like to those who beg for handouts with cardboard signs. Their gift is not really helping the person who is begging but usually supporting their addiction. Rather Jesus again is emphasizing a believer’s true intent when they give. Moses in Leviticus reminds us that “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. (Leviticus 27:30 NIV)” God asked that his people give a tenth of all they had to him. It was a sign that his people trusted him with their livelihood and their lives as well. Certainly we are not under Levitical law anymore but we are to love God completely and trust him with all we have. In fact we learn as believers all we have is God’s and we should honor him by freely giving back to his work what he has blessed us with! This is why we are to “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in (God’s) house.” We are to “Test (God) in this” to see if he “will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (Malachi 3:10 NIV)” It is one of the fundamental truths of the universe that “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38 NIV)” The truth is we should not be “deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8 NIV)” If believers follow Jesus they will act like Jesus and give willingly and “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Giving is what believers are to be about!
EXAMPLE: I am one that thinks the idea of “random acts of kindness” is kind of self-centered. It focuses on the individual and when they feel like doing something kind or not rather than truly being a lifestyle. Whether it is giving one’s time, talent, or treasure giving should be a way of life for the believer because Jesus gave himself for us! And if we are changed by his presence and empowered by his Spirit shouldn’t we therefore give like he did? Giving is what believers are to be about!
Conclusion:
Giving flows from the heart of God! Giving is what believers are to be about!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
March 31, 2019
We are not a giving society. Yes we give a lot to charity but the real reason we give may not be as altruistic as we want others to believe. God is not fooled. Giving comes from what is inside a person and can never be done out of guilt, coercion, or tax evasion! We often forget that if do not give for the right reasons we will suffer the consequences of our giving and is why Paul would write that we would do well to “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV)”
Giving like a lot of things in Jewish life had become a matter of course or regularity. Kind of a ho-hum thing that a person did because they wanted God to like them and the neighbors to think they hadn’t become pagans. Today folks wrestle with this as much as they do with the concepts of sin, judgment, and church attendance. Giving has become almost a dirty word within the local church that everyone knows they should do it let alone actually talk about it. It’s kind of like the crazy aunt. Let’s see what Jesus taught about giving and why…
READ: Matthew 6:1-4
“To give or not to give” is not a line out of Shakespeare’s Hamlet but rather an unconscious argument that goes on each week within the minds of many. Many are willing to give something but not actually tithe. The first thing we learn is that…
I. Giving flows from the heart of God! (Vv. 1-2)
Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
1. Jesus taught that what mattered most was what was inside of a person because it affected their outward attitude and actions. He now goes from instruction about the Pharisees’ teaching to their hypocritical deeds. Living a right life that was holy is totally different than just saying you do or by simply doing certain good deeds in order to be seen by others as a “good” person. This is why Jesus tells his audience, “Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them.” This was totally different than what the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law did in Jesus’ day. In fact it is not so different than what a lot of folks do every Sunday morning by showing up for worship on Easter or Christmas, going on a mission vacation, or feeding the homeless at Christmas! Why is this so important for Jesus? Jesus knew that it is easy to say you care or even to have short term acts of compassion but to live a life worthy of the Lord was a completely different matter. He knew that if we do our acts of kindness so that they can be seen and acknowledged by others they are worthless because “If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Wow, what a completely different emphasis! We are to live according to the Father’s character of grace to commend ourselves to God the Father who saw in secret, where the eye of man could not see! Jesus continued that “when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men.” Our giving should come from the overflow of our heart that has found mercy and love in him who died for us. Paul would write that when we give out of that compassion that we “will be made rich in every way so that (we) can be generous on every occasion” and our “generosity will result in thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:10-11 NIV)!” Giving flows from the heart of God!
EXAMPLE: Brother MacMillan was one of the kindest and compassionate people I knew. He was not only a giving person he did it with grace and joy. I asked him why he had such a good attitude about giving and he responded by telling me, “I give the same way Jesus gave to us. To do otherwise would not give him the honor he deserves.” Brother “Mac”, as we all knew him, was correct and this is exactly what Jesus was trying to teach his followers with his sermon. It’s matter of attitude and what is truly inside of a person that shows what they really believe about God because it come out in their actions and attitudes. Giving flows from the heart of God!
Erroneously there are those who actually believe that church and worship is all about them. For these narrow-minded Sunday morning saints church is like a business. If it doesn’t give them more “bang” for their buck they are gone. The only problem is these are the very folks who do give the way they are supposed to because just like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day they have forgotten that…
II. Giving is what believers are to be about! (Vv. 3-4)
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
1. Giving is supposed to be from the overflow of grace we have received from the Lord. It is not to be forced or compelled. This is why giving is listed as one of the Spiritual gifts and the writer of Proverbs remarked that “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Proverbs 19:17 NIV)” So Jesus tells his listeners, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.” Jesus is not teaching that you should give ignorantly or without some kind of discernment. Far too many give out of guilt like to those who beg for handouts with cardboard signs. Their gift is not really helping the person who is begging but usually supporting their addiction. Rather Jesus again is emphasizing a believer’s true intent when they give. Moses in Leviticus reminds us that “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. (Leviticus 27:30 NIV)” God asked that his people give a tenth of all they had to him. It was a sign that his people trusted him with their livelihood and their lives as well. Certainly we are not under Levitical law anymore but we are to love God completely and trust him with all we have. In fact we learn as believers all we have is God’s and we should honor him by freely giving back to his work what he has blessed us with! This is why we are to “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in (God’s) house.” We are to “Test (God) in this” to see if he “will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (Malachi 3:10 NIV)” It is one of the fundamental truths of the universe that “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Luke 6:38 NIV)” The truth is we should not be “deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8 NIV)” If believers follow Jesus they will act like Jesus and give willingly and “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Giving is what believers are to be about!
EXAMPLE: I am one that thinks the idea of “random acts of kindness” is kind of self-centered. It focuses on the individual and when they feel like doing something kind or not rather than truly being a lifestyle. Whether it is giving one’s time, talent, or treasure giving should be a way of life for the believer because Jesus gave himself for us! And if we are changed by his presence and empowered by his Spirit shouldn’t we therefore give like he did? Giving is what believers are to be about!
Conclusion:
Giving flows from the heart of God! Giving is what believers are to be about!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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