Giving – Time, Money, Self

[00:00:00] Now, if you will turn to the second letter. [00:00:03] To the Christians at Corinth. To the church at Corinth. [00:00:08] The second letter. And chapter eight, two corinthians. Chapter eight from verse one. I'm going to read it in JB Phillips. [00:00:30] Now, my brothers, we must tell you about the grace that God has given to the macedonian churches. [00:00:38] Somehow, in most difficult circumstances, their joy and the fact of being down to their last penny themselves produced a magnificent concern for other people. [00:00:51] I can guarantee that they were willing to give to the limit of their means. Yes, and beyond their means, without the slightest urging from me or anyone else. [00:01:02] In fact, they simply begged us to accept their gifts and so let them share the honours of supporting their brothers in Christ. [00:01:11] Nor was their gift, as I must confess, I had expected a mere cash payment. Instead, they made a complete dedication of themselves, first to the Lord and then to us as God's appointed ministers. [00:01:27] Now, this has made us ask Titus, who has already done so much among you, to complete his task by arranging for you too, to share in this work of generosity. [00:01:38] Already you are well to the fore. In every good quality you have faith. You can express that faith in words. You have knowledge, enthusiasm and your love for us. [00:01:51] Could you not add generosity to your virtues? I dont want you to read this as an order. Its only my suggestion, prompted by what ive seen in others, of eagerness to help. And here is a way to prove the reality of your love. Do you remember the generosity of Jesus Christ, the Lord of us all? He was rich beyond our telling, yet he became poor for your sake, so that his poverty might make you rich. [00:02:24] Here is my opinion in this matter. [00:02:26] I think it would be a good thing for you, who were the first, a year ago, to think of helping as well as the first, to give, to carry through what you then intended to do. Finish it then as well as you can, and show that you can complete what you set out to do with as much efficiency as you showed readiness to begin. [00:02:47] After all, the important thing is to be willing to give as much as we can. That is what God accepts. And no one is asked to give what he has not got. [00:02:56] Of course, I don't mean that others should be relieved to an extent that leaves you in distress. It's a matter of share and share alike. At present, your plenty should supply their need, and then, at some future date, their plenty may supply your need. In that way, we share with each other, as the scripture says. He that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack. Thank God, Titus feels the same deep concern for you as we do. He accepts the suggestion outlined above, and in his enthusiasm comes to you personally. At his own request, we're sending with him that brother whose services to the gospel are universally praised in the churches. He has been unanimously chosen to travel with us in this work of administering the gifts of others. It's a task that brings glory to God and demonstrates also the willingness of us Christians to help each other. Naturally, we want to avoid the slightest breath of criticism in the distribution of their gifts, and to be absolutely above board, not only in the sight of God, but in the eyes of men. [00:04:04] With these two we are also sending our brother, of whose keenness we have ample proof, and whose interest is especially aroused on this occasion as he has such confidence in you. As for Titus, he is our colleague and partner in your affairs, and both the brothers are official messengers of the churches and shining examples of their faith. So do let them and all the churches see how genuine is your love and justify all the nice things we've said about you. Of course, I know it's really quite superfluous for me to be writing to you about this matter of giving to fellow Christians, but I know how willing you are. Indeed, I told the Macedonians with some pride that Achaia was ready to undertake this service twelve months ago. [00:04:54] Your enthusiasm has consequently been a stimulus to many of them. I am, however, sending the brothers just to make sure that our pride in you is not unjustified, for between ourselves, it would never do if some of the Macedonians were to accompany me on my visit to you and find you unprepared for this act of generosity. We, not to speak of you, should be horribly ashamed, just because we'd been so proud and confident of you. This is my reason, then, for urging the brothers to visit you before I come myself, so that they can get your promised gift ready in good time. But having let you into my confidence, I should like it to be a spontaneous gift, and not money squeezed out of you by what I've said. [00:05:45] All I will say is that poor sowing means a poor harvest, and generous sowing means a generous harvest. Let everyone give, as his heart tells him, neither grudgingly nor under compulsion, for God loves the man who gives cheerfully. After all, God can give you everything that you need, so that you may always have sufficient both for yourselves and for giving away to other people. As the scripture says, he that hath scattered abroad is given to the poor. His righteousness abideth forever. [00:06:23] He who gives the seed to the sower and turns that seed into bread to eat will give you the seed of generosity to sow and for harvest, the satisfying bread of good deeds done. The more you are enriched by God, the more scope will there be for generous giving. And your gifts administered through us will mean that many will thank God. For your giving does not end in meeting the wants of your fellow christians. It also results in an overflowing tide of thanksgiving to God. Moreover, your very giving proves the reality of your faith. And that means that men thank God that you practice the gospel that you profess to believe in as well as for the actual gifts you make to them and to others. And yet further, men will pray for you and feel drawn to you because you've obviously received a generous measure of the grace of God. [00:07:18] Thank God then for his indescribable gift to us. [00:07:33] Well, now, this matter is subject the ministry of giving. [00:07:40] And the first thing I would like to get clear upon this subject is that giving is not to be a haphazard matter. [00:07:59] So many christians, their giving is haphazard. [00:08:04] It's a careless thing. [00:08:09] What do we mean by a haphazard, careless thing? Well, they don't give as unto God. [00:08:16] They wait till there's some sudden surge of interest in some work or some powerful meeting and they will then let go of a certain amount of cash at that time. [00:08:37] I don't know how much that really means to God, because so often, as anyone can tell you, it's possible by an emotional atmosphere to lift money off people. People are the stupidest creatures in the world. [00:08:58] Theres no wonder why the Lord called us sheep. [00:09:03] And when I had heard some of the things done amongst the Lords people in financial matters, I am just amazed at the way people will let go of money. [00:09:20] And then I hear on the other side of real works of God in distress and true servants of the Lord in distress. [00:09:37] Giving is not to be a careless, haphazard thing, relying upon our moods or our emotions as to when we give and how much we give, but it is to be a regular and spiritual ministry. Now, giving is not something that is a kind of luxury that we indulge in now and again when we are peculiarly moved. [00:10:10] Now, this is why in many circles they have a collection. [00:10:15] The idea is that when you pass the plate round, this is an opportunity to worship. [00:10:24] Unfortunately, it has degenerated, generally speaking, from an opportunity to worship into a psychological reminder to people that there are financial needs. I remember when we decided years ago to give up collections altogether, that a dear minister said to me, Lance, you are being far too mystical in your approach. [00:11:01] You'll never get the money. You will find bitter experience that God's people have to be reminded to give. [00:11:10] And evidently this is what happens with the collection plate. [00:11:17] I must say that I cannot help but feel, without putting bitter words into God's mouth, that he must sometimes feel that it would be better for the saints to hold on to their cash than that he should have to continually remind them to give. [00:11:41] God can do without our money. [00:11:46] He has his own ways and means. That's not the point. It's not that God has got to get your money, and if he doesn't get your money, he's going to be hindered. Not at all. You have missed the hope point of giving. [00:12:06] Giving is not on that level at all. [00:12:10] It is a spiritual ministry, as vital and as important as any platform ministry, not because it merely materially supplies the needs of the work or of people in the work here or elsewhere, but because just like the ministry of the word brings something more of God, of Christ, something more of the fullness of God into being, into practical expression. So the fulfillment of this ministry of giving brings more of Christ in, more of the fullness of God into the work. And you always know when there's been sacrificial giving, you can feel it in the atmosphere. [00:13:09] It is therefore the ministry of giving. We read together in two corinthians, chapter eight. [00:13:17] But it was rather you missed it in that more modern version, but in two corinthians, chapter eight, from verse one to four, we read these words. [00:13:32] Verse four we'll just read, beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints, it's a ministry. [00:13:47] And then again in chapter nine and verse 13, seeing that through the proving of you by this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all. It's a ministry. [00:14:11] Now, when we see that, I think it starts to bring in a different complexion. The same thought is in Romans 15 and verse 27. Yea, it's been their good pleasure and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them, that is, the saints at Jerusalem also to minister unto them in carnal things. Now, this sounds extraordinary in the old version, to minister unto them in carnal things. But if we were to change the word carnal to material we would understand they are ministering unto them in material things. It's a ministry. [00:14:57] It has often been said, rightly or wrongly, that the barometer of a, of spiritual life, whether of a church or company of believers or an individual child of God, is giving. [00:15:23] Certainly our giving should be under the direct control and guidance of the Holy Spirit. [00:15:34] It is a spiritual ministry. [00:15:38] Not just dont get the idea that this is a kind of material ministry. Its not at all. Its a spiritual ministry because its under the sovereignty and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Its not just something material. [00:16:00] Now if thats true that giving should be under the sovereignty and guidance of the Holy Spirit, then obviously it does become one of the surest signs or evidences of the depth of spiritual life and the character of spiritual life in an individual or in a company. [00:16:28] Because in this way we know where the people are really under the government of God. [00:16:38] Now that's just by way of introduction. [00:16:44] What is the basic teaching of God's word about giving? Now don't get away with the idea that I'm just talking about money this evening, because I'm not. I'm talking about giving. [00:16:56] Much bigger thing than money. But of course it involves money and we shall talk about it. [00:17:03] What is the basic teaching of God's word concerning giving? Well, first of all, it's simply this. [00:17:11] The basic fundamental premise upon which everything concerning giving is based is that everything belongs to God. [00:17:26] Now, very few christians have ever really woken up to that fact. We sing about it, we read about it, we even actually pray sometimes in these words, yet we've never woken up to it. Let's take a few scriptures and look at them. Only a few, by the way of something, which is one of the most obvious themes in the Bible. Psalm 24 one, the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof. The world and all they that dwell therein can't get out of that. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. The fact that there's a usurper, that the evil one has come in that the scripture says that the world lies in the evil one, does not actually contradict this. The real rites of this world, the title deeds of this world, are in the hands of God, and he has not only the title deeds to the earth, but to its fullness. The world and all they that dwell therein turn over to psalm 89, psalm 80, 911. [00:18:41] The heavens are thine. [00:18:43] The earth also is thine. The world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them. Turn back to psalm 50, verse ten and eleven. Psalm 50 ten and eleven. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills I know all the birds of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine. Haggai, chapter two, verse eight. The silver is mine and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. [00:19:34] Turn over to the New Testament, acts, chapter 17, 17th chapter of acts, and listen to the apostle Paul preaching an evangelistic message in Athens. This is what he says in verse 24. [00:20:00] The God that made the world and all things therein. He being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. Neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life and breath and all things. And then verse 28 for in him we live and move and have our being can't get away from that. In other words, the first thing that the apostle Paul said in this great message was that in fact God had a right to everything because it was him. [00:20:48] And though they didn't even know him, they lived in him and moved in him. [00:20:54] They breathe in him. [00:20:58] Turn to romans eleven and verse 36. [00:21:07] Romans 1136. For of him this is of God, and through him and unto him are all things of him, all things. [00:21:21] Through him all things. [00:21:24] Unto him, all things. [00:21:29] Now this is the foundation for all the teaching in the whole Bible, old and New Testament, about giving, that everything belongs to God. [00:21:42] What we have, therefore, is on trust from God, whether we know it or not. [00:21:49] Everything we have is on trust from God. If you turn back to one chronicles, chapter 29, one chronicles, chapter 29, verse eleven. Listen to this. [00:22:09] Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine. [00:22:19] Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. So far everyone understands that we're so used to it. [00:22:29] Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou rulest over all, and in thy hand is power and great, and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all. Now therefore our God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name. But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee a recognition that everything belongs to God, and that even the very health and strength to get money or to get possessions comes from God, so that when we give anything back, we're only giving back to him what actually he's given to us. [00:23:24] It belongs to him anyway. Turn back to deuteronomy. [00:23:29] Deuteronomy, chapter eight, verse eleven. [00:23:39] Deuteronomy, chapter eight, verse eleven. Beware, lest thou forget the Lord thy God in not keeping his commandments and his ordinances and his statutes, which I command thee this day. Lest when thou hast eaten and art full and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein, and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied and all that thou hast is multiplied, then thy heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [00:24:15] And then verse 17 and 18. And lest thou say in thy heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth, but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God. For it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant, which he sware unto thy fathers as at that day. [00:24:45] Now, this is not just a matter of money. This is a matter of everything. [00:24:51] Everything belongs to God and is given to us on trust. Whatever we have in the way of possession, whatever we have in the way of time, whatever we have in the way of health, whatever we have in the way of intelligence, whatever we have in natural things apart from spiritual things, all of it has come from God. [00:25:16] And therefore, when God asks us, and this is the amazing grace of or asks us if we will give it is simply to get our cooperation and to find out the kind of character that is in us. [00:25:41] There's much more than this, though. [00:25:44] As the redeemed people of God, we are to express this truth in a peculiar and particular way. [00:25:54] In two Corinthians, chapter five, two Corinthians, chapter five, and verse 14 and 15, we read, for the love of Christ, constraineth us because we thus judge that one died for all, therefore all died, and he died for all. That they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again. [00:26:26] We, as the redeemed people of God, set forth this truth in our very beings. Now, here is the whole point of a contradiction in terms. When a person has got a battle over giving, whether it's giving themselves, whether it's giving time, whether it's giving money, whether it's giving health, whatever it is, to God, if there's a battle there with a living contradiction, why? Because the very fact of our redemption sets forth this truth, that everything belongs to the law. [00:27:06] We are here. This is why in two Corinthians chapter eight, the apostle Paul, with his tremendous argument, as it were, about the giving and the practical side of the giving, says, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we, through his poverty, might become rich. [00:27:33] In other words, our very giving, our very attitude is setting forth something far, far beyond our little giving. [00:27:45] God is the giver. [00:27:50] It is the very, it is his very nature to give, and to give liberally. [00:28:00] God is not me. Now, the one thing you must surely recognize in this universe is that God is generous. You look at life, you just see what God has done. It's liberality, generosity, if I may say it almost irreverently. God can't help himself. [00:28:25] It's his very nature to give. [00:28:30] He is the giver. [00:28:35] And God just gives and gives and gives and gives. [00:28:41] And if anyone thinks heaven is going to be boring, you don't know the Lord, because God is a giver, creative all the time, giving. [00:28:58] We, of course, think of it in one verse, that we all know so well. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. [00:29:16] Now, as children of God, if we do not give, we live out a contradiction. And this is what the apostle John was at such pains to point out in his letters, in one John and chapter three and verse 16. [00:29:38] Hereby know we love because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [00:29:48] But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in, and shutteth up his compassion from him. How doth the love of God abide in him? [00:30:00] My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue, but in deed and in truth. [00:30:10] Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him. [00:30:18] Now, many people suffer from a guilt complex. You know, those things can often some people need deliverance, but other people, all they need to do is to start giving. [00:30:28] For the word of God says this, that once we start to give, we get assurance. [00:30:35] We immediately get assurance. [00:30:38] We know we're of the truth. The apostle says that he's not playing with words. He says, here, my little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue, because along that line comes condemnation. [00:30:53] But indeed, and in reality, hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before God. And then he goes on. [00:31:09] Because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart. [00:31:16] That's a wonderful thing, isn't it? Just to be able to know something of that in the next chapter, chapter four and verse eight, you've got the same thought again. That apostle can't get away from it. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. [00:31:33] Herein was the love of God manifested to us that God hath sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love. Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [00:31:59] No man hath beheld God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit. [00:32:23] Well, I just mentioned these. You see, the command of the word of God on this matter is so simple, it's contained in Matthew ten, eight. Freely ye received, freely give. It's the very law of spiritual life. [00:32:42] If you hold on, as I know, I won't. Not till I'm better, not till I'm deeper, not till I'm more grown up, not till I'm more mature, not till I feel somehow I'm at the right place. You won't get there because you have to give in the measure that you've received. So if you've received a little, you can only give a little. But if you've received more, you can give more. And if you've received in abundance, you can give in abundance. Now, I'm not talking about money to keep on saying this. I'm not talking about money. I'm going to the principle of the thing. And money is only a detail. People don't give cash because they haven't given themselves. [00:33:31] But once weve given ourselves to God, the rest follows. [00:33:36] You dont have to keep on making appeals and sending collection plates around or anything else. Once peoples hearts are given to God, theyre walking with God, and theyre led of the spirit. [00:33:50] Its very, very simple when it comes down to it. In acts, chapter 20, when the apostle Paul was commending the church at Ephesus to the grace of God, he said in chapter 20 and verse 35, the very last words he said, as they all pray, as they all wept so much parting from him, he said, in all things I gave you an example that so labouring ye ought to help the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, it's more blessed to give than to receive. [00:34:27] Now, you know, so often we don't believe that. We believe it's the most blessed thing in the world to receive. To sit in a meeting and receive from God and be transported into heaven is the most blessed thing in the world. Thank God for everything we receive of him. But you know, it's a bigger blessing to give what you've received. Oh, if once you could give away what you've got, you'd find you're in the 7th heaven of blessing. [00:35:02] No man knew this better than the apostle Paul when he speaks of being caught up to the third heaven and hearing things it's not even lawful for a man to utter is a man who gave himself. [00:35:15] The man received and received and received, but he gave and he gave and he gave and he learned in experience that the. The bigger, the bigger blessing. The greater blessing was in giving. [00:35:28] Now, do you not all know that in some measure, surely you must be a poor specimen of a child of God if you haven't in some measure experienced that it's more blessed to give than to receive? [00:35:46] Sometime in your life you parted with something or you've given something in time of yourself, of your experience, or of your money, your possessions and all the strange peace that came to you and the unspeakable joy that filled your heart that you hardly knew why it should come or where it came from. [00:36:19] Have you not had an experience like that? I always feel sorry for these self centred, crabby christians. [00:36:28] I mean, it's not that we've got to beat them over the head with a big stick and say, you ought to be giving yourself. They don't know what they're missing. [00:36:37] It's the point. They don't know what they're missing living there in their own little stew pot, so unhappy, so miserable, so interned, so wandering around in some vicious cycle in the wilderness. [00:36:59] Tragic. [00:37:01] It's not as if God just needs your help. The point is this, that it's life, spiritual life, is built on giving, that as you receive, you must get that first. You give what you receive. You don't give what you are, you give what you've received. [00:37:22] Freely, you've received freely give. Now, in Matthew 1038, the amazing thing is this is all about gifts. It's about healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons. And the Lord said to them, you've freely received, you freely give my. So it's that realm as well, is it? [00:37:44] What you've received from God, you give? Well, that's the first thing I want to say this evening. The basic teaching of the word of God is very simple. Everything is the Lord and what weve got is received on trust from the Lord. [00:38:08] So very simple. [00:38:14] And as the redeemed of God, weve got to express this truth. Its written into our constitution as believers. [00:38:25] God is the great giver and he looks in us for the same character as in himself. It's as if he's looking, watching. If there's one place in this whole building where God is always present, it's the treasure. [00:38:45] Now, I've always known that. I don't think others do. That's why it upsets me when I see people putting handbags on it and books on it, sitting on it and everything else, and I'm a piece of furniture. It's not that I'm bothered. Some people think I'm bothered about what's going in it. [00:39:03] Not the least bit bothered about that God doesn't need it. It's applied altogether apart from that. But that place is precious to God because their people's attitudes are revealed and the real spiritual character is exposed to heaven. [00:39:29] Now, what about the principle of giving? Now let's get hold of this. This is wonderful. The principle of giving. [00:39:37] Here it is. The measure you give will be at least the measure you receive. Now think of that. [00:39:46] It's the opposite to what we just said. You've received, you must give. Now you've learned that lesson. Here's the second. Here's the principle. [00:39:54] The measure in which you give is at least the measure in which you receive. Now don't argue with me on this point. It is absolute truth, and I've proved it not only in my own experience, but by observation in other lives. [00:40:11] I have never seen God let down a single one of his children on this point. [00:40:18] I have seen a lot of claptrap exposed, a lot of people who are supposed to be living by faith, or a lot of people who think that for this reason or that reason, God ought to meet this need or that need, and he doesn't meet it. [00:40:35] But I have never seen anyone who's honored the Lord with the first fruits of their substance. I have never known the Lord fail them ever. [00:40:49] This is one of the clearest and most categoric principles in the word of God. [00:40:57] It's written into nature. [00:40:59] All around us, it's written into nature. [00:41:03] What is given is the measure as to what is received. [00:41:11] Now let's start to look at a whole lot of scriptures. Take your Bible and just see. This ought to thrill you. I first got hold of this years ago from an old swedish aunt who's recently gone to the Lord. And I must say she burnt it. So by the spirit of God into my heart I've never forgotten it. And it became the very foundation of what, above all, I'd known in this matter. [00:41:38] But I'm amazed at the number of few christians who understand this. [00:41:45] Proverbs. Eleven. [00:41:48] Proverbs 11, 24, 25. There is the scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that with that withholdeth more than is meat that attendeth only to poverty. Oh, how I've seen it. Those careful, cautious people they're always poverty stricken materially and spiritually. [00:42:21] When it really comes to it, the liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall himself be watered. [00:42:31] Could there be a more wonderful promise in the word of God? Scatter and it increases. You scatter the seeds. You don't take each seed and say, now I'm going to make sure that there's no wastage here. We'll put that seed in there and we'll measure the distance between that and the next one and the next one. The next one. You know, the people say, no waste. No waste. [00:42:55] Oh, no, that's not the principle. You scatter it. Let go of it. You have no control over it. Let go of it. [00:43:04] And it increases yet more and more. [00:43:11] Turn to proverbs three. Back to proverbs 3910. Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase so shall thy bonds be filled with plenty and thy vat shall overflow with new wine. [00:43:29] First fruits. Honour the Lord and with the first fruits of all thine increase. [00:43:38] Here's the problem. [00:43:40] Turn to proverbs 22, verse nine. [00:43:47] He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed. I do like that. He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poor. [00:43:58] A bountiful eye. [00:44:00] That's a generous eye. [00:44:08] Malachi three. [00:44:12] Malachi three, verse eight and ten. [00:44:18] Will a man rob God yet ye rob me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse for ye rob me even this whole nation. Bring ye the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my 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. [00:44:46] Do you want to have a blessing that you can't contain? [00:44:52] Then make sure that all the tithes are in the storehouse, whatever that means. God will show you whether it's time, substance, possessions or money. I don't know what it is, but this I know that when it's all in the storehouse for God, he pours out a blessing. It's his word. Never failed in this matter. Have you not all met people who've given and given and given from whom rivers of living water flow that somehow you envy because of the richness of their peace and the fullness of their joy? [00:45:33] I know people like that. [00:45:36] And it all goes back to this matter of giving. [00:45:40] I've met others too, who had their set times and are absolutely careful about themselves and about what they give in time, health, substance or money, whose homes are like a castle. They've got a draw on up, drawbridge let down only when the password is spoken at the dawn. And I've never seen fullness of joy or peace that passes understanding. [00:46:14] It just isn't. [00:46:16] It isn't the fulfilment of this principle. Now, let's have a look at ecclesiastes eleven one. Of course, you all know this. Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it shall return to you. But listen to this in the new English Bible. Send your grain across the seas and in time you'll get a return. [00:46:40] I should imagine many a missionary society would be putting that out. [00:46:45] Send your grain across the seas and after a time you'll get a return. I remember Lindsey Glegg, years ago, telling us, giving us a message, asked young people investing in the kingdom of God. And he said, you know, all you've got to do is buy shares. Invest, he said, invest. People spend so much money, investment. But he said, who could be more privileged than the child of God? Who can put an investment in the kingdom of God and get a return when the king comes? [00:47:23] Return. [00:47:26] Well, now, let's go on. Let's start to look at the New Testament. Luke, chapter six. Now, this was Auntie Smith's favourite verse. [00:47:36] Luke 638. [00:47:41] Give, and it shall be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured unto you. Again. These are the words of the Lord Jesus. Now, have you ever seen such a thing? If you put a lot of grain or something into a can, it's full but you just shake it for a while, and you'll see it'll all go down. Then you can pour in more, and you shake it again. It goes down. Have you ever done. I've done it with the gerbils food, so I know what I'm talking about. You shake it, and the thing goes right down to the bottom. And it's amazing. At first it seems to take only half the packet, but in the end, you can get the whole packet into it. God says this, if you will only give, then in the measure in which you give, you will get back. But pressed down, shaken together and running over, that's almost twice as much. [00:48:41] That's how God will give it back to you. Now, these are the words of the Lord Jesus. [00:48:46] He said his explanation of this was, for with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured unto you again. So if you're generous, you'll get back a generous return. If you're liberal, a liberal return. If you're careful, a careful return. If you're mean, a mean return. And if you haven't given anything, you won't get anything back. [00:49:08] It's so simple. [00:49:10] The principle of giving. [00:49:13] Two Corinthians, chapter nine. [00:49:16] Now, the apostle Paul was so clever in the way that he dealt with this matter. [00:49:27] Verse six and seven of this, I say, he that soweth sparingly shall weep also sparingly. And he that Soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Let each man do according as he's purposed in his heart. Now, may I ask you a question? What have you purposed in your heart? [00:49:52] Maybe you have purposed in your heart to sow sparingly. [00:49:58] Well, you'll get back a sparing harvest. But if you purposed in your heart to sow bountifully, you'll get back a bountiful harvest, because that's exactly what God's word says. [00:50:09] Then it says in verse ten and eleven, he that supplieth seed to the sower of bread for food shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, so you'll be able to do it all over again. [00:50:21] God is. He's marvelous in this way. First you give, then you get back. And then he does it in such a way that you've got to throw it all out again. Then you'll get back a bigger harvest. Then take hold of that and it back out again, and you'll get it back more. [00:50:37] See, the trouble with some people is they only have one experience in this matter. [00:50:42] They sort of have a period where they give and they get something back. Then they settle down. [00:50:48] But, oh, to learn. This is the principle, one of the greatest principles of spiritual life. Give and give and give and give. And the more you give, the more you get back. And the more you've got to give. You got it? So I've got a little. I sow the whole lot and I reap a harvest. Then I've got more to sow. [00:51:13] So I sow it. And I get back a bigger harvest. Then I throw the whole lot out again. I've got a bigger harvest. Do you see? [00:51:24] Isaiah, chapter 58. Back to the Old Testament. Isaiah, chapter 58, verse six to eleven. [00:51:39] Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bonds of wickedness? To undo the bands of the yoke and to let the oppressed go free? That ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him and that thou hide not thyself on thine own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thy healing shall spring forth speedily. Thy righteousness shall go before thee. The glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call on. The Lord will answer, thou shalt cry. And he will say, here I am. [00:52:18] If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger and speaking wickedly. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul. Then shall thy light rise in darkness and thine obscurity be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in dry places and make strong thy bones. And thou shalt be like a watered garden. And like a spring of water whose waters fail not. And they that shall be at thee shall build the old waste places. Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations. And thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in. [00:53:07] What a wonderful promise. And it's all a tender upon giving. [00:53:13] If we will only give ourselves in service. If we will only lay down our lives in service. [00:53:20] If we will only give bountifully. Then God says, I will do all this. And what a promise they fall out one on top of the other watered garden. A spring of water that fails not. Glory of God upon you. Light rising like the noonday sun. Oh, what promises from God all attendant upon this thing. Well, giving is the surest way into blessing and fullness, both spiritual and material. [00:54:06] Maclean's toothpaste began off with a boy who had a christian mother. [00:54:17] They were so poor that they didn't know what to do. [00:54:24] But the one thing mother drummed into that boy was to give a 10th. [00:54:30] And when he was a little newspaper boy, he always gave his 10th. [00:54:38] God so honoured him that he became Maclean's toothpaste. [00:54:49] There are one or two others like this too. Am I, dad? [00:54:53] Well, there were names that began with Christian who learnt a simple lesson of honoring the Lord. [00:55:04] The simple lesson of giving. [00:55:08] It's the surest way into blessing and fullness, spiritual and material. [00:55:17] Now, will you notice that all the promises that we have read, and we've read a whole number of promises, all of them are conditional, conditional on our giving. [00:55:27] All the promises are dogmatic, straightforward and unequivocally clear. [00:55:41] There's no beating around the bush here. There's no complexity. God says, you honor me. [00:55:49] Your barns will be filled with plenty, your vats overflowing with you. [00:55:56] The Lord says, you scatter and it'll increase yet more and more. [00:56:03] You water, and I'll water you so clear. [00:56:11] What you give, give, you'll get it back, pressed down, shaken together and running over so bountifully reap. Bountifully. The promise is absolutely clear. There's no misunderstanding of it. Nor does the Lord just say, look here, it'll be a spiritual thing. Yes, it will be a spiritual thing. The Lord also says, it will be a material thing as well. [00:56:50] Furthermore, in this matter it becomes quite clear that one cannot give sacrificially and consistently as unto God, not before men, without faith and love. [00:57:09] Now, I don't know if you've ever thought about this, but unless you've got faith, you can't cast your bread upon the waters, can you? [00:57:24] You can't do it. [00:57:27] You'd rather keep it in sight so that you can see what to do with it. [00:57:36] Only faith in a man or a woman can let go of something so that it's all seemingly, irretrievably lost. Have you ever thought of the miracle of germination? [00:57:51] If we weren't so accustomed to sowing seeds, I doubt very much that anyone would be so foolish as to do the thing there. You take those seeds and you throw them into the earth. [00:58:06] Put the stuff over it and earth over it. Close out the light and leave it to the elements. [00:58:16] If you didn't know that the thing broke up and sprouted, germinated, I don't think you'd do it. [00:58:25] The fact is this, that when it comes to the spiritual side of it, we won't do it. [00:58:31] We like to see our seeds germinating. [00:58:36] We like to be able to give them a little prod and a little help. [00:58:43] But you see, it's only faith that can give in such a way that no strings are attached to be preserved from the kind of giving where there are all manner of strings. [00:58:57] We're trying to trap people, compromise people, involve people, get a foothold into that kind of giving. Oh, you've only got to go into a lot of church places and you'll see buildings and so on. You'll see them loaded with that kind of thing. Up here, plaques up there. This was given by somebody. That was given by somebody. I remember a minister saying to me, I dare not speak upon the rapture because misses so and so, who two thirds supports this place, doesn't agree with it. [00:59:36] And that kind of thing. [00:59:39] It's common bread and butter stuff, really, amongst many of us who are the lords. The reason being that though we don't talk about it, the fact is, who holds the purse strings is the person with the power. [00:59:57] It's always the same. [01:00:00] Faith is the only thing that can let go. [01:00:04] But you need more than faith, I think you need love. [01:00:08] Faith that worketh by love as the only way that we can let go of something. Oh, if only God could teach us this lesson, what a change it would make in many of our lives. [01:00:22] It would be just tremendous if we were to get hold of the simple lesson of giving. [01:00:37] I think that this is why the Lord Jesus drew attention to the widow in Mark, chapter twelve and verse 41. [01:00:50] I am quite sure that the reason the Lord drew attention to that little widow was that there. There was both faith and love that day in the temple. With all its services, with all its liturgy, with all its sacrifice, with all its symbolism. There was no faith and no love. [01:01:19] They in fact, throughout the messiah. [01:01:27] But the Lord Jesus spoke of one woman who redeemed the whole thing. As far as God was concerned, Israel was redeemed in his eyes, in one little widow woman. [01:01:38] In her he saw faith. [01:01:42] In her he saw love. [01:01:47] In her he saw sacrifice. [01:01:51] He saw a burnt offering. [01:01:54] In her he saw true priesthood. [01:01:58] In many ways, her act was prophetic. She symbolized the very thing that God had longed for in Israel. [01:02:14] Looked for and had not found. [01:02:17] Here she was. Now, the amazing thing about this little widow is not what she gave, but what she did not hold back. [01:02:34] That's the amazing thing about this little woman. [01:02:40] Her two little coins clinked enter the treasury, where there were all kinds of large donations deposited. [01:02:56] The Lord said that many rich people had cast in are from their superfluity. [01:03:07] They'd come and they'd given, and they felt they'd done their duty, and they'd gone away satisfied they'd done their duty. [01:03:17] This little soul, compelled by some inner power, some inner knowledge of spiritual principles, some inner knowledge of God, gave everything she had. [01:03:49] We cannot judge her by what she gave, but what? But by what? She did not hold back. [01:04:00] She gave everything. [01:04:06] I don't know the battle that went on in that woman's heart, but if I know anything about the devil, I am quite sure that it was a battle that would go on in any one of our hearts. I am sure that the devil whispered to her all the way through. As she walked through the gentiles court towards the court of the women where the treasury Welsh. I'm sure the devil will say you are stupid. [01:04:31] Do you think that your two little coins are going to do anything? [01:04:38] Look at the place. Look at the gold larded on the place. [01:04:44] Look. You couldn't even buy a turtledove for a sacrifice with your little coin. [01:04:52] Do you really think, think that by putting in your two little coins you're gonna get anywhere? My dear woman, put in one and keep the other. [01:05:08] What was it that made her throw in both? [01:05:17] Surely it was some inner experience of the spirit of God. It was some inner knowledge of God that the priesthood from the high priest down had not got. [01:05:30] She just knew that she'd got to give it all. [01:05:36] And she gave it all. [01:05:45] Don't you think that the devil might have well said to her, look here, if you hang on to your two little knights, they will do you much more good than this temple. [01:05:58] If she was a woman of spiritual measure and knowledge of God, she knew very well that there was an awful lot of hypocrisy in their prayers. [01:06:07] Hang on to it, my dear. [01:06:11] Better to keep yourself alive so that you can pray than to keep some of these hypocrites alive in this place. [01:06:27] But no, there was something that made her give. [01:06:32] She had no idea that God himself, manifest in the flesh, was sitting over against the treasure. [01:06:48] Not even her knowledge of God told her that he was there and he saw everything. [01:06:58] That day that little widow woman met with God. [01:07:09] If she had not given her two mites, she wouldn't have met with him. [01:07:16] Nor would the story have been recorded, and nor mark this point, would it have been put in such a position in the gospel of Mark, deliberately against the whole temple system, as if this woman represented the whole remnant of Israel by her devotion, by her sacrificial giving, by her understanding of the nature and character of God. [01:07:50] I say that that woman couldn't have given but for faith and love. How could she give all her living if she hadn't got faith? What was it that made her let go of the very stuff that at least could have bought her another mouthful or two of food? Did she have a son? Did she have children? We don't know. [01:08:09] But we're quite sure that she had every legitimate reason for holding on to her two little mites. [01:08:17] But she let go of it. [01:08:20] It was faith that enabled her to let go of it. Now, anyone who's got a battle about giving, whatever it is, anyone who's got a battle about giving, the thing that'll hold you back is disbelief. [01:08:42] There's just something that says, don't be silly, you. [01:08:48] If you were a Hudson tailor, of course I'd understand you guilty yourself, or an Amy Carmichael, or a watchman knee. [01:09:03] But you, I doubt very much if you gave yourself. It would make the slightest bit of difference to the service of God or to the kingdom of God or anything else. But you see, that's the whole point. It's not what you give, it's the character behind it, it's the history behind it. [01:09:28] It's what has led you to give now that can open the floodgates of heaven for yourself and for others. [01:09:40] So simple faith. [01:09:45] I say it's not only faith, it's love. Because if that woman had not loved God more than her living, she couldn't have cast it all in. But God meant more to her than all her wages. [01:10:01] So she came, and the Lord Jesus drew the attention of his disciples to that woman and said these amazing words. [01:10:13] She has cast in more than they all think that one out. [01:10:26] You see, God doesn't, hasn't got the values we've got. [01:10:31] A thousand pounds can be given by someone, and as far as God is concerned, you've given two new pens and another person can give two new pennons. And God says, that's worth a thousand pounds. [01:10:53] It's what lies behind it. [01:10:56] We haven't got very far in the matter of giving. [01:11:00] We're going to talk about what the Old Testament says about giving. What are the levitical laws and other things. We're going to talk about what the New Testament says about giving, but we'll have to leave it to another day. But the fact is, this that if we could only get hold of the principle of giving. I think it would mean the most. I think it would mean everything to us. [01:11:26] After dear old Auntie Dick Egma years ago banged into my head this lesson, I went into the services. [01:11:39] I was only in the services a month or two. [01:11:42] I came out of my first leave and went down to Bournemouth to friend. [01:11:49] And in the church at Bournemouth, the Baptist church of Bournemouth, they were having a convention. [01:11:56] And on Saturday evening I went along to the convention. [01:12:01] And I don't remember who spoke that evening, but it was on. [01:12:06] It was someone from the slavic Gospel society. Always been fond of the slavs. [01:12:13] And oh, my, what a meeting it was. [01:12:20] What a meeting was. The first time I'd heard about those people behind the iron curtain and their devotion to the law and their faith in the Lord and the liberality and generosity of their spirit. Though poor as church mice. [01:12:35] They had a collection at the end. [01:12:39] And all that was given in the collection was to go to these dear people, to getting bibles to them. They're getting all, you know. [01:12:51] I thought to myself. I was so deeply moved. I thought to myself, I wonder what I ought to give. [01:12:59] Then I thought, I'll give a pound now. To me, a pound was a lot of money in those days. [01:13:06] And then I thought, no, I can't do that. And then it was just a. As if the Lord whispered in my ear, you give everything. [01:13:16] Oh, I thought to myself, I can't do it. But the plate was coming. [01:13:22] There wasn't too much time. The plate was over flowing. And I thought to myself, how silly. I mean, many people are obviously giving. This is how selfish we all are. I thought, many people are obviously who can give a giving. [01:13:38] No point in me giving everything. [01:13:41] And the plate was coming right up the row. And I still felt this. You must give everything. You must give. So finally I put my hand in my pocket, took out everything. I got about ten pounds and poured the lot in for me. It was the biggest sum I'd ever given anyone. [01:14:00] I had been a very, very careless, haphazard giver. [01:14:05] I suppose they were lucky at Duke street if they ever got sixpence in the plate. [01:14:10] I mean, at any particular meeting, I'd been a very haphazard giver. [01:14:19] And then, of course, afterwards, when the plate went by and I could no longer retrieve my money. [01:14:28] But I came out nearly in a cold sweat. [01:14:31] No, no, I tell you why. Instead of the peace of God and the joy of God filling me, I thought to myself, oh, oh, I've only got a single fare. [01:14:45] I've only got a single fair. [01:14:48] Then back into my heart came the words of auntie, never tell anyone your knees. [01:14:55] So then I thought to myself, sitting there in a cold sweat, oh, dear. So I gave it over to God. We went right through the whole of the next day, which was a Sunday, went to the morning service, afternoon, and every now and again this awful specter of my return. And then I thought to myself, they court martial people who come back late. I'd only been in the air force a month or two. And I thought, oh, yes, I've seen those boys all dressed up with all those things hanging down, marching up and down, and I thought, oh, dreadful. I couldn't. I couldn't face it, you see, and I didn't dare tell anyone. I thought, I won't say anything, Lord, I won't say anything. And finally my hostess said, well, lunch. What train are you catching? So I choked a little and said, well, I think I better get the one straight after the service. So they said, well, all right, we'll take you there. So we went to the service and there I screwed myself up in the hall of that service thinking, oh, lord, what are you going to do about it? How am I going to get there? Shall I tell them? Shall I tell them? Then I thought, no, I can't do it. I mustn't do it. And so I didn't. And it came the end of the service and I fully expected someone. I'd never, ever experienced anything like this before, but I expected some sort of dear old gentleman to come up to me and press into my hands the money. But no one did it. And finally, my two dear friends, he was a deacon there. They said, well, lance, are you ready? We'll drive you to the station. So we got into the car and as we went down to the station, I would get getting more and more concerned. What are we to do? [01:16:42] Finally, I went right up to the ticket office and I didn't know quite honestly, it was almost as if I wasn't there. I was in such a daze, I just hadn't penny. And as I said, a ticket, please. I want a single from here to Withal, Birmingham. [01:17:05] My host stepped forward and put his arm round my shoulder and said, you will let us pay for this. [01:17:21] So I said, yes. [01:17:26] And he paid for it. He paid for it. But no, you haven't got the lesson. [01:17:34] As I got into the train and I let the window down to say goodbye to them both, he said, this is a little gift. I and my wife want to make to you. Now, I wasn't a missionary. I was in the service. [01:17:48] 20 pounds. [01:17:51] I'd got back twice as much as I'd given, plus my fare. [01:17:57] Now, that was my first real experience of this principle in operation. [01:18:05] Of course, naturally, I became convinced. [01:18:11] I became quite convinced. And whether. I don't know. [01:18:17] I suppose there's a little instinct in me, helped me along the way. [01:18:23] That if only we will give really from the heart in obedience to God, we shall never. God will never be in debt to us. Oh, God is no man's debtor. I just tell you that little experience only because it was the first one through which I learned this simple lesson. That what you give, you at least get back. At least never forget it. [01:18:58] May God teach you how to give time in your being, in your possession, in your money. God, teach us all. God loves a cheerful giver. And I will end with a story of rinsing leg that I told you, I suppose a number of times. We used to hear it so often. [01:19:22] When he said. When he was in charge of the service, he used to say. And now we've got the collection. [01:19:32] The scripture says, God loveth a cheerful giver. [01:19:39] And the word in Greek he used to say is hilarious. [01:19:46] God loves a hilarious giver, he said. You know what that means? [01:19:54] When the plates come in, say hallelujah, here's the plate. [01:20:00] Well, we haven't got a plate. We don't believe in it in that way. If those who want to have it feel it's right. And there's nothing wrong in it in itself. We believe there's a higher way. But, oh, for a spirit of giving, which is hallelujah. Here's an opportunity to give. [01:20:20] Here's an opportunity to let go. [01:20:25] Oh, God can teach us a big lesson this way. Shall we pray now, beloved? Lord, we've talked about some things that are intensely practical. [01:20:39] Lord, if you could only break into our hearts with revelation. [01:20:44] So that for the first time we not only understand something in the head, but in the heart. Lord, and that all of us learn to give. [01:20:58] O Lord, teach us not to be foolish. [01:21:03] Not to be a haphazard. Not to be at the mercy of our moods and emotions. [01:21:08] But, Lord, that we might learn to give as thou wouldst have us give. [01:21:15] That we might find our way into fullness and blessing such as we've never known before. [01:21:24] O God, thou dost not mock anyone whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. [01:21:34] Lord, teach us, we pray to so bountifully that we might reap bountifully. [01:21:43] Teach us how to give so that we may receive that pressed down, shaken together and running over. [01:21:55] O Lord, only thou canst give us the faith to give in this way. In whatever sphere thou art calling upon us to give. [01:22:07] Only thou canst give us that love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that will enable us so to give. [01:22:16] Father, we tell thee our confidence is in thyself to do just this for every one of us and make us individually and as a company known for their giving. [01:22:32] We ask it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. [01:22:37] Amen.