Go and Make Disciples (Matthew 28:19): Spiritual Discipline of Giving (Matthew 6:1-4)

Speaker: Elder Robert Cheah

Topic: Spiritual Discipline of Giving (Matthew 6:1-4)

Date: 28 February 2021

我送你三朵花 = I give you three flowers

第一朵花就是花金钱 = The first flower is give your money

第二朵花是花时间 = The second flower is give your time

第三朵花是花心思 = The third flower is give thought

As the Chinese saying goes, if you spend time with people, give your money as a gift, and give some thought to the things that you do, it is easier for you to get along with people.

Attitudes in Giving:

1) Give Privately (Matthew 6:2-4)

· DWJD (Do What Jesus Did) – Jesus is by far the most lavish giver the world has ever seen. He humbly confessed, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Jesus’ mission was to “SERVE” and “GIVE”. In a world “on the take” Jesus showed us it is more “blessed to give”. (Acts 20:35)

· Giving requires sacrifice. Paul says it was GRACE that made Jesus come down to earth. It was a grace that willingly gave up riches and took on poverty to meet the needs of the helpless. Jesus gave sacrificially. And so do His followers. The Lord’s calling is not only to give, but to give sacrificially. That takes discipline!

· Open your hand wide. In the days of Moses, he taught his fellow Israelites to “open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land”. (Deuteronomy 15:7-11) What the Law put on paper, Jesus put in the flesh. He was the One who fed the multitude when they were hungry, healed the sick with the touch of His hand, and taught them when He was exhausted.

· Giving is spirituality made real. Giving is an act of worship. It is a sign of our responsibility as a believer of Christ. It is a credit posted in heaven. And it will help you live a fuller life.

2) Give with a Right Heart (Mark 12:43-44)

3) Give Cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7)

The Costs of Giving:

1) Change of Mindset – We are Stewards and Not Owners (1 Chronicles 29:11-14)

· All that is in heaven and in earth belongs to God. Both riches and honour come from Him. Everything comes from Him, and we have given Him only what comes from His hand. As stewards, we are to just faithfully manage what God gives us.

2) Change of Heart

· Giving to God (Tithes and Offerings – Malachi 3:10)

· Giving to the Poor (The Necessities of Life – Proverbs 19:17)

· Giving to Christians (Romans 12:13)

3) Change of Direction

· Financial freedom begins with Scripture giving. Giving activates the work of God in our financial affairs. “Give, and it will be given to you…” (Luke 6:38) Giving must begin with tithes and offerings to God. No Christian should neglect tithing or giving. “…as God hath prospered him…” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

· If we give to God and His work, He will “open for you the windows of heaven”. (Malachi 3:10) By giving, we invest treasures in heaven “where thieves do not break through nor steal.” (Matthew 6:20) Giving increases our love for God because “where your treasure is, there will be heart be also”. (Matthew 6:21)

How do I Become More Generous?

· Start small

· Build up a sustainable pattern of regular giving

· Be deliberate, not just impulse giving

· Give to causes and people that mean most to you

- Church community

- Charities you’re particularly interested in

How Much Should I Give?

How much is not as important as how we give it. The exciting thing about giving is it opens the door to God’s blessing.

“Gain all you can, without hurting either yourself or your neighbour, in soul or body, by applying hereto with unintermitted diligence, and with all the understanding which God has given, you; save all you can by cutting off every expense which serves only to indulge foolish desire… waste nothing… and then, give all you can, or, in other words, give all you have to God… Do not stint yourself… to this or that proportion. Render unto God, not a tenth, not a third, not half, but all that is God’s, be it more or less; by employing all on yourself, your household, the household of faith and all mankind, in such a manner, that you may give a good account of your stewardship, when you can be no longer stewards.” – John Wesley

God doesn’t want our handout, He wants our hand! The Macedonians were such great givers because they first “gave themselves to the Lord”. (2 Corinthians 8:5). If giving our things is not connected to giving ourselves, it’s not Christ-like giving. Giving needs to have a personal touch. Giving takes discipline.