6 December 2020 AM – Luke 6:38 – Missions – Scott Childs
Introduction: The Lord ordained tithing in the OT. A tithe is 10% of all income. He said that the tithe belongs to Him. (Leviticus 27:30) “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.” The tithe was not an option. (Deuteronomy 14:22) “Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.” The tithes were to support the Levites who served in the tabernacle or temple. (Numbers 18:24) “But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.” God called it robbery when His people did not give Him their tithes. (Malachi 3:8) “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” God promised to bless those who gave their tithe to the Lord (Malachi 3:10) “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.” Jesus commended the scribes and Pharisees for tithing. (Matthew 23:23) “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Many Christians today are quick to point out that nowhere in the NT does God command Christians to tithe. That is true; however, neither did God ordain a new method of supporting His work and His workers. God clearly tells us that preachers ought to be paid. (Galatians 6:6) “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.” (1 Timothy 5:17-18) “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” A majority of the NT references to giving refer to aiding the poor. (2 Corinthians 9:7) “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (1 Corinthians 16:2) “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” Those who have a heart for God’s work want to give to support their local church, their pastor and their missionaries (Matthew 6:21) “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Read Luke 6:38. This verse is our text. It is not dealing directly with giving to God. It focuses on giving to others. However, it contains God’s principles for giving. It reveals how God fulfils His will in our lives as we give to meet needs of others. It is God who superintends all returns to givers.
Since today is mission Sunday, our focus is on Grace Giving to Missions. Grace giving is when God enables you to give extra to meet the needs of others who are doing God’s work. If you have not been giving regularly above your tithes and offerings to missions, it is my prayer that this message will motivate you.
Transition: As we look at Luke 6:38, I want us to examine three of God’s principles for giving found in this verse.
1. The Prompting to Give – God gives to givers
a. God cares about our giving
1) In the context of this verse, Jesus is teaching us how we ought to treat others. He says that we should not expect God to treat us better than we treat others.
2) We give to others when we give them work for wages. We give when we sell things. We give when we donate. We give when we contribute to missions. Tithing to God is also giving.
3) The Lord knows when we give and when we withhold. He sees how much we give and how much we keep back. He sees how honestly we give. Any slackness, cheating, shortage, or dishonesty in our giving does not elude God’s observation. He even knows why we give. We may hide our motives from others, but we can never hide them from God. (Matthew 6:2) “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.“
4) The story is told of a rich woman in the 1800s who publically gave a $5 at a fundraising dinner and later privately asked for $4.50 change. She gave just for show.
b. God will correctly reward our giving
1) Frequently in the Bible, God promises to give to those who are generous.
a) (Proverbs 11:25) “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.“
b) (Proverbs 28:27) “He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.“
c) (2 Corinthians 9:6) “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.“
2) God does repay givers; however, we ought not to give just to get.
3) When God gives to the giver, He takes all the facts into account. God always gives what is right.
2. The Portion to Give – God wants generous giving
a. Our giving ought to be honest
Remember, this giving applies not only to missions but also to the work you do, things you sell, gifts you give.
1) We must give a good measure or what is proper.
2) Our measure should be pressed down. A farmer who fluffs up his product to make it look bigger is not being honest.
3) Our measure is to be shaken together. Products measured by quantity rather than by weight should be shaken thoroughly to let them settle to be sure the container is truly fully.
4) Our measure is to be running over or full to the brim.
5) This ought to be the criteria we follow for the work we do, the things we sell, and for our giving to missions. We ought not to be like the lady who wanted everyone to believe she gave $5 when she only really gave 50¢.
b. Our giving ought to be generous
1) The descriptions we just looked at of good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over also point to generous giving.
2) When we are on the buying end of a deal, we always want to get an honest and generous deal. Solomon described this in Proverbs 20:14. “It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.” Solomon’s buyer carries it to the other extreme by pointing out every imaginable fault to get the price lower and then brags of his great deal.
3) God is simply telling us that if we are honest and generous, He will prompt others to do the same for us. Your “bosom” is your belly or chest area where you carry things in your folded arms.
3. The Prospect of Giving – God will use your scoop
a. Note that Jesus said “the same measure”
1) God did not say He would use a BIGGER scoop. He said he would use YOUR scoop.
2) This is not a give to get rich proposition. Those who think that if they give to God, God will make them rich, they are being deceived. That is not what God said.
b. God will use your measure to give to you.
1) When you give to others, to your boss, to the needy, or to missions, the measure or scoop that you use in your giving is the same scoop God will use when He gives back to you.
2) Remember the time that Jesus and his disciples saw a poor widow put two mites (less than one cent) into the collection box! Jesus said that she gave more than all the rich who had given much. The reason He said that is because she gave all that she had and they gave of their abundance. Her scoop was huge. Their scoop was tiny.
3) No Christian can expect to use a teaspoon scoop when giving to God’s work and expect tractor bucket scoop in return.
Conclusion: My friend, God will bless you if you give to His work. You can count on that. Any Christian who faithfully tithes and gives offerings can testify to God’s faithfulness. If you give faithfully to the Lord through this local church, may God continue to bless you! If you have not yet stepped out by faith to give, let me encourage you to trust God and begin. You cannot out give God.
Perhaps you are not yet a Christian. If so, this does not yet apply to you. Giving will never earn heaven. Jesus gave Himself to rescue you from coming judgment, but you must receive His gift of salvation before you can become a Christian and go to heaven. Please talk to me.
