Rom. 12:3-8
Introduction:
A. The Greek word "Metadidomi" means: --- to Give Over, to Share, to Give To, to Impart.
1. Some think this gift refers to giving of Yourself and your Time, that it doesn't really mean giving your money.
2. On the contrary, the GIVER honestly feels that the Best Way He Can Give of Himself Is To Give of His Material Gain.
3. He feels that Since God Gave Him The Ability to make money, he should use it to Give Back To God And His Work.
B. In Roman 12:8 the Giver is encouraged to give "In Simplicity".
1. Most Givers do so Without Fanfare And Public Recognition.
2. The Giver usually does Not Wish for people to know Who he is nor How Much is given.
C. The Attitude of the Giver is that Tithing is the Outward Evidence of an Inward Commitment.
1. Tithing is not giving 10%, it's Receiving 90%.
2. The Gift of Giving Starts Where Tithing Leaves Off.
D. The Giver would look with Disapproval on the person who Gives With The Wrong Motive.
1. Giving To Get --- (trying to Intimidate God into returning the monetary gift).
2. His motive for giving is always to Further The Work of God and not to "show off" though some might think otherwise of him.
Matthew
E. He is the only one who talks about Giving Secretly.
F. He also is the one that says so much about the Misuse of Finances and being a Poor Steward.
1. Matthew was a tax-collector who, not only knew all about finances, but Loved Money.
2. After he was saved, his Whole Attitude Toward Money Changed.
G. You do Not Have To Be Wealthy to have the spiritual gift of giving.
1. You want to give --- you live to give --- you can't give enough.
2. That giving spirit affects your entire life.
Characteristics of The Gift of --- "Giving":
I. A Keen Ability To Discern Wise Investments In Order To Have More Money Available To Give Away.
A. Matthew included more counsel on the Wise Use of Money than any other Gospel writer (Matt. 6:19-20; 25:14-30)
B. To the Giver, the Proper Motive in giving is to Receive In Order To Give Again.
1. Most people give in order to receive so they would have more at the end.
2. You Can't give yourself Out of A Financial Jam nor can you give Your Way To Prosperity --- with that end as a Motive.
3. What is your Motive in making money?
4. Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) said: "The man who dies rich dies disgraced" Andrew Carnegie's benefactions included Carnegie Hall, 2509 Libraries, Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University), the Carnegie Foundation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and many other charities, worth a total of more than $300 million in 1919.
C. He is Sensitive to the financial and material Needs of Others.
1. He is Alert to needs others might overlook.
2. He is Sympathetic.
D. However, he usually gives to Projects, Rather Than To Individuals.
II.A Desire To Give Quietly Without Public Notice.
A. Matthew is the only Gospel writer who emphasizes that a person should Give Secretly So That God Can Reward Him Openly.
Matt. 6:1-4, "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 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. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."
B. If you see someone running around saying: "I Want To Give Such & Such, You Can Count on Me.....
(( Ananias and Sapphira ))
1. Some churches take up Public Offerings where they ask: "Who Will Be First To Stand Up And Give $...
2. One person may stand up and pledge $10,000.00 --- while everyone else claps and praises the Lord --- the person with the Gift of Giving Is Grieved In His Spirit.
C. The person with the gift of giving may want to give $50,000.00 but he Would Never Tell It.
1. They want to give theirs Quietly.
2. They are Not Motivated By Applause or Recognition.
3. As they see God Working Through Their Gift, they have all the Contentment and Satisfaction they need.
III. An Enjoyment In Meeting Needs Without The Pressure of Appeals.
A. He has a motivation to give As Unto The Lord at His promptings; Not At Mans Appeals.
B. Pressure To Give --- Turns Them Off...
1. "If you don't give today --- this ministry is going to fail..."
2. "If you don't give --- God won't bless you..."
C. The Person With The Gift of Giving --- Wants To Give --- But He Is Motivated From Within by God --- Not By Outward Pressure...
IV.A Desire To Use HIs Giving As A Way To Motivate Others To Give.
A. The person with the gift of Giving knows the Value of Getting Involved.
B. Maybe not to the same degree but --- Everybody can get involved in the project ... Matching Gifts ...
C. He knows that Happiness, Joy, and Contentment comes from being a Participator, Not A Spectator.
V.An Ability To See Financial Needs Which Other People Tend To Overlook.
Matthew
VI. An Ability To Test Faithfulness And Wisdom By How People Handle Funds.
A. Luke 16:10-12, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans, who shall give you that which is your own?"
1. There is a Direct Relationship between your Understanding of The Word of God and How You Handle Money, whether it be a $1,000.00 bill, a $100.00 bill, or a $1.00 bill.
2. If you have been Unfaithful in that which is another mans (the Tithe Is The Lord's) who shall give you That Which Is Your Own.
3. How can God commit into your trust Great Spiritual Truths if you can't be trusted with the Unrighteous Mammon.
4. 2 Cor. 5:18-19, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
B. No One Believes That Money Is Bad:
1. If they do, why don't they give their pay check back.
2. The Bible does not say it is a sin to be rich, but rather that it is a Responsible Position.
VII. A Tendency To Practice Personal Frugality --- An Ability To Be Content With The Basic Necessities of Life.
A. You Can't Look At Them And Tell That They Have The Gift of Giving...
B. They Are Wise In --- Their investments --- Their spending ...
C. Their Life Is Not Wrapped Up In --- "THINGS"
1. Their Motivation in accumulating wealth is not to have "things" but rather to "Give It Away".
2. They simply Want To Be An Avenue Through Which God Does His Work.
VIII. A Joy When His Gift Is An Answer To Specific Prayer.
It give them great Pleasure when they sense that they have become the Tool By Which God Has Answered Your Prayer.
IX. A Dependency on Their Partner's Counsel To Confirm The Amount of Gift.
A. Either the Husband or the Wife may have Reservations about a gift.
B. They decide not to do anything until they have Oneness of Spirit.
C. This is good.
X. A Concern That His Gift Be of High Quality.
A. They do not give for applause or recognition --- they are Motivated By Love For The One To Whom They Are Giving.
B. Their gift must say, "Here Is How I Feel About You."
C. When A Person With The Gift of Giving Gives A Gift, It Is Part of Them, It Represents Them.
XI. A Desire To Feel A Part of The Work or Person To Whom They Give.
A. People with the gift of Giving Don't Usually Send A Gift And Then Forget It.
B. They are giving in obedience to God and therefore Want To Be A Part of His Work.
Misunderstandings of The Person
With The Gift of
--- "Giving":
I. The Need To Deal With Large Sums of Money May Appear To Be A Focus On Temporal Values.
II. The Desire To Increase The Effectiveness of A Ministry By His Gift May Appear As An Attempt To Control The Work or The Person.
A. The person with the gift of giving would never do this.
B. They never give a gift with a hook in it or strings attached.
III. The Attempt To Encourage Others To Give May Appear As A Lack of Generosity And Putting Unnecessary Pressure on Others Who Have Less To Give.
A. One of the motivations of givers is to Encourage Others to give.
B. Various methods may be used to accomplish this such as "Matching Gifts" or fund raising programs.
IV. The Lack of Response To Pressure Appeals May Also Appear As A Lack of Generosity.
V. The Personal Frugality By Which He Lives May Appear To Friends And Relatives As Selfishness> In Not Meeting Their Wants.
A. Givers are very aware of the Potential of Money To Corrupt People.
B. They understand the Need For Those In Their Own Family To Work For Money and to appreciate its value.
C. If givers are too frugal with their own families and then give large gifts to others, they can Cause Their Families To Resent Those To Whom Gifts Are Given.
How Does A Person With The Gift of Giving Act
When
He Is Spiritual --- "Walking In The Spirit":
Thrifty --- Resourceful --- Contented --- Punctuality --- Tolerance --- Cautious --- Gratefulness
How Does A Person With The Gift of Giving Act
When
He Is Carnal --- "Walking In The Flesh":
I. Thriftiness turns into Extravagance
II. Resourcefulness turns into Wastefulness
III. Contentment turns into Covetousness.
IV. Punctuality turns into Tardiness
V. Tolerance turns into Prejudice
VI. Cautiousness turns into Rashness
VII. Gratefulness turns into Ungratefulness.
Those Who Can See The Invisible --- Hear The Inaudible --- Think The
Unthinkable
--- Can Do The Impossible!
This Describes The Person With The Gift of Giving.
The Truth Is --- All of Us Should Become Christ-Like In Our Giving!
If You Are Not Saved, Nothing Else Matters
