I don’t know when the last time you were in the Old Testament Book of Job was, but one of the truths that comes to us through Job has really began to hit me in the past few years. The truth I’m speaking of comes from Job 41:11b, which is God through Job saying this: “… Everything under heaven is mine.” The circumstance I’m thinking of now isn’t the first time God taught me this lesson, but it’s one of the most powerful for me…
Have you ever loaned something to someone … and either it didn’t come back to you … or it came back in really bad shape? If you care about your possessions—those things you really manage in life, this kind of experience may make you somewhat reluctant the next time someone asks to borrow something. I’ve loaned out books or CDs or tools or other things and have had similar experiences…
But, out of all of our material possessions, we probably value something the most. It’s the thing that comes to mind if you had a house fire, that we already mentioned. It’s that thing that you couldn’t imagine being without—that something that you worked so hard to earn the money to buy and you’d never want to part with it. That thing for me, for several years now, is this guitar (Larrivee C10e, Retail=$5,500)…
This guitar was a graduation present when I graduated from seminary. It was from Jane. What you don’t know, unless I tell you, is that I had to sell a 1970 (vintage) Martin D18 to make up the difference for Jane to buy this guitar for my graduation. That was the deal. This is one of those things for me that I think about if I think of the possibility of a house fire and what I would grab on the way out…
There was a time—quite a time—after I got this guitar that I was extremely protective of it (selfishly so) and didn’t really want anyone else even touching it. But, then God did a real work in my heart. There was a singer-songwriter by the name of Cindi Umstadt (Markesan) who was helping lead a praise band at our church and she was also in the process of recording a new CD. She wasn’t recording in the area, but was recording somewhere down by Chicago. She knew I had this guitar … and she really could use it on a couple of songs in particular (knowing it had a blender system installed—excellent for recording). So, she asked me one day if she could borrow it to use for her new CD. To say that I physically cringed at the idea would be an understatement. I told her, trying to cover up my real feelings, that I’d pray about it and let her know… Have you ever had ‘that one thing’ that gripped your life, that was a prize possession too good to ever let go of?
In light of our topic today, some scriptures come to mind as I think back on this situation:
Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”
Haggai 2:8 – “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV) – “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”
What God taught me, through experience, was the first of six keys to understanding the Treasure Principle, which I introduced to you last week—YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU, BUT YOU CAN SEND IT ON AHEAD. (I’ll be teaching you the six keys over this and upcoming messages in this series.) You see, God never withdrew his ownership, never gave up his claim to all treasures. Jesus didn’t die and leave the earth to me or anyone else! So, with that in mind, here’s the first of six keys that will help you to understand, and then live, the Treasure Principle:
TREASURE PRINCIPLE KEY #1:
God owns everything. I’m his money manager.
But, understanding ownership was only half the lesson. If God was the owner, I was the manager. So, I need to adopt a steward’s mentality toward the assets God has entrusted—not given—to me. And this is a principle that’s been around quite a while; listen to what Paul is telling his congregation in Corinth way back in the day (2 Cor. 9:1-15, NLT)…
I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. 2 For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving. 3 But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you. 4 We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them! 5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly. 6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. 13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!
So, a steward manages assets for the owner’s benefit. The steward carries no sense of entitlement to the assets he manages; it’s his job to find out what the owner wants done with his assets, then carry out the owner’s will. And folks, we clearly see this in Paul’s attitude toward the Church at Corinth—that having a generous heart and learning to give as God wants us to give … is just a part of managing what’s really God’s to begin with. So, let’s begin here: This lifestyle of generosity always involves these things:
JOYFUL GIVING. This is the kind of giving God loves, folks! 2 Cor. 9:7, once again, says: “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” Let me give you some examples…
Jerry Caven is one who had a very successful restaurant chain; he also owned two banks, a ranch, a farm, and various real estate ventures above that. Then, at age fifty-nine, Jerry was searching for a nice lakeside retirement home. But God seemed to have other plans; here’s how Jerry explains it: “God led us to put our money and time overseas,” Jerry says. “It’s been exciting. Before, we gave token amounts. Now we put substantial money into missions. We often go to India.”
What changed the Cavens’ attitude toward giving? Jerry goes on to explain: “It was realizing God’s ownership. Once we understood that we were giving away God’s money to do God’s work, we discovered a peace and joy we never had back when we thought it was our money!”
The joy comes in the giving, folks … and absolutely knowing that God is the owner and we’re the money managers! Here’s another ‘very Methodist’ example:
Once, a distraught man rode his horse up to John Wesley, shouting, “Mr. Wesley, something terrible has happened! Your house burned to the ground!” Wesley weighed the news, then calmly replied, “No. The Lord’s house burned to the ground. That means one less responsibility for me.” Wesley’s reaction wasn’t denial, was it? Rather, it was a bold affirmation of reality—God is the owner of all things, and we are simply God’s stewards…
Folks, it’s when we adopt this attitude toward money & possessions that the JOY becomes real in our lives…
One of the privileges of my job is getting to read many testimonies of people who now know the joy of giving like they’ve never known it before:
Mr. Ray Berryman (no relation), CEO for a national municipal services firm, says he and his wife give at least half of their income to God’s work each year. Here’s what he says: “My joy in giving comes from serving God in a way that I know He’s called me to and realizing that what I give is impacting people for Christ,” Ray says. “It’s exciting to know we’re a part of evangelizing, discipling, helping, and feeding the needy. It just feels wonderful and fulfilling.”
Folks, the more we give, the more we delight in our giving—and the more God delights in us. Giving pleases us. But, more importantly, it pleases God. Next, a life of generosity also involves…
GIVING THAT FOLLOWS GRACE. The Macedonian Christians understood the joy of giving (2 Cor. 8:2, NLT): “They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.”
Folks, let me ask you: How do things like “troubles” and being “poor” go along with “abundant joy” and “rich generosity”? We see through our scripture today that giving isn’t a luxury of the rich; it’s a privilege of the poor! It doesn’t matter how much you have or don’t have; there’s no greater joy for anyone than in giving…
The Macedonians refused to let hard circumstances keep them from joy; listen (2 Cor. 8:4): “They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.” Presumably, they had to beg for this privilege because Paul or others had told them that their poverty exempted them from giving; but, they begged for the privilege! BUT … what a contrast to us, who have so much more than they had but come up with endless excuses for not giving!
Randy Alcorn tells of a friend, Dixie Fraley, who once told him, “We’re most like God when we’re giving.” There’s God’s heart… Folks, gaze upon Christ long enough … and you will change—including your giving. Give long enough, and you’ll become more like Christ! Our giving will become a reflexive response to the Grace of God in our lives. One author puts it this way: “As thunder follows lighting, giving follows grace.” When God’s grace touches your life, you can’t help but respond with generous giving! Last, a life of generosity involves FRINGE BENEFITS: YOU CAN…
BE CLOSER TO GOD – Mark, a Kentucky attorney, gives away half of his income each year and here’s what he says: “My pursuit of money drove me away from God. But since I’ve been giving it to [God], everything’s changed. In fact, giving has brought me closer to God than anything else…” Another ‘fringe benefit’ is this: You can…
JUMP-START YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD – It opens our fists so we can receive what God has for us; you can’t receive anything from anyone if your fists are tightly clenched… For God says (Proverbs 21:13): “Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.” Then, in Isaiah 58:6-10, God says that his willingness to answer our prayers is directly affected by whether we are caring for the hungry, the needy, and the oppressed… ‘Want to empower your prayer life? Give… And yet another ‘fringe benefit’ is this: You can also…
EXPERIENCE TRUE FREEDOM – It’s a matter of basic physics; the greater the mass, the greater the hold that mass exerts. The more things we own—total mass—the more they grip us, setting us in orbit around them; giving, however, changes all that: it breaks us out of orbit around our possessions, so we can escape their gravitational pull, entering a new orbit around our ‘treasures in heaven’… SO, FRINGE BENEFITS ARE ALSO PART OF THIS LIFE OF GENEROSITY…
Do you remember this guitar? I told Cindi I’d pray about loaning it to her … and I did. But the result of my prayer time wasn’t what I expected. I think I approached prayer looking for an excuse not to loan Cindi my prize possession. But folks, God’s nudge was so strong; I knew I couldn’t do anything but loan Cindi the guitar. And it wasn’t until I actually released it—the guitar leaving my hands—that I realized this: in releasing this guitar—this prize possession, I had invested in the lives of other people—Cindi and all who would hear the CD! So … WHEN WE RELEASE WHAT GOD’S GIVEN US, WE INVEST IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. Suddenly, my perspective on possessions and giving changed…
Folks … I want you to hear me clearly today: GIVING INFUSES LIFE WITH JOY! There’s nothing like it! It interjects ‘an eternal dimension’ into even the most ordinary of days. And being connected to the eternal is one reason you couldn’t pay me enough to NOT give! But our present joy—great as it is—is not even the best part of the Treasure Principle. So, stay tuned for next week’s message, as we continue in our series, learning to live and love like Jesus, with our eyes on eternity…
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