Scripture: Exodus 35:4-9, 20-24; 36:3-7

C.I.: Giving Our Best

Today we are going to begin a new series … “Making Right Choices.”
For the majority, the issue of Christianity is not what happens in here – but how to make it work out there!

I. Questions We Need to Ask Ourselves…

A. “What Am I Giving?”

1. God has always had an important criteria for what we are to give … it must be our best!
a. (Ex. 23:19), “You shall bring the choice 1st fruits into the house of the Lord.”
1) God desires the first & the best!!! - Do we give God our 1st & best – or what we have left
2) (Mal. 1:8), “When you present the blind, is it not evil? – When you present the lame & sick, is it not evil? – Why not offer it to your governor? – Would he be pleased with you?”

b. But lest you think this only about money – note that God desires the 1st & best in every area…
1) Time (for Xns) - (II Cor. 6:2; Eph. 5:15-16), “At the acceptable…”- “Be careful how…”
2) Effort - (Acts 24:16; Col. 3:23), “I do my best to maintain…” – “Whatever you do in….”
3) Words - (Matt. 12:36-37), “Every careless word that men shall speak, they shall give an account for it in the day of judgment. – For by your words you shall be justified….”

c. “It seems like you are saying that everything I say or do is something that I am to give to God?”
1) Well, I’m glad we figured that out! – Because that is precisely that God is saying.
2) (Rom. 12:1), “I urge you therefore, brethren … acceptable to God..”
3) If we are with family/friends – work/school – alone/crowd – are we giving God your best?!

B. “How Am I Giving?” (Giving God our best in an important first step, but it is only the first step.)

1. Our attitude towards our giving and God is just as important as what we give.
a. (II Cor. 8:12), “For if the readiness is present, it is according to what a man has….”
1) Have you ever said to yourself, “If I only had $___, then I would give $X to God!”
2) Are will giving to God willingly – or only if we are to get something in return?

b. (II Cor. 9:7a), “Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under…”
1) “Purposed” = Planned. Are we 1st considering how we are going to give of our time/talents
2) “Grudgingly” = “Do I have to?” – This is the whiner’s reaction. – Its half-hearted obedience. (Lk. 5:4-8), “Jesus said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ – Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your bidding I will let down the nets.’ – And when they had done this they enclosed a great quantity of fish; and their nets began to break; and they signaled their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. – And they came, and filled both of the boats, so….’”
3) “Under Compulsion” = External motivation being applied; guilt, pressure, fear, etc.

c. (II Cor. 9:7b), “…God loves a cheerful giver.”
1) “Cheerful” = ilaron (Hilaron, Hilarious). – This is the attitude of the Jews in the Reading.
2) This person understands the joy of know – “We don’t HAVE to give, we GET to give!”
3) So whether it is a matter of time, talent, energy etc., God not only gets the best we have – He also gets it with a joy-filled heart!

C. “Why Am I Giving?” (We have answered the “What/How” questions – let us look at our motivation)

1. Two motivations God does not desire:
a. Giving to impress others (remember, we are NOT just talking about $$$!)
1) (Matt. 6:1-2), “Beware of practicing your R. before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward before your Father who is in heaven. – When you give alms, do not….”
2) Making a show out of our working overtime – serving the needs of others so that we will be seen – etc., are all ways people do this.
3) Jesus said – (Matt. 6:3-4), “But when you give, do not let your left … Your Father who….”

b. Giving to impress God
1) (Lk. 18:10-14), “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. – The Pharisee stood and was thus praying to himself, saying, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people; swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. – I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ – But the tax-collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ –I tell you, this man went down to his house….”
2) This leads to a toxic misunderstanding of the nature of salvation, i.e., we give of our time/talent/$/etc. – because we believe that we are saved on this basis – (Eph. 2:8-9)!

2. Two motivations God does desire:

a. Giving from a heart of thanksgiving!
1) We have seen reason why we don’t give – lets now look at 2 motives for why we do give.
2) (Eph. 2:8-9, 10), “For by grace… - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…”
3) When God’s people know that all we have comes from God – and we desire to show how grateful we are for all of His gifts – then we will be motivated by the right kind of heart!
4) (Col. 3:17), “Whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

b. Giving so that God may be glorified!
1) If everything we say & do – was motivated by a desire to glorify God – would it change what
we say & do? – (I Pt. 4:11), “Whoever speaks… - so that in all things God may be glorified”
2) If we sought to glorify God in our marriages – would it change our marriage? – If we sought
to glorify God @ school/work – would it change the way we did our jobs? – If we sought to
glorify God in our every relationship – would it change our relationships?!!!
3) (Quote Matt. 5:16; Jn. 15:8; I Cor. 6:20).
3) When we live our lives to glorify God – we are motivated by the right kind of heart!