In Jason Dohm's sermon titled 'God is the Giver,' he explores the biblical perspective on giving, using Exodus 36 as a foundational text. The passage describes the Israelites' overwhelming generosity in contributing to the construction of the sanctuary, highlighting the joy and willingness in their giving. Dohm emphasizes that true giving is not about obligation but an overflow of gratitude and worship towards God, who is the ultimate giver. He draws parallels to Matthew 6, where Jesus teaches about the dangers of storing earthly treasures and the importance of storing treasures in heaven. Dohm suggests that giving is a reflection of one's heart and relationship with God, warning against the love of money, which can lead to spiritual downfall. He also references 2 Corinthians 9, encouraging believers to give cheerfully, as God loves a cheerful giver. The sermon includes examples like Zacchaeus and the widow's mite, illustrating how sacrificial giving is an act of worship and trust in God's provision. Ultimately, Dohm calls for believers to examine their hearts and financial practices, ensuring their giving reflects a deep, joyous relationship with God.

Our sermon today is on the topic of giving. Going in there we will be reading Exodus chapter 36 verses 2 through 7. Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred to come and do the work. And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning.

Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded us to do. So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp saying let neither man nor woman do any more work For the offering of the sanctuary and the people were restrained from bringing For the material they had had was sufficient for all the work to be done indeed too much Let's pray Lord God, we thank you for This day that you've given us this sermon that you're Sending our way Lord. We pray that you'll pour yourself out on mr. Dome Give him your words. Let us hear the message that you have for us and let us be convicted and cut to the heart by it, Lord.

Let us be blessed by it. Let us be filled with your Spirit. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. I asked for Exodus 36 to be the sermon text today because I wanted to begin with the ideal.

The Bible has some stern warnings to give about being tight-fisted with our money, but it's really not the heart of the matter. The warnings of the Bible about giving aren't the heart of the matter at all. I think it helps us to come to Exodus chapter 36 and see a joyful overflow of giving as an example of what God is after in this whole category. I think Exodus chapter 36 is what we are shooting for. What is here in this text?

Were you paying attention during the sermon text? What were you listening to? Verse 2, we have gifted people whose hearts are stirred. Well how did that happen? God gave people gifts and God stirred up their hearts.

That's why you have gifted people whose hearts are stirred up for these things. Verse 3, you have free will offerings to supply the needs. This was not compulsion in any way. These were free will offerings. If you wanted to bring, you brought.

If you didn't want to bring, you didn't bring. And this was to supply the needs of bringing together a tabernacle and all the things associated with the tabernacle that would be part of the prescribed worship of God. So who are these people and why are they so generous? It helps to stop and just ask that question of Exodus 36. So we have a gushing forth of giving here.

Free will offerings. You didn't want to bring, you didn't have to bring. These are just people who wanted to bring, so they brought. So who are these people and why are they like And why are they like this? They're freed slaves.

This is Exodus 36. Exodus of what? Exodus of a nation brought out of bondage and where did they get this stuff? Where did they get all this stuff? They plundered the Egyptians.

Do you remember when they come out God says ask the Egyptians for stuff. Ask the Egyptians for their treasures. And the Egyptians had been so shaken by the plagues, the mighty hand of God upon Egypt, that they were terrified of the people of Israel, and they gladly sent them forth with their treasures. So who are these people? There are people who were in bondage, but they are not in bondage anymore because God intervened and worked miracles to bring them out by a mighty hand.

Where did they get all the stuff? They got all the stuff because God gave it to them as a gift on their way out of their bondage. He told them to ask the Egyptians for their treasures. And the Egyptians were so terrified by what they had seen the hand of God do that they sent them out with their gold and their silver. Verse 5, we have complaining.

What kind of complaining? Too much! The artisans say there's too much they keep bringing. We've already got all that we need to bring together the tabernacle and everything that is needed for the worship and we've already got enough for that we've already got more than enough for that and the people keep bringing too much so the nature of the complaint is I mean it's probably not really complaining the nature of the complaint is we were ready to work on this and not just take the overabundance into the treasury. In verse 6 we have restraining.

So verse 5 complaining too much. Verse 6 restraining, stop bringing. I'm not sure there's another passage in the Bible that's quite as refreshingly wonderful on giving. The people actually have to be restrained. They keep bringing and keep bringing.

Verse 7, there's a total sufficiency for all that's needed. And by the way, a lot of resources were needed for this. When you look at the the tabernacle and all that would be part of the worship of God, there are a lot of resources needed. Even so, there's a total sufficiency and actually an overabundance. That's what we see in verse 7.

Now, take Exodus chapter 36 as a metaphor for ideal giving, as a little picture that shows us what it's like when God gets what He's after in the category of giving. A people who have been freed from bondage and lavished with resources joyfully give back a sliver of all they've been given. They give back a portion of people who used to be in bondage, but they're not in bondage anymore because God came and put His hand on them and pulled them out of their bondage, and He lavished resources on them, and now they get it. They realize what has happened to them and so they joyfully give back a portion as an act of worship and to propagate worship. So for these givers this is a million miles away from grudging duty.

It is an outlet for worship for them. Is that all the Bible says about giving? No. The Bible talks about the duty of Christians to give. And do the Lord's people actually have a duty to give?

Yes, they do. But duty isn't at the heart of it. In some ways I should stop preaching right there, lest I undo the work that I just did. I want to start and end with this. Duty is not at the heart of giving.

Christians have a duty to give, but duty isn't at the heart of it. At the heart of it is a people who used to be in bondage, but they're not in bondage anymore, because God is a giver. And apart from Him, they would have nothing to give, but God is a giver, and so he's lavished resources upon them and out of all that he's given them both in spiritual categories and material categories They see this as an outlet for worship and so they joyfully give back a portion, a sliver really, of all that God has given to them. This is a great time to give a message on giving. Why is that?

Because giving has never been stronger than it is today at Sovereign Redeemer. We don't have more people than when we started. We just have a lot more money than when we started. There have been times where we actually had more people, more families than we have now, but there's never been a time where we had more giving and more money than we have now. Giving is more broad-based than it ever has been.

If you were to look at the giving of our church, it's spread out more broadly than it ever has been in our eight-year history. There's more sacrificial giving now than there ever has been in this church. So I do not come as a beggar today. I don't need to beg you. Across our eight years history, we've always had all that we needed, And we've never had more financial resources than we have now.

So I don't stand in the pulpit today as a beggar, because there's no need to beg. And I don't come to deliver a rebuke. Why would I? Why would I? Here's a road map for the rest of our time.

I'm going to give you two central texts of scripture, and I'm going to cheat by wrapping other texts into that. But There are two ones that I'll take you to and say let's go and lay our eyes on these two texts together and then I'll fold in some other scriptures. So there will be two main texts that we'll be going to and then I want to end by giving you two more inspiring examples of giving from scripture that really fit the Exodus 36 profile where ex-captives come and joyfully bring gifts in giving. Let's pray. God, what necessitated you bringing us out of bondage.

There was no necessity. It was self-imposed bondage. And yet, you didn't leave us there to get what we deserved. You laid claim to everyone here who has repented and believed the gospel. They did it because You brought them into their repentance and belief as a gift.

Thank you for not leaving us in bondage but making us free. Thank you for always so faithfully providing for us, giving us an abundance in many ways. You are the giver. We do want to study giving in your word, but more than anything we want to admire The great giving that you have done that serves as a root and a foundation for all of this. Let our hearts rejoice in you today.

We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Alright, The first text of Scripture is Matthew 19. Please turn to Matthew 19. Excuse me, Matthew chapter 6.

I don't know why I said 19. Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6. I'm going to read a long reading so you're better off to be there so you can follow along with the reading. I'm going to start at Matthew chapter 6 verse 19 and read through the end of the chapter which is verse 34.

So please follow along so you can track with me. Matthew chapter 6 beginning in verse 19. Jesus says, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness. No one can serve two masters.

For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." Mammon is material things, material goods. Material things, material goods. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.

They neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? What shall we drink? Or, What shall we wear?

For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

When you want to do a temperature check, my heart is white hot, or my heart is lukewarm, or my heart is cold. There are a few good tests. Here's one. Your calendar. How are you allocating your time?

You're allocating your time to your objects of affection. It's a way to do a temperature check on your heart. Is my heart hot towards God? Is there affection for God in my heart? What is my calendar saying?

Sometimes we have a profession. We say, God is my all. But our calendar says that's not true. And that's not true. When there's a disconnect between the words of your mouth and your calendar, speaking of your allotment of time, you should believe your calendar.

Here's another one. Your thoughts. When your mind is wandering, what does it wander to? More often than not. It's wandering to your objects of affection.

Your thought life, if you can just ask yourself that question, if you can just notice when it happens, when I'm not preoccupied with something and my mind is sort of free to wander to just the things of my interest and affection. Where does it wander to? Here's the third one. So, calendar, one thoughts and where they wander to two there's a third my checkbook that's where I'm spending my money on again we can have a profession that says that God is our all but when we thumb through the check register I only spend money on me really. I never spend money on God's kingdom.

The object of my money is me. The target of my money is me. I say that God is my all, but my checkbook actually contradicts my profession. God has given us these tasks to help us troubleshoot heart problems. Heart problems.

What does Matthew chapter 6 teach? Well it teaches a lot of things but let me pull out four of them. One, Godwardness with your money is wise. Godwardness with your money. Not having yourself be the target of all your spending is a good idea.

It's actually a good investment. When we store up treasures here, moths can get at them. Rust can get at it. Thieves can take it away. The stories of people who have worked their fingers to the bone storing up wealth that then took wings before they could ever enjoy it.

Either the thieves got to it, or they died before they could ever enjoy it or were incapacitated. Those stories are legion. They are many, many, many. So those people who worked themselves to death with the idea that they would be the object of all their own spending, but their riches took flight are many, many, many. The stories of people who piled up treasures in heaven to be there ahead of them, but then they were defrauded out of that, those stories are zero.

There never will be that story. In the end we'll find out that that was true. So one truth that we learn in this text is that Godwardness with your money is a wise investment. It's a good investment. No one ever ends up sorry they invested that way.

Every other kind of investor you can find examples of sorrow attached to those investments. Number two. Your heart follows your money. And your money follows your heart. It's bi-directional.

It's not just one way, it's two ways. Your heart follows your money. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. In every category there are many powerful arguments that you shouldn't just only do what you feel like doing. Because you experience in many categories in life that actually making a commitment and doing something actually can lead your emotions and your feelings.

I don't do it because I don't feel like doing it. Well actually, It's true in many categories that if you'll just commit and start doing it, that your heart will follow the actions. We tend to think of it in the other direction. If only I felt like doing it, this good pattern would develop. But If you were just buckled down and start to do the good pattern, you would find that your heart actually follows your commitments.

That happens in a lot of different categories in life. Jesus is teaching this is one of those categories. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. When you begin to pile up treasure in heaven, take your eyes off of yourself and your own list of wants and desires and Commit to investing in the kingdom of heaven. Seek first his kingdom and all these things will be added to you.

You take your focus off of all these things, what I should eat, what I should drink, what I should wear. You just say, I am committing to investing in heaven. You find that your affections follow. And your money follows your heart. You can't serve two masters.

So your heart actually, your patterns are actually a display for what's in your heart. They tell the tale. You can't serve two masters. Well how do you know? Well it's the master that you're serving.

That's how you know. Your heart follows your money, and your money follows your heart. Both are true. The heart both displays and shapes your heart. That's right.

How you handle resources both displays your heart. It displays your heart. It shows what the affections of your heart is. But it also shapes your heart. Number three.

You cannot straddle the fence. You cannot straddle the fence. What do you mean? I want to put it in Jesus' words, You can't serve two masters. You either love the one and hate the other, or you're loyal to one and despise the other.

You can only serve one master. We'd like to have our cake and eat it too, but that's not how it works with the affections of the heart. They eventually will inflect towards one and then that will gain momentum and you will be dominated by one or the other. You will serve one of those two masters. You cannot serve God and material possessions.

You cannot serve God in money. Number four, you don't need to worry about being Godward with your money. In what I just read here in Matthew chapter 6, worry is a word appears six times. Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry. You don't need to worry.

Why don't you need to worry? Because God has all the resources and He has your back. That's why you don't need to worry. Birds don't need to worry. We don't need to worry about what we're going to wear.

All you need to do is look at the lilies of the field to see that God clothes his people. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. That's Psalm 50 verse 10. That's just a way. There are more than a thousand hills, there are cattle on more than a thousand hills, it's just a way to say that God owns all the cattle on all the hills.

They're all His. They're all at His disposal. He can distribute them however He wants. Resources is not a zero-sum game now. What does that mean a zero-sum game in a zero-sum game?

There is an exact amount that can never be increased or decreased so that when I give I'm Diminished I lose. I'm a loser when I give, because I have an allotment that can neither be greater nor less, and so I'm giving from an allotment that is set in stone. So when I give, I'm diminished and I lose. That is not resources according to the Bible. That is not resources according to the Bible.

According to the Bible, If God wants to double the resources of the universe, He'll just speak it into existence. Who wants to double things? Who wants another earth exactly like this, so that He doubles everything that's here? He'll just say a word and it'll come out of nothing. This is resources according to the Bible.

In that scheme, in that paradigm, resources for you is not etched in stone, neither able to be increased or decreased, but that God has infinite resources at all times. If he wants more, he just says a word and he's the one allocating them so that when you give as an outlet for worship and in obedience He can replace it, double it, give you ten times more, or cut it in half, if that's wise. But you'll never be diminished by giving. God is only good all the time and if he diminishes your allotment of resources it's because he's smarter than you and he's going to use that to enrich you in the end. So you never lose by giving to God.

You never lose by giving to God. Listen to Malachi 3. You can turn there if you want to. At least note it so that you can get there later if you want. But I'm not going to spend a lot of time in Malachi 3 so if you just want to listen you're welcome to.

Malachi 3 verses 8 through This is 8-12. God says this through the prophet. Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, in what way have we robbed you in tithes and offerings You are cursed with the curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.

And try me now in this, says the Lord of hosts. If I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing that There will not be room enough to receive it. So there's talk of tithes and authorings in this. I just want to table the topic of tithes till the end. So this is Old Testament law.

Absolutely, the Old Testament people of God were told to tithe. Does that apply to New Testament believers? We're sidelining that for now. I don't want to answer that now. The point is, God actually accuses them of robbing him and rather than pronounce condemnation on them, which he has a right to do, they disobeyed him, they're a disobedient, stiff-necked people, rather than just saying, I'm bringing judgment, he comes not with that, but with an amazing challenge for the people to challenge him.

It's unbelievable what's happening in this text. Rather than just saying, you're guilty, I'm sending a foreign nation to destroy you, he says, test me, put me to the test. Obey me by faith and do what my law commands and see if I won't open the windows of heaven and rain down a super abundance on you. Put me to the test. Now, in the rest of scripture what do you find?

That putting God to the test is a bad idea, that it's sin, that it's the rebellion of an unbelieving heart, but here God not only authorizes it, He challenges them to put Him to the test. I don't know of anywhere else in scripture where God makes such an offer? Especially in response to disobedience. Where else does God invite us to test him? But he says it here, be faithful in giving what I prescribed and see if I won't open up heaven for you.

Many of you know my background. I'm a gym teacher. I'm a gym teacher. Who ended up working with MBAs. MBA is an academic credential that takes a lot of time and effort to get.

A lot of people who are doing well in the business world have an MBA. I don't have an MBA, I'm a gym teacher, I've always been a gym teacher. But life's funny and God is sovereign. And if you look at my career path, it looks like genius. Only I can assure you, I was there and it wasn't genius it was being at the right place at the right time over and over and over again and God giving the dome family a scale of resources that I had I had not studied for that scale of resources.

I had not worked for that scale of resources, but I found myself in the right place at the right time over and over again. Now why did God do that? So that the Doan family could just do that, just take that money and spend it all on ourselves? Heaven help us. I think looking back God wanted us to do that so we could church plant.

And now I think God gave us what we had no right to, no claim to, no reasonable expectation for, so that we can help with the deployment of missionaries. I think God did that 30 years ago. I think God was doing that 30 years ago, so that we're in position to be a little part of helping deploy missionaries so that Turks are around the throne at the end worshipping Christ. That's why he did that. God does that all the time.

God gives His people resources they have no claim on, no reasonable expectation to what is He doing. He's staging resources for His kingdom. And he actually challenges us to put him to the test. To give in faith and see whether he'll do what he says he'll do. I know prosperity gospel preachers have a heyday with this text.

I'm not even going to address the abuses of this text. We're not that kind of people. We have no danger of that here. So that's for another time. We all know that's dumb.

One last thing. And it's a very important thing. This is not about God needing money. I have a kingdom, I'm trying to build my kingdom, Where can I get resources? Oh, these people, I'll tax them.

No, no, no. This is not a taxation system so that God has resources to build His Kingdom. He does not need your resources. This is about being free from the love of money. Until you get this firmly impressed upon your brain, you'll never think rightly about it.

This is not about God's need for your money. Psalm 50 verse 12 says, God says, If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine and all its fullness. This is not a taxation system to fund a kingdom in a way that he has no other resources, so he has to tax you, take your money, to build his kingdom. No, no, no. A thousand times no.

If he was hungry, he wouldn't tell you and me. He would just speak what he needed into existence. The earth, the world is mine and all its fullness. Psalm 50 verse 12. So giving is not for God to give him something that he doesn't have other avenues for.

Giving is about you and the affections of your heart and weaning them off of the world so that you can be free of that and love God. Giving is for you. God is not diminished if you don't give. Are you with me? Are you tracking with me?

God is not diminished and impoverished if you don't give. He has a zillion other avenues to get anything he wants or needs or desires at any time. He is God. He can speak it all into existence. Giving is about you and your need to be free from the love of money.

God is the primary giver. He is totally free of need. We give back a sliver of what he gives to us, and even if we don't, he's not impoverished in any way. Listen to 1 Timothy 6. Again, you're welcome to turn there if you'd like, but I'm going to read it and keep moving.

So, 1 Timothy 6, you might want to jot it down, this is a good one to come back to as well. 1 Timothy 6, verses 6 through 10, Paul writes to Timothy, Now godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith and their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." That's right at what Paul is getting at with Timothy.

That giving is actually about you to break the love of money in your life. In 1 Timothy chapter 6, Paul teaches that the love of money is a gateway sin. You've heard of a gateway drug. Marijuana is a gateway drug. It usually leads to harder, more destructive drugs.

It's a first step on a pathway that will destroy you. Paul says that the love of money is a gateway sin like that. The desire to be rich actually leads you into all sorts of other kinds of giving yourself over to lusts and plunging yourself into destruction. If you think being tangled in that web, in the web of loving money, won't open up other areas of compromise. You don't understand what the Bible says.

You don't even need the Bible for that. You can look around and watch people who love money. It never ends with just loving your money. It plunges them into all sorts of other areas of compromise and utterly into destruction. Look at Hollywood.

Look at Hollywood where a lot of the rich people are. It never stops with just the love of money in their life. It plunges them into destruction in many different ways. Paul says that here. Loving earthly things is a worship killer.

God is trying to eliminate worship killers in your life so that your life can actually be a life of knowing Him, growing in Him. He's parting us from a worship killer. He's helping us be free of a major worship killer so that we're citizens of a better country. You want to be a citizen of planet earth and just enjoy all the temporary things that are out there and you make your life all about that. God says set your sights so much higher than that.

There are higher pleasures and there are eternal pleasures and you can have them. The second major text, so we're done with Matthew 6 now. Now let's turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 9. 2 Corinthians chapter 9. Now while you go to 2 Corinthians chapter 9, I'm going to go to the precursor.

I believe 2 Corinthians chapter 9 is a follow on to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. So just listen to these and then we'll go to the follow on text. 1st Corinthians 16, 1-3. Now concerning the collection for the saints, As I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also. On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters, I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also they will go with me. So what's happening here? There's a famine in Jerusalem in Judea and so that the Brethren in Jerusalem are in great need because of this famine. So Paul actually writes the church in Corinth to command them on the first day of the week when they gather to lay aside something.

He says storing up as he may prosper. In other words, as God gives you abundance, lay aside a little bit, so that when I come, there will be resources amassed that I can take to provide for the brethren in Jerusalem, who are experiencing a famine. So that lays the groundwork for 2 Corinthians 9. 2 Corinthians 9 I'll read the whole chapter which is 1-15. So again, hopefully you're there so you can track with me as I read.

Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous or unnecessary for me to write to you. For I know your willingness about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal has stirred up the majority. Yet I have sent brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready. Lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, should be ashamed of this confident boasting. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

But this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity. For God loves a cheerful giver. God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written, He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God. While through the proof of this ministry they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." So Paul starts here by saying, make sure you have the gift ready, but he ends here by saying thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. He says God is the giver here.

God is the one who supplies seed to the sower and then gives you an abundance for your labors. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. Remember Jesus said that on the two great commandments hang all the law and the prophets. What two great commandments? Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. So the giving commandments are about one, loving God, and two, loving neighbor, or three, both. There are some things where you love God and love your neighbor all rolled into one. So the giving commands are about one or the other or both of those things.

When we give it is an outlet for worship and it is an expression of love to our neighbor too. Now what does this text teach? Four things, At least I want to pull out four things. Number one, your zeal can stir up others. Your zeal in giving can actually stir up your brethren.

Verse two, your zeal has stirred up the majority. Everyone is watching your giving and your zeal in giving and Your zeal is spreading to the majority is what Paul says. I am getting more of this than anyone who is listening right now because I get the notifications when a donation hits hold the rope so that I can thank people for joining with us and holding the rope with us. I am so stirred up by the zeal from all these notifications. I'm getting flooded with notifications now that people are giving to hold the rope.

From Florida and Alabama and Georgia and Colorado and Virginia and here a lot here. The zeal of the giving is stirring me up. So this is not theoretical. This is not just a concept on the paper to me. I'm experiencing this daily.

Number one, your zeal can stir up others. This is good for us when we give and see people are worshiping God by laying their resources on the line. Amen to that. Number two, your giving should be a matter of generosity, not a grudging obligation. Your giving should be a matter of generosity, not a grudging obligation.

It should be an overflow of happiness in God. God loves a cheerful giver. It does not mean that you should only give if you feel like it. It means that if you don't feel like it, you should go and search for what's wrong. You're being given a way to troubleshoot.

Well, God loves a cheerful giver, I'm not feeling cheerful so I won't give. I don't think that was the point. The point isn't to be content in that state. The point is for that state to get you searching for what it is that is keeping you from wanting to worship God with your resources. When you give, if you feel grudging obligation there, you have a love for God problem.

And that happens to all of us from time to time. It's not like you get over that hump one time and you're never going to see that again. Oh, you're going to see that again. That one travels in a circle, it seems. And it's an opportunity.

When you feel that rising up in your heart, it is an opportunity for heart work, don't miss it. Verse seven, so let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. Why does God love a cheerful giver? Because he understands what it means when someone gives cheerfully. He understands that it means that that person is happy in Jesus.

He now understands that their giving is a demonstration of love and honor. It's a form of worship. This is the point. Giving is designed by God to be an outlet for worship, a form of worship. So God is offended when his people don't give, not because he needs what they're giving, but because he understands that they're not happy in Jesus.

They've no overflow out of which to give. Overflow of joy. Number three, you get what you give. Yeah, prosperity gospel preachers have a heyday with this one too. I'm not addressing that here.

You get what you give. Verse 6, if you sow sparingly, you reap sparingly. If you sow bountifully, you reap bountifully. There are three verses, there are three words in verse 8 which tell us all we need to know. God is able.

God is able. Why should we give as a form of worship? Because God is able to do what? To make all grace abound toward you. To provide you with all sufficiency in all things, to give you an abundance for every good work.

This is about way more than money. People say, if I give money, is it certain that I'll get back money? It's not certain. What's certain is you won't be disappointed. If you give as a form of worship, I guess maybe if you're trying to work a scheme, where you figured out that if you give money, you always get back money, and so that's the only reason you're giving or something like that I guess you it's possible you could be disappointed.

But if you give and it's a form of worship, it's an outlet for a heart that's happy in Jesus, Whether it comes back in money or if it comes back in other forms, you'll be happy with it. You'll be glad. My experience is that often it comes back as money or what you need, provision, what you need, so that your financial picture isn't diminished by your giving. That's my personal experience. I can't guarantee that to you.

I don't know if that's what this text is meaning to teach, that when you give financial resources, you always get back financial resources. But I guarantee you won't be disappointed if you're giving as a form of worship when whatever from whatever trajectory it comes back you'll be glad about it. You'll be happy about it. Four. Your giving results in worship.

Verse 11, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. So you've laid up this money to send for provision in Jerusalem because they have a famine. And this giving causes thanksgiving to us, through us to God. People are going to thank God because you gave. Verse 13, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God.

You give and they glorify God. When God stirs up the hearts of His people to give, the witnesses and the recipients, often the result of that in their lives is they see that God is providing for them and they worship God. Two inspiring examples of giving as worship. Just a side note, I've not mentioned and I'm not going to mention Proverbs at all. That's stunning.

Why? Because anyone who's familiar with Proverbs knows how much about money and resources and giving is in Proverbs. All that to say, there is so much on this topic in the Bible. You can do a full length sermon, I can do another one and not touch Proverbs. And Proverbs is really the book for it.

Luke 19, you can turn there if you want. Or not if you don't. Luke 19, verses 1 through 10. Verses one through ten. Luke 19, one through ten.

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector. He was rich. He sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came to the place he looked up and saw him and said to him, Zekias make haste and come down for today I must stay at your house. So he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. But when they saw it they all complained saying he is going to be a guest with a man who is a sinner. Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, look I give half of my goods to the poor, And if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, today salvation has come to this house, because he also is the son of Abraham.

The son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Zacchaeus is a man who is forgiven much and so he loves much. There is an outpouring of giving. Verse 8, Lord I give half of my goods to the poor and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation I restore fourfold. He was a rich man, you can believe this was a lover of money, at least he used to be, but now, where is his love for money?

Half of my goods I give to the poor." So he's been on the other side. He knows where the love of money will take you. He's actually had riches. What does he think when Christ comes and sets him free? Half of my goods to the poor." This is exactly what we see in the early church in Acts chapter 2, which is the day of Pentecost, and it is the day when 3, 000 are added to the church, Acts 2, 44 and 45.

Now all who believed were together and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. Three thousand people get saved, they're in the church, people have needs, so they just sell their stuff to meet the needs. Craig's List is booming in Jerusalem. They just sell their things to provide for the needs. Now, do you think these people thought they were givers?

They're free! They're free! And so, there's an outpouring of worship through giving. Do you think Zacchaeus sees himself as the giver? No, today salvation has come to him and his household and he's free and so resources are gushing out of him.

Why? It's an act of worship. Have you grown cold to the miracle of your redemption? Have you grown cold to the miracle of your redemption? Have you grown cold to the miracle of your redemption?

During these times in the cycle, when you find Your giving is sort of becoming grudging. You feel like you're being diminished by your giving. You really wish you didn't have to give. It's a sign you're growing cold to the miracle of your redemption. It's people who are close to it, who are close to a sense that God raised me from the spiritually dead.

They think and act like Zacchaeus. They're gushing. They're looking for outlets for their worship. They think and act like the people in Acts chapter 2. They're looking for outlets for their happiness in Jesus.

Second and lastly, Mark chapter 2. Mark chapter 2, the widow's might. Mark chapter 2, I'll read 41 through 44. Mark chapter 2, 41 through 44. Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury.

He's in the temple. He's watching the treasury where they collect the money and saw how the people put money into the treasury and many who were rich put in much. They have a lot and they're giving a lot. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrants. This is almost nothing.

This is pennies. So he called his disciples to himself and said to them, Assuredly I say to you, amen, amen, I say to you, that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury for they all put in out of their abundance but she out of her poverty put in all that she had her whole livelihood. Obviously this is a woman who trusts God. She's giving her livelihood. She's not viewing provision for her as a number that can never be increased and so that she's losing by giving the two mites.

If she did, she would be dooming herself to starve to death. I don't think that's the point of this at all. I think this is a woman who loves God and trusts God and Knows that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. She's been reading the Psalms some 50 and She knows I can give this and God provides for me. God provides for me.

It's not the amount. Jesus is impressed not with the big financial gifts given by the rich, they should be giving in abundance. This is no censure for the people who came before, but this is pointing out, God loves what's happening here. This woman who trusts God to provide for her, He loves this. It's not the amount.

The amount was nothing she put in. You could cover it out of the change in your pocket. God loved it anyway. Why? Because He is not in need of the big gifts or the little ones.

It's what it says about her heart that Jesus was excited about here. It's what it says about her heart. Friends, give sacrificially. Order your financial life so that you can give a good portion of what you have. My experience says that the only way to go about this is give first.

Have your giving be the first check, not the last check. If it's the last check, there's nothing there. That's how it works. If it's the first check, when we first got married, When we first got married, I was still in college and Janet was on a teacher's salary. We always gave first and we always had what we needed, didn't we?

We always had what we needed. Janet and I received a gift from our parents. I don't remember it ever really being talked about a lot in our home, or Janet remember it being talked about a lot in her home, they just tithed. I grew up in a tithing home, Janet grew up in a tithing home. So I don't remember one conversation in our marriage where we talked about whether we would tithe or not.

We inherited it. It just, there was momentum from the homes that we came out of, so we just did, it was the first check that we wrote. We've never gone without. This is not about the domes and what we have given or not given. I'm just saying, the only purpose of saying this is that one data point is that God has been so faithful to the domes.

We've never been diminished from our giving. It's always been the first check, and we've never gone without. I read Malachi 3, test me in this, And it makes me want to be reckless because we have tested them in this for a long time. We found we've never gone wanting. We've always had an abundance.

We've had more than we needed, always. So think about it being your first check. Whatever you've purposed in your heart, right? 2 Corinthians 9, let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or out of compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver. So whatever you purpose in your heart to give, give it first.

Alright a few concluding remarks. Wow we are at 106. A few concluding remarks. A few concluding remarks while we're at 106. A few, a very few concluding remarks.

Check your checkbook. What is it declaring about the condition of your heart? Is it contradicting your profession? If it is, do the heart work. Suggestion, make giving a worship event.

It helps you to be a cheerful giver. We've done this sporadically, We haven't done it recently. This will spur me on to another burst of good behavior, which will inevitably tail off over time until I have to preach the sermon again at some point, and then it'll be revived. From time to time, giving is a worship event at a dome house, meaning we gather around the checkbook just to praise God that it's another period of time where we have all that we need and an abundance to give out of. We're always giving out of an abundance.

Just thank God for his persistent faithfulness. Worship him. Thank him that he's the giver and as a result you have money to give out of. Worship the Lord and then go put it into the box together. Okay, how much should I give?

Here we go. Cheerfully and sacrificially. How much is that? Cheerfully and sacrificially. Does a New Testament believer have to tithe cheerfully and sacrificially?

I think New Testament believers should tithe. I'm not convinced that my arguments are airtight and I can't quote a chapter and verse. I think those two words render that all but irrelevant cheerfully and sacrificially. I can think of some circumstances in which cheerfully and sacrificially would be less than a tithe, but not many, not many. Cheerfully and sacrificially.

Put God to the test. Put Him to the test. C. J.C. Ryle.

By the way, we're going to leave the Gospel of John and then I won't be quoting Ryle anymore because he only quotes, he only commentates on the gospel and then you'll be sorry. So you relish these moments. J.C. Ryle. I do urge on every professing Christian who wishes to be happy the immense importance of making no compromise between God and the world." So here's where we are so far in the quote.

Do you want to be happy? If yes, J.C. Ryle says, be careful not to make compromise between God and the world. Now listen to this, Do not try to drive a hard bargain as if you wanted to give Christ as little of your heart as possible and to keep as much as possible of the things of this life. That informs us.

J.C. Ryle begs us not to drive a hard bargain with God. How much do I have to give and still be a Christian? J.C. Ryle says that is the wrong question.

J.C. Ryle says you are robbing yourself of happiness When you exhaust yourself to try to find out where that line is. Jesus gets the last word. Matthew 10 verse 8b. Second part of Matthew 10 verse 8.

Freely you have received, freely give. God is the giver. Be happy in Jesus. If you are not happy in Jesus, go do the heart work. Giving is just a reflection of things that are happening in the heart.

If your heart's not really gushingly happy in Jesus, something's wrong. You should be gushingly happy in Jesus, if you're in Jesus. Things get in the way in the lives of real live Christians, and we need to go do the hard work. I'll just close with this remark. Don't rob yourselves.

It's possible that people will hear all that I'm saying and have a sense that it's true, but they'll be governed by fear and they'll think that they're losing and they'll never really give as an act of worship. And because they can't give cheerfully, they won't give at all, and they're actually robbing themselves. If you're in Christ, you've received so freely, if you're not gushingly happy in Jesus, go do the hard work. Forget about giving for now. Go do the hard work, and the rest of that will settle out.

God, I thank you, thank you, that we have a right, All who are in Christ have a right to a claim on giddy happiness. We have a right to it. You've set us free. You've given us riches beyond imagination. Sometimes those are even material riches.

Everything is yours. I pray that you would start here in our hearts God, that you would give us a holy discontent with anything less than a gushing happiness in your son. To whatever extent that we are less than gushingly happy in your son, that you would help us come, put your finger on our idols, Help us to smash them so that we would lay claim to this happiness that is the birthright of all who have repented and believed the gospel. Don't let us be content short of it, Lord. Pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.