What Will You Give?

Here we are at the beginning of a new year

January 6, 2019 - Think about this, it was 20 years ago that people were all worried and concerned about Y2K!

Time certainly does fly!

There were things that I wanted to accomplish in 2018 that didn’t get accomplished

In fact, if I were to be totally honest, there were things that I wanted to accomplish in 2017 that have not been accomplished yet!

Sure, I’ve done a lot of things that I set out to do, but there are still things that I know need to be done that have not been done yet

I think all of you would agree with me when I say that I want 2019 to be the best year of my life so far

When I am sitting down on December 31st of 2019 looking back on this year I want to be able to say that I am a better person on December 31st than I am now on January 6

I’m not saying that I think I am a bad person, but I know that there is certainly room for improvement!

When this year comes to an end I want to be healthier - both physically and mentally, in a better financial position, closer to my family and friends, and, most importantly, more spiritually mature

Why is spiritual growth the most important thing on my list?

Because God is the most important thing in my life!

That is another message for another time, but the truth is that if we claim we are followers of Christ, He needs to be first and foremost in our lives

As a follower of Jesus one of my central desires should be to grow and mature in my faith and in my love for God

If we were all honest with ourselves I think we would all agree that our spiritual lives are not where they should be

That there is significant room for growth

This is not meant as a condemnation of any kind - my goal is not to make anyone feel guilty

My goal is to state the facts and then see what we are willing to do about it

I was listening to a TED talk the other day titled “Why the Majority is Always Wrong”

The speaker was Paul Rulkens and he said this -

“If you want results you’ve never had before, you have to do things you’ve never done before”

This is very similar to a phrase that all of us have heard “if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got”

If I want different results, I need to do different things

And this is where the problem is for most people

Most people will admit that there are things in their life that they wish were different, but few are willing to make the necessary changes for those differences to happen

Most people don’t like change

In fact, some are outright resistant to change

How many churches have died because people refused to change?

How many people have died, or have had significant physical problems, because they refused to change something in their lifestyle?

As a whole we avoid change as much as possible

It’s been said that people change when they learn enough that they want to, receive enough that they are able to, or hurt enough that they have to

Learn enough that they want to - someone discovers that they way they were doing things was wrong, and they willingly change

Receive enough that they are able to - Someone recognizes the need to change, wants to change, but does not have the necessary resources to change. Once they get the resources they need, change happens

Hurt enough that they have to - someone knows that they need to change, but they refuse to do so until they absolutely have to. Example: someone starting to eat right and exercise after they’ve had a heart attack

Again, all of us have areas that we need to change, but since Harvest Family Fellowship is a church, I want to take a few weeks and explore some spiritual areas that I think most followers of Christ need to grow in

My topic for today is Giving

I know that as soon as I say that word many people will immediately think that I am going to be talking about money

Yes, money is a part of giving, but it is only a part of my message

There are other areas in which we need to be giving as well

My message today is going to focus on giving in three areas

Our Time

Our Talent

Our Treasure

Before we get into that, there is a passage of Scripture that I would like to read that I think is a great example of giving

Our story is found in 1 Kings 17 and is about the prophet Elijah

First let me give you just a little background

Ahab has become king over Israel and is a very wicked king

God is not real happy with Ahab, and tells him through Elijah that it wouldn’t rain unti Elijah said so

After this a drought began, and God told Elijah to go to the Kidron brook and stay there

God told Elijah that Ravens would bring him food every day and he could drink water from the brook

Eventually the drought became bad enough that the brook dried up

We’re picking up the story in 1 Kings 17:7

1 Kings 17:7-16 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8  Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9  "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." 10  So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" 11  As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread." 12  "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die." 13  Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14  For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'" 15  She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16  For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.  

Pretty interesting story!

I want to look at it a little closer and then bring it in to our topic of giving

So, what we have happening here is God is providing a need for Elijah

Because of the drought the brook that provided him with water dried up so God tell him to go to a specific town and a widow would provide him with food and water

I find it interesting that God chose a widow

He could have chosen anyone, but why a widow?

In the culture of Elijah’s day widows were typically very poor

It is very reasonable to assume that this widow was no different

This means that God deliberately sent Elijah to a poor woman to have her provide for him

Why? Wouldn’t it make far more sense to send Elijah to a rich person?

After all, they would have the means to care for him

I believe God sent Elijah to the poor widow because He wanted to build Elijah’s faith, and at the same time reveal Himself to the widow

This widow was not an Israelite, she was a foreigner

In fact, Jesus mentions this very thing in Luke chapter 4 - much to the consternation of the religious leaders!

So, Elijah goes to this widow, and finds her near the city gates collecting sticks for a fire

He asks her for some water, and as she turns to go get it he also asks her for a little food

What was her response?

I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die.

“I’d love to help you out Elijah, but I only have enough for a final meal for me and my son, after this we will most likely starve to death”

That’s a pretty dire situation!

But Elijah tells her not to be afraid and to make him some food first, then make some for her and her son

He promises that the flour and oil will not be used up until the drought is over

This is a pretty bold request!

What blows my mind is that the widow actually does it!

I don’t know about you, but if I were in her situation I don’t think I would do it

I’d probably say something along the lines of “It stinks to be you, but I have to take care of my son and myself first!”

In fact, I don’t think there would be many people that would blame the widow if that was exactly what she said to Elijah

But she didn’t

I can only attribute this to the Spirit of God moving on her and following through with Elijah’s request

And as it turns out, Elijah was right - God miraculously multiplied the flour and oil and it never ran out through the remainder of the drought

Not only was Elijah fed, so was the widow and her family

So, what does all this have to do with giving of our time, talent, and treasure?

Well, the widow gave of her Time -

Instead of taking care of herself and her son, she took the time to take care of Elijah first

Time is a pretty precious commodity isn’t it?

We live in a very busy society - much busier, it seems, than when I was growing up

I like being busy, but I need to make sure I am not too busy

There are many great causes that I can invest my time in

There are many leisure activities that I love spending time doing

There is tons of work that needs to be done

But there is only so much time to do all of this

I really believe that business can be a very effective tool of the devil

He will never get me to turn my back on God, but he can get me so busy doing way too much that I am not able to accomplish the things that God has called me to do

There is always enough time to do the will of God

If you don’t have enough time to do what God is calling you to do, then that means you are wasting your time somewhere else

Don’t confuse being busy with being effective

Pray and ask God how you should be managing your time

Ask Him what things need to be removed from your schedule and what things need to be added

And don’t forget time to rest! Jesus took naps, so can you!

The widow of Zarephath also gave of her Talent -

What do I mean by that?

She had the talent - the ability - to make bread

This might not sound like that big of a deal to us, but it was a huge deal to Elijah!

She had this talent, and used it according to God’s will to provide for ELijah

You also have talents - abilities - things that you enjoy and are good at - that God can use to build His kingdom

Notice I said His Kingdom, not this church

Yes, this church is part of His Kingdom, and undoubtedly there are some of you here that God is calling to invest your talents in helping to grow and maintain this church

But there are also many other worthy places that you can use your talents to fulfill the will of God

I know that some of you may be thinking “well, I’m not that good!”

When people express that there is an old Christian cliche that is often mentioned

“God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called”

Yes and no - this sounds really spiritual, but it can also be dangerous

Of course God will call the qualified.

Think about it - who better to do the job than those who are qualified?

God will also qualify the called - meaning He will make it so those who are called can get the qualifications they need to do the job

Sometimes God will come through in a miraculous way and someone who is totally unqualified for the job actually gets it done - but this is rare in my opinion

We all have talents that we can use for building the Kingdom

Don’t underestimate your abilities

You may not be the absolute best, but that doesn’t mean your talent can’t be used for God

Pray and ask God how you can best use your talents to build His Kingdom

The widow also used her Treasure -

She only had a very small amount of flour and oil - just enough to make a final meal for her and her son

Yet she trusted God enough to use her treasure to provide for Elijah, and there was plenty left over to take care of the needs of her family

God wants you to use your treasure to fulfill His purposes

This can be money, but it can also be other material possessions

God may be calling you to give something you own

God may be calling you to sell something at a greatly reduced price

God promised that if we keep Him first He will provide for our every need

There are always enough resources to accomplish God’s will

However, people have to be willing to give what God tells them to give so His work can be accomplished

If something is God’s will, and there are a lack of resources, it means someone is not giving of their treasure like God desires them to  

Whatever it is, however much it may make you nervous, give your time, talent, and treasure to God

There is something else here

Notice that Elijah told the woman to make him a meal first

Why? Because that took faith

Making food for herself and her some first and then seeing if there was enough left over required no faith at all

“Without faith it is impossible to please God