Opening Prayer - Heavenly Father, we thank you for the oppertunity to worship your Son this morning. We know that if He hadn't died on the cross for our sins and arose from the dead, we would have no way to have a future home in Heaven or the privilage of worshiping Him this morning. Please bless us indeed and give us the strength and wisdom to live the way the Bible says we should live. We pray that everyone who reads this sermon who are not saved will become saved before it is too late. For this fourth sermon in this Sunday morning series, we pray that You will help us to not be misled by popular but incorrect theology. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

Worship music - Please click the links and sing along if you know the words (You can also click skip ad to go straight to the songs) -

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gGa1w_bnvM     

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIEEz9yaukA

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eytcxRd0QQg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiYHjBD0SsQ

 

How Much Should I Give?

 

The Bible has a lot to say about giving money to God's purposes, but how much should we give? 

 

2 Corinthians 8:1-15 answers this, and it says -

1Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 6Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

7Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 8I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

9For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 10And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 11Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 12For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 13For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: 14But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: 15As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

 

The churches of Macedonia were very poor and had gone through a great hardship, but they still wanted to give money to the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. Verse 4 means that they urgently pleaded for the opportunity to give. Even though they gave more than Paul expected, they probably didn't give as much as a wealthy church would have given. However, the key point in this is that the amount someone gives is not as important as the willingness someone has when they give, and if someone doesn't have a lot of money in their bank account to give, then that is fine (See verse 12). Someone can give a lot of money to help those in need, but if they didn't want to give the amount of money they gave, God will not award them in this life or in heaven for the money they gave. On the other hand, the person who wants to give a certain amount of money to help those in need, will be rewarded in this life or in heaven for the money they gave (See verse 12). 2 Corinthians 9:7 also supports this, and it says, "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." Notice that God loves a cheerful giver (a person who sincerly wants to give).

 

In conclusion, you should give a portion of the money you have worked for and earned to a church or charity every Sunday (1 Corinthians 16:2) . If you're planning to give $5, $10, or $100 for example, then that is the amount you should give. If you sincerly want to help your church or the people in need, you sincerly want to please and thank God for providing for you, and you don't do it to show off in front of others (Matthew 6:3), then give the amount of money you were planning to give.      

 

If someone doesn't have a desire to help others by giving money, then they don't love. One of the definitions of love is putting other people's physical, mental, spiritual, and financial needs before their needs (Luke 12:16–21 teaches that the money you have saved should be used to give to those who have needs that you come across in the future. You shouldn't store up a bunch of money for your pleasure and comfort and decide to not use it to help others when a need appears. It isn't a sin to have millions of dollars in the bank, but whenever someone has a need that you come across, you should be ready and willing to give your own money (Or, ask the church that you support financially with your offerings to help with the costs.) to help that need in Jesus' Name and thank God for the opportunity.). 1 John 4:20 says, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"

(If you have prayed or made a decision to trust Jesus' death on the cross and His shed blood to erase your sins and let you into Heaven, but you don't have a desire to give to those in need, please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/makingsure)

 

If you have never prayed or made a decision to trust Jesus' death on the cross and His shed blood to erase your sins and let you into Heaven, you must be willing to follow Jesus from this moment on and for the rest of your life before you trust Jesus to save you. This website will tell you how - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtogotoheaven

 

If you have prayed or made a decision to trust Jesus' death on the cross and His shed blood to erase your sins and let you into Heaven, but you haven't been giving money the way this message described, please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/makingsure               

 

If you have prayed or made a decision to become a Christian, but you are not sure that you are really a Christian (Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 21:18-22, 1 John 5:14, and Hebrews 11:1), you need to be sure - please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtogotoheaven