Level Up / 03. Level Up ⬆️ Wk2

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Speaker: Stephen Dawson

21 Biblical Reasons to Give.

1. All that we have is from God and is His- (James 1:17) When you realize everything you have is from God and that He’s just letting you look after it for a season, it becomes easier to give as you understand it is already His. When we give, we have the opportunity to give back to Him.

2. We are Stewards- (Genesis 1:28) What we have belongs to God, but it is ours to look after. We are to steward what we have wisely. When we get to the end of our life, God is going to hold us accountable of how we used what we were given. The Bible cares about the things you give and being generous on all occasions.

3. We are a Family of Givers- (Psalm 145:8). God is gracious and abounding in His love towards us and when He saves us through what Jesus done on the cross, we become part of His family, take on his family likeness and we get to be generous like Him. We are blessed to be a blessing.

4. We are to be Investors- (Matthew 6:19-20) What you do with your money shows where you are investing in life. We are to steward in our lifetime but also in the light of eternity. Invest in the kingdom of God and not just in the earthly things that will perish.

5. It is more blessed to give than to receive - (Acts 20:35; Acts 17:25). God has made us to be ones who can be benefactors as well as beneficiaries. There is something in us that loves to give as well. When we are giving, we are not giving to God because He needs anything, but because it is a privilege to be able to do so.

6. Giving is an expression of Adoration- (Numbers 18:11; Matt 2:1) Jesus is the high King of Kings- the Lord Almighty. He is worthy of all we have and the way we give.

7. Giving is an expression of Thanks- (Luke 7) When you realize that God gave His very own son for you; when that Gospel grabs hold of your heart, the natural reaction is thankfulness.

8. It's about Hearts not Wallets – (Luke 21: 1-4). It can be tempting to wait until you are in a better place to give. However, God sees your heart in whatever you give. It’s not about the amount, but the heart that you give it in.

9. Kill Mammon- (Luke 16:13; 1 Timothy 6:10) Mammon is an Aramaic word for money, but it has annotations of the god/idol of money. You can’t serve both God and money. There is only one God and when we give, it is an opportunity to declare that boldly.

10. We are to Give without Anxiety – (Matthew 6: 25-34). You don’t need to worry because God has got you. He knows what you need before you even ask. Have you brought your anxieties to God? He wants to bring your soul to rest as He is the good shepherd.

11. You Reap what you Sew- (2 Corinthians 9:6; 1 Corinthians 8:7; Luke 6:38.) Give and it will be given back to you. God is able to give you more abundantly than you give to him.

12. Be Decisive- 2 Corinthians 9:7- There is a decision to make in our heads, as well as hearts- make a well thought out decision about what to give.

13. We are not to be reluctant- (2 Corinthians 9:7) God wants those who are free and not compelled to give.

14. We are to give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7)- This doesn’t mean it’s not sacrificial, but you can still do it with joy recognizing it is a good thing.

15. We are to give humbly/secretly - (Matthew 6:2). Your giving is between you and God.

16. Give what is Right- not what is Left – (Matthew 6:33; Malachai 3:8.) Giving to God first. When you don’t give your offering to God the right way, it is like robbing God. Make it your priority. Don’t give your leftovers to God, but give Him your best and your first.

17. Give Proportionally – Look at the percentage and base rate and how you can increase it. Look for ways you can push ahead for God.

18. Give regularly – (1 Corinthians 6:2) Put it into your diary to give to God. Don’t wait until prompted.

19. We are to give to the building of the church – (Gal 6:6; 1 Tim 5:17-19; 1 Cor 9:13-14; Exodus 36:2-7) We are to love the church and contribute to the building up of it.

20. Test it out – (Deuteronomy 16:6; Malachi 3:10) - You can test God with your finance and go on an adventure. Our faith can grow as we step out and trust His word.

21. Give because you can’t out-give God- (John 3:16; Romans 8:32). No matter who the biggest giver is- no one can out-give Him. He paid the highest price on the cross and we are beneficiaries of the fact that God is generous, lavish and loves us.