Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church
Why is Giving so important to our spiritual life?
Today concludes our 5 part sermon series titled The Walk, which is metaphor for our spiritual life of faith. We know that our faith is not something we can earn or deserve, it is a gift from the Holy Spirit that we receive in our baptism and through hearing the Gospel in the Scriptures. But there are things we can do that the Holy Spirit uses to grow our faith and deepen our relationship with God. These are called Spiritual Disciplines and this sermon series has been about 5 of those: Worship, Share, Serve, Study and Give. Today we conclude with Give.
When we consider the first 4 Spiritual Disciplines, it's fairly obvious to see the connection between them and our spirtual life, but not so obvious with Give. So our question today is: Why is Giving so important to our spiritual life?
Our Gospel today is from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, where he is talking with His disciples about their calling and life under God the Father's care. In particular He is giving them advice regarding their possessions.
Matthew 6:19-21 NIV
Jesus is saying that our external choices reveal our internal spiritual condition, and that treasures in heaven can't be taken away from you and they will go with you to heaven when you leave this earth. The Apostle Paul echoed this idea of storing up treasures in heaven. Col 3: 1-2.
Colossians 3:1-2 NIV
How do we store up treasures in heaven? By 1) being good stewards of our earthly possessions, 2) using them in responsible, God-pleasing ways, a 3) doing everything for God's glory.
Royal Redeemer is doing a great job of being good stewards financially, even in the midst of this pandemic. But since we are sinners, we sometimes store up treasures on earth rather than in heaven when we allow our possessions to possess us instead of the other way around. When the Holy Spirit brings that to our attention, we confess it, receive the forgiveness that Jesus won for us on the cross and in the empty tomb, and refocus on Jesus and what He has done for us.
Giving is a Spiritual Discipline that the Holy Spirit uses to help us focus on Jesus, grow our faith and deepen our relationship with God as we store up treasures in heaven.
Back to our question: "Why is our Giving so important to our spiritual life?" Because it reflects where our heart is!