It’s what’s in your Heart, not your Wallet

Text: Luke 6:20–38

38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

(Lk 6:17–38)

Simple question… when is that verse often quoted in church? (Offering) The implication that we are giving what? (Money)

Context is everything… Potent version of Jesus’ sermon on the mount.

20 “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

See the Juxtaposition

Blessed are those who are Poor… Woe to those who are Rich

Blessed are those who are Hungry… Woe to those who are Fat

Blessed are those who mourn… Woe to those who laugh

Blessed are those persecuted, rejected, ridiculed… Woe to those who are well known and popular

It is a mistake to measure blessing by material wealth… what we “get”

Sermon on the Mount… Matt 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This isn’t about what is in your wallet… its about what is in your heart! Jesus… It’s all about the heart! This isn’t financial, its spiritual.

Jesus… How do I get blessed?

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Heart of his sermon - GIVE, Give Graciously, Give Extravagantly

Give to those who ask of you.

Give to those who can’t pay you back.

Give love to those who don’t deserve it.

Give mercy to those who wrong you.

Give the kind of treatment you would hope to receive from others.

Give, give, give!

Then we come to the verse we began with and find it now in its proper context…

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

God wants you to live blessed… he wants his people blessed… and the key that unlocks that blessed life is genuine generosity …generosity is all about the heart!

Four Reasons God wants you to connect with Genuine Generosity

Why does God want us to be generous? Why does he ask us to give? Does God need your money to support His work?

God does not say give for his sake, he says give for your sake! You need to give! Because It doesn’t come naturally from birth. Generosity comes supernaturally from rebirth.

No other command works selfishness and greed out of us like generosity.

It’s not mine to control, it is his to steer

That is extreme, gracious generosity.

New Term… “I don’t give to get, I get to give!”

The blessing is not in the receiving, the blessing is in the releasing

I’ve received, not to hold, but to received to release

The Lord is concerned with our hearts. God does not bless giving, rather, He blesses giving from a right heart attitude. It is true that when we give, we receive; however, that should not be our motivation for giving. We must deal with any selfishness in our hearts.

The reason we grieve is because we mistaking believe it is ours. We shouldn’t give and then grieve over that decision. If we realize that we are simply stewards, and everything belongs to the Lord anyway, we will have a correct perspective.

This is why Jesus said, “6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great."

Grief, remorse is proof that we are behaving like owners, not stewards…

Jesus, was alluding back an OT law concerning lending

It’s what and how I sow that invites the blessing upon what I steward

God said He wants us to not just give but to be generous. The first time we are born in the natural, we are born selfish. When we are born again, we are born generous. God wants us to be generous like He is generous.

Sharing, giving is one of the first lessons we teach our children

God wants you to be like him… to be like your father

When I grow up I want to be just like you… Guess what your father in heaven is? He’s a giver… "For God so loved the world he gave."

Simple prayer, "Lord what do you want me to give?" That’s what I’ll do!

Poor in Spirit… “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Ps 20:7)

A extremely generous man was asked, how can you be so generous… his reply, “I never got over getting saved.”