Luke 6:27 “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
A revival of giving. There are some observations I want to share regarding this scripture.
- Does God really expect us to live like this? Absolutely. This behavior is to be the lifestyle of a Christian. Submission is hard; many times we don’t want to do it. When we understand who is in charge, doing so is much easier. Jesus does expect us to love our enemies and pray for them, not for God to take care of them for you but for their salvation.
- Behavior as mentioned in this scripture sets us apart from the world. If we do good only to those who do good to us, we’re no different than the world and the sinner. Do good anyway no matter what is given.
- This was modeled by God when Jesus said “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
- This behavior reaps benefits. If we don’t judge, we won’t be judged. If we forgive, we will be forgiven.
- God’s word is specific on how to live, and it all starts with stewardship. How we manage our resources is the key. It’s deeper than the wallet. You don’t have to be rich to be stingy. You just have to be selfish.
- It’s the heart of ingratitude when God gives, and all we do is try to take. We own nothing; it’s just borrowed. It’s loaned to us. We’ll give an account of what we do with what we’ve been given.
- The first step in stewardship is giving your life to God. It begins the lifestyle of stewardship. We’re blessed by being a child of God. He wants to take care of us. We don’t get because we don’t ask or knock. Bring him all our needs. Sometimes we don’t get when we ask because we ask amiss just to fulfill our lusts.
- Revival is giving. Putting material wealth in God’s hands puts it in a biblical perspective. When we seek the Lord first, the rest will be added.
- A revival of giving promotes Christian behavior. How we give and live should match. We’re not to lay up treasures on earth but in heaven.
- Giving is our victory over materialism. The dollar takes many a person to hell. We’ll not be financial slaves when we put God first. The Bible says we’ll lay hold on eternal life.
- Giving makes us happy. It is more blessed to give than receive. We’re blessed in return. What a paradox. Keep it is the way to lose it. Giving it away is the way to keep it.
- It’s proof of love. Giving comes from a heart of love.
- Giving helps us to focus on eternity and not the temporary.
- Giving makes us more like God. What does John 3:16 says? “For God so loved the world he GAVE.” He gave the best he had. He didn’t hold back.
Are you a giver or a taker?
Brother Donnie White brought the message.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 