The Temptation to Hold Back
Speaker: Pastor Darin Browne
There is a natural, human tendency to hold back, to not commit everything, to hedge our bets, stay diversified, just in case things don’t go our way. We say we are fully committed, but the reality is that most often we are only partially committed. We say we give everything, but human rationalisation suggests that we keep something in reserve, just in case.
Jesus said…
Mark 8:34-35
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
With our first fruits offering today, God has been challenging me about giving all, and not holding back, not just in money, but in time, effort, commitment and dedication.
FINISHING THE RACE
Sport is an arena where we see and admire gifted people giving their all. We admire sacrifice in other people, like Cam Munster, whose father passed away on the Sunday, giving it all on the field Wednesday night for Queensland. Sacrifice, commitment, courage. We admire it in others but hold back for ourselves.
Every sports or businessperson has sacrifice to get where they are. They don’t say, “Well, I will do this, but no further!” No, they give whatever it takes, pay any price, to achieve their goals. Paul said…
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
We all want to win in life. Here’s the great news, no matter what you have done in the past, today you have to opportunity to start finishing well! It’s how you finish that counts.
It is often hard to measure your level of commitment. However, with our first fruits offering, I’m going to focus on one area that clearly reflects where our commitment is…giving!
Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” I want to be the guy who gives generously and doesn’t hold back.
GOD DOESN’T WANT YOUR MONEY, HE WANTS YOUR HEART
Let’s be clear, God owns everything and is creator of all. He lavishes good gifts upon His people.
Psalms 50:10
For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
So, this idea that the church wants your money is totally wrong. God doesn’’ want your money; He wants your heart. When you ask Jesus into your life, you can trust Him to care for you, whatever life throws at you, but this requires you to stop doing everything yourself in your own way and yielding totally to Him.
Each of earns or are given money, and we are responsible for what we do with said money. We can blow it on the pokies or give to a friend in need. We can give it to the church or eat out at the RSL. It’s our choice, but as with every choice, there are consequences.
THAT WHICH COSTS ME NOTHING
King David wanted to build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of a guy named Araunah, and this man offered it to him for nothing.
2 Samuel 24:24
But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.”
I don’t want to give today in a way that costs me nothing, that’s half hearted. Today we are giving the first fruits of our financial year, the first bit, the very best. David said, I am prepared to pay the price. His generous heart blessed the Lord and His people. And nothing has changed.
WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY COME FROM?
You might think your income comes from the bank, boss, sales, Centrelink, or NDIS. No matter how successful we are, no matter what our income is, we should recognise that the source of our material provision and blessing is never just us, but it all comes from God.
When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they placed their prosperity into God’s hands (faith). In Egypt, the life-giving waters of the Nile were pumped by foot pumps to irrigate the fields, but in the Promised Land, it was going to be different. On foot pumps, or human effort, prosperity would come by faith from the sky…rain. Moses said…
Deuteronomy 8:18
You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth
Your money, your time, is not yours, you are simply the steward of them. You are responsible for how you spend your limited time, and your limited resources, like money.
Ephesians 5:16
making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
You should make the best use of time, and money, because the days are evil. But how?
PRINCIPLES OF GIVING
1: GIVING INDICATES WHERE YOUR HEART IS FOCUSSED
Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Your attitude towards money is a good indicator of what you are focussing on, and where your heart is. Stingy Christians are immature Christians, because giving reflects your heart. Where your heart is, there your treasure is also.
2: GIVING EXPRESSES YOUR FAITH
James 2:15-17
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Your credit/debit card statement is a good measure of your faith. We say we have faith, but we actually have a fear of lack. Faith should be expressed in everything we do and say, especially with how generous we are with our time, talents and money. I have just moved my optometry practice to the Health Hub, and this takes faith, but I am going to express this in my generosity. I reckon I need to be more generous right now, because that’s how I can show God my faith in Him. God loves to see us express our faith in giving!
3: GIVING TENDS TO BE RECIPROCATED BY GOD
I’m not preaching the blab it and grab it prosperity doctrine. I am not saying that if you want to be rich, call my 1800 number and give me loads of money. All I am saying is that, in my experience, and in Scripture, you cannot out give God.
Luke 6:38
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.”
I like to use a sizeable measure, a dump truck instead of a thimble, because that’s how God blesses me back. He says that with the measure we use, He will measure to us. If we don’t hold back and fully surrender to His will, He just takes care of stuff.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
4: GIVING IS A WAY OF TESTING GOD’S PROMISES
Matthew 4:7
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
The Bible says not to put the Lord your God to the test, but there is one occasion where God Himself challenges us to test Him, and that’s in the area of giving.
Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Fiona and I took up God’s challenge. Some years back Fiona and I lost everything, including our home, and had debts of a million dollars plus. During that trauma, we consciously decided to test this Biblical principle out, so when we had nothing, we still prioritised giving. Our accountant told us we are giving too much away; we need to prioritise our own needs first. I told him we are, that’s why we are giving so much.
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
In our days of greatest need, we trusted God to restore what we had lost, because God said test Him. If you haven’t got much money and are struggling today, I challenge you to take God up and test Him. Decide to be generous, and I believe you will find Him faithful. We did.
Psalms 37:25
I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
5: GIVING SHOULD BE SECRET
We should not give to big note ourselves but keep our generosity between us and God. Don’t make a big deal about it.
Matthew 6:3-4
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Someone gave me an envelope with some cash in it recently and said, take your wife out to lunch. We did. I won’t tell you who, but he knows, I know, and God knows. I don’t look at how much you give to Ignite, but God does. So, I won’t tell you exactly what I am giving, except that I want to be the most generous guy in the room. I want to trust God with everything, including finances.
6: GIVING GIVES US CAPACITY TO EARN MORE
When we have a generous Spirit and don’t hold back, God just seems to multiply His provision and blessing for us. You will usually find me the first one to bless others.
Proverbs 11:24
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Generosity opens the floodgates of financial blessing. Our first fruits offering is an opportunity to test God and watch Him miraculously provide.
7: GIVING SHOULD BE FUN!
Heard about a guy who earned just $300 dollars a week, and he felt he had to tithe, that is give ten percent. Later he came to the pastor saying he can’t keep it up, because he was so successful that he now earned $2000 a week, and $200 for God was just too much. The pastor bowed his head and prayed. The man asked, are you praying to get me out of this tithing thing? The pastor replied, no, I’m asking the Lord to drop your income back to $300 so you can tithe without complaining.
2 Corinthians 9:6
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
It is a clear principle that God blesses those who bless others. I want to bless others, and if God gives me more, I want to bless others even more. It is a privilege, not a burden, and not an imposition. Don’t ask me how it works, because giving selflessly is counter-intuitive, but if you want to be blessed financially by God, have a generous Spirit.
Some of you feel you don’t have enough money to give, but time is something you can afford to give. Just be generous with it all, money, time, possessions, everything, and watch God miraculously provide. When you fully commit and don’t hold back, God just does something special. I’m not preaching give to get; I’m preaching give to trust!
Giving is like a farmer sowing. A wise farmer doesn’t sell or eat his entire crop but keeps some to replant. He throws it into the ground. Some would say he has wasted it, but he knows he has invested it. And the more bountifully he sows, the more ultimately, he reaps.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The Greek word for cheerful is HILAROS, from which we get hilarious. Giving should be way beyond cheerful, it should be a crack up, absolutely hilarious. Giving is super fun!
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (ESV)
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
IT’S TIME TO DIG OUT THE WRONG SPIRIT
Money itself is not evil, but the love of money, the Spirit of Mammon behind money, is very evil and controlling indeed!
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.
If money could talk it would admit that it secretly wants to control you. If money could listen, I would tell it to shut up and fall in line with the Word and promises of God. So, if you are broke, if you are tight for cash, or if you face financial trials, get excited, because you are perfectly positioned to defeat the Spirit of Mammon by being generous, even if you only have the widow’s mite. God said test Him, and you can do this right now.
Mark 12:42-44
And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Jesus doesn’t celebrate the monetary value; He celebrates a generous heart. Today, I am not begging for money, I am giving you the opportunity to be a part of something big, something truly inspiring. To join with us to sow into fertile soil, the church, the coffee hub, the community. If you don’t have much money, ask God what you should give and seize this opportunity to trust Him fully. If you do have money, take this opportunity to make sure money doesn’t have you!
Are facing a financial challenge right now, if so, I am going to pray and believe for God to deliver you and bless you, so you can triumph in that challenge. God has done it to us so often, He has restored and prospered us time and again, and Fiona and I are going to give not just generously but lavishly, because God loves a cheerful and generous giver.
TIPPING, TITHING OR TRUSTING?
Let me finish with this question…are you tipping, tithing or trusting?
Many people tip God. Well done, I’ve had a good week, Lord, here’s a few bucks.
Some tithe. I don’t really want to give away my hard-earned money, but the law says I should give ten percent, so I’d better do it, lest God zap me and take all my money. Tithing is really under law, and we should be about grace. God’s grace is exceedingly abundantly beyond what the law apportions to us. For me, tithing is the bare minimum, and I love giving over and above.
Trusting goes beyond tipping and tithing. It says, “I’m going to give generously, no matter what, and trust God for all of my life, even money.” This is not a give to get, prosperity doctrine, it is spirit led generous giving, and trusting God for any result, whatever He sees fit. My experience is that if you do this, you will be blessed beyond measure. That’s God all over!
Luke 6:38
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.”
Pressed down, shaken together, running over, I’m up for that! How are you measuring your giving. Jesus said, with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. So how are you prepared to give? A teaspoon? A tablespoon? Maybe a coffee cup, or even a bucket? Will you give in a barrel, so blessing gets barrelled back to you? I want to be the guy who gives with a dump truck!
THE CHALLENGE TO NOT HOLD BACK
The challenge is for all of us. Will we offer the first fruits of our finances to Him?
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
It’s a clear promise. Will you trust God enough to give Him one week’s income, the first fruits of this financial year? One week’s income, yes or no. Ask God, and let Him lead you. Fiona and I want to give two weeks income or more. What about you? I am going to believe with you that God will abundantly and lavishly honour your trust in Him by supernaturally providing for you.