1 Honor the Past; Serve the Present; Provide for the FutureWrite this down for the next generation, so people not yet born will praise God. Psalm 102:18 Honor the Past; Serve the Present; Provide for the Future
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3 The Symbolism of Giving "Why Money Matters"
4 Each of us have the opportunity to give to God.What’s in a Gift? Each of us have the opportunity to give to God. About Farmer Jones
5 The offering is a pure act of worshipCAIN MURDERS ABLE What made Abel's offering acceptable while Cain's was not? The offering is a pure act of worship
6 OUR LESSON TODAY Will provide answers to the following questions:What possible significance could our gifts have to God? What determines a gift's value to God? Why has God included the act of giving as an important part of the Christian lifestyle? What relationship exists between the gift and the giver?
7 The Symbolism of the Gift:The gift represents the giver. The gift that does not touch the giver does not touch God. Listen for how David showed that he not only agreed with these statements but lived them out in his life as well.
8 The Symbolism of the Gift:The gift represents the giver. The gift that does not touch the giver does not touch God. Was there anything in God’s command that specifically told David that he could not accept Araunah’s gift? What do each of these statements mean? What implications does each have toward our giving to God? How did David demonstrate these in his own actions? Why was it important to David to "not offer to God that which costs me nothing?" David's life demonstrated that "the gift that does not touch the giver does not touch God."
9 My Money and Me Giving of our time, Giving of our energy,Matthew 6:21 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. As an employee, how do or did you give yourself to your company? What do you receive in return? Giving of our time, Giving of our energy, Giving of our physical abilities, Giving of our mental abilities. A paycheck, Financial stability, Personal independence, Positive self-esteem
10 Your paycheck in very real terms is you, at least part of you.My money is me and how we spend our money is how we spend our lives. Our financial expenditures demonstrate our personal and family priorities.
11 My Money and Me When Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also," He was speaking on several levels. Jesus’ statement refers to the intimate relationship that exists between our lives and money. We spend a great deal of our lives thinking about money; earning it, saving it, investing it, spending it, and worrying about it. The word "heart" may refer to the emotional aspects of our lives. Money stirs emotions, touches our hopes, fears, insecurities, plans, ambitions, and more. It is no wonder that a high percentage of divorced couples identify money as a major contributor to their failed marriages. Money is a hot topic. There is a sense in which money is me. Most people receive their income from their employment. Suppose you work for a company forty hours per week. You give your time, energy, physical and mental abilities during those forty hours. At the end of the week, your company gives you a paycheck.. The relationship between purse and person is intimate. Jesus said, “ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) That’s intimacy! Find the treasure and you find the heart. Analyze what has occurred. You have given forty hours of your life. In return, you received a paycheck. That paycheck in very real terms is you, at least part of you! Every dollar you make has you "in" it. My money is me! Consider the implications this has on how we spend our money. To spend money is to spend life! Where I put my money is where I put my life. We are in everything we purchase because we are "in" our money.
12 My Money and Me Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured our for you.” At the Last Supper, Jesus presented a beautiful symbolic message in which he identified his life with the wine and the bread. As we eat the bread and drink the cup, we remember Him. In a similar fashion, we as givers, are in our gifts. As Christ gives himself to us in the bread and cup, we give ourselves to Him in the offering.
13 The Value of the Gift Just a little reminder:In their hands they clutch tightly their bulging coin purses and chains of gold. Their eyes hold obvious displeasure at the widows worthless contribution. Their faces are etched with pride, arrogance, selfishness, and greed. . In stark contrast to the widow are several male worshipers who stand behind her. Their garments, obviously of great value, are rich in colors of gold, green, red, and purple. Symbols of their religious devotion dangle from their robes. One artist has pictured the widow as a beautiful young woman with a serene peace and purity in her face. Her face seems to have a soft, radiant glow to it. Her left arm and hand are concealed beneath her dull brown robes. Her right arm is extended forward and raised chest-high. In the palm of her small hand rest two little coins. Mark 12:41-44 The Widow’s Gift 41 Sitting across from the temple treasury, He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43 Summoning His disciples, He said to them, “I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury. 44 For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed—all she had to live on Try to picture the scene as we read the following scripture: Just a little reminder: Jesus stopped to see the people bring their offerings to God.
14 The Value of the Gift What did Jesus see?What do the words "all she had to live on" communicate about the widow? What is giving "out of their abundance?" Can gifts given out of abundance matter to God? Who offered the more valuable gift? How did the widow put herself "in" her gift?
15 The Value of the Gift The Scriptures provide another example of a selfless giver. Mark 14:3-9 >>>>> The Anointing at Bethany What is the financial worth of the gift and the significance of the woman's dowry? The value of the gift is determined by the giver.
16 The Value of the Gift What impressed Jesus about the gift? What was Mary's motivation for such an expression of worship? Without the dowry, Mary's chance at marriage, a husband, and a family were gone. Mary's gift was important because the gift was an expression of all that was important to her. The dowry was of value to Mary because it contained her future well-being.
17 Some Gifts Defile God’s AltarNot all gifts have value before God. The Old Testament prophet, Malachi, recorded this complaint from God about the gifts of His people. God questioned the gifts of defiled bread and diseased animals instead of gifts of the first-fruits of the harvest and unblemished animals. The Jews had been told to give their best. The firstfruits and animals free of disease symbolized the best. Only perfect gifts truly symbolized God’s worthiness. Instead of the best, however, the Hebrews gave what they no longer wanted or could no longer use. We are still in danger of defiling God’s altar. The act of giving is more than putting something on the altar or dropping something into the offering plate. What we give should have meaning to us. If it means little to us, it will mean little to God. As we saw with Cain's offering, not all offerings are acceptable to God. Malachi 1:6-8 The Jews became adept at giving less-than-perfect or costless gifts. They brought to the sacrificial altar those animals that were sick and dying instead of finding the finest animal from their flock. These givers even convinced themselves that they were worshipping God and He would be pleased to accept their offering. God’s judgment of their gifts, however, was you “show contempt for my name.” Through their actions, did the Jews “show contempt” for God's name?
18 A New View of Giving 1 Chronicles 29 paraphrasedThe wave offering was a public demonstration of gratitude, praise and worship and demonstrated a people celebrating a love relationship with God. It was a joyful and symbolic way of saying, “God, we love you. We thank you. All of our resources come from You. We rejoice in Your Presence.” The Old Testament required numerous offerings be made to God. Among these were burnt, drink, fellowship, freewill, peace, grain, sin, thank, trespass, and wave offerings. The wave offering provides an example of the sense of the spirit in which offerings were to be made. The worshipers, gathered in praise and worship, would lift their hands filled with grain, bread, or even a portion of an animal sacrifice and begin to wave their offerings before God. 1 Chronicles 29:10-16 True giving, as presented in Scripture, is a joyous and worshipful experience. However, giving can easily become hollow, meaningless, and rife with hypocrisy. When giving loses its meaning and message, it cannot possibly be joyful.
19 A True Story The boat was worth $30,000 in money.What was it worth to the man who had worked on it and loved it over those years? What was it worth to God? How was the man "in" his gift to God? A man in North Carolina wanted to help his church by giving a significant amount of money. He wanted to help, but he didn't have the money. His savings account was small, and his salary just paid the bills. However, the man had one possession that was worth a lot of money. He had spent twenty years rebuilding a boat. Although the boat was bought originally in serious disrepair, twenty years of hard work and expenses had brought about the boat's original beauty. The boat had given the man much joy over those years. He was proud of the boat and what he had accomplished with it. He sold the boat for $30,000 and gave the money to the church.
20 Meditation Moments Have I understood that where I put my money is where I put my life? Have I given to God only those things I will never miss? Have I found ways to give to God that which cost me nothing? Have I said, "Thank you, Lord" for His gift of giving? Have I appreciated the offering as the first and purest expression of worship? Do I see myself as being in my offering? Is my giving a true expression of my life, labor, and love, or is it a token? Do I understand that the true gift's value is not found in dollars and cents, but in its value to me? Could I benefit from a thoughtful examination of the relationship between my heart and my treasure?
21 Prayer
22 Honor the Past; Serve the Present; Provide for the FutureWrite this down for the next generation, so people not yet born will praise God. Psalm 102:18 Honor the Past; Serve the Present; Provide for the Future