The Wisdom of Giving

Are you a wise person?

I've asked that question several times as we are in our study in Proverbs.

God wants us, as His people, to be wise in very practical ways

because that's what the book of Proverbs is all about.

It's talking about how to be wise in the way you handle your money,

how to be wise with your words.

Boy, we could sure use that in this country right now, couldn't we?

How to be wise in personal relationships,

how to be wise in terms of the way you go about doing your work.

God wants us to be wise, and He's given us the book of Proverbs

provide a lot of counsel as to the way we need to think,

the way that we need to act,

things we need to learn in order to be wise.

What we're going to look at today is how a wise person gives their money.

And we're going to do that from Proverbs 3, verses 9 and 10.

Proverbs 3:9

We're going to look at the giving habits, the attitude, the priority of wise people.

Now, if you were here last week, you know that we are skipping over verses 5 through 8.

And this is the reason.

Tonight, we're going to have a business conference,

and our budget's going to be presented.

And then next Sunday morning, we will vote on it.

And so since we as a church are at a time of the year where we are going to talk about money,

I thought I'd just skip a few verses and get to where Proverbs talks about giving our money.

We'll come back to verses 5 through 8 in three weeks.

Next Sunday, we're going to observe the Lord's Supper together and baptism.

The week after that, I'm going to do a message related to Thanksgiving.

And so we'll come back in three weeks and look at the most,

what I'm assuming is the most well-known passage in Proverbs, Proverbs 3, 5 and 6.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

You probably know that.

And hopefully, think about that.

Seek to live that way, as we all should.

But right now, let's look at just two verses this morning, verses 9 and 10.

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce.

Then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Now, you know as Solomon writes these words,

He's writing to people, many of them were farmers.

It was an agricultural society.

So that's the context here.

What we have to do is apply it to how we acquire wealth today

and what we do with it, how we spend it, and things of that nature.

So you think about that part as we go through this,

and I'll try to make applications as well.

The first thing I want us to see is in verse 9, the first phrase,

Wise people honor God with their wealth.

Wise people will honor God with their wealth.

Now, what does it mean to honor God?

The word honor means to acknowledge God's significance,

acknowledge God's importance.

Acknowledging God like that means to worship Him.

Worship is acknowledging and praising God for who He is.

Acknowledging His worth, His value, His importance.

And responding appropriately to that.

So let's think.

When you think about worshiping God,

what kind of things come to your mind?

Tell me right quick.

When you think about worshiping God,

what kind of things come to your mind?

This is a dead crowd.

Singing.

Singing is a big part of worshiping God

in Scripture, in the Bible,

and throughout the history of the church.

Singing.

Praying.

Reading Scripture.

Listening to a sermon with the idea,

Yeah, this is God's Word.

I want to listen to what God says,

and I want to respond to it.

Well, do you ever think about

the giving of tithes and offerings

that we do in our church?

Is really a part of worship?

We take the offering

while we are here together

in this worship service

by design.

It is intentional.

It was a regular part

of the worship

of the people of Israel,

and it needs to be

a regular part

of our worship as well.

Now,

some churches do not

take an offering

like we do

in the service,

and there's nothing wrong with that.

There are some great,

strong, healthy,

biblically sound churches.

They'll have some type of box

set up in the foyer

or places around the church,

and they make it widely known.

You know,

it's printed,

it's announced.

That's where you give.

As you come in,

as you leave,

you put your money

in the box.

That's how they do it.

They don't do it

in the worship service.

Some of you may mail

in your offerings,

and I know from time to time

people do that.

Some of you may have

your tithes and offerings

on a regular basis

sent by your bank

to our church.

Nothing wrong

with any of those things.

In fact,

a lot of churches today

have online giving.

You can have

your regular offering

drafted

from your bank account

to our church.

It's whatever date

you want to have it done that.

A lot of churches

are doing that.

We are going to have

that as an option

in the very near future,

and you'll hear

more about that.

What I want us

to think about is

there are many ways

in which we can give.

We do it on Sunday morning,

and we will continue

to do it on Sunday mornings

as a part of our

worship service

because it is worship.

But whenever you give

or however you give,

if you mail it in,

if you have your bank

to send it in,

if it's going to be drafted,

it is important

that you think

as you write the check,

as you look at your bank statement

or however,

it's important that you think,

I am giving this to God

because He is worthy of it.

I want God to know

that this is one way

I'm trying to honor Him.

This is one way

I'm expressing praise to Him

and gratitude to Him

through my giving.

no matter how you do it.

Even here in this worship service

when the plate is passed,

you can just sort of

be indifferent to it.

If you give yours

in this offering,

I want you to stop and think

as that plate is passed,

that this is something

I am giving to God

as a way to honor Him

because He's given it to me.

He is the one

who has enabled me to work,

have the ability to work,

and have what I have.

So I want my giving

to be an expression of worship,

of praise,

of gratitude to God

because He's worth it.

I want to honor Him

with my wealth.

Now,

do you do that?

Are you consciously

worshiping God,

honoring God

from your wealth?

A lot of translations

will say from your wealth.

Are you doing this

intentionally

and consciously?

Honoring God

with our wealth

is the foundational principle

of wise financial stewardship.

Honoring God

with our wealth,

giving,

giving of tithes

and offerings.

That is where we need

to think of it.

We need to think of that

as just a foundational principle

of wise Christian stewards

or wise Christian money managers.

Now,

the next phrase

in verse 9

is the first application

of this principle.

Honor God

with your wealth

and with the first fruits

of all your produce.

The giving of first fruits,

the number two,

look at it,

the way I put it

on the outline.

Wise people make giving to God

their first priority

in using their wealth.

And that's what we're talking about here

and with the first fruits

of all your produce.

The giving of first fruits,

giving of people of Israel

to God

was originally intended

to be a response

by the people of Israel

to God

for delivering them

from slavery,

bondage

in Egypt.

Here's an example

in Deuteronomy chapter 26.

Deuteronomy 26 · chapter mention

In Deuteronomy 26,

beginning about verse 5,

they are instructed,

people of Israel

are instructed

to say this

and then do this

in relation to their first fruits.

We're going to pick up

in verse 8.

Look at it.

They,

the people are to say this

as they give.

So,

so the Lord brought us

out of Egypt

with a mighty hand

and an outstretched arm

with great terror

and with miraculous signs

and wonders.

He brought us

to this place

and gave us

this land,

a land flowing

with milk and honey.

And now

I bring the first fruits

of the soil

that you,

O Lord,

have given me.

And then they're instructed,

place the basket

before the Lord your God

and bow down

before Him.

It's an act of worship.

What Moses is doing here

is saying,

because God had delivered

them,

he said,

really,

because God's delivered us,

but because God

had delivered

the people of Israel

from their bondage

in Egypt

and brought them

into the promised land,

they were to present Him

with first fruit offerings.

They were to be

expressions of worship

and gratitude.

Now this is in Deuteronomy.

Moses is preparing

the people to do this

when they get

into the promised land.

He's preparing them

to be faithful

in giving these first fruits

as His faithful people

in that promised land.

Well, I want us

to think today,

you and me

as Christians

this morning,

because God

has delivered us

from bondage

to sin

through the death

and resurrection

of His Son,

Jesus Christ,

we should desire,

we should really

and truly want

to express

our appreciation,

our worship

by giving the

first fruits

of our wealth.

And if we'll keep

in mind

what God has done

for us in Christ,

our giving

will be genuine.

And if you'll stop

and think about

what God has done

in sending His Son

into the world

to die on the cross

and pay the penalty

for your sins,

so that through faith

in Him,

you can be forgiven,

you can be made

right with God

and become a child

of God.

If you'll think

about that,

what God has done

for you,

you'll want

to give

to Him

in a way

that expresses,

I'm thankful,

Lord,

I praise You,

God,

You are worth it.

You are worth

these kinds

of offerings.

This principle

of first fruit giving

teaches us

to make giving

to God

the first priority

of what we do

with our wealth

or the first priority

of how we use

our wealth.

God deserves

our best

in everything,

doesn't He,

if He is God?

He deserves

our best

in everything,

including

our giving.

Moses made

that clear

to the people

of Israel,

not just

in that passage,

but in other places.

Look at this one,

just one verse

in Exodus 23.

He said,

The best

of the first fruits

of your ground

you shall bring

into the house

of your Lord.

That has been called

a classic

one-sentence description

of the law

of first fruits.

God deserves

the first,

the best

of our wealth.

Not

just what's

left over

after we've

used it

in the way

that most

pleases us.

One man

explained how

his father

taught him

to do this

in a very helpful

way.

I want to tell you

what he did.

This man said,

My dad

placed a dollar

bill on the table

and then he

placed ten

dimes beside it

and he told me

those ten

dimes equal

that dollar

bill.

And then he

took those

dimes and he

stacked them up,

a stack of

dimes there

on the table

and he asked

his son,

the son said,

he asked me,

Which one of

those dimes

is the Lord's?

And the boy

said,

the one on

top.

And the dad

said,

That's right.

The one

on top

of that stack

of dimes

is the Lord's.

Always give

him the first

one,

not

the ones

that you have

left over

after you've

spent whatever

you wanted to

spend.

Now that's just

a simple

little story,

example.

You can visualize

that.

It's simple.

It conveys

the point

of how we

need to make

giving the

first 10%

of our

income to

God

our top

financial

priority.

You think

about it.

How else

can we honor

God?

We're talking

about acknowledging

His importance,

acknowledging

His significance.

How else

can we

acknowledge

or honor

God

with our

wealth

if we don't

make giving

to Him

our first

priority,

our top

priority?

Now lest you

think something

like this is,

well that's just

Old Testament

law type stuff,

that was just

applicable for

the people of

Israel,

I want you

to look at

what the

Apostle Paul

says along

this same

line about

our priority

in giving.

Look at what

he says,

it's in 2 Corinthians

9.

He says,

remember this,

whoever sows

sparingly will

also reap

sparingly.

Whoever sows

generously will

also reap

generously.

Each of you

should give

what you have

decided in your

heart to give,

not reluctantly

or under

compulsion,

for God

loves a

cheerful

giver.

I want to

pause there.

What Proverbs

says,

honor the Lord

with your wealth

and with the

first fruits of

all your

produce,

that's what

we ought to

do.

God

desires

that we

show our

love and

gratitude

that we

truly honor

him by

giving.

Giving him

the first

fruits of

what we

make.

Giving him

off the

top.

Giving him

the first

priority.

But look at

that verse

again.

Each of you

should give

what you have

decided in

your heart

to give,

not reluctantly

or under

compulsion,

for God

loves a

cheerful

giver.

God only

wants you

to give

what you

give because

you want

to.

Because it's

in your

heart to

do it.

God

does,

let me

say it

this way,

no one's

going to

know what

you give

here.

I don't

know and

I don't

ever want to

know what

anybody gives.

What you

give is

going to be

between you

and God.

Now the

people who

count it

know it's

recorded by

financial

secretary,

that kind

of stuff

is all

confidential.

But nobody's

going to

know and

no one in

the world

would ever

say anything

to you,

say anything

to you that

you ought to

be giving

more.

That's not

enough or

anything like

that.

What you

give is

between you

and God.

The Bible

has much to

say about

what we

ought to do.

We ought to

honor God

with our

wealth,

with the

first fruits.

but when

it comes

time to

actually

give,

what Paul

is saying

here is

you need

to give

what you

want to

give,

what's in

your heart

to give.

You

shouldn't

give because

you feel

any kind

of pressure

and you

need to

give when

you give

it,

cheerfully,

with joy.

You're

happy to

do it.

And if

you can't

give it

that way,

just don't

give it.

This is not

about trying

to get money

from you.

What we're

reading here

is God's

word to

His people

wherever they

are,

whatever church

they're a part

of.

God is

saying this

for our

benefit.

If we're

really His

children and

really want

to honor

Him and

show Him

that we

honor Him,

we need

to give,

we need

to give

off the

top,

but we

need to

give,

not under

compulsion,

not reluctantly,

but we

need to give

cheerfully.

And then that

last verse,

and God is

able to

bless you

abundantly,

so that in

all things,

at all times,

having all

that you

need,

you will

abound in

every good

work.

In other

words,

God will

give you

what He

wants you

to give.

God will

make it

so that you

can give

if you will

give obediently

and faithfully.

Now,

let's make

all this

real personal.

How does

your giving

compare with

what we're

looking at

here in this

passage,

with what

Paul said

there?

You think

about you.

Do you

honor God

by making

your offerings

to Him

your first

priority

in terms of

what you do

with your

money?

money?

I mean,

everybody in

here who

has some

kind of

income,

it comes

monthly,

it comes

bi-weekly,

it comes

weekly,

it comes

some time.

As your

income comes

in, as it

becomes available

to you,

is your

giving to

God your

first giving?

because you

want it to

be.

It's your

priority, it's

your commitment,

it's how you

want to honor

God.

Second

question,

do you

express your

gratitude to

God for

what He has

given you

by giving

back to

Him?

In other

words, do you

honor God with

your wealth

because you

recognize that

what you've

got, God

has allowed

you or

enabled you

to have?

And so

you're giving

to express

your gratitude

to Him,

and you're

acknowledging that

it does come

from Him.

Number three,

do you

demonstrate your

trust in God

to supply all

your needs

by giving

Him the

first fruits

of your

income?

Now, it

does take

faith.

When your

income comes

in, let's

just say it's

there in the

bank.

If you're

going to give

to God

first, no

matter what,

you've got

to have

trust and

confidence that

once I give

to God, He's

going to enable

me to fulfill

all my other

obligations.

promises.

He's going

to enable

me, He's

going to

meet my

needs.

Now,

God promises

to meet our

needs, but

does not

promise to

meet all of

our wants.

He doesn't

promise to

fulfill all

of our

wish lists.

And God

expects us,

as the book

of Proverbs,

and we'll

talk about

that later

on down the

road,

God expects

us to be

wise managers

of our

money.

If we

will have,

if we'll

be wise

managers of

our money,

and understand

the difference

between needs

and wants,

we can give

off the top,

and we can

trust God to

meet our

needs,

and to have

what we need

to have,

but I want to

be honest with

you.

To give,

like we're

talking about

this morning,

you can't do

everything that

everybody else

does.

You will

sacrifice

something in

order to

give to

God.

When I was

growing up,

when my boys

were growing

up,

it was not

unusual for

people to

tell their

children,

it wasn't

unusual for

children to

say to their

friends that

they couldn't

do something

because we

can't afford

it.

And there

was no shame

in that.

There was no

embarrassment or

disgrace.

There was a lot

of things when I

was growing up,

we couldn't do

because my

family couldn't

afford it.

My mother and

daddy both

worked,

and they did

well,

but we couldn't

afford to do

everything that

everybody did.

And when my

boys were growing

up,

Lisa and I

both,

we never,

ever hesitated

or felt any

shame at all

to say to

them,

we can't

afford to

do that

because we

could not

afford to

do that

and give

what we

were going

to give

to the

Lord

and manage

the rest

of it in

a wise

way.

And if

you won't

teach your

children today

lessons like

we can't

afford it,

you are

setting them

up for

financial ruin

themselves if

you don't

follow yourself

first.

We're talking

not just about

giving this one,

we're talking

about being

wise with our

money.

We're talking

about being

good stewards

with our

resources.

resources.

You cannot

do everything,

have everything

that everybody

else has

and give to

God.

I'll just say

it right there,

but so be

it.

So be

it.

It is better

to be faithful

to God and

obedient to

God and not

have the latest

gadget than to

have the latest

gadget.

for you and

your family and

knowing that

you're disobedient

to God.

Fourth question,

what kind of

commitment to

God do you

demonstrate by

your giving?

And every

single one of

us in here,

we are

demonstrating

some kind of

commitment to

God by our

giving.

Are you

pleased with

it?

Final thought,

verse 10,

a wise person

understands he

can never

out-give

God.

Look at it.

Then your

barns will be

filled with

plenty and

your vats

will be

bursting with

wine.

Speaking to

people who

are farming,

agricultural

mindset here,

what it is

promising that

God will

meet your

needs.

God will

give you

what He

wants you

to have.

God will

bless

faithful

giving.

Now,

this can

be abused

and it

has been

abused by

these health

and wealth

type preachers.

What they'll

always say

is,

you give

to me

and God

will bless

you.

Watch these

birds who

are always

trying to

entice you

to give

to them

instead of

thinking in

terms of

giving to

God in

various ways.

it's not

a promise,

this is not,

this is not

a promise

that the way

to become

rich is to

give to

God.

We've

already seen,

you know

this anyway,

Proverbs are

not promises,

they are

general statements

of how life

normally works.

Proverbs are

general statements

of how life

normally works.

That's what

Solomon intended

as he wrote

this under

the inspiration

of the Holy

Spirit.

This is a

general principle

that God

blesses those

who make

him their

priority

in their

giving,

not because

they want

greater wealth,

but because

they want

to honor

God.

Don't think

in terms

of I

give so

God will

make me

wealthy,

or I

give to

get.

That's not

what he's

talking about

there.

This verse

is telling

us that as

a general

rule,

giving generously

to honor

God will

result in

God giving

us greater

wealth.

But the

point is not

that God's

going to

make you

rich.

The point

is that as

you give to

honor God,

you're going to

be blessed

by God.

He's going to

give you more

so that you can

continue to

honor Him

with your

giving.

God gives to

those who will

be wise,

who will seek

to do His

will,

who will seek

to honor Him

and be a

blessing to

other people

with their

money.

Now lest you

think this is

just some

kind of obscure

verse here,

look in Proverbs

Proverbs 11:24

11,

verse 24,

it's on the

screen.

One gives

freely,

yet grows all

the richer.

Another withholds

what he should

give and only

suffers want.

God blesses

generosity,

but He withholds

blessing from

the greedy

as a general

rule.

Generosity

is the

better path

or the

best path

to greater

wealth if

our desire

is to honor

God with it

all and to

be faithful

stewards with

what God

gives us.

But stinginess

and greed

is a path

to financial

ruin in the

long run.

I have no

idea what

anybody in

this church

gives nor

do I ever

want to

know.

Don't tell

me.

I would

not want

to know

what you

give.

It's none

of my

business.

But I am

confident that

many people in

this church

give to God

just like

this proverb

says.

There's no doubt

in my mind that

many people in

this church

honor the

Lord with

their wealth,

with the

first fruits of

all their

produce.

The tithes and

offerings that

come in that

you can read

about in the

newsletter just

like I do.

Those tithes and

offerings, that

amount would not

come in if

there were not

people who were

faithfully honoring

God with their

wealth.

And if that's

you, I pray

that God will

affirm you in

that.

Thank you.

from your

church family.

Many people in

this church, they

can read

Proverbs 9 and

10 and they

can say, I

know it from

experience.

Lisa and I, we

can say that from

38 years experience

of marriage, giving

this way, God

does work this

way.

And we've done

it for 38 years

by the grace of

God.

When we first got

married for the

first four years,

one of us was in

school full time.

When we first got

married for the

first several years,

while our children

were young, we had

one income.

Our boys grew up

just like the

average person in

this church.

We put them

through college,

just like a lot

of you.

I know what it's

like.

Lisa and I know

what it's like.

At various

stages, various

levels of

income, various

expenses, we

know what it's

like to sweat

when you pay

your bills,

when your

children's involved

in a lot of

things, especially

they're going to

college.

college, that's

tough.

But God has

always been

faithful.

God has always

blessed us with a

whole lot more

than we needed.

And I know for a

fact, because I've

heard some of you

say it, that is the

testimony of many

people in this room

and many Christians

in this world.

But if you do not

honor God in your

giving, as this

proverb is telling

us to do, I want

to ask you, why

not?

Is it that you

really just don't

trust God to meet

your legitimate

needs if you

give?

That's a trust

issue.

a trust

God issue.

You need to

think about that.

Or do you

really want to

say to God,

Lord, I can't

trust you.

I believe you

sent Jesus, your

son into the world

to die for my

sins.

I believe you'll

take care of me

for all eternity

because I'm

trusting in him

and him alone for

my salvation.

But I don't

trust you to meet

my needs on a

regular monthly

basis.

Or if you're not

honoring God,

giving him, giving

him like this, could

it be that you

just don't love

him enough?

You don't really

want to give him

like this because

you don't have the

kind of relationship

with him that

compels you to

just want to

express your love

and gratitude and

appreciation by

giving.

Could it just be

that, just to be

all honest, you're

just basically

selfish and greedy.

What's yours is

yours.

And you're not

going to give

any to anybody.

You're going to

take care of you.

There's a lot of

people in this

world today, even

in some churches.

If you're not

giving to God, you're

not honoring God

with your giving and

making him your

first priority.

I'm being very

serious here.

What is your

problem?

because there is a

problem.

If God is

convicting you

that there is a

problem, I want you

to understand this is

sin.

And if you'll

confess it to God,

repent of this

attitude, these

ways, and seek his

forgiveness, he'll

forgive you and

cleanse you, and

then make a

commitment that you

are going to seek

as of today, starting

to honor God with

your wealth and with

the first fruits of

all your produce.

values.

But now you've got to

ask God for the

wisdom to know where

to start and how to

start.

Because you're not

starting at ground

zero, you've got

bills, you've got

obligations.

So you need to ask

God to give you the

wisdom to know how to

start honoring him with

your wealth, making

him, giving to him

your first priority.

God will give you

that wisdom.

He'll help you to

start, start where

you are.

But the important

thing we need to

understand this morning

is wise people honor

God with their wealth.

They make giving to

him their first

priority when it

comes to how they

use their money.

Let's pray together.

Father,

Father, help us to

hear you this morning

about this general

principle of life in

relation to money.

Father, if there are

people in this room who

are not Christians, help

them to understand that

this message is not for

them.

because what you want

from them is their

heart, their life

first.

And if that's the

case, I pray, dear God,

that you would just

compel that person to

admit their sin, their

selfishness and turn from

it and understand that

when Jesus died on the

cross, he paid the

penalty for their sin.

Cause that man or woman

or young person to call

upon Jesus to save

them right now.

Lord, I pray that you

will affirm those who

are seeking to honor you

with their wealth.

But Lord, I pray that you

will convict those who

aren't to start now.

And assure them that you

will guide them along the

way.

Show them how.

If they want to.

And they'll make the

commitment to start.

In an attitude of prayer,

let's just listen to the

Lord and respond to him.

And I'll be happy to pray

with you, help you here at

the front.

If you come down during the

next few minutes.

Amen.

Amen.