The Benefits of Giving Acts 20 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
During this season of the year, people are buying gifts to give to friends and loved ones. It is a time of giving which brings us to our text. Paul said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” So then there must be some benefits to giving. And these benefits of giving are the subject of our sermon today.
What are the benefits of giving?
You’ll be blessed – Acts 20:35 – it is more blessed to give than to receive – in Mal 3:8-12 there was blessing promised to Israel for tithing – since the tithe was instituted by Abraham before the law [Gen 14:18-20] and since the tithe is the Lord’s [Lev 27:30] we continue to tithe in the New Testament and God continues to bless – I have personally witnessed the blessings of God and I have seen them in the lives of others, as well.
You’ll be joyful – 2 Cor 9:7; 8:2 – giving makes for “cheerful” givers – notice that the Macedonians experienced an abundance of joy in spite of the fact that they were in a great trial of affliction and in deep poverty!
You’ll be loved – 2 Cor 9:7 – God loveth a cheerful giver – people who don’t give don’t think that God loves the givers more than he loves them – but people who give know a much stronger love from God than those who don’t give.
You’ll be in love – Matt 6:21; 2 Cor 8:8 – where your treasure is there will your heart be also – your love for the Lord won’t just be a professed love, it will be a sincere love – the more you give him, the more your love for him grows.
You’ll be fruitful – Phil 4:17 – fruit that may abound to your account – you will be fruitful not only through those to whom you give but through your own service to the Lord, as well – those who are the most faithful in the church and who do the most for the Lord are also the most generous givers [that’s the way it is in every church].
You’ll be secure – Lk 6:38 – shall men give into your bosom – the greatest “hedge” against the uncertainty of riches is to give – every way that you can imagine to invest your money to secure your future will eventually fail to protect you against a crash in the economy – but giving will protect you – God gave you his word on it – and the measure by which he will provide for you is determined by how you mete out your giving to him.
You’ll be eternally wealthy – 1 Tim 6:17-19; Matt 19:21 – you’ll lay up in store for yourself a good foundation against the time to come and you’ll have treasure in heaven.
Conclusion: The way to get started giving or to increase your giving is like this. First, there is a willingness to give [2 Cor 8:3, 12]. Then there is the performance of the giving [2 Cor 8:6, 11]. Do these two things and you will see, firsthand, that these seven benefits of giving are absolutely true.