Part 5: FULL! Texts: Philippians 4:12-13 (NKJV) - I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be FULL and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. [13] I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (In Verse 12, Paul said, I have learned. to be FULL!) Matthew 7:9-11 (NLT) You parents if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? [10] Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! [11] So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. (Our Heavenly Father cares for us more than any earthly father ever could. He wants to give us the very best in life!) Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Our Heavenly Father has specific plans and principles for our individual lives by which we can prosper.) Part 3 - Father Knows Best. How We Can Prosper! Part 1 - Twelve Ways Biblical Giving Can Become the Key to Financial Prosperity
A. The premise for this series is taken from the old TV sitcom by the same name, Father Knows Best. 1. Always remember that our Heavenly Father knows what is best in every area of our lives. 2. If we follow His financial principles, we can be blessed financially, because He certainly knows what is best! B. Have you ever noticed how often scripture urges us to live by God s principles even when it contradicts our own thinking or beliefs? 1. Proverbs 3:5-8 (NKJV) - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; [6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. [7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. [8] It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 2. Most of the time, the Word of God makes perfect sense. What you read in scripture is absolutely the best instruction for your life. a. For example, when He says that we must serve no God but Him, that makes good sense! Or to be faithful in your marriage, attend church regularly, or to treat others as you want them to treat you is easy to understand and obey. b. No one could dispute the wisdom of being thankful and having an appreciative heart or for men to be priests in their own families and teach their children the ways of the Lord. 3. But honestly, at other times, what He asks us to do makes no sense to our carnal reasoning! a. When we must wrestle with our thoughts, it s more difficult to trust God. Our human reasoning rebels when His instruction conflicts with what we believe or think we know. And that happened pretty often in the Bible. b. Gideon was told to face a huge army with only 300 men. Really? You can almost hear him say, We aren t the Spartans and this isn t
Thermopylae. And besides, the Spartans were all killed when they faced a huge army with only 300 men. c. Or how about sending a shepherd boy to face a giant warrior who was 9 feet 4 inches tall? God, are you kidding me? d. Or when worshipers were the first to face a massive, invading army... or to give away your lunch to feed a multitude. or to climb out of a boat and walk on water? Really? e. How about this: give God His tithe and you will do much better with the 90% than the full 100%? God, are you sure? 4. God certainly knows how to test us! In fact, He often offends the mind to reveal the heart. It can be very difficult to just let go and trust God when His request directly conflicts with what we think we should do! 5. Joke: The Mop A little four year old spilled his cola on the floor and tried to clean up the mess himself. When his mother told him that the mop was just outside the back door, he ran to the door, but quickly realized that it was now dark outside. Suddenly afraid, he explained the problem to his mother. But she assured him that there was nothing to worry about. Quietly, she explained that Jesus is everywhere even in dark places and that He will always protect you. This put a smile on the little guy s face! So, he opened the door just enough to poke his head outside and say, Jesus, if You're out there, could You please pass me the mop?" Smart kid! 6. If any area challenges us to trust God, it s obeying His instructions about giving or tithing. People seem to balk and question God. But if giving made sense to our human thinking, everyone would be a tither, right? We wouldn t even need to hear the teaching of this series! 7. If you haven t learned that our Heavenly Father always instructs us in the path that is best for us, you will have a hard time being obedient. a. 1 Corinthians 3:19 (NKJV) - For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
8. Sometimes it helps to understand the theology behind an instruction or principle! That is my purpose for this teaching on stewardship and giving. C. Jesus taught us how to prosper financially. 1. Luke 6:38 (NKJV) - Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. 2. So, we receive by giving?.really? And if we give, even more will be returned to us? Do you see how this contradicts our human logic? But God s purpose is to teach us a Kingdom principle. a. I believe this teaching is also a foundational principle of the universe. If we refuse to give, what we receive will always be limited. b. Since our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us, and if giving is one of those areas, wouldn t it be much better to listen to Him? 3. This is true, not only with finances. What you receive in every area of life is determined by your giving. a. Our text in Proverbs, chapter 3, urges us to trust God and not to lean upon our imperfect understanding. b. We are then promised that if we listen to what He is saying even when the flawed thinking of our fallen nature cannot grasp the logic of His command, we can experience health and prosperity in every area of our lives...not just our finances. 4. This causes me to believe that we could have unhealthy marriages, our families could suffer, our relationships falter, and our finances become depleted by not following His Word or living according to His principles. Still, our Heavenly Father continues to keep His Word if we ll just obey.
5. Think about the widow of Zarephath. Because of the famine, she had only enough oil and meal to bake one cake; then she and her son were going to die. a. Remember that there were no governmental assistance programs or safety nets in those days. b. 1 Kings 17:8-16 (NLT) - Then the Lord said to Elijah, [9] "Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you. c. [v10] So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, "Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?" [11] As she was going to get it, he called to her, "Bring me a bite of bread, too." d. [v12] But she said, "I swear by the LORD your God that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die." e. [v13] But Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you've said, but make a little bread for me FIRST. Then use what's left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. f. [v14] For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!" g. [v15] So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. [16] There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. 6. This is one of those situations where trusting God contradicts the natural mind. a. You can almost hear this widow woman say, So, okay God, let s see how this is supposed to work. I give you the last of my oil and
flour and then the oil and flour will not run out until the famine ends? Right! b. That s how some of us would have reacted if we had listened to our human reasoning. c. By the way, the King James Version refers to the bread as a cake but not a chocolate cake. It was pita bread that has been a staple in the Middle East for thousands of years. 7. Illustration: On a table, place a flask containing a few tablespoons of oil and a canister containing about a cup of flour, next to 1 pita loaf bread. a. Beside the 1 pita bread, place 12 pita bread loaves to represent 6 loaves per day for the widow and her son. b. Multiply 12 loaves times 7 days in a week = 84 pita loaves a week. c. Multiply 12 loaves a day times 30.5 days in a month = 366 loaves. (Place 366 loaves on the table). d. But the famine didn t last for just a week, so multiply 12 loaves per day times 365.25 days per year = 4,383 pita per year. e. Multiply 4,383 times 3 years of famine = the widow and her son received at least 13,149 loaves of pita bread during the three years of famine because she gave her first fruits! God multiplied the bread approximately 36 times the amount sitting on the table! f. And that s not all. Think of the many relatives who just happened to come by at dinner time. g. And what about the neighbors who heard what was happening and dropped by when it was time to eat! 8. But notice what else happened. The following verses in 1 Kings tell us that the widow lady s son became very ill and died. a. In her tremendous grief, she asks if the prophet had come to release judgment for her past sins.
b. It s very important to note that she was quick to acknowledge her imperfections. If you ll listen closely, the enemy will also tell you to expect two things in your life. c. First: bad things are going to happen because that s what you deserve! d. Second: God may bless others, but because of your imperfections, He certainly won t bless you! 9. Oh, how pervasive are these feelings! The woman was already experiencing the multiplication of the oil and flour. After baking the first cake for the prophet, when she looked again, the same amount still remained. a. You can be right in the middle of the biggest miracle and blessing you ve ever received and still not enjoy it, because the enemy is telling you it was a mistake. b. He will say that God shouldn t have blessed you since you are so flawed.and the blessing won t last, anyway! c. So, the prophet reminded the Lord that this lady had obediently given her first fruits. Because of her obedience, God raised her child to life again. d. When you honor God with your giving, He can repay you in ways that are far greater than money! D. Here are the first three of twelve biblical giving principles that will cause you to be blessed, or empowered to prosper. 1. PRINCIPLE NO. 1: You must first give yourself to God. a. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NKJV) - Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: [2] that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.
b. [v3] For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, [4] imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. c. [v5] And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. d. If you first give yourself completely to God, you won t have any trouble giving Him everything else! 2. PRINCIPLE NO. 2 Give the first-fruits to God. a. I m spending more time on this one because it will help us better understand the remaining principles I will share with you. b. Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV) - Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; [10] So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. c. Genesis 4:1-7 (MSG) - Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, "I've gotten a man, with God 's help!" [2] Then she had another baby, Abel. Abel was a herdsman and Cain a farmer. d. [v3-5] Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk. e. [v6-7] God spoke to Cain: "Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it." 3. The book of Genesis is one of the most important books of the Bible. Every major doctrine in the New Testament is found in this book!
a. Theology is the science of (ology) God (Theo). The reason why Genesis is so important is because it contains the Law of First Mention, which is the foundation for understanding Theology. b. In Theology, the Law of First Mention says: to understand a particular word or doctrine, we must find the first place in scripture that word or doctrine is revealed. And then study that passage! c. Many believe that God rejected Cain s offering because he offered produce to the Lord; Abel s offering was accepted because he brought a blood sacrifice. d. That s not true. In the Law of Moses, God prescribed offerings grown in the soil which were not blood offerings. 4. Notice that Cain brought an offering; but Abel brought first-fruits. Cain s offering was not accepted because it was not his first-fruits. a. I ve heard people say that tithing and first-fruits were only under the Law. But first-fruits was mentioned at the very dawn of creation, thousands of years before the Law. b. This establishes first-fruits as a universal Law of God and principle of God s Kingdom not the Law of Moses. c. Rather than receiving instruction from God, Cain refused to obey the Lord and became angry and sulked. d. We should never forget the truth of God s message to Cain. The enemy really is waiting at the door ready to pounce, hoping we will somehow open the door and allow him to attack us. Our job is to keep the door closed! e. God warned Cain that refusing to give God his first-fruits had opened the door for the enemy to enter his life. If he failed to overcome his disobedient spirit, it would destroy him. f. Because Cain refused to listen, he killed his own brother Abel. When we surrender to the spirit of disobedience by not giving God our first-fruits, we open the door for the enemy to attack and harm our families.
g. What happened to Cain suggests that many things we face could be and notice, I said could be the result of failing to give God what belongs to Him. h. I wonder how many of us have faced illnesses and problems in our marriages and finances because the enemy was lying in wait for us! Did we open the door and allow him to come in by refusing to give God His first-fruits, or tithe? i. We must admit that Cain was a giver. The problem was that he didn t give his first-fruits. If we pay our bills first and give God His part on the back-end, we ve given the enemy an opportunity to rob us. 5. PRINCIPLE NO.3 Give to God sacrificially. a. 2 Samuel 24:18-25 (NKJV) - And Gad came that day to David and said to him, Go up, erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. [v19] So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. [20] Now Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. So Araunah went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. [v21] Then Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people." [v22] Now Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. [23] All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "May the LORD your God accept you." [v24] Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my
God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. [v25] And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel. b. God did not tell David to pay Araunah for his contributions. As king, he could have received it from Araunah, if he wished. Other kings would have accepted the gift. But David understood that a sacrifice must cost something that is of value to God. c. If you sense that God is telling you to give a sacrificial offering, obey Him. It could become the key to your breakthrough! 6. I seldom refer to myself when preaching because I ve always believed that we should preach the Word. But if you will forgive me, very reluctantly, I am going to mention some of my sacrificial offerings. a. As I look back over my life, it isn t the things I ve received or that have been added, that are the most valuable or meaningful to me. b. Things come and go; they get old, wear out, rust and decay. What has meant the most to me are the things I ve sacrificed to God. c. Yes, I realize that it s not our works that impress God. If that were true, there are so many others who have done far more than I will ever do. It s not about my works; it s that God has honored what I have sacrificed to Him. 7. Some sacrificial offerings that come to my mind are these: a. I quit a significant job to enter into ministry... and nearly starved to death those first years! b. It s about the years that I ve preached night after night after night; it s the many years that I ve sacrificed every type of social life so I could meet the constant demands associated with ministry. c. It s been the many years I ve prayed hours every day, asking God to send revival and pleading with Him to let me be a part of it.
d. It s been the times I ve given every cent I had to God that I ve never told anyone about, and that s known only to God and me. e. It s the many years I ve fasted two meals and ate only once a day so that God would use me in ministry. I learned later that this is called the fasting life. I didn t even know there was a name for it; I just wanted God to use me. f. It s the years and millions of miles I ve traveled, when I could have stayed at home and taken it easy like most people I know. g. The things I ve given up for God and His cause that I didn t have to do, have impacted my life the most. It has strengthened my relationship with God. Perhaps it has emptied something from me that has created more room for Him. h. I marvel that in a crazy kind of way, the things I thought were sacrifices have brought me the most gain; while the things I ve kept, have become the most insignificant to me. E. LIFE APPLICATION POINTS: 1. Accept as fact that our Heavenly Father does know best and wants what is best for us at all times! 2. Expect the wisdom of God to look like foolishness to our human reasoning and understanding! 3. Realize that if we follow the Father s plans for our lives, we will become empowered to succeed or to be blessed! 4. Determine to obey our Heavenly Father regardless! His plans for us always work!