Give Generously; Work Hard Background / Lesson Passages Proverbs 13:4; 14:23; 20:4; 24:30-34; 26:13-14; 28:19; (6:1-8)/6:6-8; 10:5; 21:20; 24:27; (27:23-27); 11:24-25; 19:17; 22:9; 28:27 Lesson for March 29-30, 2014 Dr. James Patterson Illustration #1 (Giving): A story is told about Alexander the Great passing by a beggar. Alexander tossed him a few gold coins. A companion of the emperor exclaimed, Copper coins would have suited the beggar s need. Why give him gold? Alexander replied, Copper coins would suit the beggar s need, but gold coins suit Alexander s giving. The emperor set a fine example of giving. In contrast, someone once asked John D. Rockefeller, probably the richest man on earth in his heyday, How much (accumulation) is enough? Just a little more, he replied. Just a little more. Note that later in his life, Rockefeller had a change of heart and gave away millions of dollars, but during his accumulative years, his greed and monetary drive were legend. As Alexander realized (and later Rockefeller), when we keep all of our resources strictly for our own use, the satisfaction is very fleeting. No matter what we acquire, the thrill of new possessions quickly wears off. It s not long before we are planning our next materialistic fix. You ve heard the old saying about how we need to keep up with the Joneses. The important question to God is not our asking, How can we keep up with the Joneses, but rather, How can we minister to the Joneses? God wants us to live abundantly and to give abundantly. When we are generous, we become blessings to others. They, in turn, are inspired to bless others. There is a multiplication affect, whether we give to a formal organization, like the church, or if we give to needy individuals. Too many Christians have given little thought to the ways they can contribute to the Lord s work. Some believe they have little or nothing to offer. Others argue
that their lives are stretched to the limit already. They seem resigned that occasional worship attendance is all they will give. However, Jesus, Himself, spoke more about money than any other topic during His ministry, so we know that it is a very important topic. Scholars claim that about 15% of His messages were on money matters. Illustration #2 (Working): Clifford thought: It s Saturday morning. The house is messy, the yard needs work, and I still have that work from the office to do. However, before I start on those things I need to advance my character in this video game. If I can successfully complete a few raids, I am almost certain to pick up a more powerful sword and several bags of gold. The real life work can wait for a little while. Four hours later, Clifford s game character had acquired some gold, but the special weapon had not yet come into his possession. Perhaps one more run would do it. Two hours beyond that, he won the sword. He looked at the clock. Eight o clock, he said. Well, it s too dark for yard work, and I m too tired to do laundry, so I ll just watch a little television before bed and resolve to get some work done tomorrow. The next morning, the first thought to cross his mind was, If I can just hook up with the right group in my online game, I m sure we can clear that dungeon, and I ll still have plenty of time to get to Church and later get those other chores done. His friends noticed the spot in the pew they saved for him remained empty throughout the service. Clifford s obsession with his game had now cost him his Sunday service and Bible study class. Today s lesson from Proverbs is an opportunity for us to make a fresh commitment to contribute freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord s work with our money. It also teaches us to take pride in the quality of our labors and to be people of Christian integrity in all our working responsibilities.
The Book of Proverbs Proverbs was written by King Solomon. In the days before the printing press, most people didn t own books. They counted on memorization. Some scholars define proverb as a short sentence based on long experience. Proverbs are easy to learn, to recall, and to share with others. The primary purpose of the Book of Proverbs is to help believers acquire and apply Godly wisdom to the decisions and activities of daily life. Godly wisdom gives order and purpose, discernment, and a sense of fulfillment to the glory of God. To cultivate wise minds, we must input wise data. Many Christians expose their minds to carnal and mundane data from multiple sources but spend precious little time, inputting Divine wisdom. What is the expected result? We cannot wake up one morning and decide to be wise. To possess wisdom requires a lifestyle of seeking and developing wisdom. Studying the Book of Proverbs can go a long way toward achieving this goal. LESSON PASSAGE 1 Proverbs 11:24 24 One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. All of us face the temptation to hoard our wealth. Wise Christians resist the tendency and instead cultivate the discipline of generous giving. The bountiful, God-given return on our generosity may not be measured in dollars, but may come in the form of priceless spiritual blessings. If you are thinking that the term, wealth, does not apply to you, remember that relative to the rest of the world, all of us in this room are among the richest 10% of all humanity. Everyone has some resources at their disposal.
LESSON PASSAGE 2 Proverbs 19:17; 22:9 19:17 Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord, and He will give a reward to the lender. 22:9 A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. When we lend money to others, we run the risk of never being repaid. However, if we make a loan to God by showing generosity to the poor, we can be confident that He will repay us in ways that count for eternity. This may mean less stuff in our own lives. However, material possessions may bring us comfort in this brief life, but they have no value at all in the eternal life beyond. The only way that wealth can have more than a temporary benefit for the believer is to invest it in the work of God s kingdom. Those of us who are blessed materially need to become channels of blessing to others. And the degree that we demonstrate this shows where our priorities lie. We should carefully monitor the caliber of our stewardship, keeping in mind that it is more blessed to give than to receive. And those of us who are faithful in small matters will be given more responsibility in the future. Furthermore, we should never forget, To whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48). LESSON PASSAGE 3 Proverbs 28:27 The one who gives to the poor will not be in need, but one who turns his eyes away will receive many curses. As we help the needy, we learn that the Lord will provide for us, so we can continue to give. We are blessed to be a blessing. By contrast, people who have hardened hearts can expect many curses to befall them. They may be cursed with harsh resentment from the people they ignored. The curse may come in the form of a guilty conscience. It may come from the awareness that they have let down their Lord. Please note that a significant portion of the money we tithe to our own church goes to meet the financial and spiritual needs of people around the world. The remaining proverbs in this week s lesson help us to connect our generous giving habits with our effective work habits. They point to the importance of not being lazy and teach us to be diligent in our work responsibilities.
LESSON PASSAGE 4 Proverbs 13:4; 14:23; 26:13-14; 28:19 13:4 The slacker craves, yet has nothing, but the diligent is fully satisfied. 14:23 There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty. 26:13 The slacker says, There s a lion in the road a lion in the public square! 26:14 A door turns on its hinges, and a slacker, on his bed. 28:19 The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. Chapter 13, verse 4 The word slacker or sluggard (NASB) in this verse represents an irresponsible person who doesn t take work seriously. Though his needs and wants do not diminish, his capability of acquiring things is negatively affected. If he chooses not to work, he will end up with nothing. Chapter 14, verse 23 Wise Christians know that diligent work generally produces a positive result, or profit. Nothing is accomplished, however, if someone just sits around every day talking about what they need or what they plan to do. At some point, talk has to become action. A person needs to put the plan into motion or all the talking and planning is just so much hot air. Note: While this proverb affirms the virtue of working hard, it doesn t suggest that we are to become workaholics. Wise believers learn how to strike a balance between working, resting, time with the Lord, and building relationships with others. Because, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36)? To gain the whole world is used to describe a man who is willing to do anything for his own material acquisition and worldly pleasures, while simultaneously ignoring his spiritual well-being. Chapter 26, verses 13-14 Slothful people often make excuses (sometimes farfetched) for their lack of output. It doesn t take much to cause them to deviate from the path of hard work. Justified by the excuse, they are often found sleeping late, relaxing, or spending too much time in entertaining pursuits. As the hinge on a gate turns this way and that on the post, so also does a slacker turn over in his bed sleeping or goofing off while most others are working. Chapter 28, verse 19 An industrious person works diligently and consistently to acquire all of the necessities for life. This nose to the grindstone approach will not do for some foolish people who chase after get-rich quick schemes that require little personal effort. Scripture warns, however that such schemes usually pave the way for poverty. Nothing replaces diligent work as the key to
obtaining what we need. If our best plan for advancement involves lottery numbers, it may be time to take a hard look at ourselves. LESSON PASSAGE 5 Proverbs 20:4; 24:30-34 20:4 The slacker does not plow during planting season; at harvest time he looks, and there is nothing. 24:30 I went by the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense. 24:31 Thistles had come up everywhere, weeds covered the ground, and the stone wall was ruined. 24:32 I saw, and took it to heart; I looked, and received instruction: 24:33 a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, 24:34 and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit. Chapter 20, Verse 4 Growing food is a multi-step process, not a onetime activity. The proverb warns that if the slacker puts off the first step of the crop cultivation process for too long, by harvest time he will have nothing but disappointment. Whenever there is work to do, people should take the first step quickly and not put the task off until they are locked into a pattern of inactivity. Chapter 24, Verses 30-34 Some proverbs Solomon learned through attentive observation. One day the king traveled by a lazy person s vineyard. The protective stone wall was in ruins. The field was neglected. The problem was that the owner spent too much time in sleep, or idleness. Without the required maintenance, the field was now unproductive and will not yield enough produce to provide a living for the owner. LESSON PASSAGE 6 Proverbs 6:6-8; 10:5 6 Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. 7 Without leader, administrator, or ruler, 8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. 10:5 The son who gathers during summer is prudent; the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful. Chapter 6, Verse 6 Working wisely means not only being diligent, but also being smart trying your best to be efficient and effective. Solomon observed
that ants exemplified the concept of working smartly, so he urged all slackers to study the habits of the common ant. Chapter 6, Verses 7-8 Ants do not require micromanaged supervision. They know what needs to be done, and they just do it and in a timely manner, as well. There s a time for gathering food, and it must be done within a certain window, or the entire colony will starve. To quote from the line of a well-known movie, There s a time for working and a time for shirking. Don t get the two mixed up. Chapter 10, Verse 5 Similarly, young men who work hard in season ensure an adequate supply of food in leaner times. However, the young person who slacks off during the critical harvest period will go hungry through the winter. Disgracefully, his lack of effort will impact more than his own stomach, and he will be disgraced from causing his family members to suffer, as well. LESSON PASSAGE 7 Proverbs 21:20; 24:27 21:20 Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person, but a foolish man consumes them. 24:27 Complete your outdoor work, and prepare your field; afterward, build your house. Chapter 21, Verse 20 This proverb touches on the matter of saving versus consuming. A wise person not only works diligently to gather treasure, food, and other essentials, but also acts wisely in using such valuable items, being frugal in order to save some for the future. Chapter 24:27 Working smartly also involves making wise decisions about priorities. The example given revolves around the typical newlywed couple of Solomon s day. There were two essential projects to complete, but what to do first, build the house, or plant the crops? For this time period, the correct order would be to plant the field first, then start on the house. If the husband built the house first, the planting season would likely be over by the time he finished construction. With no planted crop to harvest, there would be no food or income to sustain the family. LIFE APPLICATION: How will we apply the lessons learned in today s passages?
In the area of giving, it is important that we all are giving something either to God s Kingdom or directly to those less fortunate. Numerous Scriptures promise us that God will bless our generosity, and none of us want to miss out on His blessings. Stinginess forfeits the opportunity to bless others and to receive the overflowing blessings from God. If we block up the blessings that are supposed to flow from us, our greed will eventually take over our lives. Think of Ebenezer Scrooge. Some say that the bigger scoop we use to give to others, the bigger scoop God uses to bless us back. Also, sometimes what we give away is not money, but our time, our services, or our acts of kindness. Paul clearly taught that whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. I m not suggesting that if we contribute a hundred dollars today that God will send us back a thousand tomorrow. The blessings we get back are not always financial. Sometimes our blessings come back in the form of friendships, health, safety, job security, and so forth. But the Lord has promised His blessings, and you can trust that however God chooses to bless us, it will be the exact blessing that we need. If you notice you are prioritizing gain over godliness, career above Church, investing before tithing, hoarding over giving, shrewd dealing over ethics, things above people, or self gratification over family responsibility, it is time for some serious adjustment. Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. With regard to our personal work ethic, we should always complete the required work, no matter what our vocation is. Even if we find the work overly taxing or utterly boring, we are wise to work as unto the Lord. As Paul said in Colossians 3:23-24, 23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. Maintaining this attitude will ensure that we will not lapse into the slacker s domain.
CLOSING PRAYER: Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father, we ask that you show us how to become good stewards of all the blessings you have given us and not to become caught up in the trap of over-accumulation. Help us to be generous, with cheerful hearts, and an attitude of love. In our working lives, please give us both the strength and wisdom to accomplish all that you have put in our paths to do. We ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.