[Christ Our Rock] On Handling the Gift of God (Aug 08)
Christ Our Rock Bible Church
Perhaps the following story will seem even more apropos in light of the recent flooding in our own country's mid-west. A flood came and left a very devout man stranded on his roof. A neighbor came by in a rowboat, but the man said, "No, thank you—the Lord will save me!" Soon the police showed up in a powerboat, but he gave them the same response. When the peak of his roof was almost submerged, he even sent a rescue helicopter away with the same declaration—"The Lord will save me!"
You probably know what happened—as the story goes, the man drowned. When he met the Lord in heaven, he asked, "Lord, why didn't you save me?" The Lord replied, "I gave you a rowboat, a powerboat, and even a helicopter—what more could you possibly want???" So often we get it in our minds that God is going to intervene in our lives through lightening bolt revelations and thunderous miraculous touches. But, in reality, he often uses a still small voice—often just giving us His answers in everyday circumstances, using every day people. Recently, I was just thinking about how much the Lord gives to His people, but, at the same time, how much is actually either misinterpreted, and thereby, mishandled by those who should just be receiving His gifts by faith.
The concepts of gifts and giving are actually paramount throughout the Scriptures, appearing over 1,500 times throughout the Bible's pages. Giving is what God does best! Well, actually, when you think about it—He does everything best, but it all comes from His giving heart. We see this with King David as he passes the kingdom on to his son Solomon. In 1 Chronicles 28, we find that David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord, but the Lord wanted to give that responsibility to Solomon—if he would persevere in the ways of the Lord! Though David couldn't actually build it, he could prepare the way. He gathered the wood, stones, and precious metals, and then asked the people, "…who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" (29:5b)
And what was their response? Verses 6 and 7 tell us, "Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God…" The list of things offered is so long, I don't have room for it here! But we are told—"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy." (vs. 9) This is key as we begin this look on how to handle gifts—everything must be offered willingly. In one church I know, two families fought every year over who would give the most. Each wanted to be known as the most generous and devoted, but most certainly it was not willingly. Since their hearts were not right in the matter, it actually would have been better if they had given nothing! It must glorify God, not mock Him. You see, we must understand that the ultimate Gift is actually Jesus, and to handle Him poorly, mocks God. Herbert Lockyer once wrote, "What great reward there is for all who receive the Saviour as God's gift. How blessed we are when, having received the Gift, we live for the glory of the Giver! Having received the gift of eternal life, ours is the obligation of living as those who, being heaven-born, are heaven-bound."
It was at Jacob's well that Jesus first gave Himself this title—"If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water."(John 4:10) Jesus had asked for cool water, not only because He was tired and thirsty, but because He wanted to show her her own need for Himself—the living water! Praise God—as the Giver was the Gift, He willingly entered into the giving-heart of God—"For God so loved the world, that He gave…" (John 3:16a) Yes, the Giver was—and is—the Gift! But it doesn't end there—Jesus came, in part, to give the Holy Spirit, so that the Christian life would not just be a matter of having God nearby, but even within. Jesus told His disciples, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13)
Just like rowboats, powerboats, and helicopters must be received in order to have their intended effect, it is even more true when it comes to the Gift of the Holy Spirit. How should this Gift be handled? The Church of Jesus Christ had just begun—"And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostle's feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." (Acts 4:33-35) That is what should happen; this is what shouldn't—a man and his wife, Ananias and Sapphira, sold some land, but kept back some of the proceeds, giving the rest to the church. In that moment, the Holy Spirit witnessed of the truth of the matter to Peter. You see, it had been their land—they could do anything they wanted to do with it or the money they got from it. But they claimed they were giving the whole thing—they lied; and worse yet, they lied to the Holy Spirit! And when Ananias wouldn't admit it and repent, he died on the spot and was buried immediately. Then his wife came in and lied about it, not knowing what had happened to him—and she fell to the ground dead, too. Oh, a Gift mishandled!
It is actually the end of the story that says it all—"And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." (5:11) Today, there is very little fear of the Lord. Many, even within the church, live in deception—shading the truth and leading people to believe that they are more devoted to the Lord than they really are. Case in point—a tithe! It is all through the Scriptures, but many today don't take it seriously. A tithe is literally 10%, and so a $300.00 weekly income would produce a $30.00 tithe; $500.00 would mean $50.00; and so on. And this is only the basic, bottom-line Biblical expectation—what about the "tithes and offerings" we speak about in our services? Our giving, to truly glorify God, must be a "willing offering"—a physical expression of the devotion and surrender that has been implanted in the human heart. Malachi says clearly that the withholding of the tithe is actually robbing God! How many places in our lives do we pretend to be closer to the Lord than we really are, and thereby "tempt the Spirit of the Lord?" (vs. 9) Not smart!
In Acts 8, we see the same thing, and, Praise God, even more. Verses 9 and 10 tell us of a certain man called Simon, who was "giving out that himself was some great one," and everyone around, "gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying This man is the great power of God." He had everybody fooled! But when he saw the Holy Spirit falling on people under the ministry of Peter, he tried to buy it. Peter told him, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." (vs. 20) Today, many think the gift of the Holy Spirit can be bought through good works or traveling all around the country seeking a so-called new thing. Many flock to fast-paced, entertaining, mega-churches, sip their lattes—which they bought right there—and hear snappy little pep talks on how to live—a total mishandling of the Gift!
Listen—a gift is just that, a gift! A.B. Simpson once wrote, "Grace carries with it two great senses always; it comes without charge, and it comes when we are helpless. Grace does not merely help the man who helps himself. The gospel is that God helps the man who cannot help himself. Grace is given to the man who is so weak and helpless he cannot take the first step." Haven't you ever reached out to help another and your gift was rejected, whether it be your time, your resources, or your compassion? And did that cause you to quit? If it did, it shouldn’t have—where would you be if Christ quit reaching out to you after the first time—or the hundredth time—you rejected Him? You would be dead—drowned in the flood of your own sin and deception! When you turn down His rowboats, powerboats, and helicopters, what is left? If you put yourself on some spiritual pedestal, you will turn your back on the amazing compassion of God, and then not have any compassion with which to handle the Gifts intended for others. Proverbs warns, "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" (20:6) God is looking for—and will have—a people who will be honest before Him, handling His Gifts as though they are very precious, for, indeed, they truly are!
--
Posted By Christ Our Rock Bible Church to Christ Our Rock at 8/01/2008 01:00:00 PM