WORSHIP &GIVING

GIVING & WORSHIP

The word Get is found roughly 600 times in the Bible but the word GIVE is found 15,600 times. Christianity is a religion of giving.
“No worship without giving. If we give we worship God.”
Worship is anything we do whose purpose is to praise and glorify God. We worship God with our mouths when we pray, tell others of His love, or sing to Him. We worship God with our bodies by eating right, bowing in prayer, or even dancing. We worship God with our money .

Isaiah 9:6 “unto us a Son is given
John 3:16 “……………… gave us His begotten son.”

God is the greatest of all givers. All that we have is given by God. To mankind he gave the breath of life (Gen 2:7) Employment (Gen 2:15, 16) Proper clothing (3:21) promise of redemption (3:15, 16) and a Covenant (9:12, 13)
Miss Elaine Crane last letter to her friend, fellow missionary “Jesus is the gift no one can give and in Him we have been given everything we need”

What shall I give you master?
You have redeemed my soul
My gift is small but it is my all
- ‘surrendered to your control’
- Grimes
******** Did you know that over 40% of what Jesus taught, in some way was connected to wealth and poverty, or the use or misuse of wealth, over 40% of his teachings! That should tell us something. It tells us that God and Jesus know that this is a very difficult thing for us; and that we need a lot of guidance

In the Bible people gave:
A Mary worshipped Jesus by giving the most costly ointment.
A Joseph of Aramathea gave his tomb.
A The small boy gave lunch to Jesus.
A Widow gave money.
God measures us not by what we give but what we keep.
Jesus made the boy lunch as large as heaven.

In the Old Testament Giving was a part of worship.In the New Testament Giving is the first fruit of repentance “Luke 3:11- And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." John the Baptist talked money about repentance.
Martin Luther once said:
"People go through three conversions in the Christian faith: their head, their heart, and their pocketbook -- unfortunately, not all at the same time!"

ü Giving is indication of your commitment to God.
ü Giving is so often a root of Revival.



As we read the Bible, we find five types of giving:-
û Sacrifice to God.
û Tithes.
û First fruit.
û Free- will offering.
û Alms.

The best way to exercise worship is by giving and to give we need to sacrifice.

1. SACRIFICE TO GOD: Recognise of who God is? We bring sacrifice of praise unto the house of the Lord

2. TITHE: 10% of family income to support the priest and poor people. Legalistic tithe is not mentioned but shows about tithe.
Beside the tithe they had been told that from 9/10 of income- the 1st & 2nd year they should give to Levites and Priest and the 3rd year they have to given it to the poor.
1 Tim 5:17 ¶ The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

3. FIRST FRUIT: (32 times in the Bible) The first fruit offering honors God and gives you the power and anointing to get wealth according to the word of God. The Bible references first fruits or first things or devoted things no less than 32 times.

"First fruits" is not the same as tithe. Tithe is the first tenth. First fruits is the whole... the root... the foundation.
"For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches." — Romans 11:16
When you offer God your first fruits and bring Him the fullness of the first, you establish the foundation that the "whole thing" — your entire life — will be holy and blessed.

“First fruit is not an offering but a pattern but it cannot be activated without and offering”
Therefore, the first fruit is an
$ An act of worship ( Go before nostrils of God)
$ A declaration of blessing ( Blessing – (Hb )- prosperity
$ First fruit is devoted, holy and first belongs to God
Ex 13:1,2 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me."
Q Brought the first harvest
Q Anything belongs to God, He will always lay claim to it.
Q Pattern flows position and position follows possession.

Rom 11:16 If the first piece {of dough} is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

Ezek 44:30 "The first of all the first fruits of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house.”
What you do with the first determines the rest. To biblically position yourself for your first fruits blessing in 2007, give your very best to the Lord's work today as your first fruits offering.

4. FREE –WILL OFFERING :( The word offering occurs 754 times in the Bible.
“Offerings” " 265 times in the Bible”. Think about it?)
It was given to projects, building of temples. The free will offering are no tithes but as the Holy Spirit stirred their heart. It is a spiritual giving and not emotional (soul) giving
Acts 2:45:- “and they {began} selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”
Barnabas gave freely but Ananias & Sapphira gave part of it, in public they showed that they have given in full. They did not admit that they have kept a part of it.
Worship God in honesty where it is sacrifice through praise, or tithe, or free will offering or the offering of the 1st fruit.
Paul final speech to the Ephesians church was a giving text (Acts 20).
Acts 20:35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
John 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
“Giving bring happiness and cannot buy happiness
Giving bring growth and cannot but growth.”

5. ALMS: Giving that is to a needy individual or family.
Deuteronomy 15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
Acts 10:1- 4 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian [band], [A] devout [man], and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

Several points of interest:
ü when you fear (respect) God, and are concerned with pleasing him, you will give to those in need from time to time.
ü God always honors obedience with Spiritual blessing.
ü Our praying & our giving are a memorial to us before God.
Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Though we should give to those who have needs, be careful that you don't get taken advantage of by someone who is merely lazy. Often the best way is to give an offering through the church "designated" to a family or need. That way you get properly receipted from the church, but most importantly, sometimes the Pastor or staff may know more about the situation than you do. They may council you to give in another manner.
*** From time to time in the church, you will get a call from the secretary saying there is someone in the church who is in need of food or whatever. Please do your best to cooperate with the effort even if your short yourself. God will bless your faith & love!
Often people ask:

How much should I give in an offering?
Well, How much do you love God? How much do you want a blessing?
I can tell you this as a guideline...
II Corinthians 9:6- 8 “But this [I say], He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:”

REMEMBER: Offerings were just as much expected by God as tithes, however,
there was no amount set on it. It's from your heart!

Give of your best to the Master, Giver of the strength of the youth
Give of your best to the Master, Give Him first place in your heart.
Give of your best to the Master, Naught else is worthy His love
Throw your soul’s fresh ardor, In the battle for truth.
Give Him 1st place in your service, Gave up His glory above.

Jesus has set the example; Dauntless was He young and brave
Give and it shall be given, God His beloved Son gave.
Laid down his life without murmur, you form sins ruin to save.

Give Him your loyal devotion, Give Him the best that you have.
Gratefully seeking to serve Him, Give Him the best that you have.
Give Him your hearts adoration, Give Him the best that you have.
Give of your best to the Master, Give of the strength of your youth
Clad in salvation full armor, Join in the battle of truth.
- H.B. Grose (1851-1939)