Love is King – Then They Opened Their Treasures
1. Give Yourself First to the Lord in Worship - and Grace Will Flow
Matt 2:10-11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
2 Cor 8:2-7 They are filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do. (nkjv) But as you abound in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us see that you abound in this grace also.
● Liberality – Rich generosity, sincerity, without self-seeking
● This is giving with no strings attached, and with no expectations
● Rich generosity and a grace for giving is released when we first worship Him for what he has done in our life
● This giving grace like every grace needs to increase every year
● This giving grace causes us to even go beyond what we planned
2. When God Has Your Heart in Worship Giving Extravagantly is Easy
John 12:3-6 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
● Extravagant offerings are the revealer of the heart’s condition
● Mary loved Jesus, but Judas had allowed Satan to fill his heart
● When a good disciple loses his first love he becomes a bad disciple
● When we forget where we come from we run the danger of losing our first love and the first thing to go is our generosity
Rev 2:4-6 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Luke 7:37-47 a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." (Mark 14:5 and they criticized her sharply.)
● You will never understand the depth of my worship and generosity until you understand the depth of my sin
● Giving represents our lives and God will not be out given
● Now that God has our heart, what’s your expectation today?
Phil 4:18-19 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.