Grace Of Giving – Part Two

This article is part 2 of 4 in the series Giving

2.  Luke 6:38 – “GIVE AND YOU SHALL GET”  
     A. Luke 6:27-37 Read (“Doesn’t make sense!”
          “Can’t do this!” “Not natural!”)
          1.) Exactly right – “Foolishness” (I Corinthians 1:18) (Since before first Century –
                Righteous have been mistreated!)
          2.) Luke 9:23-25 “Take up your cross” (Not stuck on with Velcro)
          3.) Not talking about COMMANDMENTS/ DOCTRINES… talking about LIFE
          4.) = Fruit of Spirit in action – Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23 (Read)
     B. (Two handed Christianity) “GIVE AND YOU SHALL GET” “SOW AND YOU
          SHALL REAP”
          1.) NEW CLUB: “SHARE HALF A CAKE CLUB” (Bake cake/share half/ share
               other half)
                a.) Knock on door/ “Brought you some cake/just thinking a/you”/ “Come on in”
                      “Let’s have coffee and cake!”
                b.) THEY DON’T NEED THIS – WE NEED IT! – (We don’t teach that/ we
                     should)
                c.) Iowa church (156 yr. old) Was 229 now 6 – HOW TO GROW?
                d.) Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16 “Go into all the world/ every creature…”
                     (INTENTIONAL CHANGES)(Not change for change sake) (Fellowship 
                     Dinner)(Thanksgiving)(Christmas) – FEED TO HUNGRY
     C. Give And You Shall Get – Sow And You Shall Reap
          1.) Don’t worry where it come from – how it works – TRUST HIM.
          2.) ELECTRICITY – Don’t know how it works – but it works
          3.) AERODYNAMICS – Don’t know how it works – but it works
          4.) Don’t know how – BLACK COW – GREEN GRASS – WHITE MILK –
               YELLOW BUTTER
          5.) Luke 6:38 Read – Don’t know how it works – but it does.
          6.) Jesus just says…. LOVE ME AND GROW.
      D. Issue today – NOT MONEY/ TIME/ TALENTS… (Lesson would be long over 
           if it were as simple as that.)
          1.) ISSUE = UNDERSTANDING GRACE AND GROWING IN IT.
      E. SCOOPS (ILLUSTRATION)
           1.) Spoon – “I love the Lord… I’m gonna use the spoon” (Here comes the plate)
                 …(Nothing wrong with spoon)
           2.) “Jack!” (Yes Lord?) “Can I use your spoon?” (Why Lord?) “Cause that’s how
                 it works.”
           3.) “I love Jack, I’m gonna give to Jack…”
           4.) “Lord” (Yes Jack) “Can I use a scoop?” (Sure you can) “I love the Lord, I’m
                 using a scoop.”
           5.) “I DON’T BELIEVE THAT!” (Ok, don’t have to.) (Gravity)(Jump = don’t break
                 law/prove it)
           6.) Lord says… prove it GAYSG/SAYSR
           7.) “Church full of snobs!” (You are one too) “What you mean?”
                 a.) We mirror ea. other – Go thru life / people mirror each other as pass thru
                       life.
                 b.) To a SNOB all are SNOBS/ UNFRIENDLY – UNFRIENDLY/ GREEDY –
                       GREEDY
                 c.) If open handed, friendly, forgiving, kind… REFLECTED.
           8.) Lord says, “Jack, give me your spoon or scoop… it’s your decision… that’s
                 how it works.”
           9.) DAD was in KANSAS, CITY – Lady said, “Your scoop is too small.” (Bigger
                 scoop)
                 a.) 191 spoons – 1 mid sized scoop
                 b.) 2 ½ Mid sized scoops – Big scoop
       F. Lesson is simple – GROW IN GRACE – NEVER STOP GROWING.
           1.) QUESTION: Does God use the scoop while we use a spoon? Yes!
                 (Showers of Blessings)
           2.) Why? How?
           3.) Husband/Wife – 9 children (demands/cries/wets diapers/sick/hungry)
                 a.) Child doesn’t give as much as take!
                 b.) Child breaks things/ writes on your good furniture.
           4.) “Jack, I didn’t come here to be like you…… I came so you could be like me.”
                 a.) Paul said, “Saved by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8)
                 b.) Romans 4 = Righteousness = CREDITED (Big credit / BIG scoop cf. 
                      Romans 5:9 “see how much more”).
           5.) Why we give to our children out of scoop? Love!
                 a.) Matthew 7:7-12 Read
      G. HOW MUCH IS MUCH? Mark 12:41 (Partial Read)(“Calling His disciples to him,
           Jesus said,
           “How much is much”?) (I added that)
           1.) (ILLUSTRATION) Man gives $1,000.00 bill in plate/ Deacon runs to
                 elder and says, “Look!!!” (Who gave that!?) “There he is” (We need to meet
                 him!”) “HELLO BROTHER! GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE!”
                 a.) (James 2) James says, “You have dirty minds”  “You don’t know how
                       much, “MUCH” is.”
                 b.) How many $1,000.00 bills you have? 100 = 1% (1% of anything is not
                       much).
                 c.) Man give $1.00…. How many do you have? 100 = 1% (Same as
                      the other person)
                 d.) THIS IS WHY YOU NEVER JUDGE A PERSON…. DON’T KNOW HOW
                       MUCH HE HAS.
           2.) “Every man give as he purposes in his heart….”
                 a.) (ILLUSTRATION) “Charlie only gave $10.00 and he makes 593.96/wk.
                       and just got inheritance!”
                 b.) “You know that Charlie has parents in nursing home and pays $6,000 ea./
                       month?” (No, I didn’t know that? “I don’t either, but it’s possible.” (Don’t
                       judge!) (Let him grow!!!)
            3.) Mark 12:42-44 Read. Jesus is saying DON’T JUDGE…

3. WONDERFUL SPIRITUAL EXERCISE (Last part of lesson)(Open envelops/ card/pencils) (Please return these – Envelops and pencils will be used again)
     A. Card – 1, 2, 3 Side (IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER – put a “V” = not counted.
     B. NO NAMES ALLOWED (not interested in “who”)(Just be honest)(DON’T LOOK 
          AT NEIGHBOR)
     C. SAMPLE: #1 ($5.00) (Cover with thumb)
         1.) How much you love family? Cant say.
         2.) How much you love the Lord? Can’t say. (IT’S UNDER YOUR THUMB)
    D. “I OBJECT!!!” (On what basis?) “You don’t know what I wrote/ don’t know my 
         situation!”
         1.) You are right! Don’t need to know/ INDIVIDUAL/PRIVATE GRACE.
         2.) Bet. You and God. Not CORPORATE GRACE/ CONGREGATIONAL
              GRACE…. INDIVIDUAL!
     E. Under your thumb = THREE THINGS
          1.) How much you love the Lord.
                a.) “O how I love Jesus, O how I love….” Jesus asks, “Do you love me
                      Jack?” (cf John 21 Jesus and Peter). “All the Jesus I surrender, Lord I
                      give myself to thee….” “Jack, do you really surrender all….?”
                b.) 1% may be all a person can give… maybe not. GOD JUST WANTS US
                     TO GROW!
                c.) God doesn’t want us to win souls just to win souls…. HE WANTS TO
                     CHANGE YOU.
                d.) Lord not concerned with our budget etc… WANTS TO CHANGE YOU/
                     BLESS THE GIVER.
          2.) How much you have grown over time.
                a.) 5, 10 years how much have you grown over all?
                b.) 2 Corinthians 8:7 Read “But since you excel in everything—in faith, in
                      speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have
                      kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
                 c.) This is a lesson on life principles…. bigger than money
          3.) The future of your congregation. What will be done corporately (locally)(USA)
                (Foreign)
     F. TURN CARD OVER (Top of Card = PROPORTIONATE) (Explain difference 
          bet. Proportionate and a Portion)
          1.) Weekly income – Go down Lt. hand column to approximate $$$ – INCOME
          2.) Go the Rt hand column to figure which represents approx. present wkly 
                contribution (gift) CIRCLE IT.
          3.) This shows you where you are. (NO SHAME/GUILT even if 1%) – Just grow!
     G. TURN CARD BACK OVER
          1.) Multiply amt. in #1 by 10.
               a.) Tomorrow your employer will receive a guest… JESUS- “Your employee
                     is Charlie?” “Yes, Good man.” (Well, he is one of Mine. Well, I’m going to
                     use the OT “Tithing” figure of 10% to figure how I bless him, and I want
                     you to pay him 10 times what he gives Me.”
               b.) Could you live? Cut back? Be comfortable?
               c.) What would happen to the stuff bought on Credit? (Call GMAC – Come 
                    get it!)(Call Rent-A-Center – Come get the 70” Flat screen)
      H. WHAT IF EVERY CONTRIBUTING MEMBER – were to start growing some in
          this grace today?
           1.) One card – From 10 Cents to 20 Cents = 100% growth (Remember, not
                 thinking in terms of amount!
                a.) Not thinking in terms of PORTION… this is PRO-PORTIONATE giving!
                b.) Decision of the grateful, trusting heart… that wants to grow
                c.) Not a weekly BILL, DUTY, it’s a gift of love.
           2.) One card $1.00 to $25.00 = 2400% Growth.
           3.) What happens to the heart of Christian when it opens up and trusts Jesus?
                What happens at home? What happens at work, when one grows in grace?
           4.) Have seen cards go from $1.00 to $10.00. (What happens when grow
                900%?)
           5.) Saw cards from $200.00/ $500.00… $5.00 /$10.00… $0.20/ $0.50 per
                 week = some! That’s fine! GROW!
         7.) STOP comparing yourself with someone else… = bet. you and God (self with 
              self)
      I. Bottom line… not budgets/ missions/ buildings/ ministers… bottom line GOD
         WANTS TO BLESS THE GIVER, his life, family
         1.) Have prayed before Contribution, “Lord bless the gift AND the giver.”
              a.) Haven’t understood that too well… but we’re teaching it now.
      J. PUT THE AMOUNT YOU WILL INCREASE YOUR GIFT BEGINNING NEXT
          WEEK IN BOX #2 AND TOTAL IT IN BOX #3.
     K. Put card in envelop with pencil, don’t seal the envelop, just tuck it in…
     L. Pass to the aisle for pick up.

CONCLUDING REMARKS – INVITATION
(I left dad’s closing off here since it was a requested invitation for any who would like to obey the Gospel, which you can design yourself.)

(It is amazing to me how dad presented this lesson, and how people grew…
Just to let you know… One card came back after dad finished and it said, “I promise to increase my weekly giving $1.00 if you promise not to have someone come and speak so long on giving again.” Obviously, not some brethren’s favorite lesson… But it blessed many “over the years”, and I hope this will help you. I am trying to put the DVD that this was taken from on the site…. if I can figure out how… If you go to the “Illustrations” portion of this site under “Jack Exum – TUD, you will find many of the illustrations used, and more. The handout cards used in this lesson will be added here soon. God bless you, Jack Jr.)  

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