A Mature Christian is a Generous Giver

Introduction

What is the greatest rival of God in our loyalty and commitment Him?

Ano ang pinaka matinding karibal ng Diyos sa ating paglilingkod at magmamahal sa

kanya?

- Anyone? Give them time to answer.

- Meron ba talagang sinabi si Lord na pera ang pinaka matinding karibal ng Diyos? Yes! Let’s
read?

Matthew 6:24 NIV

[24] "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

- If there is one thing that Jesus directly say that his greatest rival in our commitment and loy-
alty, that is money!
- Isipin mong mabuti lahat ng disciple ni Jesus lived and died for Jesus except one - Judas!
And kinabagsakan niya? Pera!
- Napansin mo rin ba na gainamit din ni Satan na pangtukso kay Jesus ay ang wealth and power
of this world?
- In this verse we can conclude one very important truth…

A true lover of God, does not love nor serve money!

Ang tootong nagmamahal sa Diyor ay walang pagmamahal sa pera!

- Medaling sabihin na wala kang issue sa pera or I claim na wala kang love sa Pera. Kasi
syempre wala namang aamin sa atin na love mo or priority mo ang pera.
- So how do we know that we love and serve money?
- Let us read this and analyzed this verse…

1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV

[6] But godliness with contentment is great gain. [7] For we brought nothing into the
world, and we can take nothing out of it. [8] But if we have food and clothing, we will be
content with that. [9] People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and
into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. [10]
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have
wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

- Grabe! I think this is a very detailed description ng taong me love of money!

- Me mga tanong ako sa iyo na gusto kung sagutin mo on your own heart and be honest
with yourself. Kasi the following question will reveal kung me problem ka sa issue ng
pera. Let us begin.

1. Nalulungkot ka ba kapag nakakakita ka ng mga bagay na gusto mo pero wala ka?

- If yes, that means wala kang contentment sa buhay!

- Contentment means masaya ka kahit wala ka o Meron man. Kasi your joy and happi-
ness depends on your relationship with God and not base on what you have or don’t
have.

2. Natatanong mo ba sa Isip mo kung paano nakuha ng ibang tao Yong mga bagay na
Meron sila at nakakapagisip ka ng hindi maganda sa kanila?

- Ang tawag sa ganyang attitude ay Envy or Inggit.

- Pag nakita mo sila na Meron sila or me napuntahan sila na gusto mo ring magkaroon o
puntahan bigla mong matatanong sa sarili mo saan nila kinuka yong pera na ginastos
nila at pinagisipan ng masama sila ang tawag doon inggit.
- Syempre kung obvious naman na alam mo na they are doing something illegal walang
problema.

3. Pakiramdam mo ba kailangan Meron kang bahay at lupa, sasakyan, nakapag abroad

ka, malaking savings, at nabili mo at lahat ng gusto mo bago ka mamatay?

- People who want to get rich fall into many temptations and trap. That means umutang
hindi mo naman pala kayang bayaran, kaya lalo kang nabaon sa utang.
- Sa kagustuhan mo magkaroon ng mga bagay na yan, papasok ka kahit mali or
makikipag deal ka kahit me compromise or corruption.
- Kung ang feeling mo hindi fulfilled ang buhay mo pag wala ka ng mag bagay na yan,
that means mali ang pananaw mo and hindi ka satisfied kay God at sa mga promise
niya.
4. Matindi ba ang pagnanasa mong yumaman kaya naman nabubusy ka at nagiging
priority mo ang kumita kahit napapabayaan mo ang ministry mo at realtionship mo
kay Lord?

- If yes, that means hindi mo pa naiintindihan yong promise ni Jesus Christ na “seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to
you” Matthew 6:33
- Kaya nga sabi ni Paul they want to get rich and because of that they wandered from the
faith.
- Ibig sabihin kasi ng wandered from the faith. Mas naniniwala ang tao na magkakaroon
lang sila ng mga bagay na gusto natin pag yumaman tayo or magpakabusy sa trabaho
para kumita, instead of trusting God, that if we seek first God he will provide every-
thing we need for life.

5. Nakakapag sinungaling ka ba o pandaraya para lang makatipid or kumita?

- Kung nagagawang mong magsinungaling at mandaya para kumita o makatipid talaga

me problema ka sa pera.

6. Hindi ka ba makapag commit and serve sa church and sa pag wiwin ng tao dahil sa
trabaho or business mo dahil natatakot ka na matanggal sa work or mapabayaan mo
ang business mo or nanghihinayang ka sa mawawalang kita?

- Kasi pag inisip mong mabuti, ang ugat pa rin talaga ay pera at kawalan ng faith kay
God.
- You may reason out na para naman sa family ko ito and need ko tong work na ito, so
kahit nagkakasala ka na or napabayaan mo na ang commitment mo at service mo kay
Lord okay lang. So paano na Yong you cannot serve both God and money?
- Kasi ang maliwanag lang naman sa promise ni Lord pag ginawa natin ang tama at in-
una siya, God will provide.

7. Problemado ka ba sa mga bayarin mo to the point na nadedepress ka na at nastress?

- Hindi mo man tawagin itong love of money, pero still the effect is the same. Pag nag-
woworry ka na dail wala kang pera, that means ang peace, security and joy mo ay pag
me pera ka lang. Pag wala na at Dami mo dues depress and stress ka na.

- Now let us look naman sa ibang aspect naman sa area ng giving sa church.
8. Nahihirapan ka bang magbigay ng tithes and love offering mo dahil feeling mo tala-
gang kukulangin ang budget mo?

- Malinaw namankasi pinagtittihes talag tayo ni Lord kasi principle yan that we ac-
knowledge that God owns our life. Remember Malachi 3:10 and Matthew 23:23.
- 10% na nga lang ang hinihingi niya hindi na nga yong buo nahihirapan ka pa.

9. Pumapasok ba sa isipan mo na pinagkakaperahan lang kayo ng church or ng pas-

tor?

- Hindi mo ba naisip na me gastos din ang church like utilities, operation expenses at
mga fulltiw workers an need ng salary and allowances?
- Kung love mo si lord love mo ang church and workers niya and tutulungan mo sila by
being faithful sa tithes and offering mo.

10. Iniisip mo na mas mas maganda na lang tumulong sa mahihirap kesa sa ibigay sa
church kasi feeling mo mas nangangailangan sila?

- Tandaan niyo ganyan din ang feeling ni Judas…

John 12:4-6 NIV
[4] But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, [5]
"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's
wages. " [6] 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.

- Kadalasan yong akala mong concern sila yong me problem sa pera kasi me hidden mo-
tive pala sila.
- Kaya nga sa verse 7 niyan Sinabi ni Jesus leave her alone for she is doing it for her
burial.

11. Nanghihinayang ka ba sa pera na binigay mo sa church kung “feeling” mo ginastos

ito sa hindi importanteng bagay?

- Katulad din ito nung kay Judas, di ba parang ang ganda nung advocacy ni judas pero
sa totoo lang naghahanp lang siya na majustify na huwag mabawasan yong pera o
magkaroon ng pera siya.
- Tingnan niyong mabuti sa finance usually yong mga mahilig magsalita ng ganyan sila
naman yong hindi talaga generous and faithful magbigay ng tithes and offering.
12. Feeling mo ba ang mga fulltime worker ng church dapat mabuhay ng puro sacrifice
at gamitin lang ang pera sa operation ng church at hindi sa magandang salary com-
pensation ng workers?

- Remember yong Sinabi ni Paul sa mga Corinthians…

John 12:4-6 NIV

[4] But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, [5]
"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's
wages. " [6] 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.

- Kasi yong mga Corinthians laging iniisuehan sa pera si Paul kay instead na dapat
corinthian chruch ang magsupport sa kanya Macedonian churh pa. E mas mahirap na
church sila kesa sa Corinthian.
- Always remember ang mag fulltimers natin they gave up the possibility na magprosper
sila financially and materially just to serve you and the whole church. Hindi ba Naman
dapat macompensate man lang yong pagod, trabaho, hirap at sacrifices nila with a
good salary and benefits?
- Maliwanag naman yong sinabi ni Paul that the pastors should be given double wages. 1
Timothy 5;17

13. Hirap ka bang mag participate sa mga fundraising ng church at feeling mo puro na
lang fundraising?

- What if gawin kaya natin yong Acts 4 na praan ng fundrasing ngearly church.. that
they sell lands just to provide the need of the church, kaya mo ba?
- Or Gawin natin Sundin natin yong 1 John 3:16 na if we really love our brothers we
must lay our lives for them?
- E fundraising pa lang hindi mo na maibigay kay Lord how much pa yong buhay mo
mismo ang bibigay mo?

Challenge

- Sa Totoo lang if you know that God owns everything in your life pati na Lahat ng pera
at aririan mo hindi na issue sa iyo ang magbigay sacrificially and generously sa church
kasi Diyos naman din naman ang me Ari niyan.
- Mas Madali nagn magbigay ng tithes, love offering, firstfruits, Mission fund and any
fund raising why? Kasi alam mo naman God will bless you!
 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 NIV
[6] Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. [7] Each man should give what he has decided in
his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [8]
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, hav-
ing all that you need, you will abound in every good work. [9] As it is written: "He has
scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." [10] Now he
who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your
store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. [11] You will be made
rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your
generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

- Remember this…

Kung nahihirapan kang magbigay generously ibig sabihin hindi mo pa totally

nabibigay ang buong puso at buhay mo kay Jesus!

- Isipin mong mabuti lahat ng me issue sa pera pinarusahan at namatay.

a. Achan - nagtago ng silver, gold and mamahalig mga tela