Are you a wise person?
I've asked that question several times as we are in our study in Proverbs.
God wants us, as His people, to be wise in very practical ways
because that's what the book of Proverbs is all about.
It's talking about how to be wise in the way you handle your money,
how to be wise with your words.
Boy, we could sure use that in this country right now, couldn't we?
How to be wise in personal relationships,
how to be wise in terms of the way you go about doing your work.
God wants us to be wise, and He's given us the book of Proverbs
provide a lot of counsel as to the way we need to think,
the way that we need to act,
things we need to learn in order to be wise.
What we're going to look at today is how a wise person gives their money.
And we're going to do that from Proverbs 3, verses 9 and 10.
We're going to look at the giving habits, the attitude, the priority of wise people.
Now, if you were here last week, you know that we are skipping over verses 5 through 8.
And this is the reason.
Tonight, we're going to have a business conference,
and our budget's going to be presented.
And then next Sunday morning, we will vote on it.
And so since we as a church are at a time of the year where we are going to talk about money,
I thought I'd just skip a few verses and get to where Proverbs talks about giving our money.
We'll come back to verses 5 through 8 in three weeks.
Next Sunday, we're going to observe the Lord's Supper together and baptism.
The week after that, I'm going to do a message related to Thanksgiving.
And so we'll come back in three weeks and look at the most,
what I'm assuming is the most well-known passage in Proverbs, Proverbs 3, 5 and 6.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
You probably know that.
And hopefully, think about that.
Seek to live that way, as we all should.
But right now, let's look at just two verses this morning, verses 9 and 10.
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce.
Then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Now, you know as Solomon writes these words,
He's writing to people, many of them were farmers.
It was an agricultural society.
So that's the context here.
What we have to do is apply it to how we acquire wealth today
and what we do with it, how we spend it, and things of that nature.
So you think about that part as we go through this,
and I'll try to make applications as well.
The first thing I want us to see is in verse 9, the first phrase,
Wise people honor God with their wealth.
Wise people will honor God with their wealth.
Now, what does it mean to honor God?
The word honor means to acknowledge God's significance,
acknowledge God's importance.
Acknowledging God like that means to worship Him.
Worship is acknowledging and praising God for who He is.
Acknowledging His worth, His value, His importance.
And responding appropriately to that.
So let's think.
When you think about worshiping God,
what kind of things come to your mind?
Tell me right quick.
When you think about worshiping God,
what kind of things come to your mind?
This is a dead crowd.
Singing.
Singing is a big part of worshiping God
in Scripture, in the Bible,
and throughout the history of the church.
Singing.
Praying.
Reading Scripture.
Listening to a sermon with the idea,
Yeah, this is God's Word.
I want to listen to what God says,
and I want to respond to it.
Well, do you ever think about
the giving of tithes and offerings
that we do in our church?
Is really a part of worship?
We take the offering
while we are here together
in this worship service
by design.
It is intentional.
It was a regular part
of the worship
of the people of Israel,
and it needs to be
a regular part
of our worship as well.
Now,
some churches do not
take an offering
like we do
in the service,
and there's nothing wrong with that.
There are some great,
strong, healthy,
biblically sound churches.
They'll have some type of box
set up in the foyer
or places around the church,
and they make it widely known.
You know,
it's printed,
it's announced.
That's where you give.
As you come in,
as you leave,
you put your money
in the box.
That's how they do it.
They don't do it
in the worship service.
Some of you may mail
in your offerings,
and I know from time to time
people do that.
Some of you may have
your tithes and offerings
on a regular basis
sent by your bank
to our church.
Nothing wrong
with any of those things.
In fact,
a lot of churches today
have online giving.
You can have
your regular offering
drafted
from your bank account
to our church.
It's whatever date
you want to have it done that.
A lot of churches
are doing that.
We are going to have
that as an option
in the very near future,
and you'll hear
more about that.
What I want us
to think about is
there are many ways
in which we can give.
We do it on Sunday morning,
and we will continue
to do it on Sunday mornings
as a part of our
worship service
because it is worship.
But whenever you give
or however you give,
if you mail it in,
if you have your bank
to send it in,
if it's going to be drafted,
it is important
that you think
as you write the check,
as you look at your bank statement
or however,
it's important that you think,
I am giving this to God
because He is worthy of it.
I want God to know
that this is one way
I'm trying to honor Him.
This is one way
I'm expressing praise to Him
and gratitude to Him
through my giving.
no matter how you do it.
Even here in this worship service
when the plate is passed,
you can just sort of
be indifferent to it.
If you give yours
in this offering,
I want you to stop and think
as that plate is passed,
that this is something
I am giving to God
as a way to honor Him
because He's given it to me.
He is the one
who has enabled me to work,
have the ability to work,
and have what I have.
So I want my giving
to be an expression of worship,
of praise,
of gratitude to God
because He's worth it.
I want to honor Him
with my wealth.
Now,
do you do that?
Are you consciously
worshiping God,
honoring God
from your wealth?
A lot of translations
will say from your wealth.
Are you doing this
intentionally
and consciously?
Honoring God
with our wealth
is the foundational principle
of wise financial stewardship.
Honoring God
with our wealth,
giving,
giving of tithes
and offerings.
That is where we need
to think of it.
We need to think of that
as just a foundational principle
of wise Christian stewards
or wise Christian money managers.
Now,
the next phrase
in verse 9
is the first application
of this principle.
Honor God
with your wealth
and with the first fruits
of all your produce.
The giving of first fruits,
the number two,
look at it,
the way I put it
on the outline.
Wise people make giving to God
their first priority
in using their wealth.
And that's what we're talking about here
and with the first fruits
of all your produce.
The giving of first fruits,
giving of people of Israel
to God
was originally intended
to be a response
by the people of Israel
to God
for delivering them
from slavery,
bondage
in Egypt.
Here's an example
in Deuteronomy chapter 26.
In Deuteronomy 26,
beginning about verse 5,
they are instructed,
people of Israel
are instructed
to say this
and then do this
in relation to their first fruits.
We're going to pick up
in verse 8.
Look at it.
They,
the people are to say this
as they give.
So,
so the Lord brought us
out of Egypt
with a mighty hand
and an outstretched arm
with great terror
and with miraculous signs
and wonders.
He brought us
to this place
and gave us
this land,
a land flowing
with milk and honey.
And now
I bring the first fruits
of the soil
that you,
O Lord,
have given me.
And then they're instructed,
place the basket
before the Lord your God
and bow down
before Him.
It's an act of worship.
What Moses is doing here
is saying,
because God had delivered
them,
he said,
really,
because God's delivered us,
but because God
had delivered
the people of Israel
from their bondage
in Egypt
and brought them
into the promised land,
they were to present Him
with first fruit offerings.
They were to be
expressions of worship
and gratitude.
Now this is in Deuteronomy.
Moses is preparing
the people to do this
when they get
into the promised land.
He's preparing them
to be faithful
in giving these first fruits
as His faithful people
in that promised land.
Well, I want us
to think today,
you and me
as Christians
this morning,
because God
has delivered us
from bondage
to sin
through the death
and resurrection
of His Son,
Jesus Christ,
we should desire,
we should really
and truly want
to express
our appreciation,
our worship
by giving the
first fruits
of our wealth.
And if we'll keep
in mind
what God has done
for us in Christ,
our giving
will be genuine.
And if you'll stop
and think about
what God has done
in sending His Son
into the world
to die on the cross
and pay the penalty
for your sins,
so that through faith
in Him,
you can be forgiven,
you can be made
right with God
and become a child
of God.
If you'll think
about that,
what God has done
for you,
you'll want
to give
to Him
in a way
that expresses,
I'm thankful,
Lord,
I praise You,
God,
You are worth it.
You are worth
these kinds
of offerings.
This principle
of first fruit giving
teaches us
to make giving
to God
the first priority
of what we do
with our wealth
or the first priority
of how we use
our wealth.
God deserves
our best
in everything,
doesn't He,
if He is God?
He deserves
our best
in everything,
including
our giving.
Moses made
that clear
to the people
of Israel,
not just
in that passage,
but in other places.
Look at this one,
just one verse
in Exodus 23.
He said,
The best
of the first fruits
of your ground
you shall bring
into the house
of your Lord.
That has been called
a classic
one-sentence description
of the law
of first fruits.
God deserves
the first,
the best
of our wealth.
Not
just what's
left over
after we've
used it
in the way
that most
pleases us.
One man
explained how
his father
taught him
to do this
in a very helpful
way.
I want to tell you
what he did.
This man said,
My dad
placed a dollar
bill on the table
and then he
placed ten
dimes beside it
and he told me
those ten
dimes equal
that dollar
bill.
And then he
took those
dimes and he
stacked them up,
a stack of
dimes there
on the table
and he asked
his son,
the son said,
he asked me,
Which one of
those dimes
is the Lord's?
And the boy
said,
the one on
top.
And the dad
said,
That's right.
The one
on top
of that stack
of dimes
is the Lord's.
Always give
him the first
one,
not
the ones
that you have
left over
after you've
spent whatever
you wanted to
spend.
Now that's just
a simple
little story,
example.
You can visualize
that.
It's simple.
It conveys
the point
of how we
need to make
giving the
first 10%
of our
income to
God
our top
financial
priority.
You think
about it.
How else
can we honor
God?
We're talking
about acknowledging
His importance,
acknowledging
His significance.
How else
can we
acknowledge
or honor
God
with our
wealth
if we don't
make giving
to Him
our first
priority,
our top
priority?
Now lest you
think something
like this is,
well that's just
Old Testament
law type stuff,
that was just
applicable for
the people of
Israel,
I want you
to look at
what the
Apostle Paul
says along
this same
line about
our priority
in giving.
Look at what
he says,
it's in 2 Corinthians
9.
He says,
remember this,
whoever sows
sparingly will
also reap
sparingly.
Whoever sows
generously will
also reap
generously.
Each of you
should give
what you have
decided in your
heart to give,
not reluctantly
or under
compulsion,
for God
loves a
cheerful
giver.
I want to
pause there.
What Proverbs
says,
honor the Lord
with your wealth
and with the
first fruits of
all your
produce,
that's what
we ought to
do.
God
desires
that we
show our
love and
gratitude
that we
truly honor
him by
giving.
Giving him
the first
fruits of
what we
make.
Giving him
off the
top.
Giving him
the first
priority.
But look at
that verse
again.
Each of you
should give
what you have
decided in
your heart
to give,
not reluctantly
or under
compulsion,
for God
loves a
cheerful
giver.
God only
wants you
to give
what you
give because
you want
to.
Because it's
in your
heart to
do it.
God
does,
let me
say it
this way,
no one's
going to
know what
you give
here.
I don't
know and
I don't
ever want to
know what
anybody gives.
What you
give is
going to be
between you
and God.
Now the
people who
count it
know it's
recorded by
financial
secretary,
that kind
of stuff
is all
confidential.
But nobody's
going to
know and
no one in
the world
would ever
say anything
to you,
say anything
to you that
you ought to
be giving
more.
That's not
enough or
anything like
that.
What you
give is
between you
and God.
The Bible
has much to
say about
what we
ought to do.
We ought to
honor God
with our
wealth,
with the
first fruits.
but when
it comes
time to
actually
give,
what Paul
is saying
here is
you need
to give
what you
want to
give,
what's in
your heart
to give.
You
shouldn't
give because
you feel
any kind
of pressure
and you
need to
give when
you give
it,
cheerfully,
with joy.
You're
happy to
do it.
And if
you can't
give it
that way,
just don't
give it.
This is not
about trying
to get money
from you.
What we're
reading here
is God's
word to
His people
wherever they
are,
whatever church
they're a part
of.
God is
saying this
for our
benefit.
If we're
really His
children and
really want
to honor
Him and
show Him
that we
honor Him,
we need
to give,
we need
to give
off the
top,
but we
need to
give,
not under
compulsion,
not reluctantly,
but we
need to give
cheerfully.
And then that
last verse,
and God is
able to
bless you
abundantly,
so that in
all things,
at all times,
having all
that you
need,
you will
abound in
every good
work.
In other
words,
God will
give you
what He
wants you
to give.
God will
make it
so that you
can give
if you will
give obediently
and faithfully.
Now,
let's make
all this
real personal.
How does
your giving
compare with
what we're
looking at
here in this
passage,
with what
Paul said
there?
You think
about you.
Do you
honor God
by making
your offerings
to Him
your first
priority
in terms of
what you do
with your
money?
I mean,
everybody in
here who
has some
kind of
income,
it comes
monthly,
it comes
bi-weekly,
it comes
weekly,
it comes
some time.
As your
income comes
in, as it
becomes available
to you,
is your
giving to
God your
first giving?
because you
want it to
be.
It's your
priority, it's
your commitment,
it's how you
want to honor
God.
Second
question,
do you
express your
gratitude to
God for
what He has
given you
by giving
back to
Him?
In other
words, do you
honor God with
your wealth
because you
recognize that
what you've
got, God
has allowed
you or
enabled you
to have?
And so
you're giving
to express
your gratitude
to Him,
and you're
acknowledging that
it does come
from Him.
Number three,
do you
demonstrate your
trust in God
to supply all
your needs
by giving
Him the
first fruits
of your
income?
Now, it
does take
faith.
When your
income comes
in, let's
just say it's
there in the
bank.
If you're
going to give
to God
first, no
matter what,
you've got
to have
trust and
confidence that
once I give
to God, He's
going to enable
me to fulfill
all my other
obligations.
promises.
He's going
to enable
me, He's
going to
meet my
needs.
Now,
God promises
to meet our
needs, but
does not
promise to
meet all of
our wants.
He doesn't
promise to
fulfill all
of our
wish lists.
And God
expects us,
as the book
of Proverbs,
and we'll
talk about
that later
on down the
road,
God expects
us to be
wise managers
of our
money.
If we
will have,
if we'll
be wise
managers of
our money,
and understand
the difference
between needs
and wants,
we can give
off the top,
and we can
trust God to
meet our
needs,
and to have
what we need
to have,
but I want to
be honest with
you.
To give,
like we're
talking about
this morning,
you can't do
everything that
everybody else
does.
You will
sacrifice
something in
order to
give to
God.
When I was
growing up,
when my boys
were growing
up,
it was not
unusual for
people to
tell their
children,
it wasn't
unusual for
children to
say to their
friends that
they couldn't
do something
because we
can't afford
it.
And there
was no shame
in that.
There was no
embarrassment or
disgrace.
There was a lot
of things when I
was growing up,
we couldn't do
because my
family couldn't
afford it.
My mother and
daddy both
worked,
and they did
well,
but we couldn't
afford to do
everything that
everybody did.
And when my
boys were growing
up,
Lisa and I
both,
we never,
ever hesitated
or felt any
shame at all
to say to
them,
we can't
afford to
do that
because we
could not
afford to
do that
and give
what we
were going
to give
to the
Lord
and manage
the rest
of it in
a wise
way.
And if
you won't
teach your
children today
lessons like
we can't
afford it,
you are
setting them
up for
financial ruin
themselves if
you don't
follow yourself
first.
We're talking
not just about
giving this one,
we're talking
about being
wise with our
money.
We're talking
about being
good stewards
with our
resources.
You cannot
do everything,
have everything
that everybody
else has
and give to
God.
I'll just say
it right there,
but so be
it.
So be
it.
It is better
to be faithful
to God and
obedient to
God and not
have the latest
gadget than to
have the latest
gadget.
for you and
your family and
knowing that
you're disobedient
to God.
Fourth question,
what kind of
commitment to
God do you
demonstrate by
your giving?
And every
single one of
us in here,
we are
demonstrating
some kind of
commitment to
God by our
giving.
Are you
pleased with
it?
Final thought,
verse 10,
a wise person
understands he
can never
out-give
God.
Look at it.
Then your
barns will be
filled with
plenty and
your vats
will be
bursting with
wine.
Speaking to
people who
are farming,
agricultural
mindset here,
what it is
promising that
God will
meet your
needs.
God will
give you
what He
wants you
to have.
God will
bless
faithful
giving.
Now,
this can
be abused
and it
has been
abused by
these health
and wealth
type preachers.
What they'll
always say
is,
you give
to me
and God
will bless
you.
Watch these
birds who
are always
trying to
entice you
to give
to them
instead of
thinking in
terms of
giving to
God in
various ways.
it's not
a promise,
this is not,
this is not
a promise
that the way
to become
rich is to
give to
God.
We've
already seen,
you know
this anyway,
Proverbs are
not promises,
they are
general statements
of how life
normally works.
Proverbs are
general statements
of how life
normally works.
That's what
Solomon intended
as he wrote
this under
the inspiration
of the Holy
Spirit.
This is a
general principle
that God
blesses those
who make
him their
priority
in their
giving,
not because
they want
greater wealth,
but because
they want
to honor
God.
Don't think
in terms
of I
give so
God will
make me
wealthy,
or I
give to
get.
That's not
what he's
talking about
there.
This verse
is telling
us that as
a general
rule,
giving generously
to honor
God will
result in
God giving
us greater
wealth.
But the
point is not
that God's
going to
make you
rich.
The point
is that as
you give to
honor God,
you're going to
be blessed
by God.
He's going to
give you more
so that you can
continue to
honor Him
with your
giving.
God gives to
those who will
be wise,
who will seek
to do His
will,
who will seek
to honor Him
and be a
blessing to
other people
with their
money.
Now lest you
think this is
just some
kind of obscure
verse here,
look in Proverbs
11,
verse 24,
it's on the
screen.
One gives
freely,
yet grows all
the richer.
Another withholds
what he should
give and only
suffers want.
God blesses
generosity,
but He withholds
blessing from
the greedy
as a general
rule.
Generosity
is the
better path
or the
best path
to greater
wealth if
our desire
is to honor
God with it
all and to
be faithful
stewards with
what God
gives us.
But stinginess
and greed
is a path
to financial
ruin in the
long run.
I have no
idea what
anybody in
this church
gives nor
do I ever
want to
know.
Don't tell
me.
I would
not want
to know
what you
give.
It's none
of my
business.
But I am
confident that
many people in
this church
give to God
just like
this proverb
says.
There's no doubt
in my mind that
many people in
this church
honor the
Lord with
their wealth,
with the
first fruits of
all their
produce.
The tithes and
offerings that
come in that
you can read
about in the
newsletter just
like I do.
Those tithes and
offerings, that
amount would not
come in if
there were not
people who were
faithfully honoring
God with their
wealth.
And if that's
you, I pray
that God will
affirm you in
that.
Thank you.
from your
church family.
Many people in
this church, they
can read
Proverbs 9 and
10 and they
can say, I
know it from
experience.
Lisa and I, we
can say that from
38 years experience
of marriage, giving
this way, God
does work this
way.
And we've done
it for 38 years
by the grace of
God.
When we first got
married for the
first four years,
one of us was in
school full time.
When we first got
married for the
first several years,
while our children
were young, we had
one income.
Our boys grew up
just like the
average person in
this church.
We put them
through college,
just like a lot
of you.
I know what it's
like.
Lisa and I know
what it's like.
At various
stages, various
levels of
income, various
expenses, we
know what it's
like to sweat
when you pay
your bills,
when your
children's involved
in a lot of
things, especially
they're going to
college.
college, that's
tough.
But God has
always been
faithful.
God has always
blessed us with a
whole lot more
than we needed.
And I know for a
fact, because I've
heard some of you
say it, that is the
testimony of many
people in this room
and many Christians
in this world.
But if you do not
honor God in your
giving, as this
proverb is telling
us to do, I want
to ask you, why
not?
Is it that you
really just don't
trust God to meet
your legitimate
needs if you
give?
That's a trust
issue.
a trust
God issue.
You need to
think about that.
Or do you
really want to
say to God,
Lord, I can't
trust you.
I believe you
sent Jesus, your
son into the world
to die for my
sins.
I believe you'll
take care of me
for all eternity
because I'm
trusting in him
and him alone for
my salvation.
But I don't
trust you to meet
my needs on a
regular monthly
basis.
Or if you're not
honoring God,
giving him, giving
him like this, could
it be that you
just don't love
him enough?
You don't really
want to give him
like this because
you don't have the
kind of relationship
with him that
compels you to
just want to
express your love
and gratitude and
appreciation by
giving.
Could it just be
that, just to be
all honest, you're
just basically
selfish and greedy.
What's yours is
yours.
And you're not
going to give
any to anybody.
You're going to
take care of you.
There's a lot of
people in this
world today, even
in some churches.
If you're not
giving to God, you're
not honoring God
with your giving and
making him your
first priority.
I'm being very
serious here.
What is your
problem?
because there is a
problem.
If God is
convicting you
that there is a
problem, I want you
to understand this is
sin.
And if you'll
confess it to God,
repent of this
attitude, these
ways, and seek his
forgiveness, he'll
forgive you and
cleanse you, and
then make a
commitment that you
are going to seek
as of today, starting
to honor God with
your wealth and with
the first fruits of
all your produce.
values.
But now you've got to
ask God for the
wisdom to know where
to start and how to
start.
Because you're not
starting at ground
zero, you've got
bills, you've got
obligations.
So you need to ask
God to give you the
wisdom to know how to
start honoring him with
your wealth, making
him, giving to him
your first priority.
God will give you
that wisdom.
He'll help you to
start, start where
you are.
But the important
thing we need to
understand this morning
is wise people honor
God with their wealth.
They make giving to
him their first
priority when it
comes to how they
use their money.
Let's pray together.
Father,
Father, help us to
hear you this morning
about this general
principle of life in
relation to money.
Father, if there are
people in this room who
are not Christians, help
them to understand that
this message is not for
them.
because what you want
from them is their
heart, their life
first.
And if that's the
case, I pray, dear God,
that you would just
compel that person to
admit their sin, their
selfishness and turn from
it and understand that
when Jesus died on the
cross, he paid the
penalty for their sin.
Cause that man or woman
or young person to call
upon Jesus to save
them right now.
Lord, I pray that you
will affirm those who
are seeking to honor you
with their wealth.
But Lord, I pray that you
will convict those who
aren't to start now.
And assure them that you
will guide them along the
way.
Show them how.
If they want to.
And they'll make the
commitment to start.
In an attitude of prayer,
let's just listen to the
Lord and respond to him.
And I'll be happy to pray
with you, help you here at
the front.
If you come down during the
next few minutes.
Amen.