What Giving Does

Phil. 4:10-19

• Giving revives our concern. V. 10
• Giving takes the focus off ourselves and puts it onto someone or something else.
• Giving revives our concern for people.
• Giving teaches us contentment. V. 11 - 13
• How do you define contentment?
• Contentment means living with a sense of God’s adequacy, a conviction that God is adequate for any need we face.
• Contentment is a learned state.
• Contentment is reaching the state of mind that we are at peace with where we are and who we are in Christ.
• Contentment is not found in possessions or circumstances. V. 12
• I Tim. 6:6-10; Heb. 13:5
• Contentment comes from learning to appreciate what we have in Jesus Christ. V. 13
• Giving makes us partners in ministry. V. 14-16
• Each time we give to the Lord’s work, we partner with other Christians to help advance the kingdom.
• Giving pays spiritual dividends. V. 17-18
• Giving blesses the one who gives more than the one who receives the gift.
• Giving grows our faith in God. V. 19
• God meets our need personally (my God shall supply).
• God meets our needs liberally (all your needs).
• God meets our needs gloriously (according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus).

Conclusion

As we give financially to the Lord’s work, we help spread the gospel message. We meet people’s needs.  We assist people in growing spiritually.  We enable our congregation to shine as God’s light in the world.