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"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
(Luke 6:38)
Over the last several months, we have been studying the 30 life principles that Charles Stanley preached and lived by. All 30 messages can be viewed online at InTouch.org. Stanley was the pastor of FBC Atlanta, GA for over 50 years and was well known for his faithfulness to teach the Bible on the In Touch TV broadcast. Stanley passed away on April 18, 2023, at 90 years of age.
Today, and throughout the remainder of the week, we will look at Stanley's Life Principle #23: "You Can Never Outgive God." Teaching on stewardship usually evokes two responses: First, those who love to give and know the blessings that come from giving are grateful for the biblical teaching on giving. On the other hand, those who do not give are usually not too pleased to hear messages on being good stewards of what God has entrusted to them. The former say things to pastors like this: "You have got to preach more on giving!" The latter group say things like, "There you go again, talking about money!" Which one are you? If you are the latter, before you decide to stop reading, allow me to ask you to do this first: pause and pray. Humble yourself before the Lord, and ask Him to forgive you and to speak to you from His Word. God loves you, and He wants you to obey Him so you can live a blessed life.
Jesus' teaching in our focal text today tells us much about giving and receiving. In fact, Jesus taught a lot about two subjects that do not get as much attention from most Bible teachers today: money and hell. Jesus certainly did not proclaim a prosperity gospel, which is no gospel at all. This heretical teaching says God wants you to be rich and wealthy, and all you have to do is give your money (usually to their cause), then God is obligated to make you rich. It's sad, but many in America and around the world have bought into this false and harmful teaching. Jesus, however, taught the wonderful principle that you and I are to be generous, and when we are, then we will be blessed (not always in ways that are evident right away, and not always materially, but blessed according to God's perfect will). Jesus gave us the command to give in Luke 6:38. We are to give generously of our money, time, kindness, praise, etc.
I love the analogy Jesus uses in this biblical text on giving. In the first century, when people would go to the market to buy their goods or produce, they would put them in the lap of their robes. If they would press the items down further in the robe, they could stack more in. It reminds me of raking leaves and putting them into a garbage bag. When you first put the leaves in the bag, it fills up and gives the appearance that the bag can hold no more. But when you press the leaves down, it makes room for more leaves. God does that to us when we are generous toward Him. He causes us to overflow with more. Look again at the last part of that verse. Jesus boldly taught us that in the measure you give, you will likewise receive. If you and I give little, we receive little in return. If we are generous and bless others, then God will bless us. Why is that? You cannot outgive God, and He will not be a debtor to anyone!
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