Give To Be Rewarded!
June 22, 2025
A six-year-old girl insisted that as a new first grader, she should be allowed to take part in the offering and put something in the offering plate during the worship service of her church. Mom and Dad agreed wholeheartedly. Dad even gave her a dollar and explained that God loves a cheerful giver. When the usher stopped beside the little girl and held out the offering plate, the little girl’s voice rang out saying, “Don’t you have change for a dollar?” Her very embarrassed father leaned down and encouraged her to put the dollar into the offering plate. The whole congregation heard her reply: “But, Daddy, I’d be a cheerful-er giver if I could give some to the Lord and buy a candy bar, too!”
Many people think about satisfying their selfish desires rather than giving or serving the Lord with all their being. Today, I want to respond to two questions? 1. Why are we to give? 2. How should we give to receive God’s blessing and heavenly rewards?
Why are we to give?
1. We are to give because God owns everything, and He has entrusted us to be His stewards.
Deuteronomy 10:14, Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, and the earth and everything in it.
Psalms 24:1 says, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
Nothing exists outside God’s ownership. We also belong to God. Everything we have is a gift from Him!
Scripture instructs us to use our resources wisely according to His will. We are called to be good stewards of the LORD’S. He owns everything and he wants us to be responsible for what He has given us. This stewardship implies accountability to God! (Genesis 1:28)
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the parable of the talents which illustrates the importance of stewardship. Verse 14 states, Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. God entrusts us with His resources and expects us to use them wisely.
In Luke 16:10, 11, Jesus says this, The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches?
Now let me note this. Scripture instructs that we need to be good stewards in paying our bills, our debts, and taxes (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:7, 8). We need to be good stewards in taking care of the family (I Timothy 5:8). This pertains to our money as well as our time and attention.
I encourage you to pursue God’s wisdom in handling money! One principle that Kathy and I have held onto for the past 40 years has been to give 10 percent, save 10% and live on the rest! This standard has served us well. Now initially, we could only start with 3-4 percent in giving and savings, but over the years it has increased. I Corinthians 16:2 states, On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income.
Giving is important because God has designed things that way. He does not need us to give. He could easily provide for every church, missionary, and worthy cause instantaneously with a single thought. However, He has chosen to give us the high calling of godly, biblical generosity. We are to be faithful stewards.
2. We are to give by following the example of our Heavenly Father!
God is a giver. He gave his only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world. Not only that, but he also gives us life, breath, sunshine, rain, and everything else. As his children, we should be givers as well. The last verse of Matthew 5:48 says, Be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect. Christ teaches on giving right after calling us to be perfect like our Father. Therefore, one of the ways we should aim to be perfect like our Heavenly Father is by giving.
3. We are to give because the Lord commands it!
We are to give to support the pastor and the local church. I Timothy 5:17, 18 states, The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages. Note Galatians 6:6 and I Corinthians 9:13, 14.
God has entrusted us with this building, and we are to be good stewards in maintaining it. Haggai 1:4 states, Is it right for you to be living in fancy houses while the Temple is still in ruins?” (CEV). Also note Ezra 2:68, 69; Malachi 3:7-12.
We are to give to Christians in need. Ephesians 4:28 says, The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need. Also note Matthew 25:34-40.
Scripture also indicates that we are to give to missionaries and ministries. We are to give to the needy outside the Church (Galatians 6:10; Luke 16:9). This demands God’s wisdom, so we don’t enable. The goal is to hopefully to evangelize and help that person come to know Christ and grow in Christ.
The Comedian Flip Wilson told a story about a preacher and his church. A preacher was trying to get his people to be more enthusiastic about their church. The preacher said in his sermon: "If this church is going to get anywhere, it has to learn to crawl." The people said, "Let it crawl, Rev., let it crawl" Then he said, "And after it learns to crawl, it has to learn to walk." And the people said, "Let it walk, Rev., let it walk" The preacher got excited and said, "After this church learns to walk, it has to learn to run" The people shouted back, "Let it run, Rev., let it run" Then he said, "And if this church is going to run, it’s going to take money" And the people said, "Let it crawl, Rev., let it crawl."
My hope is that you will take to heart and invest in the treasures of heaven so you can move forward in serving and honoring the Lord.
This leads me to the next question. How should we give to receive God’s blessing and heavenly rewards?
Here is the first principle. If you are going to receive God’s blessing, then be obedient and serve from the heart!
Scripture repeatedly indicates that the Lord will reward those who obey from the heart. For instance, Jesus said in Matthew 6:20, 21, Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Those who have a wholehearted desire to serve, to obey, the Lord stores up treasures in heaven!
I Timothy 6:17-19 notes that those who put their hope in the Lord are commanded to be generous and they lay up treasures in heaven. Paul writes, Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Proverbs 19:17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. Giving to the poor is compared to loaning money to God.
Now God’s reward might come in this life, or it may not come until later when we arrive in heaven. He might also be rewarded in this life and in the next. Please understand. Jesus doesn’t promise a particular reward or mention a time, but he does say that we will be rewarded.
A financial advisor might very well say, “Listen, don’t gamble with your retirement. Have some discipline and put away a little savings for later (Proverbs 13:11; 21:20; 30:25). Remember, you can’t necessarily just go back to work if you discover halfway through retirement that you need more money. You need to get it right the first time.” The same principle applies to eternal retirement. One needs to be disciplined, to listen to the Advisor of all advisors.
In Matthew 6:1-4, we get the second principle. If you are going to receive a heavenly reward, then do not give for human recognition. Give Discreetly.
Jesus again confronts the error of the religious leaders as he says, Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
These religious leaders were seeking the praise of others instead of God. John 12:43 states, …for they loved human praise more than praise from God. These religious leaders were saying, “Look at how much I am giving! Look at how sacrificial and holy I am!”
Our giving is to be done quietly. Jesus warned us against giving in a manner that would draw attention to ourselves. As he says in Matthew 6:3, Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Our giving should “be in secret” (verse 4). Then verse 4, we have the promise. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. When we give, we are not to make a big deal about it. We are giving for the Lord’s glory, not our own. We want to extend His fame, not ours. If you perform religious or charitable acts to impress other people, then you will miss God’s reward.
Here is a third principle. If you are going to receive a heavenly reward, then do it to worship the LORD! Give and serve for His glory!
Giving and serving is to be done in worship to the Lord. When we take the offering on Sunday morning as an act of worship the LORD!
II Corinthians 10:31 states, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Hebrews 13:15, 16 states, Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. In other words, in your worship do not just offer words of praise but also offer to do good and share with others for this pleases the LORD!
Luke 7:36–50 the story is told of Jesus eating at a Pharisee’s home. While he was there, a sinful women came and anoint Jesus with perfume and tears. The Pharisees scoffed. But Jesus defended her and said her love was great because she had been forgiven much. Extravagant love is never wasted. Worship that comes from deep gratitude moves the heart of God more than formal religion.
Let me also note this. When you give generously to other Christians, you are also prompting thanksgiving and worship to the LORD. For example, Paul writes this about the Corinthian’s gift for the Christians in Jerusalem. He states in II Corinthians 9:11-15, You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Here is a fourth principle. If you are going to receive a heavenly reward, be a cheerful giver!!!
II Corinthians 9:7 states, 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.
Christian giving should be offered with a joyful heart. It should not be out of reluctance or compulsion. Your motive should be that I want to help, not that I have to help. Generosity is not about mere obligation or a matter of fulfilling the letter of the law. Rather, we are free to give as much as we desire. Whatever you give, then be a cheerful giver! Remember, this joy comes from our desire to please our Heavenly Father and help others.
Whatever you purpose in your heart to give, that is between you and God. The Macedonians gave abundantly out of their deep poverty. The Philippians gave because they chose to give out of their heart of love. It is to be a spontaneous act of the heart. There is not any prescription. It is personally determined.
What can help make giving a more joyful experience? Remember, giving becomes more joyful when we trust God to provide for us. Giving can be a source of stress, because when we give, we think about how we will no longer have that money to pay for other things. We do need to be thoughtful and wise in our giving, but we also need to take to heart that the Lord will provide. The Lord puts our mind at ease by assuring us of this as Paul writes in II Corinthians 9:8, 10, 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…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.
Lastly, God rewards those who give generously and sacrificially!
In Mark 12, Jesus commended the poor widow who gave all she had. Mark 12:41-44 states, Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.
Proverbs 11:25 states, A generous person will be prosperous, and one who gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty (NASB).
Of course, God sets the example in giving! For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16). The Lord gave His absolute best. Ephesians 1:7, 8a puts it this way, In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and understanding.
Please note he gave in accordance with His riches. He did not give out of his riches; it was according to His riches. Let me try to illustrate this. If I go to a rich man, he is a multi-billionaire and I said, “Oh, I have a need for $250,000.00 for a wonderful project for the Lord’s work. Would you mind supporting this project?” He responds, “My brother, I’d be happy to,” and he writes me out a check for $25.00. I say, “$25.00?” This would be out of his riches. I go to another multi-billionaire, and I say, “I need $250,000.00 for this wonderful project for the Lord’s work.” He sits down and writes me a check, $300,000.00. He says, “There’s an extra fifty thousand in case you need some more.” This person would be giving according to his riches.” See the difference? When God gives, He doesn’t give out of, He gives, what? According to which is always in abundance.
Here is the key to giving! Seek and serve Jesus first in your life!
Christian giving naturally happens when Christ is truly first in your life. Paul notes the giving of the financially poor Macedonian churches in II Corinthians 8:1-7. He writes, And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 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.
Paul said they first gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to others. Putting God first in your life is the key! If you do, then you will want to excel in this grace of giving!
Let me close with this story. “One Sunday in church, a little girl sitting alone watched as the offering plate was being passed around. The little girl knew she had to give something to God. She searched inside her small coin purse but found it empty except for a few candy wrappers. She knew she had to give something, but she had nothing. She rose from her seat and dashed to the back of the church. The little girl tugged the shirt of the deacon, who was carrying the offering plate. “May I hold the plate?” she asked.
The man handed the plate, filled with money and envelopes, to the little child and watched with curiosity.
The little girl placed the plate on the ground, stepped inside, and said, “Jesus, I don’t have anything else to give You, so I give You me.”
Let me ask you. What little girl best describes you and the realm of giving? It is the one who wants to keep part of a dollar for a candy bar or is it the one who gives oneself? I encourage you to examine your heart.
