Sunday, May 3, 2009

Demand #35: Lay Up for Yourselves Treasures In Heaven By Giving Sacrificially And Generously

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matt. 6:19-21

You received without paying; give without pay. — Matt. 10:8

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? — Luke 16:10-12

Excerpts from the book -

Page 267 - The more sacrificially generous you are on earth, the greater will be your enjoyment of heaven. Therefore, since Jesus loves us and summons us to maximize our eternal joy in heaven, he demands radical freedom from the love of money and radical generosity....

Page 268 - Sacrifice Is the Measure of a Gift’s Size - The reason I say, “the more sacrificially generous you are” is because of what Jesus said about the widow’s offering...... The point here is that the value of a gift is not measured by its size but by its sacrifice...... But if you sacrifice for Jesus and have little left, then the heart has less to rest in. The heart is more likely to be resting in the hope of heaven. It is more likely to be depending on Jesus than on money.

Page 268 - It is astonishing how much Jesus deals with money and what we do with it. Randy Alcorn reckons that “15 percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic—more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined.”1

Page 272 - Why does Jesus express such a remarkable concern with what we do with our money? The reason for this, it seems, is the basic principle that Jesus laid down.....

Page 272 - Now Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and money.” The meaning of “serve” would, presumably, be the same in these two relationships. So what Jesus is saying is that we should serve God not in the sense of providing a service or giving him help, but the opposite: We look to God to be our helper, our benefactor and treasure. To serve him would be to plan and dream and strategize and maneuver to be in a position to maximize our enjoyment of God and what he alone promises to be for us. God then, not money, becomes the giver and the benefactor in this servant-master relationship. You don’t meet God’s needs (he has none!). You look to God to meet yours.

Page 273 - Therefore, it represents the great alternative to God in our hearts. This is why what we do with our money is so crucial to Jesus.

Page 273 - Selfishness Separates from Heaven, and Sacrifice Heightens Joy in It.... There are two things being said here. One is that a selfish spirit will keep us out of heaven. And the other is that there are degrees of reward, or degrees of joy, in heaven, depending on how sacrificially generous we were on earth. Both of these claims are controversial.....

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