A cheerful giver.

Q: What does the Bible say about cheerful giving?

The Bible emphasizes that God loves a cheerful giver and that giving should stem from love and gratitude, not obligation. Cheerful giving is highlighted in 2 Corinthians 9:7, where the Apostle Paul teaches that each person should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. This reflects the New Testament principle that while we are not under a legal obligation to give a specific percentage, our giving should come from a place of gratitude and willingness, mirroring God's generosity toward us. Jesus modeled this attitude by demonstrating His power and provision, as seen when He instructed Peter to catch a fish that had a coin in its mouth to pay the temple tax.

Q: How do we know God's provision is reliable?

God's provision is reliable because He is sovereign over all creation and has demonstrated His faithfulness throughout Scripture. God's provision can be trusted, as seen in Matthew 17:27, where Jesus provided for Peter's need in a miraculous way, revealing His sovereignty over creation. This divine authority is consistent throughout the Biblical narrative, where God has always met the needs of His people, whether through natural means or miraculous interventions. The Scriptures encourage believers to trust in God's provision, reminding us that He knows our needs before we even ask (Matthew 6:8). Like the ravens fed Elijah, God is capable of providing for us in extraordinary circumstances when we act in faith and obedience.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to support church ministries?

Supporting church ministries is important because it advances the gospel and sustains the work of God's kingdom on earth. For Christians, supporting church ministries is a vital part of participating in the work of the kingdom of God. As Jesus demonstrated in Matthew 17:27, He engaged in the religious practices of His time to avoid unnecessary offense and maintain peace. Similarly, today’s believers are called to fulfill their responsibility in contributing to the local church’s needs, thus facilitating the spread of the gospel and the worship of God. The act of giving should come from a grateful heart that recognizes that everything we have belongs to God, and our financial support enables His work to flourish both locally and globally.

Seeking once again the help of the Lord I would like you to turn with me to the chapter that we read together, the Gospel according to Matthew and chapter 17 and the text you'll find in verse 27. Notwithstanding lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast a hook and take up the fish that first cometh up. When thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. Take it and give it unto them for me and thee. Before the Easter break, we looked at the two sons that were presented to us in this chapter previous.

The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was transfigured upon the mountain.

And the Father says, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. hear ye him and then as the Lord Jesus comes down from the mountain we are presented with another son that this man brings his son to the Lord Jesus that was possessed with a devil and he was suffering from like epileptic fits and was cast into the fire and into the water and it was seeking to destroy the child and the disciples of the Lord Jesus were unable to deal with this and so he comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. He brings his son to the Lord Jesus and here we saw that We have God the Father presenting his Son, the beloved Son, in whom there is no spot, there is no sin. We have a visible manifestation of his glory as he is transfigured upon the mountain and then we are, then as Christ comes down from the mountain we see the extent of human suffering and the consequences of sin upon the human race and the sorrow of that sin brings into the lives of families and we see that the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world of suffering and sin and sorrow to deliver people from the consequences of that sin, to provide eternal life, to provide the forgiveness of sin and hope for an eternity with him. so the next miracle then that Christ performed, although we don't actually read of this miracle being performed, but we can understand that it was performed as he commanded Peter to go and cast his rod into the sea and to catch a fish and that first fish that Peter was to catch inside of the mouth of that fish there was going to be a coin and that coin would be able to pay the temple tax for Peter and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And although we don't read of Peter actually going to do this, we know because the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded Peter to do so, that he was obedient to the word of the Lord Jesus Christ, he obeyed the Lord Jesus Christ and he went and did all that the Lord Jesus Christ told him to do. and in doing so he witnessed a great miracle. He witnessed, not only did he see Christ transfigured on the mountain as the Son of God, but also he saw him manifesting that his power and his sovereignty over the fish and over the events of time And so we have today the Lord Jesus acting in a way that he does not bring offense to those who were asking for this temple tax.

The Jews were under obligation to pay to support the ministry that went on in the temple. And so yearly there was a temple tax that people had to give and it was a two days wages per year. And so what the Lord Jesus Christ is being asked to pay is a tax which everybody else would pay. And so Peter says to them, yes, our Lord, my master, he does pay this tax. But Jesus knows what Peter had been asked. And we see that as Peter returns to the house, Before Peter even speaks, the Lord Jesus prevented him or he spoke before Peter had an opportunity to ask Jesus for the temple money.

Doesn't that remind us of what the Bible tells us about God? That he knows the things that we have need of before we even ask him. That our heavenly Father is so well acquainted with the things in our lives, so well acquainted with what is going on that there's no way we can escape his watchful eye, which is a great comfort to all those that are in Christ Jesus, but a great terror to all of those that are outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so a great comfort to the Lord's people, that the Lord knows before we even speak, before we even come to the throne of grace, the very thing that we need. the very thing that we are going to inquire of him.

And so as Peter comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, as he's about to say, where is the temple money? Have you got any money to pay the temple tax? You know, they are questioning us. Jesus speaks. What do you think, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute or tax? Of their own children or of strangers? Peter said unto them of strangers.

Jesus said unto him, then are the children free. Jesus himself. It had just been revealed to Peter that he is the beloved son of God. God the king of kings, the lord of lords, the sovereign ruler of the skies, the one by whom this temple had been built for. His dwelling place was in the Holy of Holies. And here stands next to Peter the beloved son of God.

And here the Jews are asking him, does your master pay temple tax? And Jesus says to him, to Peter, Do the children of the king have to pay tax? Peter says no. What is he saying? He's saying therefore I am the child of the king. I am under no obligation to pay this temple tax for it is my father's house. Peter we could say having been brought into that covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ also a child of the king.

Under no obligation to pay this temple tax yet, Jesus says, lest we should offend them, lest we bring unnecessary consequences upon ourselves by our behavior, by claiming our right not to pay, lest we should offend them. Go to the sea and cast a hook.

And so do the children of the king have to pay tax? The Jews, by law, by a God-ordained law, had to pay. tax. They had to pay for the upkeep of the temple. They had to pay for the continuing of the work and the support of the Levites and the high priests and the upkeep of all that was going on. And it was God who instituted this tax. In Exodus chapter 30 verse 11. And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, that there be no plague among them when thou numberest them.

This they shall give every man, every one that passes among them that they are numbered half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary a shekel is 20 gareth and half a shekel shall be the offering of the lord and it goes on to to say that this was to be a a yearly gift to the upkeep of the temple and it was a law, they were commanded by God to do it.

Everybody over the age of 20 was to give a day's wages for the upkeep of the temple. Not only was there this one offering that was to be given, there were a number of tithings that were to be given over a seven-year period. If you remember the Jewish the Jewish yearly system went in a cycle of seven years. there was to be a seven-year arrest, on the seventh year there was to be arrest, arresting of the land, there was to be a arresting of or a releasing of slaves, Jewish slaves, there was to be a releasing of debt, those who were in debt, that was to be cancelled out on the seventh year. but they were also to give a tithe, a 10% of everything that they had got throughout each year. As they grew their crops, they were to come and take 10% of that crop and they were to give it to the Levites, they were to give it to an offering to the Lord, they were to give it to support those in the sanctuary. not only of their crops but also of their animals.

10% had to go to the Lord. That was the first tithe. There was also a second tithe in the book of Deuteronomy. It tells us there in Deuteronomy 14 From 22, thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed that thy field bringeth forth year by year, and thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose to place his name there. the tithe of thy corn, and thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first things of thy herd, and the flocks, that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.

So not only was there this 10% that was to be separated and given to the Lord, but also during times of the festivals and the feasts that continued throughout the year that they were to give, They were to go to Jerusalem. They were to take with them an offering to the Lord of the corn, of the wine, of the first thing, of the flocks, that they may constantly remember that everything that they had was given to them by God. And they were to acknowledge by giving it back to the Lord, all what he had given to them. then in the same chapter, chapter 14, there was a third time. So these were laws that were given to the people of Israel, ceremonial laws, legal laws, that they were obliged to give the Lord, not only to give to the Lord, to support the work in the temple and to support the ongoing works and the feasts that they had, but also that they were to remember the poor.

Verse 29, at the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithes of thine increase the same year and thou shalt lay it up within thy gates. And the Levite because he has no part nor inheritance with thee, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow which are within thy gate shall come, and they shall eat and be satisfied, that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all thy work of thine hand which thou dost. so instead of taking it to the temple they were to leave it on the third year that the poor and the needy could come and obtain that which was laid aside. which was normally given to the Lord, they could come and they could take and they could be satisfied. So not only were they leaving their fields on the seventh year to let whatever grew there and to give that to the poor, but also on the third year, they were also to give to the poor, the widow and the fatherless that is within their gates and the Levite of the temple. And so there were these three tithings that were set by God to help the society to function.

But not only was there these laws of command, but there were also voluntary acts of giving. but someone wasn't just to say, yeah, I've done that one, I've done that one, I've done that one, and to tick all the boxes and say, you know, what a good righteous person am I? Their life was to be a life of looking and giving to the Lord.

Think of Abraham, when Abraham came with Melchizedek, and after he blessed him, he said, I'm going to give a tent of all that the Lord has given me, he's going to give back to the Lord. Before the law was even introduced, Abraham had a desire to give back to God what God had blessed him with. Jacob also, as he was asleep there at Bethel, after he named it Bethel, he says, the Lord will be my God. I will also give him a tenth of all that he has given unto me.

You remember when David also went to build the temple. He had his own resources, but also he called the people to give. And they gave in an abundance. Over a hundred tons of gold and of silver was given by the people of Israel to build the temple. and they gave willingly.

In Chronicles chapter 29, verse 15 says, for we are strangers before thee and sojourners as were all our fathers. Our days on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to thee, in an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and it is all thy own.

David acknowledged, yes, this silver and the gold that I have given, it was his. Yes, the silver and the gold and the bronze and the wood that the people had given, it was theirs. But he acknowledged that the one who gave it to those people, it was the Lord's. It was God's to begin with. He loaned it to the people to use and they gave it back to the Lord.

If you remember Job, what did he say? Naked came I into this world and naked I will return his. Everything that we have has been given to us and whether it increases over time, but we end up with nothing as we leave this world and we leave it all behind us. Everything that we have comes from God. He's the one that has given us the ability to obtain all that we have.

And so he says, I know also, my God, that Thou triest the hearts and pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart, I have willingly offered all of these things. And now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto Thee. And so not only was there then this necessity to give, but also there was the willing heart.

The people saw the need for funds to build this temple. the people had a heart for the work, to give to the building up of this temple, not just that they were commanded to do so but out of love to their king David and out of love to God they gave in abundance for the building up of this house of the Lord, the building up of this temple.

And so if we look at all that the Jewish people have had to give over a year or over the seven-year period was roughly about 23% a tax, we could say. I mean, looking up this yesterday, I looked at what we pay in the UK, an average person in the UK, what we pay tax. And it can be up to something like 35 to 40 percent if we count in what we pay from our wages, what we pay in VAT, what we pay in council tax and national insurance. Obviously, those in higher tax brackets pay even more.

But to enable this country to function, there is a need for people to pay tax. And for the Jewish nation, as it was, there was a need for people to pay taxes to enable the whole system to function. And in the time of the Lord Jesus Christ, the temple was still standing. There was a need for that temple to continue to be supported and upkept and for those there to be provided for. But not only in Jesus' day was there that tax, if you remember that Matthew also was a taxman.

And so there was another tax which they had to pay. There was the Roman law, which also they were taxed upon. They were taxed upon the increase of their produce. They were taxed upon their daily living. a day's wages roughly per year was the tax that the Romans introduced. And so society has always existed and there has always been the need for paying tax.

And the scripture tells us as we as Christians, we are to live honestly in the sight of all men. we are to pay our way in society even if we don't agree with how the government uses our money as citizens of this country we are to to pay our way we are to pay the taxes that are due to us and the lord knows doesn't he sometimes, especially if you're self-employed, it can be quite difficult or quite tempting to swindle the books and to add things in that maybe you shouldn't add and to try and escape paying tax because no one likes paying tax. We all like to say that this is my money, I've earned it, why should I give it to the government? to render to Caesar, as Jesus says, what is Caesar's and to the Lord what is to the Lord.

And as Christians, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are part of two kingdoms. We are part of this kingdom of England and we have to pay our way in this kingdom. but also we're part of a spiritual kingdom, the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And although we're under no legal obligation, no forced law for us to give, yet to enable this kingdom to function, we have to give. to enable the advancement for men and women who proclaim the gospel, to enable them to continue in their work. There is a need for believers to support that work.

If you remember Hudson Taylor, he said, I'm quite happy to go down into the pit. and to dig, but as long as you people are holding the rope at the top, we both get our hands dirty, me in digging and you in holding the rope. In other words, he was saying, I'm quite willing to go down into China and to proclaim the gospel, but I need you people to be willing to give and to support the work, that that work may continue.

And so Jesus Christ, he was now under no obligation to pay this temple tax as the king of kings. It was his father's house. Yet to avoid unnecessary aggro, to annoy unnecessary offense, he produced this miracle. Corinthians tells us that in the New Testament time, although we are not under a law to give, yet we are to see the needs that arise and to deal with those needs. Everywhere in Kenya, you know, the churches there, the pastors there were very forceful on tithe giving. They would take the Old Testament law, and even in England, and they would force it and say that believers are still under this 10% law to give. We don't find that in the gospel. are not under a law to give 10% of our earnings to the cause of Christ.

We exist with the knowledge that everything that we have belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. We can claim nothing in our bank account, in our lives as our own. Christ has purchased us. He's redeemed us from the wrath to come before we used our resources for our own pleasure and for the kingdom of Satan. But now we have been purchased with the precious blood of Christ. We are in a different kingdom. We use our resources and our time to support our own bodies and our own families, but also to aid the advancement of this kingdom of Christ.

And Corinthians tells us how we are to give. 1 Corinthians 29. sorry, 1 Corinthians 9, 6-9, but this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. In other words, he's taking the illustration of farming and how they used to scatter the seed. If you're going to scatter a few seeds, you're only going to gather a few crops, but if you sow abundantly, then you are going to reap an abundant harvest. And so he's likening it to the way that the believer gives. You give sparsely, the reward will be sparse. You give bountifully, you will also reap bountifully.

And every man according to his, as he has purpose in his heart, so let him give. not grudgingly, nor of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." And so there is the heart. As Christ looks into the heart, this is what he sees.

It's not a forced giving. that we are not under a necessity to give. And if you take your money and you give it and you don't really want to, but you feel that, you know, a must or it's my money and I don't want to really give it, then it doesn't account for anything. Yes, it may be used in the ministry of the Word, but it doesn't really account for anything before God.

Remember the lady who gave her mite. Jesus says she's given more than everybody else because she's given all that she has. They've given of their abundance, but she has given all that she had. And so it's not the amount, but it's the way that that amount is given. out of the abundance as the Lord has given to us, so we give. That God loves a cheerful giver. And so this is the gospel way of giving, the New Testament way of giving. We're not under a law. but we give out of the abundance of all that the Lord has given to us.

Then Jesus goes on to say, lest we should offend them, to keep the peace. So he sets the example that though he is the child of the king, the son of God, yet he is to give. He understands that the temple work must continue. He understands that money is needed to fund all that is taking place. But he also understands that he is not under any obligation to give because he is the son of God. Yet, lest he should offend them.

Now he could have said, do you know who I am? People say that, don't they? These famous people, when they're questioned about something, they immediately respond with, do you know who I am? I don't have to do this. I don't have to do that. I'm under no obligation to pay this money. I'm the king, the child of the king.

But Jesus says no, to keep the peace. lest the gospel should be brought to reproach, let us give. Ecclesiastes says in chapter 3 in verse 7, there is a time to speak and there is a time to remain silent. There is a time to push your point across and there is a time to hold back. And the Lord Jesus Christ being the wisdom of God, used the wisdom of God not to speak, but to demonstrate in another way who he was to Peter. A time to speak. Sometimes, as a Christian, we may have to suffer wrong. The Lord Jesus could have stood his ground and he could have said who he was, but he didn't have to. He chose not to.

And that theme, you know, runs through the scriptures, runs through the New Testament. 1st Corinthians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul tells us there as he's writing to the Corinthian church in verses 5 to 7, I speak this to your shame, the Corinthian church were going to court one with another. Now over simple things.

You can have to be aware that if criminal activity is taking place within a church, then that criminal activity must be dealt with by the relevant government authority. There are so many cases, aren't there, where the sinful things, criminal activity has taken place in the church and the church has tried to deal with it itself and to cover it over. But the right action to take when criminal activity takes place in a church is to go to the government authority, to the police and have that matter dealt with by the police. We are not authorized by God to deal with criminal activity. It would bring shame, and it has done, hasn't it, in the churches? It brings shame on the name of Christ when churches try to cover up things that are criminal. abuse and theft and other things.

So the apostle is not speaking about criminal activity, he's speaking about simple disagreements that go on between individual Christians. And he says, are there no wise men among you? Can you not sit together and reason these things out? Why are you taking these simple disagreements and dealing with them outside of the church and in doing so bringing shame upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? And so he says, I speak this to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you? No, not one that should be able to judge between brethren. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law one with another.

Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Here is that principle of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not to stand your ground, not to fight your corner, but to, for the sake of the gospel, for the sake of the church, to suffer the reproach, the wrong that has been done to you. It's a hard thing. to act in meekness, when we naturally feel that we want to stand up and fight, or he's done this to me, therefore he needs to be dealt with. What does the scripture say? Why do you rather take the wrong? Take it on the chin. Why do you rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

Allow it to take place. Why? for the sake of the gospel, for the sake and unity of the church. We're not talking, as I said, about criminal activity. We're talking about simple disputes that take place within the sphere of the local church. Why do you feel that you must stand your ground? Why do you feel that you must fight when the spirit of meekness is what has been commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul also speaks in a similar way regarding accusations against himself. In Corinthians chapter 9, in verse 11, he says, if we have sown unto you spiritual things, it is a great thing that we should reap your carnal things. If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do you not know?

They which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple, and they which wait at the altars are partakers of the altar. And so here he goes back to the Old Testament, as I was saying, those in the temple live off the offerings, the tithings of the Jewish people. And the apostle says, I also have a right, I also have this power to assert that I should live off the tithings or the givings of the churches, yet I'm restraining this authority that I have.

I'm not pushing this authority because I don't want to be a burden upon the churches. I'm not pushing this authority that I have because I don't want to hinder the advancement of the gospel. Therefore, he says, I'm suffering because of it. And so he doesn't stamp his feet and say, it's my right.

But he acts with the spirit of meekness and allows these things to take place. Why? Because he sees that if he stamps his feet, he could hinder the advancement of the gospel and can be accused of preaching for the sake of money. So he chooses meekness. rather than justification.

You see, our nature is to fight, to stamp our feet, to get the higher ground, and to suppress those who have wronged us, to get our rights. But Jesus says, lest we should offend them. lest we should suffer the church reproach, lest we should suffer or hinder the advancement of the gospel.

Allow these things to roll over your head and to keep pressing on. Maybe you've had some injustice done to you. Maybe today you feel that you woke up this morning and you want to deal with it. You've got to sort it out and you've got to fight your corner. You've got to stand your ground. You've got to deal with that one that's wronged you. May this be a message for you this morning.

Lest we should offend them. Allow it. As Paul says, allow, suffer wrong for the sake of the cause of Christ, for the sake of the unity of the church. Allow it to take place. Continue walking on in your way. Take it upon the chin like a man, like a child of God. Take it on the chin. knowing that the Lord is able to do far more than you can ask or think, knowing that the Lord is one day going to rectify all injustices, knowing that he suffered far more than me and you, that the greatest demonstration of injustice was done to the Lord Jesus Christ in that courtroom and then upon the cross at Calvary, murdered at the hands of sinful men. he opened not his mouth, he allowed it to take place for the salvation of his people. The apostle allowed it to take place for the advancement of the kingdom and he says don't take each other to court, don't fall out publicly about your small disagreements but for the sake of the unity of the church allow these things to take place. Pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.

And here we see Christ then demonstrating his ability to provide in unique and unusual ways. if you do what the Lord wants you to do, if you act in the way that the Lord wants you to act, you will receive a blessing. You will receive a blessing. He will bless you for acting in the way that he has called you to act. He will bless you for acting in the spirit of meekness. He will bless you for not standing up and fighting and stamping your feet. Suffer the wrong and you will know the blessing of the Lord.

Peter witnessed an amazing miracle. He witnessed, if you look at it, how did this fish get a coin in its mouth? Christ knew that somebody dropped a coin somewhere. Christ moved this fish to go and pick up the coin. Christ moved the fish from picking up the coin to going to Peter's hook and causing him to take the bait.

Christ knew all of these things. And so Peter learnt so much in keeping the peace here. Instead of fighting and saying, my master is the king of kings, he doesn't have to pay. He learnt so much by being meek. Christ taught him the greatness of Christ.

As he sees the demonstration of Christ's power and his knowledge and his ability to alter, to bring about his purposes there upon the seashore, you can imagine his thoughts. What was he thinking as he was walking away from the Lord Jesus, going to get his rod?

How is this going to take place? This is an absolute impossibility. I've never caught a fish with a coin in its mouth before. I've been fishing for years and he tells me to go and cast my hook into the sea and I'm going to catch a fish with a coin of two days wages in its mouth.

For Peter and for Jesus. Yet he does it and he sees the wonder of the Lord. You see, if we walk in obedience, we will receive the blessing of the Lord. He will bless us and he will provide for us. See, our actions, they speak louder than words. You see, the Lord Jesus, he didn't have to say, I'm not paying, I'm the king of kings. He demonstrated by his paying that he was and is the King of Kings. He demonstrated that he didn't have to stamp his feet and shout, but he demonstrated by his behaviour, by what he called Peter to do, that he has all power and all authority over all things. He didn't have to say it with his lips, but he had to demonstrate it by his actions. Our actions speak louder than our words. We may come and we may say all manner of good things, may come out of our mouths, but our actions don't coincide or don't sync with the testimony of our lips. Our actions speak louder.

Peter saw who Jesus was. Peter saw that he had that power and that authority. If you remember in Proverbs it says the lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing there is is of the Lord. The very roll of the dice is under the control of Almighty God and Peter saw that in Christ Jesus, cast your hook into the sea. and you will catch a fish with a coin in its mouth. He saw that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the sovereign Son of God, a God manifest in the flesh.

You know if you cast your lot in with the Lord Jesus Christ, then and you walk in obedience to him, you will see him provide for you in unusual ways. If you think of Elijah, when he was told to go to the brook Cherith, who fed him? It was ravens. The hymn says, more likely to rob than to feed. Yet the Lord had them under his control. They were at his disposal to do his bidding and those ravens fed that prophet.

Is he the same God today? The Bible tells us Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. As Jesus sent Peter to cast his rod into the sea to catch a fish with a coin in its mouth, can he do that today? Can he provide in unusual ways today for his people? Yes, he can. He's exactly the same. He has not changed. His power has not diminished any little bit.

Another thought about unusual ways. Some of you may remember that before we left for Kenya, we came here with an Asian girl called Guli. Guli was from Dubai with her mother and Elsie was walking through town once and this Guli's mother came up to Elsie and said, can you help me?

And Elsie said to her, you know, what do you need? And she said, oh, my daughter, I'm looking for somewhere for her to stay. And long story short, she ended up coming to live with us, this girl. And we had a two bedroom house, I think five children. Elsie and I moved down into the lounge. Guli had one room and the children all were in another. We looked after her for about two weeks.

And then her mum came and said that she had found another place for her to stay. And that was up in Croydon, not far from where David was pastoring then. And so we took her back. But you know, before we took her back, her mum said to us, how much do I owe you? for looking after her. And we said, oh, don't worry, doesn't matter. And she said, no, no, I want to pay you. And we said, oh, give us then whatever you want. And she transferred 500 pounds into our account. Now that 500 pounds was the exact money we needed to pay the mortgage, which we didn't have enough money for.

And so you see, the Lord provided in an unusual way These were, they were Muslims. Yet she picked Elsie walking down the street and wanted her to come and live in our home. We told her that we're Christians and we're going to read the Bible. If Guli stays with us, she's going to have to come to chapel. And she said, that's okay. And we did all of those things. And the Lord used this Muslim lady to provide for our needs.

You see, nothing can be called impossible with the Lord. He is able to provide for you. And if you cast in your lot with him, as he says, prove me now, saith the Lord, I will not open the windows of heaven and let down a blessing. He says, test me. prove me that I am faithful. I'm the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I'm the same yesterday, today and forever.

I have the animals at my command. I have the people at my command. The silver and the gold, it is mine. I can shift it into your account if you need it. And so he says to them, give to them for me and for thee. So the silver and the gold is the Lord's. The children of the kingdom, they are not under any obligation to give, but out of the abundance of what Christ has done for them, out of the love that they have for him in their hearts and the desire for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ, they give, not out of force, but willingly out of love to the Lord Jesus. And we know that as he did it for Peter and provided for him, so he can provide for me and for you.

Amen. Let's sing our final hymn this morning from Hymns for Worship, number 165. 165. Jesus calls us, O the tumult of our life's wild, restless sea. Day by day his sweet voice soundeth, saying, Christian, follow me. Hymns for Worship, 165, tune 897. Jesus calls us o'er the dew-clouds, o'er the nights of restless sleep. Day by day his sweet voice the deaf, singing, Christian, follow me.

♪ The boughs whose bread we eat by the gath'ring in the lake ♪ ♪ Stand firm, firm, firm, firm, firm, firm, firm, firm, firm, firm, firm, firm ♪ Jesus pulls us from the worship of the vainglorious Godhead school, from which I know that earth keep us, saying, Christian, love me. ♪ In our joys and in our sorrows ♪ ♪ Days of toil and hours of peace ♪ ♪ Still we close in cares and pleasures ♪ ♪ Please to love me more than this ♪ ♪ Jesus, close us by thy mercies ♪ ♪ Save the name we hear thy call ♪ ♪ Give the hearts to thy obedience, serve the love of God ♪ And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father, the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us now and forever. Amen.

A cheerful giver.

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about cheerful giving?

How do we know God's provision is reliable?

Why is it important for Christians to support church ministries?

Sermon Transcript

About James Gudgeon

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

A cheerful giver.

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about cheerful giving?

How do we know God's provision is reliable?

Why is it important for Christians to support church ministries?

Sermon Transcript

About James Gudgeon

Comments

More from James Gudgeon

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Suggested for You

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book