Are you a Giver or a Taker

• Are You a Giver or a Taker?
• Acts 20:32-35
• Acts 20:32-35
• Acts 20:32-35
• Givers – Happiness comes through serving others
• Takers – dedicated to taking something for nothing
• What Makes me Happy?
• What Does God Want us to be?
• Message of the Bible --- Be a Giver !
• The Blessings of Giving
• Proverbs 11:24-25 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. 25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.
• The Blessings of Giving
• Proverbs 22:9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.
• The Blessings of Giving
• Luke 6:38 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."
• The Blessings of Giving
• 1 Timothy 6:17-18 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
• The Blessings of Giving
• Hebrews 13:15-16 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
• Abraham with Lot
• Boaz with Ruth
• Good Samaritan
• Greatest Example
• Matthew 20:27-28 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
• Greatest Example
• John 10:10-11 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
• Takers in the Bible
• Jacob – grabbing birthright, blessing
• Absalom – flattery designed to gain power
• Ahab and Jezebel – Naboth’s vineyard
• Ananias and Sapphira – lying about giving
• Diotrophes – loving the preeminence
• Satan – wants to take souls from God
• In the Home
• If both are givers – success!
• If both are takers – no hope!
• One giver, one taker – going to be rough!
– Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
• In the Home
• See children as way of self glorification – push children, bark orders
– Titus 2:4-5 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
• In the Church
• Attitude toward attendance – a chore to attend or an opportunity to encourage others?
– Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
• Attitude toward Service
• Takers are whiners – you didn’t visit me
• Givers – busy being concerned with others
– James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
• Are you a taker towards God?
• Matthew 16:24-26 "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
• Are You a Giver or a Taker?
• Acts 20:32-35