Integrity in Giving – May 2, 2021

Preached by Pastor Kunle Oladebo

Psalm 116:12 – 14

¹²“What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?
¹³ I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
¹⁴ I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people.” (NKJV)

1. Highlights 
   • Integrity means uprightness, sincerity
     • When it comes to money matters, you know the character of the person you are dealing with.
     • God expects you to give to family, the poor, and to the Lord
   • Giving is a natural response to love 
     • True love is about giving everything and expecting nothing
     • That is why God gave His only begotten Son
     • That is why Jesus gave His life
     • Many are being controlled by greed.  It starts slowly by you rationalizing, then it grows until you are destroyed
     • Life does not consist of your assets.  They don’t build you up for eternity (e.g. Lazarus and the Rich Man)
       • Ecclesiastes – Vanity upon vanity
     • Examples:
       • Judas Iscariot
       • Gehazi
     • Life does not consist of your assets.  They don’t build you up for eternity (e.g. Lazarus and the Rich Man)
       • Ecclesiastes – Vanity upon vanity
     • “You can give without loving; but you cannot love without giving.” – Amy Carmichael
   • You honour through giving
     • There is no honour without giving
     • First commandment with a promise:  Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (NIV)
     • Give your time.  Psalm 92:1-2 “It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night,” (NIV)
     • Psalm 50:23 “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who sets his way properly I will show the salvation of God.””(NASB)
   • Giving is investing into your future
     • When you give to humanity, you are blessing a soul.  For every time you give there is always a blessing
       • Proverbs 19:17 – “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” (KJV)
       • Matthew 6:19 – 21 – ” ⁹ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: ²⁰ But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (NKJV)
       • The rule of sowing can never be broken.
       • Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (NKJV)
   • A person of integrity shows generosity 
     • Your generosity will define your experience in life. (Solomon);  People continously gave to Solomon
       • 1 Kings 10:23 – 25 – “So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. ²⁴ Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. ²⁵ Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.” (NKJV)
       • The rich keep getting richer