Nehemiah 10-32-39 – Are You a Giver or a Taker? – 3/9/20

Written by Dave Urbanski

Are you a giver or a taker?

As you no doubt know, givers think about others and look to their well-being while takers think about themselves and how they can take advantage of others. (There also are “matchers” who will do for you as long as you do for them.)

But as Christians, we’re givers. We have no choice. Indeed, we’re all born as takers and inherit a sin nature, but Christ has come into our lives and turned us into givers. And God is the ultimate giver: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at commitments of faith as revealed in Nehemiah: First, obeying God, then the marriage relationship, and then letting God control our business and financial lives. This past Sunday we examined the fourth commitment — taking care of the house of the Lord. And that “Are you a giver or taker?” question most definitely came into play.

We noticed in Nehemiah 10:32-38 that a whole lot of work and people-powered service went into the care of the temple. There was financial giving so the temple could run, of course, but also there were feasts, festivals, offerings — as well as the giving of wood, crops, and cattle. And the key word: Firstfruits. In other words, the Israelites gave back first a portion to the Lord what the Lord freely gave to them.

In terms of principles, our church operates in much the same way. At Calvary Chapel Living Hope, our short- and long-term goals are the same: Evangelism, discipleship, and mobilization. But to continue focusing on those goals requires that we all be the givers that God has turned us into through Jesus.

While giving certainly isn’t all about money and finances, that is a part of what our giving and service means. But also it’s crucial to know deep in our souls that when we give to the church, we’re really giving to God. We’re really serving God. And when we give, we also give away our selfishness.

We started off our time with the question, “Are you a giver or a taker?” But we also explored a second question: “Are you a leader or a follower?” And the answer to that question has huge implications for how we function as the body of Christ — and not just at Calvary, but globally. In short, we’re all leaders, and we’re all followers. Obviously we all follow Jesus, who is Head of the church and guides and leads us. Pastors provide leadership as well, as the one who teaches, guards, and equips the flock.

But all of us also are leaders! When we became Christians and accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when our hearts turned toward following God, when the Holy Spirit empowered us, all of us were given spiritual gifts. Which means that by identifying your spiritual gift and letting God unleash it, you are impacting the church. In fact, the exercise of your spiritual gift (or gifts) will change the course of the church!

But it all starts with your willingness to be a giver.

Listen to the sermon here: