If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:10-11
“My beloved brethren, many of the clergy of this city have clearly seen that in our day, there is great need of increased and steady liberality in the Church, even to maintain the religious and charitable institutions existing among us, and they have deeply felt themselves bound to consider how such a want may be supplied, so that God may be glorified, and His people may be found ready unto every good work.
Hence it was that several meetings were held to discuss this subject, and it was deemed most desirable to promote, as far as possible, a proportionate and systematic giving of our substance unto God. To effect this, it was resolved, that a course of five sermons should be preached on the motives, the proportion, the objects, the modes, and the blessings of giving…When we carefully examine the whole Word of God, it is very striking to observe that in almost all the passages where God enjoins giving, He promises blessings and connects them with it.”
William Carpenter in his sermon “The Blessings of Giving” preached in St. Ann’s Church, Manchester on 10 April 1862 in Money, And It’s Responsibilities: A Course of Sermons on Giving issued by a committee of churchmen (Manchester: Hale and Roworth, 1862) 53-55.
The great paradox of generosity is celebrated in this sermon. When God’s Word celebrates generous giving, we also see reference to blessings that return to the giver. This is not about percentage giving or prosperity gospel, which selfishly retains portions. It’s abundant giving that flows richly as God supplies.
It’s encouraging to see the outline a group of prominent pastors used to grow generosity in England in 1862. They focused on the motives, the proportion, the objects, the modes, and the blessings of giving. Pastors and stewardship champions would do well to apply this same outline today.
Start with the heart, which is what God looks at. Urge people to give according to their ability to things God cares about. Make it easy for people to give, and celebrate the blessings that return to givers. We don’t end up empty, but enriched for greater generosity. As Isaiah put it, we appear like a garden watered by a spring.
Today’s my daughter’s birthday. Sophie is 22! She is like a well-watered garden. Wherever she goes, like parched places, she brings life and love. Father, bless her with another great year of service to you. Cause your light to shine though her by your Holy Spirit I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.