It is more blessed to give than to receive! (Act20:32-38)

      It is more blessed to give than to receive! (Act20:32-38)

 

30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. 32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. 35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

 

Intro)

Today’s verse is about Saint Paul’s story in Miletus, Turkey before he took off to Jerusalem. However, main purpose of this trip was Saint Paul knew that he will become captive and dragged.  People who were letting him go must have been hard.

 

Today’s verse 35 says ' It is more blessed to give than to receive.' This is what Saint Paul is quoting Jesus’ saying on Luke 6:38 " 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.” This was life that Saint Paul was giving it to followers in Turkey. 

 2. Today’s Christian knows only getting the blessings, so whenever they pray they ask for more blessing. We need to know how this work. We need to know giving than receiving blessing. We need to experience more about this. Saint Paul told us to be a role model at all the time. What should we take after? He showed 3 ways to emulate.

 

Body)

  A) Get rid of greed

Today’s verse 33 says,  ³³ I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. "   

 

When Paul was establishing churches when there was not many churches and supporter he needed lot of money including travel, and daily living cost.

However, Saint Paul did not have greed. How come he did not have any greed as human? He should have wanted to take a break from hardships, but he didn’t as he become servant of God he tossed all kinds of greed like a trash. He was the purest Hebrew, Pharisee, and great scholar Kamari Elmun. He had no scratch in his profile as family, education etc. He was citizenship of Rome if he waited and kept his way he would have succeeded in his life. He could have become wealthy, but he gave up that life for Jesus and became servant of God as Saint. He only bragged about Jesus not power or education he had.

 

  B) Working hard.

 Today’s verse 34 says ³⁴ Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. Paul as Saint had special privilege to receive money from church as gratuity and Hospitality, but he didn’t receive if it was not necessary. This is because 1. Paul did not want to become obstacle in their Mission Ministry. He built many churches in Turkey, but for new Christian he did not want them to think bad or misunderstand him.  2. He only received offering from true love. He only received money from like Philippi church where they give from understanding and love. His work condition was not in best condition for him to work, however he showed pleasantness doing God’s work. Every drop of his sweat he made it meaningful for our God. Labor supposed to be sanctity not dirty, but now the world is making it corrupt. 

 

Loving everyone!  saint Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 3:10)" ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."    

Paul did not just say it in word, but also showed people how it is done as he sweats for people to take after him. Little labor is always good for your health than just sitting all day every day.

 

  C) Sharing life

1. ³⁴ Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. ³⁵ I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ 

Saint Paul had poor working condition, but he worked so hard and cared more for other people than himself.

 

2. God blesses who share their blessing as he promised, but what kind of blessing does he give from promise?  

 

1. Gives pleasant to who give.-  Between two of giving and receiving who do you think will have pleasant? It’s giving. If we give without condition over and over we will experience overflowing Pleasants in our heart. It is important to know how it feels to receive, but more importantly learning happiness you earn from sharing.

 

For example, Long ago there was a king of Greece. He was seeking for happiness and set prize for who can come up with idea that can make him happy the most. People came up with many different ideas, but as time goes it was more of boredom. Later on, there was a girl who came up and told him there is secret to become happy. Girl said to king as she scolds him “King! You will never be happy; you have to forget about happiness. The reason why is because he did nothing to made others happy. If you want to experience happiness you must make others happy first, then you may get your own happiness. After bit of pause king broke the silence of thought. “Girl, you are right!” and gave her big prize.

 

 

 

Everyone! Let’s live a giving and sharing life in not just material giving, but also consoling. Let’s live life that prays and works for our neighbors and God, and sometime cry with them.   

 

Luke 6:38)says, " 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.”"

God considers saving poor as planting seeds, so they can standup again, but today’s unbalanced economy is not helping, because few has wealth compare to bigger population.  So, there are people starving to death while wealth waste food.

(Proverbs 19:17)=" He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given."

When we save poor, homeless, and patient God will think as he owe us and give us back more than what we shared.

 

There is an Author name Yunho, Oh published a book titled, ‘Reason why Korea can’t encounter America’ He used to go on strike that is against America and wrote what are wrong about them, but one day he was wondering how America is in wellbeing when other nations are falling. He went trip to America and noticed they do endless volunteering work. Not every American, but many do volunteer works. So, churches in America put words saying “when can we volunteer on notice board.

   American trains to volunteer since young, and they live based on the volunteering thoughts, therefore Author Oh said this is why they are so well, and he earned faith. Our Jesus also gave up his glory of the sky, and gave salvation and eternal lives to us as he hung to the cross.

   

 

Con)

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 says

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,
For you will find it after many days.
² Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,
For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

This means if we share, we will receive blessing one day.

 

And in Proverbs 11:24,25 says,

²⁴ 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.

Indeed, if we take after Saint Paul like give up on greed, work hard with sweats, and live sharing life than God will give many compliments, and blessings. 

 

 

 

032617  Ik s. Ahn