Introduction:

Am I adding to the world by helping others, or taking from it in consumption?

Proposition:

God gave his son, the Son gave his life, and the Holy Spirit gave up his dwelling in Heaven. Sacrifice is the only way to cause change. Do you wish for change?

Body:

These are the things we want to focus on today:

• Love, affection
• Attention, compassion
• Help/Assistance
• Emotional Support (Listening, Encouraging, etc.)
• Time (Intimacy)
• Grace & Mercy

Do you ever get the feeling that you are not quite the person that you are intended to be?

Do you ever feel like there has got to be more to life than this?

We have reviewed reasons that “Takers” take, rather than to give:

1. “Their life is empty”, no matter how much they take from others.
2. “They take in relationships”, so they are never fulfilled in them either.
   1. Relationship requires both give and take to flourish/grow
3. “The more they take, the more they become isolated from others”.
   1. People will eventually migrate away from these people
   2. Takers have little to offer, and will offer even less than that
4. “Inevitably, Takers will have nothing to offer except tangible things”
   1. They have spent their life learning only to take.
   2. They have spent no time developing character
      1. Accepting responsibility for wrongdoing
         1. Takers only blame others
      2. Frequent or constant bad attitudes or behavior
         1. Too lazy/selfish to account for their wrong
         2. Not willing to accept accountability
         3. Never see how they are ruining their relationships
         4. Waste intimacy time with dysfunctional attitudes
         5. Usually, can only have decent relationships with children
            1. Children overlook bad behavior
            2. Children don’t demand accountability

• Learning to sacrifice and the joy it brings to do for others

1. Humbling themselves and placing the needs of others first without murmuring, complaining, or refusing.
   1. Complaint expresses insincere desire (don’t do it)
2. “Takers lack the humility to cultivate a relationship with God”
   1. Humility teaches us to view our failures realistically
   2. Knowing I fail can teach me to rely upon God
   3. Delusions of power or perfection shift our respect for God
      1. If we believe ourselves capable, then we don’t need God
   4. Once we fail, we seek out coping mechanisms rather than God
      1. Drug use becomes a vice to forget our failures
      2. Sex is used to numb the mind

• Violence is employed to lash out at ourselves

1. Gathering things takes our mind off our limitations
2. Hurting others the way we hurt, gives us company

Man doesn’t realize it, but we need God, and a relationship with him!

Paul spoke in Galatians and Corinthians about being careful of how believers treat one another with love and prefer each other.

People who give are emotionally free. Thy are stronger, and frankly they generally require much less assistance from others than those who take.

II Cor 5:17 says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:"

I John 4:8 tells us: "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

As we can see from these scriptures:

1. Becoming a Believer should change us
2. That change should include love for others, as God is a loving God!
3. Without these things occurring, we are not part of the Body of Christ.

Acts 20:35 states:

^35" I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Conclusion:

It is God’s desire to free us of all worldly distractions, hurt, pain, betrayal, oppression, etc. through a relationship with him.

God made the ultimate sacrifice for you, and only asks you to love him back!

Learn the freedom that comes from giving back to the world, and not taking from it by loving God back!

You will be amazed at how freely you can feel, and live!

“To fill up, you must first empty, and to grab you must first let go!”

 “A closed fist can neither lose nor receive anything!”

Previous Page