Sermon - The Gift in One’s Nature
Scripture
References:
Genesis
4:1–5; Luke 21:1–4; 2 Corinthians 9:5–9
Dear ones who
walk in the presence of God, May the Father of spirits fill your body and soul
with His glorious presence! Amen. May the devil’s enticements be swept away,
and may your hearts, drawn by the desire for divine life, be satisfied in Him.
The
summer season has begun. When someone feels thirsty, do we need to tell them to
drink water? No — they do it naturally. In the same way, when someone offers a
gift and says, “Give my greetings to the one receiving it,” must we be reminded
to express thanks? Gratitude that springs from within is natural and sincere.
Just as thirst leads one naturally to drink water, so too thankfulness should
lead one to express praise.
From
birth until now, God has continually blessed us with countless gifts and
mercies. Therefore, it is only natural that we bow before our Creator. Worship
arises from a heart of goodness and gratitude — this is the nature that ought
to dwell in us.
When
God helps us, should our response be sorrow or joy? If a long-suffering patient
is healed after prayer, will he grieve or rejoice? He rejoices! That joy
springs not because someone told him to rejoice, but because healing has come —
joy arises naturally from the experience.
Likewise,
offering gifts to God cheerfully and generously comes from a joyful and
thankful heart — it is a reflection of our inner nature. I once shared a
story: a parent peeled a banana and fed it to their little child. The child,
filled with joy, took a small portion of that same banana and tried to feed it
back to the parent. That was a pure act of love and joy — a gift born from
delight. Though the banana originally came from the parent, the joy of
receiving it inspired the child to give.
Similarly,
when we return offerings to God, we are giving from what He has already
provided. His kindness brings us joy, and our joyful giving pleases Him — a
mutual delight from both sides.
God’s
nature is to bless, and it becomes our nature to rejoice. If that joy is
genuine, giving gifts to God becomes part of our character. God’s blessings
come to us in two ways:
1. Deliverance — from dangers,
troubles, and trials.
2. Provision — granting what we
need for life.
God
shows kindness to both believers and unbelievers alike, for all are part of His
creation.
The
Festival of Giving
If
today you are bringing a gift to God from your own heart — not because someone
urged you, but from your natural inclination — God will accept it. Even if
someone reminds you to bring an offering, let your gift flow from your own
conviction and gratitude, not from obligation.
A
gift that arises from spiritual experience is:
1. Pleasing to God
2. Acceptable in His
sight
Ask
yourself: Did
I bring this gift out of joyful gratitude? As Paul wrote, “Each one must give
as he has decided in his heart.” No one can repay God adequately
for His blessings. God is not looking at the amount, but at the joy and
sincerity in the heart.
In
the temple, the rich gave large sums, yet the widow’s tiny gift pleased Jesus
more. According to worldly calculations, it may seem like a mistake — but in
the eyes of wisdom, Jesus' assessment is correct. The true measure is the heart behind the offering.
Can
we count all the gifts God has given us? Every minute of life is filled with
unseen blessings. Even today, each of us came to God’s house alive — we did not
die along the way. Every moment that we lived since the last time we gathered
is evidence of His mercy. Is not each minute a gift?
God
once told Abraham, “I
will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven — you will not be
able to count them.” Likewise, we cannot count God’s mercies. The
nature of giving is in God, and He has placed it in us too.
God
gives every moment — not only to those with life, but even to lifeless things.
The sky, sun, moon — all give something daily. The sun, though lifeless, gives
light and heat. It doesn’t speak, yet it gives. That is the work God assigned
it. So too, God has placed the task of giving in us — giving to Him, to the
poor, and for all good works. Whether to the living or non-living, God's design
is generosity. The moon, though it has no life, shines its light upon the
earth. It does not say, “I
am giving you moonlight,” but it does its work faithfully. The
clouds do not speak, yet they bring rain and bless the land. If lifeless
elements fulfill their purpose, how much more must we, who are alive, give?
When
the poor are in need, God helps them through the rich; when the church is in
need, He provides through offerings. That is why today is a day to bring gifts
to the Lord — a testimony that God is working through us.
We
have already seen three sources of God’s blessings:
1. God Himself
2. The sky and the
heavens
3. The sun and moon
Therefore,
let today’s giving arise from your inner nature. Even before you give, if it
arises from your genuine gratitude, God will accept it.
One
final blessing remains — the highest of all God’s gifts: His only Son.
If you offer your gift remembering the gift of His Son, it becomes most
precious in His sight. Your offering then becomes the fulfillment of His joy.
May this
message bear fruit in your spiritual growth. Amen.
Sermon
delivered
by Father
.M. Devadasu Ayyagaru, on March
11, 1953
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