The Forgotten Beatitude

Transcripts for Dr. Wiersbe's sermons are forthcoming. Below is an outline of his message.

Jesus says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Many people are missing the richness of the Christian life because they have forgotten these words.

Jesus’ words are a spiritual stethoscope for our hearts and lives.

Four discoveries that help us enter a higher level of Christian living:

• God’s heart
  • Jesus reveals God to us through His words, character, and conduct.
  • God wants us to experience His joy, goodness, salvation, and grace.
  • God wants our lives to be more abundant because of His blessings.
  • God’s heart is beating for us.
• Paul’s heart
  • Paul moved out of a life of getting to a life of giving and getting.
  • Covetousness make people lie, steal, cheat, and kill.
  • Paul’s heart was transformed by the Gospel of the grace of God.
• The church’s heart
  • The church was born in the giving of Christ’s blood and receiving the Holy Spirit.
  • The heart of the church beats with giving and receiving.
  • When we receive salvation we, in turn, share it with others.
  • It takes as much grace to receive as it does to give.
• Our hearts
  • How do you respond to Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive?”
  • It is more blessed to give because giving is God-like.
  • Your heart beats on either a covetous or giving cycle.
  • Our lives should be vessels of God’s blessing for others.
  • Make sure your motive is right in giving.
  • Giving is our response to God showering His blessings on us.
  • Giving brings us closer to the heart of God and draws others closer too.

Every deed of selfishness robs God of glory, but every deed of giving brings Him glory.

What is the one area you are holding back from God?

As we give and receive in the Lord we grow.

Our hearts and the church’s heart should beat with giving because that is how God’s heart beats.