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Gospel-Driven Giving:
A Happy Christian’s Lifestyle
Acts 20:35
Rob Wilkerson
December 30, 2007
Church in the Boro

Introduction

At the end of his three-year Ephesian ministry, Paul left the

elders of the church with God’s words regarding leadership. At the end
of his farewell speech, he commended them to the word of God’s
grace, which was able to build them up and give them an inheritance
among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32). This word
‘inheritance’ (kleronomia) refers to gifts and blessings of God in His
salvation. Literally, it refers to the property or portion that one
receives after another has died. Salvifically, it would refer to the
possession or property we receive after Jesus died. In his letter to the
Ephesians after his departure, Paul told them that the Holy Spirit has
been given to us to seal the promise of our inheritance. We’ll
eventually get it all one day, when Jesus returns to finish the
redemption He started by taking us to heaven. It is this very
inheritance of which Paul prays that the Ephesians would get full
understanding and knowledge. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may
be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling,
what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…” (Eph.
1:18).

This is what life is all about for the Christian. It is not about
material possessions or property. Jesus’ death was for sin, something
spiritual in nature. All the facets and blessings of salvation are
spiritual, not material, though material benefits flow out of these
spiritual blessings. Therefore, the Christian’s focus in life is not to be
upon an inheritance that fades away. This was opposite of that for
which Peter blessed God.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born
again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is
imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you…” (1 Pet. 1:3-4).
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And this attitude which Peter encouraged, and which Jesus

Himself displayed while on earth, was the same spirit and heart which
Paul displayed toward the Ephesian elders and a true example of
ministry. For after commending them to that which would give them
their inheritance among the sanctified, he explains his own pursuit of
that inheritance as exemplary to them in Acts 20:33-35.

“I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You

yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own
needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I
showed you that by working hard in this manner you must
help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus,
that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to
receive.’”

Proposition

It is this last statement, an additional word from our Lord Jesus, which
is not recorded in His original teachings in the gospels, that is the
subject of our attention this morning. And I want to point your
attention to three truths in this text in order to help us be as satisfied
in giving as Christ was in saying this.

“IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.”

1. First, Paul says that it is more blessed to give than to

receive. This word is makarios and it refers to one experiencing a
transcendent sort of blessing, fortune or state of happiness or joy. One
dictionary defined it as “pertaining to being happy, with the implication
of enjoying favorable circumstances.”1

Happiness has been a difficult a word to use when translating

makarios today. The original word comes from the Latin root hap
which refers to luck. I have heard many preach that happiness is too
fleeting, here one moment and gone the next, almost completely
dependent upon circumstances. The related word markismos is
defined this very way. This is the way in which the word has come to
2

be understood today. I have also heard it preached that the word ‘joy’
does come closer to defining makarios, for ‘joy’ connotes a happiness
that stays despite the circumstances. This is the kind of heart attitude
we read of in the life of Paul throughout his epistles.

1
Louw-Nida, 25.119.
2
Ibid, 25.118, used in Gal. 4:15. Cf. 25.120, makarizo, used in Jam. 5:11 and
Luke 1:48.
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But Jesus does not use the word ‘joyful’ here. That is a different
Greek word altogether.3 The plain fact of the matter is that the English
word ‘happy’ is the only one that can be used to translate makarios.
Even the English word ‘blessed,’ which has been used in countless
translations, comes from a different Greek word.4 Despite this
difference, Weymouth nevertheless commented, “Blessedness is, of
course, an infinitely higher and better thing than mere happiness.”5 In
light of this change of meaning, Robertson rightly acknowledges that it
seems as if “English has thus ennobled ‘blessed’ to a higher rank than
‘happy’.”6

But ‘happy’ is what Jesus said, and we should be ‘happy’ to keep

it! I submit that we keep it for one reason. Jesus used makarios, a
word usually associated with favorable circumstances, to redefine it in
light of truth and holy living. This would mean that a Christian cannot
be any happier than when he is being the person Jesus describes in the
beatitudes. Listen to Vincent as he explains this concept.

“Shaking itself loose from all thoughts of outward good, it

becomes the express symbol of happiness identified with
pure character. Behind it lies the clear cognition of sin as
the fountain-head of all misery, and of holiness as the final
and effectual cure for every woe. For knowledge as the
basis of virtue, and therefore of happiness, it substitutes
faith and love.”7

Therefore, Jesus is taking this word ‘happy’ and transforming it

into something it should be. Rather than be happy because of
favorable circumstances, one should be happy because of his
character which is spiritually poor, sorrowful over sin, gentle, hungry
and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, making peace,
and persecuted for righteousness (Matt. 5:3-12). And back to Acts
20:35, one is happier when he is giving rather than receiving.

This concept of happiness goes against the grain of world’s view

of happiness, doesn’t it? The world views happiness as the very
antithesis of the character traits described in the beatitudes. The
world promotes the idea that people are happier when they feel good
about themselves, not when they know their true spiritual condition.
3
Chara, chairo. Cf. Louw-Nida 25.123-125.
4
Eulogeo, eulogetoi, eulogemenos. Cf. Louw-Nida 33.362.
5
Cited in Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, on Matthew 5:3, in
BibleWorks 4.0.
6
Ibid.
7
Vincent, Marvin. Word Studies in the New Testament. Cited in Robertson’s
Word Pictures of the New Testament, Matthew 5:3. From BibleWorks 4.0.
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They are happier when they don’t worry about sin and guilt. True
happiness is found in being strong and ambitious, not gentle and
meek. The world teaches people that it is okay to desire and indulge in
the things they think they should not have. Who wants to be pure in
heart when everyone else is doing what is bad and enjoying it? And as
for making peace, that’s impossible! Happiness can’t possibly come
when we are being physically harmed for something we believe in.
Therefore, to tie all this back in to Acts 20:35, happiness is surely not
present unless we are getting, receiving, and taking. Now do you see
why we must diligently maintain the word ‘happy’ in the translation,
understanding and teaching of the word makarios? We cannot
continue to let the world determine how we understand our language
and the truth it communicates. Happiness is what Jesus says it is, and
it is defined by the Creator of happiness.

What are some other occurrences of ‘blessed’ in Jesus’ teachings

that we can use to further define God’s idea of happiness? Besides
those found in the beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12, Jesus teaches us in
11:6 that happiness comes for those who do not stumble or take
offense at Jesus. Therefore, for those who are offended by Jesus, they
are not truly happy. Further, Jesus taught that through His parables
happiness would come to those who understood them. Why? Because
in understanding parables they possessed spiritual sight and hearing
that could understand God’s truth. The same thought is found in 16:17
where Jesus declares Peter’s happiness because of Peter’s
understanding of the spiritual truth regarding the nature of Jesus
Christ. Likewise, happiness does not come in doing whatever you
want. It comes in diligently making oneself read for the return of Jesus
(Matt. 24:46).

In Luke, Elizabeth declares Mary’s happiness because of the faith

Mary had in the angel’s words concerning the conception of the
Messiah within her womb (Luke 1:45). Therefore, happiness comes by
faith, believing in what God has said. And while Mary was certainly
happy in the fact that she was carrying the Messiah, Jesus said that
those who hear Him and obey Him are even happier than she (11:27-
28). Jesus’ teaching in chapter 14 regarding who to invite when a feast
is given hints at His teaching in Acts 20:35. “But when you give a
reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you
will be blessed [happy], since they do not have the means to repay
you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (BBE).

In John, Jesus teaches us that those who do what they know Jesus
teaches will be happy (13:17). This same thought is repeated in
Revelation 1:3 and 22:7 where hearing and heeding the words of Jesus’
prophecy brings happiness. During this time of tribulation, which one
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do you think will be the happiest in the end: those who die as lovers of
the Lord or those who die as followers of the Beast? In the end, surely
those who have a seat reserved at the marriage supper of the Lamb
(19:9) and who will be allowed to enter through the gates of heaven
will be happiest of all (22:14)! And what is more, those who believe in
Jesus even though they have never even seen Him are happier than
those who have seen and believed (20:29). This kind of belief is what
holds believers through tribulation, compelling them to keep
themselves diligent, awake, spiritually sober and pure during this time
(16:15).

What are some occurrences of ‘blessed’ in other NT portions that

would continue to show us what it means to be truly happy? Perhaps
the most important one has its foundation in justification. Salvation
makes one happy because his sins are forgiven and are no longer
taken into account by God (Rom. 4:7-8). That fact alone should be the
basis for all other experiences of happiness we have. And other the
happiness that salvation produces, what greater happiness is there
than the confident expectation in Jesus’ return to complete our
salvation (Tit. 2:13)?

Further, happiness comes by not living contrary to what we say

(Rom. 14:22). A similar thought is portrayed by James where
happiness comes from hearing and doing the Word of God, rather than
just hearing (1:25). Then, there is happiness to be experience in
persevering under trial or temptation because the crown of life belongs
to us then (Jam. 1:12). When one of those trials is persecution for faith
in Christ, happiness should be present, expelling all fear, despair,
confusion, frustration or trouble (1 Pet. 3:14), because righteousness is
the reason for which we have been harmed. The same thought is
repeated in 4:14.

Finally, it is not enough to simply say that Jesus used the word
‘happy’ in Acts 20:35. For when Jesus teaches this truth surely He
embodies it Himself in completion and perfection. That this is true is
exclaimed twice by Paul. The phrase tou makariou Theou (the
‘blessed’ or ‘happy’ God) is used in 1 Timothy 1:11, and ho makarios
kai monos dunastes (He who is the ‘blessed’ and only Sovereign) is
used in 6:15. In each of these the word makarios is ascribed to the
person of God. He is a happy God! Why? Because He is Himself! If
happiness is defined by perfection, then perfection must be the
happiest state of all! If happiness is defined by God, then God must be
the happiest Person of all. Therefore, when Jesus says that those who
give are happier than those who receive, He says this because He
Himself is the happiest of all Persons because He has given the most
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any Person has ever given! Therefore, when we give like Jesus we
stand to expect to be as happy as Jesus!

2. It is blessed to receive.

I want you to notice second that the text does not say that it is
not blessed to receive. It merely says that it is more blessed to give
than receive. Receiving is certainly blessed. Tell me a time when you
were not happy about receiving something you wanted or needed! But
the vision I want you to catch here is that the blessedness of receiving
is usually the grounds for the blessedness of giving. In other words, as
one preacher stated it, you get from God in order to give back to God,
who then gives to you again, in order that you may give to Him again.
It is certainly a happy thing to receive from God, but happier yet to
give. And He gives to us to make us happy so that we will experience
the greater happiness of giving.

INSERT: Examples of those who have received from God, and the
descriptions of their joy and happiness.

3. It is more blessed to give.

Third, I want you to notice that Paul says it is more blessed to

give than receive. Those who give are happier than those who receive,
in other words. Or to put it this way, if you want to be happy and
blessed, then be more about giving than you are about receiving.
Now, there are a few reasons why Paul would quote Jesus here. It is
because Jesus is one who knows the most about giving and receiving.
After all, according to Colossians 1:16, it was “by Him all things were
created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or dominions or rules or authorities – all things were created through
Him and for Him.” Why would Jesus make this statement that is more
blessed to give than receive?

A. Jesus taught it first because He knew Himself perfectly well

to be the happiest and most blessed of all beings.

Paul’s own testimony to this truth is found in his example in Acts

20:33-34. This testimony was based on the gospel of Christ which he
both learned directly from Christ and observed in Christ’s ministry per
the gospels he had access to. It was out of this vast wealth of personal
experience with Jesus that he rightly understood and communicated
the heart of giving to us.

• First, He is the happiest because He needs nothing. I just

quoted Colossians 1:16 for you which clearly states that He
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created everything, which necessarily implies that the Creator

doesn’t need His creation to exist, for if He did, then He would be
subject to His creation. This is what theologians call the “self-
sufficiency” of God. He is completely sufficient by Himself and
needs nothing or anyone in order to exist. Now, as creatures, we
tie what we have or do not have to whether or not we are happy.
We realize that happiness is found in possessions. If we are not
happy with what we have, we get something else in search of
that happiness. And if we do not have at all what we think will
make us happy, then we search for it and acquire it, sometimes
by any means necessary. This fact is as fundamental to our
existence as our breathing. And it is fundamental to every
being’s existence. It is why people suffer with certain harmful
addictions because they believe that drugs, alcohol,
pornography, immorality, gambling, etc. will ultimately make
them happy. It is why credit cards are at their highest mark yet.
People really believe that the more they buy the more happy
they will be. So they keep spending, spending, spending, trying
to increase the level of happiness, yet for some strange reason,
they are never really happy. This is purposeful on the part of our
Creator who desired that in our desires we would want that
which would make us the happiest. But as Paul stated in Acts
17:25, God is not “served by human hands, as though he needed
anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath
and everything.” God is the happiest being then because He
needs nothing.

• Second, God is the happiest of all beings because he is

the most giving of all beings. Again, as Paul said in Acts
17:25, “he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and
everything. James 1:17 teaches us that “every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Therefore, as the One who gives the most, He is the most happy.
And to be happy like God, we must also give, yet we must do so
like God. For it is only when we are giving like God does that we
will be as happy as God is. And when we give like God does, we
will actually be happy in Him. I want to briefly open three other
texts alongside this one to shed light on the nature of God’s
giving so that you will know how you should give.

i. The first is John 3:16 is the quintessential passage on this

matter of God’s giving. It tells us that God loved the world
so much that He gave His one and only Son. And to what
end? So that those believing in Him would not perish but
have eternal life.
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a. This text shows us first, that God’s giving was

motivated by love. The text clearly shows that He
gave because He loved.
b. The text shows second, that God’s love was felt and
shown toward the world, that is, those who didn’t
deserve it, toward those who were perishing. God’s
love is demonstrated toward those who can’t help
themselves.
c. The text shows third, that God gave His one and only
Son. He had no other Son, but gave the Only One He
had.

ii. The second text is Ephesians 1:4, where we read that

God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every
spiritual blessing in Christ.
a. Notice first from the text that the word “blessed”
here is substituted for the word “gave.” They are
synonymous in Paul’s mind. To give something is to
bless someone else. Thus, the reason that giving is a
happier thing than receiving, because in receiving
something you are not blessing another. Yet this is
what God has done in Christ for us.
b. Notice second that the text says God has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing. As in John 3:16, He held
nothing back. Though He had only one Son He gave
Him up anyway. And though He is infinitely wealthy
as the Creator of all things, He holds nothing back
but gives every spiritual blessing to us.
c. Notice third that the text later says that “in love He
predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ”
(vv. 5-6). Again, the motivation for His choosing us
and blessing us with every spiritual blessing is love.
d. Notice fourth that the text says that these spiritual
blessings are in Christ, reminding us that whatever
we have been given by God has been given to us in
His One and Only Son. Thus, when we were blessed
with Christ, we were blessed with everything else
God had to give us. This leads me to the third text.

iii. The third text is Romans 8:32. Paul says there, “He who
did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how
will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?”
This is the only logical end of the other two texts. He gave
His one and only Son. He gave us every spiritual blessing
when He gave us Christ. And if He gave us Christ will He
not also give us all things?
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a. Notice first in the text that God didn’t spare His Son.
This is congruous with the other passages,
emphasizing again that God is one who gives all that
He has.
b. Notice second, that in being given the Son that is a
guarantee that we will receive everything else. He
leaves nothing out and holds nothing back.
c. Notice third, that as in the other passages, the
motivation for this kind of giving us love, according
to verses 35-39.

To Summarize:

• We give because we love others.

• We give to those who can’t help themselves.
• We give everything we have or can give.

Or

• We give out of love, to those who can’t help themselves, through

gracious and abundant giving, by giving everything we have or
can give.

B. Application:

1. First, all of these texts give us ample to reason to

understand why God is so happy. He is so happy
because He has given so much. And in God’s
mathematics, “so much” is equal to everything. And He
gives it all, holding nothing back, because He loves us so
much. He is not a stingy God who waits with pen and
pencil in hand, waiting for every opportunity to subtract
what He had intended to give you. He freely gives us all
things in Christ. So I encourage you to see this God for
who He really is, and not for what others have perhaps
made Him out to be in your mind. Again, He is a God who
has held nothing back from you and who leaves nothing
out from you.

2. Second, all of these texts show that God’s gift was

Jesus Christ. He is the highest and most precious gift
that could ever be given. To be given the Giver Himself of
all gifts is the only gift any person should ever reasonably
desire. What this means, then is that we should worship
Jesus Christ as the Most magnificent gift of all, longing to
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simply receive and know more and more about Him. To

own that which is the most valuable in all of life is
something every soul longs for always. To actually be
successful in finding something that is of infinite value is
what every soul wants as its portion in life. Therefore, in
Jesus all of this and more is found and our souls should
long for Him and in this longing worship Him, enjoy Him,
delight in Him, drink from Him, eat from Him, walk with
Him, and abide with Him.

3. Third, all of these texts show that love is the only

holy and right motivation for giving. God gave
because He loved. And we ought to give because we love.
Granted, He gave because He knew He could expect
something in return. In other words, He gave all He had
because in so doing He was thereby securing our salvation.
But the emphases of these texts is that He gave all that He
had because He loved us. Do you give all that you have?
Or do you spare some for yourself? Do you give everything
away or make everything available to be given away? The
amount you give is directly correlated to the condition of
your heart. Jesus made this clear in Matthew 6:19-24. In
that passage on money, He plainly says “where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The treasure
specifically refers to money here, but it can also apply to
any resource you knowingly possess that can be used for
others. How can you tell the condition of your heart,
whether or not you are motivated by love? Jesus answers
that question in verse 24. “No man can serve two masters,
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will
be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and money.” See the parallels? Love is equal to
devotion in Jesus’ mind. God has loved us and has devoted
His Son to us. We ought also to love others and devote
ourselves to Him and to others, not to our money and
possessions. This leads me to my fourth application.

4. Fourth, all of these texts imply that we are foolish if

we think that we can devote ourselves to our money
and possessions as well as to God and others at the
same time. Jesus makes it clear it is all or nothing. Either
love God and hate money, or else love money and hate
God. So then, you can measure your happiness in life by
how much you are giving. And how much you are giving is
a reflection of how much you are loving. I’d like to stop
and point out what I referred to previously regarding
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people’s addictions and their search for happiness. I

pointed out that people are addicted because they think
that with each act of their addiction they will obtain
happiness. Yet knowing that the happiness is temporary,
they continue in that addiction because at least it provides
some happiness. Yet it isn’t ultimate happiness. That
kind of happiness consumes. But the kind of happiness we
see in Acts 20:25 gives. Happiness that is linked with
money, possessions, and sex is destructive because it
consumes. It consumes resources on one’s self always
hurting others in the process. That is why it cannot really
be labeled happiness, because in the end, those who are
hurt are not happy, and the one who was initially seeking
happiness isn’t really happy. True happiness and
blessedness comes when one’s resources are given and
not consumed, when others are built up and encouraged,
rather than torn down and discouraged. And this is why
love and happiness go hand in hand. If God is the happiest
of all beings due in part to the fact that He loves and gives
all, then we stand to be as happy as He is when we love
Him and others, giving everything that we have to them,
holding nothing back, sparing nothing at all. Look at this
viewpoint from five illustrations.

a. Rich man – give up all that you have and follow me.
Look how sad he was when he turned down this
offer. Mark 10:17-22.

b. Zaccheus – gave half of his money to poor leaving

the other half to pay back four times as much from
those he had robbed. Look how happy he was! Luke
19:1-10.

c. Disciples – we have left everything to follow you.

Compare their lives of suffering and persecution to
what Jesus said about that subject in Matthew 5:10-
12.

d. The poor widow of Mark 12:43 ff.

e. The Macedonians of 2 Corinthians 8:3 ff.

4. Final Applications:
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A. The soul’s joy is found in turning its attention toward

someone who has no need. For the one who has no need has only
one of two options. First, be fat and happy in his own blessings. Or,
second, turn and give to the needs of others. God has chosen the
latter and has demonstrated it in the supreme example of Jesus Christ.
Now the soul knows that there is a thing out there in the universe that
in getting it he will finally be happy. And not only that, but he will
continue to grow more and more happy throughout eternity because if
Jesus Christ, his gift, is eternal, then there will be an eternity of ever-
increasing happiness as we spend that time knowing Him more and
more.

It is unusual for one to turn to another person to meet his needs, when
that other person has needs of his own. But because God has no
needs, the soul can constantly and confidently look to Him to receive
what is needed. And what is further, this constant and confident
looking to Him to receive is itself worship, for in the looking and asking
and seeking and knocking (Matt. 7:7) God is worshiped as the only One
who can supply and give. And His worship is promoted and furthered
in the soul when He supplies and gives, along with that particular need,
Himself, who is the consummation and fulfillment of all needs, physical
and spiritual. Therefore when the soul looks to God, it worships God.
When it receives what is needed, God is thanked and honored. And
when enjoying what was received, the thought of God is furthered and
promoted within. So then the soul’s portion is ultimately found in God
and God is His satisfaction and joy and happiness and blessedness.

B. In all of our giving, our gifts are to be given in a way that

are by nature designed to point to God so that men will be
prompted to honor and give thanks to God. I referred to Acts 17
earlier regarding Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill. In that sermon he
reproves his hearers because they chose to worship gold, silver and
stone. This required repentance because it was sinful to worship the
creation rather than the Creator. Paul spoke to this later when he
wrote to the Romans that, “although they knew God, they did not
honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in
their thinking, and their foolish heart was darkened. Claiming to be
wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God
for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles”
(1:21-22). God gives, but instead of acknowledging those gifts and
then turning to thank God and honor Him, they turn and reject Him,
choosing instead to honor and worship what He gave them. Paul
explained earlier in verses 19-20 that the creation God made was
designed to point back to Him.
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Therefore, I encourage you to consider that in your giving you do so in

such a way that those who receive what you give honor and thank God
instead of you. Remember, even if you are the one who gave a gift,
James says that every good and perfect gift comes from God. You
gave because God motivated you to give. Therefore, He ought to
receive the glory from you as the giver, and the other person as the
receiver. This is why Jesus encourages secret giving in the sermon on
the mount. “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in
secret” (Matt. 6:1-4). So as we consider this text in light of our main
text, it makes us happier when we give to others who are needy rather
than receive from others. And it is along this vein that I return you to
our text as we close this message.

C. It is by God’s divine providence that this is the only place

in Scripture where these words of Jesus occur. They do not occur
in the gospels and nothing like it occurs there. But it occurs here,
interestingly enough, in the context of Paul’s own lifestyle. He
quoted these words of Jesus as a defense of the way he chose to live.

These words of Jesus regarding giving came from the context of Paul’s
personal testimony. Paul was an apostle who was bidding farewell a
group of elders he had personally trained. The passage in its entirety
speaks chiefly to elders. But there are obviously truths in that passage
that apply to all believers as well. Let’s look at both groups as we
close.

If many of the truths in this passage apply to all believers, they

especially apply to elders, pastors and church leaders. Elders are to be
a model of the truths we read of here. If a church is to become a
church who longs more for the blessedness of giving rather than
receiving, then the elders, pastors and church leaders must
themselves take the initiative in following the theology inherent in
Paul’s farewell here in Acts 20.

1. To Experience the Blessedness of Giving, We Must

Fight Against Covetousness, and Fight for Contentment
(Col. 3:5). According to verse 33, Paul had never coveted
anyone’s money. Why? Because he was much happier giving
money than getting money. According to verse 34, he appealed
to the Ephesian elders’ own experience and witness of his
lifestyle.

a. For Elders this means they must especially fight

against covetousness. This word for ‘covet’ here is the
same Greek word that is translated elsewhere as lust. It
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refers to an inward desire to have something that belongs

to someone else. It refers to a strong desire to have
something that you cannot rightfully possess. If it is more
blessed to give than receive, and it is blessed to receive,
then it is wicked to covet. Covetousness goes beyond
receiving and wishes it could have more, and even take
more. The Bible makes no bones about the fact that the
number one sign of a false teacher, ungodly pastor, or
wicked elder is that they covet, they are greedy, or they
love money (2 Pet. 2:3,14).

• It is destructive to a church body, and elders especially

must be men who fight against covetousness in order to
teach their body that it believers are happier when they
are giving. They exemplify this by being the elders
described in 1 Timothy 3:2-3 – sober-minded, self-
controlled, respectable, and hospitable. He must not be
‘greedy for gain,’ as Paul told Titus in 1:7, but again
hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy
and disciplined. All of these are the antithesis of
covetousness.
• In his counsel to Timothy as a pastor, we have words
that are just a fit for elders here today. Paul tells
Timothy that there are some ‘elders’ who have “an
unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels
about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander,
evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who
are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth,
imagining that godliness is a means of gain” (1
Timothy 6:4-5). What is the remedy? “Now there is
great gain in godliness with contentment, for we
brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take
anything out of the world. But if we have food and
clothing, with these will be content” (vv. 6-7).
Switching back to an exhortation about covetousness,
Paul counsels Timothy in a way I counsel the elders
now: “But those who desire to be rich fall into
temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and
harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and
destruction. For the love of money is the root of all
kinds of evils. It is through that craving that some have
wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves
with many pangs” (vv. 9-10). And switching again
back to the positive encouragement, Paul continues,
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue
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righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness,

gentleness” (v. 11).
• Peter gives similar counsel to elders in 1 Peter 5:2.
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you,
exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but
willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain,
but eagerly…”
• Again, they must not be enemies of the cross, as Paul
describes in Philippians 3:17-19. “Brothers, join in
imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk
according to the example you have in us. For many, of
whom I have often told you and now tell you even with
tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end
is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in
their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” But
what about lovers of the cross of Christ? Their
“citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior
the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 20).
• Paul paints an even more detailed picture of this
mindset in 1 Thessalonians 2, where he appeals to his
own example and the example of the church leaders
with him. “For neither at any time did we use….a cloak
for covetousness – God is witness…But we were gentle
among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own
children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were
well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of
God, but also our own lives, because you had become
very dear to us” (vv. 5-8).

• Do you see the contrast here between covetousness

and giving. Instead of coveting what others have, godly
elders love the flock so much that they keep on giving
just like a nursing mother keeps on giving milk to her
baby no matter what the circumstances or how she
feels. Godly elders are happier imparting their
own lives to the flock rather than receiving from
them and coveting what they have.

b. For all Believers this means they must not covet, but
instead must be content with what God has given them.

• In Ephesians 5:3 the most basic teaching on this says,

“But…covetousness must not even be named among
you, as is proper among saints.” The writer of Hebrews
concurs: “Keep your life free from the love of money,
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and be content with what you have; for as he has said, ‘I

will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb. 13:5).
• James dealt with the problem of covetousness in his
church. “You lust and do not have. You murder and
covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do
not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not
receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it
on your pleasures” (4:2-3).
• The basis for this reaches all the way back to the Ten
Commandments, where God commanded that we are
not covet anything that belongs to anyone else.
• Breaking this command and living a lifestyle according
to covetousness is cause enough for other true
believers to separate fellowship from us, according to
Paul’s counsel in 1 Corinthians 5:11. And worse, Paul
taught in 1 Corinthians 6:10 and Ephesians 5:5 that
the covetous will not enter heaven. He derives this
theology from Jesus who in Matthew 16 taught that it
profits us nothing if we gain what we want but lose our
own souls. This means that covetousness can lead to
eternal damnation. And in Matthew 19 Jesus affirmed
this fact by teaching that rich men hardly ever get into
the kingdom of heaven.

c. For Everyone. How do we covet today? By

identifying, targeting, and acquiring treasures and
possessions for ourselves. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:19
that this was not the way of the believer. We fight
covetousness by acquiring treasures and possessions in
heaven. Later in chapter 6 He taught that we fight
covetousness by deciding to serve God rather than money.
Following this He taught us that our lives are worth more
than the possessions we worry about. Coveting then
actually sets a depreciated value on our lives by reducing
our worth to what we wish we had. Covetousness can
produce worry, and Jesus taught about this toward the end
of chapter 6, telling us not to worry, but to seek His
kingdom and His righteousness first, and then what we
need will be given to us.

Later on in Matthew, Jesus taught in the parable of the

seed and sower that riches can be deceitful and actually
choke out the life of the soul (Matt. 13:22). Coveting
what others have, then, will choke us spiritually.
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In the end, we must follow Jesus’ words in Luke 12:15.

“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness,
for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions.” Instead, as in verses 33-34, and as a
transition to our final point, we fight covetousness in these
ways: “Sell your possessions and give to the needy.
Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old,
with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail…For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

2. To Experience the Blessedness of Giving, We Must

Meet Our Own Needs as well as the Needs of Others.

Back to Acts 20, Paul explains in verses 34-35 that he met his
own needs as well as the needs of those who were with him.
Why? Because in so doing, he was pursuing the greater
blessedness and happiness of which Jesus spoke. If he were to
receive from others when he could provide for himself, then he
would not be truly happy. Here’s a theology for our welfare
system today, Amen? Paul was much happier giving to the
needs of others than receiving for himself.

Further, according to verse 35, he worked hard to show the

Ephesian elders these things. He worked hard to show them that
there is greater happiness in giving by meeting the needs of
others who were with him. Those recipients of his giving were
the weak, or those who could not provide for themselves. And
behind this lifestyle was the theology that giving to such people
made him more happy than receiving.

Therefore, to be as happy as God is, and to seek that which will

make you the most blessed, you must establish and maintain a
lifestyle that is more about giving to others than receiving from
others.

a. For Elders, again I point you toward 1 Timothy 3

and Titus 1, both of which mark the elder as being a
hospitable person. We have redefined this word today to
mean something it did not mean in the first century world.
The Greek word is actually translated better as ‘lover of
strangers.’ Strangers are obviously those whom we do not
know. And these are to be most often the recipients of the
elders’ exemplary giving. True, engaging complete
strangers in need is a somewhat difficult task, but I’m sure
it was no less difficult in the first century world. The elder
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must look past awkwardness and uncomfortable feelings to

meet the needs of those they do not know.

Some of the commands that Jesus gave to the twelve

as He sent them out to preach, apply to preachers and
elders today: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse
lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, so
freely give” (Matt. 10:8).

I also think that as you read of the ministry of the

Chief Shepherd that you will find a man who took up much
time in His ministry to help the weak by healing the sick,
giving to the needy, casting out demons, etc. Time and
again, throughout all the gospels, throughout many cities,
and throughout all His ministry He is seen helping and
healing. Does this not form a precedent for those who
would be His undershepherds today in His church? And is
not this pattern followed by the Apostles throughout Acts?

b. For All Believers, is this not the very heartbeat of

our gracious God? Is it not His most distinguishing
characteristic to help those who cannot help themselves?
Is this not what He did in saving us?

We, who were too weak to save ourselves or help

ourselves, needed to be rescued. Romans 5:6,8 reads,
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died
for the ungodly…God shows his love for us in that while we
were still sinners Christ died for us.”

We, who were complete strangers to His covenant, needed

to be brought near to Him. Ephesians 2:12 and following
says, “remember that you were at that time separated
from Christ…strangers to the covenants of promise, having
no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ
Jesus you who once were far off have brought near by the
blood of Christ.”

We who were enemies of His goodness, needed to taste

that goodness. This is what I have been driving at all this
time: this attribute of God is what makes God appear to us
as the happiest of all beings. He delights in helping
those who cannot help themselves, and He derives
such eternal happiness from this, His greatest
attribute. Such truth is surely the best motivation
for all believers today to pursue their greatest
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happiness in what makes God happy – helping

others who cannot help themselves.

• This is what the entire story of the Good Samaritan

was all about. I’d encourage you to reread that
wonderful parable in order to teach yourself this truth
about providing for others, especially when we do not
even know them.
• In Romans 15:1-3, Paul teaches that, “We who are
strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the
weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us
please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For
Christ did not please Himself…”
• In Philippians 2:3-5, Paul counsels us to “Do nothing
from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others
more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look
not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of
others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is
yours in Christ Jesus…”
• Practically speaking this is displayed in providing for the
physical needs of others. Twice James speaks to this
issue. In 1:27, “religion that is pure and undefiled
before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and
widows in their affliction…” Then in 2:15, in teaching
that faith without works is no faith at all, he taught, “If a
brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily
food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be
warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things
needed for the body, what good is that?”
• This is akin to John’s illustration used to teach a similar
truth regarding the believer’s to love God. In 1 John
3:16, we read, “By this we know love, that he laid down
his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the
brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees
his brother in need, yet closes his hear against him, how
does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not
love in word or talk but in deed and truth.”
• These truths we read of in James and John will be clearly
displayed for all to see at the final judgment when the
sheep will be ushered into their joy of eternal life
because they helped Christ when they helped others.
Listen to Jesus in Matthew 25:34 and following: “Then
the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who
are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I
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was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and

you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you
visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then
the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did
we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
drink? And when did we see you a stranger and
welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did
we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the
King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it
to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to
me.’”

Conclusion:

Now I must at the conclusion here dispel what some may be

thinking. Some are undoubtedly thinking that I have made much
about our happiness and only a little about God’s glory. I have spoken
much about how we can be happy and perhaps less on how God can
be glorified in our giving. But if you are thinking this, then perhaps
you’ve missed the connection: God is more glorified in us and by
us when we find our happiness in giving rather than receiving.

In other words, to seek our happiness in giving rather than

receiving is to magnify our God who Himself is the happiest of
all beings because He gives to all and receives nothing. Thus,
all I have tried to do for you is to answer two of the greatest questions
in all of life: how can I be happy? And how can I glorify God? We are
wired to search for happiness, but because of sin we are not wired to
search for God’s glory. Therefore, as Christians we now have the
ability and the responsibility to pursue God’s glory. But that doesn’t
negate the pursuit of our happiness. God doesn’t want robots who
don’t feel anything for Him. He delights in those who delight in Him.

Therefore, to give like He gives, in the way that He gives is to

reflect His character and thus glorify Him. When we choose to find
our happiness in giving rather than receiving we are putting a
magnifying glass on that act of giving so that the world will
see God! And in pondering your happiness they will want to know
why you do what you do and join you in your happiness. Jesus said it
best: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your
good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt.
5:16).