Consider some things the Law of Reciprocity does not mean
     1.   Invariably, discussion of Law of Reciprocity leads to talk about money, how we receive
     in proportion to our giving or generosity.
               a.   Almost all of us have to struggle with mercenary approach to giving: if I give,
          then I’ll get.
               b.   Degenerates into a “gospel of lust”: I serve God for what I get out of it.
               c.   Jesus epitomized God’s kingdom on earth; if anyone understood kingdom
          principles, he did.
                         i.   “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man
               has no place to lay his head” (Mt 8:20).
                         ii.  Jesus had no home, no great accumulation of possessions.
                         iii. Quantity of possessions is not a gauge of spirituality

     2.   Mt 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
     destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in
     heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and
     steal. For where your treasure is, there year heart will be also.”
               a.   if money is your treasure, your heart will be set on your bank account.
     3.   v 24 “No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and
     Money.”
               a.   It’s not possible to serve God just for the benefits.
     4.   v 25 “[You cannot serve both God and money.] Therefore, I tell you, do not worry
     about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is
     not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
               a.   “do not worry,” Greek word translated “worry” means to be drawn in different
          directions, to be distracted, especially to be anxious.
               b.   doesn’t mean shouldn’t be careful, think about or be interested; means not to be
          anxious.
               c.   Paraphrase: don’t be preoccupied with providing for your needs. Same Greek
          word in vs 27, 28, 31, 34
     5.   v 33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these tinkgs will be
     given to you as well.”
               a.   What is his kingdom we’re to seek? Basically, the principles/laws we’re
          studying
               b.   What is his righteousness? God’s way of doing things; acting only in accordance
          with God’s will and principles.
               c.   We’re to make doing God’s will his way our objective.
               d.   This “God first” attitude almost always pays the price in the secular world.
     6.   Mt 13:23
               a.   Parable of the Sower. People quote this passage to show that God gives 30, 60
          or 100 times as much as you give.
               b.   “But what was sown on good soil is the man who hears the word and
          understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times
          what was sown.”
               c.   Notice this talks about our producing for the kingdom!
               d.   Doesn’t deal with Return On Investment; if you invest $X in kingdom, God will
          give you $30X. Not an investment strategy.
               e.   If this is your perspective or motivation, you’re motivated by greed
               f.   Get your greedy heart off the benefits of serving God; concentrate only on
          serving him and let him take care of you.
     7.   Mt 19:21-24
               a.   Rich young man came to Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life.
               b.   “Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give
          to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’
          When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great
          wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich
          man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to
          go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
          God.’”
               c.   Was Jesus saying that you won’t go to heaven or experience kingdom of God if
          you have a large bank account? No. But if you’re a typical rich person, your
          money is very important to you; it becomes your God.
     8.   Lk 14:33 “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot
     be my disciple.”
               a.   “give up” is Greek word meaning to take leave of, to renounce, to forsake.
               b.   That is, must consider everything you have nothing compared to Jesus; you’re
          prepared to leave it behind as if it were trash.
               c.   Point: God is not an investment broker; you don’t give to him just so you get
          more in return.
               d.   An investment means you retain ownership, get a certificate to represent your
          ownership
               e.   We don’t make investments in God’s kingdom. We give gifts and offerings;
          means you’ve given up ownership. What you give away is no longer yours.
     9.   We could apply Law of Reciprocity and claim that believers should only experience
     good.
               a.   Has anyone told that if you were doing God’s will, you wouldn’t experience
          difficulty, financial need or social pressure? That’s what Job’s friends told him.
               b.   But consider these references:
                         i.   Acts 16:37, Paul was beaten publicly without a trial
                         ii.  Acts 21:32, Paul was beaten by a mob
                         iii. Acts 16:23, Paul & Silas severely flogged, thrown into dungeon
                         iv.  1 Co 4:11, Paul hungry, thirsty, wearing rags, brutally treated, homeless
                         v.   Heb 10:34, believers had property confiscated
                         vi.  Many other verses
               c.   What do you think? Didn’t these people have enough faith? Didn’t they use the
          principles of the kingdom? Or is it just our inclination to look at the kingdom to
          see how we’ll benefit from it?
               d.   As believers, we anticipate good things from God. Rom 8:28, what does
          “good” mean?
     10.  People often quote Book of Proverbs & other Old Testament verses to show that God
     will prosper his people, that we should expect material blessings.
               a.   Different covenant! Ours is the New Testament/Covenant.
               b.   Old Testament contained material covenants, emphasized material well-being,
          prosperity, right actions.
               c.   New Testament is new & better covenant; emphasizes spiritual growth, right
          relationship with God, involvement in God’s kingdom, right attitudes.
               d.   Be very careful about applying Old Covenant material promises to New
          Testament experience. Materialism is completely out of place in NT.

Closing. Bow heads & meditate.
     1.   Are you willing to renounce all your possessions, finances, family & friends?
     2.   Are you willing, starting today, to live in poverty, to be abused and despised because
     you’re a Christian?
     3.   If that’s what it would mean for you to serve God, would you be willing to do it?
     4.   Jesus said that if you put your hand to the plow and look back, you’re not worthy to
     follow him.
     5.   Jesus said to remember Lot’s wife; she hesitated long enough to take one last look at
     her old life, her home & friends, and it cost her life.
     6.   Decide now: who will you serve? Serving Christ means renouncing everything else.
     7.   Law of Reciprocity is very real. Gal 6:8, “The one who sows to please his sinful
     nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit,
     from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
     8.   Caution: don’t abuse these laws, use them for personal advantage. Use them as faithful
     servants & children of Almighty God.