Generosity

Introduction

Personal Introduction

Thank you to those of you that are apart of the life groups here. I know there are some who are working on Wednesday nights or running a business and truly just can’t make it out. However it’s great to have such a large percentage of our adults apart of those groups. It’s such a great decision to be apart of a life group and grow closer to God and each other.

I’m also thankful for those of you that served at the mum fest yesterday and the ones we have there today, during church. I tell you, if I could, we would have church out there and just invite the community into worship with us. Maybe next year.

I’m grateful for people that understand Christianity is more than attending a service, it’s about living and serving like Jesus. Sometimes that means you miss a service to love on people.

We are in our last week of our ReThinking Church Series. For those that might not have been with us on thus journey, we have been going through the book of 1 Corinthians for the past 16 weeks and this is our 17th and final week.

Next week I’m excited to announce we are going to enter into our missions emphasis month, From my house to the World. We are going to hear from guests speakers and Pastor Davidson will be preaching for us on the last Sunday of the month to close it out.

This 17 week journey comes to close today with the Apostle Paul writing to this 5 year old church about their Generosity.

Many of us have been programmed in our culture to hear the word generosity and believe that it is deals only with our money. Now, being generous with our finances is important but if you are only generous with your money, I’d suggest to you that you are not a generous person you are just generous with your finances. Because generosity is more than the decision you will make with a dollar, it is about the decisions you make with your life.

Matthew 6:21 KJV 1900

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matt 6:21

Treasure is anything we value above all else and that which motivates us to action. For some it is money. For others it is power. Still other people strive for fame or attention. There are many things in this world vying for control of our heart. According to Jesus, determining where our treasure is also determines where our heart is. Many people claim to look forward to heaven, but their hearts are really not in it—their hearts are caught up in the cares of this world, because that’s where their treasure lies.

I read this last week that you can find 7 forms of generosity: Thoughts, words, money, time, things, influence, and attention.

With this understanding I’d like for you take the truths from today and see that while yes, there is a direct application to your financial generosity found in this passage, would you also consider how generous you are in other areas?

We shouldn’t seek to elevate one area above another either. Being a generous person means being generous in all areas.

Are you generous? Are you generous only when it’s convenient for you? Are you generous when it requires faith?

Paul is writing to the Corinthians here about their generosity as he has other churches

1 Corinthians 16:1–2 KJV 1900

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

1 Cor 16:1-2

Exegete:

A quick note on this. Remember…the chapter divisions of the Bible were not there when Paul wrote. We saw last week he was writing about the gospel, about a foundational doctrine of the faith and then the next thing he addresses is their generosity, their giving.

What your faith is in determines what your faithful to. I your faith in the gospel? Does your generosity reflect that?

Paul is giving them instruction as he did the churches of Galatia. He spoke of generosity by writing

Galatians 6:6–10 KJV 1900

6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Gal 6:6-10

As you can see this theme of generosity was not something that was a one off for Paul. It was something he said often to many people.

What did we talk about last week? If it’s important it’s something you repeat it. This must have been important to Paul because he spoke to many about the importance of being generous.

Upon the first day of the week is a reference to Sunday. Also known as the Lord’s day.

In Jewish culture people attended synagogue on Saturday but in this new way of Christianity, they gathered on Sunday because of the importance of Jesus’ resurrection. You see each day is a celebration of the resurrection, not just Easter.

It is also understood that this reference being made to the first day of the week is in line with when the people were paid. They recieved their money on the first day of the week.

Why is this important?

Leviticus 23:10 KJV 1900

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

Leviticus 23:10

God has always asked for the first fruits, for the best. He is not to be an after thought or someone you happen to honor if you can.

Paul finishes these verses with “as God hath prospered him” or how he is prospering.

Wow! Notice there is no undue burden placed on someone by determining you must give x amount. It’s proportional.

It’s not “all people must give $1,000 dollars” that would be difficult for many and maybe easy for some. It’s give has God has given to you.

You see if God had laid the burden of giving x amount on us, some would not be able to. He doesn’t intend for generosity to be a burden. It’s meant to be a blessing.

Remember, being generous is a matter of can or can’t, not will or won’t.

Illustrate

Ever been to walmart before…just minding your business…enjoying a beautiful fall day. Little chill in the air, beautiful leaves all around, and your going in to grab some groceries to have some hot chocolate and/or hot apple cider along with some hot apple cider donuts.

And as your walking up there, minding your business…you here this cute little voice:

Excuse me sir. Would you like to buy some girl scout cookies to help our troop raise funds?

Boom. Decision time.

Now, if your like me…you have the best excuse…I’m sorry, I don’t have any cash.

Maybe your not like me though…and you say “Maybe when I come out.”

You go in…get to shopping…say hi to a friend…and now you have forgotten your comment to the sweet little young girl.

But then you walk out…and instead of people talking to them and them being busy…she makes eye contact…with you

Excuse me sir, are you ready to buy the cookies now?

oooo…Now what do you do?

For me “I’m sorry I still don’t have cash.”

They’ve gotten smart though…now they use card readers

What’s happening in that moment?

Are you deciding whether or not you want the cookies? Maybe.

What if it’s an organization for the poor? Are you deciding if you want to help people less fortunate?

Are you deciding if you have atleast $1 or $5 to give?

No…your deciding if you willl or won’t give to them.

Apply:

Whether it is with your money, your time, your influence, or any other of the 7 areas of generosity…it’s not a matter of can or can’t…it’s will or wont’

Paul doesn’t give an option to the Corinthians or the Galatians. Notice it’s how he “Ordered them”

Being generous as a believer isn’t an option.

I. Generosity is an opportunity

It’s an opportunity to be apart of what God is doing.

God invites you and I to take part in the work He could easily do on His own.

John 11:39–45 KJV 1900

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

John 11:39-45

Notice something here.

It was in verse 39 Jesus said to take away the stone.

Then what happened?

Martha gives an excuse.

Jesus said do and Martha gave reasons not to. It wasn’t that the diciples that were there couldn’t remove the stone..it was some reason that Martha didn’t want to do it.

Jesus said

Luke 6:38 KJV 1900

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Luke 6:38

Give..What excuse do we give him?

Martha gave the excuse and then Jesus reminds her “Didn’t I say if yo believe, have faith, you should see God’s glory”

When we give God excuses what we are saying to God is “Listen, I know what you said but I think...”

It was after that reminder, they got involved. They overcame the excuse and became apart of what God waas doing.

God is calling you and I to be apart of His work. Being generous in those 7 areas isn’t about having to give up…it’s about being able to be apart.

Do you want to be apart of what God is doing in your life, the lives of those around you, and this church? Be generous.

Paul continued writing to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 16:3–4 KJV 1900

3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

1 Cor 16:3-4

Exegete:

Paul is telling that when I come and collect your generous offering, I and whoever you trust, will take it to Jerusalem.

What was happening in Jerusalem?

Well, in short the church at jerusalem was facing persecution and having difficulty so Paul was collecting funds to take back to the work God was doing there.

It wasn’t for Pauls benefit it was for the benefit of the Corinthian to be apart of the great work God was doing.

Illustrate:

How many of you were brought up being told not to brag?

I always hated people that talked smack on the court. Now, I can talk it with the best of them but if I’m doing it…I’m joking. It’s the cocky or arrogant ones that mean it or the sore losers that bother me.

I was taught to let the scoreboard do your talking.

You know something I’ve learned though…Not everyone looks at the scoreboard of life and remembers. We have to highlight things and call them to memory.

I want to let you know somethings God has done through the amazing people of Liberty over the last few years

-We have seen over 30 people baptized and others saved. We have had no less than 35 go through our discipleship program.

-We have had about 30 or so go through our Next Steps Seminar that we JUST LAUNCHED late last year.

-Impacted the perception the community has about church by taking over a coffee shop twice and serving over 400 people and engaging them in conversation about the gospel

-We have seen marriages restored. We have seem relationships mended.

-We support 20 different missionaries and missions organizations that take the gospel to places unknown. Check out that missions TV out there as you come up the stair well. Tap on it and you can findn their most recent prayer letters and any contact info we have on them.

-We have given teachers lunches and supplies down here at Edgewood school, we have given new mother and baby products to pregnancy centers that are actively working to provide moms all the options they have in front of them and guiding them away from abortion. We supplied nurses with coffee during the pandemic.

-We hosted the mayoral inaguration in 2021 and I maintain a relationship with our mayor to pray for him and the town of Bristol.

-We have raised money for a little boy to have a life changing surgery

-We have hosted pastors from across New England on 4 different occasions to love on them, invest in them, and increase their gospel impact in their local community.

-We’ve given this property a facelift and still have more to go so that we can represent Christ with excellence. Because if we can’t care for a property, how can we care for people?

-We’ve been blessed with extra funds to do that. With the ERTC we recieved we were able to make alot of this happen but the ERTC doesn’t go towards ANY operational expenses or outreaches.

-We’ve interacted with hundreds of different kids and families through VBS and our weekly children’s programs.

-Just recently we have developed connections with the Bristol Boys and Girls club so we can get into Cambridge park and minister to that neighborhood.

We are not perfect, you are not perfect, Martha, the disciples, were not perfect, and God chose to make them apart of the great things he is doing.

Apply:

That’s what God does. Great things. He works Miracles. He heals hearts. He saves souls. He changes lives through the power of the Gospel.

And you know what he says to you and I? “I want you to be apart of it.”

God is calling you to move a stone. He has given you the command and the honor of being generous in His name.

You see

II. Generosity is a blessing, not a burden

It is more blessed to give than to receive, The bible says a person that pours water out will benefit greatly. You pour out on your crops and they grow. You benefit from the crop when you harvest but you wouldn’t have benefited if you had not poured out.

You don’t get to be blessed by the impact you can have on people for the Lord if you don’t live generously.

Will you be?

We already know you can be? Will you be?

Time of Response

Your are generous people. You are loving people.

Have you been directing that generosity and love in such a way that it is glorifying to God?

You know you can. He knows you can. Will you?

What in your live is keeping you from being generous?

Is it something God can’t handle?

Unbelievers...