Living Generously

Hoarding

Holding on to stuff

Insuring the future?

Pastor J.D. Greear says, “If you are not generous, you’ve never really experienced the Gospel. If you feel guilty about how little generosity you show, you don’t understand the Gospel.” He goes on to explain his reasoning. Basically, the idea is this: It is impossible to really experience Jesus and not be radically generous in response.

First, a major component of what it means to be truly “converted” is that you realize His Kingdom is the most beautiful and lasting reality in the universe. You begin to find your significance in it, not in what you possess. So, you don’t have to spend lots of money to add beauty and significance in your life.

Second, you recognize Jesus, not money, is your security for the future. So, you don’t have to save extravagant amounts of money to feel secure.

Third, to be truly saved means you have some sense of how gracious God has been to you. The Bible repeatedly says that the sign that you have tasted God’s grace is you become gracious

Thus, if you have tasted of the Gospel, you will be gracious. Instinctively.

1. Excel in grace

boast in what God is doing in their midst

people witnessing

People standing for truth

people caring for one another

People living through suffering

Being a family together

MS loving deacons

2. Choose freely and cheerfully

I heard about a little girl who experienced a major breakthrough in her life when she learned to tie her own shoes. Instead of excitement, she was overcome by tears. Her father asked, "Why are you crying?" "I have to tie my shoes," she said. "You just learned how. It isn't that hard, is it?" "I know," she wailed, "but I'm going to have to do it for the rest of my life." My hunch is that some of us feel the same way when it comes to Christian stewardship. We learn that it's exciting to give. But isn't there just a tiny bit of dread because we know we have to do it over and over again for the rest of our lives?

Source:

Heidi Husted, "The Sermon on the Amount," Preaching Today, Tape No. 122.

Example: Jesus

Example; Over-giving

Example: Situation

Example: Titus & brother - Responsible care

Example: Preparation

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV

7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Vision

Tithing - Lauren

I took my family to a high school football game. During the third quarter, my daughter Landra said, "Dad, can I have some money to buy some candy?" Now I'm not a big candy guy, but I said, "Landra, here's $5. Go and buy some candy." She came back with a sack full of Skittles. As I watched her eat them, I said, "Landra, can I have some Skittles?" She said, "No." I said, "Landra, just give me a couple." She said, "They're mine." My little daughter didn't understand several things. Number one, she didn't understand the fact that I was the one who bought the Skittles for her. Number two, she didn't realize my strength. I'm strong enough to forcibly take those Skittles from her and eat every one of them. If I wanted to, I could have done that. Number three, she didn't understand that I could have gone to the concession stand, put 300 packages of Skittles on a credit card, come back to her, and given her so many Skittles that she couldn't have eaten them all in a year. We all have Skittles. Some of us have a pretty nice size pile of Skittles; others have a medium-size pile of Skittles; and some of us have little bags of Skittles. Our loving God comes to us and says, "Would you bring me some Skittles? Just a few Skittles?" What do you think our reaction is? "No! They're mine!" God says, "Just bring me some Skittles." But we still say, "Uh-uh. I made those Skittles. I own those Skittles." Like my daughter, we don't understand several things. God is the one who gave them to us. They're his Skittles. He bought them. In an instant, God could take all of our Skittles. Also, we don't understand that God could rain so many Skittles on our lives, we wouldn't know what to do with them. We couldn't possibly spend or enjoy all of them.

Source:

Ed Young, from "Skittles," a sermon given at Fellowship Church, Dallas, Texas (11-13-04)

Limits - Inflation joy

Working Together for Joy

3. Sow in order to reap

2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV

8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:10 ESV

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

Suppose you buy shares of General Motors. What happens? You suddenly develop interest in GM. You check the financial pages. You see a magazine article about GM and read every word, even though a month ago you would have passed right over it. Suppose you're giving to help African children with AIDS. When you see an article on the subject, you're hooked. If you're sending money to plant churches in India and an earthquake hits India, you watch the news and fervently pray … Do you wish you cared more about eternal things? Then reallocate some of your money, maybe most of your money, from temporal things to eternal things. Put your resources, your assets, your money and possessions, your time and talents and energies into the things of God. Watch what happens. As surely as the compass needle follows north, your heart will follow your treasure. Money leads; hearts follow.

Source:

Randy Alcorn; "Where's Your Heart?" Eternal Perspectives Ministry blog (5-11-16)

We can be a generous people because God is a generous God.

What rewards are you looking for? Joy? Boasting in grace? Unity?

Video

Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!

Community Group Questions

Where in your life do you feel you have experienced abundant grace (not necessarily materially)? How could you share that abundance with others?

2 Corinthians 8:7 talks about excelling in acts of grace. What are ways you have excelled in grace in the past?

2 Corinthians 9:7 talks about choosing freely and cheerfully. Where do Christians accept substitutes to these and how could that turn manipulative? (using law as a control to force people to tithe, guilting people into being generous rather than using joy)

What happens when manipulative techniques are used in regards to this? This manipulation doesn’t need to be external. What internal manipulators are there that trip us up?

How do you avoid manipulating yourself away from freely and cheerfully?

What opportunities do you see to reap a reward with your giving?

What rewards from God motivate you to be generous? (Luke 16 talks about making eternal friends, v 8 talks about God’s sufficiency, v13 talks about seeing others giving thanks as a result, v 14 talks about people praying for you, v11 talks about being enriched in grace)