What Now? Week 6 - Generosity

One of the greatest misconceptions surrounding the topic of giving is that only rich people can do it.

If only rich people gave to the local church well over 90% of local churches would not be able to do ministry.

According to a study done by nucleus.church (a church website and production company)...

44% of all church donations in 2023 were less than $100

The average donation when you created a median was $205

77% of all amounts given were less than $250

While the study showed a trend of inclusion…it also showed a shocking lack of consistency in giving.

Only 5% of individuals in church give weekly

Only 15% give monthly.

This is heartbreaking because that means that 85% of churchgoers in this survey were living below the means of blessing they had available.

I want to debunk the myth that only rich people can give to the kingdom....but I also want to shift your perspective a little before I tell you why giving matters.

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We’re a bunch of rich people

I’m preaching to rich people today...

Some of you feel as though that just let you off the hook from listening to our conversation this morning.

According to a formula produced by “Giving what we can”

If you live in the United States and make $20,000 you are in the top 90th percentile of wealth in the world.

We have a church full of rich people!

1 Timothy 6:17–19 NKJV

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

OUR ENTIRE CONVERSATION TODAY CENTERS AROUND LIVING A LIFE THAT IS BLESSED.

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A foundation for our conversation

An important foundation for us to establish today is this...

Giving to the local church is a biblical mandate.

This truth goes all the way back to Moses and the children of Israel.

Exodus 35:4–5 NKJV

And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze;

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Have a local church

This scripture is the call of God for the Israelites to bring their offering to the tabernacle…

The tabernacle was their place of worship.

SN:It is important that you have a place of worship.

WE HAVE A CULTURE OF POLYCHURCHISTS

I visit this church sometimes…that church sometimes.

Find a church…plant some roots.

You can’t bloom if you’re not planted…Growth doesn’t happen as you blow about...

When you find the church to plug into...GIVE TO THAT CHURCH!

Soapbox: Giving to superstar ministries…and not tithing to the local church…is not scriptural.

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SN: It’s not just about money

This text continues by going further than monetary giving...

It instructs the people of God to bring their talents and give them to the local church (artisans).

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Why should I give to the church?

God created a system wherein you could bring your finances to Him by giving them to the local church…

Meaning you are writing your check to Awaken Church and you will receive your tax statement from Awaken Church…but you are actually giving to God.

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I need more in order to give.

Maybe you are thinking that you will be a giver when you have enough to give.

If I earned a higher salary…if I had less bills…if I was in a better place financially…then I would give.

But I want us to shift that paradigm this morning by looking at a passage of scripture.

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 NKJV

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Our giving is a decision before it is an action.

“let each one give as he purposes in his heart,”

Purpose = boulema (βούλημα, 1013), “a purpose or will” (akin to boulomai, “to will, wish, purpose”

The heart is the inner most part of our being…the source of our actions and decisions.

Paul tells us that before we write a check, give online, or put cash in the bucket…we need to make sure our internal fortitude is ready to let go of the thing we are giving.

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Seed is for sowers

2 Corinthians 9:8–11 NKJV

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

Now to the person who says I will give when I can afford it…I want to focus in on one statement.

“He will provide seed to the sower”

Why would God give us more seed…when we’re eating the seed he’s given instead of sowing it?

We are looking for an increase of capacity without a decrease of consumption.

If we consume 100% of $20,000 we will consume 100% of $100,000

The principles of generosity are in place because God desires for his people to live with margin.

Tithing is 10% because 10% is a budget that can be practiced by every single person…IF THEY ARE WILLING TO DISCIPLINE THEMSELVES.

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Interesting Stats

Average American salary in 2023 = $58,000

The average American spends $18,000 on nonessentials.

THAT’S 31%

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Do you want a higher level of blessing?

We say all the time that giving is an investment.

I say on Sundays that there is no portion of the service that has blessing more closely attached to it that the moment of giving.

I’ve gone to church before and seen other people get blessed in extravagant ways.

I’ve seen people fall out in the Spirit

I’ve seen people not be able to speak english for hours after a service is over

I’ve seen people get words straight from heaven.

I’ve thought to myself…man I want to experience the blessing on that level.

You can’t necessarily control how much your blessed…but this passage of scripture gives us a formula to up our level of blessing.

The degree to which you sow is the degree to which you reap.

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I want to take some time to day and talk about how to upgrade your level of blessing.

It’s not lost on me how “prosperity gospel” that might sound.

I don’t preach this lightly…I don’t preach this without having put it through my skepticisim filter.

I HAVE NEVER GIVEN TO THE KINGDOM AND BEEN DISAPPOINTED IN THE RETURN!

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1. First Time Givers

You can never give every time..until you’ve given for the first time.

This sermon is not a conversation of condemnation…It is a conversation of invitation.

The Holy Spirit is so patient…He will patiently put opportunity after opportunity in front of you.

My prayer is that there would be some individuals who have never given…that would be impressed to become a first time giver today.

God is so confident in his ability to blow your mind that He has placed a satisfaction guaranteed stamp on the act of giving monetarily to the work of the Lord.

Malachi 3:10 NLT

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

Many of us are trying to ask God for blessing…without having practiced its prerequisite.

God does not pour out anything into reservoirs...

God pours into streams...

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What is a good first time gift amount.

That one...

For some people $10 is the act of obedience God is looking for

For some it’s $1

For others the act of first time obedience God is looking for is that of $1000 or more

The amount doesn’t matter…God just wants our heart.

When we give our finances we are actually coronating the king of our heart.

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2. Emotional Givers

We often speak of emotions as though they are a bad thing.

Emotions are a God given thing…there are isolated instances that our emotions can drive us to Godly actions (in particular in the house of God.)

Emotional givers are people who normally breeze past a point of giving without much thought...

But then you tell the story of a single mom who is struggling

You tell the story of a family who lost everything in a hurricane

You tell the story of a missionary who has left everything and is risking their life for the mission of God.

You say we need $25,000 in order to meet the need.

An emotional giver has had their heart tugged by the need that is represented and as such is willing to give a little more than a first time giver might give.

Honestly, a message like today is going to insight some of you to take a step into emotional giving!

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As a church plant…we were able to build our launch budget on emotional giving.

The need of a modern Spirit-filled church in Cartersville

The statistical frequency of single parent homes

The region wide poverty

THERE WAS AN EVIDENT NEED AND PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN THE CALLING

THEY WERE ALSO WILLING TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT INTO THE CALLING THAT WAS ON KAYLA and MINE’s LIFE.

Emotional givers are an engaging need away from extravagant obedience

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I have two things that are illogically big vision items.

I won’t even divulge the vision in part yet because it’s not ready for public consumption…I won’t make the mistake of Joseph by sharing the dream too soon.

BUT I WILL SHARE THE PHRASE THAT GOD HAS SPOKEN TO ME…MORE THAN A CHURCH

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3. Tithers

The only problem with emotional givers…is the fact that emotions don’t stay high.

Tithing is a discipline that goes beyond emotions.

Many people try to discredit tithing based on the fact that it is a part of the law

They say; “Because of Jesus we are no longer under the law but are under grace.”

When Jesus gives stipulations about what it means to be under grace the stipulations are actually higher not lower.

Not just adultery - Looking on a woman

Not just killing someone - Saying Raca

Why is it that those who want to say tithing isn’t biblical never give more than 10%?

Tithing isn’t a part of the law because it predates the law.

Old Testament

Genesis 14 - Abraham brings a tenth of everything he owns to a king who is a picture of Jesus named Melchizidek

Genesis 28 - Jacob has a vision of a ladder going up and down from heaven…As an appreciation of his heavenly visitation he says that he will bring a tenth of everything from here on out to that place as an act of worship.

In it’s Genesis accounts we see the true heart that makes tithing powerful

Tithing should be a response, not a requirement.

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Hezekiah reinstates it as an act of worship in a culture that has been privy to idol worship.

PA: Making a methodical practice of giving financially to the kingdom is a great step to tear down idols in your lives.

Jesus spoke of tithing very little…but did say “you should tithe” to the pharisees

Early church fathers like Jerome and Ireneuas believed if you didn’t have a “prophet” or a “pastor” which would be a church that you should give 10% of your goods to the poor…but if you did have a prophet or pastor it should be given to the church.

I preach the practice of tithing because it is biblically sound, has been historically practiced, and is personally beneficial.

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It is the act of tithing that actually carries the “try me and see” guarantee in Malachi.

If you want to know how to tithe; whatever you made this week…give 10% of that to the church.

$100 = $10

$10 = $1

$100,000 =$10,000

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4. Offerings

The truth is, if we believe in the scriptures and believe God is the source of all things…We don’t give tithes…we return tithes.

But there is another level called offerings.

An offering is anything given above the 10% of your earnings that are given as a tithe.

SN = YOU CANNOT GIVE AN OFFERING UNTIL YOU HAVE GIVEN YOUR TITHE.

When we moved into the lease space…God dealt with me to not only talk about offerings but methodically practice it.

We established a percentage above 10% that we were going to give automatically

We have it auto-drafted out of our account.

Some of you have been faithfully tithing but God would call you to take a step up today.

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5. Spirit -Led Giving

When you are obedient in the emotional giving…and you being practicing the tithe…and you start methodically giving above and beyond the tithe...

You prove that God can trust you with the big asks.

What if God asks you to give everything you have in your account?

What if God asks you to give your vehicle away?

GOD DOESN’T PAY YOU BACK....HE MULTIPLIES

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We were getting ready to start our planting process and we found out about something that felt very personally deflating.

I was frustrated with a situation that centered around an individual.

The Holy Spirit spoke to me to give $250 to them.

I DIDN’T WANT TO!

Less than a year later that individual sowed over $5000 into Awaken.

To some $250 isn’t a lot…but it was to me.

THAT’S THE POINT OF THIS MESSAGE…

Giving is not about amounts, it’s about affeciton.

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Well, pastor what if God asks me to do something extravagant?

What am I going to do...

2 Corinthians 9:6 NKJV

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

the level of reaping is directly correlated to the level of sowing.

IF GOD IS CALLING YOU TO SOW EXTRAVAGANTLY ITS BECAUSE HE WANTS YOU TO REAP EXTRAVAGANTLY.

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Trust Holy Spirit with the Altar Call