Holy Spirit Generosity

It is better to give then to receive but so often when it comes to generosity we would rather get then to give. We would rather be the recipient then the one who sacrifices.

Here in America, whether you are poor or rich, sacrifice means not having ice cream in the freezer… no AC… doing without fast food… social media… internet… a cell phone… Those are big sacrifices.

I remember going places out west or in the UP where there was no cell service and I was lost. My GPS did not work and maps were no longer in the car.

My kids were frustrated because there source of entertainment was gone… Netflix… YouTube… instagram gone. My kids were actually forced to talk, read a book, color or sleep.

We have a hard time sacrificing the things that make life easier let alone the things that make life necessary.

As we keep moving through the Book of Acts, last week we highlighted the early church praying for more boldness as they were proclaiming the Gospel. They also prayed that as they were faithful in doing that, that God would confirm HIS message through signs and wonders and miracles through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

And then, after they prayed…

Acts 4:31 (ESV)

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

God honored their prayer by filling them with the power of the Holy Spirit as they fearlessly spoke the Work of God.

The Lord will always bless us when we pray according to HIS will. God will answer our prayer when it aligns with God’s will.

God’s will is for the church to present the Gospel clearly.

God’s will is to heal and to show us HIS power through signs and wonders and miracles…

God’s will is to bring humanity from death to life as we rely on the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

When we live to do the perfect will of God as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, God will show up miraculously, to draw us closer to HIM, to bring into real transformation in our life.

We see in Acts 4 that it’s more then just a powerful prayer service that shook the room. When the Holy Spirit filled the church, it shook their priorities to reflect the love of Jesus in their context. God changed their heart by changing their values.

Acts 4:32–37 ESV

32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

PRAY

The early church was completely sold out for Jesus… they literally sold everything.

They were in unity, one heart and mind which prompted incredible generosity. They shared everything they had.

This wasn’t a requirement to contribute in this radical way, this wasn’t a Biblical command, it was totally voluntary.

Not everyone gave this way and this prosperous season in the early church in Jerusalem did not last. Eventually, do to famine, we see this church becoming dependent on the gifts of believers in Asia.

However, this generosity was Holy Spirit motivated and Holy Spirit empowered.

For me personally, I need to be more generous… I need to release God’s blessings and be generous with my time, talents and treasure. I need to be more generous with my words, my home, my food, my hospitality. That I live out with the reality that nothing that I have actually belongs to me.

It feels good to do things like pay it forward, or no quarter back at Aldi…

This type of generosity was rooted in a church where their hearts and minds were united.

Also, everything they possessed did not possess them. They came to realize that because of there new love for Jesus people became more important then possessions.

Generosity reminds us that we are stewards of God’s blessings.

Everything that we have, all that we enjoy, all that is good, God has given us. Gifts that we should not hold with a tight fist.

Generosity reminds us that we are not owners but stewards of God’s blessings.

James 1:17 ESV

17 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.

Jesus gave a parable about the talents in Matthew 25. A man gave one 5, another 2, and another 1.

Matthew 25:14 ESV

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.

Who’s property was it… who’s talents were they?

God entrusted HIS servants, HIS church, HIS children with HIS resources… time, talent, and treasure to invest in HIS kingdom.

Invest them wisely but invest them in faith believing that God is the one who will always bless us when we put our trust in HIM.

Don’t bury it, use God’s talents to bless others and further HIS kingdom. Be a good steward of the things that God has given you.

Generosity reminds us that freedom comes when our possessions no longer possess us

When we think of giving what belongs to God, we tend to focus on our tithe. Yes, God does command us to trust HIM with our that first 10% that belongs to God but how much really belongs to God? 100%

We can trust the Lord with everything because it’s all HIS to begin with.

There are so many stories of people who lived the lavish lifestyle because they were rich but in a moment, suddenly they loose everything. They feel as if their world has completely burned to the ground, they feel like they have nothing to live for. All of there security, there identity, their source of comfort is completely gone. All that they trusted in is no longer there.

When we love money and earthly possessions, it’s here and then gone. It gives people such a false sense of security.

Story behind the song: It is well with my soul

Horatio G. Spafford was a successful lawyer and businessman in Chicago with a lovely family - a wife, Anna, and five children. However, they were not strangers to tears and tragedy. Their young son died with pneumonia in 1871, and in that same year, much of their business was lost in the great Chicago fire. Yet, God in His mercy and kindness allowed the business to flourish once more.

On Nov. 21, 1873, the French ocean liner, Ville du Havre was crossing the Atlantic from the U.S. to Europe with 313 passengers on board. Among the passengers were Mrs. Spafford and their four daughters. Although Mr. Spafford had planned to go with his family, he found it necessary to stay in Chicago to help solve an unexpected business problem. He told his wife he would join her and their children in Europe a few days later. His plan was to take another ship.

About four days into the crossing of the Atlantic, the Ville du Harve collided with a powerful, iron-hulled Scottish ship. Suddenly, all of those on board were in grave danger. Anna hurriedly brought her four children to the deck. She knelt there with Annie, Margaret Lee, Bessie and Tanetta and prayed that God would spare them if that could be His will, or to make them willing to endure whatever awaited them. Within 12 minutes, the ship slipped beneath the dark waters of the Atlantic, carrying with it 226 of the passengers including the four Spafford children.

A sailor, rowing a small boat over the spot where the ship went down, spotted a woman floating on a piece of the wreckage. It was Anna, still alive. He pulled her into the boat and they were picked up by another large vessel which, nine days later, landed them in Cardiff, Wales. From there she wired her husband a message which began, "Saved alone, what shall I do?"

Another of the ship's survivors, Pastor Weiss, later recalled Anna saying, "God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why."

Mr. Spafford booked passage on the next available ship and left to join his grieving wife. With the ship about four days out, the captain called Spafford to his cabin and told him they were over the place where his children went down.

While on this journey Spafford wrote…

When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll,

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul”

God never intends for our possessions to possess us. Even in times of loss God always has HIS wonderful blessing on the other side.

In Matthew 19, Jesus confronted the rich young ruler who had everything. He had power, money, honor, and position. This man even knew the law and obeyed the law. But he lacked something and he knew it.

Matthew 19:20–21 ESV

20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Jesus gave him the one last thing that he lacked to gain that freedom that he longed for but…

Matthew 19:22 ESV

22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Jesus wants to powerfully and freely give us HIS resurrection power and HIS great grace. It says that…

Acts 4:33 ESV

33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

The Gospel message was communicated by the apostles and demonstrated by a church that was not possessed by their possessions. They saw the need of others and served to meet those needs in ways that they could even if they had to give up what they possessed.

Generosity reminds us that this world cannot contain God’s eternal blessing.

We see in our text that a specific person was named because of his generosity.

Acts 4:36–37 ESV

36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

We see that Barnabas was a generous person. We see here that he was very generous with his money. He trusted and submitted to the leadership that God has placed over him. He presented the profit that he received to the apostles to give to those who were in the church family who were in need.

But later on we see that Barnabas was more then just generous with his money. We see that Barnabas was generous with his time… generous with his words because he was known for his encouragement…

We see later on that Barnabas was willing to put his neck out for others. Barnabas believed in people even when others didn’t.

Many of already know that Barnabas became friends with a man by the name of Saul… this same Saul who killed and arrested Christians… this same Saul who had Stephen stoned to death.

When Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians there, Jesus revealed himself to Saul. He surrendered his life to Jesus, he repented, was baptized and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

The church in Jerusalem was afraid of Saul, many were skeptical of his conversion but Barnabas was not.

Barnabas took him in, spent time with him, taught him about Jesus, and encouraged him in his new calling. Barnabas even went with Saul… aka Paul, on his first missionary trip.

Barnabas’ generosity shows us that this world cannot contain what God blesses.

Barnabas was a man who saw the greatest value, not in things acquired here on earth but in people. God loves lost humanity and wants to use us to lead them in discovering God’s love through God’s family.

Think about the people in your life who had a spiritual impact on your life. They valued you enough to spend time with you. They could have done other things but they saw that God has a calling on your life. They spent time encouraging you, teaching you God’s truth, listening to your struggles and victories, praying with you.

Don’t stop being generous, when things are tight, when people are difficult, when life is hard… be generous. We serve a generous God and we can never out give God.

TAKE AWAY:

Generosity reminds us that we are stewards of God’s blessings.

Generosity reminds us that freedom comes when our possessions no longer possess us

Generosity reminds us that this world cannot contain God’s eternal blessing.