Recalibration: Generosity
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
Spiritually mature people are generous (they are willing to give the Lord everything).
Intro:
Intro:
A little over a decade ago, I remember being at home with our two very little boys (Nole, my third and youngest, wasn’t here yet) and seeing Janelle pull into the drive way. She was coming home from Bible study. And she walked and said, “I got $5!”
Very excited, I asked, “How?” She said, “Debby gave it to me! She came up to me at Bible study and said she felt the Lord wanted me to have it.” A huge sense of gratitude filled our hearts!
Now, you might be thinking, “Did he say $5? And if he did, why is he so happy about that?” I mean… it’s $5!!! If I gave my two Glastonbury-raised kids $5, they would scoff at me… “Dad, what am I supposed to do with this?” I get it. $5 isn’t much. What’s the big deal about $5?
Well, for us, earlier that day Janelle and I had been searching the entire house for any money. Junk drawers. Pockets. Couch cushions. The reason being… we had no food in the house. And after searching everywhere, we didn’t find much. But when Debby gave us $5, it was like “manna from heaven.” We could eat that day and were thankful!
I want to add another detail to that story. We didn’t have much money at that time. But you know who had even less money? Debby! She was probably the poorest person in our church. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that was her last $5. Knowing that, I still consider that one of the most (if not THE MOST) generous gift I’ve ever received. Because she likely gave everything.
It reminds me of the what we read in Luke 21...
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
There are a few lessons we could learn from this passage, but one is a lesson on generosity. Generosity isn’t always about “how much money,” but “how much faith” - that is “how much are you willing to give to the Lord? And how much do you trust God?” And in this story… and with Debby… they gave everything because they loved and trusted God. They were truly generous.
And today, I’m adding a bonus message to our Recalibration series because I believe God impressed on my heart to speak on the topic of generosity. Because a spiritual mature church (something we desiring to be in 2024) is a generous church.
We see this in the book of Acts...
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
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. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 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 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
The early church was a generous church. They were willing to give everything to the Lord. And the question for us this morning is...
Are we a generous church?
Are we willing to give everything to the Lord?
Don’t worry, I won’t be asking anyone to sell their property and write a check to The River Church.
Now, if you strongly believe the Lord is asking you to do that, that’s a different conversation...
But before I begin, let me be clear about a few things:
God does not need your money. [Amen?] God is not broke. He owns everything...
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.
God does not ask us to be generous because He is in need.
2. The River Church does not need your money. I didn’t add this sermon because we can’t pay our bills. God is our provider. And I have ALWAYS found the apostle Paul’s words true...
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now, I have to be careful when I say The River Church does not need your money. I’m not saying, “Stop your financial giving.” God uses your financial giving to provide for our needs. There is no “mothership” financing the work happening here in Glastonbury. We are entirely supported by your generosity. And one reason I can say TRC does not need your money is because THE RIVER CHURCH IS A GENEROUS CHURCH!
3. The reason we are talking about giving is because spiritually mature people are generous people.
And if we are not generous, then we need to recalibrate, because Jesus wants His people to be a generous people.
And if we are generous, we need to keep being generous… and to even grow in our generosity!
So, let’s talk about generosity. We know Jesus cares about it. We know it involves giving the Lord everything. But what else?
Well, Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines generous as...
Being liberal in giving; marked by abundance or ample proportions; characterized by a noble or kindly spirit.
I think that’s helpful. But let’s focus specifically on the biblical generosity we see in the Scriptures. The generosity we will discuss today is...
The giving of your resources (time, talent, and money) as unto the Lord.
The greatest example of God’s generosity is seen in the giving of His Son, Jesus. Consider the following...
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Paul writes… stop being selfish people. Care about others. Instead, be generous.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
In other words, Jesus is God. And as God, He has everything. Yet, because He is generous, He...
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus gave everything, so we could have everything, when we deserved nothing!
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
That’s generosity. God is generous. And He wants us (as His people) to be generous too. So… how can we become generous people?
Btw, I’m approaching today from the perspective that we all desire to mature in our generosity. You may already be generous. I know some of you are. But I believe we can all learn how to grow in this area... So, my encouragement is for us all to pay attention together!
First off, sometimes becoming generous is simply...
1. Operate in your giftedness.
1. Operate in your giftedness.
Now, in the church, when we talk about giftings, I think it’s helpful to consider them in two categories:
Natural gifts - things God made us naturally good at.
Spiritual gifts - things the Holy Spirit empowers us to be good at. When we turn from our sin and put our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, the Bible says we are filled with the Holy Spirit and He gives us gifts… new abilities to accomplish the work He calls us to.
We’ll talk more about this concept over the next few weeks, when we begin our “Gifts of the Spirit” series, but the way I understand “spiritual gifts” is, sometimes, these Holy Spirit gifts supercharge our natural gifts...
For example: I’ve always felt that I had a natural gift for learning. School was always easy for me. But I believe one of my spiritual gifts is teaching. And my natural gift of learning and my spiritual gift of teaching work together in amplified ways!
However, sometimes spiritual gifts give us the ability to do things we would never do. Where it becomes clear that is God working and not the person.
For example: I’m an introvert. If you’ve hung out with me outside of church, you’ve probably noticed I’m quiet and awkward. But God has given me spiritual gifts that allow me to preach God’s word. And many hear me speak on Sundays and think, “Who is this person?”
So, when it comes to generosity, sometimes we just need to do it… to use our gifts.
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
If you want to BECOME generous, you need to PRACTICE generosity, whether it’s easy or not. Just do it.
You might be asking, “But… what if I’m naturally or spiritually gifted in generosity… am I off the hook?” No.
Because even if you’re not gifted, it’s something that can (and must) be developed through cultivation...
2) Cultivate your generosity
2) Cultivate your generosity
To cultivate is to “prepare, acquire, or develop.” And I see three ways to biblically cultivate generosity...
The first way is by teaching. We see generosity (or giving) taught in the OT through the tithe. The concept of tithing is complex, but essentially, it was giving 10% of your firstfruits (your best resources/income) to the Lord. And it was taught and practiced by the people of God (the Israelites) throughout the first half of the Bible.
Now, some have concluded that this changed in the NT. That tithing is no longer binding on the church; rather, people are to give as the Lord puts it on their heart. For example...
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And I agree with that. However… I still think tithing is a good practice. And for the most part, I personally use the principle of “tithing” to guide my giving. Regardless of where you stand, here’s another important lesson taught that needs to be considered: In the NT, Jesus always elevated the standard.
In the OT, what was taught was, “Don’t look at a person with lust. Don’t hate one another.” But Jesus elevated the standard. He said...
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
And the apostle John, a follower of Jesus, said...
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Therefore, I think it’s reasonable to conclude that when it comes to giving, God’s standard didn’t go down, but was also elevated. And I believe the fact that we see the early church in Acts giving EVERYTHING (more than 10%) supports this!
The second way we cultivate generosity is by modeling. We often learn by watching others.
Early on, the Jerusalem church was facing hardship and needed help. The Corinthian church initially offered to help, but then struggled to follow through. And so Paul wrote the following...
Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.
To help the Corinthians grow in generosity, Paul pointed to the example of the Macedonian churches, who modeled generosity. We learn generosity by watching others. And think about some of the examples of generosity we’ve already discussed:
The OT taught and practiced generosity.
Jesus celebrated the generosity modeled by the poor widow.
The disciples learned this lesson and practiced generosity in Acts 2.
The generosity modeled in Acts 2 influenced the generosity of Acts 4.
What was modeled in Acts 4 possibly influenced the generosity of Macedonia.
And the biblical generosity modeled in Scripture impacted my friend Debby.
When giving is modeled, generosity is cultivated.
Finally, the third way to cultivate generosity is to be challenged. The prophet Malachi wrote...
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!
Challenging people to give is uncomfortable. But it is both biblical and an effective...
I recently did this with two people in our church. Both were super awkward conversations… but they needed to happen. And both responded to the challenge, experienced the Lord’s blessings, and grew in generosity!
A challenge is a fertile field to cultivate generosity. That’s why Jesus challenged his disciples to...
give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
The third way we can become generous is to...
3) Be intentionally generous.
3) Be intentionally generous.
When I say “intentional,” I’m considering two things...
First, we can be “intentionally” generous as a response of worship. I’m giving because I love Jesus. And this next point is an opportunity for us to see that generosity isn’t just about money. Generosity involves giving YOUR LIFE as an act of worship to the Lord.
In Acts 18, Paul travels to the city of Corinth to tell people about Jesus. He meets a husband wife named Aquila and Priscilla. And...
Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
And in verse 9 says...
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.
The reason God said this is because Paul was essentially being hunted for preaching the gospel. People were out to get him.
Now, add this, Paul wrote to the Corinthians...
Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return? I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.
Let’s put all this together:
Paul generously gave everything - he risked his life - to preach the gospel.
Paul also worked to support himself (as a tentmaker) as way to be generous to the Corinthian church. All his ministry was on a volunteer basis.
And he did this as an intentional act of worship!
Most of you have full-time jobs. And many of you faithfully serve on a volunteer basis. You know what that is? That’s intentional GENEROSITY because you love Jesus, just like Paul. How cool is that?
[Today, we have a Ministry Fair after church. Some of you have the Holy Spirit pulling on your heart to grow in generosity. One way you can INTENTIONALLY do that is by signing up to SERVE… to give not just your money, but your resources - your time and talent! Especially if you call The River Church your home church and are NOT serving yet. God has you as party of our CHURCH FAMILY for a reason. We need you. And God wants you GENEROUSLY USE YOUR GIFTS as an active part of the body of Christ, not to just sit as a spiritual consumer!]
So, generosity doesn’t require money. That being said… your generosity will include your money. This is because money has this special ability to attach to, and govern, our hearts - in other words, to become our master. And when is money is master, we’ll never be generous. But Jesus wants us to be generous. That’s why He says...
“No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.
Therefore, one way to grow in generosity is to INTENTIONALLY give away our money. That doesn’t mean God wants us to be reckless with our money. We are to be good stewards. But God wants us to give our money away STRATEGICALLY.
In Acts 16, Paul meets a woman named Lydia...
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
What I want us to notice is she was a “seller of purple goods.” In other words, she was rich. She was a good business woman. She probably had a big house. She was strategic with her money. And the story continues...
And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
…What we discover is she was rich, but very generous! And while I believe she was naturally gifted in generosity, I also think her lifestyle allowed her to be generous. And here’s what I want us to consider...
In order to be generous, you need to get your finances in order.
And one way to do that is to responsibly budget so you can strategically give.
Paul told the Corinthians this...
Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.
Budgeting is biblical. Also, notice “on the first day of each week.” I believe there is a connection to the idea of “tithing” or “giving your firstfruits.” If you don’t STRATEGICALLY set aside money to give away (so you can develop a heart of generosity), most likely, you will end up NOT GIVING. And even if you do… do you want God to get our leftovers?
Now, a few encouragements about giving...
Give sacrificially. As you strategically decide what to give, pray about it, be cheerful about it, but realize generosity comes with sacrifice. King David understood this...
But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
2. Trust in God, not in math. That might sound odd, but let me explain. Something special - supernatural - happens when we live generously, especially when we give MONEY to the Lord.
For many of us, math is a very reliable thing. And in the natural world, it is. But the truth is, math is not “Lord.” It’s not the final word. And the Lord of all creation ...can make supernatural things happen with numbers.
When we start trusting God with our money, we enter into God’s supernatural economy. And those of us who have faith to enter this special economy usually experience two things...
God stretches our dollars. Before, we paid the bills and there was no money left. Then, we start giving, we pay the bills, and there is money left over. How? The math doesn’t make sense! We have the same paycheck. We have the same bills. Why is there more money! That’s God’s supernatural economy!
Furthermore, God trusts generous people with more money. Now, the principle I’m about to share scares people, because many have abused this principle in Jesus’ s name, which is wrong, But, that doesn’t make the truth of this biblical principle wrong. And here’s the truth: God blesses those who give.
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 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. As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
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. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Just as we need to be strategic in getting our finances in order, so we can be generosity... At the same time, we may need to GIVE so we can GET our finances in order. Because it’s God’s blessings that makes us generous. Seems like a paradox, but that’s the mystery of God’s supernatural economy.
If you will use your gift of generosity...
If you will cultivate it...
If you will be strategic about giving… you will have fun. No joke.
You will become a cheerful giving.
More than that, you will grow in spiritual maturity because you will care about what Christ cares about… and Jesus will bless you, because He cares about His people being generous!
Response:
Response:
So, as we close, again, let me ask: Are we a generous people?
If not, we need to recalibrate. We need to start being generous by giving our resources: time, talent, and money. What do you need to do today to start PRACTICING GENEROSITY?
If you are generous, don’t stop. Keep growing. Keep maturing in this area. Your generosity BRINGS JOY. It teaches others to be generous. And, as worship, it blesses your Heavenly Father’s heart because it shows your devotion to Him! Therefore, what do YOU need to do today to GROW YOUR GENEROSITY?
Finally, we can’t be biblically generous apart from the Holy Spirit’s power. So, today, if you want to be generous, but don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior… let me encourage you, turn from your sin (repent), and put your faith in Jesus. When you do, God promises you will be forgiven, given eternal life, and filled with the Holy Spirit’s power!
[I know I said, “Finally...” but I actually have one more thing. At the back, in our Ministry Fair, you will see a table for Dennis and Katie Gervais (our church planting residents). They are working towards plant a church in Rocky Hill where they live. And they are starting a regularly meeting group next month.
Now, you maybe you’re wondering, why is this at a “ministry fair?” Great question. So, the definition of ministry that I love is, “Ministry is where our lives and God’s mission intersect.” And part of our ministry at The River Church (who we are and what our mission is) is to one day plant more churches.
And the group they are starting will eventually become the core team of their new church. That is, the people who will be on their launch team and committed to making Victus church their new home church. And here’s how this connects to generosity: God may be calling some of you to be part of their team.
And as a church, we want to be willing to tithe (to give) not only some of our money to support them, but even our people. Even if some of you are currently serving at high levels here at The River Church. If God is calling you to go with them, as the pastor, I want to give you permission (I want to encourage you) to go! We want to be a church that gives our “firstfruits,” our best to God’s Kingdom work, even if it’s a sacrifice!
So, today, if you think God might be calling you to be part of their pioneering work, or you want to learn more about the new church, go see their table! And just to be clear… this is not a regular River Church Life Group. They are gathering people to form a team to help them plant a new church. So, they are looking for people called by God to go with them. And if that’s you, go generously give your life!]
Let’s pray...
Father, thank you for Your generosity. It’s because You gave You Son, Jesus, that we have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. And now, because we love You, we ask by the power of Your Holy Spirit that You make us GENEROUS. Help us to use our gifts. Help us to cultivate it. Help us to be intentional about it. And may our generosity further Your Kingdom. In Jesus name, amen.