Living Generously (2)

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Generous LIVING as a multiplying force when its focused on God’s mission and purpose

Last week—living out of a spiritual mentality of abundance

Scarcity or Abundance—Trusting Jesus to do more with what we have to multiply our ministry to the world

—Jesus’ generosity with his TIME

—Jesus’ generosity to the NEEDS of the people

—Jesus generosity towards the NECESSITY of his disciples

—Jesus’ generosity with God’s PROVISION

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Generous GIVING as a multiplying force when its focused on God’s mission and purpose

God’s standard for generosity—first-fruits—tithe—giving back to God

Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;”

Jesus teaching on generosity and money 2nd only to...the kingdom of God

ME—Parents —Giving Bank—Calling—Tithe

Three steps to generous giving

—Casual (pocket)—Consistent (weekly)—Committed (Tithe)

What does giving generously look like? How does it multiply when its focused on God’s mission and purpose

Today—Paul’s appeal to the church of Corinth for their giving— He uses the churches of Macedonia as an example of faithful generosity

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2 Corinthians 8:1 (NIV)

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.

God’s abundance poured to out to them through their generosity, became a a multiplying force for the Paul’s ministry—the spreading of the Good News of Jesus beyond Jerusalem—The reason we have the church today!

Four principles of generous giving practices by the Christians of these churches that are valid for us today.

Message is not a fundraising appeal, or seeking a commitment...a reminder of the call of every Christian to not only LIVE generously, but to GIVE generously.

How seriously do you take giving to the church, to its mission and purpose?

PRAY—BIBLES

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Jerusalem was the hub of the Christian movement…

— Its sustainability was crucial in the spread of the Christianity

— Paul’s mission to the Gentile Churches

The Jerusalem collection (Offering of the Gentiles)—10 year effort pf Paul to help Judean believers who were facing harder than usual economic times as a result of a famine, high taxation, and the rapid increase of needed support for its ministry efforts.

Paul’s defence of the collection was to REVIVE the Corinthian church through its generosity, by showing them first, the example set by other Christians (2-5). Second the example set by Christ (8-9)

These churches had seen God’s abundant blessing due to their own faithfulness to generous giving.

Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ””

Four principles of the Macedonian churches generosity. and then close with an illustration...

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I. Generous Giving...is a more a matter of the HEART than of circumstances!

2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

These early churches had faced great adversity—experiencing both deep poverty and “a great trial of affliction”

“Everything about the circumstances in the Macedonian churches says this was not a good time for them to worry about the needs of others. And yet they participated liberally and joyfully in the offering.” Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 30: 1, 2 Corinthians

Their poverty did not stop them from being generous as they participated liberally and joyfully in the offering. Their rich generosity was not about the amount, but a matter of the heart

Luke 21:1–3 “As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.”

Generous giving even in adversity, is a multiplying force when its giving of the heart

The reason for their giving in difficult circumstances us the grace of God, which creates an open and generous heart. If we view the churches offering only as a way to pay the bills, then our view of generosity is limited by our head and not driven by our heart—lack of spiritual maturity.

If I only gave when our circumstances were right...

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Generous Giving...is a more a matter of the HEART than of circumstances!

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II. Generous giving brings JOY when it comes out of great SACRIFICE!

3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.

Theirs sacrificial offering, giving beyond their means, became an inspiration for Christians everywhere.

They modeled the joy of sacrifice—seen in Christ himself

9 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 through his poverty might become rich.

The Macedonian churches had put Christ’ model of sacrifice over their present needs, for the needs of others.

Re imagine Generosity Story

How much are we really sacrifice in our giving? In our generosity are we giving up something of value for a greater good.

“It has been estimated that the personal budget of most church folks for sporting events far exceeds gifts to the church and other charitable causes.”

How much joy do you find in sacrificial giving? What are you willing to give up?

Their giving beyond their ability…shows a willingness to sacrifice for the needs of others, and the mission of the church

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III. Generous giving is not PRESSURED giving!

3 they gave…entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

They were no reluctance in their generosity, in fact they saw it as a privilege. They gave without obligation

(ESV) they were begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part the ministry of Christ

They were compelled and motivated to give generously because the need was greater than their own.

Sometimes the pattern is different in most churches today…Our mood can determine or be a deterrent in our giving freely. I have seen people stop giving because they didn't like something...

A carnival—in small town rural America.

This carnival in Oklahoma featured the “strongest man in the world.” To demonstrate the power of his grip the barker would cut a lemon in half and give it to the strong man. With his left hand he would squeeze every drop of moisture out of it. The barker would then work the crowd to sell tickets for the rest of the performance inside the tent. And as an additional come-on, he said the carnival would pay anyone from the audience twenty-five dollars for every drop of juice that person could squeeze from the lemon. This attention-getter attracted the usual run of local talent, but none of them was successful. Then a small nondescript man asked if he might try. Using only his thumb and two fingers of one hand he squeezed three additional drops of juice from the lemon half.

As the amazed carnival barker paid him his seventy-five dollars, he asked for the secret to his ability. He replied, “I’ve been the treasurer in our church for twenty-five years, and compared to trying to squeeze money out of reluctant members for the budget, that lemon was easy.”

Giving to meet a church budget only, produces guilt, anxiety, and resentment. Joy and Christian growth come to those who assume the responsibility for the Lord’s work gladly and without obligation.

Matthew 10:8 “Freely you have received; freely give.”

Generous giving is not PRESSURED giving!

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IV. Generous giving flows from the gift of SELF!

5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

There generosity was not about them. It was about surrendering oneself to the Lord.

The rich man who goes away sad…

Mark 10:21 “Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.””

His unwillingness to surrender self, what became is identity in life

As I was sitting in an executive suite high above the city visiting with a very successful businessman, he tried to impress me with his religion by saying, “Reverend, every week I have my secretary mail a check to my church.”

This comment reminded me of the missionary who was witnessing to the chief of a very primitive tribe. In response the chief tried to impress the missionary with gifts of horses, blankets, and jewelry. But the missionary said, “My God does not want the chief’s horses or blankets or jewelry. My God wants the chief himself.” Then the chief smiled and said, “You have very wise God, for when I give Him myself He also gets horses and blankets and jewelry.” He showed far more wisdom than my wealthy businessman friend. The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 30: 1, 2 Corinthians (Learning from the Giving of Others)

Generous giving FLOWS from the gift of SELF

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IV. Generous giving is an ACT of GRACE!

6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Grace given is grace received—Its an extension of the gift of God given to us in Jesus. Notice the challenge is that they would excel in their generosity! Are we challenged to give? Are we instructed to be generous as followrs of Jesus?

I love Paul’s closing in his plea to the church...

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8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

There is only one time in scripture that God challenges us to test him...

Malachi 3:10 “10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

Can I be honest? In our giving, we tend to give not out of our first fruits, but out of our sloppy leftovers

Donuts and giving

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This generosity in giving its a matter of the HEART—comes out of great SACRIFICE—Not PRESSURED—Gift of SELF—an act of Grace and is a multiplying force when its focused on God’s mission and purpose

Faithful parents teach it to their children. I am thankful mine did. But we are called to mature in following Jesus, in our giving...Grace given is grace received

9 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 through his poverty might become rich..

Challenge

1. Is your giving a matter of the heart, not your circumstances?

2. How is your giving sacrificial?

3. Do you feel pressured or find joy in giving?

4. How had the grace given in Christ impacted your giving?