Generosity
Ready, Set, Go • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 6 viewsGenerosity can be a joyful experience in the life of a believer when our perspective is correct.
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Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to CPC!
We are in a series entitled; READY, SET, GO!
We are looking at how the early Christians disciplined their lives so that they were in position when the Holy Spirit called up on them to put their Faith in Action.
What we have been learning is that the followers of Jesus were devoted to the WORD of God, to the PEOPLE of God to PRAYER and FASTING for the PRESENCE of GOD and they lived in the AWE or WONDER of GOD. These disciplines aligned them to be USED by God. We saw in Acts 2: 43 last week that Signs and Wonders followed these believers. God moved in response to their obedience.
One of the areas that left people in awe of God working through these Christians was in a topic that NO ONE HERE wants me to preach on today.
In fact, some of you may say, “Preacher, you can preach on anything you want, but leave this subject alone!” Today, we are talking about Generosity. I know for some, that ranks right up there with Fasting.
Here at CPC, we have ten Core Values to help guide us and we call them our CODE. One of the values is,
We JOYFULLY give of ourselves.
Some of you were the beneficiaries from some of our precious children last week as they brought out little goodie bags with candy in them and gave them away to people in the lobby. They gave without any expectation of a return. They gave with joy. What they didn’t know was that a goodie bag was waiting for them when they returned to the room. Some of you would be wonderful as a volunteer Buddy for our Special Needs Ministry.
Now, I understand that times are tough right now and you might wonder, how am I supposed to give joyfully when inflation has risen so sharply.
After Covid in 2021 - the inflation rate jumped 7 %. Followed by 6.5% in 2022. 3.4 % in 2023 and so far, 3.1 % in 2024.
Times are tough. But times were tough for the first century church too and yet they found a way to be generous with a joyful heart.
Look at
Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.
Now, this wasn’t socialism, this was followers of Jesus, willingly using their resources to not only supply their needs, but to also minister to others and spread the Gospel.
Notice, they gave and the leaders of the church managed their gift for maximum impact and wise stewardship.
How do we have the Right Perspective in Giving?
Giving is an Act of WORSHIP.
Now, when most people think about Giving in the local church, we are thinking of
TITHES and OFFERINGS
The word Tithe means 10%. An offering is anything above and beyond the Tithe.
“Every tenth of the land’s produce, grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.
Honor the Lord with your possessions
and with the first produce of your entire harvest;
then your barns will be completely filled,
and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Now, some question if Tithing is for New Testament Christians, or if it went out with the Law of Moses. We who follow Christ, are not under the law. Well, there is a misconception here for some. For Tithing was not a matter of the Law. Tithing predates the Law. The Father of the Jewish nation was the first person to give a tithe and he did to a priest named Melchizedek.
When you turn to the book of Hebrews 7 in the N.T. The writer clears this up for us.
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also, king of Salem, meaning king of peace. Without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
Now consider how great this man was: even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the plunder to him.
The writer wants us to know that Jesus is the Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
For it has been testified:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
Now, the word tithing isn’t found in New Testament passages, but the word Generosity is found over and over again. If you struggle with a baseline to giving at 10%, you really aren’t going to like the economics of the N.T since you can see in Act 2 and 4, they were giving much more than 10%.
This is important to understand, when you tithe, you aren’t giving God a tithe...YOU ARE RETURNING GOD’S TITHE TO HIM.
God is the owner, we are simply the managers of what He has given to us.
Here is a great lesson to learn,
Giving defeats the power of MATERIALISM.
According to a 2022 report by the Federal Reserve's Economic Well-Being. More than 1/3rd of America’s households could not afford to have an Emergency Fund of $400.00
Inflation is high, but also is our Envy. We see what others have and we often purchase what we can’t afford. Sadly, may find their self-worth in their possessions. This is a deceptive trick of the devil. Often it leaves a person with BUYERS REMORSE and can lead to a negative self image and depression.
The importance of living out Generosity is this…
What you don’t Master - Will Master You!
Jesus said, No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. - Matthew 6: 24.
What God is doing is protecting you from having an idol in your life. An idol is anything you trust in, love more or fear more than God.
Illustration: Money itself gives you instructions on how to keep God first. Did you know that? Take out a piece of money and read the inscription on it. “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
Love God - Don’t Love the Money.
This was the problem with a young man the Bible describes as a Rich, young ruler.
Briefly explain…
This young man could have been a disciple of Jesus, but he loved material possessions more than fully serving God.
This encounter was so impactful that it’s included in 3 of the 4 Gospel accounts.
Listen, if at the end of the month, you don’t have anything left over to invest in God’s Kingdom work, it’s not a money problem, it’s a management problem. I don’t say that to condemn because most of us have gotten our finances out of alignment. It’s easy to do in our materialistic society.
Here at CPC, we have options to help you if you want to be free from the financial pit the enemy wants to put you in and be free to invest in God’s Work.
PROMOTION SLIDE FOR FPU
We also have folks who can give financial encouragement.
Matthew 6: 19-21, (CSB)- Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Giving is SPIRITUAL.
1/3rd of the Parables Jesus taught dealt with Money and Possessions.
15% of Jesus’ teachings recorded in the Gospel’s dealt with Money and Possessions.
“The silver and gold belong to me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,’ but remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them, I testify against you today that you will certainly perish.
Yet, probably the most convicting accounts in Scripture is found in…
Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”
Musician come to play…
Did you know that the heart of God is generous? One of the names of God in the Old Testament is Jehovah Tzidkenu = The Self-Existent, Eternal God is My Righteousness
In Hebrew, the word for Righteousness is the same word for Generous.
God is the self-existent, eternal God who is Generous!
When we live with generosity, we are modeling His character. So, we each have a decision to make. Here is what Paul encourages us to do…
The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. As it is written:
He distributed freely;
he gave to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.
The Big Take-Away:
Giving allows you to PARTNER in God’s KINGDOM WORK.
Last year we witnessed more than 200 people profess their faith through baptism. Every one of you who support the ministry of CPC, were a part of their faith story.
Last year, we came alongside of 3 church plants, hundreds of orphans in Belarus, seminary students in the Philippines and touched thousands of lives. You who give, were a part of every one of their God-stories.
This year we have some large challenges and opportunities before us.
Finish the additional parking lots and new entry/exit road to Greensferry.
Creating outdoor space for Connections to be made.
Begin raising funds needed for the Kid’s ministry addition needed for the nursery and preschool area. That project alone is over 2 million.
Renovations and Launch of the Bollinger County Campus.
Upgrade our Technology for greater online campus impact.
All of these items cannot be paid out of this one single MAD offering. But we must get started. It’s also going to require the normal week to week faithful giving of the partners of CPC, as well as, some who can give generously above and beyond because they have a heart to minister to children and to the community here in Jackson and in Bollinger County.
What challenge will you accept from the LORD?
Next Steps:
90 Day Tithe Challenge
MAD Challenge
Sign up for Financial Peace University Group (FPU)
Trust Christ with your soul and your wealth.
Prayer / Response / Reprise
Dismissal
