Practicing the Way: Generosity
Practicing the Way • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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What does God want us to know? We are to be generous like God is generous
Why? It makings us more like God, It frees us, grows us, gives us joy, and blesses others
What does God want us to do? Be generous
Why? It makes us more like God, frees us, grows us, gives us joy, and blesses others
ME/WE
Today we are talking about a Spiritual Practice that is directly or indirectly talked about 2nd most in scripture. The first most talked about thing is Jesus and how He has come to save us and rescue and redeem us.
- Jesus talked about it a lot
2nd to what?
It is also the most referenced CONDITIONAL PROMISE IN SCRIPTURE.
- Over 8000 promises some are NOT CONDITIONAL…It doesn’t depend on us if do or don’t do something. A few of those are.
- God’s unconditional love
- Second coming of Jesus
Conditional Promises are if you do _____ this will happen to you. This is most conditional PROMISE
It is also the practice that makes some people squeamish and wish this is the Sunday they missed church, BUT for those who practice it they say they are is nothing to be squeamish about. THIS PROMISE IS FULL OF BLESSING PROMISE, HOPE, TRUST, and RENEWAL
ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS WHAT SPIRITUAL PRACTICE I AM TALKING ABOUT?
- GENEROSITY, MONEY, AND TITHING
THE SECOND MOST SUBJECT DISCUSSED IN SCRIPTURE IS MONEY, GENEORSITY, AND TITHING
WHY???
BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT DEFINES GOD AT HIS CORE…HE IS GENEROUS....HE WANTS US TO BE LIKE HIM....HE IS NOT HYPOCRITICAL…HE WANTS WHEN PEOPLE SEE YOU THEY SEE GOD
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
We can’t out give HIM
IT IS NOT BECAUSE GOD NEEDS YOUR MONEY OR MY MONEY
For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
GOD IS NOT GOING ALRIGHT TRINITY AND ANGELS WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T GIVEN HIM YOUR TITHE....
WHY DOES GOD WANT US TO TITHE? BESIDES GOD DESIRES US TO BE REPRESENTERS OF HIM?
TITHING AND GENEROUS IS A MATTER OF OUR HEART, TRUST, FAITH, HOPE AND IN GOD
GOD WANTS US TO HAVE OUR HEART TOTALLY ON HIM
- WE ARE SAYING WITH OUR MONEY THAT WE TRUST GOD
ONE OF THE WAYS OUR
We see this in the sermon on the mount
WHAT IS A TITHE
- WHAT IS A IS A TITHE…IT LITERALLY MEANS A TENTH
The three different types are as follows:
1. The Levitical, or sacred tithe (Num. 18: 21, 24).
2. The tithe of the feasts (Deut. 14:22-27).
3. The tithe for the poor (Deut. 14:28, 29).
THEY TITHED OVER 20%
IT IS NOT ABOUT AMOUNT BUT THE PERCENTAGE
Let’s read a portion of the sermon on the mount
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
JESUS SAYS DO NOT LAY UP TREASURES…DON’T BE ABOUT THE BIGGER HOUSE, NICER CAR, FANCY JEWELRLY, CLOTHES…DON’T BE ABOUT THAT AS YOUR SOLE FOCUS
They don’t last…anybody driving a car from the 90’s here? Anybody have clothes they were on a regular basis from over a decade ago? CLOTHES THAT YOU LOVED....JESUS IS SAYING THEY DON’T LAST....
BE ABOUT HEAVENLY TREASURE THAT LAST…
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Jeff, Beza are Americans rich?
BE ABOUT PEOPLE KNOWING JESUS…ONE OF THE WAYS WE DO IT IS BEING SALT AND LIGHT AND ANOTHER WAY IS GIVENING TO PLACES THAT BRING SALT AND LIGHT
THEN JESUS SAYS THIS JARRING STATEMENT
Where your treasure is there is your heart
We know this we go to someone’s house or someones things
If we want to follow where your heart is, Jesus says follow the money.
Jesus’ desire and our desire is for our heart to be set on him
WHY?
HEART IS CENTERED ON HIM…FULL OF LIFE, WHOLENESS, JOY
This is one of the reasons God wants us to give and be generous so that our hearts are centered on Him and not the world.
- He wants us to be generous so that what we own does not own us.
Jesus continues to bring His point across
“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.
God says YOU CANNOT BE ABOUT GETTING RICH AND BEING ABOUT MY KINGDOM.
Chose one or the other
Sometimes we say BUT I want both…I want NICE things, the bigger the better....Jesus says they pass away…I am NOT saying we cannot have nice things....
FLESH
I think it is also good to address this that scripture says money is terrible God.
- Why?
- It never satisfied.....You always need MORE
I HAVE WATCHED PEOPLE WALK AWAY FROM THE LORD FOR MONEY AND AT FIRST IT GREAT…LOOK AT WHAT I HAVE…BUT THEN WE WATCH THEIR FAITH, FAMILY, FUTURE, AND FINANCIES FALL APART
IT IS TRUE WHAT PEOPLE SAY ON THEIR DEATH BED. THEY DON’T SAY I WISH I HAD MORE MONEY…THEY SAY I WISH I HAD MORE TIME AND SPENT MY TIME ON THINGS THAT MATTER MORE THAN MONEY.
Jesus is saying to us a better ROI…return of investment is when we invest in the kingdom of God. SEE PEOPLE IN THE KINGDOM AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD HERE MORE
TIME OUT PASTOR PETE
I hear what you are saying and what God is saying BUT, let’s deal with the BUTs
it is right
compelling
BUT IS IT PRACTICAL and oh by the way I EARNED THIS MONEY
I have earned this money! I HAVE EARNED IT!
Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
GOD SAYS THE ONLY REASON YOU CAN GET WEALTH IS BECAUSE HE GAVE YOU THE ABILITY TO GET WEALTH.
YOU DO NOT CREATE THE ABILITY TO GET WEALTH, HE DID THAT FOR YOU
WHAT GIVING DOES IS SAYS GOD THANK YOU FOR THE ABILITY TO EARN WEALTH!
BUT IF I GIVE HOW WILL I LIVE? HOW DO WE LIVE ON 90% ANYBODY EVER THOUGHT THIS WAY
GOD SAYS TEST ME (in most of the scriptures it says don’t test God, except with $) AND ALSO THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PROMISES RELATED TO BEING GENEROUS AND IF YOU ARE GENEROUS GOD WILL BE MORE GENEROUS TO YOU.
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
HOW HAVE WE ROBBED YOU? YOU HAVE NOT TITHE…TO NOT TITHE IS TO ROB GOD BECAUSE 100% OF WHAT YOU GET COMES FROM HIM
GOD SAYS PUT ME TO THE TEST....BE GENEROUS, TITHE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS
I HAVE WITNESSED THIS OVER AND OVER.....PEOPLE GIVING WHEN THEY DIDN’T KNOW HOW THEY COULD AND GOD PROVIDED.
ANYBODY BEEN THERE?
HOW DO I DO THIS? I HAVE TRIED
FIRST FRUITS…might need to get house in order
Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
GIVE FIRST…PART OF THE REASON GOD GETS THE CHANGE IS BECAUSE HE GETS WHAT WE HAVE LEFT OVER
THESE ARE PRETTY AMAZING PROMISES
Grow in you tithe
-TRY TO OUT GIVE GOD
START BY SAYING GOD I AM GOING TO TRUST YOU....
