Joy In Generosity

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 82

Psalm 82 ESV

A Psalm of Asaph. God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 15:7-8

Deuteronomy 15:7–8 ESV

“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.

Sermon:

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Speaker 1

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Well, once again and as always good morning, I was glad when they said to me, let us go and Worship in the house of the Lord. Well, this morning. We are first and foremost back in our sermon series through the book of Philippians. We took a four-week break to do our Advent series. But here we are back to Philippians the very end. We will be looking at Philippians chapter 4, verses 14 through 18. And in fact, we were two sermons away from a bit of a personal record. We almost started and finished, two whole sermon.

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In one year, in the year of 2024. After coming off of three years in Matthew and two years in Isaiah before that it felt good. Maybe do a few shorter sermon series and by only two sermons, did I miss that? Goal of finishing two in one year and if we hadn't had Advent, we would have been able to finish both Ecclesiastes and Philippians all in one year. But there's only two left, we have come. The end in many ways. Of the book of Philippians. And as we jump back into Philippians, there's a part of me that's very grateful. I think this is very good timing for the passage that we'll be looking at and we'll see that as we go through it.

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But also, it's difficult for me to preach this passage. We will be talking about as you can maybe see by the title of the sermon joy in generosity. What? It means to be generous, what it looks like in the Philippian church, what their generosity is, what it earns, what it does for them. What it does for Paul, we'll be talking about generosity. And for me there's there's two main reasons why this is difficult. The first is I am not a very generous person in my heart. I want to be I try to be But I am.

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To my shame. Desiree reminds me of this all the time. A bit of a grumpy old man. I'm also have a tendency to be a little bit stingy. And I'm just not as generous as you all. So that's my first problem, it's difficult for me, but the second part I I just sort of said it, you guys are better at generosity. Than I am. This church is an extraordinarily generous. We finished up the budget for next year looking at and getting ready to present to the church the budget for next year. And two weeks ago.

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We had already far and exceeded the giving that was required. We increased our giving from last year. Buy a lot with still two offerings left to take. This church is extraordinarily generous to the church to the ministry here, but also to me personally, Desiree and I, my family have been the recipients of this Church's generosity in love and kindness, compassion spiritually, physically in financial and other gifts. You all, are an extraordinarily generous, And so I find this a sort of difficult sermon to jump back into Philippians when one I am not good at it and

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In general, this church is very good. So two things to say to them. Luckily, it's not me. Who says these things? It's scripture. I'm just here to tell you what scripture says, so just because I'm not as good as I should be. And God is sanctifying and working on me and teaching me how to be more generous. Ultimately it doesn't matter how good I am. What matters is the standard that scripture has set before us? That's the first one but the second one to you who are already very generous I think we always need encouragement and it's good to be lifted up and pushed and challenged. Even in things we think we're good at because ultimately,

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We can always be better. And so my hope this morning as we look at and and work through what it means to be generous to have In our generosity. Those of you who maybe identify with what I'm feeling, who don't feel as generous, maybe we will be encouraged to find and be more generous. But for those of you who already excel at, this may your good works Excel more and more as we see the beauty and goodness. Of what God has called us to. So Philippians chapter 4 starting in verse 14. Yet, it was kind of you to share my trouble.

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And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the Gospel. When I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me and giving and receiving except you only Even in thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once. And again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment and more. I am well, supplied, having received from epaphroditus, the gifts that you sent A fragrant offering a sacrifice acceptable. And pleasing. To God. These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open with the word of prayer.

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Our Holy Father in heaven, Great is your name. Great and greatly to be praised. And so we thank you for your goodness and your grace and your mercy. For your kindness, that leads us to repentance. For your generosity that while we were dead in sin and trespasses you sent a savior Christ, Jesus, your son and our Lord to save us from our sins. Help us. To emulate this generosity in some small way, show us your heart, teach us to follow your word. It's in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. And amen. As we walk through this text, as we seek, to understand what generosity is what it looks like. And what Paul is talking about and really ultimately to remind us of some context here, right? Philippians, all of Philippians is Paul's, thank you. No. The Philippian church had collected an offering though they themselves were a poor church facing difficulties in trials. They still got together an offering.

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And in this offering they gather together, they send epaphroditus to Paul who's in prison in Rome. Epaphroditeus almost dies on this journey but he makes it. He brings the gift to Paul and Paul overwhelmed with gratitude and joy at the generosity of the Philippian Church sits down to write them. A thank you note. And so this is really the end of the thank you note portion of the letter next week we'll look at Paul's final exhortation about God's power the week after that we'll try to summarize the entire book but really here. This is the the end of the thank you part.

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And so Paul in his gratitude wants to encourage and exhort and continue to lift up the Philippian Church's generosity. And so that's the the meat of what we're talking about. The surface level is this. Thank you note. But there's the meat here and the way I think we get to that is to see what generosity then is marked by, what is generosity look like That'll be part of what is marked by. But also what I mean by this is there are certain things that will naturally well up and certain things that distinguish true generosity. From false generosity.

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By way, of example, I used to when I was a youth pastor, I would teach my kids, everything that you do. I would make sort of if you remember back to maybe Middle School, biology and Punnett squares where you do different traits and then on both sides and you'd figure out you know genetic stuff, right? Every action. Is one of four things, right? You have two ways to evaluate. It's either a Right action. Or a wrong action. And within every, right and wrong action, you either have the right heart. Or the wrong heart. So the way this works out is you can have a wrong action with a wrong heart. That's real bad.

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You can have a good action, a right action, with a right heart, that would be good. But then, there's these two sort of edge cases. There's a right action with a wrong heart and there's a wrong action, but with the right heart, does that sort of make sense? It's easier if I draw this on a board but I hope you're tracking with this here. Wrong action, wrong heart. That's clearly sin. Right action, right heart, that's good. What do we do with these two middle ones? And I would tell the kids. Those are also sinful You can't justify.

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Bad actions. Because well, I meant well right. It's still bad. And Jesus clearly teaches, right? We can go to Matthew that the right thing, but done with the wrong heart. Is still sin. Because it's always about what your heart intends and so, when we look at generosity, our goal is to make sure we have the right action. Generosity with the right heart, and I think, looking at these traits, helps us get to that, that's my, that's my goal. Because generosity is more than just writing a check and putting it in the boxing bag. And generosity is more than just giving a dollar to the homeless person you drive by though, those are generous acts. Generosity is at our hearts and if our heart moves us to do those things. It's much different than if something else motivates us. So this is our goal to look at the heart of generosity and the first trait, the first thing we see about the generosity of the Philippians.

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Is this marked by Fellowship?

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Fellowship with Paul. In his ministry, in his work and in his suffering Philippians 4:14 yet, it was kind of you To share. My trouble. The ESV puts a footnote beside that word, share, they say this word could also be translated have Fellowship in. The underlying Greek word here has been throughout all of Philippians. We've seen it multiple times, it's Koinonia, it means Fellowship or togetherness, right? This word is why I've called this series through Philippians. Joy in gospel. Togetherness is because this idea of Fellowship, sharing is key to all of Philippians. And the first thing Paul notes about their generosity is their generosity stems from the fellowship that they have with Paul that Paul has with them that they have together in the ministry.

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Of the gospel. The Philippian church is not just someone who writes a check, sends it off. And then doesn't think another moment about Paul, what Paul is saying, here is your gift, your heart, and what this shows shows that you care for me and together, we endure these things. One commentator says they're not merely supporters. They're not just financiers, right? They're not, just people who write checks, send it off, and don't care. Rather this commentator says they were yoked together with Paul sharing as they were in his sufferings. And, In relief from them. When Paul says, it was kind of you to share my troubles,

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What he means. And what he's saying is their generosity stems from a heart of compassion and care. That is yoked together with Paul right tied together in labor, right? That's the idea of a yoke, you'd put it over oxen and together, they would pull the plow, whatever the wagon, whatever it is, it needs to be pulled. Because there's a burden that is shared together and Paul says, it is kind of you to be burdened together with me their generosity stems from their hearts and their fellowship with Paul. The heart of generosity. Isn't just. Well, I have some extra money, so I'll give it to you though. Again, I don't want to minimize that.

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That heart should stem from an attitude of fellowship. So, as we minister to the church and as we're generous here in the church, it stems from Fellowship. In saying together, we are part of the body of Christ United together in what he has done to save us and redeem us. So together, we will be generous to one another and to the church and to the world around us because God has been generous to us And then as that extends, we look and we're generous to the people around us to our friend in need to our neighbor much like the Good Samaritan story because at a minimum with all human beings we have in Fellowship that we are made in the image of God and we are called to love and care for those who are made in God's image.

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And so far from being stingy and trying to hold on to what we have, we realize that we all Fellowship together as one human race that God has created made in His Image. And so, we're generous. Not greedy or holding on to these things. Rather we share in the troubles and trials of the people around us. There's Fellowship that is at the heart. Of our generosity. But for the Philippians as it is for us, generosity, should not just be a one-time thing. Because generosity is also marked by Consistency. There's a faithfulness that is tied to our generosity.

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By way, of example, we're coming towards the end of the year. This is in fact, the last Sunday. So if you want your giving to be able to be tax deducted, this is the last Sunday that you have to get that in. And I say that not to ask for more. But to say this, If that's why you're giving. You're not very generous. If you are giving because you're like, oh it's the end of the year, I got to do something to get my tax, you know, move down a bracket. Maybe I can save a little bit of money. This is tax deductible, I'll cut a check.

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Thank you.

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But I'll just be honest with you. Your heart's not in the right place. If you're just going around and you feel guilt every once in a while and so every once in a while you're driving around, you're like, uh, maybe I should give to this homeless person this time. I mean, that's good. We should try to meet the needs of others. But is there consistency? To what you're giving the Philippian Church certainly did. And you Philippians yourself verse 15 know that in the beginning of the Gospel in Macedonia. So what Paul is saying here is when I started my missionary journey

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When I set off to go preach, the good news of the Gospel that has changed your hearts and your lives from the very beginning. When I left Macedonia, which would actually have been the geographical region that the Philippians were from, it would be like, saying, you guys know that from the very beginning of my Ministry, since I left,

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The, the The Rio Grande Valley. No. Partner with me. You guys know? Pulsing. I'm not. And this is why this is important. What Paul is saying is not a slam at other churches and he's also not sort of making them know they need to give more when Paul says, no Church partnered with me what he's trying to say is I'm not doing this for the money. Right, you guys know? What my paycheck is. The modern version of this that I have used from time to time. If I'm being honest is

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Salary. It is in public record. If anyone ever wanted to come and say, how much are you paying your pastor? We could pull out our budget and we would pull out our budget. And show the figures. Not because I'm boastful about this, but because it's important that we show this transparency that It's not like I'm doing this just for a paycheck. And it's not like the church is rolling in the dough, we try to be judicious and careful with what we spend and how we spend it.

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Paul's basically saying, you know, my paycheck, you know that I'm not making Banks because there were those around him, we call them. To make fun of them, the super Apostles, these men who would go around just taking money after money, making a great living off of encouraging, people preaching, a false gospel of happiness and goodness and all your things will be great. If that sounds familiar, the same process goes on today. These people preach a false gospel that is not found in scripture. And they make, they're rolling in the dough and Paul's saying I'm not rolling in the dough.

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No Church entered into this except For you. Verse 16. Even in thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again. The Philippian partnership is one that's marked by consistency. They have been consistent in friendship, love devotion and giving to Paul. Their generosity is not just a one-time. Oh, we thought about you one time. Here's some money. Go on with your life, Paul, they cared about him. And so they sowed into Paul and his ministry over and over and over again. Paul says in verse 16 once and again, They have been generous constantly, there's a consistency to their giving

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And so you too, in your generosity, it should be marked by consistency. Are You Faithful to consistently give? To where God has called you to. Because if you are, Here's the next point that we see one of the markers of generosity. This will bear fruit. All right, Paul goes. One of the things that makes this a difficult passage. For some people. Is Paul uses. Very economic terms. Terms that belong in business, right? These would be, you would see. You would see these words in receipts and contracts in business and Paul co-opts them into Spiritual language.

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And in verse 17, not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. This idea of fruit increasing to your credit. It's this It's this economic term, the most accurate sort of modern translation is Let me give you the David modern translation of verse 17. And I'm going to try to do this from a pastoral heart. I'm going to try to channel Paul and say this verse to you as well as I can. For the context I'm saying. Thank you so much for your generosity. And your kindness towards me.

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I am grateful. For the gift that I was given. Not that. I need the gift. The heart behind this. I know, God will take care of me. How he has taken care of me. Thus far, is your generate generosity, but if for whatever reason something happens, you can't. I understand. God will continue to take care of me. I don't need this gift. I am grateful for it. But even more than that.

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What I care more about than just this gift. Is your heart? And, That by your giving. You are accruing interest. In your heavenly account.

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When Paul says that this fruit that increases to your credit, He is looking forward. Not to this Earth. But to Treasures that they have, as Jesus would talk about in The Sermon, on the Mount stored up in, he And that's ultimately what Paul cares about is their heart because their heart is earning for them. Fruit. In heaven. And their current sanctification. They look more and more like Christ, they're less greedy, less stingy, less grumpy, less David like And they look much more. Christ-Like. That's the fruit that increases to their credit, their 401k is overflowing with dividends and reinvestments. The fruit of their generosity is growth in the spiritual realm and growth in Grace and mercy.

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And that ultimately is what Paul cares about. So thank you for your gift. Paul says, I I it helped me when I was in a moment of need it brought me to tears with joy thinking of your kindness and your generosity. But even more than the gift that brought me to tears, what brought me to tears was, in fact, very much your kindness and your generosity because that means that God is working in your life.

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Generosity being marked by fruit means as you grow in Grace and look, more and more like Jesus, you will be more and more generous. Generosity will become a natural, outflowing of what God is doing in your life. And the way this works in sort of God's economy is the more you are generous, the more you look like Christ and the more you look like Christ, the more generous you will be. And as you grow in generosity, you will look more like Christ and as you look more like Christ you will become more generous. It becomes this cycle. That works to Paul says in verse 17 or sorry in verse 18,

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Your credit. It works to your credit. It grows within you. And ultimately all of this. And this is what we cannot miss. All of this stems from a heart. Of worship. What motivates your generosity should be worship to God. More than just, Being motivated by care for your fellow man, which you should have. More than just being motivated by trying to be a good person, which honestly, we should all try more than just being motivated by If I do this, it's the right thing and a sense of Duty. Are giving should be motivated. By worship.

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Because truly the Philippians giving was an act of worship. Verse 18, I have received full payment and more I have everything I need. Your generosity. God has used it to meet every need of mine. Wait, Paul aren't you imprisoned? Don't worry. I have everything I need and more. Having received from epaphroditus who almost died. Having received from a password is the gifts you sent. These gifts are. Paul says. A fragrance offering. A sacrifice acceptable and pleasing. To God. Paul goes from Financial language, your credit full payment and more To Temple language, just like that. Because Paul's point is their gift is. In fact, an act of worship

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And Paul intentionally wants you to think back, right? We could go to other Pauline language, if you were to flip back in your Bible, To Romans 12. Also written by Paul. Romans 12 verse 1, I appeal to you, therefore, Brothers by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Paul says, at the end of Romans, he gets to the end. He says, your life should be in worship. Your body should be a Living Sacrifice everything. You do everything, you say, every way you live, is a sacrifice to God. And again, hear the words, holy and acceptable.

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To God here, Paul says, to the Philippians your generosity and your gift is a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing. To God. Why? Because their generosity is an act of worship. It stems from a heart that says, God has given everything to me. How can I not be generous to you? It's generosity that stems from God. Loved me. When I was a poor wretched sinner, how can I not love the people around me who are made in God's glorious image? It's the generosity that comes from God, gave me everything. My life, my health, my wealth, everything I have, God gave to me, so I shouldn't hold. So tightly cleave to that and try to attain those things. Instead I take what God has given me and I'm generous

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And so if God has given me a lot, I will be generous a lot. And if God has given me little hear this church, I will still be generous a lot. Because if I look around and think, well, God hasn't given me much, he's given you everything.

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And if you can't find things to be grateful for, That's on you. God has given you so much. Be generous. This is your worship. Psalm chapter 40. David. Writing famously says this Isaiah 40:6. Not Isaiah, I flipped to the wrong book. Psalm 40 verse 6. David says this.

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In sacrifice and in offering, you have not delighted. But you have given me an open ear. Burn offering and sin offering, you have not required.

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Then I said, behold, I have come. In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I will Delight to do your will oh God your law. Is within my heart, what David says and what we have to see here and this is where this is the heart and the mark of our true generosity. It is not in wrote doing things. Do not, please hear me Church. Do not write a check to this church and put it in the Box because you think I have to do this to be a good Christian. I don't want it.

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But if instead, you are writing a check because God has said, God has given you everything and from a generosity and God's law being written upon your heart. You think God has given me much, I will be generous with what I have, then then I am grateful. And this is a very different offering, sermon that maybe many of us here.

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Your heart is what matters and in sacrifices and burnt offerings. God has not required. And so there's a Temptation, we read Philippians and it says your gift is a sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to God and we think okay well they were generous, they wrote checks to Paul. All right, checks to 46 different missionaries. That'll buy me a spot in heaven. It does not work that way. Instead what Paul is speaking of in Philippians is their heart is motivated. By the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they have been changed by the mercies and goodness of God. And they are then moved in that to give and be more generous.

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May our hearts. Like theirs. Be

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Speaker 2

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motivated by love and devotion. To

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Speaker 1

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go. Let's pray.