WE ARE RADICALLY GENEROUS

We are the Church

TLK 2

Bottom Line: We are called to be a people who are radically generous with our time, talents, and treasures

Connection

Today we are in week 2 of the series, “We are the Church.”

Last week we did two things. We defined the Church as a gathering of people separate and significant, because of Jesus, for the purpose of bringing God glory

We also drove home that we are a people called to take God at His word…

Today we are going to to be working that muscle out a little bit as we dive in today

If we don’t…. Today could end up feeling like a thanksgiving dinner with THAT relative… the one who only talks about politics, parenting strategies, weird pyramid scheme opportunities, and why you are still not married… because today we are going to talk about generosity… before yall grab your wallets and purses and storm out… I want to challenge us to lean in…. God has something incredible for us at the end of this if we are willing to take Him at His word

Here is the question: What does God call His people to when it comes to generosity?

Truth

Acts 2:42-47→ Quick background info…. Here we see the description of the early church and what they were about… a description we would love to continue to embody… but in order to to do we need to understand something… there are two type of descriptions happening

Prescriptive and descriptive language→ Pre- describes things that all churches should be doing. De- describes what this church was doing

An example of prescriptive is v. 42→ we should be doing those things today… An example of descriptive is v. 45

Imagine being a church where every need was met because of the generosity of its people→ radically generous… However, this is descriptive… we are not called to give all of our possessions away necessarily… this is not a call to socialism… WE ARE OFF THE HOOK!

Are we called to be radically generous today?

Ephesians 5:1-3→ Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints.

Paul is writing to the Ephesian Church trying to navigate what it means to be a church and follow Jesus faithfully with very little understanding of the history of the God of the universe… they were mainly gentiles

Greed→ not just financial… it is a picture of over indulgence in all things… desires, possessions, power, times, skills… all encompassing… complete self absorption and obsession in the heart, mind and soul of a person

Paul says that should not be whose God’s people are…. We must fight against this…. We do this by imitating God… having the same mindset as Christ

Mark 10:42-45→ Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

two disciples, James and John (brothers), ask Jesus for the power seats when Jesus establishes his new reign and rule as king… the other disciples hear this and become indignant→ mad and jealous… in the midst of the nonsense, Jesus responds, giving us a picture into his Heart and mindset

I am here to SERVE and GIVE… and He did just that

Jesus radically gave…

His time→ he made himself available to people… all kinds of people

His talents→ he used his gifts to the benefit of others constantly

His treasure→ he willingly gave up his throne in heaven, wrapped himself in flesh, lived as a human… taking off his riches

And it all culminated in crucifixion→ pouring himself out for you and for me… taking the punishment of our sin, or our guilt, of our shame→ giving us his righteousness so that we could be justified in the eyes of a just God… not because we earned it at all.. But because of His great love for us… He gave… That is radical generosity

We are called to imitate Christ… we are called to be radically generous…

To do this, we must cultivate generous hearts and understand what it means to be generous

Cultivating a generous heart

A generous heart is produced by the realization of the realities of the gospel→ we just talked about it→ Do you truly understand how generous God is to give us salvation?

A generous heart moves beyond the financial→ Jesus was generous with his time and talents as well

A generous heart flows upward, inward, and outward

Upward in response to God, inward towards the church, and outward to reach the world

We are called to be a people who are radically generous with our time, talents, and treasures

Because we are in this series, I want to land on what it means to be radically generous with in the church→ investing in the building up of God’s Kingdom through out time, talents, and treasures

Giving is important and it is an act of worship… but I want to press in to the other two… two resources that are just as valuable in the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 4:11-16→ God gave you talents/gifts/skills and gave you time to build up the body with those gifts by serving the body…. Everyone has a part to play… no one is outside of the passage… you are not too old or too young… too wise or too dumb… too long in the game or too short…. There is a part to play for everyone….

Serving the body of Christ is the way we are radically generous with our time and talents

Application

Where are you serving?

If you are not… we want to help because this is a big deal… especially to God…. He is the one who has invested in you→ you were bought with a price

Matthew 25:14-30→ Jesus warns about wasting God’s investment

What is God’s return on His investment in you?

If we want to answer this call of radical generosity, we need everyone in

Serve push→ find your place→ one sheet

Where can you be radically generous with your time, talents, and treasures in this place?

We are called to be a people who are radically generous with our time, talents, and treasures.