Generous Givers (Common Denominator)

Welcome

Welcome to Renew!

We are wrapping up our series talking about our values

Passionate Pursuit

Selfless Service

Fearless Followers

Real Relationships

Active Apprentice

And this week we finish up with our 6th value

Before we go there I want to tell you where these come from

Explain the decisions that define us

If we do not know why we do this then we are just wondering aimlessly

These decisions that define us are the heart of Renew

Whether it is here, or cabot, or Vilnonia and beyond

This is the DNA that makes us who we are

It is why the mission is the mission

This week we are wrapping this up with our final Value that is Generous Givers

take a deep breath

Repeat after me… I love you. I’m ok

Everyone panics about giving

Let’s change that!

Let’s look at what the bible tells us about giving and let it become a part of who we are!

Intro

The disciples had just been delivered unharmed from the sanhedrin and had seen the HS fill them with boldness to share the Gosple

Verse 32 tells us that they were in one heart and soul

They had a common denominator

Let’s go back to school

What is a common denominator?

It is the shared multiple of denominators for several fractions

We are a fraction of the gospel

It is

If we say that we are born again, a part of the kingdom then we share that common denominator

What is that?

IT is the willingness to do whatever it takes to get the message of Jesus out

John 17:20–23 ESV

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

The disciples were experiencing this unity that Jesus had prayed for

This unity caused something special to happen

Verse 32… No one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own

They were literally willing to give EVERYTHING they had to make sure there were no needy among them

Now, I am not asking you to sell everything you have and give it to the church

I’m also not telling you not to haha!!

But think about this...

We all have things.

Are we willing to give them away?

But what if giving is more than just money?

What if I told you that there is more to this whole generous givers thing?

Well...

Well...

Time

According to Forbes, a study shows that TIME is the most valuable commodity today

It seems like we never have enough time

Time

If I could have a couple more hours in the day

I wish I could have spent more time with my loved one

It never seems like there is enough time

All of these things i am sure we have all said

It seems like between work and family that time runs away from us

So when we don’t have enough time for those things the last thing we want to do is give some of that valuable commodity away!

Ephesians 5:16–17 ESV

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

We must make the best use of our time!

Time is the greatest gift you can give to someone. Because, it is like giving a portion of your life that you’ll never get back.

IF Time is the most valuable commodity, and we have so little of it, then how great of a gift is it to give it away!

SO how do we give our time?

Our focus this month has been a month to serve and love

How many of you have taken time to serve someone?

If you haven’t why haven’t you?

Do we prioritize our time in a way that sees us furthering the kingdom or are we only looking at our time as a commodity that we do not want to give away?

We are in a pivotal point in the life of our church

We have laid the foundation for what we are doing

But now it is time for us to build the house

Building a house takes time

YOU JUST WANT MORE TIME OUT OF US

That is not what I am asking.

I am asking you to invest the time you have in advancing the kingdom

To give it here and outside these walls

We need to build this out

We have to do it!

We ned to clean outside

We ned to get this place to a place where we can be the mission station we are looking to be!

We need to be in our community consistently

These things are going to take time!

But we must be wiling to give that and watch God use it!

James 2:14–17 ESV

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

We show our faith by our willingness to give the time needed to do the works

Talent

1 Peter 4:10 ESV

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

We all have a talent that God has given us

What is a talent that you have?

God created us each individually so that we could each be used in a unique way for the kingdom

If we are hiding those talents we are doing a disservice to the creator

You’ve heard me say about children’s ministry

The way you use those talents is to find a place to get plugged in here

But the best way to find out what your talent is

Worship

Kid’s ministry

First Impressions

Cleaning the building

There are places to use the talents you have been given

I had someone tell me recently that they were not the “door to door” type

But they could pick up trash with the best of them!

There are many of you that the thought of speaking to someone face to face sends you into a fetal position panic

But you are great at setting up chairs or taking out trash

There are some of you that they thought of getting up on stage to speak or sing makes you want to vomit

But you have an ear for sound and an eye for technology

We have each been given a specific talent for the kingdom

We must use them effectively!

Romans 12:6–8 ESV

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Treasure

Ok. Here we go

34-37

There was not a needy person among them

Do you want to know why we ask you to give?

This

Yes we have to keep the lights on and pay the rent

But more importantly it is for us to work toward meeting th needs of those around us

TO give as it has been given to us

You have heard me say that the mission takes money

We cannot do what we are trying to do without the giving from you

Trusting God with our finances is so important!

Time may be the most valuable commodity we have but our treasure is where our heart is.

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

“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.

Our treasure must be set in heaven

This requires full trust in God!

We cannot say we trust God in some things

We have to trust God in all things!

That includes our finances

You are not giving for steeples and stained glass

G

You are giving for those around us who ned to see Jesus!

Why is this important?

Investments always yield some type of return

ROI

If you invest wisely your ROI will be beyond anything you can imagine!

We are all called to be Generous givers!

We have decided to be a distribution center of God’s blessings, not just a warehouse

We have decided to be a distribution center of God’s blessings, not just a warehouse

We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers.

We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers.

2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Being Generous Givers is imprtant because God calls us to give.

We are to be like Jesus

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God showed his love for us by giving. We demonstrate our love for him by giving generously of our time, our talents and our treasures

We demonstrate our love for him by giving generously of our time, our talents and our treasures

Where do we go from here?

Are you using your time talents and treasure effectively

Are you trusting God with your finances

Will you commit to being a generous giver?

Meditate -

Acts 4:34 ESV

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold

Ask - Do I trust you?