Freedom through Generosity
How to have an Abundant Life • Sermon • Submitted
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Freedom through Generosity
Freedom through Generosity
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
How many people here today believe they are living the abundant life Jesus came to give?
Living in Canada set you up pretty good.
but let me ask you this.
What things do you feel are lacking for you to walk in the abundant life Jesus Promised?
(Allow responses)
What would say, If I said that one key to living in abundance is generosity
I think everyone would believe that Generosity is a good thing.
After all the opposite of generosity is greed.
Not many people think greed is a positive characteristic.
Generosity is birthed out of gratitude
If your not grateful, you probably won’t be generous
Although many would believe generosity is a good thing,
How many people actually practice it.
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.
The generous man will be prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered.
The analogy here is of the farmer
If I was to ask you a question:
In order to get more seed, he has to take the seed he has and throw it away.
He has to give up the seeds he has, and believe by doing so more seeds will come!
This illustration demonstrates the need to be willing to give up what we already have in order to get an exponential increase
If I was to ask you a question:
Are you a generous person?
How would you answer?
Now if I asked that same question to the people who knew you best, What would they say.
Are you the type of person to eat the last cookie, or do you leave it for someone else.
If you and another vehicle approach the same parking spot close to the store, do you let them have it, or push your way in
When you see someone merging on the whitemud do you slow down and let them enter? or speed up so they don’t get in front of you!
On boxing day do you push everybody out of the way so you get deal
We often think about money when we think about generosity.
So let’s look at some national stats
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/generosity-in-canada-and-the-united-states-the-2018-generosity-index
When Canadians are asked if they are monetarily generous most believe they are,
When Canadians are asked if they are monetarily generous most believe they are,
But what do the stats say?
In Canada 20.4% of tax filers give to a charity
An average of 0.53% of their total income
People in Manitoba are the most generous highest at 23.8% of the population
giving an average of 0.76%
People in Quebec give the least at 0.26%
Statistically Canadians are not very generous with their money
Now to be fair this only records what people say they give on their tax return.
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
Generosity involves our character, who we are at the core
Generosity involves our character, who we are at the core
It include much more than money
Your time, energy, skills, talents, abilities, knowledge
Everything you have
Giving a panhandler $5 does not make you generous
In fact you could be doing more harm than good. What if they take that $5 and put it towards feeding their addiction.
If you want to help the homeless give it to an agency that help the homeless.
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.
And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.
And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;
for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1
Jesus clearly says Its not the amount you give that is important, but rather the comparative portion.
We all understand this.
If a multimillionaire give a homeless shelter $100 no one is impressed
but if a 9 year old kid collects bottle and gives that same $100 it will be reported all over.
Jesus is pointing to the nature of being generous rather than to the actual gift given
Jesus is pointing to the nature of being generous rather than to the actual gift given
Admittedly Generosity is actually alot more than just giving money
So let’s look at some national stats
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/generosity-in-canada-and-the-united-states-the-2018-generosity-index
When Canadians are asked if they are monetarily generous most believe they are,
But what do the stats say?
In Canada 20.4% of tax filers give to a charity
An average of 0.53% of their total income
People in Manitoba are the most generous highest at 23.8% of the population
giving an average of 0.76%
People in Quebec give the least at 0.26%
Statistically Canadians are not very generous with their money
Statistically Canadians are not very generous with their money
Admittedly Generosity is actually alot more than just giving money
Generosity is actually alot more than just giving money
You see generosity is actually a characteristic of who you are to be.
You see generosity
Its part of a Christians nature. and this Nature needs to be developed.
For some this is a bigger challenge than others.
the sooner you learn the easier it is
Facts are Some find it easier to be generous while others find it a real challenge.
Some find it easier to be generous while others find it a real challenge.
To see this all you need to do is watch babies interact
Video 1 Baby Thief
Video 2 Twin sharing
Just like little
the sooner you learn the easier it is
Generosity makes Life easier
It actually is a key to living an abundant life
God desires you to be generous just like He is.
Generous with your time, giftings, abilities, resources, and yes finances.
He actually desires you to be generous in every area of your life.
Not just one or 2 aspects
Maybe your generous with your money, but not your time, guess what God wants you to work on?
Being generous is part of who you are:
Just as we know how to love because God first loved us, we know how to be generous because of God’s generosity toward us.
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
This may seem strange to you, after all most english translations use the word “goodness” for “generosity“
Now many versions translate the for “goodness” for “generosity“
The greek word translated is agathosune (ag-ath-o-soó-nay)
Def: uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness, means an active goodness, the virtue of “doing good, beneficence.
Def: “Beneficence”
is defined as an act of charity, mercy, and kindness with a strong connotation of doing good to others including moral obligation.
Its used 4 times in the New testament including our verse in Galatians
Goodness includes generosity
And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.
(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power,
Just as we know how to love because God first loved us, we know how to be generous because of God’s generosity toward us.
Just as we know how to love because God first loved us, we know how to be generous because of God’s generositytoward us. This generosity is called grace. It is undeserved. It is a gift. It is bestowed upon us by a Giver who loves us for who we are, not for what we do. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more; there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.
This generosity is called grace. It is undeserved. It is a gift.
It is bestowed upon us by a Giver who loves us for who we are, not for what we do.
Today I want to direct our thoughts to being generous with our finances.
I understand this is a very touchy subject in the church.
As a Pastor I must admit I do not preach very often on money.
I even forget to take the offering from time to time.
Money has never been a priority for me,
Sure I like having it, but it not been the guiding force for what I do.
In fact I see money as a barrier to God carrying out His plans.
I know there are many people who believe the Church only wants their money.
I can completely see where they arrive at this conclusion
Video’s like this do not help the cause
watch this
Video 3 Televangelist Asks His Followers For $54m For Private Jet
I believe there is a concerted effort on behalf of the enemy to restrict the flow of finances into the church.
He uses various tactics to discourage giving.
whether it smearing the churches image, or robbing the people in the church personal finances
it does what it can to prevent the move of God
I have dreams, of what God wants to do, many of these dreams are held up by not having the necessary finances in place.
But let me assure you I will never ask the church to give me money for an airplane
I don’t like talking about money.
The challenge for me personally is knowing that Jesus taught alot about money
Its a topic I know I cannot ignore.
Jesus taught alot about money
16 of the 38 parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions.
In the Gospels, an amazing 1 out of 10 verses (288 in all) deal directly with the subject of money.
If Jesus spent this much time talking about money, I believe it to be a subject I cannot ignore.
but let me share with you a story.
Ill power team $1000 page of a the Bible
In the early 90’s I was into weight training & body building.
So were my friends.
I knew John Jacobs was an evangelist. And the power team was a evangelistic outreach event held at church on the South side of Edmonton
I knew John Jacobs was an evangelist. And the power team was a evangelistic outreach
So I Invited all my friends to the event hoping they would hear the Gospel
preformed feats of strength, breaking bats over their knees. snapping handcuffs
blowing up hot water bottles, pounding nails with bare hands etc.
Near the end of the demonstration he told people to bow their heads, and I felt in my spirit this was the time.
Instead it was an offering call.
He was looking for 8 people to give $1000, and in return they would get a page from an original Gutenberg Bible .
I was sick. I my mind it was the perfect time to share the gospel, Instead it was all a build up to make money.
I vowed in that moment to never allow money to get in the way of the gospel.
But you can see how this became a hindrance to me.
I didn’t want to talk about money, but I can’t just ignore the fact that Jesus Talked a lot about money.
Benefits
There are many benefits in being a generous person.
Not only does the Bible tell us this, but modern science has confirmed it as well
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322940.php
(https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322940.php)
(https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response)
Inagaki and Ross performed two experiments. In the first one, they gave 45 participants a task and told them that they could win a monetary reward either for a person close to them who was in need, for a charity, or for themselves.
After each form of support-giving, the researchers scanned the participants' brains using functional MRI (fMRI). In the scanner, the volunteers performed an "emotional faces task," in which they had to rate emotions based on people's facial expressions.
Importantly, however, targeted support was also associated with diminished brain activity in the amygdala.
This is the almond-shaped brain structure that processes emotions. Under stressful circumstances, it sends "a distress signal to the hypothalamus," telling the brain to enter fight-or-flight mode.
Increased activation of the amygdala has been observed in anxiety, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Giving untargeted support did not correlate in any way with activity in the amygdala.
The stress response begins in the brain (see illustration). When someone confronts an oncoming car or other danger, the eyes or ears (or both) send the information to the amygdala, an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing. The amygdala interprets the images and sounds. When it perceives danger, it instantly sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus is a bit like a command center. This area of the brain communicates with the rest of the body through the autonomic nervous system, which controls such involuntary body functions as breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat, and the dilation or constriction of key blood vessels and small airways in the lungs called bronchioles. The autonomic nervous system has two components, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system functions like a gas pedal in a car. It triggers the fight-or-flight response, providing the body with a burst of energy so that it can respond to perceived dangers. The parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake. It promotes the "rest and digest" response that calms the body down after the danger has passed.
After the amygdala sends a distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands. These glands respond by pumping the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) into the bloodstream. As epinephrine circulates through the body, it brings on a number of physiological changes. The heart beats faster than normal, pushing blood to the muscles, heart, and other vital organs. Pulse rate and blood pressure go up. The person undergoing these changes also starts to breathe more rapidly. Small airways in the lungs open wide. This way, the lungs can take in as much oxygen as possible with each breath. Extra oxygen is sent to the brain, increasing alertness. Sight, hearing, and other senses become sharper. Meanwhile, epinephrine triggers the release of blood sugar (glucose) and fats from temporary storage sites in the body. These nutrients flood into the bloodstream, supplying energy to all parts of the body.
All of these changes happen so quickly that people aren't aware of them
Jesus taught much about Financial matters:
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
Hebrews
And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.
And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.
And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;
for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”
How Should you give?
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Why Do we Give?
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
How Much should each one give?
So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Not Under compulsion
You can’t Give what you don’t have
Don’t give from a line of credit
If your visiting us, don’t feel obligated to give.
If you call Kingdom Way your home, prayerfully consider what you give on a regular basis.
We don’t use automatic withdrawal
each time should be a prayerful consideration.
Story of first time God challenged me to give a larger amount
If you don’t want to give then don’t
someone else will get the reward God intended for you
You should give what you have decided in your heart.
Ask God then obey what He tells you.
The Alberta economy has been hard hit the last few years.
Many of you have felt this in your own finances.
We too as a church have been impacted.
We have benefited in the past years from generous giving
As well as being generous as a church helping those in need,
We have also put funds aside to help us during lean times.
We call it our sustainability account.
We have come to a point where our sustainability account is depleted
Based on giving levels, not counting special offerings or 1 time gifts it appears we need to reduce our budget by 20-30%
That’s why I asked you last week to be praying for the business council.
They need God’s wisdom in knowing what steps need to be taken.
Call up people for prayer over Job loss
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322940.php
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response