Generosity

All right. We are starting a new series this morning on generosity is actually a series that I plan to do in January. We did our Advent series called love gives and we spent a lot of time over that that Advent season thinking about the nature of love in the quality of love how love is other centered and other oriented and how love just gives because that's what love does and so I plan to go into the series than on generosity after it, but I wanted to do a little New Year's resolution sermon on the glory of God in that turn into eight sermons. And so I'm glad that that happened but I'm excited to get back into this this series on generosity and when I say I'm starting a series on generosity what I mean is I'm starting a series on giving and money and some of you That doesn't sit well with you maybe that that's the reality in the culture that we live in went when people are asked about the church the most common criticism after hip ocracy is that churches always after money. We're always after people's money. And I say no, we're not we're after your soul. When we get yourselves, we get your money too. It's perfect enough. Here's the reality money is a very important issue in life. The Bible is unashamed apologetic in addressing the reality of money the reality of wealth the reality of possessions and what it does to our heart. Jesus talks about money more than he talks about heaven. Jesus talks about money more than he talks about sex. Jesus talks about money more than he talks about almost anything. And there's an important reason why he does that because money it's not it's not money itself. It's not a coin or if a dollar bill or in today's world as a Bitcoin or a credit card. It's not those things that sell fits what money represents. Money represents Security money represents Delight Joy money reveals how we use our money what we do with our money what we choose to spend it on what we choose not to spend it on reveals who has our hearts so money giving is really a gospel issue. And in this introductory sermon this morning, that's really what I want to help us all see together this morning is that the issue of giving is an issue of the Gospel. It's an issue of the hearts and that's it. That's it. That's a very real challenge for us and it it's it's very difficult for us, especially in our culture. We live in a consumer-driven culture. Our entire economy is built on the reality of you buying stuff and then turning around and buying more stuff. Everything in our culture from our advertising to our entertainment to a retail to How We Do Life is built on the idea that you are primarily a consumer. And we can sue and everything's built with planned obsolescence. It's not enough to buy something once you got to buy it once and then buy it again next week and then buy it again after that. That's the reality of the world that we live in and if you think you haven't been shaped by that you're in denial. We are consumer. And the challenge with that is that it affects our hearts. It's a Jesus and the scriptures speak unashamedly and unapologetically about our relationship with money. So if you're one of those people that just feels it's awkward and the church should be talking about it because it makes people uncomfortable. Just want to invite you today and over the next couple of weeks as we do this series on giving on generosity. Would you open yourself up to the reality that God may have some important things to say to you about your relationship with your wealth and your possessions. I think if we're willing to do that if we'll just open ourselves up to the reality that God may have some really important things to say to us and to reveal to us about our own hearts that maybe God will do some amazing work within a the can we agree to do that? At least today next couple weeks if you don't come back for a couple weeks because I'm preaching about money. My feelings will be hurt. I'm just telling you. All right. Let's go to the 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 is where we're going to start this morning. We spent a couple of years together as a church while walking through the book of Acts and at the last half of the book of Acts of the Apostle Paul, Is the Apostle to the Gentiles he is a Serial Church planter at he he goes all over the Roman Empire planting churches, but one of the the driving values of the Apostle Paul is that he wanted to create Unity within the Church of Christ specifically Unity between Gentile Believers and Jewish believer and an opportunity presented itself. There was a famine in Jerusalem and I were talking to significant famine people were dying of starvation. This was a significant event and need an opportunity for the gospel to be demonstrated began to go to all of his churches that he planted in Asia and Asia Minor in through throughout that region he went back to them and he took up a collection an offering to relieve the pain and and meet the needs of the church back in Jerusalem that what he's trying to do one he's Find a feed hungry people. But to he's trying to demonstrate the power of the Gospel. What is it that will take Gentile Believers to sacrificially and generously give of their own resources to help a group of people that they've never met and that they're never going to me.

Joyously, and generously give to meet their needs is a demonstration in and of itself of the Gospel what makes people give like that. It's the grace of God. So in chapter 8 of Corinthians or 2nd Corinthians Paul is writing to the church in Corinth and he starts out this way since we want you to know Brothers about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia for in a severe test of Affliction their Abundance of Joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. That is an amazing scent absolutely amazing. It doesn't make sense according to so much of the values of this world of Affliction and when he gets to the church is that he started there. Bear in chaos, they're having severe trials and struggles and I'm not talking first world problems. Right like where McDonald's messes up your order something like that. I'm talking about. You don't know if you can feed your children that day. You don't know if you got a future. You don't know if you got a hope. You don't know. If you can press we're talking serious Affliction with in these churches and some of its persecution because of their faith in Jesus, so he gets there to take up this offering and when he gets there he finds them in deep Affliction, but they're not throwing pity party. You're not doing all Paul. It's so terrible. What is it? What are they doing says their Abundance of Joy. I don't know about you, but I want to learn to be truly joyous in in great Affliction and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity. That is that's a statement. If you really listen to what he's saying doesn't make a lot of sense because that's not how we think generosity works. We think generosity comes from an abundance. Not from poverty. This is how we think if I have a little bit more than I can be generous. What we want to be generous as long as we take care of ourselves. I mean, that's just good stewardship, right? That's the way we think that's the way we were that's that's the way we think it's supposed to work if I have an abundance then I'll be generous.

The only problem with that is everything. Because we never have enough. I spent I spent about 15 years in doing church planting. I planted a couple churches and I assess and trained and launched a couple hundred Church Planters to plant churches and during that time there was a survey taken across churches in the United States about church planting and there was only one question. What would it take for you as a church to get involved in church planting like what would it take for you to put your resources and people and engage in the work of church planting and they surveyed churches from a hundred people to churches of 10,000 people all across the board and the fascinating thing about the result of that survey is that the results all came back the same it was always 20% more The Church of hundred would say, you know, if we have 20 more people if I budget had 20% more than we'd be happy to get into church planting and the Church of 10,000 was saying the exact same thing if we had another couple thousand people then we would totally get into it. And the thing is is that that that keeps moving but 20% moves with you. So you get you the Church of a hundred get 220 and I like what we need another 24 people and then we'll get into it. And then if you get up to that never moves, that's the way that's the way we think About possessions and resources and investment. We want to invest in the Kingdom. We want to be generous, but we want to do it out of our abundance and other words. We want to be generous when it doesn't hurt us. And that's not generosity. The generosity is not born out of circumstances. Generosity is born out of love. So the most generous people I have met in my life. I've lived in abject poverty all of their The most generous people are not the people that have an abundance, but they have an abundance of Love extreme poverty.

They revealed a wealth of generosity on their part versus 3/4 they gave according to their means as I can testify even beyond their means of their own accord begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the release of the st. Germain. You got to let us give this morning. You got you got I think what happened really? I do that the text doesn't say this and I could be wrong but I think Paul got there and saw how deep their need was and probably said something like guys you are so hurting like you need an offering for you. So you don't will let some of the Richer churches take care of it, you know, you guys just pray and that you don't need to give and they're like, don't you dare Paul don't you dare steal our joy, don't you dare take this privilege away from us, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

That there's there's some profound truth in there. We're so attached to our possessions and we are so reluctant to actually let them go that we will look for any excuse not to do it. I just had a little bit more than I give you. No, I'm not sure I can trust Paul. What would have Paul just takes the money. What if Paul doesn't give it to you know what that's not how generosity thinks or were Generosity feeds and needs season opportunity and generosity sees the Lord didn't give their money to Paul. They didn't even innocence give their money to the Saints in Jerusalem. They were giving their money to Jesus and the work of the Kingdom. They were expressing the reality of their faith. They were demonstrating the gospel. They were entrusting themselves to God.

I want an impact the Hat.

How does a rapist to tell us how great these Macedonian Christians were? He wants us to understand. He said the writing first one. We want you to know Brothers. About the generous moral giving of these Christian people in Macedonia know I want you to know about the grace of God. That's been revealed through these churches in Macedonia. This is a work of God's generosity comes from an act of God. It is a work of Grace. It is not just a mental effort. It's not just an act of the will or volition. It is a work of Grace when God shows up people get transformed from fundamentally selfish self-centered self oriented people into giving generous other other centered loving people that's with the grace of God does when it comes into people's laugh, It brings about generosity of the chapter chapter 8 talking about the people that he's going to send ahead of him because Paul is getting ready to come back to Corinth and take the offering there in chapter 9 verse 1. He says this he says it is I never say this word superfluous superfluous. Redundant and unnecessary for me to write to you. I just can't say it. Unnecessary for me to write to you about the ministry of the Saints for I know your Readiness of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia saying that a calf has been ready since last year and your seal has stirred up most of them. Hopefully in a little politics are there's been some issues with him in the church in Corinth and they've they've agreed to give but he wants to make sure that they're still on the same page and wants to make sure that they're getting for the right reasons. So he sent some of his people ahead of time with this letter that we call 2nd Corinthians to prepare them and make sure everything is okay. He says I'm sending the brothers so that are boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter so that you may be ready as I said you would be otherwise if if some of the macedonians come with me and find out that you're not ready we would be humiliated to say nothing of you for being so confident. So I thought it necessary urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised so that it may be ready. A willing if not as an exaction.

when it comes to giving

God wants you to want to give

we're not give it all.

I know this may be foolish for me as a pastor to say, but I'm going to say it anyway. If you give each week when you come here. Because you somehow think you're impressing god with how much you're giving. I don't want you to ever give another dollar. If you give when we take our offering because you're trying to impress the person next to you or you want to just feel good about yourself. Like hey, look at I'm done trippin God. I'm doing good or like I got somehow going to be impressed or if you were giving out of any sense of obligation. If you're giving out of any sense of Duty if you're giving to work your way into God's favor or appease him or make up for some time that you've done don't give another Penny. Doesn't want it.

Doesn't want it coerced. It can't be manipulated. It's not supposed to be given out of shame or guilt or obligation. It's supposed to come from a place of willingness a willing gift not as an exaction f****** play music says the point is this that whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever Souls bountifully will also reap bountifully each one of you must give as he has decided in his heart not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful Giver.

I love this is a freedom in the beauty in the power of the Gospel. It's not about Duty. It's not about religion. It's not about religion rituals about relationship about heart. God wants our participation freely given he wants us to consider thoughtfully what we are supposed to give and not do it reluctantly not do it because somebody told us to do it to do it because the spirit leads us to do it and to do it with a joyful cheerful heart. I love I love how he does if he uses this illustration this metaphor from from the farming world, and I know most of us are farmers, but we can get the picture. He says listen this what happens if you go out and you're planting your field and you said to go cheap on the seat, right you get you get the cheapest worst see that you can and you're Frugal with that. You're just dropping a seat here dropping to see their what can you expect when the Harvest time comes around not much on the other hand. He says now if you're liberal if your cast in that seat everywhere you can you get as much sleep as you can afford. You put it out. You put a what can you expect to return to get a bigger part of it? His point is this and it is not the point of that Abomination called the health wealth and Prosperity Gospel. He's not saying here if you invest $100 with God he's going to give you a thousand back. Is not what he's saying in any way shape or form what he's talking about is we get out of this what we put into it. We get out of it what we put into a why does God ask us to give the gaskets to give cuz he needs it. Like when we're taking our offering. Just like wringing his hands go man. I hope I hope this week. I hope I hope we get enough that I sometimes feel that way the financing May sometimes feel that way. Right? But but God doesn't need anything that doesn't ask us to give because she needs a the asked us to give because we need it.

We need Freedom that comes from getting out of ourselves. We need the freedom of joining God and something that matters. We need the joy of joining Jesus in the work of the kingdom and seeing life happen. The point is not we know if you invest with got a little bit. You're going to get a whole bunch more his point is what you put into. This is what you're going to get out of it. If you're reluctant if you're given a little bit if you just got a tip here and there what can you expect spiritually in that Dynamic from giving not much. But if you invest liberally joyously intentionally in the work of the kingdom in the work of generosity you can expect from God profound spiritual reward. If we get out of this what we put into it and it is a profound Act of Grace. When we give generously it preaches the gospel. better then almost anything I can imagine. So you know who Rick Warren is Rick pastors at Saddleback Church on California. You are a little book called The Purpose Driven Life and sold a gazillion copies. Rick went from Europe or Southern Baptist pastor to multi-millionaire almost overnight. What he did with that money is such a beautiful demonstration of the Gospel. I'll never forget he was on Larry King. I watch the interview with Larry King and and and other things but somehow Larry started asking him about the money the world loves to talk about the church and money mostly a negative and you know what I did first. He said that first thing is I went back from day one at Saddleback Church and I figured to the penny how much they paid me and I wrote a check and pay them back for every penny. They ever pay me and everything was like that's weird. I heard the who does that and then and then that I've 10% live up 90% You said we flip that he said we live off of less than 10% of our income. We give over 90% away and I I don't think I ever saw Larry King speechless, but at that moment he nothing to say

How does the world explained that vacation to let everybody know how important you are you live the life, like if you put in the work you wrote the book, it's yours. Now. He's like, it's not mine. God gave it to me. Just as much as I can into the work of the king of in the world ghost. Say what?

You see how generosity and giving is it is an actual proclamation of the Gospel in and of itself. And a reflection of the Gospel work that's been done in the human heart. That's why giving pasta come from a cheerful play. That's why it's a gospel issue. It demonstrates. My security is not my money my significance not in my possession. I don't Define my worth my value my mission my agenda by what I have or what I own or what I can get. I am accepted and loved by God. I am his son. I am his daughter. I have a place at his table. I am given everything I need for life and godliness in Jesus. I am set free to actually love and care about others. I can be generous because God has been generous to me beyond belief.

Why would I not be cheerful? giving to God I mean I say all that but I mean True Confession time being a cheerful Giver is not easy for me and my flesh. That's just not. In fact, I read that, you know, I repulsed I just did what you decide in your heart like that's easy.

As long as possible. What's the bare minimum Holy Spirit? How do I get out of this right like? And even then sometimes it feels like it I got Velcro on my finger.

And I think you know what in all honesty. That's the reality because I go back to this generosity is an act of Grace. But by ourselves, I don't think we'll be generous we may appear to be generous but we're usually trying to use our generosity to get something from somebody else whether it's recognition or Applause or approval or whatever. The true generosity comes from God. So he says God loves a cheerful Giver in the very next thing he says and God is able to make all grace abound to you. So they having all sufficiency in all things at all times. You may abound in every good work. I love it when Paul just closes all the loophole. He just he just he just closer to me. God loves a cheerful giver and you like I don't know if I can do that and he's like I know but God can make you that that's what God does God has all the ability all the grace in all the world in every situation to transform your heart and make you generous from the inside out.

What God damn that's who he is as it is written. He has distributed freely. He has given to the poor his righteousness indoors forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the Harvest of your righteousness. So that is a that's a verse with a lot packed into it. One of the challenges with giving and generosity is that we feel entitled to our possessions and our money because we worked for it. It's my money for is mine.

Palisade where did you get the intelligence? To work the way that you did. Where did you get the opportunities that came your way? Where did you get the strength the discipline the urge the drive? Where did you get the things that have allowed you to be the kind of person that could work the way that you have to get what you have you really think that you're self-sufficient? Do you really think that you made this life for yourself for everything you have you have because

There's nothing you have that's that's genuinely yours with the exception maybe of your sin.

everything we have as a result of grace everything title to life everything we have is an act of great places. Listen to Hughes Supply seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for the Prosperity Gospel says maybe he will but if he does it so that you can invest more in the in the work and the Harvest is not more money. The goal is not to get more money. The goal is the work of the kingdom in the work of righteousness. He said you'll get more to invest and increase the Harvest of your righteousness.

What this verse says is that giving generous giving Joyful from the heart giving is a part of sanctification. It's a part of growing into the image of Christ. It's a part of being set free from sin and being transformed into the image of Jesus from glory to glory. If you want to truly grow into the man or woman of God that you are meant to be you will never do it without participating in joyful generous giving

Does you will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way which through us will produce Thanksgiving to God? Maybe my favorite part of this whole tax. The reason I say that is because I know my Brokenness. And I know my sin I know. what I deserve

and I love the fact that Jesus came and and in his death and Resurrection provided forgiveness. I love that. I love the fact that I don't have to spend an eternity separated from God in hell because of what Jesus has done. I love that. Jesus has guaranteed me a future and then I don't have to fear death anymore, but What I really love about the gospel. It's a Jesus can come and work in me right now in such a way that not only do I not get what I deserve but I get what Jesus deserves and that through me God can actually glorify himself and that my life and my choices and my actions and how I use my resources how I use what God gives me can actually result in a life that glorifies God and causes people to praise him and I I I don't understand that but I love it.

I love it. In a pulse whole argument here is that when you're giving you not just giving to meet a specific need or feeds on their you're giving to demonstrate the power of the Gospel every time you generously and joyously give you glorify God as more treasurable. Is that a word more beautiful more delightful more meaningful more powerful more glorious than anything in this world including our possession when we choose to give we are saying physically invisibly and practically God is greater than all you see. Why giving is a gospel issue. You see why it's about so much more than just money. about our heart Who we trust who we love? And generosity isn't active Grace we love because God first loved us. We are generous. Because of God's generosity to us. Jesus said that this way freely it has been given freely you have received you should freely give it away. generosity begets generosity

by the gospel of grace sets us free to be generous people a gospel of War. It's a gospel of obedience a gospel of performance Gatos you salvation. You did the right things. You did the nice things you avoided the bad things. So you're good enough person. Now Gatos you salvation. The gospel of grace says now you don't not even close to continent. Not even in the ballpark. But God because of his great love and his generosity chooses to rescue and reconcile and redeem us by his grace. You don't deserve it. You haven't earned it. You couldn't even if you try there is nothing like the generosity of God.

I want to close here with that extra first John chapter 3. 1st John man Don't read it. Don't read unless you want to hear the truth straight or hey. First John chapter 3 verse 16 says this by this we know love. That he laid down his life for us. You want to know what love looks like look no further than Jesus is coming his life and his willing death on our behalf. That's what love looks like love is generous love gives love doesn't give to the worthy and the deserving if Jesus came and died and rose again for the worthy in the deserving how many people would have come for? 0 Jesus came not when we were at our best, but when we are at our worse. Demonstrates his love for us in this while we were yet sinners Christ died. for eyes I say this because sometimes were tempted to buy into the lie that God is withholding from us. Sometimes it's easy to look around at others around us others that have more God gives them the promotion God gives them a little bit more money. God gives them a nicer house. God gives them a nicer car their kids get better grades. This is happening this we look around like. Why are you holding out on me. Why aren't you being generous to me? Sometimes we get to the point that we think God is stingy got his Frugal got his denying or something. And that's the enemy wants us to buy into that. Look Line & Sinker.

Church when I when I pray with all my heart that you care this morning is it don't buy into that life for a second. God have been more generous to you than you could ever. Hope or imagine it. All you have to do is look at the cross. You don't deserve it. You're not entitled to it. God forgives. You got except you got a doc. You got a lavish has his love upon you and God promises you a hope and a future don't you dare think for a minute that God is stingy. He is generous Beyond Comprehension. He not only forgives you for your path. You not only walks with you in the present, but he guarantees us a future where we will be closed in the righteousness of God. Ste. 112 with us as our God. We will be his people will know him intimately. He will give us the man of the never parishes if you'll get us a new name and you give us an identity. Jesus himself will confess us before God the father and the angels and we're worried about a couple thousand dollars here there.

There is no one. And nothing like the generosity of God.

You Want To Know What Love Is this is wife. He lay down his life for us and because of that we ought to lay down our life for our brothers. Love begets love generosity begets generosity the idea that we could accept the grace and the Bounty and the blessings of gods and then horse and hold it to ourselves and ignore others is an Abomination to the gospel.

This is exactly what he says if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need yet closes his heart against him. How can you say that God's love abides in there? Don't get mad at me. I didn't say it John said it.

But listen to what he said. If you're so caught up in your possession and you see somebody that's in need and you choose to close your heart. How can you even say that God's spirit dwells within you how can you even pretend to believe? It's the day that you've been changed in the god seed is within you this. This is that's not what God seed. Looks like that's not what God Spirits looks like when you see somebody in need and you've been blessed so unbelievably in Christ, how can you not be moved to Black?

See why give another gospel issue?

They said little children. I love that. I can't wait to be old enough to preach that way. little children Let us not love in word or talk.

but indeed Archer

What's he saying? Stop talking to talk. It's time to walk the walk. How easy is it to say I believe in Jesus? How is it to say that I confess that Jesus is the son of God how easy it is to walk up and I are prayer prayer do something like that.

You want to know what real face looks like you want to know what real salvation looks like it moves Beyond cheap talk. the actual action Grace changes us and one of the primary ways that we see grace changes is in our relationship the money and our possessions. Not only loves a cheerful Giver. God makes a cheerful Giver.

And that in and of itself is a demonstration of the power of Jesus to set the human heart free from the idolatry of the world.

Giving is a great and glorious privilege when led by the spirit of God. May God make us it's a radical generous people. because of the radical generous love of our God Amen