A Giving Heart

Two stories illustrating generosity:

“This afternoon my two daughters, 4 and 6, wanted ice cream from the ice cream parlor that’s next to the grocery store where we had just finished shopping. But ever since my husband and I were forced to foreclose on our house we’ve been budgeting our money down to the penny, and only using cash for our necessary purchases. I explained to my daughters that I had only brought enough money for the groceries. They were upset, but OK with it. Then, as we were packing our groceries in our car, the owner of the ice cream parlor walked up with two double scoop ice cream cones. He said, ‘I was out front a minute ago and overheard your conversation. Today the ice cream is on me.’”

“I learn generosity from my dad. Growing up, I saw him buying bag of grocery for single mothers with children. He never talked about it. Several years ago, I send him $300.00 dollars and when I ask him if he receive the money; his replay was that he did and was so happy to buy clothes and a pair of shoes for a little neighborhood child. I know he could have used that money on himself, but he did not. You know we cannot out give God. I myself have experimented it. When I do not know where money will come from, someone comes along. When we give, our heart gets filled with great joy that no amount of money can buy.” – Amanda

Introduction

These two stories demonstrate the beauty and value of generosity.

Generosity is an essential characteristic of a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, a stingy, self-centered person does not demonstrate the evidence of the transformational life in Christ.

A healthy Christian and a healthy church live life with generosity—a generosity that gives time, talent, and treasure for the benefit of others.

So important is this quality, the Scripture addresses this subject often.

Why is this so? I believe that Scripture addresses generosity because it serves as a key to unlocking the door to increasing faith, increasing joy, and increasing peace.

In other words, if you want to experience life with purpose, satisfaction, and alignment with God, then you need to live generously.

And, the generosity that I will focus on today is a generosity in giving. We are going enter into a biblical conversation about our money—and how our views and practices related to money defines the quality of our heart (our thinking, our attitude, and our actions).

So, let’s begin with something Jesus taught:

Luke 6:38 NLT

38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Today I want to talk with you about A GIVING HEART

Giving is about giving—but it is also about your attitude in giving.

So, let’s examine what Jesus said, and how that can revolutionize the way we live life.

This part of Jesus ministry focused on his teaching about how we should view that who have wronged us.

Jesus said:

Luke 6:27–28 NLT

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

Love, bless, and pray—for those who wronged you. That is the context of what Jesus will eventually teach about giving.

In fact, Jesus presents the principle that should govern our conduct:

Luke 6:36 NLT

36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

God is compassionate! He reveals through His Word, from Genesis to Revelation, that he is merciful and kind—withholding what we deserve (judgement) and lavishly giving to us what we can never earn (grace).

The compassion of God is why we state as part of the vision of this church is that we will become a church of REAL LOVE.

It is in the light of God’s compassion and mercy that Jesus gives his followers a command (not a suggestion, but a rule to live by).

This is a command that goes beyond not judging, not condemning, and forgiving personal injuries and injustices—it is a command of seeking to provide for the good of others.

A Generous Giver is motivated by their relationship with God—by the character of God—by a genuine love for God.

In other words, a person who genuinely loves God is a person who authentically lives out a life of generosity.

A godly giver understands the connection between giving and receiving.

Jesus said: “Give, and it will be given to you…For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

How not to interpret this passage. Some use this verse to suggest that we give to get. It is a form of manipulation. And, it is clearly an unholy attitude concerning generosity.

Godly giving refuses to give to impress people.

Matthew 6:1 NLT

1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.

Godly giving refuses to give to cover one’s greed.

In Acts 5 we see the ungodliness of Ananias and Sapphira, where they acted as if they were giving to the church. However, it was all a show to hide their greed.

Godly giving refuses to give to earn salvation or other blessings.

One cannot earn salvation. All the money in the world cannot purchase redemption. Only through what Christ did on the cross—and believing in Jesus invites forgiveness and relationship with God.

So, what is the relationship between giving and receiving that we need to understand as followers of Jesus Christ?

We cannot expect to receive from God unless we learn and practice generosity.

Just like we cannot expect to have friends unless we are friendly, we cannot expect to receive unless we give. We don’t give to get, but we give to honor God—and as we honor God, we possess a heart that is open to receive what he gives us.

A godly giver understands the power of God’s generosity.

What did Jesus say? (In the English Standard Version of the Bible)

Luke 6:38 ESV

38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

A good measure: The scene is the purchasing of a commodity os some sort where the amount measured out is not short, skimpy, or even fair—but a “good” measurement.

Pressed down: The grain in the measuring container is pressed down, so that all the spaces are filled and the container holds as much as possible.

Shaken together: The measuring container is shaken, so that the grain can fill every empty space.

Running over: The container is filled and on top is a rounded heap so great that it overflows the container. In other words, God will bless believers not just in equal proportion to how they give to others, but far, far more—superabundantly!

Will be put into your lap: The picture is of this measure now being poured in the individual’s “container,” which is the fold of his outer garment. Between the shoulders and the belt, this outer cloak would be loose and could form a kind of pocket into which this measurement could be poured.

What is Jesus saying here?

“For with the measure you use”—points out that the believer’s behavior toward others will determine God’s behavior toward him or her.

The issue is not that human generosity is accorded the same generosity (no more or no less) from God but that human generosity is rewarded with divine generosity, which is far greater.

A godly giver understand the value to living in generosity.

The of generosity is rooted in the quality of our heart—our thoughts, attitudes, and priorities.

Generosity is a choice. As followers of Christ, we are faced with a choice. Will we choose to hold on to what we have or what we earn—and hinder the work of God to not just flow in us but through us? Or, will we choose to release what we have to be a conduit of God’s blessings to others?

Conclusion

How can we learn to practice generosity as a follower of Christ? Here are three things you can do starting today!

Practice tithing. In the coming weeks I will talk more about the practice and principles of tithing—but begin by giving systematically and regularly, supporting the ministry of this church.

Participate in supporting missions and missionaries through this church. Engage in the Great Commission by financially supporting the missionaries of this church by giving monthly.

Give toward those in need. When you hear of a need that someone has, practice by giving toward that need. In our church, people regularly will approach me with a gift to anonymously give to someone in need.

Next Sunday

The next time I preach, I want to talk with you about what the Bible says about a giving heart for God. How can generosity reveal the why we view God?

Questions for personal reflection or small group discussion

How do you feel when you hear or see a person demonstrating generosity?

How should the compassion of God influence our actions with others?

Have you ever experienced the what Jesus said about giving (give, and it will be given to you…)?

How does God demonstrate generosity in our lives?

Why do you think some people find it hard to give and be generous?