Just and Generous

Intro:

Good morning. Do you believe God is on the move? Since we have launched into this series, I have heard so really awesome testimonies. One person had a Holy Spirit experience, another was healed, and yet another had prophetic dreams. I assure you God is on the move. I believe we have entered into a time of revival. Revival is the dead coming to life, and growing spiritually mature. Healings, miracles, signs, wonders, those all follow when the dead come to live and people grow spiritually mature. I hope that’s exciting to you, it should be.

So let’s get to it. A disciple is just and generous. Uh oh, is he going to talk about giving money today? Maybe. Is enough ever enough? Have you been there? You just wanted the job promotion, and then you got it and yet that promotion didn’t quite seem to satisfy. You just wanted that Ford Mustang but after a few months it didn’t seem to have the luster it had before you got it. Or maybe your friend got a Camaro and you found yourself a little jealous. Is enough ever enough? It can be easy to conclude that we don’t have quite enough.

We need to stop and realize just how good we really have it. More than 3 billion on the planet, almost half of the population, live on less than $3 a day, and 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty of less than a$1.25 a day. More than 800 million people don’t have enough to eat, and more than 750 million lack clean drinking water.

See these aren’t just numbers, they’re real people. I would say you and I have it really good compared to those stats.

Insensitive

Our culture has become insensitive to the needs of others. Think about that for a moment. Most of us see some sort of news everyday, whether the local news, world news, or Facebook. And on that news we see horrific stories of war, murder, explosions, extreme hatred and so on. And yet most Americans will see all that, turn off the T.V. and go to bed. I get it, I’m guilty of the same thing. So what’s the point? The danger lies in the repetition. The more we see all this despair and do nothing the more insensitive we will become. Well, Pastor we don’t even know these people, you can’t possibly expect us to meet the needs of everyone we see on the news. I don’t expect that. However, the more unsensitized we are the more we will ignore even if it is someone we know.

Let me illustrate this for you. Recently one of our vehicles had a break squealing. It was completely annoying at first. However because I didn’t have time and didn’t want to deal with it, I would just turn up the radio to drown out the noise. Have you ever been there?

My question for each of us is this: Have you and I drowned the noise of desperation out? Let that set for a few minutes.

God’s Way

Matthew 25:35–40 NLT

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Jesus tells us plainly to be generous to others. Remember disciples love other people extraordinarily.

We need the heart of Jesus to love people extraordinarily. Our perspective needs to be Jesus’ perspective.

That will only happen as we pursue Jesus passionately.

When we are completely in love with Jesus, our heart pains when see needs, when we see pain, when we see people struggling.

What is Love?

1 Timothy 1:5 NLT

The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

Generous and Just

What am I talking about today? I’m talking about being generous and just. The only way for you and I to be just and generous is to love. Jesus said that greatest 2 commandments are what? Love God with all your strength, soul, and mind and to love yourself? No, He said to love others as yourself.

So how can we be generous? By loving other people extraordinarily. Let me tell you a couple of stories

A young man walks into my office and tells me he is in love. He really really loves this girl, and she loves him too. But their parents don’t approve. And they’re getting a lot of flack from their families. He wants my help to convince their families. How do I love this young man. Give him what he wants? That would be the Christian thing to do right? In order to love this young man I need more information. Let’s go back to 1 Timothy 1:5. I ask him in your relationship with this young woman do the two of you have a clear conscience? He says well you know, we haven’t had sex if that’s what your asking. Ok in the eyes of God can you honestly say you have a clear conscience. He says no. But Paul tells us in 1 Timothy that love comes from a clear conscience.

In this moment I have been as just and generous as I can be to this young man. How? Because I loved him by being honest with him and leading him to the truth by shining light on the situation.

Millionaire giving money to a homeless person. Pure Heart.

We are Just and Generous when we love others with a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith.

That happens from:

Pursuing Jesus Passionately. Love others extraordinarily, Having a Servants Heart, Submitting to the Authority of God’s Word, Submitting to the Holy Spirit, Living morally pure lives, and being Evangelistically bold.

When we love we are being just and generous.

My question to you is are you just and generous?

Are we as a church just and generous? How awesome would it be if people described Parkside as that church, that that is:

Pursuing Jesus Passionately. Love others extraordinarily, Having a Servants Heart, Submitting to the Authority of God’s Word, Submitting to the Holy Spirit, Living morally pure lives, and being Evangelistically bold, and is just and generous.

I challenge each of us to allow God to fine tune us. To fine tune us to be disciples of Christ.