Generous Life

Introduction

Generous: What Everyone Needs to Know About Giving and Getting

First thing we need to know is the who of Generosity:

Everything we know about what is good ex: generosity comes from some where. We didn’t just make it up and here’s the second part of that;

Where it comes from is God who owns everything, is abundantly good, wants to give you and I what we need and what we need is most often more than we’ll ever ask for.

Generosity God, Generous Life

The second thing everyone needs to know about getting and giving is the what of Generosity:

The abundantly good and generous God who created us in his image wants to give us a generous life to live.

Struggles With Living a Generous Life

Scarcity vs Abundance

Scarcity

Fear - will I have enough?

Significance - am i winning?

Manipulation - what do I get out of this?

Enough to go around

Generosity in everything - spiritual, material, justice...

Kingdom Life/Life as God intends is to be lived from an understanding of abundance.

Christians: Tithe

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Tithe, Tithing

Tithe, Tithing. Words deriving from Old English for “tenth,” and representing a charge upon produce or labor levied for the maintenance mainly of religious activities.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Tithe

the concept of setting aside one-tenth of one’s income or goods for religious use has remained the same.

Legalistic and Limiting

I’ve Met The Expectations (Minimum)

I’ve given my 10% - the required minimum/what I’m supposed to so everything else is optional.

I Can’t so I won’t

For those of us who can’t give the “required minimum” often feel defeated and simply don’t.

2 Corinthians 9:6–15 ESV

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures 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. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

The point of the previous section

-A monetary gift was promised for the Christians in Jerusalem for two reasons:

They has some critical needs

Jewish and Gentile expressions of the church didn’t quite trust each other…this would express compassion and open a pathway for their relationship to get better: unity.

Important that it is a willing gift, not as something pulled out of you).

NT: Tithing talked about critically - especially when neglecting justice, mercy, and the love of God.

The abundantly good and generous God who created us in his image wants to give us a generous life.

How Does That Happen?

God gives the ability to give

It’s called grace and it unlocks the good work of generosity

Out of abundance AND In the case of the Macedonians (v. 8) grace enabled them to give generously out of their poverty.

He will grow it in and through us for the purpose of the kingdom

The purpose of God giving us more than we ask is that we will have everything necessary to give it away generously.

God supplies/scatters/distributes his resources to give to the poor, needy, the faithful (all I have belongs to you).

Give willingly based on what you have; no pressure.

And your faith/goodness will be expressed through this expression of love.

God will multiply the effect of it so that it produces unity, love and gratitude.

You Decide

Can’t be demanded (like temple tax)

Giving from pressure, obligation or compulsions is not free, is pulled out of us;

Experience of the love and grace of God...

We are free to choose/decide for yourself from the heart NOT from grief, sorrow, pressure, obligation, compulsion.

We are free from resentment and guilt to be excited about giving

Where joyful, grace overflowing generosity is present, we live in an attitude of abundance - that no matter how much we think we have or don’t have, there is enough and that enough works for the good of others.

Wesley: Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.

Decide your why

How does the abundant generosity of God compel your own generosity toward his kingdom?

Needs of the poor

Leaving a legacy - How do I want to be remembered

Make the world better right where you live and serve

Want to be part of something bigger

Start something

Decide your how

Time

Money

Other

Start small, be consistent, make a plan to grow

How will you rearrange your life priorities?

How you spend your time?

What you spend your money on

Avg Starbucks: 7.67 or 1900.00/yr.

Decide your what

I could talk about how I’ve seen generosity here all day. People helping one another…QC

Some of us may be stuck in a scarcity way of thinking - it would be great to be generous some day...

The God of abundance who says to his children all I have is yours has given you all you need to live the generous life - I’ve proven it: See my Son, Jesus.

Together we can live it in ways that will surprise and energize

Our goal: flip our budget from heavy on fixed costs to heavy on mission

Discernment process

2021: Discovery of your why and the opportunities for us to be more generous

Our generosity proves God's character and ours; it is witness to Christ and his kingdom.