Foundations of Blessing Week 5

Am I Generous?

Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. This Church exists to bring hope to our community, by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.

We are currently in a series called Foundations of Blessing. Over the last several weeks we have been studying How our generosity is the foundation for which God Blesses every aspect of our lives. If you missed the last two weeks the message is available on Youtube, Facebook, and RightNow Media.

The structure of everything in our lives is dependent upon the strength of our foundation, so we need to build our lives on the unchanging truth of God’s Word. Here are some truths we’ve learned in this series:

Part 1 – A giving heart is a godly heart while a getting heart is a selfish heart.

Part 2 – Test and see if 90% with God’s blessing can go further than 100% without.

Part 3 – Our response to God’s principles reveals the condition of our hearts.

Part 4 - We learned how to uproot the spirit of mammon.

To start off this message I want you to ask yourself one important question.

Am I Generous?

When you ask yourself that are your satisfied with your answer?

What does a generous person look like?

What do selfish people look like?

Turn with me to John chapter 12.

John 12:1–8 NKJV

1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Why would Mary give such an extravagant Gift?

Why would Judas get so upset by that Gift?

1. The Enemy of Generosity is Selfishness.

Is there anyone in this room that does not want to be known at Generous? Of Course not. Everyone here wants to be known a generous.

However, In order for our foundation to be formed in generosity God has transform and change our hearts to destroy the selfishness in our hearts.

Church what is one of the first words your child learns to say?

Momma, Dadda ............ MINE!

MINE

God wants to remove selfishness in our lives and he does it by establishing the tithe.

Exodus 13:2 NKJV

2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

Psalm 50:12 NKJV

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

Matthew 26:39 ESV

39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

God uses the word MINE when He refers to the tithe.

God uses the word MINE when He refers to the world.

God the son, Jesus uses the word MINE when He refers to the greater will of God the Father.

For Generosity to take over in our lives we have to eliminate the word MINE and replace it with YOURS.

2. Generosity desires to be Extravagant.

Through out the Bible we see many extravagant gifts.

Mary’s Gift was extravagant.

King Solomon gives an extravagant gift. When he has anointed King he was required to sacrifice 1 Bull.

Solomon didn’t Sacrifice 1 Bull, He sacrificed 1000 Bulls, 1,000 Rams and 1,000 lambs.

That’s pretty Extravagant.

It was this extravagance and a heart given over to God that led God to say to him.

2 Chronicles 1:7 NKJV

7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

God blesses extravagance. What does Jesus say about the woman who gave two mites?

Mark 12:41–44 ESV

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

What does it mean to be extravagant in our giving?

Most of us view extravagance as the one who has more than us.

That neighborhood there.

That car there.

That dress there.

That watch there.

We point at what someone else has as extravagant, until we get a raise and can afford those things, and then we don’t find it so extravagant anymore.

We say things like........

Growing up believing the Pastor should be impoverished.

I almost sold my Truck out of Shame. The shame of having nice things.

Many People say things like. When someone within the Church has nice things.

“He should sell that house and give it to the poor.”

The truth is they don’t care about the poor, because if they did, they would sell their house and give it to the poor?”

Judas didn’t care about the poor. He cared about Judas. He was selfish. He was in charge of the money and the Bible tells us he was stealing from the money box.

Do I have a Judas heart?

Most of us in this room would say, “I would never steal money out of the offering bucket.”

Tithing is a test of your heart. Judas would take the money out of the offering box.

The tough reality about our struggle to be generous is this: Between 91% & 93% of Christians could never have Judas steal their tithe because they are choosing to keep the tithe for themselves.

So it never reaches the offering box to begin with.

It’s not about the amount we give but it is about testing our hearts.

Generosity is extravagant. The perfume that Mary poured over the feet of Jesus was an extravagant gift. It was worth a years wage. 300 denarii. If you gave 1 years salary, your entire years wage to God, would that be extravagant? Of course it would. How wasteful would it be for you to take that 1 years salary, but a bottle of perfume and pour it out over someone’s feet? Our initial response would be, “Wow. Wasteful.” Until we know why we ought to do it…

3. Generosity is Developed through Trust.

John 12:7 NKJV

7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.

Mary didn’t buy that perfume for Jesus.

She wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

She was giving her heart and her treasure to Jesus.

Isaiah 62:5 NKJV

5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.

When you give your heart to God, God rejoices.

Do you know what rejoice means?

Rejoice – irresistible joy; the complete opposite of mourning; to spin around with intense motion.

God wants your heart.

Church

God does not have your heart, unless He has your treasure.

Luke 12:34 ESV

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Development in generosity usually looks like this:

Potential Giver:

Everyone has the opportunity to impact the Kingdom through participating in God’s work and seeing the growth that comes through giving.

Emerging Giver:

Someone ready to take the exciting first step towards worshiping and growing through giving.

Consistent Giver:

You are ready to be more intentional about your giving and you have assessed and determined to start giving consistently.

Tithe Giver:

Someone that has seen the blessing that comes with giving and is ready to commit to giving the tithe – 10% - that scripture (Malachi 3:10) asks of believers.

Extravagant Giver:

You’ve realized that, although the tithe is the minimum the Bible asks, God has prompted and enabled you to give more for the Kingdom.

A study showed that only 5-7% of Christians, through their entire lifetime, will ever reach the 4th level of giving the tithe, or 10% of their first fruits.

Many Christians think they are tithing, but they designate their “tithe” to specific ministries inside the church, or to ministries outside their church.

The moment you designate your tithe, you are no longer tithing.

Why do people designate their tithe? They want to control what God tells them to give away.

Our Definition of Tithing: Give what I want to give, where I want to give, when I want to give it.

God’s Definition of Tithing: The First Fruits of every paycheck we receive is brought to the storehouse, or church.

4. Generosity comes with Benefits.

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 ESV

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 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.

The Truth is this:

Generous people love others and use money.

Selfish people use others and love money.

Mark 14:9 NKJV

9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

So why was Judas so upset?

He was a thief.

Why did Mary give such generous gift?

Just a short time before she gave this extravagant gift, her brother Lazarus was raised from the dead.

Generosity grows out of a grateful heart.

We should all have a grateful heart.

All of us who have received Jesus as our savior and Lord should remember this scripture:

Colossians 3:1–4 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Jim Elliot ~ He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose.

We share in the glory of God when we invest in God’s kingdom.

I invest in eternity by using money to worship God.

I invest in eternity by using money to encourage people.

I invest in eternity by using money to grow my character.

I invest in eternity by using money to serve others.

I invest in eternity by using money to bring others to Jesus.

I gave away a gun once. Which led me to quit my job. Which led to me getting a pickup.

Here is a hard truth that I have been dealing with. We have been a consistent Tither for 20 years and I have always considered myself to be generous. The realization I have come to is this:

Generosity does not begin until I begin to give from the 90% that is mine.

There are three types of giving.

The Tithe.

Offerings

Extravagant Offerings

Why am I preaching this series?

I hear we need revival?

The truth is this until we begin to be obedient in the truths of the Bible, I do not believe we will see revival.

Robert Morris and the $100 bill.

Prayer: Salvation // Holy Spirit…what are you saying to me today through this message?