Generous God Generous Church
Notes
Transcript
What do I want them to know? The generosity of God and of the church
Why? It is a matter of the heart
What do I want them to do? Remember the generosity of God and to be generous
Why? It shows the heart and love of God
ME
What is the most, or one of the most generous things someone has done for you?
What is the most, or one of the most generous things someone has done for you?
When I think about this question I and start to really ponder it, I start to see and remember that my life has been populated by generous moments where people have been generous to me and today I will share 2 of those moments
One from when I was a child
One moment defines me to this very day, that if that generosity did not happen who knows if I would be here with you all today.
One of the first very generous acts that I received was when I was a young lad, in kindergarten or 1st grade; I still remember it to this day.
What happen was my grandma’s neighbor had a son who was in high school and this high schooler did not need their box of LEGOs anymore and they asked, “Would Peter like this box of LEGOs?” (the box was huge)
Which I was like YES! PLEASE AND THANK YOU!
I was in heaven, I thought I hit the jack pot…I mean LEGOs are expensive, I don’t know if you know that.
I was blessed and felt loved
Second time I received radical generosity, that I am impacted by today, that you are impacted by today, happened right after my senior year of high school.
Right after my senior year of high school the youth group was going on a Youth Conference Trip, where all the big Christian bands, Christians speakers were going to be....and a spot opened up last minute, I felt like God said you need to go.
The problem though was the trip was expensive $600 and I did not have enough money to go, and I did not save up money the whole year to go because I signed up last minute....I had about $100
I told the youth pastor I wanted to go but I do not have the money…I worked but I could have enough money by the time we would go.
He said let’s pray about it and figure it out
Lo and behold a short time later somebody from the church felt compelled by Holy Spirit to pay the $500 needed for Pete to go.
And it was at this conference that God called me into full time ministry.
I was blessed!
YOU
What about you?
What is something generous that somebody has done for you?
Maybe someone gave you a significant about of money when you really need it…you needed to get your car fixed, or pay your rent or medical bill
Maybe someone gave you a bike or car or musical instrument or piece of furniture
How did you feel after these things happened?
Blessed and loved
Why would they?
How could they?
I don’t deserve it
Some of you are changed to this very day by somebodies generosity.
The REALITY is:
GENEROSITY IS AT THE HEART OF GOD, and HEART of THE EARLY CHURCH and when any church is living into the fullness of God.
We see this over and over in the book of Acts and let’s how generosity
Let’s read about that and then ask why
Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold
and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Read verse 34 again
There was not a needy person among
To the point that people would down grade not up grade or sell what they have so someone else can have some.
They sold land for other people
They gave away property and possessions for other people
If it was today people would downgrade their house so they can give more away, give their car to another person,
Radical generosity
This still happens today
Friends give vehicles
Dave who needed a van
I believe it was a young 20 year old wrote the check
Lucian, a Greek philosopher who did not like Christians said, “Their founder (Jesus) taught them that they should be like brothers to one another, and therefore, they despise their own privacy and viewed their possessions as common property.”
You do not do that, that’s not the way of the world
- You earn so you can keep
WHY?
Why would they give up POSSESSIONS and PROPERTY?
One of the reason you could give, a good reason, not the only reason.
In Acts 2 we read they devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching,
What did the Apostles teach at this time?
The Old Testament and the Words of Jesus
and what does the Old Testament and Bible talk about 1 out of 10 verses? What does 40% of Jesus parables? What is in the top 5 things that is talked about most in Bible? What is one of the areas of life that someone must have a handle on to be qualified to be an elder?
They shared with them God’s view of money and what God wants them to do with the money they possessed.
- we know they did this because they practiced GENEROUS GIVING.
-God instructs us to give a tithe 10% to the church
And to give offering: An offering is any money you choose to give above and beyond the tithe.
To meet needs
This is what we are seeing Barnabas doing,
Additional 10%
Why would they do this? Yes God said it that settles it
Good enough for some people.
But many of want to know why God says something or seek to understand why? Why are we to give 10% and more away?
WE KNOW WE ARE COMMANDED NOT TO LIE.....and we know some of the reasons why
It offends God
It offends the person we lie to
It hurts people
It breaks down trust
And the list goes on
BUT WHY DOES GOD WANT US TO GIVE MONEY AWAY???
Why does God talk about money and giving so much???
Is it because God needs it?
Does God get really nervous and say, “I really hope Sarah tithes this week cause if not I don’t know what I am going to do”
For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
God does not need your money, but you need to give your money to God and others.
WHY?
IT IS A MATTER OF THE HEART and GOD’s HEART
Money is heart issue, one of the quickest ways to someone’s heart is through there wallet. Look at see where
It about you and your witness
God does not need your money, but you, your heart, and this world needs you give money to God and others.
It’s a heart issue, this why for some people it is hard to talk about because it’s heart issue, it is sensitive, but the Bible know this and this is why the Bible has money in the top 5 things it speaks about.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What you invest in, where you give, what you treasure…there is your heart....we spend on money on what moves our heart.
The scriptures knows whatever has your heart has you.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
This reveals to us if no amount of money, or very little amount of our money goes to God, then it reveals your treasure is not God.
I know that brings some conviction for some people because we are seeing our heart our treasure is not THE LORD.
It is on other things or people, many times that people is ME, I spend on ME
THE ENEMY TELLS PASTORS TO NOT TALK ABOUT MONEY…THEY WILL LEAVE your church....THE ENEMY SAYS TO THE THOSE IN THE CHURCH....THE PASTOR JUST WANTS YOUR MONEY....
AND HE DOESN’T WANT US TO TALK ABOUT $ because the accuser of the BRETHEN is fine with you heart treasuring other things
That is accuser at work
Jesus had no problem talking about money
Paul had not problem talking about money
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
The thing about God is not to leave us in conviction.
God leads us to Goodness
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
HOW DO WE A GENEROUS HEART? How do we have a heart change?
Do we now just go and give, be generous, give a tithe???
Let’s not start with you or me....Let’s first start with the generosity of God and seeing this you will how the early church and when the church lives into the fullness of God can be radical givers
How do we see God’s generosity unfold in scripture in our lives?
It starts by understanding what is God’s Special treasure.
What we read in scripture is God has one SPECIAL treasure in this world
Who is God’s special treasure?
People
You will see at times we are called a SPECIAL TREASURE
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
God sees the thing He SPECIAL thing HE treasures in trouble, they have lost their way
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
It is not just that His Special treasure is lost, they are dead in their trespasses and sin.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The thing that God values and treasures is lost and dead!!!
They cannot find the way or bring themselves back to life.
It does not end there, God doesn’t say that’s the end of the story.
God says I am going to make a way when there seems to be no way!
I am going to come rescue, redeem, and lead this people.
Romans 5:8
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(still dead, still lost)
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God did not give 10% for you, He gave it all for you, God didn’t say I am going to just give you a finger, or an arm.
Jesus gave up all of His life for you to have life.
That is MEGA LOVE, that is MEGA GENEROSITY
THAT IS NOT ALL
God did not give His life for you to have life, to be His sons and daughters of the king.
As an adopted sons and daughters of the king, what does the Good God do?
Does God say now I am going to heaven? All right I will see in a couple decades
NO!
As sons and daughters of our Abba father
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
He provides for us
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
This is a promise of God....SEEK GOD and I will take care of everything else, and too often we try to take care of everything else and then SEEK GOD....God says no, no, no, SEEK ME, I GOT YOU.
THIS IS HOW GENEROUS YOUR GOD IS
HE IS SO GENEROUS THAT
He even provides for you the skill set to get money.
Deut 8:17-18
Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’
You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
God says let’s set the record straight....The ability to even earn money comes from God.
Nothing you possess did you earn with out providing it.
What God’s generosity says to us is
God says I have given my life for you, I have provided for you, I have given you skill set to earn money, I have been generous to you
I want you to be generous, like God has been generous to YOU
Eph 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING
I want you to give like Jesus does
If you see a need you meet the need.
I want you to give to your church, because your heart needs it.
Radically
They down graded instead of upgraded
Those Christians they are generous
I want you to down grade or sell what you have to provide.
This is radical
Jesus gave it all for us
No wonder the early church grew....those are the people who BLESS others.
It was on road to witnessing about Jesus
People ask you why you are you so generous?
Let me tell you about the generosity of my heavenly Father, God
I kid you not, I wrote this point down about being a generosity is an opportunity to be a witness.
And I get a knock on the door of the church
Do you have food?
I gave her food and I shared about the generosity of God, she said she believes in Jesus
No only does your generosity bless others
Acts 20:35
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
More happy are those who GIVE than receive
Many of you know this: some of you are generous givers, you would not trade it for the world.....people could take a lot of things from you life, but not generosity.
It is not the spenders and getters who are happy in this world but the givers.
Talk to anybody who is generous, in fact you call look at those who are happiest in the world, from a secular study
More JOY
THEY ARE BLESSED and YOU ARE BLESSED
What is at stake, if we are not generous?? Our joy, blessings, blessing others, our witness,
AND it reveals that we are living into who we are as SONS and DAUGHTERS of GOD.
God also wants to show us what we are acting like.
Convicting moments that leads to the land of God’s goodness.
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.
You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
God says you are acting like a ROBBER, not a child of God....you are stealing from God something that your dad wants to give you.
Don’t believe the lies of the enemy
God will provide
Do you here the blessing?
(God wants us to know it is a promise of blessing)
You do not need to act like ROBBER, REMEMBER YOU ARE A SON and DAUGHT OF GOD…GOD TAKES CARE OF HIS KIDS.
You cannot out give God.
It is a question of TRUST
God is saying will trust me? Yes, tithe
Will you trust God to provide for you.
Will you move little by little to trust God more and more?
NOT ONLY WILL GENEROSITY
- Give you joy
- Bless you
- Bless others
Bear witness about Jesus
- Living into your identity of a SON and DAUGHTERS of GOD
IT HELPS PROTECT YOUR HEART, KEEP YOU ON THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS by help guard your heart from
GREED/SELFISHNESS
EVIL
WANDERING AWAY FROM GOD
But godliness with contentment is great gain,
for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
MY FRIENDS GENEROSITY, this is why God talked about it so much, IS AN ISSUE OF THE HEART, of JOY, of BLESSING...
Where are you at today?
Where is God calling you to go?
To down grade
To sell....you are at 110% of your living
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
What you own owns you....it time to get rid of it....
What’s at stake is your HEART, BLESSING and JOY
We give because He has first given to us.
More blessed to give than receive
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
One of the things the early church was known for and the church the body of believers is known for throughout generations when the church is living into the fullness of the church is
Radical generosity
Not only did the early church follow the commands of scripture to give a tithe, they gave away 10% of what they made to the church, but they went above and beyond, where they say the early church gave away additional over 10% to people in need.
That’s because they were rich
Nope…they were the oppressed class
In fact what you see over and over threw out history is the less money people have the more people give away and the more people have the less they give away.
During the great depression Christians gave more money away than it does today dollar for dollar.