Overflow | Living the Blessed Life

A few years back, my wife and I ventured with our children to Lake Lanier located just outside Atlanta. Those of you who grew up in the south know that Georgian lakeside beaches look a bit different than South Florida seaside beaches.

Here’s the difference…

[[[show Levi in the mud]]]

Mud… Good ol’ fashioned Georgia red clay mud.

No offense to Georgians: I don’t like your mud, but my kids loved it. I recall one moment in particular when my son, Levi, got his feet firmly stuck in that Georgian mud. I saw it happen. The mud locked him down. He panicked, his eyes locked onto mine, and he reached out his hands to me, as if to say: save me, Daddy! As I reached down to lift him, that mud bound onto his feet like a trap. When I tried to lift him again, I feared that I might hurt him, so instead, I bent down and literally dug out his feet. When I lifted him a third time, his feet slid out and literally made that [[[do sound]]] suction sound.

Friends, straight up, materialism is like Georgia red clay mud. It slowly molds around our feet and anchors us into empty promises.

Some of us have been existing in this space for a long time.

One theologian defines the distance between our existence and our essence as sin. [Paul Tillich]

Our essence represents who God created us to be. Did you know that God made us in his image, and gave us the responsibility of stewarding his good creation? The Psalmist writes: Psalm 139:14 states, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Our existence, however, is who we really are—broken and prone to wander from our God. The Apostle Paul described our existence when he wrote, “As for you, you were dead - that’s how Scripture describes our existence without God… dead... you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world.” Ephesians 2:1-2

Sin is like a wedge driver, separating us from our God-created essence and resulting in the hardening, death-dealing despair of our hearts toward God, others, and ourselves.

In our current cultural moment, I know of no greater and more socially acceptable wedge driver between our essence and our existence than materialism.

Materialism is the act of giving our heart’s affection over ‘to the things of this world’ rather than to God.

Monetary resources enable materialism, but materialism doesn’t result from money.

That’s an important distinction.

Money isn't what sticks us in the mud.

Rather, The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.

Many griefs follow the love of money, not money itself. Materialism pierces our hearts.

Thus why God’s Word says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Friends, this message isn’t so much about generosity as it is about freedom. In his own words, Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36.

Generosity is a means toward experiencing freedom.

Generosity is like a healing balm applied to a pierced heart. It is the antidote to materialism’s poison.

The stem of the term ‘generous’ comes from the Latin term ‘gen,’ which means “to beget” or give life.

At the root of generosity is life, not just semantically, but also in reality. Generosity gives life. Quite literally, generosity saved our lives. “For God so loved the world that he gave, God gave, he gave… his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

God so desires to reconcile your essence with how you exist in our material world that 2,000 verses of God’s Word speak directly to materialism and finance, including 16 of Jesus’ 38 parables.

Specifically, God’s Word refers to a principle called ‘tithing.’

If this word makes you cringe, then I truly hope that by the end of this message, this word takes on new meaning and, instead, becomes synonymous with ‘freedom.’

Tithing derives from an Old Testament principle known as the ‘first fruits’ and translates to ‘one-tenth.’

This principle became fully realized in Christ, who [[[“The Son]]] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation… [[[For God]]] was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1:15,19-20

In the same manner that God gave Christ, as the firstborn over all creation, in order to save the world, tithing our first fruits [[[Tithing]]] is a faith response that reveals a heart free from materialism and fuels the mission of God’s Kingdom through the local church!

God didn’t hold anything back from us and neither should we in return. As God in the flesh, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross represented God himself, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3, NIV).

On the cross, Christ released every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms to you. Thus, tithing neither obligates nor activates God’s blessing in your life. It has already been given to you. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift [[[generous, whole gift]]] of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Friends, our sin incurred a debt to God that could only be paid by our death. Yet, on the cross, Christ bought us back from death and unleashed blessing upon us. Jesus redeemed us. In doing so, God forgave us by assuming our debt upon himself and dying our death that we deserved. God made our death his own and forgave us of the debt that we owed to him.

And you know what the craziest part about all of this is: God freely chose to do this. God didn’t obligate himself to us, nor did God feel coerced by us. Rather, God extended his grace and mercy to us because God loves us that much!

Friend, as a result, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. God paid it all for you because that’s how much God loves you. Through Christ’s sacrifice, your Heavenly Father made a way for you to experience the essence of your life in your existence. Thus, new life begins today - now and forever - with God.

In love, God freely gave and freely for-gave!

It’s so radical and reckless; it’s scandalous, even, that we would be forgiven of so much and then blessed with so much without doing anything to earn it or deserve it.

But, friends, that’s what love does.

For some, this phrase, ‘blessed with so much’ implies material blessing. Often, we use the phrase ‘we’ve been blessed’ in reference to material gain or wealth. Conversely, when the amount of our material wealth or goods shrink, then we don’t feel blessed. But that’s not how God’s Word defines ‘blessing.’

In the New Testament, blessing doesn’t mean material increase. It means more of God’s life and power and joy made alive in you by Christ’s Spirit!

Blessing means more of God, and generosity, roots out materialism in order to make more space in your life for God! That’s the blessing!

“Every spiritual blessing in Christ” refers to the everlasting wellspring of God’s Spirit that washes us clean and sustains us. It refers to the fruits of God’s Spirit bearing forth in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, the Apostle Paul writes, there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

These blessings never cease. These blessings give life and always satisfy and lead to unending joy, filling you with God’s presence!

That’s worth more than all of the gold in the world!

Tithing is the overflow of the unending, life-giving blessing of God in our lives. It proclaims that we trust God with our money, not trust money as our God.

The practice of tithing returns a small portion of what already belongs to God in order to enable God’s work through your life to a world in need. The Psalmist wrote “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Psalm 24:1

One of the sources that I used for this message is a book called The Blessed Life written by Pastor Robert Morris. It’s a goldmine of wisdom that I highly commend to you to help you live on the EDGE of generosity journey. Morris writes, “[Tithing] declares that it isn’t how much one has that matters—it’s whose it is that makes the difference.”

You know, sometimes, tithing feels like the opposite of this statement. Sometimes, it feels like a loss, doesn’t it, especially during seasons of crisis and hardship like this one. And you know what I’ve learned at this stage of life: everything is out for your money, and sometimes, it may seem like God is too. And what makes this worse, some churches and pastors justify these feelings of loss and fear based on their unfaithful teachings about generosity. They make tithing sound more like karma - what goes around comes around - rather than a faith response that reveals a heart free from materialism and fuels the mission of God’s Kingdom through the local church!

If you feel that way, then allow me to offer a different perspective. Those teachings and those fears are a result of existence thinking. You won’t find fear in God’s Word.

Friend, God didn’t create you for the sake of your own existence. God made you for a love-filled relationship with him, others, and yourself. That’s your essence. Though this takes place in a material world, essence thinking seeks to leverage everything within one’s capacity, including one’s own life even, to follow God’s call to love.

These aren’t my words. These are Jesus’ words. He described essence thinking when he said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Matthew 16:24-26

Essence thinkers, Jesus disciples, view tithing as a small gift of gratitude back to God for what already belongs to him. They see their tithe as an investment, not a loss, into God’s Kingdom in order to advance the Gospel mission throughout the world so that all people may know and receive this same gift of grace and mercy that brought us back to life!

God isn’t after your money because it already belongs to him. Everything you have is by his grace. Tithing isn’t a consumer-driven business model. It’s a faith response that reveals a heart free from materialism and fuels the mission of God’s Kingdom through the local church!

Everything you own already belongs to God, so be diligent with your resources and, instead, consider how giving your first fruits to God serves to redeem the other 90%.

For a Jesus follower, tithing isn’t giving up 10 percent; it’s receiving 90 percent.

That 90% belongs to God, but God has graciously given it to us for our sustenance.

Essentially, the principle of the tithe confronts us with the question of trust. Do we trust God to sustain us after we give him our first fruits? Materialism answers no and says get as much as possible!

Yet, tithing says from God’s abundance, he has already given us more in Christ than we could ever acquire - more than we could ever give away! Thus, to live wisely with God’s resources means stewarding well 90% of God’s resources for our sustenance and not hoarding 100% at the expense of fulfilling God’s call to love!

Tithing, therefore, is a principle, not a law, that bears witness to our reception of God’s love in Christ. And our desire to love others as we love ourselves.

It’s a means of unsticking us from the muddiness of this world “where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matt 6:19, NIV).

Tithing lifts our eyes lift above “see” level and into “faith” level!

Faith level is essence thinking, which sees the world through God’s eyes and understands how generosity invests into exponential Kingdom impact that reverberates into eternity.

Jesus tells his disciples to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:20-21, NIV).

Tithing places your heart on the top shelf where it stays protected from the moths and vermin of materialism that want to eat it up. At the end of the day, tithing guards your heart against falling in love with money.

Let’s get real: if you aren’t tithing or even giving anything, then perhaps, you feel a certain way about money that’s unhealthy and unfaithful for you.

You know, I realize that all of what I am sharing today completely contradicts the dominant cultural narratives of our society, which may be unsettling for you. Materialism prescribes acquisition as a chief activity and values self-preservation, power, and control.

But, friends, the good news of Jesus Christ offers a different word over your life than the futile endeavors of self-preservation and control, and tithing bears witness to the Gospel’s transformative work in a person’s life.

Tithing is a faith response that reveals a heart free from materialism and fuels the mission of God’s Kingdom through the local church!

All of the world wants a piece of your heart, but tithing declares who your heart belongs to. It says, ‘This here [point to a dollar bill] ain’t got your heart. This [point to dollar] can be used for so much good in the world, and it’s necessary for life and to advance God’s mission in the world, but a generous Christ-follower living into God’s essence says, ‘I love the one who saved my life more than I love this [point to dollar bill].’ Tithing declares, ‘this heart isn’t for sale.’

The tithe is a response to faithful essence, not lawful existence.

Religious people make a big deal out of the tithe. Pride can easily become entangled into it, but Jesus harshly criticized these people saying: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” Matthew 23:23,

Tithing both reveals and fuels the most important matters of your faith: justice, mercy and faithfulness.

Our lives must be about these things!

But then, in his very next breath, Jesus said: “You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matt 23:23b, NIV), meaning keep the tithe, but make your life about justice, mercy and faithfulness. Let your tithe be in service to the larger calling of your faith.

I find this passage remarkable because, here, Jesus undeniably affirms the tithe. He doesn’t command it, but he says practice it because, ultimately,

[[[Tithing]]] … is a faith response that reveals a heart free from materialism and fuels the mission of God’s Kingdom through the local church!

For some of you, living on the EDGE of generosity is your next great adventure… seriously… as crazy as that may sound, I am certain that right now God’s Spirit may be nudging some of you to consider opening your heart to a new season of renewal and freedom in your life, so my encouragement to you is this: pay attention, listen, lean in, talk to others about it, go to God’s Word and read for yourself what God says about generosity and how God demonstrated his generosity for you. All of the scriptures used in today’s message are in the notes. Go back and read them for yourself, and allow God to invite you into a new way of life and relationship with him!

Others of you may actually possess the spiritual gift of giving. This gift starts where tithing ends.

Tithing is the practice of giving the first fruits of your pre-tax, gross income to your local church. This is based in Malachi 3:10, which reads, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10

Test God with your generosity and discover how he desires to multiply your gifts for the sake of his kingdom! You think a 10% return in the market is strong? Imagine eternal dividends!

The spiritual gift of giving extends beyond the tithe into offerings that fund and fuel the mission of God’s kingdom beyond your local church. Paul wrote in Romans 12:8, “if [your gift] is giving, then give generously.”

These individuals view their primary way of serving God’s kingdom through generosity. While tithing applies to all Christ followers, the spiritual gift of giving applies only to some. These givers believe with a proper confidence that God created them and provided resources for them in order to advance the Gospel!

As with every spiritual gift, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48.

Together, as Christ’s body in Miami and throughout the world, let’s commit to three points of growth with our generosity, beginning first with our focus to help each other’s existence become more congruent with our essence. Let’s be men and women of integrity, choosing Christ over sin and materialism. Let’s commit to praying for one another, inviting others into our family, and doing life together in community through small groups.

For more information, visit christjourney.org/groups to get involved.

Second, wherever we may be in our generosity journey, let’s all commit to take a step closer to the EDGE of faith in our giving. If you have never given anything to your local church, then try starting with a 1% contribution this year. If you already give 1%, then try giving 2%, and so on until you reach the practice of giving a full tithe.

If you already give a full tithe, then consider giving an offering above and beyond your tithe to fund a missionary or other Christian organization committed to faithful work in the community. Let’s all take a next step together and witness how God multiplies our resources for the sake of his kingdom and glory!

And third, for some of you, this message may resonate, but practically speaking, you’re underwater, living outside your means, and unable to consider financial generosity as a viable option for yourself and your family. Friend, if this is true for you, then Would you consider allowing your church to come alongside you in order to help you achieve financial freedom? We’ve all been there. There’s no shame. Several times a year, our groups ministry hosts a study called Financial Peace University. My wife and I completed FPU in 2013, and it changed everything about how we understand and use our finances. Each FPU cycle is led by highly trained, non-judgmental leaders who not only understand God’s principles for finances, but they long to see others live in freedom, as well.

For more information about Financial Peace University, getting out of debt, and living into the biblical principles of financial freedom and generosity, then please email groups@christjourney.org.

Friends, let’s not stay trapped another year in the mud of materialism. God freed us in Christ and blessed us in abundance, so let’s sharpen our generosity EDGE and witness how God will change the world through it!

Will you pray with me?

VISUALS:

[[[show Levi in the mud]]]

Theologian, Paul Tillich, defines the distance between our existence and our essence as sin.

Our essence represents who God created us to be.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

Our existence, however, is who we really are—broken and prone to wander from our God.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world. Ephesians 2:1-2

The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36.

Generosity is a means toward freedom.

The stem of the term ‘generous’ comes from the Latin term ‘gen,’ which means “to beget” or “give life.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Hebrews 7:26

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

You are not your own; you were bought at a price. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

To the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ Ephesians 1:3

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:24-26

For a Jesus follower, tithing isn’t giving up 10 percent; it’s receiving 90 percent.

Tithing is a principle, not a law, in service to generosity that bears witness to our reception of God’s love in Christ.

Where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Matthew 6:19

Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:20-21, NIV

Tithing isn’t a loss. It’s a means of living free!

Morris writes, “Tithing declares that it isn’t how much one has that matters—it’s whose it is that makes the difference.” The Blessed Life, p. 58

Tithing declares, “This heart isn’t for sale!”

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. Matthew 23:23,

Justice, Mercy and Faithfulness.

You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” Matt 23:23

If your gift is giving, then give generously. Romans 12:8

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48

Let’s commit to praying for one another, inviting others into our family, and doing life together in community through small groups.

Let’s all commit to take a step closer to the EDGE of faith in our giving.

Tithing is the practice of giving the first fruits of your pre-tax, gross income to your local church.

Would you consider allowing your church to come alongside you in order to help you achieve financial freedom?

For more information about Financial Peace University, getting out of debt, and living into the biblical principles of financial freedom and generosity, then please email groups@christjourney.org.

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