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Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) - A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
All of us can remember a time when someone was generous to us. It may have been a small gesture that touched your heart or a huge gesture that was life changing.
There were times when Dawn and I did not have two nickels to rub together. We vowed that when we did, we would live with an open hand and not a closed fist.
Generosity is an important part of the Christian life.
It’s interesting to me that many sermons that you hear on generosity are really geared at getting people in the church to be better at tithes and offerings. I have found these messages to be manipulative. The goal is to increase the giving to the church.
There is so much more to living generous than this. Although as a pastor I am thankful for the faithful, generous giving of tithes and offerings. I believe in tithes and offerings but to me they are such a basic part of Christian living. They are elementary teachings like baptism and receiving communion.
How we manage our money is directly linked to our discipleship.
Stewardship is more than a money thing it is a heart issue and a “first’s” issue. The Bible says that where our treasure is where our heart is.
In fact, there are more verses in the Bible regarding our resources than about Heaven and Hell combined.
Of the 38 parables Jesus told, 16 of them are about money. The Bible has fewer than 300 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith and over 2,000 verses that deal with wealth and possessions!
The inescapable conclusion is that how we deal with finances in general, and what we give in particular, is a big deal to God. There is no way to separate faith and finances.
When Paul was instructing Timothy on how to disciple the people in his church, he included making sure that they were taught to live generously.
1 Timothy 6:17-18 (NLT)- Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
To be biblically generous is to recognize God’s generosity to us in Christ and to give extravagantly in worship to Him, relative to what one has.
The word “generous” as used in the Bible means, “To show mercy or favor, to be freely gracious.” Someone with a generous heart is “ready to give with grace and liberality,” while a stingy hearted person is often filled with revenge and a desire for payback.
To be biblically generous is to recognize God’s generosity to us in Christ and to give extravagantly in worship to Him, relative to what one has. For it is impossible to out give God.
Proverbs 19:17 (NIV) - Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
To be kind to the poor means that we give what we have to those in need. Some people are poor and need money or food. Some people are discouraged, and we can be rich in encouragement and praise.
Some people are lonely, and we can be generous with our time and presence.
Poor simply means lack. Where people are lacking, we can be generous with what we have.
Being generous is not just an outward action, it is an inner trait.
Generosity is a heart issue.
2 Corinthians 9:7 - So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
(NLT) - You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.
I have been in church for a long time. I have seen people who love to give and help others. And I have seen people who have given in to pressure and not been happy about what they have given.
I have witnessed preachers and missionaries receive an offering that looked more like a bank hold up than it did an opportunity to help someone.
God loves a cheerful giver - that means that he desires your heart to be in it when you do it. It is a want to not a have too.
I have found that when God is leading me to give, He also gives me either the amount to give or the time amount that I have to give. – I find that there is an internal meter that separates my generosity from my resentment.
I call it the extent of my investment. Now there are some opportunities that I am stingy in my heart concerning my wallet or my time and God will prompt me beyond my comfort zone.
I have learned to know the difference between the leading of the Lord and the manipulation of people.
Mark 12:42-44 - A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
In the story of the widow’s mite, we see Jesus closely and critically watching people give their offerings. He looked beyond their visible actions and into their hearts. Having observed the widow place her meager but heartfelt offering in the treasury, Jesus made sure the disciples didn’t miss seeing the heart of the widow or the lesson that her giving provided.
Most of us would miss watching the widow. Instead, we would be watching the important looking people in the temple, the ones who made large offerings from their ample funds. We would be impressed by how much they gave. We might even suggest honoring them for their giving or naming a building after them.
But Jesus didn’t call the disciples over to see the big givers. He called them over to notice a poor widow who gave less than a penny.
Why did Jesus fix His attention on the widow? Because she gave more. “She, out of her poverty, put in all she owned,” while the rich men gave out of their surplus. The rich gave what they had left over.
God says we are to give as we purpose in our heart. That means that generosity always has purpose. Never give without a purpose.
What is it your generosity is accomplishing? What do you want it to accomplish?
Are you helping someone? Are you alleviating suffering? Are you just desiring to bring glory to God?
Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
We are to let our light shine – not to bring attention to ourselves but to draw attention to God. – Giving with a purpose. Again, the heart matters.
What I am speaking about today is a lifestyle of generosity.
A life of generosity applies to your marriage, to your family, to your friends and to those in need.
The Bible says that the generous will prosper. In what?
In everything. They will live a life of refreshing and not lack.
There is a great deal more that we will be unpacking concerning living a life of generosity. I hope this short message was an encouragement to you.
Know that you are loved and appreciated.
May God great blessings be with you and your family.
Pastor Marvin & Dawn
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