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http://www.mediafire.com/file/mhd2m2gcugn/Defined By Generosity.mp3
Here is the text and at the very bottom is the personal goals text.
INTRO
Over the past several weeks we have been taking a closer look at the world of finances and the business of God. The Scriptures speak so often and so insightful into the realm of money that we would be foolish to ignore the wisdom that can be gleaned from God. We have talked about the miserable financial reality that our country and our region find ourselves in. As a culture we have bought into the false message that we can buy happiness and purpose. Most of the country is beginning to realize the words of Jesus that “Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Yet, instead of pursuing God in the light of this reality they have given up on life.
My hope is that you have not given up on life, on happiness, on joy. Jesus came to give life and life abundantly. For that reason, the Bible gives us valuable insight into how we should manage our resources. Most of you hopefully got a static cling with the Six Financial Principles we talked about in week two. Last week, we examined the practice of cultivating contentment through simplicity. We discussed the importance of be grateful and making conscious choices towards contentment. If we can apply some of these principles, I think we have a real shot at discovering joy and abundance in our lives.
This morning we are in our final week of the four week series called “Enough: discovering joy through simplicity and generosity.” This morning is called “Defined by Generosity. Generosity is another vital piece of the puzzle towards discovering lasting joy in your life. Proverbs 11:24-25 speaks to the importance of generosity: “Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want. A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water.” Generosity is probably the most counterintuitive piece of joy and abundance. And yet generosity most closely resembles the kingdom of God.
My hope is that you have not given up on life, on happiness, on joy. Jesus came to give life and life abundantly. For that reason, the Bible gives us valuable insight into how we should manage our resources. Most of you hopefully got a static cling with the Six Financial Principles we talked about in week two. Last week, we examined the practice of cultivating contentment through simplicity. We discussed the importance of be grateful and making conscious choices towards contentment. If we can apply some of these principles, I think we have a real shot at discovering joy and abundance in our lives.
This morning we are in our final week of the four week series called “Enough: discovering joy through simplicity and generosity.” This morning is called “Defined by Generosity. Generosity is another vital piece of the puzzle towards discovering lasting joy in your life. Proverbs 11:24-25 speaks to the importance of generosity: “Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want. A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water.” Generosity is probably the most counterintuitive piece of joy and abundance. And yet generosity most closely resembles the kingdom of God.
THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
The world tries to tell us that we need to hoard in order to gain. God tells us we need to give in order to gain. Many of us know the Scripture, “It is better to give than to receive.” Most of us don’t actually believe it though. The reality is that we were created to receive joy from giving because we are created in our Heavenly Father’s image.
God created us with the willingness to give—to God and to others. This design is part of our makeup; we actually have the need to be generous. Yet there are two voices that “war” against our God-given impulse toward generosity, tempting us to keep or hoard what we have.
God created us with the willingness to give—to God and to others. This design is part of our makeup; we actually have the need to be generous. Yet there are two voices that “war” against our God-given impulse toward generosity, tempting us to keep or hoard what we have.
#1) The voice of fear: Fear, of what might happen to us, along with a misplaced idea about the true source of our security, keeps us from being generous and leads us to hoard what we have. The truth is that hoarding offers us no real security in this world.
#2) The voice of self-gratification: Our culture tells us that our lives consist in the abundance of our possessions and pleasurable experiences. So we find ourselves thinking, If I give, there won’t be enough left for me.
When we give our lives to Christ, invite him to be Lord, and allow the Holy Spirit to begin changing us from the inside out, we find that our fears begin to dissipate and our aim in life shifts from seeking personal pleasure to pleasing God and caring for others. Although we still may wrestle with the voices from time to time, we are able to silence them more readily and effectively the more we grow in Christ. And the more we grow in Christ, realizing that our lives belong to him, the more generous we become. Generosity is a fruit of spiritual growth.
When we give our lives to Christ, invite him to be Lord, and allow the Holy Spirit to begin changing us from the inside out, we find that our fears begin to dissipate and our aim in life shifts from seeking personal pleasure to pleasing God and caring for others. Although we still may wrestle with the voices from time to time, we are able to silence them more readily and effectively the more we grow in Christ. And the more we grow in Christ, realizing that our lives belong to him, the more generous we become. Generosity is a fruit of spiritual growth.
WHY: Biblical Reasons to Give to God and Others
#1) We find more joy in doing things for other people and for God than we ever did in doing things for ourselves. (Acts 20:35) Paul talks to the leaders of Ephesus. He is departing them but he has shown them the example that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Paul spoke of the secrets of joy and he lived them out through his generosity. The selfish person will never prosper, will never find joy, will never discover abundance. It is the person who discovers selflessness and generosity that will discover joy and abundance.
#2) In the very act of losing our lives, we find life. In Matthew 16:25, Jesus calls us not only to give of our possessions but he calls us to give our lives. “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” By engaging in the practice of being generous with our possessions, we will be able to give up our lives for God. At the end of the day, God wants all us of, not just parts of us. He wants to do an extreme makeover with our entire lives. When we allow him to do that work, we will be closer to discovering abundance and joy.
#3) Life is a gift, and everything belongs to God. The last biblical reason that we need to give to God and to his church is that everything has been given to us. We stray from joy when we adopt an entitlement attitude. We need to remember the words of Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it.” Giving to God reminds us that it is all his and that life is a gift. When we pray for the offering every Sunday this is one of the things that I try to pray each time. I never want to forget that life and everything in it is a gift and I don’t want us as a church to forget that either.
HOW: Biblical Guidelines for Giving
Now that we’ve discussed the why now to the how: the biblical reasons for giving, I want to spend a few minutes talking about the biblical guidelines for giving. From the early days of the Old Testament, God’s people observed the practice of giving some portion of the best of what they had to God. A gift offered to God was called the first fruits or the tithe, and it equaled one-tenth of one’s flocks or crops or income. Abraham was the first to give a tithe or tenth.
In Genesis 14, we read about Abraham giving the first tithe. If you don’t like the concept of tithing, you can blame Abraham. The story is quite fascinating. Listen to a few verses of it. “And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything."
The priest brings out what we would identify today as communion and Abraham gives him a tenth of his possessions. Abraham’s motivation is revealed in verse 23. He doesn’t want the kings to say they made him rich. Abraham realizes that true wealth and abundance come from God and not people.
In Genesis 14, we read about Abraham giving the first tithe. If you don’t like the concept of tithing, you can blame Abraham. The story is quite fascinating. Listen to a few verses of it. “And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything."
The priest brings out what we would identify today as communion and Abraham gives him a tenth of his possessions. Abraham’s motivation is revealed in verse 23. He doesn’t want the kings to say they made him rich. Abraham realizes that true wealth and abundance come from God and not people.
#1) Giving a tithe.
As Christians who live under the new covenant, we are not bound by the Law of Moses; we look to it as a guide. Yet most Christians agree that the tithe is a good guideline for our lives, and one that is pleasing to God. Like Abraham, the tithe can be a reminder to us that the world does not make us rich, but that God does.
Now we are going to watch a short video about tithing and the potential struggles of it. (“Tithing and the Ten Apples.”) Though tithing can be a struggle, it is possible at virtually every income level. If you cannot tithe right away, take a step in that direction. Perhaps you can give 2 percent or 5 percent or 7 percent. God understands where you are, and God will help you make the adjustments necessary for you to become more and more generous. [Tithe goes to the church because the Church is the most direct representation of Christ’s body on earth.]
#2) Giving beyond the tithe.
Tithing is a floor, not a ceiling. God calls us to grow beyond the tithe. We should strive to set aside an additional percentage of our income as offerings for other things that are important to us, such as mission projects, schools, church building funds, and other nonprofit organizations. [Do this after you've given your full tithe.]
As Christians who live under the new covenant, we are not bound by the Law of Moses; we look to it as a guide. Yet most Christians agree that the tithe is a good guideline for our lives, and one that is pleasing to God. Like Abraham, the tithe can be a reminder to us that the world does not make us rich, but that God does.
Now we are going to watch a short video about tithing and the potential struggles of it. (“Tithing and the Ten Apples.”) Though tithing can be a struggle, it is possible at virtually every income level. If you cannot tithe right away, take a step in that direction. Perhaps you can give 2 percent or 5 percent or 7 percent. God understands where you are, and God will help you make the adjustments necessary for you to become more and more generous. [Tithe goes to the church because the Church is the most direct representation of Christ’s body on earth.]
#2) Giving beyond the tithe.
Tithing is a floor, not a ceiling. God calls us to grow beyond the tithe. We should strive to set aside an additional percentage of our income as offerings for other things that are important to us, such as mission projects, schools, church building funds, and other nonprofit organizations. [Do this after you've given your full tithe.]
WHO IT AFFECTS: GOD AND US
Now we have covered the why and the how, I want to conclude this morning talking about who our giving affects and what it means.
#1) What Our Giving Means to God
From the earliest biblical times, the primary way people worshipped God was by building an altar and offering the fruit of one’s labors upon it to God. They would burn the sacrifice of an animal or grain as a way of expressing their gratitude, devotion, and desire to honor God. The scent of the offering was said to be pleasing to God. It wasn’t that God loved the smell of burnt meat and grain. Rather, God saw that people were giving a gift that expressed love, faith, and the desire to please and honor God; and this moved God’s heart. When given in this spirit, our offerings bless the Lord.
When we give, God responds by giving back to us. While it is not a magical formula, Luke 6:39 says, “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” Tin the parable of the talents, God gives each servant talents or money to invest and use for him. The person who uses the money wisely is given more responsibility. God wants to see our faithfulness and seeks to reward us accordingly. These are some of the ways that God responds to our giving. Equally important is to see how our generosity affects us.
#1) What Our Giving Means to God
From the earliest biblical times, the primary way people worshipped God was by building an altar and offering the fruit of one’s labors upon it to God. They would burn the sacrifice of an animal or grain as a way of expressing their gratitude, devotion, and desire to honor God. The scent of the offering was said to be pleasing to God. It wasn’t that God loved the smell of burnt meat and grain. Rather, God saw that people were giving a gift that expressed love, faith, and the desire to please and honor God; and this moved God’s heart. When given in this spirit, our offerings bless the Lord.
When we give, God responds by giving back to us. While it is not a magical formula, Luke 6:39 says, “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” Tin the parable of the talents, God gives each servant talents or money to invest and use for him. The person who uses the money wisely is given more responsibility. God wants to see our faithfulness and seeks to reward us accordingly. These are some of the ways that God responds to our giving. Equally important is to see how our generosity affects us.
#2) How Our Generosity Affects Us
When we give, our hearts are changed and a transformation occurs. When we are generous—to God and to our families, friends, neighbors, and others who are in need—our hearts are filled with joy. They are enlarged by the very act of giving. When we give generously, we become more generous.
Many Christians have it wrong. They say that if you give, then God will give more back to you. But that is not how it works. We do not give to God so that we can get something in return. The amazing thing is that when we give to God and to others, the blessings just seem to come back to us. In Malachi 3, the prophet challenges the people not to rob God of his tithes and offerings. God calls us to “put him to the test… see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” This is one of the few places that God says to test him in Scripture. Of course, there is no guarantee that if you tithe you will never lose your job or never have other bad things happen to you. Nevertheless, when we give generously, the unmistakable blessings of God flow into our lives.
When we give, our hearts are changed and a transformation occurs. When we are generous—to God and to our families, friends, neighbors, and others who are in need—our hearts are filled with joy. They are enlarged by the very act of giving. When we give generously, we become more generous.
Many Christians have it wrong. They say that if you give, then God will give more back to you. But that is not how it works. We do not give to God so that we can get something in return. The amazing thing is that when we give to God and to others, the blessings just seem to come back to us. In Malachi 3, the prophet challenges the people not to rob God of his tithes and offerings. God calls us to “put him to the test… see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” This is one of the few places that God says to test him in Scripture. Of course, there is no guarantee that if you tithe you will never lose your job or never have other bad things happen to you. Nevertheless, when we give generously, the unmistakable blessings of God flow into our lives.
CONCLUSION
As we conclude this morning, I ask that you hear God’s challenge, God’s call, God’s plead to live lives of simplicity and generosity so that you might begin to discover your purpose, to discover abundance, and to discover joy for God truly is enough. Vanessa is going to play some soft music to conclude this morning. I would invite you to fill out your Personal Goals and commitment card in the few minutes we have. Then I am going to prayer and invite you to bring your cards to the front and place on the altar as a sign that you are choosing a life of abundance and joy.
PRESONAL GOALS:
1. I will thank God daily for all my blessings. My goal for daily Bible reading and prayer is ____ days a week.2. I will seek contentment and simplicity and live within my means. My spending goal is _____.
3. I will seek freedom from the bonds of credit and debt. My debt reduction goal is _________.
4. I will seek to wisely manage the gifts God has given me, investing and saving for the future. My savings goal is ______.
5. I will worship God each week by giving of my tithes and offerings. My estimate of giving for 2010 is _________.
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