We all want to be generous people, but what does it really mean to be generous? Generosity isn’t simply doing what we should expect any decent human being to do. It’s doing MORE than what’s expected of any decent human being. But can you still be generous even if you don’t have a lot of money to give away? And what would it cost us to be more generous in our lives?
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MESSAGE NOTES
Today, we’re going to look at something Jesus did that was
the heartbeat behind everything he did – he gave.
The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear
woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
[John 2:3-4]
No matter how busy Jesus was, he always allowed time for interruptions.
Jesus was willing to be inconvenienced. He allowed space for other things. Because he knew that his slowing down was significant for someone else.
Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons.
[John 2:6]
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind
Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.
[Matthew 23:25-26]
When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from, he
called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”
[John 2:9-10]
Being generous is being interruptable.
Generosity means I’m going to allow the Holy Spirit to interrupt me. Interrupt my busy schedule. Interrupt my bank account. Interrupt above my set tithe to God because he may want to do more. That’s what generosity is.
It’s the “even more” effort.
A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary
took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
[John 12:1-3]
Being generous is giving even more.
But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages! It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”
[John 12:4-5]
Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
[John 12:6-8]
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Application Questions
- What stood out to you from this message and why?
- What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
- What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
- How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?