What does the Bible have to say about generosity? About giving? About the stuff we have?
And it’s the reason that we are not only Biblically Centered but RADICALLY GENEROUS
Why do we want to be generous, individually and as a church?
- We are generous because God is Generous
[Genesis 21:1-7]
“The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. And Abraham named their son Isaac. Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!””
[Genesis 22:1-2]
“Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.””
[Genesis 22:6-7]
“Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?””
[Genesis 22:8]
““God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.”
[Genesis 22:11-18]
“At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.””
- You’ve heard, “Obedience brings blessing” so we are taught to obey so that God will bless
- BUT, what do we do when we are “blessed” in response? We stop obeying because it “didn’t work”?
- We don’t obey so that we’ll be loved. We obey because we are.
- We don’t give so that we can receive. We have received, so we give.
[John 3:16]
“For this is how God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
[Romans 8:32]
“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”
2. PRACTICE THE DISCIPLINE OF GIVING
[2 Corinthians 9:7-8]
“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.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”
Two cautions:
- Don’t give to get.
[Luke 14:12-14]
““Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”
- Don’t give to be seen
[Matthew 6:1-4]
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.”
3. GIVE GENEROUSLY
[Mark 12:41-44]
““Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.””
Some of us are asking how much we HAVE TO GIVE and it’s the wrong question.
[Matthew 6:21]
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
[2 Corinthians 8:1-3]
“Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.”
- Do you believe everything you have comes from God?
- Is God good? Has he been open-handedly generous to you?
- Are you grateful and are you open-handed toward him?
- What is your attitude toward your money, in relationship to God and his Kingdom purposes in the world?