Generosity (2)
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Intro:
What is 5 + 2?
See we are operating on God’s math here! God takes what we willingly give and multiples it out more than we can possibly imagine. It’s no miracle, its the Church’s standard operating procedures and the basis for this comes from Scripture in 2 Cor 9:6
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
We are continuing on our series in 2 Cor 9 as we talk about generous giving. As you all have been faithful, I will now ask, have you been generous? Are we being generous from our abundance and overflow or are we being generously sacrificial, stepping out on faith in our giving? These are tough questions because everyone’s situation is different and we have to challenge ourselves in this area because it is one area, where we as the Church, don’t hold you accountable, its always between you and God. But he is pretty clear in 2 Cor 9:6 when he says:
From What God Gives
From What God Gives
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
A. God’s Gives Generously
1. Look what he has done for us
a. Show pictures of the rebuilds
i. So many supplies and labor donated
b. Always pours in as we pour out
2. God loves to give
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
a. So pour out as God pours in
b. Sometimes we have to pour out a bit more
i. Because has been more generous
ii. So we too become more generous
B. Sow and reap in faith
1. Sow sparingly - no faith
2. Sow generously - faith is great that the Lord will provide
a. Woman who gave two mites
“Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
b. Her trust was in God alone
c. Can I live like that?
Came here on faith, as most pastors do. Something most people don’t take into account - we leave all we know and go to what is unknown. We try to live out on faith. Now flesh gets a hold of me too, but we must repent and be ready to be generous.
From the Heart
From the Heart
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”
A. Be Purposefully Generous
1. Pray for a generous heart
a. One who seeks generosity
b. One who seeks to glorify God
2.
B. God Makes a Way
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
1. God has never ceased His blessings
a. Look at Israel coming out of captivity
b. Look at the Church now
2. Don’t miss the blessings
a. Sometimes we block the blessings
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
b. Step out and see what God does
i. Kingdom is reliant upon your giving
ii. But when you give he gives more
Baptism story/pictures
iii. God poured out in abundance on us
iv. Because we decided to pour in/because you decided to pour in
From Abundance
From Abundance
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
A. Enriched in every way
1. Grow your faith
a. Never had more growth than testing my giving
b. See that the money doesn’t end, God keeps giving
2. See you prayer life grow
a. Try stepping out into the scary (not the frivolous mind you)
b. Seeing not enough paycheck for the month but giving first
c. God makes it multiply
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
B. Always and abundance with God
1. Never left wanting
a. Love, life, satisfaction
b. God provides more than the world could
2. This is not prosperity Gospel
a. I am not telling you God will make you rich in money
b. God will make you rich in Spirit
c. Watch how He works with what we give in faith
Close:
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.
I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.
“Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
But it takes faith. This comes at a time when Israel had robbed God of the tithes and offerings. He is calling for repentance, so that the people can see what God will do.
I am calling for a steadfast and even an elevated giving. It doesn’t take make to make a big difference, it just takes faith. Next week we are going to talk about goals and the budget that we have finished up. God has been good to us through your faithful giving and I am excited to see what the next year holds. God Bless and let us continue in faith!