4/28/13 DESIGN FOR LIFE - Generosity
A Healthy Church - The Lord Loves A Cheerful Giver
Questions to get us thinking: Have you ever thought . . .?If I just had enough money, my problems would be solved.
If I just had some more, I would be satisfied.
Those with a lot of money have it made.
Boxer Mike Tyson Squandered A Fortune
In August, 2003, boxer Mike Tyson filed for bankruptcy. In the nine years before that time he earned at least: $300,000,000.
Harper’s Index (January 2004)
A story is told of a preacher who asked a farmer, “If you had 200 dollars, would you give 100 dollars to the Lord?”
“Sure would,” said the farmer.
“If you had two cows, would you give one cow to the Lord?”
“Yeah, I would.”
“If you had two pigs, would you give one of them to the Lord?”
The farmer replied, “That’s not fair. You know I have two pigs.”
Generosity, faithfulness to God in giving and using all our resources is not just a theoretical concept. It deals with reality and what we have, not with what we would do if we were rich.
A very important question for us to ask in these financially uncertain days: how am I going to make it? I probably should circle the wagons and gather as much as I can, keep and collect all I can. No, that is the opposite of what God wants us to grasp. We will make it as we seek to learn and follow God’s way, which are never inward and selfish.
Just this past week, Carol Garlow, wife of Pastor Jim Garlow from California passed away after a long battle with cancer. In announcing the funeral details, some amazing insights into their lives were revealed. In the midst of their sorrow and loss, they were thinking about others.
Carol’s passion was prayer. To honor her, a 36-hour non-stop prayer time was held at their church. This time of prayer focused on the needs of the church family and the community. In addition to people leading in prayer, Carol would want those with prayer needs to come and receive ministry.
In lieu of flowers, the family requested gifts be given to two different ministries.
I read this information and thought of how giving they were in their time of sorrow. Their concern included others, not just themselves.
Several Words: Giving - outward - thinking of God’s plan - thinking of others - using our time, talents and resources for more than ourselves -- this is what God wants us to grasp. He wants to bless us for our obedience.
God calls us to be faithful stewards of what He has invested in us.
As we look at this theme today, I want to encourage you to THINK: ETERNAL.
SOME FOUNDATION FOR OUR STUDY: God’s ways are higher, and they are always better.
Isaiah 55:8-11 NIV 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
1. God’s ways higher, better, more beneficial. Life is better when done God’s way.
2. God’s purpose will be accomplished. A crop will come, results will come when we obey the Word of God. God has a reason for all He does.
So, let’s look at, and then follow God’s ways. One of the great challenges of the Christian life comes when we see something in the Bible that we should do, and yet we wonder if we really can do it.
□ Will we make it if we obey?
□ Will we survive doing it God’s way?
□ Is God really going to take care of us if we obey?
A Command: God told Israel that every seven years they were to give the land a rest. They were NOT to plant a crop. This goes against all human logic, and the obvious question is: how are they going to survive? They didn’t have all the modern sources of supply, long term storage, freezing, etc. that we have today. Well, God said HE would take care of it.
Leviticus 25:18-22 NKJV
18 ‘So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety. 19 Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety. 20 ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” 21 Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. 22 And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.
God said to Israel: if you obey Me I will take care of you.
The miracles: a bumper crop, no spoilage, they had food when they rested the land.
Vital principal: when God says to do something, He will see that it works, trust HIM to make it work.
With the foundation of God’s ways being higher and His expectation of obedience, let’s talk about STEWARDSHIP.
Stewardship is the Christian way of life and managing resources. This is not optional.
Colossians 3:23 NKJV
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
Do EVERYTHING for the Lord - the Lord’s way.
What is a steward? – a trustee, manager, but not an owner. Whatever the steward manages, he doesn’t own. It is always for the benefit of someone else.
From Biblical times: A steward was in charge of a household and was accountable to the owner, who made final decisions. The steward was expected to be faithful in working and overseeing the household all that had been entrusted to him.
A definition of stewardship: “The sum total of all my attitudes toward God”.
***Total: add up all the parts of your life, your attitudes.
***My Attitudes: Attitude: A bodily posture showing or meant to show a mental state, emotion, or mood. A manner of acting, feeling, or thinking that shows one’s disposition, opinion, etc.
***Towards God: He is the recipient of all these things. God sees your heart. Is it open, receptive, tender to Him? or hard, rebellious?
Stewardship is the Christian way of life, the law of living. God has given us so much: Talents, abilities, intelligence, capabilities, ability to create wealth and there is so much that we all can accomplish. All the things we claim as assets, are really God’s investments in us.
Regarding our abilities – People confuse assets and liabilities. IE, put $100 in a bank saving account, it is a liability to the bank. We expect a return with interest. So, God’s investment in us is a liability for us towards God. We expect a return from the bank, God expects a return from us. WE must USE what He has given, develop our skills, productivity. -----WHAT GOD EXPECTS!!
I Corinthians 4:1-2 KJV Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
We are required to be faithful - And reliable and dependable. If you are faithful to God, He is pleased. He will never ask more than you are able to provide, but He will never ask less. We will not necessarily be successful in man’s eyes, but that doesn’t matter. The steward is to be Faithful. This is vital, because if God can’t count on us, what good are we to Him? Will we show up? Be late? Be prepared? Are we trustworthy? Don’t be a quitter. We can’t all accomplish things that are great in human thinking, but we can be faithful. Use what He has given you to benefit His kingdom.
One of the big investments God makes in us is giving us material resources. Handle them well.
Being a Godly steward of material wealth comes from a Godly perspective about money. Money is a servant to utilize, not a god to serve. Your motives in acquiring and using money are key factors.
Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 NIV
10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?
Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NIV
18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.
God has amazing blessings and benefits for His children as they obey Him.
*****OWNERSHIP is a selfish game people play. I own it, and the big issue is that you can’t use it. The proper Christian attitude is that God owns everything I have.
****The selfish idea of property is that it belongs to us. The name of the game is ownership, posses, control, dominate, exploit. Not just that I can use it, but that you can’t.
*****The tithe and the Law of First Things.
The tithe is the acknowledgment that all we have belongs to God. He is God and He is in control.
Define the tithe – 2 Identifying Marks:
1. Always first.
2. Always 10% (before deductions).
The tithe is a means by which ownership is established. Unrestricted use clouds ownership.
Back when computers were a new thing, a friend lent me his computer. It was in my office and I used it often. I got lots of use out of it. It began to feel like mine. The feeling ended the day that he called and said that he wanted it back.
Law of the First Things
***God always gets the first. Tithe paid first before other things.
Exodus 23:19 NIV
Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.
Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
The city of Jericho was the first conquered by Israel in the promised land, It belonged to God.
Joshua 6:17 NIV
The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
They were specifically warned not to take anything from the city, it belonged to God. They got in trouble when one man disobeyed.
The Storehouse Principle of the Tithe
Malachi 3:8-12 NIV
8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 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 you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
This passage includes blessings as well as curses.
Blessings - Provision in God’s house. This is God’s divine way to provide for the local church. The needs will be met and we won’t have to resort to guilt, pressure, gimmicks, manipulation, raffles, candy sales, etc. to provide for the local church. God will make it enough. Be assured that it will work because it is God’s way. God promises blessings as well as rebuking the devourer.
The storehouse: The local church – where you regularly attend. Tithe where you are fed, have fellowship and receive ministry. This is where you turn to in times of trouble and blessing. Tithe to your storehouse – undesignated, it belongs to God.
Important fact about tithe: while it is not primarily a money making project, it IS God’s revealed way to support the church. When all of God’s people tithe, the church is relieved of all the gimmicks used to coax money in to the treasury. Tithe, not gimmick, is God’s way.
“Will a man rob God?” Who of us would think of sticking a gun in God’s face and stealing from Him? Yet, that’s what God says happens.
There are many more things we could talk about on this subject, but we will stop here for the time.
SO, WHAT DO WE DO AT THIS POINT IN TIME?
Question: Considering that the 90% left in your pocket belongs to God, what does that say about how you spend it?
Question: How do you respond to the person who says, “I can’t afford to tithe”?
For many of us, you are already living in the blessings of faithfully tithing. We can REJOICE IN THE BLESSINGS that we are tithing. We can live expecting God’s continual provision. We can trust God to continue to provide for us as a church fellowship.
How about the ones who don’t tithe? This is not a money-making issue, but obedience to God. It’s a matter of giving God the opportunity to open up the windows of heaven and pour out His blessings.
