Sunday Messages

The power of generosity is beneficial as a witness where no one is too poor to give and no one is too rich to receive.

As we enter our third message on the power of generosity, we want to again affirm that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. Talking about generosity brings its own rewards, but at some point we have to ask—does generosity actually work? Does the theory connect with reality?

Generosity must be more than a good feeling. Somehow it must help us connect with the grit and grime of everyday living. Contemplating the benefits of generosity leads us to a number of penetrating questions. Does generosity make life better? Is generosity a do-gooder’s delusionary proposal to a world that knows better? Is it realistic to think that significant numbers of people will actually embrace generosity in new and greater ways? Does generosity really make a difference in our personal lives and in the lives of those around us?

Many people today truly believe the following mindset when it comes to showing generosity: “If I only had more, I could give more.” That’s the thinking many of us fall into when we consider our own giving habits. When we think like this, though, we miss the point. Generosity doesn’t depend on the possessions we accumulate as much as it does on our attitude toward them. Our first message on generosity affirmed the truth that the sum of what we give isn’t nearly as important as the spirit in which we give it. We are to give cheerfully. We don’t have to be wealthy to enjoy the benefits of generosity, but we do have to be healthy in how we view our possessions, whether few or many.

My parents were basically simple people. Even at the end of their lives, when they had money available to spend on themselves, they were thrifty. They would rather sacrifice for the sake of their family. When we talked, for example, of their desire for a new car they just couldn't make the purchase because it seemed to be so expensive -- even though they could have worked out the deal. When we would talk about their need for taking a long trip together after retirement, they just could not decide to make the investment. When I think of my Mom and Dad who have both entered into glory, I must say that "Mom and Dad were happy. And even with all that they didn't have that was what really mattered. They experienced contentment.”

In our text for this message Paul gives Timothy the formula necessary for experiencing the benefits of the power of generosity. He presents the importance of contentment by showing how it intertwines with another crucial characteristic: godliness. Let’s note this formula in 1 Timothy 6:6…

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Godliness + Contentment = Great Gain

Let’s first look at the contentment portion of the formula:

Contentment =

The means by which Jesus-followers accept God’s

sovereign control over all of life’s circumstances.

The Greek root of content (arkeo), suggests the idea of sufficiency, that something is enough. It’s the intent in life by which Jesus-followers gain an inner God-given sufficiency which does not depend on material circumstances. When what we have—including our financial status, material possessions, and physical appearance—is enough, then we are free from turmoil over our lot in life. We are at peace rather than worried, afraid, panicky, or ruthlessly competitive and greedy. Content does not build into our lives the attitude that says, “Just a little bit more!”

Contentment is not a fanciful “not-a-care-in-the-world” state of mind. It’s not a place where we all want to escape. Where pleasure and play rule the day—like the Hundred Acre Wood, where Winnie the Pooh, after polishing off a whole jar of honey, plops himself against a tree for a sticky, satisfying nap (without losing his job).

God’s Word portrays contentment as a desirable trait, a level of satisfaction every Jesus-follower should experience. Yet contentment functions in the realm of reality; it retains responsibility and righteousness. Properly understood, contentment graces the life of the Jesus-follower and fosters the power of generosity in three ways:

It allows us enjoyment rather than the constant “just a little bit more” striving

It gives us freedom to recognize and applaud another’s achievements without being eaten up with envy

It enables us to develop a genuine spirit of generosity

Now let’s look at the godliness portion of the formula:

Godliness =

The means by which Jesus-followers live their lives with

Christ in clear focus with a prevailing desire to obey God.

Godliness is more than external piety. It speaks of devout persons who internally have their hearts bent toward God. Being godly is to live our lives in such a way as Jesus-followers that we take God seriously, regardless of the circumstances to deliberately pursue holiness.

So if godliness is having a desire to obey God and be like him, perhaps we can get a picture of God’s character and nature by Danny Dutton, age 8, from Chula Vista, California, for his third grade homework assignment to "Explain God."

"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk; He can just leave that to mothers and fathers. God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off. God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have. Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church. Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK. His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore, He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary only more important. You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the times. You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God. Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway. If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared in the dark or when you can't swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids. But you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases. And that's why I believe in God and want to be like Him!”

Paul encourages his young son in the faith that true godliness has a very real reward of its own—especially if it’s enhanced by contentment. Godliness charms the life of the Jesus-follower and cultivates the power of generosity in three ways:

It increases our ability to differentiate between the temporal and the eternal

It increases our sensitivity toward God and other people

It advances a willingness to live within circumstantial limits

1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

In these verses Paul instructs Timothy on the importance of contentment and godliness when enjoying the benefits of generosity. Contentment and godliness have to do with recognizing in our minds and in our hearts the sufficiency of what we have—especially what we have richly received by God for our enjoyment. And that recognition of great gain carries with it many benefits.

Deep Contentment, Wide Witness!

When we realize as Jesus-followers the vastness of our resources through God, that the eternal riches of heaven is God’s gift to us, we won’t be miserly with the things we have. In fact, there will rest in our lives a deep contentment that will produce a wide witness. In short, we will experience with eagerness and freedom to share the benefits of the power of generosity.

The power of generosity rooted in godly contentment has some priceless benefits. Let’s rejoin Paul in 1 Timothy 6 to see how these benefits become apparent.

We hold temporal things loosely

7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

Since we enter this world carrying nothing, wearing nothing, owning nothing, and we leave the same way, why should we cling to our earthly goods? Generosity rooted in godly contentment allows us to know that all we have in between life and death on planet earth comes from God’s kind hands.

We keep our essentials to a minimum

8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

We may enter this world in our birthday suit and exit this world without a U-haul trailer behind our hearse, but we all need certain possessions for survival upon our sojourn here. For example, we need food, water, clothing, and shelter. These are essentials. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to own a car, SUV, an iPOd, or jewelry. But we should never depend on them for our contentment. The “one who dies with the most toys wins” attitude promotes an empty life because it never satisfies. It starts with the “need” to have a bigger, more expensive car. Then a boat. Then a summer home or two. Then… satisfaction eludes us. We have made luxuries into essentials. However, a generosity rooted in godly contentment, helps us keep focused on what’s really necessary for ourselves—and what’s needed for changing our world for Christ.

We withstand the appealing allure of greed

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Those of us who are driven by the love of money have as our guiding light the glitter of silver and gold, which lures us to our destruction. Let’s note what wise Solomon said in Proverbs 28:20, 22…

20 A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished… 22 The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.

The lure of money is even strong enough to entice some away from the faith, leaving the debris of broken promises and relationships in its wake. However, we must be careful in the context of Paul’s words on godly contentment. The love of money isn’t the only thing that entices people today. Our God-given resources can entangle us in negative ways. In fact, we could personalize verse ten by just filling in the blank... “The love of __________ is the root of all kinds of evil.” What is it that we love more than placing Christ in clear focus with a prevailing desire to obey God? Is it family, job, school, car, home, etc?

We must notice that money or any other influence is not the problem; our attitude toward it is the problem. Things are amoral, neither good nor bad. But the “love of ______________” is the root of all kinds of evil and leads to destruction. If we put it another way, it’s not what we have that causes problems, it’s what has us! When we have a contented, generous spirit, God has us and our possessions, and greed has no place to take root.

“Fertilizer does no good in a heap, but a little spread around works miracles all over.”

--Percy Ross.

We cultivate a lifestyle that is truly joyful

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

What about those Jesus-followers who are already rich? How are they to view their wealth? Well Paul says that the rich are to avoid being arrogant, looking down on those who have less. They’re not to fix their false hope on a false security. We are all to see our possessions as belonging to God and given by him for his glory and our enjoyment. Yes, our enjoyment! God is not a joy-withholder, but a pleasure-provider. God just doesn’t want us to be deceived by the world’s false joys that turn bitter the morning after they are experienced. Rather, God wants us to realize that an absence of smugness plus the presence of security will equal true, lasting joy. As Jesus-followers, it's not what we have that makes the difference; it's what we make of what we have that makes the difference.

Mother Teresa tells a wonderful story about a newly married couple who came to the Missionaries of Charity house in Mumbai, India, and gave a large amount of money: I asked them, “Where did you get so much money?” They answered, “We got married two days ago. Before we got married we had decided not to celebrate the wedding with all the fine accessories. We decided not to buy wedding clothes, not to have a fancy reception or an extravagant honeymoon. We wanted to give you the money we saved.” I know what such a decision meant, especially for a Hindu family. That is why I asked them, “But how did you think of such a thing?” They replied, “We have so much, and we love each other so much that we wanted to share the joy of our love with those you serve.” To share—what a beautiful thing!

Caring for others makes a powerful difference in the lives of those who choose generosity. The generous attitude of this young couple reminds us that no one is too poor to give and no one is too rich to receive. God's truth is a great foundation for building a life and legacy that witness wide, indeed. The real question is what will we pursue in our lives and beyond? Money or any God-given resource for that matter can be a gift if we pursue it for the sake of those things that really have eternal values. That's what that young couple did, my parents did, and apparently many others in our country are following suit. That's why Jesus spends so much time calling us to responsible stewardship of our wealth. It's the invitation from God to have the whole of our lives point to what will ultimately matter.

An Incredible Moment with a Little Boy and Jesus

Let’s close this message again with another worthy example of generosity. It involves the giving of a lunch from one little boy to Jesus in order to feed one large crowd. The Gospel writer records it in John 6:9…

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Miracles are the common currency of heaven. The feeding of the five thousand was just a little loose change spilling from the hole in its pocket. The disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowd away. Jesus wanted his followers to provide the resources to meet their need for food. To the followers of Jesus this request was “impossible, can’t be done.” However Andrew goes to a little more trouble to search for a solution.

Andrew doesn’t look at what can’t be done but at the little that can be done. In doing so, he finds a poor boy with five flat loaves of coarsely ground barley bread and a couple of fish in a wicker basket. “But how far will they go among so many?” What the disciples don’t see is that impossible situations are not solved by how much we have in our wallets, purses or in our baskets. Not by how adequate our bank account or how abundant our assets. Impossibilities are solved by miracles—pennies from heaven. And Jesus had a pocket full. That is where the disciples were to go to get bread.

So Jesus turns to the boy. He doesn’t have much. And what he has isn’t the best. It’s the food of the poor; bread made from barley, not wheat; salted-down sardines, not fish filets. But what this boy has is enough for Jesus. For the surrender of a little boy and the compassion of a Savior are all that’s needed for this miracle.

And the same is true for us as we seek the benefits of generosity! It can be an incredible moment for us. Jesus takes whatever we have, though small, and multiplies it to meet the needs of many. We confess that sometimes we feel so inadequate to meet the crowd of needs that surround us. Like that little boy with the lunch basket, we feel that the loaves we have are so small and the fish, so few. Yet, God will manifest his power through the weak things of this world.

What are the benefits of generosity? We must do good, be rich in good works, be ready to share, and store up good treasures of a good foundation for the future. We don’t have much, but we give what we have. May the Lord take our coarsely-ground lives and the small skills that accompany them. May the Lord take them into his hands, bless them, multiply them, and us them for God’s glory and for the good of others. Amen!

The power of generosity is seen in ordinary people who are driven by an extraordinary desire and attitude to help others, strategically sharing Christ’s Gospel.

As we enter our second message on the power of generosity, we want to be reminded that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. On this Mission Awareness Sunday, we want to identify the generous that are called to advance Christ’s kingdom work, not only in the Covina Valley but to the ends of the world.

Generous people are everywhere, but their stories are not told often enough. Who are they and where do they come from? Sometimes it’s children who give us the most powerful examples.

Five-year-old Madelyn, at her own initiative, prays for poor people every night. Her simple prayer, “God, don’t help us any; just help the poor people,” reflects child-like simplicity and a concern that touches her family in a special way. And Madelyn has put her prayer into action by giving her small savings of five dollars to help those in need. In her example there is a deep truth about child-like compassion and daily persistence. Her power of generosity is both felt and expressed.

Children have an uncanny way of connecting their thoughts with their actions. For them, if you really mean it, you will do something about it. As adults, we sometimes fail to act because we see all the complexities. It’s not uncommon for our knowledge to paralyze our expression of generosity. Analysis may bring paralysis!

There is a certain mystery around those who practice generosity. Why is it that certain people are generous? On the one hand it is clear that they give because they believe it is right and good. At the same time it is also apparent that they receive some personal satisfaction from giving in this way. Those who are willing to sacrifice even suffer for the cause of Jesus Christ, such as our missionaries around the world, put their lives on the line for what they believe. It cannot be denied that they receive personal satisfaction in giving of themselves. But they also receive a power beyond themselves. It’s a power that causes them to live beyond their means for the sake of a needy world.

A town in Southern Florida was recently battered one night by hurricane-force winds. In the morning, after the storm had ceased, the citizens returned to their homes to assess the damage. The power of the storm quickly became clear to one investigator who was literally dumbfounded by an incredible discovery. Mouths dropped open as people came to check out his report: a common long-playing record driven deep into a telephone pole by the night’s vicious winds. Obviously, under normal conditions, a flimsy plastic record could never penetrate a telephone pole. But the tremendous power of the wind had driven the record into the wood like a spike.

This true encounter with nature helps us as Jesus-followers to wonder if we can ever make a difference living in an ungodly world. We wonder if we can effectively penetrate our cynical culture with the power of generosity. How can we make a lasting impression with the good news God has given us to proclaim? The answer lies in the source of our power. If we rely on our own strength and methods, then no, we cannot make much of a difference. However, if we choose to be driven by God’s limitless power, we become like that record in the hurricane where nothing can stop us. We can indeed make a dramatic difference through the power of generosity.

Power =

The means by which Jesus-followers

perform to turn their world rightside up for God.

The word for power is the Greek word dunamis, from which we get the words dynamite, dynamic, and dynamo. It describes that which is dynamic and potent, something that can turn ordinary Jesus-followers into extraordinary Jesus-followers. Because of the nature of dunamis, it is important to understand the principle that God didn’t pour out the power of the Holy Spirit to make us feel something but to help us accomplish something. God’s power is practical power. We can enjoy the good feelings that come with generosity, but we don’t let the lack of feelings prevent us from stepping out in the power of the Spirit to do what God wants us to do.

It’s likened to the difference between dynamite and a dynamo. A stick of dynamite explodes and makes a big impact only in seconds, then it is all over. In fact, used in an unwise manner, dynamite can ruin our whole day! A dynamo, a machine designed to generate power so work can be accomplished, just keeps running. Sometimes God’s power is like dynamite in our lives, blasting us emotionally, jolting us out of our complacency, motivating us to some great act of generosity in ministry. We see a lot of these explosions in the early church. But in between these explosive moments, God’s power is like a strong, steady-running motor inside us that helps us live from day to day at a level we can’t achieve in our own strength. We must never underestimate the importance of God’s explosive “dynamite power” in our giving. But by the same token, we must be aware that God’s dynamic “dynamo power” is available every moment and every day to help us be what God wants us to be; to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish.

Acts 1:4-8

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

In these verses Luke records the words of Jesus before he ascends to the Father. Jesus assures his closest followers of a plan that would begin to change the world. Jesus relieves them of their fears and tells them of a new approach by which they were to turn the world rightside up. They would need to trust the plan and the timing to the Sovereign of the universe.

Power for a Purpose

The early church impacted their world so dramatically. They were power-packed! It’s wonderful to know that the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead, gave the earlier followers of Jesus a generosity that instilled boldness, saved unbelievers, and met the physical needs of those around them.

Jesus assures his followers that the generous are characterized by a dynamic difference in two ways:

The promise of God’s power enables us to wait

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Where did the early followers of Jesus find the power to turn their world rightside up for God? The first group had to wait for it. Shortly before his ascension Jesus told his followers that they were not yet fully equipped for the task of showing the power of generosity through world evangelism. They needed power beyond themselves. This power would come with the gift from the Holy Spirit. For that reason Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until the power he promised them arrived.

Furthermore, the followers of Jesus didn’t yet understand what Jesus was doing. They asked Jesus when he would establish an earthly kingdom to overthrow the Romans. This was the hope they nurtured all along. When Jesus was crucified, their expectation for a messianic kingdom on earth was dashed. But with Jesus’ resurrection, their hopes were revived. So they pressed Jesus on the issue again.

The path of God’s power enables us to witness

7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

How were the early followers of Jesus going to use the power to turn their world rightside up for God? The first group had not only to wait for it, but they had to witness to it. Jesus didn’t answer their question directly about the time of kingdom restoration, but instead Jesus told them that it was not in his authority to know.

Jesus told them that only the Father had put the time of kingdom restoration in his own authority. Jesus clearly told them not to be concerned about when his earthly kingdom would be established. They were just to focus their attention on what they should be doing while they await it. They were to wait in Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit in order to one day witness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The word witness is used 29 times in the book of Acts as either a verb or a noun. Witnesses are those who tell others what they have seen and heard. Likewise, Jesus-followers are empowered to proclaim what we have seen and heard about our Savior. Witnessing involves the power of generosity; telling and showing others what Christ has done for us and what he has shown us in his Word.

In verse 8 we have the strategy to perform the power. We must remember that Jesus does not only give us the steps in succession, but the overall plan is to be implemented simultaneously! Jesus followers must speak up, speak for, and speak out this plan in four distinct ways.

Let’s pay special attention to the significance of the order in Acts 1:8…

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

The first stop will be Jerusalem. Jerusalem was home base for the church, representing her own backyard. Our Jerusalem is the neighborhood and Covina Valley where we live.

The second stop will be Judea. This area was located all around Jerusalem, representing the follower’s larger community. Our Judea may encompass the county or state where our town is located.

The third stop will be Samaria. This province north of Judea was home to a racially mixed segment of the people that the Jews despised. It was definitely “the other side of the tracks.” Our Samaria may be racially-mixed Southern California where people of different ethnic groups, cultures, or socioeconomic levels live.

The fourth stop will be the Ends of the Earth. Many of Jesus’ followers left familiar surroundings and traveled great distances as his witnesses. This area represents global outreach far beyond our borders.

God can still work the power of generosity in the lives of Jesus-followers today as he worked in the first century church. Let’s consider the nation of China. Beginning in the nineteenth century, Western missionaries ministered to the people of that country for 100 years and reaped about 800,000 converts. Then the communist revolution took place and Mao Tse-tung threw out the Westerners. Chinese Christians lost their churches and Bibles. Many Jesus-followers were tortured and even put to death for their faith. Western Christians wondered whether the church in China would survive the intense persecution. So how did these Chinese Jesus-followers fare under 40 years of communist rule with almost none of the resources we consider essential?

When Western missionaries were readmitted into the country and allowed to see how the Chinese church had managed during those turbulent years, they were astonished. The church had not floundered; it had flourished, increasing by as many as 75 million converts! It has been said, “If the Holy Spirit were taken away from China about 90 percent of what they do would come to a halt. But if the Holy Spirit were taken away from today’s Western church, only 10 percent of what it does would cease.” We’re not seeing the same results as those Jesus-followers in China because we’re not relying on the same power they did. How did they do it? They got back to the basics, took God at his Word, and laid hold of the same power the early church employed. Vance Havner once said, “We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it, but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.“ The Chinese church, thriving and advancing even under communism, is living proof of his words. This power is still available to the church.

No matter how sincere our intentions may be, we must be attentive to the power of the Spirit in our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Sometimes we don’t need to cross the sea to be a witness; we can start by crossing the street! Sometimes we don’t need to cling to our hometown in self-absorption when God calls us to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Our mission field is all around us. However, if we are not willing to be witnesses where we live, we can’t expect God to give us opportunities elsewhere. Let’s be faithful where we are and God may open even greater opportunities for us to unleash the power of generosity in other ministry places.

Two Seas. There are two seas in Palestine. One is fresh, and fish are in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its healing waters. Along its shores the children play, as children played when Jesus was there. He loved it. He could look across its silver surface when he spoke his parables. And on a rolling plain not far away he fed five thousand people. The River Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills. So it laughs in the sunshine. And people build their houses near to it, and birds their nests; and every kind of life is happier because it is there. The River Jordan flows on south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children's laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above its water, and neither human nor beast nor fowl will drink. What makes this mighty difference in these neighbor seas? Not the river Jordan. It empties the same good water into both. Not the soil in which they lie, not the country about. This is the difference. The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it another drop flows out. The giving and receiving go on in equal measure. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not be tempted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing. It is named The Dead.

There are two seas in Palestine. So there must be inflow and outflow. There are two kinds of people in the world. The openhanded are characterized by inflow and outflow, but the tightfisted are characterized by inflow and no go. Those who are generous inflow and outflow through the power of the Spirit. Dunamis is not an impersonal force that hoards; Dunamis is God’s Holy Spirit that helps. It exercises God’s power in our lives. People of power are those who are gracious. They are people of the Spirit. If we want God’s power flooding our lives, we need God’s Spirit flooding our lives.

An Incredible Moment with the King

Let’s close this message with another worthy example of generosity. It involves the King’s Urgent Text-Message to be generous by committing to the Great Commission. The Gospel writer records it in Matthew 28:18-20…

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The King’s Urgent Text-Message.

Reader 1: There once was a king who came to rule a very large kingdom. Within the kingdom were peoples of every tribe and language, and it was so far-flung and diverse that outside the local calling area most people had never even heard the king’s name. This grieved the king very much because he longed for a personal relationship with each of his subjects.

Reader 2: One day the king announced that he would be going away on important business. But while he would be away he had an urgent text-message that he needed delivered throughout the land. In it the king would introduce himself and would invite all who were willing to join his newly-established network.

Reader 3: Delivering this message would not be an easy task—in part because the king’s network was small and new, and roaming had yet to be established. But the king assured his small band of local subscribers that over time it would come to include every people group.

Reader 4: And leaving nothing to chance, the king laid out the business plan to be followed in building this global network: They would begin by adding new subscribers in the local calling area and would expand out from there. They were to remain passionate and focused until the task was completed, and the network would finally include subscribers from every tribe, people and language. And all this must happen before the king’s return.

Reader 5: I wish you could know just how passionate the king felt about this task. He said it was as important as life itself. He said it would require sacrifice and perseverance. He wasn’t merely offering ideas of what to do while he was away; he was giving a commission. He talked about it right up until it was time for him to leave. And then he was gone.

Reader 2: Early on, it was truly remarkable how well the plan worked, even though both new and existing subscribers often faced severe difficulties and opposition.

Reader 1: As the king’s friends remained passionate and focused, the network added daily those who were subscribing.

Reader 5: Over time, however, some members forgot the joy they had felt as new subscribers, and the urgent task of delivering the king’s message began to take second place to other priorities.

Reader 3: There were houses to build and careers to advance. Some simply lost sight of the business plan or lost the passion and focus to complete the task.

Reader 4: Others became content to congregate together in the areas where there were already the most subscribers, and eventually only a small number were roaming to the most distant areas with the king’s urgent message.

Reader 1: At last the time began nearing for the king’s return.

Reader 2: But there was still so much to be done!

Reader 3: Many in the distant areas had not yet heard the king’s message.

Reader 4: Other areas had millions of new subscribers who couldn’t understand all the amazing features of the king’s network because there was no one to tell them.

Reader 5: If only the king’s friends could see the big picture of what must be done before his approaching return.

Reader 2: Yes, if only we could.

Reader 1: Engage roaming.

Reader 5: Teach networking.

Reader 3: Embrace the king.

Reader 4: Remain focused.

All: Stay faithful!

Who are the gracious? They are ordinary people who are driven by an extraordinary desire and attitude to help others. They can be children, teenagers, adults, and senior citizens. They cross every religious and cultural boundary to share the Gospel of Christ. Some work in environments that are more favorable toward generosity, but even in the worst places the spark to care for others shines brightly. The call to be generous is an investment that pays dividends to those who step out in faith. No one needs to despair that generosity is reserved only for those who have a good education or a special personality. Generosity is for everyone. All it takes is a willing spirit and the courage to be used for something greater than ourselves. Amen!

The power of generosity is a loving call to action, providing realistic ways for all Jesus-followers looking to be more giving in their lives.

 

Introduction

 

Perhaps we can all identify with the following scenario.  “It’s my truck!”  “But you weren’t playing with it; you were outside. Can’t I play with it?”  “No!  It’s my truck!”  Getting a child to share a treasured toy is no easy task.  Children are protective of their toys even when they are not playing with them.  They fear that once little sister curls her fingers around the toy, it’s as good as gone.  Mom’s or Dad’s intervention and coercion may conceive a child to let it go, but the child still won’t be happy about it.

 

That’s how many Jesus-followers act when it comes to showing generosity.  “It’s my treasure!  It’s my time!  It’s my life!”  And when we do share these resources with others, we often do so grudgingly, without joy.  Our time, talent and treasures are not toys to be grasped; they are gifts to be shared.  In fact, God delights in our sharing them; God loves a cheerful giver.

 

There’s a better way to live and give.  It’s called the power of generosity.  It’s simply God’s way.  It starts in the heart, with a deep appreciation for all that God has given us—eternal treasures as well as material provisions for today.  That appreciation, then, flows into our family, our church, our community, and our world through our generous and joyful giving. 

 

This series of messages entitled The power of Generosity reminds us that generosity includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world.  For in a world of grinding poverty and humanitarian crisis, people of action are needed—people who have had enough of words.  Generosity is one of the most neglected virtues in our culture today.  We live in a world that often prefers grabbing to giving.

 

There is a cultural message that repeats itself daily: “You are what you own.”  There are many categories of our life: Our time, our possessions, our money, and our talents.  Our consumer mentality is an overwhelming one, but of course there is an alternative.  There are millions of people who are generous and practice generosity daily.  We need more like them.  So generosity touches every relationship on a daily basis. This series hopefully will lift our hearts and sustain our spirits so that together we can build a future for ourselves, and our children.  Time is short but the opportunities are endless!

 

There is a touching story about a bus that was bumping along a back road in the south. In one seat an older gentleman sat holding a bunch of fresh flowers. Across the aisle was a young girl whose eyes came back, again and again to the man's flowers. The time came for the old man to get off. Impulsively he thrust the flowers into the girl's lap. "I can see you love the flowers," he explained, "and I think my wife would like for you to have them. I'll tell her I gave them to you."

The girl accepted the flowers, then watched the old man get off the bus and walk through the gate of a small cemetery.

This story has something to say about intimate relationships.  But it has more to say about the way we understand possessions and the way that we see our place in the world.

The dictionary defines generous as “of a noble nature, willing to give or share; large, ample; liberal or open handed.”  The focus is on the freewill nature of the gift, which contrasts with the duty-like quality of charity.  In Western culture, generosity has strong roots in the biblical concept of a Creator God who offers life to humankind as a gift.  God is not required to offer us the gift of life.  However, God grants the gift of life that flows from his generous heart.

 

Generosity =

 

The quality of a Jesus-follower which is displayed by carefully

 managing one’s God-given resources so as to freely give to those in need.

 

The Bible identifies generous persons as those to emulate in Proverbs 11:25…

 

A generous person will prosper;

 Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

 

Generosity is about relationship.  It is a lubricant in our dealings with one another.  Generosity frees us up to build a more cooperative future, improve our emotional and physical health, and simply make life more fun.  Generous acts have the unique ability to lift us to a higher level where we are more redemptive; more the persons we really want to be.

 

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”  --Norman MacEwan.

 

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give.  I am afraid that the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.” –C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  7 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.  8 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.  

9 As it is written:  "They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever." 10 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. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.   12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, people will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

In these verses Paul instructs the Corinthian Christians in the grace of generosity.  Generosity does something for others because it relieves their need.  It does something for ourselves because it guarantees our profession as Jesus-followers.  It does something for God because it makes prayers of thanksgiving go up to him for his indescribable gift in Jesus Christ.

The Grace of Generosity

 

Our motive for generosity is God’s spiritual blessings in our lives, but our measure for generosity is God’s material blessings.  The grace of generosity is a matter of faith: we obey God and believe that he will meet our needs as we help to meet the needs of others.

 

Paul expresses the truth that generous people have a heart for others that flows from the heart of God giving him glory.

 

The law of generosity

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Paul says that we can either show generosity gracefully or grudgingly.  Let’s note the comparison:

Sow sparingly, reap sparingly.  Few seeds of grace, small harvest of blessing.

Sow generously, reap generously.  Many seeds of grace, great harvest of blessing.

The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked for alms from Alexander the Great as he passed by. The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a solicitous hand. Yet the Emperor placed in the beggar’s hand several gold coins. An aristocrat was astonished at his generosity and commented, “Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a beggar’s need. Why give him gold?” Alexander responded in royal fashion, “Copper coins would suit the beggar’s need, but gold coins suit Alexander’s generosity.”

 

The heart of generosity

7 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.

Paul says that we can mark our generosity by being either cheerful or grumpy.  Let’s note the marks of a heart of generosity:

Generosity is marked by choice

Generosity is marked by compliance

Generosity is marked by cheerfulness

We must never give as a result of attitude of reluctance or pressure, but that God loves the person who gives cheerfully.  As stewards of all of God’s blessings, it isn’t enough that we legalistically calculate a tithe of all our time, talents, and treasures and grudgingly turn them over to God.  God wants us to have a generous and giving heart and spirit.  As we go about our daily lives we need to cultivate a cheerful attitude toward generosity, if we don’t have one.  Generosity isn’t supposed to hurt.  It’s supposed to feel good.  As we practice it, giving full control of our lives to God, he does change our attitudes toward generosity, and in the end cheerful giving of our time, talents, treasures—of our lives becomes a way of life to God’s glory and honor!

The blessings of generosity

8 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.  

Paul says that we have a promise from God that, if a person really wants to be generous, God will see that he or she is given the opportunity.  Let’s note the absoluteness; the “alls” of the promise:

God is able to make blessing flourish in us

God is able to supply in all things at all times all our needs

God is able to make us thrive in every good work

Emphasize the benefits!  According to the people we know in marketing, this is the key to good advertising.  Make sure people see the benefits that accrue if they buy our product.  We can imagine that seeing the benefits makes it tough for an ad agency trying to sell cigarettes.  And for a preacher trying to sell generosity!  Paul, however, was a master salesman.  He stuck strictly to the truth.  He didn’t push.  And yet he made it clear that joyful generosity has tremendous spiritual blessings.

God is able to supply us with benefits; blessings so that we will not only have a sufficiency ourselves, but so that we will be able to share what we have with others and thus have abundance for every good work.

The rewards of generosity

9 As it is written:  "They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever." 10 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. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God... 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Paul says that those who show generosity to others will harvest certain results.  Let’s note the rewards:

God supplies us with more so we can give more

Our generosity meets the needs of others and communicates the grace of God

The hearts of others will be enlarged to us

God will receive thanksgiving for his indescribable gift

It is certainly clear from these rewards that we never impoverish ourselves by showing generosity.  Rather every act of generosity has a reflex action, and the reward is all out of proportion to the gift given.  Jesus-followers will be lubricated through our generosity for further displays of liberality.

But is seems to us that as Paul reaches the end of his section on generosity, he is compelled to think of the greatest Giver of all—God himself.  He thinks of the greatest gift of all—the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul knows that the remembrance of this gift will do more than all his argument to stimulate the generosity of those who have received the immeasurable blessing. And so he would leave his Corinthian believers and us as well on this high note.  We are children of God and followers of Jesus.  Then let us follow such a worthy example!

An Incredible Moment at the Feet of Jesus

Pour my love on you.  Let’s close this message with a worthy example of generosity.  It involves Mary and Jesus in an eye to eye encounter.  The apostle records in John 12:3…

“Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” 

What extravagance!  What love!  What devotion!  What a waste!  The disciples were shocked, especially Judas.  And Mary did get carried away with her heart of generosity toward Jesus.  No one had ever done anything like this before.  Mary Magdalene had washed Jesus’ feet with her tears (Luke 7), but Mary had broken open the alabaster jar containing her most precious ointment and poured all of it on Jesus’ feet.  It was an act of generosity in its truest sense.  It was an act of worship—sheer devotion to her Master.

The perfume (pure oil of nard) was so strong that it saturated the room.  There was no question about what she had done; everyone could smell it.  The group’s eyes probably began to water and their noses may have stopped up as the aroma of sweet perfume filled the room.  The whole incident is a true picture of generosity.  Mary held nothing back in her willingness to follow a loving call to action, providing a no-nonsense way to be more generous in her life before Jesus.

We might say that perfume and cologne is quite expensive today.  We all have our favorites.  But would we willingly pour out our costly perfume or cologne that represents a year’s wages in an act of generosity? That’s a huge expression of giving. However, Mary bowed herself before her Lord and poured out every last drop in honor of him.  True generosity unites us to the very heart of God.  It joins us to the heavenly host who worship in his presence continually.    Like Mary, we must be so filled with adoration and wonder that generosity breaks forth from our hearts.  We must brake open our lives before Jesus because God has broken open our hearts.  The fragrance of our lives must gush forth because our hearts refuse to bottle up our love for the Savior.

A.W. Tozer calls such generosity the “gaze of faith” when the inward eyes of a person are raised to meet the all-seeing eyes of God.  Then he quotes Nicolas of Cusa, who wrote four centuries ago: “All my devotion is turned toward you because all your devotion is turned toward me.  I look unto you alone with all my attention…because you have looked toward me alone.  And what, Lord, is my life, save that embrace wherein your sweetness so lovingly enfolds me.”

Will generosity save our lives?  Yes, it can be an essential element in enriching our lives, building a more cooperative future, improving our emotional and physical health, and simply making life more fun.  It’s also a very serious business because our culture is showing strains of violence, poverty, selfishness, and neglect.  Generosity is an attitude that puts heart in our obligation to care for others.  Generosity from those who have abundance is part of the solution.  While the numbers of Jesus-followers is growing, there is a pressing need to nurture and recruit yet more Jesus-followers in this way to change our life together.  The generosity journey is looking for more travelers.  The journey begins with the willingness to be broken and poured out at the feet of Jesus.  Amen!

Jesus-followers demonstrate their commitment to Christ by becoming authentic ministers in the world by transmitting kingdom service into action and translating words into deeds. This message series on Connections is enabling us as Jesus-followers to be faithful, fruitful, and fulfilled in a meaningful place of service in the body of Christ. We are discovering that our Servant-Profile is made up of our spiritual gifts, personal styles, and God-given passions for serving in the church.

We have spent our last five messages exploring the importance of committing our lives to God as living sacrifices, desiring to be used of God by having a sober estimate of ourselves, by discovering our spiritual gifts, affirming our God-given personal styles, and monitoring our heartbeats by our ministry passions which help us make a difference for kingdom service in the body of Christ. Paul is disclosing to us through Romans 12 how God designed the church to function as a body of Christ, serving each other with Spiritual gifts, personal styles, and ministry passions.

Finding the Sweet Spot. To find one of the "sweet spots" on a baseball bat we need a bat, a hammer, and preferably a friend. We hold the bat, hanging down, loosely between our thumb and index finger, just below the knob on the bat's handle. We have a friend tap the bat gently with a hammer, starting at the fat end and moving toward the handle. (We can also do it ourselves, although it's easier and more fun with a friend.) We should feel a vibration in our fingers whenever the bat is struck, except when the "node"(the place where the waves will always cancel each other out) is hit; then we'll feel nothing. We may also notice a slightly different sound when the node is struck. What is going on? When we hit a ball just right, we've hit it on the "sweet spot" of the bat. This sweet spot relates to vibration. Whenever an object is struck, it vibrates in response. These vibrations travel in waves up and down the length of the object. If we hit the ball on the bat's node, the vibrations from the impact will cancel out, and we won't feel any stinging or shaking in our hands. Since little of the bat's energy is lost to vibrations when this spot is hit, more energy can go to the ball. Therefore, the ball is driven farther. When a ball hits the node, we don't feel any vibration in our hand. When it hits the center of percussion, our hand doesn't feel any force pushing against it. The challenge for young players is to learn where the sweet spot is and why it matters—mostly in how the ball feels when hit. Why? Because if the contact is less painful, then a hitter will develop confidence, a willingness to hit the ball even on cold days! So, while the study of finding the sweep spot is based on physics research, and began with a tennis racquet, it has some very practical applications in the batter's box during a game.

The same is true for Jesus-followers when we consider kingdom service within the body of Christ. If we can discover the “sweet spot” where our Spiritual gifts, personal styles, and ministry passions all converge, then ministry will become less painful, we will develop more confidence, and foster a willingness to serve in the toughest of ministry situations.

 

Kingdom Service =

“Ministry in the body of Christ which extends itself beyond the walls of the church, and reaches into the community and the world.”

Along with the Spiritual gifts, personal styles and ministry passions, God gives us as Jesus-followers this “sweet spot” that helps us discover the place to serve in the body of Christ. Our “sweet spot” gives us opportunity to serve in our uniqueness, in everyday life, and for God’s glory. Church service is often limited to ministry that is expended within the walls of the church like on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Kingdom service reaches beyond the walls of the church into the community and the world. This kingdom service goes beyond church services and classes and expands into ministries like our Preschool, Cody’s Courtyard, Harvest Festivals, and cross-cultural missions.

Romans 12:14-21¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior. ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Paul concludes his instruction in Romans 12 by highlighting the Jesus-follower’s kingdom service to the community. In these verses, Paul describes proper kingdom service toward persecutors, toward all people in general, and even toward our enemies.

Cure for the Common Life

Our passage is a continuation of the passage which began in verse 9. There, Paul sounded the theme when he said, "Love must be sincere." What this entire section is talking about is the exercise and extensions of grace, both to our brothers and sisters, and to the world, even our enemies. The keynote is love. That is the determining factor in both our attitudes and actions when it comes to kingdom service. The love of God motivates us. It leads us to possess the correct attitudes toward the world, and to portray the correct actions as well.

Paul offers a series of attitudes to possess and actions to portray wherewith to provide a cure for the common life. We can observe several of these attitudes that govern our relationships with one another in Romans 12:14-21…

The cure for the common life is two-fold:

1.  Kingdom service emerges from essential attitudes we possess

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior.

What are the attitudes to possess toward all people, even the world, and how are they manifested in daily living? Well, we have already stated that the love of God is the foundational attitude which undergirds all other attitudes Jesus-followers must posses. These are manifested in three important ways.

There is an unexpected response. If we take a stand as a Jesus-follower in Christ, one thing is certain: we will encounter opposition from the world. This persecution comes in various forms, from subtle to overt. It can be as simple as not being included in a certain circle of friends, to being ridiculed publicly before our coworkers and associates.

How are we to respond to those who persecute us? Well, the natural reaction of one who does not know Christ is to strike back, to call down the curse of God upon them. But this is not the Jesus-follower’s response. According to verse 14, we are to bless those who persecute us. The word for bless in Greek means “to speak well” of a person. The word in English, "eulogize," is taken from this Greek word. So, to bless those who persecute us, is to eulogize them, to speak well of them. That is the Jesus-follower’s response and it is an unexpected response. It testifies to the world that we are different. This is the character of Christ. Indeed, he practiced what he preached. On the cross, he prayed for those who crucified him there.

There is an unchanged identification.What we are being told in verse 15 is that we need to be involved in the lives of those we wish to reach. Jesus-followers are "people who care." We don’t just care about ourselves, but about others. We should care about those things which cause people to rejoice, and about those things which cause people to weep. We should care so much that we get caught up in their lives. We must have an unchanged identification with the human condition. By unchanged, we mean that it must be real, not put on. We cannot act like we care. We must really care. “People generally don’t care who we know, they just want to know we care!”

In John’s Gospel, we see Jesus portrayed as one who rejoiced and wept with people. His first "sign" was performed at a wedding. His last “sign” was performed at a funeral. One in life’s gladdest hour, the other in life’s saddest. Here again, Jesus is our example. He identified with sinners — not with their sin, but with the human struggle to break free from sin and to live for God. Jesus didn’t identify with sinners in order to leave them in their sin and neither should we. Rather, we must identify with them in order to lead them out of sin into a new life with Christ.

There is an unaffected humility.The lesson in verse 16 is clear. It is simply — don’t be proud. To be conceited is contrary to true Christian character. A true Jesus-follower must never be proud. Here, Jesus is our example again. He said, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." (Matthew 11:29) There are so many ways that pride can puff up the Jesus-follower. There’s the pride of birth and rank; wealth; respectability; personal appearance; reputation; learning; success; ability; self-will; and intellect. We could go on and on. Jesus never succumbed to any of these false influences of superiority in his life and ministry. Neither should we be affected by the world’s false standards of pride.

2.  Kingdom service materializes through elemental actions we portray

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

God’s love is not only foundational to our attitudes, but it is foundational to our actions as well. Not only do Jesus-followers have attitudes to possess, but they also have actions to portray. Love is the motivating factor in both.

There is an unmistakable righteousness.As Jesus-Followers, we must be committed to righteousness, not only in theory, but in practice. We must be committed to righteousness as an absolute for the Christian life. Our commitment to doing right should never depend on the commitment or lack of commitment of anyone else. We are exhorted in verse 17 never to pay back evil for evil to anyone, but to respect what is right in the sight of everyone.

So much of the world lives with what is called "situation ethics." “Situation ethics” proclaims a relativistic view of right and wrong based on the circumstance, not on the precepts of God. Therefore, the standard we follow is not the standard of culture around us. We follow a higher directive, an absolute higher standard. It is the standard of God. And while many in the world reject this standard, they also recognize it. We are judged by a higher standard, even by the world. So, it is important that we be committed to doing right, not just in theory, but in practice.

There is an undeniable peacemaking.We notice the thrust of verse 18. It is not simply a command to be at peace with everyone, because the command is qualified by specific language. There are two phrases which qualify it: The first is "if it is possible." This seems to indicate that it may not be possible to live at peace with some people.

Indeed, some people set themselves against us as our enemy. Every effort we may endeavor to make peace changes nothing. They have made a decision that they are against us, and it seems impossible to change that decision. So we are reminded, firstly, that it may not be possible to live at peace with everyone. But we are commanded that if it is possible, we need to make the effort.

The second phrase is "as far as it depends on you." Here, we are commanded to not let the fault lie with us. If there is something that we can do about it, we need to take action. This is what is called an undaunted peacemaking. Peacemaking should be free from the overwhelming influence of others, even those with whom we are trying to make peace. It should be a fearlesseffort on our part, made because we are endeavoring to be obedient to God.

There is an uncalculated approach.Revenge is always outside the will of God. It is so, not only because the Lord reserves vengeance for himself, but because of what it does to us when we become vengeful. The motto, "Don’t get mad, get even," may sound cute, but it works devastation at a deep emotional level in the lives of those who practice it. Verse 19 instructs us to entrust our cause into the hands of the Lord. God is the only one who can judge the motives as well as the action. And God has taken note of those things which have been done to us. We must remember that no one gets away with anything, ever.

Verse 20 says that we seek to portray actions motivated out of the love of God. We must act at the basic level of human need. If our enemies are hungry, we must feed them; if they are thirsty, we must give them a drink. We are called on to find a need and fill it. The examples given here are only typical of two of the most basic needs of life. But there are many other needs we can meet as well. This kind of Christian love distinguishes those who are Jesus-followers in word from those who are Jesus-followers in deed.

Let’s consider just a short note in verse 20 on the phrase, "In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." By doing good to our enemies, we are actually meeting a desperate need. In certain middle-east countries, especially in Jesus’ time, the women would arise before light to begin to bake their flat loaves of bread. In every village, a young boy was chosen to distribute the live coals—one to each woman—to ignite her individual fire to bake the loaves of bread. The container of coals was carried on a turban on his head, and since the mornings were often chilly and he had little else to warm him, the task was held to be an honor and much sought after. Only the most deserving boys were selected. But there was another reason this was held to be an honor. It was believed that the seat of wisdom and spiritual grace was in the head, and so the boy was doubly blessed since the warmth of the coals stimulated not only his physical well-being but his spiritual and mental as well.

Paul was not referring to vengeance. He was talking of the unexpected warmth of love in a cold world, of stimulating forgiveness and quietness, wisdom, and understanding where there is only human anger and bitterness. Such an act is not easily forgotten. Thus, the unconquerable approach of the Jesus-follower in verse 21 is to be victorious over evil by doing good. This is the strategy given to us by Jesus Himself, and it is an unstoppable strategy, an unconquerable strategy. It is the strategy of kingdom service.

Have we possessed the kind of attitudes which emulate the love of God to the world?

Have we portrayed the kind of actions that exemplify the character of Christ?

Sweet Spot Service

We discovered in our last message that some ministry passions can be centered around a people group or a social issue. We also affirmed that our heartbeat types fall into one of the following categories: Visionary, Manager, and Builder. Based upon our responses to the assessment of our spiritual gifts, personal styles, and ministry passions, there are ministry categories within the church that lend themselves to kingdom service. [Note these categories in Christ First’s Ministry Matrix on the following page].

Worship/Celebration Ministries.The heart of these ministries is directed toward God by engaging the church in the Word, worship, song, drama and the arts. It serves a variety of worship styles and creatively proclaims God’s redeeming love.

Care/Discipleship Ministries. The heart of these ministries is assisting people in the church with their physical and spiritual needs, and developing fully devoted followers of Jesus in the area of their gifts, ministry, training, and leadership.

Mission/Service Ministries. The heart of these ministries reaches out to people in local and global cross-cultural settings. It serves a variety of life-stage groups for growth and accountability in kingdom service.

Outreach/Evangelism Ministries. The heart of these ministries is focused on relating, reaching, and connecting unbelievers and the unchurched to a relationship with Christ and his church. It serves to integrate guests and attendees through hospitality, fellowship, belonging, and encouragement.

My “Sweet Spot” in kingdom service is in the ministry category of:

_____ Worship/Celebration _____ Care/Discipleship

_____ Mission/Service _____ Outreach/Evangelism

We can summarize this message series on Connections with the following truths concerning our Servant Profile:          

Our Spiritual Sacrifice initiates the offering of our bodies and minds to God in true worship.

Our Ministry Usefulness takes us out of our comfort zones as tools useful to God.                                                              

Our Spiritual Gifts enable us to build up the body of Christ; the Holy Spirit uses us to help each other’s faith grow in Jesus.

Our Personal Styles indicate the way we prefer to relate to people and the world around us.

Our Ministry Passions pulsate heartfelt desires that compel us to make a difference for the kingdom of God.

Our Sweet Spot is the place where our gifts, styles, and passions converge so we can know where to best            categorize ministry in kingdom service.

After forty years of faithful service to the company, Mark was finally getting his reward—a formal retirement banquet held in his honor. When the night arrived, everyone showed up looking their best. White-gloved attendants served all of the meal’s courses. Mark was truly enjoying his meal with family and friends. However, as dessert was being served the people looked around the banquet hall nervously. Where was the honored guest? Perhaps Mark slipped out quietly due to an urgent need? After dessert, the CEO of the company got up to speak, awkwardly confessing that no one had seen Mark for quite some time. Suddenly, one of the servers came bursting out of the kitchen. Mark was back there—up to his elbows in soapy water! He had been part of the festivities all night, but now he was waiting on his guests, unrecognized. Now he was doing the dishes. It’s a ridiculous story, right? What guest of honor would spend his moment of glory doing the dirty work for others? “You can be the guest of honor,” we’d say, “or you can be the dish washer. But you can’t be both!”

Unless, of course, we’re talking about Jesus. At the last banquet Jesus experienced with his closest followers, he was the guest of honor, supreme leader, king—and the towel-wrapped busboy, servant, and foot-washer (John 13). The Son of God was also the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve. It is perhaps the supreme paradox in God’s kingdom. Greatness and servanthood are not simply compatible; they are synonymous. No one will know greatness in God’s kingdom without knowing kingdom service. No one.

There is one final paradox for us to consider. When we use our spiritual gifts, personal styles, and ministry passions in the spirit of kingdom service, something happens to us as well as through us. Old patterns of pride and self-absorption get disrupted. We explore our strengths and come face-to-face with our weaknesses. We’re living in our “sweet spot” where competitiveness gives way to fresh reliance on community. Kingdom service is a transforming endeavor.

Someday there will be a banquet for us in heaven. We will be welcomed, celebrated, and acknowledged as honored guests. And if they find us serving in the kitchen, we must know that right next to us will be Jesus himself, smiling at us with hearty approval…towel in hand, joyfully drying the dishes we just washed! Until that day, the challenge for Jesus-followers is not to die for Jesus, but to live for Jesus. The challenge is to be living in our sweet spot by transmitting faith into action and translating words into deeds. Amen!

 

 

Jesus-followers demonstrate their commitment to Christ by passionately receiving a piece of God’s heart that enables them to make a difference for God’s kingdom.

This message series on Connections is enabling us as Jesus-followers to be faithful, fruitful, and fulfilled in a meaningful place of service in the body of Christ. We are discovering that our Servant-Profile is made up of our spiritual gifts, personal styles, and God-given passions for serving in the church.

We have spent our last four messages exploring the importance of committing our lives to God as living sacrifices, desiring to be used of God by having a sober estimate of ourselves, by discovering our spiritual gifts, and affirming our God-given personal styles which are enhanced by love for kingdom service in the body of Christ. Paul is disclosing to us through Romans 12 how God designed the church to function as a body of Christ, serving each other with Spiritual gifts and personal styles.

Jumping Jack Math. If we would place our index and second fingers on the inside of our wrists, we can easily measure our heart rate. Then after obtaining our heart rate at rest, we can measure our heart rate once again after doing several jumping jacks. If we do the math correctly, our heart rate will increase in proportion to the amount of physical activity expended. Our body temperature will also increase to the same proportions as our heart rate. We will discover in our exercising that physiologically, each of us has a unique heartbeat. Each person has a slightly different rate and pattern.

Likewise, God has given us a unique emotional “heartbeat” that races when we encounter activities, subjects, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively feel deeply about some things and don’t care about other things. This God-given motivation serves as an internal guidance system for our lives. It determines what our interests are, and what will bring us the most satisfaction and fulfillment. It also motivates us to pursue certain activities, subjects, and environments.

The Bible uses the term “heart” to represent the center of our motivation, desires and inclinations. Wise Solomon says in Proverbs 4:23…“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Now, we are going to see how God chose to take a piece of his heart—put it into our hearts—in the form of Ministry Passion.

Ministry Passion =

“a God-given, heartfelt desire that compels us to make a difference for the kingdom of God.”

Along with the Spiritual gifts and personal styles, God has given us a ministry passion which helps us discover where to serve in the body of Christ. Our passion may meet a need, solve a problem, serve a cause, and change a life. Ministry passion is God-given. Like the Spiritual gifts and personal styles, ministry passions are not right or wrong—they are just different.

God has a passion for us as recorded in John 3:16… For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…

God also has a purpose for the passion he puts in our hearts as stated in Philippians 2:13…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

How we as Jesus-followers understand and express our ministry passion may vary throughout our lives, but the essence of what most deeply moves us to action remains the same. Those who come to follow Jesus later in their lives will often find what they care most about has its roots deep within them. Becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus gives many people the deepest expression and most complete way in which to fulfill their God-given passion.

Romans 12:11-13

¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Paul emphasizes the fact that the resources with which we have been supplied —Spiritual gifts, personal styles, and ministry passions—can be the means of blessing or cursing, the instruments of kingdom service or implements of self-absorption. The determining factor is whether we regard our God-given resources as our personal possessions to be used as we desire, or as gracious gifts entrusted to us to be used for God’s glory and the good of others.

In the heartbeat monitoring world, there are devises called ‘heartbeat alarms.’ The most visible results are the alarms generated by the system. An alarm can be defined as an exception triggered when a measurement done on the monitored device falls outside predefined boundaries. No matter where the alarm is generated, either on the client side or on the monitoring server, the initial information always comes from the supervised equipment. The particular aspect of the 'heartbeat' alarm is that it works just the opposite way around: as long as there is a contact (pulse) from the monitored device, no alarm is generated. Which means that it is the lack of information for a given period of time that triggers the alarm. Essentially, alarms are more "events driven", while heartbeats are based on the time.

In monitoring our ministry passions, our ‘heartbeat alarms’ are triggered when the lack of a ministry pulse is present for a given period of time. So ministry is the monitoring server and God is the supervisor of the heartbeat alarm system since he gave us a piece of his heart in creation. Thus, the lack of a pulse for ministry will trigger the alarm system and alert God that we have no connection with him for kingdom service.

Paul instructs us concerning three events that will trigger God’s heartbeat alarm system and alert God to the lack of a pulse for ministry in Romans 12:11-13.

God’s heartbeat alarm is triggered when…

We flow from the wrong fervor

¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Spiritual fervor is the emotional enthusiasm that is part of our ministry passion. Enthusiasm means “En” in and “Theo” God. God in us. Corporations, sports teams and people in general get pumped up for their cause. Paul instructs the believers in Rome to feel passion for serving the Lord. Jesus-followers must also feel a ministry passion for kingdom service. We need to make it a habit to get pumped up for the Lord. It is a decision. The decision leads to a heart emotion that leads us into ministry.

Serving the Lord is the aim of our ministry passion. We are not to just have feelings to serve. We are to experience spiritual fervor for service that is practical. So when we lack spiritual fervor in kingdom service, our ‘heartbeat alarm’ goes off. This is the first sign that we’ve lost our pulse for ministry.

We run on the wrong fuel

¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Joyful in hope does not mean simply joyful in tribulation. There is no joy in looking at our troubles. Paul desires that the believers in Rome look at the final outcome. They are to be joyful in the hope that God will see them through the hardships. Jesus-followers must also be joyful when we face trials, knowing that God will cause good out of difficult situations for those who love him and are called to his purposes (Romans 8:28).

Patient in affliction causes us to go the distance even when things aren’t going well. There is no need to be patient when everything is going our way. Our walk as Jesus-followers is not always actively moving forward, it is sometimes patiently waiting for a positive change in circumstances.

Faithful in prayer is a difficult discipline to follow when going through the tough times. The believers in Rome may be faithful in many things, but prayer is usually not one of them. Just as we may be diligent in exercising, we need that same diligence in prayer. Being joyful, patient, and faithful is the right fuel we need to exercise our ministry passion. So when we run on the wrong fuel in kingdom service, our ‘heartbeat alarm’ goes off. This is the second sign that we’ve lost our pulse for ministry.

We suffer from the wrong fit.

¹³ Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Share with the Lord’s people is the desire to help as many people as we can. But first, we help our own family. Paul wants the believers in Rome to care for their own people before they care for the unbelieving community. Jesus-followers must also care for fellow believers in our local fellowship.

In need means lacking the basic necessities of life. It includes the basic need for food, gas, payment of light bills, lodging, finding a job, etc. The Fellowship Fund helps to supply the needs for the Lord’s people at Christ First. Jesus-followers in their devotion to Christ must first help other Jesus-followers before we extend help to the unbelieving community.

Practice hospitality literally means to entertain strangers. Once we’ve opened our home to the family, then we’re called in our kingdom service to open our home to strangers. This means we need to welcome guests to our church. This is why one of our catch phrases at Christ First is “Welcome Home!” Is there room for more people to feel at home in our church? Or do we have cliques that make guests feel unwelcome? It’s possible to serve out of place with our Spiritual gifts and personal styles, not only individually but as a body in Christ. So when we suffer from the wrong fit in kingdom service, our ‘heartbeat alarm’ goes off. This is the third sign that we’ve lost our pulse for ministry.

In essence, our spiritual fervor is not generated by receiving the applause of people, earning God’s favor, or obtaining earthly reward. By God’s grace we enthusiastically serve the Lord. Our kingdom service is not urged on by an unhealthy fuel supply, fed by negativism concern life’s circumstances or by the sinful aspirations of the world. By God’s grace we are propelled and sustained by a worship response to the goodness of God in our lives. Our ministry passion is not forced into a mold of self-absorption where we only care for ourselves, and look away from meeting the needs of others. By God’s grace we welcome people warmly to engage with us in kingdom service.

Motivational Direction of the Heart

There are a variety of Ministry passions just as there are a variety of Spiritual gifts and personal styles. Ministry passions are only sinful when used selfishly. Every Ministry passion can be used in effective kingdom service. We must not be embarrassed to identify a basic heartbeat that doesn’t seem spiritual! Almost every passion can be identified in the ministry of one of the Twelve disciples.

We must remember, heartbeat or passion is the God-given, heartfelt desire that compels us to make a difference in a particular ministry.

Some of the “heartbeats” listed below fall into two key categories—people groups and social issues:

People Groups

Infants Children Youth Adults

Divorced Widowed Singles Single Parents

Parents Empty Nesters Elderly Young Married

Social Issues

Economics Child Care Education Reaching the Lost

Technology Health Care Family Politics

Addictions Nutrition Poverty Environment

Heartbeat Types:

There are basically three “Heartbeat Types” that help people place their basic motivation people groups/social issues] God put in their heart with the appropriate area of kingdom service. When the passion or heartbeats of people are correlated with appropriate roles, God’s work is most effectively accomplished.

Visionary

People who are gifted with bold and creative heart motivations of new advances for God are visionaries. They are likened to Architects. They suggest imaginative ideas and new alternatives to old problems. They are called upon to share God’s dreams, and challenge God’s people to launch out in faith and decisive action.

Heartbeat service: Vision Groups.

Manger

People who are gifted in logical and organizational abilities are managers. They are likened to Contractors. They are equipped to bring to the vision a necessary plan of action for achievement. They have heart motivations to propose alternative solutions, develop goals, organize strategy, set time-lines, monitor and evaluate progress.

Heartbeat service: Leadership Groups.

Builder

People who are gifted in implementing a dream that has been organized into a workable plan are builders. They are likened to Craftsmen.They are those people granted with the heart motivations, gifts and skills to get a job done. They work best when given training and assignments with sufficient authority to perform their assigned tasks.

Heartbeat service: Team Ministry Groups.

 

 

How do we picture ourselves regarding our “Heartbeat Type”?

_____ Visionary _____ Manager _____ Builder

We can summarize this message with the following truths concerning our Servant Profile:

Our Spiritual Gifts enable us to build up the body of Christ; the Holy Spirit uses us to help each other’s faith grow in Jesus.

Our Personal Styles indicate the way we prefer to relate to people and the world around us.

Our Ministry Passions are heartfelt desires that compel us to make a difference for the kingdom of God.

Our Gifts, Styles, Passions all help us to know where we can best serve.

There is a fiery nature of passion that God infuses into our hearts. Passion is many times alluded to as a raging fire. Fire accurately describes the nature of passion. On one hand, the fire of passion can be used constructively; if contained, it can help ignite other fires. On the other hand it can be used destructively to put out fires. During Desert Storm, Saddam Hussein lit many oil wells on fire. Water could not be used to put these fires out, nor did anything else work. These massive fires were consumed by another fire created by dynamite. The dynamite literally licked up all the oxygen, suffocating and ultimately destroying the once thriving fire. God gives us the dynamite of his Spiritual heart; a passion to suffocate and ultimately destroy any fire of this world that would burn out of control in us, and prohibit us from making a difference for God’s kingdom service.

“The heart must have something to cling to—and never, by its voluntary consent, will the heart so detach itself from all its attachments that there shall not be one remaining object that can draw its attention or solicit its affections. The love of the world cannot be removed by a mere demonstration of the world’s worthlessness. The only way to dispossess the heart of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new affection. We know of no other way by which to keep the love of the world out of our hearts than to keep in our hearts the love of God.” -- Thomas Chalmers.

“The core problem is not that we are too passionate about bad things, but that we are not passionate enough about good things.” -- Larry Crabb

Therefore, we affirm the truth that a piece of God’s heart is infused into our hearts to form a new affection—a spiritual passion. The cost of food in kingdom service is hungering for the heart of God, instead of the white Wonder Bread of the world. If we want it. If we’re hungry enough, we must not become satisfied with ourselves, our satellite dishes, our SUVs, our computers, our jobs and even our families. Earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy our hearts, but only to arouse them, to suggest the real thing. The real thing is a changed heart for God and the passion to make a difference for the kingdom of God in kingdom service. Amen!