Sunday Messages

The season of Thanksgiving invites Jesus-followers to come before the Lord with joy, encouraging praiseworthy focus on how good is the God we serve.

We gather together on this Thanksgiving weekend to extend gratitude to God for the many blessings he has showered upon us as a church. We happen to assemble today just after celebrating last Sunday 110 years of ministry in the Covina Valley. This is a season of thanksgiving as we offer our praise to God.

Some days it all just comes together perfectly; the way it should. For many reasons, today is one of those kinds of days. For nothing could describe the posture of our heart, at this very moment, better than thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is like water rushing in to bring new life and fresh perspective. Thanksgiving lightens the soul and renews the wonder of the life we've been given. It's amazing what happens when thanksgiving replaces apathy, lethargy or bitterness.

Thanksgiving can be applied to any season of life. Whether we find ourselves at beginnings, middles or ends, or in some combination, thanksgiving can become the quality in which we live out our days, our relationships, and our circumstances. King David understood the power of thanksgiving. The book of Psalms, which contains journal-like entries of David, is full of examples and benefits of living a life of thanksgiving and praise to God.

Thanksgiving readjusts our vision: thanksgiving cleanses our perception. If we would wipe motor oil, grease, or even paint on our hands, these things will leave traces. The things we touch often leave traces. We take it for granted really, but it's an interesting reality. When we touch something it leaves a mark of some kind, reminds us that we've been exposed to that something. This idea is more than a physical reality though; it's also true for the soul. The traces of everyday life left on the soul are a bit harder to see but no less real. We can consider a rich conversation with a good friend, or a difficult meeting at work, or a feeling of awe at sunset. These are all moments that leave a mark on the soul. Some of these traces cause us to grow frustrated, tired and even bitter. What will we do? There are a number of cleaning solutions that help to clean our physical hands. I remember when I was a kid, after my dad worked on our car; he would use Lava soap to clean his hands. He’d get his hand wet; he'd rub that soap all over his hands and arms and then rinse with water. I loved that. Of course, lava soap left traces as well. So, after the soap we'd put on hand cream to take away the soap smell.

The marks of everyday life, left on the soul, if we're not careful can lead to inappropriate anger, raw sarcasm or a low-grade apathy that inhibits us from joy, compassion and peace. This is why the practice of giving thanks is so critical to our health. Thanksgiving cleanses our perception. We notice the Psalmist gives thanksgiving to God for his faithfulness and then the result of that thanksgiving produces a kind of new strength that readjusts the Psalmist’s vision. Thanksgiving helps us to avert those attitudes that would send our souls south into anemia of spirit. The interesting thing is that thanksgiving cleanses our vision by helping us to place our vision on something and someone bigger than ourselves. It lifts us beyond ourselves so that we can again see a deeper sense of God's presence, the wonder of life and the reason we’re here. And that leads to living in thanksgiving.

A little boy went to a birthday party. On his return, his mother inquired, "Bobby, did you thank the lady for the party?" "Well, I was going to. But a girl ahead of me said, 'Thank you,' and the lady told her not to mention it. So I didn't.” We all recognize that little Bobby broke a social rule – we always say thanks to our host or hostess. This is true for God too. When it comes to thanking God, we can't remain silent and we must not remain silent. This giving of thanks, especially to God, is recorded throughout the Psalms.

Psalm 100:1-5 1Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

The Psalmist’s words call us into God’s presence based upon the revelation of who God is. This psalm also makes our worship an end in itself, rather than the means to another end, such as our own inspiration. This psalm is a hymn that may have served in a season of festival procession. This season of thanksgiving moves from praise in God’s presence to praise in God’s palace.

From Rural Pastures to Urban Gates

This psalm is one of descriptive praise. It praises God for his ongoing, regular care of the world and humanity. Hence God is the one who characteristically provides and is worthy of praise. We learn from this psalm that praise and worship is simple. This psalm consists of two mini-hymns which begin from rural pastures and leads to urban gates.

This psalm of praise leads us to three expressions of thanksgiving:

We take action by bringing the right spirit to worship

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

We take action by bringing the right spirit to worship in three ways:

A shouting spirit - We are told to shout for joy. When all things are put together, we can see that the Psalmist is calling on the people of the Lord to raise an anthem of praise from their hearts to the Lord. This is a challenge to participate in the public worship. We are God’s cheerleaders as the Spirit of God prompts us in worship.

A serving spirit – We are told to worship the Lord with gladness. This verse is telling us that we are to worship or serve the Lord with laughter. We are to be so filled with love for God that regardless of what God asks us to do; we are pleased to do it. This is the attitude that filled the Psalmist’s heart. He was filled with gladness when it was time to go to church.

The word "gladness" is an interesting word. It carries with the meaning of being "wide-eyed with a big grin". It brings to mind the unvarnished joy of a child. When something happens that they like, it affects the whole body! The mouth flies open, the eyes get wide, the face lights up, the heart lifts and the soul rejoices. Such should be the delight for us old sinners as we come to serve the Lord our God who has redeemed us from death and Hell by Christ’s precious blood!

A singing spirit - Here, we are told to approach the Lord our God with "singing". This little word refers to "the ringing cry, the shout of joy." Our hearts should be so filled with the wonder of who God is and what God has done for us that we allow his praises to burst forth from our inner being in thanksgiving.

These first two verses tell us that when God is in our lives, we will not be able to hide him! We will not keep God a secret for very long! We can't have someone the size of God in our heart without God getting out now and then! Sometimes God will run out our eyes. Sometimes, God will show up in our raised hands. Sometimes, God will run up our throat and over our vocal cords and make us shout. The fact is that we will not be able to hide God. So we take action through a shouting, serving, and singing spirit!

We give account by bringing the right surrender to worship

3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

We give account by bringing the right surrender to worship in three ways:

Surrender to the person Of God - We are told to "know" that the Lord is God. This word means "to make a distinction" We are to know that he and he alone is God! Who is our God? Well, the answer is simple: what do we give the most of your time, attention and money to? Whatever answers that question is our God! Have we made the right distinction and acknowledged God Almighty as the Lord of our lives?

Surrender to the purpose Of God - Next, we are reminded that we are what we are because God has "made" us. This word simply means "to take some material and fashion something new out of it!" God took the clay that was us and formed a new creature out of it by his power. Regardless of what we represent, we are what we are by the power of God. We need to realize that God saved us for a purpose. God didn't just redeem us to keep us out of Hell. God didn't redeem us so that we could feel good from time to time. God didn't do it so that we could look down on our long, religious noses at our lost neighbors and feel superior. God saved us so that we might serve him. God has a plan for our lives. God will use us if we will serve him!

Surrender to the promise Of God - We are "the sheep of His pasture". This statement simply reminds us that we belong to God and just as a shepherd looks after the welfare of his flock, so our Lord looks after us with infinite care. The Psalmist had this nailed down in his own life in Psalm 23. We need to get it nailed down in our lives also. The problem we have is that many of us have not yet learned to trust God as we should. We pray about a need and then promptly try to meet it ourselves. That is totally impossible! We need to get to the place where have knocked out all the props that support us and totally commit ourselves to a life of faith, trusting the Lord to take care of us and watch over our lives.

If we are his sheep, God will take care of us. If God can't, then he isn't much of a God. So we give account of a life surrendered to the person, purpose, and promise of God!

We show appreciation by bringing the right sacrifice to worship

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

We show appreciation of God by bringing the right sacrifice to worship in three ways:

Praise God for his goodness – We are instructed to enter the gate of God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise. The Lord is "good." This seems like a limited description for God, but the word good means “pleasant, beautiful, delightful, glad, joyful, precious, correct and righteous. It can also mean, expensive." Everything God does is an expression of his goodness. We can praise our God because he is good. Regardless of what happens in life, God is good. No matter how things turn out, God is still good! Therefore, we praise Him for His goodness. “God is good; God is good all the time!”

God is good. This means he not only shares himself with us. It also means he satisfies us, fills us to the brim, and meets our God-created needs. I am not sure why we often take a can of soda and try to fit it all into a glass that is not quite big enough. We just have to get every last single drop into the glass. The glass gets fuller and fuller but we just keep pouring. God is that way. God fills us to the brim and even above the brim to overflowing. God is good, so he satisfies the needs of all his creatures. That is why we all can testify that God satisfies our needs. On this Thanksgiving weekend we rejoice in the God who has shared his goodness with us by satisfying our needs.

Praise god for his grace - Next we are told that God's "love endures forever." We can praise God because he is constantly extending his love to us as we go through life. We live in a time when everyone wants what's coming to them. However, if we got what was coming to us, we would get Hell. If we got what we deserved this morning, we'd experience the undiluted wrath and fierceness of the Almighty. Instead of that, God deals with us in love. God holds back his wrath from off our lives. Why? 2,000 years ago God's Son, Jesus, took our place on an old, cruel, Roman cross. While Jesus was dying there, all our sins were transferred to him and he died in our place. That is a good reason to praise the Lord!

Praise god for his guarantee - We are told that God's "faith continues to all generations." Simply stated, while the years pile up, not a single promise of God's Word will fail! God cannot lie, and what God has promised will be as good in 10,000 years as it was the instant he promised it. When God tells us he loves us, we can count on it. When God tells us he’ll save us if we come to him, we can count on it. If God tells us that he'll take care of us, we can count on it. If God tells us he is coming back to get us, we can count on it. If God tells us he'll keep us secure in his grace, we can count on it. Suffice it to say that if the Lord tells us anything at all, we can count on it. And, that is a good reason to give thanksgiving to the Lord!

So we show appreciation to God for his goodness, grace and guarantee by bringing the right sacrifice!

God is the Song…we are his singers God is the Creator…we are his creation God is the Shepherd… we are his sheep God is the Blessed One…we are the blessed ones God is Love…we are his loved ones

“Give Thanks to Him and Praise His Name”

Let’s get practical. What are we really thankful for on this Thanksgiving weekend?

Ten things to be thankful for:

1. for automatic dishwashers. They make it possible to get out of the kitchen before the family comes in for their after-dinner snacks.

2. for husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house. They usually make them big enough to call in professionals.

3. for the bathtub -- the one place the family allows Mom some time to herself.

4. for remote controls – the one item that allows Dads to exercise some control in the family.

5. for children who put away their things and clean up after themselves. They're such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents.

6. for gardening. It's a relief to deal with dirt outside the house for a change.

7. for teenagers. They give parents an opportunity to learn a second language.

8. for mini-vans. They make it possible for Mom to run a shuttle service so they don’t have to spend vacation money on hiring taxi assistance.

9. for cell phones. They make it possible for unlimited talk time so teenagers don’t tie up the family phone line for hours.

10. for smoke alarms. They let you know when the turkey's done.

We can be sure that we are thankful for all of these things too. However, we can equally be sure we are thankful for different reasons. On this Thanksgiving weekend we are gathered together to count blessings, and many others as well. We are gathered together to give thanks to God who has provided 110 years of ministry in the Covina Valley.

Jim Stovall writes a delightful book entitled The Ultimate Gift. The question is posed—“What would you be willing to do in order to inherit one billion dollars? When Jason Stevens receives the news of his great uncle Red’s death, he is greedy with anticipation—as are Red’s other relatives—to divvy up the man’s massive fortune. Jason finds quite a fate in store for him to gather up his uncle’s inheritance. He begins a yearlong quest of discovery as he searches for his stake in “The Ultimate Gift.”

One of the lessons on this yearlong quest that Jason needs to learn is the gift of gratitude. Jason needs to learn the following lesson: “in those times when we yearn to have more in our lives, we should dwell on the things we already have. In doing so, we will often find that our lives are already full to overflowing.” Jason’s uncle passes on the legacy of the “Golden List” which represents ten things to be thankful for. He is directed by his uncle via video tape to think about those ten things he has to be thankful for. And when he returns at the end of the month, he is to share his version of the “Golden List” with his uncle’s guardian of the trust.

So how would we complete the “Golden List” of ten things for which we are thankful for this Thanksgiving? Let’s write down on our message notes the ten things we are thankful for on our “Golden List.” Allow me to share my list.

The Golden List…

I am thankful for my health. Even though my health needs have been challenged these past few years, I know of several people who have physical problems greater than the ones I face. So I will always be thankful for the health God has given to me.

I am thankful for my family. I have a wonderful family who loves me and supports me in my life and ministry. It is a joy to be together with my children and grandchildren. They bring great joy to my life. My wife of 38 years is my greatest supporter.

I am thankful for my ministry. I have had the privilege of being a member of this fellowship for 30 years. I have served on staff 23 of those years. God continues to bless me and challenge me as a pastor. I know the best is to come as I lay ministry in his hands.

I am thankful for my friends. Although it is difficult to build a number of intimate friendships as a pastor in ministry, God has placed me in a small group for over twenty-years. My stretcher-bearers carry me in so many ways through all seasons of life.

I am thankful for my home. God has blessed me with a place to come home to and rest. I have been able to share my home with other people and have come to appreciate it myself. We can construct a house, but only God can build a home.

I am thankful for my education. Throughout my life, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from the finest institutions. I have grown and matured through the years because of gifted teachers and professors who helped me see the big picture of life.

I am thankful for my station in life. I have learned that I have missed many important things in my life thus far; however, I feel that the years I’ve lived can help me conquer any obstacle. My spiritual wisdom helps me to overcome my physical weakness.

I am thankful for my spiritual connections. I have been greatly blessed with spiritual gifts, a personal style, and passion for serving God that equips me to minister in my sweet spot through substantial ways. I want to lead a life of significance, not success.

I am thankful for my material possessions. God has given to me material resources of time, talents and treasures. I desire to use these for heavenly purposes. I find great joy in supporting the work of God across the street and across the seas.

I am thankful for my living God. I know beyond a doubt that God will continue to be sovereign over my life and ministry. God is not finished with me yet. Therefore, I will seek to worship God in thanksgiving for who he is, and what he will continue to do for me.

The gift of gratitude will teach us all that we can truly feel and experience the blessings of God when we remember and enjoy all of the wonderful things we have been given. When the times come that cause us to lose our thanksgiving spirit and are tempted to moan or complain, we need to ponder the following poem:

Forgive Me When I Whine

Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair;
I envied her—she seemed so happy, and how, I wished I were so fair;
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle;
She had one foot and bore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet—the world is mine.

And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the boy who served me had such charm;
He seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm;
I said, “It’s nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find”;
He turned and said, “Oh, thank you sir.” And then I saw that he was blind.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes—the world is mine.

Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue;
She stood and watched the others play, it seemed she knew not what to do;
I stopped a moment, then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
She looked ahead without a word, and then I knew she could not hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears—the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I’d go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow,
With ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed.
The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

--Source unknown

"The Longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church ... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes."-- Charles Swindoll.

Are we bringing the right things to worship by cultivating thanksgiving in every season of life? Has the Lord spoken of areas in our lives that need attention? Maybe we are as filled with God’s praises as we used to be. For some reason, just going to church is more difficult than it used to be for us, and we know we need to deal with it before the Lord. Maybe we have never been saved and we want to get to know this wonderful Lord that the Bible talks about in these verses. We come and God will meet us right down here. God truly knows are hearts today. God wants us to look at what we are cultivating when it comes to thanksgiving in every season of life by what we are bringing to worship. Are we taking action through the right spirit? Are we giving account through the right surrender? Are we showing acceptance of God through the right sacrifice? Let's mind the Lord. As God calls us, we come to him with thanksgiving in every season. Amen!

The power of generosity is energized by the ‘faith share’ giving of Jesus-followers motivated by God’s spiritual blessing and measured by God’s material blessing.

We conclude this series with our sixth message on the power of generosity. God has disclosed to us in his Word the truth that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. Generosity is an inside job. It needs to flow from who we want to become. We will need a foundation for this change in our life. This foundation is the church of Jesus Christ, and an investment plan to support ‘faith share’ generosity in the ongoing ministry of the church.

Why do we want to be more generous? It may be our religious faith, our personal philosophy, or the values that we hold to be self-evident. We find a group of people that share our commitment and interest. For the Jesus-follower, this group is the body of Christ which consists of local community of fellow believers. We search for a fellowship of kindred spirits who are prepared to look at issues and opportunities addressing lifestyle and concern for others. At Christ First, the lifestyle is centered upon cultivating a relationship with Christ; the concern for others is changing our world for Christ. We let generosity work on the inside so it makes an impact on the outside!

Now since we have seen over these past five messages what the Bible has to say about the power of generosity, there’s only one thing left to do—commit ourselves to becoming a generous giver. That is, if we’re not one already. If we’re not generous givers, it could be that we don’t have a plan for regular, systematic giving. The purpose of this message is to help Jesus-followers develop a ‘faith share’ plan. Because the power of generosity creates deliberate and consistent givers.

‘Faith Share’ Plan =

“The means by which Jesus-followers systematically give back

to God a proportion of their finances for use in his kingdom service.”

Now my wife and I like to play board games. There's a game on the market called "Acquire” which we haven’t played as yet. But in this game I’m told there are 7 hotel corporations and you win the game by having the most valuable stock at the end. Now the way to win this game is not making the mistake of buying a few stocks in a lot of companies which a lot of us do. You don't know which ones are going to take off so you get a little and a lot. The key to winning is discerning which company is going to grow and investing heavily in that company. The strategy is to end up with the majority in each company in which you invest. This produces a big bonus at the end of the game. Meanwhile the loser is one who sits there with lots of stock, but it's in several different companies and it just isn't worth as much as being a shareholder in a few companies.

Jesus-followers who invest their finances for use in God’s kingdom service are called ‘faith share’ partners. They are not called ‘stock holders’ in the sense of investing in company stock. ‘Faith share’ partners find a portion of God’s work and they invest heavily in it and they receive great dividends. We live in a world that hits us with more causes than we could ever support. We think of that stack of mail from Christian organizations. Now there's a pattern. We don't see how many things we could possibly support. It's a better idea to invest a share in a few eternal investments.

I remember my mom’s grandmother we called Nana. She went home to be with the Lord a number of years ago. Nana had all these records that we went through and we found her list of "Giving and Praying" to organizations she really believed in. It started in small script, a list that went back to the 1940's and then the print got larger as her eyes began to fail, and at the age of 96 she was still praying for and giving to those ministries. God laid it on her heart and here were 40 years of praying and 40 years of canceled checks to match. She was a partner in the Gospel.

Now in our self-focused generation, we have lost that excitement of the power of generosity through faith sharing in Eternity, Inc. We must decide to draw a line in our checkbooks and that's all we really need to live on and from thereon we’re putting it into the work of God. We ask the Lord for a piece of his broken heart, for a need, for the work of ministry in our church, for some area of the world. We ask God for a few spiritual works or people who we can really believe in and pray for them and give and stick with them. The way to have a winning part in God's work on earth is to have a ‘faith share’ in a few eternal investments and we’ll be reaping the dividends forever.

Now, since we’ve developed the concept and reasoning behind a ‘faith share’ partnership, let’s look at what God’s Word says in carrying out a generosity plan.

2 Corinthians 8:1-12

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people. 5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Paul knows that giving is a difficult discipline to follow. So he lifts his appeal to the highest spiritual level possible: he teaches the Corinthian believers that giving is an act of grace. Giving is a ‘faith share’ which involves ministry and fellowship. It helps others, but the motivation must be from the grace of God in the heart.

A Twenty-First Century Plan for Eternity, Inc.

Though Jesus himself renounced the pharisaic method of tithing—which had become a heartless, legalistic obligation, he never rescinded tithing as a legitimate method of consistent giving. But the method of tithing isn’t all encompassing. Tithing is basically the “training wheels” to giving. Money was crucial for the survival and functioning of the early church. The New Testament clearly supports, planned, systematic giving for the first-century and twenty-first century church.

Paul gives a number of evidences that appear when the power of generosity is motivated by grace with a ‘faith share’ desire to support the work of God.

1. When we give in spite of circumstances

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

The Macedonian churches that Paul was using as an example had experienced severe difficulties, and yet they had given generously. They were in extreme poverty, which means “rock-bottom destitution.” The word describes a beggar who has absolutely nothing and has no hope of getting anything. It reminds us of the off-ramp homeless persons who seek monetary support from oncoming motorists. But these circumstances didn’t hinder the Macedonian believers from giving. In fact, they gave joyfully and liberally!

No computer could analyze this amazing formula:

great affliction and deep poverty + grace = abundant joy and abounding liberality

When we as Jesus-followers have experienced the grace of God in our lives, we will not use difficult circumstances as an excuse for not giving. The power of generosity enables us through the grace of God to give in spite of circumstances.

2. When we give enthusiastically

3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people.

It is possible to give generously but not give enthusiastically. The Macedonian churches needed no prompting or reminding, as did the church at Corinth. They were more than willing to share in the collection. In fact, they urgently pleaded to be included! How many times have we heard a Jesus-follower beg for somebody to receive an offering?

In likeness, our giving as Jesus-followers must be voluntary and spontaneous. It is of grace, not pressure. Grace not only frees us from our sins, but it frees us from ourselves. The grace of God will open our heart and our hand. The power of generosity enables us through the grace of God to give, not as a result of cold calculation, but of warm hearted jubilation.

3. When we give as Jesus gave

5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Jesus Christ is always the preeminent example for Jesus-followers to model, whether in service, suffering, or sacrifice. Like Jesus Christ, The Macedonian churches gave themselves to the Lord and to others. If we give ourselves to God, we will have little problem giving our substance to God. If we give ourselves to God, we will also give ourselves to others.

The Macedonian believer’ giving was motivated by a sacrificial love. In what ways was Jesus rich? Certainly he was rich in his person, for he is eternal God. He was rich in his possessions and in his position as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is rich in his power, for he can do anything. Yet, in spite of the facet that he had all these riches—and more—he became poor. The great exchange is that Jesus became poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich. We were poor before we met Jesus, and we were totally bankrupt. But now that we have trusted Jesus, we share in all of his riches. The power of generosity enables us through the grace of God to give as Jesus gave.

4. When we give willingly

10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

There is a great difference between promise and performance. The Corinthians had boasted to Titus a year before that they would share in the special offering, but hey did not keep their promise. Paul emphasizes willingness. The power of generosity must be channeled by the grace of God through a willing heart; it cannot be coerced or forced.

During my years of ministry, I have endured many philosophies of offering appeals. I have seen resources and have listened to pathetic tales about unbelievable needs. I have forced myself to laugh at old jokes that were supposed to make it easier for me to part with my money. I have been scolded, shamed, and almost threatened, and I must confess that none of these approaches or appeals has ever stirred me to give more than I planned to give. In fact, more than once I gave less because I was so disgusted with the worldly approach.

We must be careful at this point not to confuse willing with doing, because the two must go together. If the willing is sincere and in the will of God, then there must be a “performance” also.

Warren Wiersbe says in his commentary entitled Be Encouraged, “God sees the ‘heart gift’ and not the ‘hand gift.’ If the heart wanted to give more, but was unable to do so, God sees it and records it accordingly. But if the hand gives more than the heart wants to give, God records what is in the heart, no matter how big the offering in the hand might be.”

There is an amusing illustration of an IRS representative calling the pastor of a church to verify a donation made by one of the church members. The agent asked the pastor this question, “did Mr. Jones give $10,000 to the church this past year?” The pastor replied, “He will!”

God sees, not the portion, but the proportion. If we can give more, and do not, God notes it. If we want to give more, and can not, God also notes that response. The power of generosity is generated through the grace of God when we give willingly, according to what we have.

Guidelines to Giving

So we carefully contemplate the power of generosity through our approach to ‘faith share’ giving in support of our Faith Partner Ministry. We can consider these guidelines:

1. Praying Fervently

We prayerfully ask God to give us wise discernment in what we will give in support of our church ministry.

2. Giving Proportionately

Our resources vary greatly, but God calls us to recognize them as his blessing and to give proportionately as God has blessed.

3. Managing Consistently

Consistent giving helps us make stewardship a priority. It also helps our church operate responsibly through the reliable giving of a time, team, and tithe for God.

4. Growing Progressively

As we mature, so may our giving. We should thoughtfully consider what part giving plays in our spiritual growth. We should seek to increase our giving each year in proportion to what God provides.

An Incredible Moment with Jesus and a Rich Man

Let’s close this message and our series with an understanding of where our hearts really lie before God when it comes to the power of generosity through a ‘faith share’ plan. Jesus speaks to a rich young man regarding his desire to one day enter into heaven. His words to his closest followers after this discussion are recorded in Mark 10:29-31…

“No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus felt a genuine love for the rich young ruler. However, this young man lacked a major quality in his preparedness for heaven—full surrender of his material wealth. He was instructed by Jesus to go and sell all that he possessed and give the money to the poor. Jesus assured him that this commitment of generosity would add to his account treasure in heaven. The young man was so possessed by what resources he acquired that he couldn’t relinquish them to God. He went away sadly from Jesus because of his wealth.

Following this encounter with the rich young man, Jesus speaks about giving and gaining. Peter and the other closest disciples had paid a high price—leaving their homes and jobs—to follow Jesus. But Jesus reminds Peter that following him with a ‘faith share’ plan has its benefits as well as its sacrifices. Any Jesus-follower who has had to give up something to follow Christ will be paid back in this life as well as in the next. If we must give up a secure job, we will find that God offers a secure relationship with himself now and forever. If we must give up our family’s approval, we will gain the love of the family of God. If we invest our money in kingdom work now, we will later gain treasure in heaven.

Jesus does not ask that his closest followers sell everything they have. However, because money represents power, authority, and success, often it is difficult for wealthy people to realize their need, and their powerlessness to save themselves. The rich in talent or intelligence suffer the same difficulty. The person who has everything on earth can still lack what is most important—eternal life. We will as Jesus-followers pay the price of following Jesus, but Jesus said that we will be rewarded. We must not dwell on what we have given up; we must think about what we have gained, and give thanks for it. We can never out give God.

Being more generous is not a panacea. The challenges we currently face will likely remain, but we may discover that we can make something more of the gifts and resources we already possess. Self-help often attracts some criticism because it can be superficial and manipulative. Yet many changes for good in the world begin with someone saying, “I’m not satisfied with the way things are.”

Whether it’s overcoming addictions, striving for a higher level of performance, endeavoring to be a committed steward of God’s resources, or experiencing profound spiritual growth, someone has to say, “I want to change.” God’s hope for us is that a commitment to greater generosity will make our lives better and the world better as well. It’s never too late. No time is better than now to live out the power of generosity. Amen!

The power of generosity is the best way to liberate the heart, mind, and will as Jesus-followers use God’s riches for his ultimate glory.

We enter into our fifth message on the power of generosity. We want to affirm over these messages the truth that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. A serious discussion about generosity can’t avoid the place of money. In cultures that worship the almighty dollar, generosity becomes both supplicant and critic. We always need more of it, but we need to be sure we want it for the right reasons.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has assets worth forty billion dollars designated for charity. This is a great example of wealthy individuals practicing generosity at a substantial level. Almost every working day, we hear that there are ordinary people who want to give money to assist those in need. Of course, being generous is about more than money; it involves our time, influence, and expertise as well. But money stands higher in public perception than anything else.

Money is a reflection of our deepest motivations. Where our money is, there is our heart. Tracking how people spend their money is one of the most informative ways to determine the nature of a person’s character. To deny the place of money in our world would be naïve at best and downright dishonest as worst. Does this make money more important than anything else?

Did you know..?

The percentage of income that Christians give to God’s work declined for 30+ years!

Barna Research reports that although 17% of Christians say they “tithe”, only 3% actually give 10% or more of their income to God’s work.

90% of churches have no active plan to teach biblical financial or giving principles to their congregation.

85% of pastors feel unequipped, uncomfortable and untrained to teach biblical financial and giving principles.

Research indicates that most households tend to spend 10 percent more than their income, no matter what the income level.

Paradoxically, 55% of those whose assets ranged from $1 million to $5 million don't consider themselves wealthy.

According to a Gallup survey, almost half the total charitable contributions in the US come from households with incomes of less than $30,000.

Money brings stability because everyone needs it and wants it. Money is a resource that provides food, water, shelter, and clothing. It’s a human construct that gives order to the exchange of things that we value. In our capitalist world, it’s the only way to get on and get along. But there is a difference between a rightful place in our lives and one that dominates and becomes obsessive. Money can be part of the problem or part of the solution.

Matthew 6:19-24

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Jesus teaches in these verses that materialism will enslave the heart, the mind, and the will. He warns against the sin of living for the things of this life. He points out the sad consequences of covetousness and idolatry. We must not become shackled by the material things of life, but we ought to be liberated and controlled by the Spirit of God.

Let’s take a little test by writing down the answers to three questions on our message notes. We may find it helpful to refer to our answers later in the message if they are conveniently located. Likely the first thing to come to our minds is the correct answer, and that is the answer we need to write down. Now, let’s personally write the answer to three questions.

1. What one thing in your life would you most hate to be without?

______________________________________________________________

2. Where does your mind roam when it is free to go anywhere it wishes?

______________________________________________________________

3. What would you like to attempt if you knew you could not fail?

______________________________________________________________

Let’s hold our answers until we are well into the message. Let’s not go back and change any answers. Let’s leave them as we first wrote them.

Jesus taught extensively about the ministry of money. If we were to collect all his teachings on the acquisition of wealth and on the use of wealth, we would discover that wealth was a major concern to the Master. Money must be very important, since Jesus spoke on the subject so frequently. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. In the Gospels, an amazing one out of 10 verses (288 in all) deals directly with the subject of money. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions. We know that our worth as Jesus-followers is not determined by money, but the place money occupies in our lives does reveal a great deal about our values. The reason we are exposed by the view of money is that money is powerful in its potential for either good or evil. Though money itself is neutral, the impact of money on our souls is powerful and persuasive. Therefore, the way in which we use wealth reveals our character.

Selective Loyalties

In Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” he speaks about the power of generosity. His words demand thoughtful consideration. With the words of our text, let’s weigh the implications Jesus addresses in that message. He probes our hearts, our eyes, and our wills through the discernment of selective loyalties.

Let’s divide this message into three different questions. Let’s take a personal inventory. Maybe a better word to use is to say we will give ourselves a physical. We'll give ourselves a physical of our lives and our body.

Jesus probes our hearts when he asks the question, “Where is your treasure?”

1. Where do we store our treasures?

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We put this down as a heart test. Let's do a heart test. If somehow an EKG monitor was hooked up to our hearts and it revealed those things that made it beat faster, what would it be for us? What would it reveal?

In the first century wealth was not accumulated in bank accounts, but in a supply of precious metals or in a clothing wardrobe. That's why Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy.” Jesus wants his followers to see that worldly riches are a poor investment. Jesus covers all the bases.

First of all, when it comes to possessions, we think of the world's temporary perspective. How does our culture look at possessions? Let’s note John Piper's comment in his book Desiring God. He says,

"All the evils in the world come not because our desires for happiness are too strong, but because they are so weak that we settle for fleeting pleasures that do not satisfy our deepest souls, but in the end destroy them. The root of all evil is that we're the kind of people who settle for the love of money instead of the love of God."

If we think about it, we've been reminded in recent times of the uncertainty of the stock market and the uncertainty of our retirement plans. We've been reminded of our vulnerability as to the safety and security of our nation.

Solomon says in Proverbs 23:5, “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

It's amazing the way greed and materialism can consume us. We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't even like. In the last 20 years with the onslaught of multiple credit cards, the number of people declaring bankruptcy has skyrocketed due to greed, and an effort to keep up with the cultural values of spending.

William Ezell said, "Getting into debt is like riding a bicycle downhill. It's exhilarating at first. Life in the charge lane is a lot of fun. But you always have to go back home -- uphill. That's how debt works."

We've seen what the world’s temporary perspective is. What should the Jesus-follower’s eternal perspective look like? How do we store up treasures in heaven? Well, Jesus gives us encouragement, and as is always the case, God makes certain that the answer on the "how to?" is found somewhere in his word. The most specific list is found in the instruction Paul writes to Timothy in chapter 6:17-19. We looked at these words in our third message of the series. Paul answers the question, "How do you store up treasures in Heaven?" The best way he says to store up heavenly treasures is to be generous. Paul says, "Be generous and willing to share." Our attitude should be one where we hold on to the things of this world loosely. It should be where we say, "What's mine is yours. I'll share it." When we leave the worship center today we have all sorts of opportunities to be generous. Maybe it's with a family member or a friend. Maybe it's with a server or a baby sitter. We have all sorts of opportunities to let the love of Christ show through us.

If we look again in the nineteenth verse of 1 Timothy, chapter 6, Paul says, “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.” The pursuit of earthly pleasures and treasures is not really life. It's just an existence that's filled with the stress and worry of trying to keep up with it.

I've seen some people who try to put their own spin on this section from the Sermon on the Mount and they try to say more than what Jesus Christ is trying to convey. Dallas Willard, in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines, talks about how Christians think that money itself is evil and poverty is more spiritual than wealth. Let’s listen to what Willard says.

"Instead of recognizing their responsibility to help others with the goods at their disposal, they are haunted by the more radical thought that their service to God would be better if they were poor. Or at least if they owned nothing beyond what is required to meet their daily needs. They are troubled by the idea that the very possession of surplus goods or money is evil. Stewardship, which requires possessions and includes giving, is the true spiritual discipline in relation to wealth. Being poor is one of the poorest ways to help the poor."

Jesus' complaint here is not wealth. Jesus' complaint is our attitude toward wealth. It all comes back to what it is that drives us and consumes us. That's why Jesus says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." So Jesus begins with a heart test. Where do we store our treasures? But then he moves on to an eye test. The second question deals with our eyes.

2. Where do we focus our attention?

22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

How's our vision? When was the last time we had a spiritual eye test? This is an interesting analogy with which Jesus chooses to connect materialism. In fact, throughout the Bible, the eye is often spoken of as a gateway that shows what is really inside of our hearts.

Later in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus refers to a person with an "evil eye." Now usually when we think of an "evil eye", we think of a person who is angry or maybe they are trying to cast a spell on us with some evil look that they give us. That's not what it meant back in the first century. When Jesus refers to an "evil eye" do we know what it meant? It meant "an eye of envy." It was a greedy eye and an envious eye. That's why Jesus is warning them against being greedy and envious. He says, "You make certain that the eye you have is not greedy or envious."

In Ecclesiastes 2:10 Solomon says, "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired."

Now we must understand it's not just lust for a person that starts with the eyes. It’s the planning and scheming which goes on in our minds when we see something that we think we have got to have. There are commandments after commandments dealing with greed, covetousness and with envy as God tries to get his warning out. Oftentimes what it comes back to is how do we view people that have more than we have?

One way to do an eye test to find out if we are greedy or not is if we can truly rejoice with a relative or a friend when they have more than what we have. When they have some material blessing or financial bonanza that was unexpected do we look at it and say, "I wish that was me?" or do we look at it and say, "I'm happy for them." Proverbs 4:25 says, "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you."

Sometimes I think we need to put on spiritual blinders because the world is constantly pulling and tugging at us with phony measurements of what it is to truly be a success in life. Here in America, right before our very eyes, ad agencies, marketers, and media try to dictate our focus. They try to direct us toward what they say is an ideal, a utopia that cannot be achieved, because it's a moving target of materialism. Who are our models? Who do we admire? Who do we say, "You know what? If I had what they had, lived where they live, had a job like she has, then I would be happy." If we're not careful we will find that Jesus-followers can send mixed signals to the world when it comes to greed and materialism. If we can't rejoice with someone who has been blessed, then that's an indication that we have a problem with greed.

Christian author Randy Alcorn wrote, "We ought to periodically take our kids to the junkyard to let them see what happens to the material things that people long for. We need to show them that these things that people longed for and which were so important to people 10 years ago are now wasted in the junkyard. Everything the world has is temporary."

That's why when it comes to our eye test we make certain that we focus our eyes on the Lord. Hebrews 12:2 says, "Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Second Corinthians 4:18 says, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Sometimes we think we rationalize our behavior and say, "Well I'm just window shopping, or I enjoy looking." But if we're not careful and we are on the look every single day, pretty soon that will grab a hold of us and it will move from our eyes to our hearts.

I have to be cautious when using the treadmill in our bedroom. Not too long ago while walking on the treadmill, I was watching a program on the television set in my room. The more I walked I found myself engrossed in the television program. I was so engrossed that I kept falling off because my eyes were looking in that direction and it just kind of naturally took me over. That's dangerous on a treadmill going four miles per hour! We can say we're not attracted to the trappings of this world, but we find that whatever captures the attention of our eyes will magnetically draw us to it! If it has our attention, eventually we will move in that direction and it can be just as dangerous if we dive in to materialism full throttle or inch our way in at four miles per hour.

First John 2:15-17 says,

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If you love the world, love for the Father is not in you. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes and their boasting about what they have and do—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

We used to sing a song when I was a little kid in junior church. It said, "Be careful little eyes what you see, because the Father up above is looking down with love be careful little eyes what you see."

In Philippians 4:12, the Apostle Paul from the jail cell says, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

The secret that Paul found was a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and having a single mind with eyes focused toward him. He was not only being content with his character, but being content with his circumstances.

Here's a final question:

3. Who do we choose to serve?

24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

It's the third test for us. Maybe we think of this one as a grip test. Have we ever seen those things that test our grip to see how strong we are? This is a grip test that Jesus has given to this crowd to find out what it is they are holding on to tightly.

The King James Version translates Jesus’ last phrase to say, "You can't serve both God and mammon." Mammon was an Aramaic word which meant all of our wealth, and things and property. It's something in which we put our confidence. He says it's one way or the other. When we try to have two masters it's not a tie; someone takes the lead. God, if he is the Lord of our lives, will interfere with our pursuit of the things in this world. What are we holding on to with our hands?

Back in 1987 on a commuter flight from Portland, Maine, to Boston the pilot, Henry Dempsey, heard an unusual noise near the rear of the plane. Dempsey turned the controls over to the co-pilot and went back to check it out. As he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door. He soon discovered that the original noise was caused because the rear door had been improperly latched prior to takeoff. Now the impact of his weight caused it to open. Dempsey was instantly sucked out of the tiny jet. The co-pilot saw the red light, which indicated an open door. He immediately radioed the nearest airport requesting permission for an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane and wanted a helicopter to search the area. After the plane landed the ground crew found Dempsey holding on to the outdoor ladder of the aircraft. Somehow he had caught the ladder and held on for ten minutes as the plane flew two hundred mph at an altitude of 4000 feet, and then when landing he kept his head from hitting the runway, which was only twelve inches away. According to the news reports, it took airport personnel several minutes to pry Dempsey's fingers off of the ladder.

We’ve all known some people who have held onto certain things in this world with the same white-knuckle intensity. Maybe on a personal level, for our entire life we've been in an acquisition mode rather than a relinquishing mode. What are we holding on to? Whatever owns us is what we will serve. It was the theologian Zwingli who said, "If you possess something that you are not willing to part with, then you do not possess it. It possesses you."

We must hold on loosely to the things in this world. We might have money and influence and that's fine. It's fine provided that we find our value and significance in Christ and not in the things of this world. Wealth and possessions can steal our heart away if we are not careful. So we hold tightly to the things of God and loosely to the things of this world. How much is enough? If we are serious about laying up treasures in heaven, then it starts with how we live on earth.

It is not merely that we have two employers, for that is conceivably possible. Masters, however, are another story. Masters own slaves. We have no understanding of what is entailed by such a statement in our day. A slave is owned by one master, and hence it is an impossibility to be owned by two masters. Slaves give full-time service to one master, and hence it is impossible to serve two masters full-time. Either God is served with our full devotion, or God is not served at all. We cannot divide our loyalties. To attempt to do so is to deceive ourselves.

David Livingstone was one of the first missionaries to go to the deepest parts of Africa. He poured his life into sharing the gospel with others. His efforts opened the door for so many people to find and follow Christ. While in Africa, and he served there for decades, he became sick. He eventually died there. But an unusual thing happened when he passed away. Before his body was shipped back home to England for his burial, the natives tried to convey their appreciation for this man who touched them for all eternity.

Can we imagine what they did? They cut out his heart. They sent the body back to England and this is what they said. "His body belongs in England, but his heart belongs in Africa!" Jesus says, "For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." If you'll let me, I would love to ask you a question. Maybe you will need to ponder it for a while. If you were to die this week, where would they bury your heart?

At the office? At the homeless shelter? At the track? At the sports arena? At the bar? At the party? At the church? At the bank? At the orphanage in Mexico? At the country club? As I have preached this sermon I know some of you are sitting here thinking, "Go for it Pastor Bob. Great job man, go after those rich people. Let them have it." Usually we tend to judge wealth based on whether a person makes about twenty-five or thirty thousand more a year than what we do. That's what makes them wealthy.

We must not misunderstand Jesus’ words. His admonition is not about wealth. It's about greed and materialism. We can be on food stamps and be more sinful through our envy, covetousness, and desire for material possessions than the millionaire who's genuine and finds his hope in God. We might say, "Well Pastor Bob, you don't understand. I'm not rich." If we are on welfare in the United States of America, then we are wealthier than 95 percent of the people in any third world country. We're rich. The question is what's our priority? Where will they bury our heart?

An Incredible Moment with Jesus and a Widow

Let’s close this message with an understanding of where our hearts really lie before God when it comes to generously handling our money. Jesus encountered a poor widow giving her offering in the temple treasury in Mark 12:42…

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Jesus was in the area of the Temple called the Court of Women. In this area of the treasury were thirteen trumpet-shaped chests around the walls in which worshipers could deposit their Temple tax or freewill offerings like the one given by this woman. The rich made a big production out of their giving, but Jesus rejected them and their gifts. It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all she had.

In Jesus’ eyes, this poor widow had given more than all the others put together, although her gift was by far the smallest. She had given all she had to live on; in contrast to the way most of us handle our money. When we consider a certain percentage of our income a great accomplishment, we resemble those who had given “what they didn’t need.” Here, Jesus was admiring the power of generosity. Not only was she poor; as a widow she had few resources for making money. Her small gift was a sacrifice, but she gave it willingly. As Jesus-followers, we should consider increasing our giving to a point beyond convenience or safety.

There are many people who oppose the principles we have considered from the words of Jesus. They live for money and they will use every technique to get what they want. Such single-minded greed can take the breath away. So we have a choice to make. We must go to the well of our deepest treasures and decide what kind of persons we want to become. There is a decision to be made and a cost to be paid. We can make the choice to be part of a body in Christ created in the image of God that is building a way of life based on generosity. This choice liberates our hearts, minds, and wills to use God’s riches for his ultimate glory. Amen!

The power of generosity is displaying a heartfelt return to worship that persuades Jesus-followers not to offer anything to the Lord that costs nothing.

We’re moving along into our fourth message on the power of generosity. We want to highlight once again the truth that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. Where does generosity come from? What motivates it? Surely, generosity does not rise out of a vacuum. As a virtue, it must be connected to some deeper beliefs or motivations. As Jesus-followers, our commitment to generosity is intimately connected to our relationship with God. Christianity sees life itself as a generous gift from God.

We must be advised! When we go to a doctor for our annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, “Does this hurt? How about this?" If we cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there's something wrong, and the doctor will say, "We'd better do some more tests. It's not supposed to hurt there!" So it is when pastors preach on financial generosity, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard. Or perhaps there's something wrong. In that case, we may say, "My friend, we're in need of the Great Physician because it's not supposed to hurt there."

God’s Word for us in this message may hurt. There are those who give faithfully to God the very best they have—it costs. This message will not hurt them. There are those who are learning to give God their best and this message although it may bring a few of them some discomfort, overall it will help them to give with greater sacrifice. There are a few who are not sensitive to God’s Word, and they really don’t want or care to give to God in a sacrificial way. This message will really hurt. They will cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Hopefully, we will all grow in our understanding that we will not offer to God anything that costs nothing!

The coming of Jesus and his subsequent death and resurrection demonstrate the next chapter in God’s generosity. God set an example for everyone to follow. Our faith, then, is at the very heart of our belief in generosity. Other people practicing generosity will point to their faith in Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism as the foundation for their behavior, while still others hold to an ideology or philosophy rather than a religious belief.

Because Jesus-followers in the true sense of the term are activists, we have to discipline ourselves to push back and think about these deeper motivations, otherwise the activity itself becomes the fuel for our generosity. And experience must teach us that one activity after another will not carry the heavy freight of generosity. It must go deeper. Otherwise life is one frantic, adrenalin-fueled emergency after another. Too often the tyranny of the urgent undermines the necessity for time and reflection to feed the soul.

Spiritual direction is the key step to ensure that our humanitarian intent doesn’t damage others or ourselves. The highway of helping is littered with human lives that have been burned out and destroyed by the constant pressure to do more for others while neglecting personal disciplines and responsibilities. Without these safeguards, negotiating the potholes of temptation and the despair of failure will overwhelm even the most generous spirit.

It’s getting closer to Thanksgiving Day. During holiday seasons in America, we can actually call the Butterball Turkey Hot Line. And, yes, we can get an answer to whatever turkey question we may have. A whimsical news commentator, Paul Harvey, said they had monitored that hotline last Thanksgiving. One lady called and she said, "I've had this turkey in my freezer for 23 years. Can I use it?" This is really true! The man on the hotline said, "Well, if your freezer has been set on 0°F the whole time and it has not been defrosted, then the turkey is probably okay. But maybe not the taste." Well, the lady decided not to use it. She gave it to the church. When that lady gave to God's work what she really had no use for, she wasn't the only one. That's been going on for a long time. We don’t know her intention for giving an outdated turkey to God, but we can certainly understand that her act of generosity lacked giving from a heart of faith.

Malachi 1:6-14

6 "A son honors his father, and slaves honor their master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you priests who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?' 7 "By offering defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. 8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. 9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"—says the LORD Almighty.

10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "But you profane it by saying, 'The Lord's table is defiled,' and, 'Its food is contemptible.' 13 And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. 14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

These verses record a powerful, powerful dialogue of what the Lord expects from those who offer up sacrifices. The religious leaders were giving a lot of lip-service to worshipping God; but their life-service was lacking. Their lives did not support their words. Their humanitarian attempts damaged themselves and the lives of others.

Generosity from the Bottom

God through Malachi confronted the religious leaders of the day for failing to honor him. They had been generous to God from the top and not the bottom of their lives. Malachi goes on to identify the ways these religious leaders showed contempt for the Lord.

There are three areas in which God calls the religious leaders, and all Jesus-followers everywhere to be credible and authentic before the Living God:

We are to demonstrate respect in our confession

6 "A son honors his father, and slaves honor their master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you priests who show contempt for my name.”But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?' 7 "By offering defiled food on my altar.” But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible.

They were demonstrating disrespect to the Lord by placing defiled food on God’s altar. Old Testament Law described in detail how sacrifices were to be offered. This was not a mere ritual: careful observance of the rules governing sacrifices was a way to show respect for the Lord. The leaders, however, disregarded the Law’s regulations and so defiled the sacrifices and made them ritually unclean. The leaders’ outright refusal to live up to what they claimed was tantamount to treason. They verbally affirmed that God was Lord, but submitted in no area over which God had rightful authority. In effect, they showed contempt for God’s name.

We are to show esteem in our gifts

8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. 9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"—says the LORD Almighty.

They were showing a lack of esteem to the Lord by offering disqualified sacrifices. Old Testament Law also required that sacrificial animals be unblemished. These leaders accepted diseased or crippled animals for sacrifice. They would not even offer these animals to their governor. Yet they dared to offer such beasts to God, who is no mere governor but the universe’s great King! Numbers 18:29 says… “You must present as the LORD's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.”

“The best, the holiest” God says. But, the best is what we want to hang on to. We want a low risk commitment that gives to Jesus what doesn't matter that much to us while holding onto the things that really do. Obviously, we know we need to give something to God who loves us and gives us life forever. But we want to reach into the freezer and meet our responsibility with some old turkey and maybe we can even get a receipt for it. It was as if our parents came over for dinner, and we served them a tasteless frostbit disaster, with all the trimmings!

We are to exhibit reverence in our worship

10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "But you profane it by saying, 'The Lord's table is defiled,' and, 'Its food is contemptible.' 13 And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. 14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

They disdained the Lord in the privilege of leading in worship, finding it burden and sniffing at it contemptuously. They had totally lost any sense of God’s presence, and were merely going through the motions of worship. God's reaction in verse 10 to that kind of giving was condemning to say the least. God says, "Close the church, cancel the meetings, put away your hymnals, shut off the power point, and forget your offerings. I am not accepting any of it anyway. What you have given to me is an insult not a sacrifice!”

Wow! What clear and simple—and yet overwhelming—tools for us to use as Jesus-followers in evaluating the quality of our own personal relationship with God. Are we careful to show respect for God in the way we worship, or are we careless in our church attendance and practice? Do we give God our best, or does the Lord receive only our leftovers? Do we look forward to worshipping the Lord privately and with others, or has worship become boring and meaningless?

Now we as Jesus-followers have a lot of time to put into making money, watching TV, recreation, sports, but we are just too busy to give prime time to the work of the Lord. When the call comes for young men and women to offer their lives for the Lord's work, we pull our son or daughter a littler closer and say, "Here am I. Send someone else's child". We give what we can afford to give, and keep most of our resources to indulge in ourselves. We must remember, Jesus isn't interested in the amount of the gift, but the amount of the sacrifice. We "dedicate our life to Christ", but only make him Lord of the areas that aren't really important to us anyway. Jesus is officially Lord, but we still maintain control of the things that really matter - our relationships, our marriage, our money, our business, our ministry, our dreams, our prize possessions. So like the believers of Malachi's day, we give to our Savior from the bottom not the top and we forfeit his blessing on our lives. We miss the peace and significance that could be ours if we gave God our best.

Incredible Moments on the Mountains

Let’s close this message with an understanding of what true motivations lie behind generosity. Every Jesus-follower has to make three key decisions. These decisions mark the heart of faith when seeking to follow Jesus.

Climbing three mountains. The first mountain every Jesus-follower has to climb is Mount Calvary. We climb to the top of the mountain to the cross of Jesus Christ. It happens to be level at the cross. We all need a Savior. We all need to receive Jesus Christ. When we partake of Communion, we remember what Jesus Christ did for us on Mount Calvary. His body was given and his blood shed so we can live in right relationship with God. Have we made the decision to climb Mount Calvary and give our lives to Jesus?

The second mountain every Jesus-follower must climb is Mount Hermon. Jesus was transfigured or changed in bodily likeness before his closest followers Peter, James, and John. This transfiguration revealed the glory of Christ’s person. Beyond the suffering of the cross would be the glory of the throne. The Holy Spirit today enables us as Jesus-followers to be changed into the likeness of Jesus. As we surrender body, mind, and will, the Lord transforms us from within so that we are not conformed to this world. God calls us to certain areas of service for him. Have we made the decision to climb Mount Hermon and do what God calls us to do through the power of the Spirit?

The third mountain every Jesus-follower must climb is Mount Moriah. Abraham was called to sacrifice his promised son Isaac on this mountain. Isaac was most precious to Abraham. In Abraham’s obedience, God provided a ram for the sacrifice instead of Isaac. God asks us to sacrifice to him that which is most precious to us. In our obedience, he gives back to us the intimacy of Christ. Have we made the decision to climb Mount Moriah and give to God what is our most precious sacrifice?

All Jesus-followers must climb Mount Calvary. Still, some may climb Mount Hermon. However, a numbered few climb Mount Moriah. But the power of generosity lies behind total surrender. It’s a surrender that is costly.

David expressed in 2 Samuel 24:24 these words…

“I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

Mother Teresa said, “I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.

Maybe we've been limiting Christ’s Lordship in our lives, offering to Jesus our leftovers. Maybe we’re afraid to really love because of the hurt. We need to make this the day we say, "Enough mediocrity, Lord. I've played games with your Lordship long enough. I am yours Jesus. I'm all yours." Jesus deserves so much more than we've been giving.

Generosity is no respecter of persons or status. It is the attitude of loving Jesus combined with the willingness to share that makes generosity available to anyone. From all classes of people, generosity is fueled by beliefs and values greater than ourselves. Like any virtue, generosity cannot run on empty.

So if we have fallen into the ways of the religious leaders of Malachi’s day, then we need to confess now before we partake of Holy Communion. First, we need to walk once again up to Mount Calvary and remember Christ’s sacrifice. Next, we can claim the power of the Spirit on Mount Hermon. Finally, we can place the most precious of all earthly desires on Mount Moriah. We need to center again on God’s love for us in Jesus, and ask the Lord to fan our love for the Lord into flames. Then we need to return to worship filled with a vital sense of Christ’s living presence as we bow down to him and display the power of generosity. Amen!