Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Personal Introduction

Thank you to those of you that are apart of the life groups here.

I know there are some who are working on Wednesday nights or running a business and truly just can’t make it out.

However it’s great to have such a large percentage of our adults apart of those groups.

It’s such a great decision to be apart of a life group and grow closer to God and each other.

I’m also thankful for those of you that served at the mum fest yesterday and the ones we have there today, during church.

I tell you, if I could, we would have church out there and just invite the community into worship with us.

Maybe next year.

I’m grateful for people that understand Christianity is more than attending a service, it’s about living and serving like Jesus.

Sometimes that means you miss a service to love on people.

We are in our last week of our ReThinking Church Series.

For those that might not have been with us on thus journey, we have been going through the book of 1 Corinthians for the past 16 weeks and this is our 17th and final week.

Next week I’m excited to announce we are going to enter into our missions emphasis month, From my house to the World.

We are going to hear from guests speakers and Pastor Davidson will be preaching for us on the last Sunday of the month to close it out.

This 17 week journey comes to close today with the Apostle Paul writing to this 5 year old church about their Generosity.

Many of us have been programmed in our culture to hear the word generosity and believe that it is deals only with our money.

Now, being generous with our finances is important but if you are only generous with your money, I’d suggest to you that you are not a generous person you are just generous with your finances.

Because generosity is more than the decision you will make with a dollar, it is about the decisions you make with your life.

Matt 6:21

Treasure is anything we value above all else and that which motivates us to action.

For some it is money.

For others it is power.

Still other people strive for fame or attention.

There are many things in this world vying for control of our heart.

According to Jesus, determining where our treasure is also determines where our heart is.

Many people claim to look forward to heaven, but their hearts are really not in it—their hearts are caught up in the cares of this world, because that’s where their treasure lies.

I read this last week that you can find 7 forms of generosity: Thoughts, words, money, time, things, influence, and attention.

With this understanding I’d like for you take the truths from today and see that while yes, there is a direct application to your financial generosity found in this passage, would you also consider how generous you are in other areas?

We shouldn’t seek to elevate one area above another either.

Being a generous person means being generous in all areas.

Are you generous?

Are you generous only when it’s convenient for you?

Are you generous when it requires faith?

Paul is writing to the Corinthians here about their generosity as he has other churches

1 Cor 16:1-2

Exegete:

A quick note on this.

Remember…the chapter divisions of the Bible were not there when Paul wrote.

We saw last week he was writing about the gospel, about a foundational doctrine of the faith and then the next thing he addresses is their generosity, their giving.

What your faith is in determines what your faithful to.

I your faith in the gospel?

Does your generosity reflect that?

Paul is giving them instruction as he did the churches of Galatia.

He spoke of generosity by writing

Gal 6:6-10

As you can see this theme of generosity was not something that was a one off for Paul.

It was something he said often to many people.

What did we talk about last week?

If it’s important it’s something you repeat it.

This must have been important to Paul because he spoke to many about the importance of being generous.

Upon the first day of the week is a reference to Sunday.

Also known as the Lord’s day.

In Jewish culture people attended synagogue on Saturday but in this new way of Christianity, they gathered on Sunday because of the importance of Jesus’ resurrection.

You see each day is a celebration of the resurrection, not just Easter.

It is also understood that this reference being made to the first day of the week is in line with when the people were paid.

They recieved their money on the first day of the week.

Why is this important?

Leviticus 23:10

God has always asked for the first fruits, for the best.

He is not to be an after thought or someone you happen to honor if you can.

Paul finishes these verses with “as God hath prospered him” or how he is prospering.

Wow! Notice there is no undue burden placed on someone by determining you must give x amount.

It’s proportional.

It’s not “all people must give $1,000 dollars” that would be difficult for many and maybe easy for some.

It’s give has God has given to you.

You see if God had laid the burden of giving x amount on us, some would not be able to.

He doesn’t intend for generosity to be a burden.

It’s meant to be a blessing.

Remember, being generous is a matter of can or can’t, not will or won’t.

Illustrate

Ever been to walmart before…just minding your business…enjoying a beautiful fall day.

Little chill in the air, beautiful leaves all around, and your going in to grab some groceries to have some hot chocolate and/or hot apple cider along with some hot apple cider donuts.

And as your walking up there, minding your business…you here this cute little voice:

Excuse me sir.

Would you like to buy some girl scout cookies to help our troop raise funds?

Boom.

Decision time.

Now, if your like me…you have the best excuse…I’m sorry, I don’t have any cash.

Maybe your not like me though…and you say “Maybe when I come out.”

You go in…get to shopping…say hi to a friend…and now you have forgotten your comment to the sweet little young girl.

But then you walk out…and instead of people talking to them and them being busy…she makes eye contact…with you

Excuse me sir, are you ready to buy the cookies now?

oooo…Now what do you do?

For me “I’m sorry I still don’t have cash.”

They’ve gotten smart though…now they use card readers

What’s happening in that moment?

Are you deciding whether or not you want the cookies?

Maybe.

What if it’s an organization for the poor?

Are you deciding if you want to help people less fortunate?

Are you deciding if you have atleast $1 or $5 to give?

No…your deciding if you willl or won’t give to them.

Apply:

Whether it is with your money, your time, your influence, or any other of the 7 areas of generosity…it’s not a matter of can or can’t…it’s will or wont’

Paul doesn’t give an option to the Corinthians or the Galatians.

Notice it’s how he “Ordered them”

Being generous as a believer isn’t an option.

I. Generosity is an opportunity

It’s an opportunity to be apart of what God is doing.