Generous (Latin: generosus) : "of noble birth"

... Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. --- Mk 12:43

Jesus singled her out and praised her for her generosity despite her poverty, and the disciples caught this as the spirit of generosity was evident in the early church in Acts 2.

Thrust: We as the children of God must resolve to develop and build up the spirit of generosity in our lives.

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I. UNDERSTAND THE DIVINE ECONOMY

• Economy (Latin: oikonomikos) : "household management"
• Divine Economy: how God manages that which is His.

God's divine economy is marked by His grace!

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness... --- Ex 34:6

A. His Grace in Creation

• In the beginning

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. --- Ge 1:29

• In the present

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? … See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? … 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. --- Mt 6:26-33

• At the end of time

... To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. --- Re 21:6

... Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. --- Re 22:17

B. His Grace Towards His People

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. --- Ge 12:2-3

12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. --- Dt 7:12–13

B. His Grace in His Gift of His Son

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. --- Jn 3:16

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. --- 2 Cor 8:9

Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect ... --- Jas 1:17, TPT

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II. EMBRACE THE DIVINE PARADIGM

We must change the way we look at the people and the situations around us. We must see things from God’s perspective and rightly appropriate God’s resources.

A. Be Positioned for Hospitality

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. --- He 13:2

• In the OT, Abram demonstrated hospitality to his guests (Gen 18:1-16)
• In the NT, hospitality was critical to the spread of the Gospel because the hosts provided food and shelter to the apostles, and provided a place for Christians to meet to worship.

Biblical hospitality is intentionally making room for others in our hearts and lives.

We make room in our hearts and lives to love others, to care for others, to meet their immediate needs, to prepare them for the next phase of the journey, and then if and when the time comes for them to leave, we bless them with even more so that they will have all that they need.

B. Be Prepared to Make Sacrifices

7 ... he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! --- Php 2:7-8

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. --- 1 Jn 3:16-18

"He who gives what he would readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice." --- Sir Henry Taylor

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CHALLENGE

Generosity is not about how much we have, but it is the conscious and intentional choice to do something with what you do have.

1. ASK God for all that you need (Mt 7:7).

2. MAKE ROOM for others.

3. LET GO when God says so.