Living Generously
Living Generously • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Generosity story...
What comes to mind when I say “generosity”?
Often, we relate generosity with a willingness to give money to those who need it.
But, as we will see over the next four weeks, generosity is that, but even more than that.
As believers, we must strive to live generously; with our money, but also with our time, our talents, and our words.
But to begin, we need to answer the question, “Why do we want to strive to live generously?”
Body: Hebrews 13:16
Body: Hebrews 13:16
Context
The Book of Hebrews...
The book of Hebrews is a deeply theological book that is really a warning to the Jewish Christians that were being tempted to turn their backs on Christ and return to Judaism. They were tempted, because they were facing various forms of persecution because of their faith from their Jewish relatives, neighbors, and others within the community.
So, the writer of Hebrews sets out to show them that Jesus is superior to all the Jewish heroes and institutions.
This wasn’t to minimize Judaism, but to magnify Christ Jesus.
So, the major push of the letter is to continue in the faith, despite what they may be facing; to continue in belief and practice.
but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
This section of Hebrews...
Having given ample evidence of Christ Jesus superiority and five strong warnings to not turn their backs of Jesus, the writer turned to a call to persevering faith in the face of trials.
That faith, is a lived out faith, which is the focus of the thirteenth and final chapter of the book of Hebrews.
In this chapter we find numerous practical rules for Christian living, all worthy of close examination and all driven by the writer’s theological conclusion at the end of chapter twelve.
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
This section answers the question: “What is the acceptable worship to God we are to offer?”
Verse 16 summarizes much of the teaching of this chapter well.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
“Do not neglect to do good...”
We often hear the charge to “do good”, but it’s important we understand what that really means.
The Greek word here means, “the act of performing morally admirable deeds.”
So, it’s something that we do that is morally admirable. Or, we might say, morally valuable; morally praiseworthy; morally excellent.
A couple important distinctions we should make here:
These are good deeds to others, not to ourselves...
These are acts that put the good of others before ourselves...
These are acts that are done without anyone hidden agenda...
“…and to share what you have...”
Part of doing good is sharing what you have with others.
This pertains to money and possessions, but also anything that we might have with others.
It’s truly using our blessings to bless others.
Caring for others sacrificially has always been a foundational aspect of the Christian community.
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Let brotherly love continue.
It is not an overstatement to say that to have true Christian fellowship, people must do good to one another and share our blessings.
But why?
“…for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Contextually, the sacrifices that the writer is pointing to are, from verse 15, the sacrifice of praise, and from this verse, the sacrifice of good works and sharing with others.
As believers, we do these not to earn salvation or forgiveness of our sins, but because it is our desire to please God.
There is no more important motivation for the believer than to please God.
But, for too many, even within the church today, their greatest motivation isn’t to please God.
Many are too focused on pleasing themselves...
But even this stems from a greater, but less talked about issue: Too many today have a low view of God...
God is there to give us stuff and do things for us...
God is there to bring me through the hard times...
God is the man upstairs who I will give credit to occasionally, but mainly hope He stays out of my way until I need something...
For too many today, God and Jesus are used as curse words, not as two of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity!
All of these are foreign ideas to the God we find in the Bible.
Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain means to not misuse the name of God for personal gain.
The ancient Jews wouldn’t even say the holy name Yahweh, replacing it with Adoni, because they didn’t want to risk misusing the name of God.
The Torah is dominated by rules and regulations that were designed specifically so people would honor the holiness of God.
And Jesus clearly states that the greatest commandment is to love God with our everything (heart, soul, mind, and strength).
In reality, pleasing God ought to be our greatest desire in life:
More than pleasing ourselves; our family; our spouse; our friends; our peers; our co-workers; or anyone else. Set out to please God first, and it will be much easier for all of those others to fall into place.
So What?
So What?
Throughout this four week series, I’m going to present the “So What?” statements in personal terms that I’d like each of us to look at daily and ask, “Am I really trying to live generously?”
To live generously I must be committed to pleasing God.
To live generously I must be committed to pleasing God.
Is the greatest desire of your heart to please yourself, please someone else, or to please God?
I had a very uncomfortable truth I had to wrestle with many years ago: I am committed people pleaser...
A friend and mentor challenged me with this verse:
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Talk about hitting me right between the eyes!
This is something I have to wrestle with daily…and it’s something I have friends who keep me accountable to it as well.
To live generously, I must be committed to doing good to others.
To live generously, I must be committed to doing good to others.
Most of us on Sunday morning will say, “Yep, I’m committed to doing good to others.” But, my question is, “How so?”
If it’s simply being nice to people I’d challenge you that “being nice” isn’t enough. Doing good means we are actively, sacrificially doing good to others.
So, I say again, “How so?”
To live generously, I must be committed to sharing my blessings with others.
To live generously, I must be committed to sharing my blessings with others.
What if we looked at everything we had as blessings from God? And what if we considered that our blessing ought to be shared with others? How would that impact our church? Our community?
We will see throughout this study that God has called His people to live generously, and that begins with a willingness to share blessings with others.