The Generosity of Hope

blurry in this morning from Luke chapter 3

Just got the three beginning with verse 7 came to John for baptism. He said you brood of snakes who warned you to flee the coming rap prove. By the way, you live that you have repented of your sins and turn to God don't just say to each other. We're safe for we are descendants of Abraham. That means nothing for I tell you God can create children of Abraham from these very Stone. Even now the acts of God's judgment is posed ready to sever the roots of the tree. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire that what should we do in John replied. If you have two shirts give one to the poor if you have food Sheriff's with those who are hungry even corrupt Tax Collectors came to be baptized than a teacher. What should we do any reply to let you know more taxes than the government required. What should we do have some soldiers in John replied don't extort money or make false accusations and be content with your pay. Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon and they were eager to know where the John might be the Messiah John answer the questions by saying I baptize you with water but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. And untie the strap The Descendants he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit In The Fire he is ready to spread it to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork and then he will clean up the threshing area Gathering of weed into his barn but burning the check was never any fire. John used Mini such warnings as he announced the good news to the people.

You know heritage. Is a fascinating interesting thing. We all have one. looking back It's saying my family has been a part of something for a very long time. That's especially true when it comes to a Heritage of faith. It was best as I can figure out. I'm a third-generation Nazarene. Could be a fork. I'm not for sure. I know the Smiths in the pillows weren't but I don't know about delicious or the labor. But I do know I'm third-generation. My grandparents were my parents were and I am and I don't think much about it, but we got some fourth generation nazarenes running around. hopefully her did you know was it just really neat the faith. We inherit from our families runs deep and it's special. But it doesn't favor. You know the Jews were proud of their heritage. More than once in scripture. We find them boasting are boasting that they are the children of Abraham. They they assume that somehow being a part of this family tree gave them a pathway straight to God. Their Heritage made them good with God. They were God's chosen people descendants of Abraham salvation was there.

And John the Baptist came and blue homes in their theology.

What they assumed was not correct. Heritage and family does not qualify anyone for entrance into the kingdom of God. Relying on our ancestry does not save up. We must live lies the repentance.

We find Israel was dependent upon their relation to Abraham in the promise that God had given him does his descendants. It would be as numerous. As the sand in the sea. the stars in the sky

that they would be his people.

But they failed to realize. The God could make descendants of Abraham out of the stones on the ground.

You see our heritage not our salvation. A family tree without fruit is as meaningless as a fruit tree without fruit. Faith is not merely identity, but it is the way of living which must bear free. That which is fruitless gets cut out.

It's always the people heard what John was telling you.

Navigate to ask what should we do?

What will bring us into the kingdom of God, how can we bear fruit? And what does that fruit look like?

the new Russian Roulette John Nelson

John told them to share.

Sure. We start killing at a young age. Share your toys. Don't be selfish. Let other people play with your toys don't take advantage of people share.

This doesn't seem too complicated.

But it also seems that this easy lesson and generosity is not so easy mean lived out here.

It is easier said than done.

But what I think John is showing this is it one of the fruits of being part of the kingdom of God. What are the fruits of repentance?

is generosity

in the Roman world There was economically disparity inequality. They were wealthy Romans you live comfortably. Well, there are many more who will pour the struggle. In fact, there are stories coming from the Roman Empire people who abandon their infants on the side of the road and hope that somebody would come along and take them in to be their servant when they grew up. There later stories to tell how the early church would take these children in and you know, it's hard for us to imagine. I can't imagine leaving one of my kids sitting on the side of the road as an infant hoping somebody will pick them up. It's just hard to imagine. PSE Story show the poverty and the luxury in the wealth of others. Slaves and servants were part of what it meant to build the Empire. So there were the Haves and the Have Nots there were those who would be wealthy and just be wealthy. Then there was simply means it would have to be some who are not some who did without. I John the Baptist comes redefining the Empire he comes redefining the kingdom the Roman Empire said whatever it takes you live a life of well. If you have to disregard your neighbor, then disregard him. If you have to disrespect him, then disrespect him. If you have to own slaves then get yourself some slaves. If you have to take advantage of people then take advantage of them, whatever. It takes to be wealthy do it. in the kingdom of God comes and says Love you.

Don't take advantage of now. Look out for them.

If you have more than you need share with those who are without.

And you know what? We would look at the Roman Empire. We would have to say our world. Is also a world of economic?

There's really not that much difference between the Roman Empire in the world in which we live today.

We struggle with how the faults in the difficult faults of generosity. really hot

Yo one example that that we really don't think about it or the Sweatshop in the Sweatshop industry. People even children who are living in poverty and mistreated by someone else in order to produce a good product at a good price. Places we all look for a good drive. We shop for a good price. But we don't spend much time.

Thinking about where that good price may have come from.

The fact we don't really think about it much at all. Unless some celebrity gets caught.

We just look for that good. So we can get to make our life easier. We really don't want to be informed as to where something comes from.

So long as we get that good cry.

Another example is the places with a high levels of Tourism places where you go for a luxury vacation.

But those who live in working these resort areas. Outside the resort they struggle to live by struggle to get by.

These Resorts raise the cost of living. Probably depend on cheap labor so they can make more. Tell the truth is we don't have to go. So foreign country to a sweatshop aren't you a luxury resort? We don't have to leave the state of Arkansas. We don't even have to leave bologna. Define disparity.

You know, what's a good deal for me?

If you ever bought something and you when you when you got there, you just started bickering with them over the price trying to get them to come down on the price.

I've sold a few things and I've had some people, they You know, we always price at higher than what we want. Anyway, that way we can come down and makes me feel like you're getting a bargain with our need got meant to. But there's some things I have put up for sale and not put a price on it and somebody comes they will give me go that's not worth that. Give me to come down really low and I just look at it go. Maybe it's not to you, but it is.

No, they don't buy whatever it is. I'm selling but the thing is when we get us a good deal. And we make ourselves Richard.

The same time we very well could be hurting so.

you know, sometimes we sell stuff just because we want to get rid of it and sometimes we sell stuff because we were x amount of dollars to me

I know we really don't think about that. The Halls were thinking about is what's good.

But the disparity is there.

No, the disparity is there when we drive down the street and we see people standing on the side of the road. Put the cardboard.

and we don't want to do anything because but we just don't know when we're going to be taking it. How many of my really is homeless and they need and how many of them are out there just doing it because they found they can make some good money.

Define generosity.

If I sharing might not be as easy as we ever thought it was. John gives us some examples. They were very prevalent in the Roman Empire. He said if you have to shirt. Insure One Give one away. There's not asking anyone to go without.

What you give out of their excess to those who are in need? If you have food then share with someone who doesn't have to be tails the tax collectors, not the cheat people. Know the tax collectors were notorious for overcharging people so that they could have more. It seems that that that that the collection of taxes was a barter system in and a person who wanted to be a tax collector would put in a bid to Rome. Rome says I want this much money. And they would say I'm going to collect this much money and leave the whole idea was they would collect enough to pay the taxes the role wanted but also to make a living the once they got the bid from wrong and then they would begin to charge an excess.

Instead of making a living they were out to get rich. You know when there is a desire to get ahead and stinking to do whatever it takes to get more especially if everyone else is good.

John also told the soldiers to just do their job. It just because that you're in a position of power. You don't exhort people for more you don't give in to use your position of power for profit.

Nola spaces It's still easy today to want more.

We're blessed and we have but we want more it easy today to want more so horde took to find shortcuts to Will. These power to get ahead. I want biggest shortcuts. Do we see in our in our at least our state today in our nation today is a whole the whole gambling scene the casinos in in the lottery, you know, when we're going to take what we really need for something we're going to spend it on the pipe dreams that we're going to get rich.

The last place that the only was getting rich off the lottery in the gambling in the casinos are the ones who run it. That's who's getting rich.

This year they'll open a casino in in Pine Bluff. I don't get rich off that I don't care what they say to get at the Choctaw Nation will get rich or back. The state of Arkansas in the people will get just enough to keep people coming back and spending. their money on a pipe

Are we lying our tax form so we can pay less or maybe get to get a little more back? And he was saying is that you may not cheating like power play. How many clothes do we have hanging in our closet? Or what other things do we have more of? then we need

how often do we view our personal well?

That's something that we deserve. Because we worked hard for it. We really don't want to share.

Advent can expose our need for a kingdom. It pushes up. In the hope and generosity. The people around John the Baptist needed to Hope New Hope in something besides material Comfort. They need to be free from the external desire to hoard in order to love their neighbors because Justice isn't about getting ahead Justice is about making things, right? And making things right never comes at the expense of others. But it might come at the expense of excess for sale.

the kingdom of God writes the rules and it gives hope of a future where we can be United in love for God and throws it. So we are reminded an advent that we also need more than material comfort. yo, this is a season marked with joy and giving there's more giving done in the month of December than any other time of the Why we even have a giving Tuesday where people go on the internet and just get them. boatloads of money for their favorite charity But if we're not careful. We lose the joy in our Quest. to get more for ourselves

You know as we acquire more stuff. We become more overwhelmed.

Unless happy. Because more stuff doesn't bring joy, and it doesn't bring happy. being generous releases the joy in The Compassion Center

when we learn to be open-handed to live with open-handed generosity toward others. We learn. Be more depending on God. We learned that everything we have.

It's a living in God's kingdom redefined for generosity.

The obsession to get ahead. Is nothing new?

People have always wanted.

Keeping up with the Joneses and become a golden lot.

But we fail to realize sometimes is the Joneses are so far in debt. They'll never get out.

You learn lessons of sharing as children. We take them to our children.

But it is difficult to live.

What we discover is the kingdom of God is one of level ground. It's where we love and we care for one another. It's more than belonging to a family of faith. We must be people of Faith to live lives of generosity toward those around us illustrating our love for God and others and demonstrating our faith that God.

love and care crawler

he God care so much for us. He was very generous sort of.

the davises ages

and what we discover is Where John was talking about? We just give our excess we give our extra God didn't give his except he didn't give his extra. God gave his one and only

God demonstrated the form of generosity that none of us will probably ever have to

the scene is one of the only son to be out.

and if we experience his salvation generosity Be a part of our Lives as well.

Out of our generosity the world might see and know a generous God. Left the riches of heaven so that we might be free.

You know this year we have expressed some generosity. Whose expense Express to the angel tree Ministry?

Are we gathered together gifts? But first I think it was nine kids and I think it ended up please is 18 kids.

But they might have a Christmas.

For those of you who participated in that I think you very much. We also expressed generosity by giving to the the spirit of the law.

But giving money for turkeys and Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas and Thanksgiving and then some food as well as we didn't quite get our box full for Christmas, but it's about half full.

those of you who participated I think you sharing from our exit list places for glass

for blessed None of us who are doing without.

But even though we have Express generosity. Who asked you this morning? How my God want to use you brother? Tell my he wants you to show generosity, how can you be generous and show generosity and sharing that's with someone else that they might see Jesus. And receive the greatest gift of all.

generosity It's one of those things. It's really easy for us to talk about.

But not so easy for us to do something.

I think in the culture in which we live today a lot of the times we fail to be generous because we don't want to be taken advantage of And we never know.

When we share if we're going to be or not.

The witch might be worth.

being generous and showing Jesus and being taken advantage of

are not being Jesus. Not being generous.

and being sick

cuz generosity it's just one of those fruit. It's to be seen in our lives because we Are apart of the kingdom of God?

Your God we acknowledge this morning. The generosity is easier to talk about. Then it is to do some time.

We get all wrapped up in the culture of our day.

Are there. Help us to be a generous Pizza?

Help us to be so open to the moving of your spirit in our lives. It when you open a door that would enable us to be generous and to share with someone else. We will see that door and we will walk through. sharing what you have blessed us with not only material is the spiritual

dear God help us to be a generous people we pray.

Thank you for coming to work today. I look Brown. by someone