We value generosity

Joel Kolb

Spring City Fellowship

SCF Values • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago • 51:31

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We value generosity both in material things and in love. We believe that God has called us to live abundantly where we have enough to share. This is not just in material things, but also in our love and compassion for those who have needs of various kinds. We seek to bless as we have been blessed by God.

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Our Preaching theme for 2022 is “Begin Again”

We begin this year by taking a look at the values that guide our vision.

This is the last of our series on SCF Values.

I will refer you to the diagram that I brought out two weeks ago.

I inadvertently created a chiasm in our values statement.

At the center we have the Kingdom of God, which belongs at the center because it is our focal point at the people of God who are tasked with establishing His rule in the world.

And on either side of that we have the Holy Spirit who is the means by which we accomplish this task.

The second point is the Word of God which is our objective source of revelation and opposite that we have fellowship which is the context for working out and living out that revelation.

It begins with worship (the overflow of our hearts toward God) and ends with generosity (the overflow of our lives toward others.

Generosity is a counterpart to our worship.

If we say that we love God, then we ought also to love others.

Generosity is a tangible expression of our love for God and others.

When I was growing up on the farm. I learned about tithing the very first time I earned any money of my own.

My grandparents lived across the street (where my brother lives now). One day my grandmother asked me to move boxes from her basement to above the garage. I think she paid me 5 or 10 cents per box. It might not seem like much, but it was to me then.

When she paid me she counted out the change on the kitchen table. Say it was $1.80. She had made the change such that she count separate out 18 cents from the rest.

“This part belongs to the Lord,” she told me.

Tithing has never been a question for me. I have always understood that part of what I earn belongs to the Lord. That is what I was taught.

But this is not just a sermon about tithing.

Not that there is anything wrong with tithing, but I don’t think it goes far enough.

I want us to think in terms of generosity - not just giving God what belongs to Him -but giving like God gives..

But recognizing that, in fact, it all belongs to Him!

God is so generous with us and He wants us to be generous with others!

So we will start by being generous with our tithes, but then we also want to be generous with our offerings and not just our material offerings, but as our value states - we want to be generous with our love.

Generous with our tithes

Malachi is considered to be the standard text when it comes to tithing.

It was the practice of giving one tenth as tribute.

It is a practice as old as Abraham and Melchizedek.

It was reiterated in the Levitical Law.

In fact, the Levites themselves, as a tenth of Israel were set apart for God.

During revivals under Hezekiah and Nehemiah an effort was made to reinstate tithing as a practice.

But it seems that this was not practiced consistently in Israel, because the prophet Malachi calls out the whole nation for not setting aside God’s portion.

Malachi 3:8–12 ESV

8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

So why tithe? And why a tenth?

The tithe is symbolic of the whole.

I think the simplest explanation comes from just looking at the numbers.

Nearly every modern counting system uses ten as its base.

There are some ancient counting systems that differed in their groupings, but ten is still the most common base number.

We have ten fingers and ten toes.

But here is the clever thing about counting by tens. to get ten percent - or a tenth - you just drop the last digit.

So in my example from earlier, a tenth of $1.80 was 18 cents.

The tenth looks just like the whole.

That is because the tenth is supposed to represent the whole.

The idea behind giving a tenth is that we are symbolically giving the whole to God.

We are recognizing that God deserves it all - it all belongs to him!

So the portion that we give back is a representative portion - a symbolic part- which represents the whole.

If it seems like ten percent is a lot to give, just remind yourself that you owe God everything.

Giving ten percent is supposed to remind you that the other 90 percent isn’t yours either!

You get to use the other 90 percent to serve God and to bless others.

Tithing is a test of faith.

Does a tithe have to be ten percent?

I really don’t like answering that question.

Because people assume that as a pastor, I am just trying to get money for the church.

“The church is always asking for money!” is what many people think.

When I am teaching on tithing and giving, it isn’t actually about money - I want to teach you about faith and trusting God.

I realize that this subject has been abused, so I want to be careful.

God invites us to put Him to the test in this area.

In fact it is we who are being tested.

God asks us to honor him by giving Him His portion, and by doing so, we learn to trust God to provide for us.

I’m not telling you what you should do, that’s between you and God.

But I will encourage you to prayerfully experiment with asking God what you should give and then see how God provides in response?

How many people are here today have tried it and found that God really does honor our giving?

I would encourage you to do this in steps.

I have also seen people take a big leap of faith and not have it turn out the way that they expected - then they blame God for their failure when they tried to run before they could walk.

Don’t give money to the church that you don’t have - unless you have tried it and have seen God do the impossible on a small scale - then its your faith, not mine.

Don’t give away what God has given you to meet your need and then expect others to help you - unless of course, God has you on on an Abraham journey and you are really willing to make the sacrifice.

I really want to see you grow in this area - but I don’t want to see you become discouraged by attempting too much too soon.

I would say “If you have seen God provide $10, try for a hundred”

And if you have seen God provide hundreds, try for thousands.

But start small and let God build your faith a step at a time.

Perhaps you have heard someone say, “Isn’t tithing an Old Testament practice that is not necessarily part of the New Covenant?”

A tithe/ tenth is a baseline.

It is true that tithing is Old Covenant.

Tithes were collected and used for the temple as part of the annual feasts.

Here is what the tithe was used for:

They were for the celebrations themselves, so that everyone would have a memorable time in the presence of the Lord and with each other.

What was left was for the care of the Levites, the people who were charged with the responsibility of caring for the temple and its services.

There was also enough to care for strangers, orphans and widows - desperate people who had only God to turn to for help.

The New Testament gospels refer to tithing, it is usually in the context of religious duty, not a command of Christ.

However, we also know that the early church received regular financial gifts that were set aside for the Lord’s work.

I would simply ask this question, “If tithing is Old Covenant, would the New Covenant require anything less?”

I think that what the new covenant teaches is abundance and generosity which goes beyond an obligatory ten percent.

Why stop at ten percent? Why not more?

When I was first married, my late wife and I knew that we were called to ministry and to missions. We knew that we would someday live on the generosity of others, so we wanted to practice being generous. Keep in mind this was when we had two incomes and no kids.

We found that we could give as much as a third of our income between tithe and missions giving and live off the other two thirds. So we did.

If you think that is a lot, I have heard of people who gave even more.

Sure, we could have put that money into savings, but we didn’t trust the market and decided to invest in the Kingdom.

If 100% belongs to God, then I would challenge us to think, not in terms of how much we should give, but how much we should keep.

How much do you really need to live on and to be able to serve the Lord well?

(Keep in mind that you spouse or you children might have something to say about this).

This is not about being poor it is about “living simply” or “living well without waste”.

Now what will you do with the rest?

Generous with our offerings

Luke 21:1–4 ESV

1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

An offering is not about the amount, it is about the heart.

There is a difference between tithes and offerings.

Tithes are the part that goes to the regular support of the temple - or the church.

Offerings are over and above that.

Tithes help to maintain the work of the church - general maintenance.

Offerings enable the church to reach out, grow and expand.

We include some missions and outreach in our regular church budget, but if people give more than what we need for our budget, we will direct those fund towards ministries that build the kingdom.

You may have ministries that you regularly give toward or missionaries that you support with your offerings.

I have always appreciated the generosity of this congregation when we have visiting ministries!

The point of an offering is not how much you give, but what is in your heart.

Jesus commended the widows offering because of her sacrifice.

It wasn’t about the amount, because two coins would buy much.

It was that she was giving her 100% by giving the little bit that she had.

That is the heart that God is looking for, not that we only give when we can give extravagantly, but that we give like we owe God everything.

2 Corinthians 9:6–10 NLT

6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

An offering is seed for increase.

Here is a way to think of your offering that will help you to give with the right attitude.

When you sow a seed, you do it so that you will have a harvest - you do it for increase.

What if a person doesn’t want to let go of their seed?

What if they decide to eat their seed?

The seed that you have in your hand is a sure thing!

How do you know that putting it in the ground will produce increase?

We learn about sowing and reaping from experience.

When I was in business, I learned that if I only made enough money to pay my bills I was actually loosing money.

Why? Because I have equipment that wears out.

Every day I go to work I am taking risks with my contracts as well as with my health and safety.

I need to put something aside in case I can’t work or for the time when I will no longer be able to work.

Besides, when I have a little extra money, I spent it on better tools which help me to do a better job and in less time which ultimately benefits my customer.

I learned that, “you have to spend money to make money.”

It’s basic sowing and reaping - it you try to hold on to your money too tightly, you will end up loosing what you have.

But if you are generous, with yourself, your employees and your customers - everybody comes out better in the end.

It is a Kingdom principle - what you try to hang onto, you lose; but what you sow generously comes back to you eventually with increase.

But some people get what we call, “a poverty mentality.”

They are stingy, not just with other people; but they can’t even enjoy nice things themselves.

When we go though hard times it may be tempting to think, “this is God’s will for me - to be poor”

Actually, God’s will for you is to thrive and you can do that with a little or with a lot.

The “prosperity gospel” gets a lot of criticism these days and some of it is deserved.

God doesn’t care if you drive a Cadillac or not.

The question is why?

What message does it send to the world around you?

How does you being rich or poor help to build the Kingdom?

If God prospers you, there is a reason.

When I was a missionary in Denmark in my early years. There was Danish couple who became some of our best friends. They also felt a call to missions and looked forward to the day when they could be sent out to another country. But he was a university student at the time working on his masters degree.

His subject? This little known thing they called the internet. Well, by the time he finished his degree, he was being headhunted by major corporations. But he was trying to reconcile this with his call to missions.

One of the other conversations that we had was about giving and tithing. The Danish government requires people to contract with a church to tithe in order for it to be tax deductible. People are then obligated to pay what they have contracted, either an amount or a percentage. They began to tithe as a step of faith even though he was still a student.

Then, as soon as he graduated he was hired by a major company and offered their top salary. When that company couldn’t pay him any more he was hired by another company. And eventually he ended up starting his own company with an exclusive list of clients. He became one of the top internet security consultants in the country.

One day he asked me, “Do you think God calls people to give to missions?

“ I certainly hope so or I wouldn’t be here!” I answered.

“Because God gave me the desire for missions and then he puts me in a position to make all of this money. All I can think is that he wants me to put me in a position to fund missions.”

That is prosperity with a purpose!

Paul talks about this as he continues...

2 Corinthians 9:11–15 TPT

11 You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God. 12 The priestly ministry you are providing through your offering not only supplies what is lacking for God’s people, it inspires an outpouring of praises and thanksgiving to God himself. 13 For as your extremely generous offering meets the approval of those in Jerusalem, it will cause them to give glory to God—all because of your loyal support and allegiance to the gospel of Christ, as well as your generous-hearted partnership with them toward those in need. 14 Because of this extraordinary grace, which God has lavished on you, they will affectionately remember you in their prayers. 15 Praise God for his astonishing gift, which is far too great for words!

Offerings are given out of our abundance.

I believe this is God’s will for us, to live abundant lives.

Why? Because God’s grace toward us is abundant!

God’s love toward us is abundant!

God’s mercy is abundant!

Aren’t you glad that God has never been stingy with any of His attributes,

why would he withhold provision from any of His children?

Any lack that we have is not God, its life in a fallen world.

Life happens. Hard times come and they eventually go.

But for those who have fallen on hard times there are also those whom God has blessed to meet that need.

We just need to know what we are blessed for so that we give out of the overflow of our abundance.

Generous with our love

1 John 3:16–17 ESV

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

Generosity doesn’t start with money, it starts by simply caring.

Generosity should be motivated by compassion.

How many times have you seen a person in need and you try not to think about it?

I know… it hurts to see someone hurting.

You have a choice, you can do something about it or you can try to shut it out.

But what happens when we close our hearts to people, time after time?

We begin to get hardened, not just toward their condition but toward others and toward God.

That’s why we need to be generous with our love, keep our hearts open and be willing to feel the pain of others.

Sometimes our giving is not out of love, but is out of guilt.

We can throw money at a problem to try to make it go away.

“For just $19 dollars a month you can have your guilt alleviated every time this heart wrenching commercial comes on by knowing that you did something. You threw money at the problem.”

Sometimes money isn’t actually helping.

Sometimes what people really need is our time, attention and prayer.

Sometimes what they really need is someone to come alongside and teach them how to shop for groceries, how to repair their vehicle or how to live an abundant life with the resources that they already have.

Sometimes what is really needed is far more valuable than money.

Love, real love, is costly.

1 John 3:18 ESV

18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Generosity should be consistent with our statedvalues.

It seems there will always be more needy people than we have resources; that is where priorities come in.

What do we say is important? Does our generosity support our words?

Some years ago, Evangelical Christians confronted the issue of abortion in America. The problem is that is took a few more years to provide an alternative for women who were faced with that decision.

Planned Parenthood was what was available to them for decades and they were usually the ones pushing abortion. They could pass out contraception, but that was only making the problem worse. It was throwing money at it. A convenient, but not an effective solution.

They needed people who would come along side them and help them find a better solution. Eventually, crisis pregnancy centers came to fill that role, but it took people filled with compassion, acting in a way that was consistent with their values to come up with that solution.

We still have a lot of challenges in our society that are still being handled conveniently instead of generously, and with both conviction and compassion.

We try to work out our issues on Facebook instead of sitting down and having real conversations.

People are really scared with all that is going on in the news these days.

Someone needs to to give them hope, but words are not going to be enough.

They need to see hopeful people living abundant lives.

God wants to bless you, but it is not just for you - it is so that other people will know what blessing even is.

Genesis 12:1–3 ESV

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Generosity is a part of blessing.

When God wanted to bless the world, He had to start somewhere.

He started with a man, Abraham, and developed a relationship with Him.

Abraham learned to trust God to provide for him.

And that was hard because sometimes God asked him to sacrifice the very thing that He had provided so that He could trust him with more.

God wanted Abraham to learn generosity.

Why? Because God intended to bless him.

But God’s plan all along was that Abraham’s blessing would be a seed that would bless all of humanity.

Abraham had to learn how to let go of that seed; how to sow that seed to be able to see the increase.

Abraham didn’t just learn that lesson with material things, but with his family, his reputation and his legacy.

Abraham learned how to love and how to let go.

Because of that, God was able to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham.

God has blessed you to be a blessing.

Who can God bless through your generosity?

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