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What Generosity Is
This is the second in a four part series about generosity. In this message, Pastor Floyd speaks about what generosity IS and how the church should follow that path.
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In 1965 there was a group of scientists at the University of Florida that were assigned the task of creating a beverage that would have the potential to boost the lackluster performance of the Florida Gator football team. In time, a lemon-lime drink was created. And what we know today as Gatorade was born.
Do you realize that 2 years later when the Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets that the coach declared that one of the reasons the team won the game was because of Gatorade? Just recently Gatorade has released a brand-new series of drinks, changed their logo, and it’s called the G-Series. They have a drink that you can drink before you work out, then during your work, and post your workout. And in all of that it will take your level productivity to a brand-new level if you will drink the G-Series Gatorade.
I love that new look, and I love that new logo for a lot of reasons. I love the simplicity of it. In fact I was thinking about that letter G within the last few days. I wonder if that G stood for my life, what would it stand for? I wonder if that G stood for your life, what would it stand for? I wonder if that G stood for our church, what would it stand for? Would the G stand for generosity? Or would the G stand for greed? Which one? Would it stand for letting go? Or for holding on? Would it stand for storing up? Or would it stand for giving away?
Last week we talked about a definition that we created for this word generosity based off the study of God’s Word in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. I believe it is a profound definition that we need to not only memorize, but a definition that needs to grasp our lives.
Generosity is a lifestyle that gives freely, and lives open-handedly. What a word! So many times we imagine that generosity is an act. If I’ll just do this act, then everything’s fine. I’m a generous person. Not so. Generosity is a lifestyle. It is you continually living a life filled with many generous acts. A generosity of generous acts. A lifestyle that gives freely and lives openhandedly. Remember it. Right heart – open hands. Can you say it with me? Right heart. Open hands.
You see when your heart’s not right; your hands won’t be open. When your heart’s not right, you’re holding on, you’re grasping, you’re storing up. But when your heart is right your hands are open, and you understand that life is a lifestyle of generosity.
In a moment we’re going to read the first few verses of 2 Corinthians chapter 8. But before we read those verses, I want to give you just a moment of background about what is going on. Remember that the Jerusalem Christians were in great suffering, and they had a need. The Apostle Paul had attempted through brother Titus to for one year, to encourage them to, for the Corinthian believers to come on along side and support the work of those over in Jerusalem because they were suffering. Well evidently for some reason the Corinthian believers at that point had not responded, and so Paul wrote this letter, and when Paul wrote this letter to them, he, he illustrated for them a tremendous story. In fact, he talked about another group of people.
Here he is, he’s writing a letter to the church, the Christians in Corinth, but he doesn’t talk about them. He talks about what is called the Macedonians, the Macedonian believer. Who in the world were the Macedonian believers? Over around Philippi, and Thessalonica, and Berea churches were sprouting everywhere. Believers in the faith were all over that segment of society, and that segment of society was called the Macedonia area, the Macedonia region, the Macedonia believers.
He illustrated through their lives trying to motivate the Corinthian believers. He said to this you need to be like those Macedonians over there. As soon as they heard about the need in Jerusalem, they enthusiastically embraced the need, and they don’t have anything! But they gave out of nothing generously. He said here you have other, but they have nothing. You need to model their heart, and their lifestyle.
Then Paul writes about this, and he talks about it over in 2 Corinthians 8. And I want you to look at the word of God with me today, and I want us to read together from this powerful text in the scripture. He says these words. He says, “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the church, the churches of Macedonia. During a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy,” meaning the Macedonian Christians, “their abundance of joy, and their deep poverty overflowed into,” listen to this, “into the wealth of generosity. I testify that on their own according to their ability and beyond their ability, they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints. And not just as we had hoped, instead they gave themselves especially to the Lord, and then to us by God’s will. So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete this grace to you.” Then Paul said, “Know now as you excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in all of your love for us, excel also in this grace,” what grace is he talking about? He is talking about the grace of generosity.
Let’s talk this morning about what generosity is. What generosity is. The Bible here in these verses of scripture gives to us three characteristics of what it means to be a generous Christian. What it means to be a generous people. What it means to be a generous church. And may I remind everyone here today; you are never more like Jesus than when you’re generous. And the model for generosity is that cross. When you drive by this cross here on this beautiful area, and this interstate which is right beside our fellowship here at Pinnacle Hills, you need to be reminded my friend that that cross is a picture of God’s generosity to your life.
How do we know that? Look at what the scripture says here.
1. Generosity overflows. That’s what generosity is. Generosity overflows. The Bible says in verse number 1 and 2 about how generosity overflows. He uses the word grace here depending on the translation it’s used 4 times in these verses. And that grace that he is referring to is the grace of God that motivates us to be generous people. Do you realize this morning that the grace of God is the impetus, and the motivation for you to be generous?
When I think about what Christ did for me, how in the world can I live a life that holds on? How in the world can I live a life that is all about me? How can I, how can I do that? I can’t do that when I understand fully what Jesus has done for me. Because when I understand that I was hopeless, hell bound, and in need of a Savior, God sent His One and Only Son to this earth to die on the cross for my sin. And when I embraced Him as Savior He forgave my sin, came into my life, and gave me the promise of heaven. That is abounding generosity, a generosity that overflows.
He says that when we become generous Christians that generosity will overflow through our lives an in our lives. He talks about how God is the giver in chapter 8, and about how God is the multiplier over in chapter 9. He is the giver of all, and He is the multiplier of everything you have all because He is a generous God.
He pictures these Macedonians over in verse number 2, and he talks about them. He says that they were during a severe testing by affliction. That’s what affliction does. Affliction tests you. Trials test you. Troubles test you the scripture says. The Macedonians had gone through this severe testing. Notice what he says, he uses the phrase deep poverty.
Now I want you to grasp this in your mind today because many of us we have been right here in our lives. That means that we are in a rock bottom, destitute state. And we’re like a beggar who has absolutely nothing, and a promise of anything. He said when that Macedonian gives out of his generosity, you better remember he is in the depths of his poverty. He is like a beggar who doesn’t have anything, and has no promise of anything ever coming! But yet he is so generous with what he does have, he puts you Corinthian Christians over here to shame.
And here’s old Titus coming along side trying to promote to you for a year for you to come alongside the Church at Jerusalem and help them out in their time of need! Yet these Macedonians, they don’t have near what you have, but they have come alongside because their hearts are filled with the generosity of God. They understand the grace of God. They understand that life is not about them, but life is about the work of God in their life.
You see the interesting thing about these Macedonian believers, they didn’t give out of their wealth monetarily, but they gave out of their spiritual wealth because they never forgot what Jesus had done for them in their lives. And I want you to listen very carefully today; one of the greatest problems in our lives today is that we have forgotten what Jesus has done for us in our lives.
The wealth of their generosity was over what Jesus had done for them! And that’s why they wanted to excel back with generosity in the work of God. You know Northwest Arkansas’s gone through some adjustments; some tough times really for the first time in my 23-½ years here it has been different. And you know, we have heard all kinds of songs sung about that. Why it’s happened. Why it couldn’t have happened, shouldn’t have happened, why it did happen. We can blame this, and we can blame that, but you listen carefully today, at your worst you are wealthy compared to the rest of the world. At your worst moment, I don’t care whether you live in the ghetto of New York City, or whether you live in inner city Los Angeles, or whether you live right here in Northwest Arkansas, at your worst you’re wealthier than the rest of the world.
You see we need to understand here in America how blessed we are. You say well I’m not quite sure about that. Well you know I read this week the following about what’s going on in the world. Listen to this. “Only 8% of the world has 1 car.” 8% of the world have 1 car. Let me ask you, how many cars do you have? A billion people do not have clean drinking water in the world. 1 billion people. While you’re out to lunch today and people abound in it, and stuff your face, 800 million people in the world today will not eat, and 300 million of them will be children. A billion in this world live on less than $1 a day.
Do you realize that water and basic nutrition for everyone in the world would cost 20 billion dollars? And do you realize that in one year Americans spend 20 billion dollars on ice cream alone. We’re a pretty wealthy, and a very blessed people. You see we need to go back to what Jesus has done for us. And how blessed we really are.
Generosity overflows because of a lot of reasons. You know why it overflowed on those Macedonian Christian’s lives? Because they understood that generosity was not about what you have, but about what Jesus has done for you. And there are a lot of us here today that if we had this mindset, that if we had what this persons has, or if we had with this person have, or if we had this over here in our lives we would be generous. No you wouldn’t. You’ll never be anymore generous later if you have more than if you are right now in your life with what you have. Because generosity is not about what you have; generosity is about what Jesus has done for you! Generosity is about your heart! It’s not about your hands!
What is the condition of your heart? These Macedonian believers understood that generosity is a matter of the heart, not your circumstances. We play the what if game until we are sick of playing the what if game. What if I had this? What if this will happen to me in my life? Well if I won the lottery just think… Well number one you don’t need to be playing the lottery. It doesn’t honor the God one bit. And we don’t need to minimize it American church, and Arkansas church you listen to me today. WE don’t need to minimize it. It’s wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. That’s what it is. It’s not right. And the reason some of you can’t clap is because you’re playing it and you need to get away from it.
Generosity is a matter of the heart, not your circumstances. Generosity occurs in spite of your circumstances, and we need to get a hold of that. We need to understand that in our lives. Generosity occurs in our life, and it’s not a matter of our circumstances. Listen, your circumstances will never be perfect enough for you to be generous. You know what? Trust me. If generosity was about what you have, there are plenty of people in the world who have a lot that if they gave just a portion of what they had, the vast majority of the world, if not all of the world would be cared for. It’s not about that.
Generosity is a matter of your heart. It is a condition of the heart. You can’t try to get into being generous. Either you are generous because of what God has done in you, or you’re not generous. One of the two. So generosity overflows.
But also:
- 2. Generosity is enthusiastic, according to the passage. It is
enthusiastic. Can you imagine having an enthusiasm about being generous? That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? But he talks about that generosity being enthusiastic over in verse 3 and verse 4 of the passage. He talks about how we need to become involved in enthusiastically volunteering to give! Wow. He said you take these Macedonian Christians over here, Paul said let me give you a testimony about these Christians. Notice in verse 3 what he said. He said I want to testify to you about those guys on their own. On their own, nobody had to coerce them. No one had to come down on them. No one had to try to motivate them, like I’m trying to use them to motivate you Corinthian Christians. No, on their own they decided they would enthusiastically volunteer to participate in extending the kingdom of God there in Jerusalem.
And so here they where, they didn’t have anything to give. They basically gave out of their poverty, their generosity came out of their poverty, but he said with willingness, with enthusiasm, they gave. Man I wonder what would happen to a people, I wonder what would happen to each one of us personally, I wonder what would happen to our countenance if we could learn what it means to enthusiastically volunteer to come alongside someone and meet a need? I wonder what would happen to our church if our church would develop such a spirit of generosity that would just overflow to the point of coming alongside other people, coming alongside with the needs of the world and volunteer to give. I can’t wait to be a part of that! I can’t wait to have the privilege to be a part of that!
You say oh Ronnie that’s not a real world. It’s not a real world for you because you live in the natural world. It’s the real world for those of us who want to go on with Jesus, and live in a spiritual world. You see what we have to understand in verse 3 on their own accord, spontaneously and enthusiastically they wanted to volunteer, and that’s exactly what they did. Let me participate.
Generosity is enthusiastic. It also involves here in the text that they enthusiastically were involved in giving proportionately. Enthusiastically involved in giving proportionately. What does that mean? Well verse 3 talks about it. They gave on their own according to their own ability. In other words they gave out of what they had. Now there’s nothing wrong with giving out of what you have. That’s what we should all do. That’s why God has established in the Old Testament and I believe verified by the heart of Jesus in the New Testament, Matthew 23:23, and that is that the principle of tithing. I mean that’s, that’s why he put it on a proportion basis, but even beyond that, the scripture here in the New Testament takes it to a brand new level, far above that in our lives!
It’s not about giving a minimum; it’s about giving proportionately according to what I have, our own ability to do. And so he said enthusiastically we should give proportionately. But he didn’t stop there. He said we should also be involved with enthusiastically giving sacrificially. Giving sacrificially. What does that mean?
He said in verse 3, look at it. I want to tell you about these people. They gave on their own. They gave according to their ability, that’s proportionate giving, and beyond their ability. You know what that is? Sacrificial giving. In other words they gave above and beyond, with excessive proportions, beyond their own ability, that we can see. In other words they didn’t let the balance sheet or a bunch of accountants determine what they give. They didn’t let the stuff determine what they gave. They, they begged for the opportunity to give out of whatever they had to God! And they gave it all to Him! That is sacrificial giving.
They not only gave out of what they had, but they gave out of even what they did not have. You see it makes me come around to this whole element here, and, and if you would, look at verse 4, how that should so convict our hearts! And if it doesn’t convict us, we need to wake up, and we need to get convicted today. He said they begged insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry of the saints. Wow! In other words Paul said it was almost like Paul was saying hey Macedonian believer, you know, ya’ll don’t have a whole lot. I mean ya’ll just need to take care of yourself. No! We want to do it! We want to come alongside! WE want to be a part of this act of God that is so great we can’t wait to be a part of it! And that’s what they did. What a testimony.
You see the reason they did it is this; they understood something that we need to understand. Are you ready to understand it? Right heart. Open hands. Right heart. Open hands. Can you say it? Right heart. Open hands. You see the grace of God, are you listening? The grace of God will open your heart, and the grace of God will open your hands. Did you get that? The grace of God will open your heart, and will open your hands.
When I look at that cross and I think about what was done for me, that grace extended to me, opens my heart, and opens my hands. It’s not about me. It’s about Him, and what will bring glory to Him in my life.
Pastor Andy Stanley over in Atlanta. He is the son of Charles Stanley. Some call America’s pastor. But Andy Stanley pastors a very booming church into the countless thousands. Some would call them somewhat seeker. I would not call it that at all; they’re just effective at what they do. Andy Stanley preaches the word of God. And Andy Stanley told his congregation these words, and I quote today. “Here’s what I know about you and me, he said, you never miss money you give. Ever. You miss money you misspend. You miss money you lose in the stock market. You miss money that you invested incorrectly. You never miss money you give. And so I would like for you to consider stretching yourself.”
That’s a good word for you, and a good word for me. We need to consider stretching ourselves way beyond our own ability. And by the way, just a question. Does generosity even kick in until we’re beyond our own ability? I don’t believe it does. If I can do out of what I’ve got, what’s the big deal? Everyone can do out of what they have. But can I do above and beyond what I have based not off of what seems to be right in relationship to how it’s all going to come out, but my heart is open, and my hands are open, and I want to be a testimony, and a confession of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
You see the reason, the reason Stanley could say what he said to his people is because he understood what the Macedonians understood. He understood generosity. He understood this, and I want you to get it, and you’re going to hear this, and you’re going to hear it, and you’re going to hear it, and we’re going to say it until we get it! Right heart. Open hands! That’s what we’ve got to understand. When the heart’s right, the hands are open! And that’s what pleases the heart of God.
But generosity overflows. Generosity is enthusiastic. And:
3. Generosity, also, is spiritual. Did you know to be generous is spiritual? Can you imagine there’s a spiritual side of generosity? I mean when you help someone that can’t help you back, that’s generosity. When you meet someone’s need, when they have no potential of meeting your need back that is generosity. When you help someone or a group, or something without expecting anything in return, that is generosity. And there’s only one person who can make you that way in your life, and it’s the Savior who gave Himself generously to you. Because generosity is spiritual.
Verse 5 through 7 talks about it. It talks about how spiritual it really is. In fact I want you to, if you would for a moment, if you would just grab the arm of the person next to you. Would you do it? And if you’d just shake that arm and tell them did you know generosity is spiritual? That’s right. I realize that’s too cool for some of you. But generosity is spiritual.
Generosity is a spiritual lifestyle. Remember it’s not a simple act. It’s a lifestyle. But notice what it is. It’s a spiritual lifestyle that involves 2 things this text says. And man this ought to light you up if you even halfway love Jesus today. It involves surrender to God. That light you up, choir? Ya’ll need to turn it up a little bit. Surrender to God. You see, look at verse 5. What a powerful passage. And they did not just as we had hoped, instead, listen to what they did, instead these Macedonian believers, they gave themselves especially to the Lord! Wow! And then to us by God’s will! Praise the Lord.
They gave themselves all together to God. And do you realize that’s where generosity begins? Generosity cannot happen without a complete surrender to God. The reason generosity doesn’t abound in many Christians lives, in fact most, is simply because, I mean you know, we don’t understand the grace of God. All that I have is God’s. All that I give away is God’s. And we need to understand that it’s right hand, right heart, open hands. And it all starts with surrender to God.
But then he says it also involves something else, and it’s what we call partnership with others for the gospel. He talked about the importance of partnering with others for the gospel. You see, what he did is, he talked about them, and, and he challenged them to join in on the endeavor. What was the endeavor at hand? Come alongside these Jerusalem Christians who are in great, great need in their lives. And Titus had gone to them for one year trying to convince them to do it. But evidently they hadn’t for whatever reason.
Verse 7 challenges them greatly because you see they got, look at verse 7, they got what faith was like. They got what speech was like. They got what knowledge was about. They got what diligence was about. And they got what love was about. But he said to them guys you’ve got to understand. Just as you excel in faith and speech and knowledge and diligence and in love, he said you need to also excel in this grace, and this grace is the grace of generosity. That’s what he said we needed to excel in!
So I challenge you today, are you excelling in that generosity? He said you’ve got to come alongside of others who are doing something for God, and be enthusiastically engaging them in what they are doing for God. You see there is a spiritual reality here that everyone needs to really get your arms around today. If we give ourselves fully to God, we have no problem giving anything away. It’s all a matter of giving ourselves to God fully. And if we give ourselves to God fully, we have no problem giving anything away.
Now you listen carefully, and I’m not trying to be hard on anyone, not trying to, I’m not judging anyone, but I’m just going to tell you really what Paul is saying here in a nice way. If there’s, if there’s not a heart of giving in your life, you have a heart problem. You don’t have a financial problem. You’ve got a heart issue; you don’t have a circumstantial issue. It’s not about anything other than your heart. And remember when you have a right heart, you have open hands.
I said this to you last week, and maybe it just kind of right here over your head, but I want to say it again because we need to get a hold of it, and we need to get our arms around it today. If you’re not willing to give it away, don’t ever buy it. Whatever you buy, you need to be willing to give away. Because if you buy with the element of holding on, that doesn’t honor God one bit in your life. Because generosity doesn’t ever call you to hold on; generosity calls you to live your life openhandedly before God, and before others.
Andrew Murray who was a pastor and an author in the 1800’s, and the early 1900’s considered missions as the chief end of the church. Murray writes these words and boy what profound words they are. HE said the world asks what does a man own? Christ asks how does he use it? Wow. Wow. I mean that ought to get a holy wow from you. Wow.
What does a man own? That’s what everybody talks about in America. Well this old boy he owns this over here. Well I’ve got this. Well I’ve got that. Yeah, well, it just leaves as soon as it comes. Just remember buddy and one day they’re going to take you out here, and they’re going to put you in the ground, and it’s all going to go in the ground with you somewhere else, because it’s over. It’s over. Done. History. Can’t take it with you. Zero. Nada. Nothing. Nothing.
Did you realize what the question is? Put it back up guys. Put it back up. Christ asked how does he use it? You see, I don’t think God has a problem with anybody having anything in their life, as long as they honor God with what they’re suppose to honor God with. And if they’re doing that, you know what the issue is? How am I using what God’s given me? Because you know what? You don’t have anything except what God gave it to you. Period. It’s all His. You don’t have anything. Nothing. Nothing. It’s all His.
And what a profound word by Murray that everyone us need to get a hold of! How am I using in my life what God has given me? Money? Resources? Time? Talents? House? Car? Whatever it is! How can I use it for the glory of God? How can I use it for the gospel? That’s what Murray challenges us to do.
William Carey who was a missionary to India, and was a Baptist minister the later part of the 1700’s, and the early 1800’s. He was known as the father of modern missions. Carey writes these words, and I quote, “I was once a young man, and now I am old. But not once have I been witness to God’s failure to supply my needs when first I have given for the furtherance of His work. He has never failed me in His promise, so I cannot fail in my service to Him.” Did you hear what he said? All of my life, here I am in India serving God, on my own, all my life; I’ve been a witness. I’ve never witnessed our God fail to supply my need when I’ve given my life to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh my friend, listen, how in the world can we fail in our service to Him when we are willing to be what we need to be for Him?
We can count on God. We sing about that here. But I’m telling you today, you can count on God. You can count on God doing His part, but you better step it up, and be a generous, generous person.
You know when I think about all we have, all we have now, do you realize today God wants all of that for His glory? All that He’s given us, all that He’s blessed us with; He wants it used for His glory. You know Jeana and I we don’t only do that during our lives while we’re alive, we’re going to do it when we’re dead. One day we’re going to be out of here. That’s right. Jeana and I, we’ve already settled it with estate attorneys. We’ve already settled it. You know at least one-tenth of our estate is going for the gospel through our local church, so you know what? I’m going to be worth a little bit more money dead than I am alive, so some of you might want to pray for that now. But the bottom line is, God’s going to get glory even in my death. And way beyond that much is going to go for the gospel of Jesus Christ when I die. It’s settled.
Why in the world would I not die in the same way that I’ve lived? Because we have been committed way above, way above the simple principle of tithing, which we left probably 20 years ago in our lives. Because we know we cannot out give a God who’s generous. And whatever we have, it’s for Him. Whatever it is, it’s Him. Only reason we have what we have is because of Him. And I’m not telling you we know the secret of right heart, open hands, but I’m telling you we are evidence of a right heart with open hands because I’m telling you every time you live openhandedly there is a hand reaching down from heaven that is bigger than your hand ever thought about being! And you need to give your life to the furtherance of the gospel.
You see it reminds me of what Paul wrote over in Philippians, and with this I close. In verse 19 he said, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches and glory in Jesus Christ.” You see Paul was writing here about furthering the gospel. And he said you realize when you further the gospel that God’s going to kick in, and He’s going to supply your needs according to His riches and glory in Jesus Christ. Now my question is today how great are the riches of glory in Jesus Christ? DO you realize that every great rich of the glory of God is found in one word, and in one expression? Do you know what that word is? Grace. You know what that expression is? The cross.
And when Christ died, let me tell you something, the riches of God kicked in. I mean do you realize today that if you are saved, He chose you. You didn’t choose Him. Wow. Do you realize He knew that before the foundation of the world? Now wait a minute, I did this. No you did, but you did it because He woke you up to go do it. Do you realize that in your deepest need He’s there praying for you? That’s grace. That when you don’t even know how to pray yourself for yourself, when your pain is so great, and your loss is so devastating, He’s there! It’s called grace! And every freak you’ve got walks out on you; God doesn’t walk out, He walks in. And not one time does He leave you. And not one time does He forsake you. And you know what you call that? You call that grace!
And when I think of that grace, how can I live, how can I die with my hands grasping? I’ve got to be motivated to live my life openhandedly before God. That’s what generosity is, because that’s the way God lives to us, and before us.
I ask you this morning, what are you doing to further the gospel? In your life right now how are you furthering the gospel? When you die, what will you do for the sake of the gospel? You see, your legacy will be something. I hope my legacy is a legacy for the gospel. That’s what I hope.
And I close by asking you a very, very challenging question, every one of you. Has Jesus ever done anything for you? Hm? I wonder what would happen if we could open it up for a testimony service today among those of us that are Christ-followers? I wonder how long it would last if we all had the time to say what we wanted to say? Testify what we wanted to testify about it? We didn’t get hungry; we just went on as long as we could go. I wonder how many hours we could go? One by one standing in front of the microphone talking about what Jesus had done for us. It would be pretty amazing, wouldn’t it?
You see if we could simply abound in those moments without any restrictions for a period of time in our lives, we would understand that we serve a God who has done one thing to us. He has given us an enormous amount of grace. And when we understand that grace, my soul and body, we had better become the most generous people in the entire world, as representatives of the gospel in our generation. And if Jesus has never done anything for you, oh dear friend today, needs to be the day that He does it for you in your life.
Would you bow with me?
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