Have you ever found yourself in some obscure place (maybe a cafe, or on a job)… and you realize, “There’s no WIFI!” Your heart starts palpitating… your thumbs start twitching… panic sets in! But then you remember you’re on the unlimited 5G plan. So, what do you do? You switch on your hotspot and make yourself a WIFI source.
This is God’s dream for you and me, the Church. We saw over the past few weeks how our world can become a dead spot—with zero bars of grace, or even gratitude. But here is the good news. Our world doesn’t have to be that way. We can become the hotspot. We can radiate God’s grace and generosity where its most needed. Not that “we” become the source—God after all is our Mighty Tower, our Center. But we connect people to the source.
I love Philippians 2:14-16a which says, “Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life.” That’s the shift! From being grumblers and complainers to shining like stars, like WIFI hotspots, holding out the word of life!
Just to show you how far we can take this principle. In Luke 6:35 Jesus says, “But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.” We often treat Gods’ generosity like our own private WIFI. But God broadcasts his kindness even to the “ungrateful”, to the evil and wicked.
Something that strikes me about God’s kindness is that it’s always practical. In Luke 3:11 John the Baptist preached, “The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.” Kindness is a mindset. How many shirts does one person need? How many shoes or how much food? Yes, people need grace. But they also need a shirt, a pair of shoes, tangible help… our every act of generosity illuminates God’s kindness to people walking in darkness.
In 2 Corinthians 8:1-6, we read about the Macedonians. They understood the practical nature of generosity as well as anyone. Paul writes, “We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that was given the churches of Macedonia: During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. I can testify that, according to their ability and even beyond their ability, of their own accord, they begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints… and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by God’s will.”
It’s one thing to receive, it’s another to give. It’s one thing to give—because we can give begrudgingly, even shrewdly right? It’s another to “beg” to give, to see it as a privilege, a joy, a service to God. There was no fear, no sour apples, no reservations.
In 2 Corinthians 8:7-9 Paul invites us to be just like the Macedonians, “Now as you excel in everything—in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us—excel also in this act of grace! I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”
I love Dave Ramsey’s famous quote: “Normal is broke.” In modern culture, the average lifestyle is fueled by self-centered spending. Instead of normal, Dave says we ought to become weird. Weird is when you become poor not because you’ve overextended your credit card in debt… but because you’ve excelled in generosity.
You might recall the story of the Rich Young Ruler. He excelled in every aspect of the Law but there was one area of his life where he didn’t excel—generosity. Jesus challenges him to become a hotspot of generosity—to, for the sake of others, become poor so that through his poverty others might become rich. Rich in knowledge of God. Rich in God’s grace and kindness. The rich young ruler couldn’t grasp Christ’s vision. His vast riches weren’t for his own excess, they were intended for Kingdom impact and magnification. As Dave says, the goal is not to be normal. Normal is broke. Literally, but also morally, normal is spiritually bankrupt. But true riches belong to “the weird”. To those who for the sake of Christ, Kingdom become poor.
In 2 Corinthians 8-9 Paul talks about generosity in a practical way. 2 Corinthians 8:13-15, “It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality. 14 At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality. 15 As it is written: The person who had much did not have too much, and the person who had little did not have too little.” Giving doesn’t create an “I lose or someone else wins” subtraction. It creates win, win, win, multiplication. I win, others win, Christ shines!
And again, generosity isn’t to be done begrudgingly. Generosity is to be seen as “a gift” not as an “extortion”. 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 says, “The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. As it is written: He distributed freely; he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.”
We never get behind by giving. In fact, the opposite is true. One of the quickest ways to get ahead is to give more—not less. We should think of every gift given as a seed. When you plant that seed, that seed produces hundred-fold seeds. But something even more miraculous happens. As you are sowing, God is standing right beside you filling your satchel (your wallet, your purse) with even more seed! We don’t just reap the eventual fruit of sowing, we’re immediately being enriched by God himself.
This is what it looks like to become a hotspot of God’s generosity. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 is a promise: “Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all [FOR EVEN MORE] generosity.” The more generous you become, the more rich and even more generous you become!
In 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 Paul brings this whole conversation full circle. “For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the proof provided by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone. 14 And as they pray on your behalf, they will have deep affection for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
Remember how God gave us proof of his generosity by showing us kindness? (he gives us good things) Our kindness does the same. It shows people proof of God’s grace and causes them to glorify God. Now of course, the most ultimate proof of God’s kindness is the grace he’s shown us in Christ Jesus. I’d tell you if you’ve never explored God’s kindness in Christ Jesus, make your way to the Point as this service concludes. We would count it the greatest privilege to be able to help you Explore Hope that’s in Christ.
But I’d also be remiss if I didn’t tell you how generosity works at Lakeside. Christ’s vision is that we be a hotspot, co-sharers of God’s grace. For practical purposes, we’ve set up several channels for generosity. You can go to LakesideChristian.com/give and begin giving in minutes. Maybe you feel called to strengthen the CORE of our ministry. Maybe you want to extend our hand of CARE as a Church, or fuel the worldwide outreach and MISSION of Lakeside. Maybe you want to expand our VISION, or give to future EXPANSION. There is no more exciting time to give than the present.
Just as we’d love to help you Explore Hope, we’d love to help you Explore Partnership at Lakeside. The first Sunday of every month we put on a Partnership Lunch. If you are bored with normal, if “your normal is broke,” go to the Point and get on the list. You have to RSVP, and there is limited space. We don’t have to walk away sad (like the Rich Young Ruler)… but we can discover the joy and privilege and impact of showing generosity (like the Macedonians, like Christ).