Why Generosity Matters

Without generosity, there wouldn't be the Church, the movement of Jesus.

Generosity is extremely hard for people. It's hard for me, and I am a preacher. I'm not generous enough. I'm not nearly as generous as some of you. Here I stand, about to preach a sermon that both inspires me and scares me at the same time. Some parts of it are easy, and some are hard.

In preaching this or any sermon, I don't want to pretend like I have arrived at some destination. But I am on a journey, and I want you to join me on this journey. It's okay that some of you are a few steps ahead of the rest. It's okay that some of you might be taking your first steps. But all of us should be moving forward. If you're backtracking, I hope you will renew your commitment to the journey this morning.

Without generosity, there wouldn't be the Church. And by Church, I don't mean bricks and mortar. I am referring to the movement of Jesus. Generosity inspires the movement of Jesus to flourish. I think of Christ's example. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV) Paul says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

How well do we know the grace of God?

This is actually our problem. How well do we know the grace of God? Do we understand the extent of Christ's generosity? Do we understand that his generosity had no limits? The early believers sang a hymn to remind themselves of this. The words of the hymn came from Philippians. "Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross." See Philippians 2:6-11 for the full version.

We're here because so many have followed in Jesus' steps. We are the beneficiaries of other people's generosity who have gone before us. The question is whether our generosity will have a marked influence on those who follow us.

I'm not going to pull any punches here. Generosity requires a radical change of perspective. To be generous, we have to resolve what "enough" will be for us. Take love for example. Is love enough? Is it enough "to" love? To be generous, we have to resolve that love will be enough. Here is what I mean.

Resolve that love will be enough.

In Roman culture, master-slave relationships were common. You can understand how a slave would feel justified in showing disrespect for his master. We don't have slave-master relationships today. They've been outlawed virtually everywhere in the world. Praise God!

But put yourself in the place of a slave, or any person who feels they are in a position of disadvantage in a relationship. Slaves were disrespecting their masters and everyone their master was associated with. Today, employees disrespect their supervisor, boss, or employer. Whenever we feel a relationship is to our disadvantage, we tend to sabotage it.

Maybe you have a sour attitude toward your work because you are being taking advantage of. They're not giving you what you feel you deserve, whether it is a fair wage, time off, or the benefits you feel you deserve.

It isn't just employees, it's families too. When children don't get what they feel they deserve, they disrespect their parents. A wife disrespects her husband or a husband disrespects his wife.

Paul's point is that no matter how extreme their circumstance, love had to be enough. Would they put the best interests of every relationship, the most extreme being master-slave, ahead of their desire for economic gain?

When love is our motive, it allows us to bring the very best to every relationship around us.

1 Timothy 6:1-2 (NIV) says, "All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them."

When love is our motive, it allows us to bring the very best to every relationship around us. But when we're driven by greed, it brings out the worst in us. In 1 Timothy 6:3-5 (NIV) Paul vividly describes what happens when people in the Church are motivated by financial gain instead of love. "If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain."

Some of you are destroying relationships in your workplace, in your home, or in your church for the simple reason that financial gain is everything and love isn't enough. When we're motivated by greed and envy, we find it impossible to show respect for others. But when we learn to value people, and they become to dear to us, our generosity begins to flow naturally.

If you resolve that love will be enough, will you affirm it right now by turning to someone around you and saying as much? Say, "Love will be enough. Your value is greater than financial. I love because God first loved me." Love transforms relationships. Disrespect escalates tension.

To be generous, love has to be enough. Here is the next point, though. Simple has to be enough too. I don't know many people who think that simple is enough. Here is what I mean.

Resolve that simple will be enough.

In 1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV) Paul says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Paul is describing how simple is never enough. He says that we ruin our lives and relationships for things. Godliness isn't enough. Food and clothing isn't enough. Acquiring material things and our quest for the mighty dollar becomes all-consuming to us! Paul is not making a profound point here-- just a practical one. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out it. Isn't that true?

I was thinking about Whitney Houston, how she amassed great wealth and many things. But she died in her bathtub, as naked and vulnerable as the day she was born. The very day she died I saw several headlines. "Who will get her empire?" The same was seen with Michael Jackson and Breitbart.

I remember a while back talking to Jack Johnson in his garage. He was showing me his motorized rail car. While we were talking, I saw an old lamp and mentioned to Jack that a man in our church collected old lamps. Jack was ready to give up his lamp! If you complimented Jack on his ties, he would offer to give you those as well. "No thanks Jack. Your tie looks good on you, not on me!"

Another point Paul is making here is that we should be most known for our godliness, not for our toys. Our character of generosity should matter more than our possessing things. Being consumed by God, captivated by his holiness, and desiring his righteousness, should matter more than being a consumer. Here is Paul's formula for happiness. Godliness + contentment = great gain. It's hard to be generous when we're overly attached to things. Ultimately, no "thing" matters for eternity. Freely we have received, freely we should give, or share, or sell things to love others. But that will only happen if love is enough and simple is enough.

If you resolve that simple will be enough, will you turn to someone and say, "Simple is enough. Godliness + contentment = great gain."

Resolve that faith will be enough and that God is in control.

Without faith, generosity is impossible. Our whole motive for being greedy and materialistic is to feel in control. And when everything is taken from us, we feel out of control. Generosity is scary because it feels like loss. It feels like we're losing control. Generosity requires us to not just believe something intellectually, but to actually trust God to be in control, and to put some skin in the game. Generosity puts our future, our livelihood, and our families fully in God's hands.

Let's suppose that you have saved money for retirement. That money is your security. The opposite of faith is fear. Fear controls our generosity far more than our faith. "What if I get sick? What if the economy gets worse? What if I lose my job? What if the money runs out? Who will take care of me? What if... what if...?" You see, our fear incapacitates us. But faith unleashes our generosity!

In 1 Timothy 6:11-16 (NIV), Paul says, "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time-- God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."

I could spend a month parsing these verses, but they are about faith. God is the giver of life. God is the blessed and only ruler. God is the King of kings and Lord of Lords. God is immortal. God alone lives in unapproachable light. To God be all honor and might forever and ever! Right?

But here is the reality. We trust ourselves far more than we trust God. We're afraid to trust God. Faith isn't enough, so we hold on to what little we have, protecting it, squeezing it, and hoarding it. Generosity will be impossible until love is enough, simple is enough, and faith becomes enough.

If faith is enough, turn to your neighbor and say so!

Resolve that hope will be enough and that God will provide.

One reason we aren't generous is because we'd rather save up for our future. Isn't that the whole idea of retirement? But what if I told you that the same reason we aren't generous is the very reason we should become generous! The whole idea behind generosity is saving up for eternity. Do you want to spend eternity with absolutely nothing?

In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV) Paul says, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

In Mark 10 Jesus tells the rich young man to go sell all he has and give it to the poor. The rich young man went away sad, and the astonished disciples confront Jesus, "No way! That's insane!" There are a lot of people of people who think generosity is ridiculous.

But here is what Jesus tells his disciples in Mark 10:29-31 (NIV). "No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (home, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields-- and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Without a love-motive, generosity is impossible. You'll only do what's best for you, and you'll disrespect every person who stands in your way, family included. Without a simple contentment to be godly, you'll consume yourself with material things, and ruin your life. Without faith and hope in eternity, you'll never be able to let go.

But when love is enough, simple is enough, faith is enough, and hope is enough, you're set free to truly follow the example of Jesus.