M IS FOR GENEROSITY #3
RUMC 11/5/09
How many M’s do you use to spell generosity? I use three. Motivation, Means, and today we will talk about MATURITY.
Fundamentally, the connection between generosity and maturity is easy to understand.
· The more we read the Bible the closer we grow to God.
· The more we pray the closer we grow to God.
· The more we worship the closer we grow to God.
· The more we witness the closer we grow to God.
· And the more we are generous the closer we grow to God.
That’s really not so hard to understand but I would like to unpack that a little today.
First, we have to recognize that one of the fundamental characteristics of God is generosity. From the very beginning of creation, God has generously showered good things upon his people. Consider the beauty and bounty of the Garden of Eden. Consider the beauty and bounty of the earth. Remember I told you that one kernel of corn planted, watered, nurtured, when mature yields 150-180 kernels. Consider the tremendous bountiful variety of God’s creation. A stingy God would have created a cow, a pig, and a chicken for us to eat. The rest is from God’s generosity. How many stars do we need in the sky . . . none- How many twinkling beauties has God bestowed upon us? Millions and trillions! What about the gift of sight- we need to see to survive. But because God generously gave us two eyes and placed them just so, and gave us the right kinds of nerves, we not only see, but se see stereoscopically, in vivid living color!
God’s generosity is all around us. It is in us. And it is for us. Consider finally the greatest act of generosity. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.” God loved the world so much; God loves us SO much that he generously gave his son for our sins!
God is an amazingly generous God!
Our purpose statement says that we are to know God’s love in Jesus and to grow in that love. In other words to be more like God. We are to know God’s love and grow to be more like God in our love.
That’s what Christian maturity is about. It is a journey with God. A journey of knowing God, and becoming more like Him.
A journey of knowing God’s love and growing to be loving like God.
A journey of knowing God’s joy and growing to be more joyful like God.
A journey of knowing God’s promise and growing to be more trusting in God.
A journey of knowing God’s patience and growing to be more patient like God.
A journey of knowing God’s generosity and growing to be more generous like God.
Did you hear that? Christian maturity includes knowing God’s generosity and growing to live generously like God.
That is what I have tried to say 100 different ways in these three sermons on generosity. Generosity or stewardship is not about meeting budget. Stewardship is not about keeping the lights on. Stewardship is not about who gives more. Stewardship is not about getting by. Stewardship is not about conning people out of money. Stewardship is not about tax deductions. Stewardship is not about how many zeros are on your estimate of contribution. Stewardship is not about how much you have left over for the church. Stewardship is not about your fair share.
Stewardship is about one thing and one thing only. Stewardship is about your relationship to God. Are you growing to be more generous like God?
It isn’t a hard question just do the math.
If you asked me, are you growing in your Scripture reading? I would say. This year I have almost doubled the amount of time I have spent reading scripture. What would your answer be?
If you ask me, are you growing in prayer? I would say, a little I usually pray about 15 minutes a day more than I did last year. How about you?
Are you growing in service, or acts of love, you might ask? Though I do an awful lot of little things, I would have to guess that my total hours would be down this year because I spent so much time on floods and tornados last year. How about you?
If you ask me if I am growing in generosity. I could easily do the math and say though my income is staying the same, I will be giving 25% more in 2010 than I gave in 2009. Does that put me up to a tithe? Like many of you, I am still working on that. However, I can honestly say I am getting closer and I am growing in my generosity. I am also going to start putting the check in myself, rather than having it automatically transferred. Though the transfer is easy, I miss the experience of being generous in worship. So yes, I am growing in generosity. Now, how about you?
That is what I will be looking for this year. I know most of our incomes have not gone up so that makes it easy. I will be asking Dian for a list of people whose estimates have gone up, so that I can encourage you in your continued growth. I hope to see all of your names on that list.
Those who aren’t able to increase your giving generosity this year, bless you I know you are doing the best you can and we will work on growing close to God in other ways.
If you are growing in love, if you are growing in scripture, if you are growing in prayer, if you are growing in service if you are growing in generosity, you are surely growing closer to God.
And if we as a church are growing in love, If we are growing in scripture, If we are growing in prayer, If we are growing in service If we are growing in generosity, then we are surely growing closer to God.
That’s a pastor’s dream. That is what God wants. That is what being a disciple of Jesus Christ is all about. Growing closer to God.
Now. It is time to offer our commitments for 2010. The ushers are passing around baskets of “talents.” Really, they are talents. They just look like pennies. I want each and every person to take some talents that to you represent your resources. It might be 3 it might be a fist full. I want everyone no matter what your age or stage in life to take talents that represent what God has given you. By the way- don’t be shy because you better not leave any of God’s gifts sitting unused in these baskets unused when we are done. This is free money. A gift from me to you, just like God’s free gifts to us.
You could simply slip it in your pocket and be a few cents richer when you leave worship today. If that is what you choose to do that is between you and God.
On the other hand, you have the opportunity to practice generosity in a little way by including some of them or all of them with the offering of your estimate of giving. There might even be someone who decides to add to what he or she receives from the basket. That’s OK too.
When I finish and the music starts, I want you to bring your estimate of giving and whatever talents you decide to offer to God, up to the front and put them in the pot- I chose the pot because I want to hear you being generous.
Finally, I know it is just pennies, but remember three things.
1. Alone they are pennies, together they add up to dollars, and the dollars add up to lives saved or changed for Jesus Christ.
2. The widow with the two copper coins gave more than all the rest Jesus said, “Because they give out of their abundance, and she gave all she had.”
3. Remember the Parable of the Three Servants
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘ Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together![b]’
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