GOD’S ASTONISHING GENEROSITY (OVERFLOWING TO US)

GOD’S ASTONISHING GENEROSITY (OVERFLOWING TO US)

RUMC November 6, 2011

What would you be willing to do for $10 million?  In their book, The Day America Told the Truth, authors James Patterson and Peter Kim reveal some shocking statistics on how far people are willing to go for money:

•  (25%)  Would abandon their church (Maybe that’s where they are!)
• (25%)  Would abandon their entire family
• (23%)  Would become prostitutes for a week or more
• (16%)  Would give up their American citizenship
• (16%)  Would leave their spouses
• (10%)  Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free
• (7%)  Would kill a stranger
• (6%) said they would change their race
• (4%) said they would have a sex change. 
• (3%)  Would put their children up for adoption

It is not too surprising that torturing and killing their children or letting that happen didn’t make the list.  That is no surprise- until you realize that someone did just that.  Allowed people to capture, torture, and kill their son.  How much to you think they got?  100 million?  100 billion?  100 trillion dollars?  Believe it or not, not a penny.  God did that for you-- not for any amount of money-- just for love. 

There are some things that in our culture we do not discuss in polite company. 

Sex used to be on that list, but I think Hollywood has changed that as sex crept into our living rooms through our televisions, it also seeped into our conversations. 

Politics used to be on the list, but more and more, people are not only willing to express political views, but are eager to condemn others for having differing views. 

Religion and money are still pretty much taboo, however.  Isn’t that interesting?  The very topic of my sermon today.  So, consider me impolite if you will, but I am in pretty good company. considering the Bible talks about money in 2,350 passages.  Jesus talked about money more than prayer.  Therefore, what some consider impolite, I would say is just being faithful. 

I said there are 2300 passages about money, but that is nothing compared to the passages about generosity. 

·         The very creation story is a story of the abundantly astonishing; outrageously unbelievable; amazing generosity of God in creating all that is. 

·         The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is not so much about homosexuality as it is about the lack of generous hospitality among the people of those cities. 

Skipping to the New Testament

·         We see the parable of the workers in the vineyard we talked about a few weeks ago.  The owner asks, “Do you begrudge me my generosity?  ”

·         We see Jesus telling the rich young ruler “Go sell all that you have and give it to the poor, then come back and follow me.  ” Not being generous is a barrier to following Jesus. 

·         We remember the stories of the Good Samaritan, the prodigal son, the widow’s mite, the feeding of the 5000, the healing of the lepers and the blind and the deaf and the paralytic.  Jesus’ ministry was all about Generosity. 

·         We come to Paul, and the passage we read today.  Paul was encouraging generosity “he who sows sparing will reap sparingly...  God loves a cheerful giver.  ”  You have to realize that Paul was not encouraging generosity to his friends, but generosity to those in Jerusalem with whom he disagreed and parted ways early in his ministry. 

·         The ultimate act of Generosity, of course is God giving his only begotten son so that we might have eternal life.  Jesus who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; rather, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Neither allowing yourself nor your child to be tortured and killed made that list of things people would do for 10 million dollars.  Nevertheless, God did it just because God is generous.  God is abundantly, astonishingly, outrageously, unbelievably, amazingly, generous. 

Many years ago, I took a picture from when I was about 1 year old to the children’s sermon at the Geneseo church.  I asked the kids who that was.  They unanimously and in unison said it was Richie.  At one point, we could have done the same thing with Robyn’s baby picture and Amber. 

We are made in God’s image.  We should look a lot like our heavenly father. The point is … if generosity is so important to the God who created us in his own image… what happened?  Why is generosity so hard for us? 

I’m not talking just about money right here.  I am talking about life.  Generosity is doing more than is expected of you.  Are we generous if we only do the minimum? Are we generous if we only do that which we have to do. Are we generous if we only do what we want to do, (whether that is in our families, our  jobs or our church membership).   

Friends,

·                         If you are selfish in your marriage, it will not be a happy marriage. 

·                         If you are selfish with your talent, you will find it loses its appeal. 

·                         If you only go to work for yourself, you will likely not last long with the company. 

·                         If you are selfish with your time, even the time you keep to yourself will not be filled with joy. 

·                         If you are selfish in your finances, you will not find joy in the material things you hoard, and perhaps more importantly, you are not living up to the image of God, which was placed in you. 

What would happen if we agreed together as the People of God to aim for living by the biblical model of generous living?   Wouldn’t this be a beautiful world if we all generously gave our time to help those less fortunate?   Imagine what a difference we would make if we would willingly spend our time loving the unlovable.  Imagine how the church would change if we were all  anxious to be called on to serve in the church.

·         Imagine what would happen if we all practiced Biblical financial generosity.  Let me tell you how ... It’s easy. . .

• Every time you get ten dollars, you give one to God’s Kingdom, and the other 9 are yours. 
• Every time you get 100 dollars you give 10 to the Kingdom of God and the other 90 are yours 
•  Every time you get $1000, you give 100 to the kingdom of God and the other 900 are yours. 

Now that doesn’t seem like too much to ask.  Frankly, it doesn’t even seem all that generous compared to God’s generosity. 

If Christians everywhere would agree to do that, however, churches would have 2 to 3 times their current income, which one study showed would create $140B additional dollars that could be spent on other missional activities beyond the typical church budget – which itself would be 100% funded. 

It would also be astonishing because most people who participate in church give on average of 3% or less.  That’s 3cents for every dollar and $30 for every 1000.  That’s kind of sad. 

Let’s be clear I am not just talking about this congregation.  I am talking about the People of God everywhere fulfilling their calling to participate in God’s mission of renewing, restoring, and regenerating a world that has been marred by sin by reflecting the generosity of Jesus (who gave his whole life for us!) in what they do with their money and their stuff. 

 Now, obviously, that takes place primarily through individual churches.   As long as you’re here, the Reinbeck UMC is an appropriate place to do that.  However, ultimately, I don’t want you to give to the Reinbeck UMC.  I want you to give in faithful and  astonishing ways to God’s Kingdom for the rest of your life wherever you go. 

For the past forty years, Eunice Pike has worked with the Maz-a-tec Indians in southwestern Mexico.  During this time, she has discovered some interesting things about these beautiful people.  For instance, the people seldom wish someone well.  If asked, "Who taught you to bake bread?  " the village baker answers, "I just know," meaning he has acquired the knowledge without anyone’s help.  Though Christian, they are hesitant to teach one another about the gospel. 

Eunice says this odd behavior stems from the Indian’s concept of "limited good.  “They believe there is only so much good, so much knowledge, so much love to go around.  To teach another means you might drain yourself of knowledge.  To love a second child means you have to love the first child less.  To wish someone to "Have a good day"--means you have just given away some of your own happiness, which cannot be reacquired. 

The concept of “limited good” seems to dominate our society, and especially our financial dealings.  But; God is not a God of limited good.  God is not a God of limits.  God is a God who is Generous from beginning to end.  God is abundantly, astonishingly, outrageously, unbelievably, amazingly, generous. 

Go and be likewise.