Extravagant Outflow

Extravagant Outflow

Luke 6:37-38

Have you in recent years done anything that you would say was “Extravagant?” I had three tennis racquets given to my by family and friends, yet I spent over a hundred dollars on a new fourth tennis racquet that I don’t use because I have an older Prince racquet that’s better. My son, Wendel, did an extravagant thing for me for Father’s Day two years ago. He sent me a case of tennis balls and I still have ten new cans of tennis balls on hand.

Turn to someone sitting close to you and tell the person something you did that was extravagant.

The word “Extravagant” is a relative term. Extravagance is one thing to an average income person and quite another thing to a multi-millionaire or billionaire.

Three years ago a magazine article told about fifty of the dumbest rock-star extravagances.

Britney Spears will not get a haircut with ordinary solon scissors; she has to have special handmade scissors imported from Japan that cost $3,000.00

Will Smith shells out $2,500 a month to provide canine counseling to his four Rottwielers.

While unpacking for a charity show in Italy U2’s Bono realized he forgot his favorite hat. To keep it safe and net get wrinkled he had it flown in a first class seat from London to Italy via British Airways.

John Lennon paid $13,000 to rent the entire first-class cabin of a jetliner so he and his son Sean could set up their model train during a flight.

Elvis Presley was talking to his friends about a sandwich he had eaten while on tour in Denver. The sandwich had been made from a hollowed-out, buttered loaf of bread, filled with peanut butter, jelly and a full pound of fried bacon. Just talking about the sandwich go him so excited he rounded up a group of friends, boarded his private jet, and flew from Graceland to Denver. Once there Elvis drove his buddies to the restaurant and ordered 22 of those massive peanut butter, jelly, and greasy bacon sandwiches, paying exactly $3,387.28 for them.

Luke 6:37-38 Jesus talks about living a lifestyle of extravagance. Jesus calls us to be extravagant in your surrender, extravagant in your compassion and extravagant in your giving.

I. Extravagant Surrender

In Luke 6:27-36, Jesus calls for His followers to live an extra-ordinary lifestyle. Jesus challenges them to have attitudes and actions contrary to human nature. Jesus instructed his followers to love their enemies and to do good to all who hated them. Christ followers are to pray for those who curse and hurt them. They were to be generous to anyone they met who had material needs.

Jesus emphasized living according to the golden rule, “Do for others as you would like them to do for you.” Luke 6:31

Extravagant surrender goes against the natural desires of human nature. Jesus calls us to surrender our rights to Him. We in America grow up believing we are entitled to have a good life. We are entitled to a good education, a good job, and all the amenities of life should be given to us because we are American citizens.

Personal success in life begins when we make our surrender to going God’s way rather than our way. We take the first step toward success when we make the commitment to be a giver rather than a taker.

When we make an extravagant surrender to Jesus we step on the path of personal success and significance. To have a life that flows outward starts when we surrender to Jesus.

II Corinthians 8:5 The Apostle Paul is reporting to the church in Corinth how the churches in Macedonia became so generous in their giving to help the mother church in Jerusalem. The Macedonian churches were going through challenging times; the economy was bad, yet in their poverty they overflowed in rich generosity to others. Paul testified: “Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first action was to dedicated themselves to the Lord, and to us for whatever direction God might give them.” NLT

In both the Old and New Testaments God’s message is clear, the Lord wants us to seek first His Kingdom. God’s main interest is not in what we can give; it is putting Him first in our life.

Hosea 6:6 –- The prophet Hosea called the leaders of Israel to repent and return to the Lord. “I want you to be merciful, I don’t want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that’s more important than burnt offerings.”

Micah 6:8 -- The prophet Micah declared that the Lord didn’t want thousands of rams and lambs for sacrifices. “No, O people, the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”