Give Generously Series

And I thought, I have $14 bucks and a quarter tank of gas and I thought God here I am and I’m walking away from my car and I felt like God say, grab your wallet. And I said, “no, no I know what’s coming…they’re going to pass the plate, they’re going to pass the plate.” I get the wallet, I go there, they pass the plate, I throw in my last $14 dollars and I stand up worshipping Jesus and everybody around me thought, “isn’t that sweet, that young man just loves worshipping the Lord” No, I was absolutely desperate. God, God! Why are you killing me? Why are you killing me Lord? And I’m thinking in my mind, I see myself in College Station in the middle of the night, out of gas, walking to Houston. And so, anyway, fast forward to the end of the night, so we’re walking back after we met with them and I tell the guys, well, God provided a couple hundred dollars and I remember Susan was with us, she said “No, the Spirit of God spoke to me and said that’s for you. God said that you have given abundantly and He is giving back to take care of any need that you have.” And I just knew it was right, it was God. God had somehow, whether it was through a person or through some angelic intervention, He had provided all my needs because I had risked it all.

Right? So there is a place where God is at work always but you know, many times we say that I want stories like that, but what I like to say is it this way.

Everyone wants a miracle, they just don’t want to be in a position to have to have one.

You know? I was in a position to have to have one and therefore God is faithful. Well twenty three years later, we have had many, many opportunities , thousands of opportunities to believe God to be part of the giving end to be part of the receiving end and to see the work of God in our midst.

A key phrase first for us as a family and for us as a church has been II Corinthians 9:6-8 , “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly , he who sews bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in everything you may have an abundance for every good deed.” We have been talking about living simply, working diligently and today is about giving generously. Remember there’s three parts to this Biblical journey. We simply live within our means, we’re not extending ourselves out of wrong desires, we’re not going beyond that which God has provided. We’re working diligently, with a work ethic that is right and righteous and holy before God. We’re creating environments for God to provide. And then we are giving generously, not simply because there is a need, but also to be a part of God’s heart for the world around us.

This is a journey, this is what God talks about. He communicates over and over again that He will provide all of our needs. So why do we give? First of all, we give because we love God and because we love others. Jesus said all the commands in the scriptures are wrapped up in this simple phrase, Mark 12:30-31, “You shall love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” We give because of love, God gave because of love. God created Adam and Eve because His heart was overflowing to share the experience that they were having in Heaven and He poured it out and He created mankind. He created us out of His love for us and seeing us in our brokenness and our sin and our waywardness He sent His son Jesus to walk the Earth not only to demonstrate the love of God and show us who God was, but ultimately to give His life for us. God literally loved us so much that Jesus allowed Himself to be murdered. To be killed on a cross that we might experience grace and liberty and freedom, how much does God give? He gives everything. He has given us everything. He’s given us creation, He’s given us salvation, he’s given us provision for everything that we have. You would not be able to live or be alive if it were not for the initiative of the hand of the living God. We can not make it. I love what the writers of Acts said, “In Him we live and move and have our very being.” Thank you, Jesus, He has given everything and we are made in His image and we not only receive love, but give love in His name there is grace for everyone and everything.