EXTRAVAGANT, EXTRAORDINARY GENEROSITY
OPENING: Special guest speaker from Union Gospel Mission in Winnipeg.
INTRODUCTION TO TOPIC1:
• In Canada, none of us thinks we’re rich, but the truth is, we’re all rich.
• If you have a household income of over 40,000, you are in the top 4% wage earners in the world. If your income is over 50,000, you are in the top 1% of wage earners in the world.
• You don’t feel any richer, do you? Why? Because most of us are more focused on what we don’t have than we are grateful for what we do have.
• STORY: The richest I’ve ever felt was when I worked for McDonalds when I was 16 making minimum wage. I remember going home with that first paycheque, around $200, and thinking, “What in the world am I going to do with all of this money?”
• The point isn’t ‘yahoo, we’re rich’, but what are we going to do with it?
• If you own a car, you’d be considered rich by most people in the world.
• We don’t feel rich, especially with the current economy, but we are rich. We’re doing better than most people in the world.
STATS:
• If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
• If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change, in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.
• More than 1 billion people do not have access to safe water
QUOTE: “Living in the twenty-first century offers tremendous opportunities to those who have, but for the three billion people of the world living on less than two dollars a day it’s a crushing existence of grinding poverty, despair, and unremitting daily challenges.” Dave Toycen, President of World Vision Canada, The Power of Generosity).
OPENING TEXT:
“Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS and should GIVE GENEROUSLY to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19).
THE BIG IDEA: God wants us as His children to be extravagantly rich in good works, and to be extraordinarily generous to others as well. Why? Because our Heavenly Father is extravagantly, extraordinarily generous.
1. BE EXTRAVAGANTLY RICH IN GOOD WORKS:
Jesus said: “But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.” (Luke 6:27-30).
• Extravagant - spending much more than is necessary or wise; wasteful; going beyond what is deserved or justifiable
• This kind of serving is extravagant – going beyond what is deserved or justifiable
2. BE EXTRAORDINARILY GENEROUS:
“Do for others as you would like them to do for you. "Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? Even the sinners do that! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return.” (Luke 6:31-34).
• Even a sinner (someone who doesn’t know God) will lend to those who can repay them.
• But God wants our generosity to be extraordinary:
• Extraordinary - beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established
3. WHY SHOULD WE BE EXTRAVAGANT AND EXTRAORDINARY?
“Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don’t be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked.” (Luke 6:27-35).
• Jesus said, “I want you to be extraordinarily service minded and extraordinarily generous because that’s how I am, and you’re my follower.”
• Why are we to be extravagantly rich in good works, and extraordinarily generous? Because that’s what our Heavenly Father is like!
• “But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.” (Acts 20:24, The Message Bible).
• Our generous, extravagant giving should cause our community to say, “What’s that all about?” Our generosity allows people to see God’s generosity.
THE BIBLE HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT GIVING AND BEING GENEROUS:
• “The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.” (Psalm 37:21).
• “All goes well for those who are generous, who lend freely and conduct their business fairly.” (Psalm 112:5).
• “Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.” (Prov. 22:9).
Remember, Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35).
CLOSING TEXT:
“As the Scriptures say, "Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten." For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God. So two good things will happen – the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God. You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.” (2 Cor. 9:9-13).
CHALLENGE: God wants us as His children to be extravagantly rich in good works, and to be extraordinarily generous to others as well. Why? Because our Heavenly Father is extravagantly, extraordinarily generous.
CLOSING BENEDICTION: (2 Cor. 13:14, The Message).
“The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God (the Father), and the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.”
1. Some of the thoughts in this introduction were inspired by Andy Stanley in his Be Rich, Do More, Give More podcast.
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
