Generous
Part 1: Savior
I want to begin this message with a question. What is the most generous thing you have ever done for someone? I mean what is one thing that you did that was so big that it made you sit back and think, man I’m a good generous person? THAT was generous.
For each of us that might be a different thing. Maybe you gave a large amount of money to a charity. Maybe you helped your neighbor by mowing their lawn without asking while they were out of town. Maybe you’re a boss and one year instead of 3% raises you gave 5% or 7% raises. Maybe you held the door open for someone when their hands were full or you took the time to visit the sick in the hospital or the elderly in the nursing home or maybe you went all out and travelled half way around the world to serve people you’ve never met in a country you’ve never been to. No doubt all of us could look back on our lives and think of times where we could say, “What I did for that person or group of people was a very generous moment.”
I could do the same. I’ve served in foreign countries and given away lots of my income and even shoveled snow for neighbors who didn’t ask, opened doors for people, visited nursing homes, sat by the bed of the sick at the hospital, prayed with strangers, and given up many opportunities and luxuries in life to pastor a church for not a huge payday serving a group that is impossible to please all at once all of the time. Because I’m human I’ve had times where I’ve sat back and said; “Now THAT was generous. Who else has done that? I’m a really generous person.”
But I have to honest with you. While all those things we can look back on life as times where we showed generosity, where we pat ourselves on the back for being such great wonderful people. It all means absolutely nothing, it doesn’t even compare, can’t hold a candle to the One who not only created generosity but who fully embodies it. God didn’t just create the ability for us to be generous, He is generosity.
While we can look back at times we have been generous and while we can do nice things for people, if you truly want to know what generosity is, what it looks like and how it is to be lived out to the fullest then you need only to look God and more specifically the person and work of Jesus Christ. When you read the definition of generosity a picture of Jesus should be there. Here’s the definition: Liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish.
While we have had moments of generosity none of us could say we have been generous at all times in our lives, in all circumstances given ourselves away to others in whatever capacity that looks like.
While you and I have had moments of generosity we’ve also been selfish. We’ve not said yes to every opportunity presented to us to show love or to give a helping hand. Often our willingness to give away is determined by whatever present circumstances and mood we find ourselves in. When we are suffering we don’t feel like giving of ourselves, instead we’d rather people give to us. When life is going great and there is money in the bank, we don’t always give of ourselves we’d rather hoard, we’d rather splurge on ourselves.
It’s funny how all through church history the most generous of people have typically been the poorest of people not the rich. Those who have little often gave the most while those who had much gave very little. That truth tends to still ring true today. As Americans it’s interesting how throughout the year we are less willing to be generous in our time or money but at Christmas everyone seems to be more willing. I’ve often wondered why that is and figured it’s more out of tradition and a feeling of obligation than anything. Or how when a natural disaster strikes like a hurricane Katrina everyone is mobilized and ready to help right away but 6 months to a year later people tend to forget and go back to their lives being once again focused on themselves.
So I say again, while you and I have moments of being generous, moment where we show kindness in an unselfish way they are just moments. It will not be too long before we go back to once again focused solely on ourselves. We do not and cannot embody at all times even the simple definition of the word generous found in the dictionary. Only God can do that.
The proof of that is found all through scripture. Starting from Genesis through Revelation we see example after example of God’s liberal and unselfish giving to us. No matter how many times we have failed him he continued to love us, not just love us but continued to give to us, provide for us even though He has had every right to destroy us time and time and time again.
Today we celebrate the ultimate act of generosity. You can call it the gift to end all gifts; the act of liberal unselfish sacrifice to end all other liberal unselfish acts of sacrifice. It’s the moment when God, who became flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, willingly, unselfishly, unhesitantly for a people who did not care, who did not love, who rebelled against Him time and time again, went to the cross to die. He didn’t just die for an elect few. He died for all. He died for the elderly in the nursing home and the politician. He died for the prostitute and the drug dealer. He died for the homosexual and the pedophile. He died for the tax evaders and the homeless. He died for liars and the thieves. He died for the abusers and the gossipers. For the annoying neighbors and the family you hate being in the same room with at holidays. He died for republicans and democrats, for evolutionist and creationist, atheist and agnostics. In his unselfish, unmatched, unconditional generosity he died for you and for me. He died for all people of all time past, present and future. He wasn’t coerced, pressured. In fact Phil. 2:6-8 says, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” He wasn’t forced to die he chose to die. He made the choice to leave the perfection of heaven, where he was worshipped by the angels, living in a place where sin does not exist, evil does not exist, corrupt government, murder, lying, does not exist and came down to a place where all of that does exist. Not only did he come down from a perfect heaven to an imperfect earth but he also endured all of the pain the world offers.
In only 33 years of living, He was beaten, mocked, ridiculed. He was shunned by his own family, lost his best friend to death. Betrayed and abandoned by his own followers. He was constantly bugged by people not because they wanted to worship him but because they wanted something from him, to heal them, help them in some way. Hebrews 4:15 says, This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testing’s we do, yet he did not sin. Every bad thing you have ever faced, Jesus has faced and even more yet he never sinned.
Not only did he die but three days later on the first Easter Sunday he proved to the world that not even death could hold him down. He rose from the dead proving once and for all that He is who He claimed to be, God’s Son and our Savior. Why did he do all of that? Why did God, why does God, who would have every right to destroy this world and start over, hold back his wrath on us? Why did Jesus die for a people who killed him? Why did he, why does he continue to show us generosity? Why is He still so unselfishly offering each of us the opportunity to know Him and have a relationship with him? The answers is so simple and yet at the same time impossible for our finite human minds to comprehend, love; unconditional love, unmatched love. His love for us is so immense, so great, so beyond comprehension that even though you and I have failed him, mocked, him, sinned against him, cursed his name, and lived lives completely opposite of his will he still loves us. He still longs for each of us to know Him through His son Jesus. He still desires for you right now this morning to experience his liberal and unselfish, unconditional, unmatched generosity by calling his name, repenting of your sin and asking Jesus to be your Savior.
It’s as simple as that to have a relationship with God, to be completely forgiven of all the ways we have messed up in life, to start new and be created into a new person. Listen, you might believe you are the worst person in the world. You might be a sex addict, alcoholic, liar, thief or a drug dealer. You might abuse people, lose yourself in anger or gossip. You might be someone who cheats on their taxes or loves to see your enemies get their just punishment. You might have been told your whole life you are worthless, ugly, stupid, and won’t amount to anything. You might be homosexual or divorced or be someone who has a hate for those who are. None of it matters. None of those things can keep you from experiencing the grace (unmerited favor, undeserved generosity) that is liberally, unselfishly offered to you right now this morning through Jesus Christ.
All you must do is call on his name, stop fighting against the prompting that the Holy Spirit is doing in you, give up the fight and believe. Believe in who Jesus is not just in your mind, believe in your heart. Call on his name and ask him today, right now to be your lord and savior.
When you do that, God will save you. God will forgive you for all that you have ever done wrong. He will set you free. And you know what? God’s generosity doesn’t end when we believe and are saved. His generosity goes way beyond that. After you believe in Jesus we are given the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in us. He is the third person of the trinity, God, son, Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who does a new work in our lives, changing us from the inside out. He convicts of us sin, gives us wisdom to know how to make choices that please God. Shows us what’s right and what’s wrong. Gives us faith and fills us with joy. He enables us to use spiritual gifts that will bless others and build up his church. He provides for you the church so you are never alone but always have like minded people to worship with, pray with, and study the scriptures with. The Holy Spirit isn’t there to do all of that for a few minutes or a few days. He’s there to guide us for our entire lives. He never leaves us.
So when you fail, he’s right there, when you succeed he’s right there, when you doubt, he’s right there, when you give in to your past and how you used to be he’s right there. Always pushing, always working, always helping, always guiding, and always giving generously to you because He loves you with an unconditional love.
Eph. 1:13-14 says, And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own[a] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
Romans 8:26-27, And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[l] in harmony with God’s own will.
How does God show his generosity to us? He saves us, blesses us, he leads us. Before we even knew him as Lord He’s shown us grace. He holds back to a certain degree the evil and chaos that could be if he completely left our world. When we know him as Lord he offers us peace.
Let me ask you again…What is the most generous thing you have ever done for someone? I guarantee it cannot and will not ever compare to what Jesus Christ has done for each one of you. What’s absolutely amazing to me, what boggles my mind more than anything is how people across all churches this morning including this one will hear these words of truth about Jesus who he was, he is, what he’s done and what offers and yet they will ignore it. They will make the conscious choice to leave this place without giving a second thought to it. They will go back out and continue to live their lives how they want, continuing to believe that if they’re a good enough person, they’ll be alright. If they show enough kindness and generosity maybe the big guy up stairs will give them a pass.
Or they’ll walk out of here continuing to believe the lie that no God, no matter how generous, could ever forgive them if He really knew what they’ve done. Don’t fall into that trap, that lie this morning.
God is here right now offering you new life. Offering you the opportunity to be forgiven and set free from the penalty of sin, power of sin and one day in heaven the very presence of sin. He is right now offering each of you a new life; a new heart, a new mind, a new attitude, a new hope. He’s given up everything for you. He died so that you might live. Why would any of you walk away from a free, no strings attached gift like that?
I pray today would be the day that you would stop running from God and start living for God. (Altar)
