ONE CHURCH - The Joy of the Generous Impulse
2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (p. 807) August 28 2016
Introduction:
Impulses can be either good or bad…You can have the impulse to strangle someone, or you can have the impulse to hug someone…one isn’t such a good idea, and most of the time hugging someone is a good impulse.
[One day a while ago I had gone to the store to get some stuff for a little fishing boat I have (well, Jimmy my son in law actually has it). I got a floating container to hold papers, an anchor, and some rope. Oh yeah, I got this air powered horn…It was a can of CO2 attached to an orange horn….Regulations say you have to have one on the boat. On my way home I stopped at Mom’s to check on her…while I was there the phone rang…and it was one of the 300 people who call every day to ask her for money. (I’ve put her on the no call list…I’ve called the Better Business Bureau…and they still call.) While talking to the man from the “unnamed charity” I explained my mom’s circumstances and asked him to take her off the list. He continued at full pace…ignoring my information and then I had an impulse…I reached into my sack of boat purchases…pulled out the CO2 powered air horn…and blew it into the mouthpiece for 10 seconds and then hung up…He hasn’t called back.]
Now I’m not sure if that was a good or bad impulse…but it was one I listed to nonetheless.
I believe the word “impulse” is one of the best ways to describe how the Holy Spirit works in a believers life daily. Romans 8:14 tells us “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” The Holy Spirit leads many times by impulses.
The word impulse means “A sudden strong desire to do something.”
The most joyful and fulfilled Christians live their lives by being “impulsively generous” when the Holy Spirit speaks and says do something…when He creates a strong desire to act…children of God…Act.
I use the term “generous impulse” because for the 35 years Kari and I have been married we’ve had a rule…if one of us experiences an opportunity for impulsive generosity we try to be obedient to it…and the other one of us will not question it…we’ll share the joy of the opportunity…please know, we aren’t perfect at it…and its easier when you have 5,000 in the bank instead of $5. But we’ve discovered this rule has brought us great joy and great opportunities.
It’s important according to God’s Word to remember this:
I. WHOEVER SOWS SPARINGLY REAPS SPARINGLY…BUT IF WE SOW GENEROUSLY WE REAP GENEROUSLY
Many preachers use this scripture when talking about tithing or giving to the church. And I certainly think we ought to be obedient and generous in this way. But this scripture isn’t about regular tithing…it’s about a generous gift for hurting people.
Here’s a little background…many of the churches Paul had established were under great persecution. They were hurting in every way possible, especially the home church in Jerusalem. There has been a request for those churches that could contribute financially to do so. Corinth has said, “Yes, yes, we want to help” but they haven’t. Paul doesn’t want to rebuke them…but he does urge them to fulfill their commitment. He shares that generosity is where God creates great joy…and He doesn’t want them to miss out on the joy of generosity. He doesn’t want them to give because they “have to” reluctantly…for God loves a cheerful giver.
[There are two ways to look at all we possess…pretend you’re a farmer and you have a seed for each of your dollars…each of the hours of your life…and each of the talents you’re blessed with. Here are the two choices…both involve a field owned by God Himself. You can begrudgingly plant a few seeds in God’s field…because you don’t want to “waste them.” You’re afraid you’ll run out of dollars…hours…and talents. You see them as something you should “protect” for yourself. Or you can go into God’s field with your dollars…your hours…and your talents and “empty the basket.” Throw handfuls into row after row of prepared soil…after all God gives the increase…remember, God owns the field…each of us are just tenant farmers… But God is a generous God…an amazingly giving owner.]
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written (Ps. 112:9) they have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever.”
(2 Cor. 9:8-9)
It’s about who we trust more with everything we have (each seed). Many times we believe we can control our happiness by using the seed when and where we want…and yet true joy comes from trusting God with it all…in His field.
We can build bigger barns with the thought…I’ve got plenty of dollars…plenty of time…plenty of talents to enjoy my life as I want. Or we can use them to grow an abundant crop in God’s field…At least in my country boy mentality this is what I believe God’s Word is saying.
There is always an internal battle within our impulse between reluctance and generosity. And for the Holy Spirit led people we trust God and choose generosity…for worldly people we choose to walk away from these opportunities because “we have too much.”
SHOW PICTURE (MARK 10:17-31, p. 707)
“Give it all up…and come follow me.” But he couldn’t relinquish control of it all…He had too much…His face turned toward his sandals…and he left the presence of Jesus…sad.
Money, power, prestige give us control….It’s hard…impossible apart from God’s doing…to surrender that control to the Lordship of Christ.
The battle between reluctance and generosity is a fierce spiritual one which takes place in the human soul…especially for those of us who have a lot of seeds.
This week at Kroger maybe someone in front of you struggles to pay for their groceries and you feel the tug of the generous impulse…and reluctance…I challenge you to give into generosity and impulsively pay for their bill…and experience that joy.
This week at the restaurant you treat the waiter or waitress who’s in school with a listening heart…and when you pay your bill leave the equal amount as a tip.
This week when you fill up your car and you notice the old vehicle next to yours with a couple of kids in it and a guy with work scarred hands holding the nozzle, say…“Man, I just felt God give me a generous impulse…I’d like to pay for your gas today…God bless you in Christ.”
Sow some seeds as a cheerful giver so the Giver of all seeds can increase your storehouse and your opportunities…it will change your heart…it will change your life…it will “result in thanksgiving to God.”
“The children of God are led by the Spirit of God.” Let Him lead you and don’t be afraid to share who your Father is.
“Let God enlarge the basket of your righteousness…you will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.” (You trust God when He gives you a generous impulse…and He’ll provide the ability to do it every time!)
Let me end with this truth…
II. GOD IS ABLE
The real Christian life is about faith…it’s where real power comes from.
When Paul writes “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8)
He’s saying…I believe this…I’ve experienced this…Trust God to be able!
He owns it all…“He is at work for good in all things for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
If we want the world to experience the good news, it’s righteousness must be revealed by those who live by faith.
Remember this scripture:
ROMANS 1:16-17 (p. 782)
Righteousness is “acting right.” “Doing right.” And it’s not those acts that save us…but when we are in “right relationship with God” they flow out of us because of our faith. It’s how the gospel is revealed…no matter who you are…first or last (feed your faith and your fears will starve to death.)
Kathy Escobar in the book “Down We Go” (Living into the wild ways of Jesus) writes:
Small, simple acts go further than we think, especially in a harsh and cruel world. Let us never underestimate what a kind word might mean for someone, or what a cup of cold water might mean for another. One is always better than none. Something is always better than nothing.
Everything begins with love. Jesus makes the command to love one of his most defining statements. He summarizes the entire law with it: “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30). We can talk about love, preach sermons about love, read books about love, quote scriptures about love and long to love. However, the bottom line is: The only way to actually learn the ways of love is to extend it, try it, do it, risk it, live it - to enter into another person’s life and let someone into ours.
Jesus multiplied 2 fish and 5 loaves into feeding 5,000 with 12 baskets of leftovers…Trust Him, He is able to take your “small gift of righteousness.” And use it for a harvest of righteousness.
Let’s pray.
