Toolbox of Faith series
Generosity, kindness, and compassion
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Prayer-
This morning Father, I ask that you would speak to our hearts and minister to our souls of the importance of being kind, being generous, and having a heart of compassion for the lost and for the people that you have put in our path.
May we not be so wrapped up in our own lives that other people’s lives don’t matter.
May we follow the example of Christ. In Jesus name. Amen.
Turn to 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (Don’t read yet)
Introduction-
We have been looking at the tools needed to operate as a Christian in the abundant life and Spirit of Christ.
Directed to us that have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord of their life. (Most all of us sitting here)
The tools the Lord gives us and the principals that we must apply to our lives.
We have looked at faith- I could preach a year on the different aspects of faith.
It seems everything operates off our faith or the lack of faith.
Faith is pretty personal until it is tested, then everyone sees our faith.
We have looked at The Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the trinity who wants to operate in a believers life. He desires to give us strength, encouragement, and direction for our lives.
Last week while I was away Fred talked about the love of God in our lives and reflected back on how we can love others.
This week I want to talk about Godly generosity, kindness, and compassion
Come back please don’t leave.
We think every message of generosity involves the preacher talking about our money and church needs.
There is an element of obedience to the Lord on giving so that the church can be the church.
To operate as intended to those that are in need and to share the gospel to those that need to hear it.
Everyone of us plays a play in supporting His church and everyone plays a part of sharing the good news of what Jesus has done for us.
There is an element of giving that brings God’s blessing. It happens not only in being obedient in tithes and offerings but in going beyond that and sacrificing to be generous to those God lay’s on your heart.
Generosity is not limited to money. It Is especially not limited to your excess money.
Your generosity does not begin in your abundance. It begins in your faithfulness and love to God and the love of others.(repeat)
You do not have to wait until you have plenty to begin to be generous to others.
Lots of scripture relates to generosity and caring for others. In fact, as a believer I do not think that you can separate them.
You cannot separate generosity from caring.
You cannot separate a compassionate heart and your resources.
Your checkbook is an indicator of what is important to you.
If I were to see your checkbook, I would know quickly what is important to you.
The Good Samaritan recorded in the gospel of Luke saw the need, had compassion on the man and acted with compassion.
He did not leave it at “I feel sorry for him.”
As a Christian you must have a passion for the lost and a desire to share the gospel. The gospel is God’s love for us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
God the Father gave the most generous thing He could ever give in His Son Jesus. Until we know it, live it, and show it, we fall short.
Until we have a sense of urgency.
Until we have nothing that we would hold back.
Society today does not sense the urgency of the lost because there is no sense of urgency in our lives.
Until we know how much we need Jesus, we will not show compassion on the lost as to how much they need Jesus.
You cannot operate in the will of God if you are only thinking about yourself and your needs.
We would not be a “friendly church” if we were not visiting those in the hospital, meeting the needs of those that are in hard times, sharing words of encouragement, and being involved more than just Sunday morning.
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Read from Bible
God loves a cheerful giver- if you are giving only because of you feel you have too, you will miss some of the blessings for giving.
When is the last time that you said Amen because the ushers were coming for morning tithes and offerings.
That you consider it a privilege to give back a portion of what God has given you .
Because we have a God that loves us, we get to live on 90% of His blessings and give back 10 % to build His church.
The government wants over 20%. It does not come with God’s blessings.
If you are only giving from your abundance, you miss the blessings that come from sacrifice.
As believers, we need to learn the lesson that we cannot out give God- He always has a bigger shovel of blessings. It does not always come in the form of money.
I believe these prosperity preachers that say you give and God double’s, triples your money are taking that verse out of context.
I believe you will be blessed- that is scriptural- how He chooses to do that is the Lord’s decision.
(12-15)
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.”
Generosity and Godly generosity- two different things
Kindness and Godly kindness- two different things-
Love and Godly love- two different things
Generosity by definition is –
“The quality of being kind and generous. Giving your attention, time, abilities, money, and compassion freely to others.
Examples- Generous
Giving a beggar a dollar as you walk down the street. Never desiring to see him/her again./ Finding out why he/she is begging and seeing if there was something else you could do.
Example of kindness
Sending a card when you know someone is going through a hard time. / Following up that card with a visit to make yourself available to help as a servant in any way needed.
Example of love
Physically loving someone and as long as both are participants you are happy. As long as it was good you expressed your love.
loving someone through surgery/ terminal situations/ Alzheimer/ Special needs/ urgent care that goes outside of the normal and puts you on the giving end instead of receiving.
“Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel.”
Apostle Paul encourages generosity to be an act of worship back to God- (repeat)
You are generous because you love the Lord and show it to others
You are kind because you love the Lord
You love because He first loved us!
Generosity, kindness, compassion are the fruit of the Spirit of God
Galatians 5:22
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”
Good people have some of these gifts in a limited manner, but if we are to experience the generosity, love, compassion and goodness of God it will have to come from the Spirit of God operating in our lives.
Apostle Paul calls them the lovely things
It is not easy to be a Godly giver- because of our fleshly desires (sin nature) and our own greed to do our own thing wants to stop us.
We can have the love of man- Greek Word “Eros” love- that love that says that as long as I am satisfied I will stay- the physical side, the you give, I give, and as long as I don’t feel cheated I won’t cheat.
Love of man “Phila” kind of love- it is brotherly love- it is where we get the word Philadelphia (the city of brotherly love) Those warm fuzzies that often changes because of circumstances.
How you can love someone one day and the next day you are throwing them under the bus.
A week later there is someone to replace that person.
The love of God “Agape” is a love that does not quit when the going gets tough. It is a love that endures hardship like a soldier of Christ.
It is a kind of love that realizes how much God loved us is a way to forgive and love like Jesus loves.
It is a love that is wanting to give back in every single area of your life from our finances to being a servant.
Wanting God’s will for your life more than anything or anyone.
Let me try to pull this together-
The things that have happened to people in this church and to my wife and my mother lately has caused me to realize a few things-
Some things for the operation of the church I pastor but mostly God has shown me some things for my own life.
I sometimes want to blame God for things I would change if I could, but He clearly let those trials and hard times be a teaching moment for me to draw closer to the Lord.
Some things that I have realized since Becky has gone through Cancer surgery in the last ten days. Maybe you can relate to these as you went through hard times.
I am grateful to God for everything that He has given me. (I mean everything)
There is nothing that I would not do for my wife- how much more does our heavenly Father feel about us.
My mother waking in Wisconsin from being unresponsive for 4 days is a miracle- not a coincidence. I don’t care what the doctors say.
Every moment is precious and time is moving fasting that I am able to hang on to the calendar.
Every moment I spent in the surgical waiting room and having my son and a few colleagues with me to hold my arms up meant the world to me.
We need each other.
How does that relate to generosity, kindness and compassion?
Once you realize and live out the love that God has for us and you realize how much He has forgiven us and how much He works to make sure we have an open door to His presence. Once you grab that – Once you take that deep into your soul- you will live it out to others and your relationship with the Lord will become the most important relationship you have and you will not let anything get in between you and the Lord
You will desire to be obedient to the Lord- giving is not a problem when you realize how much has been given to you.
Kindness will become your chosen lifestyle. NOT A ONE TIME THING
Compassion will happen because you will be sensitive to the people around you.
You will not be judging people on what they don’t do but be wanting above all else to please the Lord and be doing what He has asked you to do.
What would this community look like if we began showing this community the compassion of the Lord?
What acts of kindness could you show someone for no other reason but you would like to bless them. You are not expecting anything back?
If everyone that calls Rosedale home would tithe and share the gospel and share their story and their blessings with the people that the Lord brings in their path- how many people would be blessed?
How many would receive the greatest gift of all in salvation and a relationship with the Lord.
If we were sensitive and actually looking for someone who is hurting and reach out to them- That does not have to cost you anything- but it might!
How many people would be changed if our attitude would change?
Instead of negative and doubting, we become in the power of the Holy Spirit of God a positive person and a person full of life! Could God use that for His honor and glory?
Closing-
Generosity, kindness, and compassion is a heart issue- it all becomes easier when our heart is right with the Lord.
Generosity is not how much you have in your bank account, it is what is in your heart.
W.S. Plumer
“He who is not liberal with what he has does deceive himself when he thinks he would be liberal if he had more.”
If we would not give from our little, we will not give of our much.”
Generosity is a characteristic of a person who is a disciple of Christ.
I…choose this day and from this day forward to put on the helmet of hope before I walk out the door every morning.
I…choose to have a positive attitude and not a negative one. I will answer hardship with “God has this”! And so do I because He has it!
I will go and do the things others won’t do because God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
I WILL BE THANKFUL FOR TODAY BECAUSE IN ONE MOMENT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE COULD CHANGE!
Some are playing hide and seek with Jesus- one day He will say ready or not here I come- I want to be ready and found faithful.
Presence Matters Most! God’s Presence in my life! Because of that I will bless someone everyday… somehow!
I will not let anyone be invisible! Every life matters to me!
Is that your prayer this morning?
Prayer-
