### ** Introduction **
Video Ill.: I Like College by I Like Giving
In a time when political platforms focus on personal gain, Jesus calls us to live with a radically different mindset—one of charity and generosity that transforms both the giver and the receiver.
It was this generosity that helped the young man in the video be able to say in college. People gave a little. People gave a lot. People gave what they had generously.
This morning, we are continuing our series entitled Faith beyond the Ballot Box. In a world full of political division and uncertainty, one thing remains constant—our faith in Christ.
We began our study, remembering that no matter the results of the election, we can rest assured that God's kingdom is eternal and unshakable. Jesus is Lord over all earthly powers, and our true citizenship lies in His kingdom—a kingdom not defined by political leaders but by humility, servanthood, and ultimate allegiance to God.
We saw a few of weeks ago how our unity is not based on cultural, social, or political similarities, but rather on our shared identity in Jesus—we are sinners saved by an amazing grace. As believers, we are called to elevate Jesus above our differences and work together as one body, reflecting God's love and bringing hope to a divided world.
A couple of weeks ago, we saw that in a world where pride often drives division—especially during the election season—humility is the key to fostering unity and healing. With Jesus as our example, we saw how humility dismantles pride and invites healing, not only in our relationships but in our nation as well.
Last week, we explored how kindness and compassion are essential for living out our faith in today’s divided world. As followers of Christ, we are called to reflect God’s heart through our actions and words, promoting healing where division exists. By choosing kindness in our speech and service, we demonstrate the love of Christ to a world desperately in need of hope.
**Main Idea**: This morning, true generosity reflects the heart of God, and it is another way we live out our faith beyond the ballot box. This morning, we’ll explore how charity and generosity can transform lives, communities, and our world.
### **I. Generosity is Rooted in God's Grace **
In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes about the churches in Macedonia. Those churches gave generously even in the midst of their own poverty because they had experienced God’s grace. Follow along as we read from 2 Corinthians 8:
1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in His kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
3 For I can testify that they gave not only what || they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.
6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged || your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. 7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.
8 I am not commanding you to do this. But I || am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.
9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. (2 Corinthians 8, NLT)
Paul is calling the church in Corinth to be generous because of the grace we’ve received from God.
Often, though, we have the mentality of a little girl that I read about:
Only the Beginning ...
Source: Heidi Husted, "The Sermon on the Amount," Preaching Today, Tape No. 122.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/july/750.html
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This little girl experienced a major breakthrough in her life when she learned to tie her own shoes. Instead of excitement, though, she was overcome by tears.
Her father asked, "Why are you crying?"
"I have to tie my shoes," she said.
"You just learned how. It isn't that hard, is it?"
"I know," she wailed, "but I'm going to have to do it for the rest of my life."
My hunch is that some of us feel the same way when it comes to our generosity. We learn that it's exciting to give. But then we have a tiny bit of dread because we know we have to do it over and over again for the rest of our lives.
That’s certainly not the right attitude for us to have. That dread is the influence of this world, which puts pride, selfishness, and personal gain ahead of the needs of others. We always have to have the newest and best toy, instead of being content with what we do have, and sharing with those who do not have.
**Key Point**: You see, generosity is not about what we have and how much we have; rather generosity is about how much we trust in God’s provision and grace. Our generosity is a response to the grace we have received in Christ.
And when we are honest, we certainly know that we have been generously given grace far beyond what we might possibly ever deserve.
Courageous Giving
Source: John Casey, "Real Giving," Preaching Today, Tape No. 156.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/december/2151.html
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The story is told that during World War II, Ernest Gordon was a prisoner along the Thailand border held by the Japanese with several hundred others. He didn't have any relationship with Jesus until he was in what they call the death house where prisoners were sent to die. There was really no hope. Some friends pulled him out of there, and he managed to recover. After recovering, he began to trust Christ and give his whole heart to God.
It was several months later that an old friend of his named Dodger, who was just months from dying, came to visit Ernie. Dodger was very hopeless, very depressed. Ernie wanted to do what he could to encourage him. They talked a while, and as Dodger was getting ready to leave, Ernie felt as if he hadn't yet really helped him. He remembered a novel he borrowed from another friend and asked if Dodger had anything to read.
Before he gave the novel to him, he took the only few Thai bills he had left, stuck them in the pages of the novel and gave it to Dodger. Ernie gave so courageously. He needed the extra nourishment that would come from those few dollars to live. He chose instead to put himself in a place of depending on God to supply for him. That's courageous giving.
After Ernie gave that book and money to Dodger, Dodger became a new man. He only had a few months to live. But he somehow found the energy to volunteer in their make-shift hospital, helping the orderlies. He volunteered for the dirtiest job in that whole place. Every day he went and collected the foul-smelling rags that the orderlies used to scrape off the skin ulcers of dying patients. Ernie would take these foul-smelling rags and scrape them, boil them, clean them, take them back for use on other patients.
He'd find eggs for people who were starving and needing the extra nourishment.
He'd make a mess kit for somebody who had lost his.
He made a bucket for somebody who didn't have a bucket to wash himself.
Ernie gave in a courageous way, and it transformed Dodger into this amazing servant of God. And through Dodger, God provided help for so many others. Where did it begin? Just a few bills slipped in the book that Ernie gave to Dodger.
Our courageous giving unleashes the miracle provision of God, if we're willing to trust him.
This morning, may we model the generosity of Ernie Gordon. May we be generous with what we have, whether it’s our time, our resources, or our talents.
God gave to us generously. May we give generously as well.
### **II. Generosity is an Act of Compassion and Justice **
Jesus had something to say about generosity, compassion, and justice. Jesus teaches us that acts of generosity—feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick—are seen as acts done to Him. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 25:
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left.
|| 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, || and you visited Me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? 39 When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, || when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed Me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give Me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite Me || into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give Me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help You?’
45 “And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My || brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25, NLT)
You see, our charity — our generosity with our time, our help, our care — is a form of compassion and justice, not just charity for the sake of charity.
It’s like one of the stories from Saul Bellow’s collection of traditional Jewish tales. The story goes like this:
Loving God through Loving Others
Source: Jim McGuiggan, Jesus, Hero of Thy Soul (Howard Publishing, 1998), p.15
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2000/november/12704.html
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In a small Jewish town in Russia, there is a rabbi who disappears each Friday morning for several hours. His devoted disciples boast that during those hours their rabbi goes up to heaven and talks to God.
A stranger moves into town, and he's skeptical about all this, so he decides to check things out. He hides and watches. The rabbi gets up in the morning, says his prayers, and then dresses in peasant clothes. He grabs an axe, goes off into the woods, and cuts some firewood, which he then hauls to a shack on the outskirts of the village. There, an old woman and her sick son live. He leaves them the wood, enough for a week, and then sneaks back home.
Having observed the rabbi's actions, the newcomer stays on in the village and becomes his disciple. And whenever he hears one of the villagers say, "On Friday morning our rabbi ascends all the way to heaven," the newcomer quietly adds, "If not higher."
**Key Point**: When we care for those in need, it is like we are ascending to heaven and caring for God Himself. We reflect God's compassion and justice. Our generosity is not just about meeting immediate needs but about restoring dignity and serving others as if we are serving Christ Himself.
Jesus came to this world to serve us — to save us — to give His life for us.
101 Hymn Stories
Kenneth W. Osbeck
© 1982 Kregel Publications
pp. 101-102
“I Gave My Life for Thee”
Frances Ridley Havergal was born on December 14, 1836, at Ashley, Worcestershire [wooster - sher], England. She was a talented poet and musician. She was the youngest child of the Reverend William Henry Havergal, a minister of the Church of England, who is also a poet and Church musician. In addition to her natural talents, Miss Havergal had a thorough training in linguistics and music. Although she was highly educated and cultured, Miss Havergal always maintained a simple faith and confidence in her Lord….
As a part of her education, Francis studied in Dusseldorf, Germany. In the art gallery of that city, he hangs the famous painting by Sternberg, “Ecco [ek-see] Homo,” a vivid portrayal of Christ, wearing his crown of thorns, before Pilot and the Jewish mob. Beneath the picture are the words, "this have I done for thee; what has thou done for Me?”
Upon visiting the museum and seeing the painting, Miss Havergal was profoundly moved. After gazing for a considerable time at the painting, she took a pencil and scrap paper and quickly drafted the stanzas for a hymn that we now know well today. Later, when visiting her home in England, she noted the text she had hurriedly scribbled, but she felt that the poetry was so poor that she tossed the paper into a stove. The paper, however, is said to a floated out of the flames and landed on the floor, where it was later found by her father. He encouraged her to keep the words and composed the first tune for the text.
The words went like this:
I gave my life for thee,
my precious blood I shed,
that thou might’st ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead;
I gave, I gave my life for thee —
What hast thou given for me?
I gave, I gave my life for thee —
What hast thou given for me?
This morning, what can we give? How can we give? What opportunities do we have to give to those in need? How can our generosity go beyond a single act and reflect God’s heart for justice?
### **III. Generosity Breaks the Power of Greed **
In Proverbs 11, Solomon says:
24 Give freely and become more wealthy;? be stingy and lose everything.
25 The generous will prosper;? those who refresh others will themselves
be refreshed.
(Proverbs 11, NLT)
Solomon is teaching us that generosity doesn’t just bless others—it blesses the giver and breaks the power of greed in our hearts.
Giving Benefits You, Not God
Source: A. W. Tozer, quoted in "Reflections," Christianity Today (6-12-00)
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2001/february/12849.html
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Preacher A. W. Tozer once said, “I do not think I exaggerate when I say that some of us put our offering in the plate with a kind of triumphant bounce as much as to say, "There-now God will feel better!" I am obliged to tell you that God does not need anything you have. He does not need a dime of your money. It is your own spiritual welfare at stake in such matters as these. You have the right to keep what you have all to yourself—but it will rust and decay, and ultimately ruin you.”
**Key Point**: Generosity is the antidote to the greed and self-centeredness that dominate much of our world, especially in the political realm. When we live generously, we model God’s kingdom values and reject the notion that our security is in our wealth or possessions.
Generosity brings about change in our lives.
Generosity changes our hearts.
Generosity changes our attitudes. It’s no longer about me, but about those around me.
Generosity fosters gratitude in our hearts. We begin to recognize the blessings that we have instead of focusing on what we lack.
Generosity strengthens our trust in God’s provision. It shifts our reliance from material security to faith in God’s care and guidance.
Phillip Yancey shares the following thoughts about the change that happens when we are generous. He writes:
Stewardship
Source: Philip Yancey in "World Concern Update," January 1982. Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 1.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/november/946.html
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I don't know what comes to your mind when you hear the word "fat", but I have a good idea. In America, fat is nearly always a dirty word. We spend billions of dollars on pills, diet books, and exercise machines to help us loose excess fat.
I hadn't heard a good word about fat in years — that is, until I met Dr. Paul Brand. "Fat is absolutely gorgeous," says Brand, a medical doctor who has worked with lepers in India. "When I perform surgery, I marvel at the shimmering, lush layers of fat that spread apart as I open up the body. Those cells insulate against cold, provide protection for the valuable organs underneath, and give a firm, healthy appearance to the whole body." I had never thought of fat quite like that!
"But those are just side benefits," he continues. "The real value of fat is as a storehouse. Locked in those fat cells are the treasures of the human body. When I run or work or expend any energy, fat cells make that possible. They act as banker cells. It's absolutely beautiful to observe the cooperation among those cells!"
Dr. Brand applies the analogy of fat to the body of Christ. Each individual Christian in a relatively wealthy country like America is called to be a fat cell. America has a treasure house of wealth and spiritual resources. The challenge to us, as Christians, is to wisely use those resources for the rest of the body.
Ever since talking to Dr. Brand, I have taken sort of a whimsical pleasure once each month in thinking of myself as a fat cell on the day I write out checks for Christian organizations. It has helped my attitude. No longer do I concentrate on how I could have used that money I am giving away; rather, I contemplate my privilege to funnel those resources back into Christ's body to help accomplish his work all around the world.
This morning, to what resources, finances, and time are we holding out of fear or greed? I pray today that we can release those things in faith and live more generously.
### **Conclusion**:
Someone Has Said There Are 3 Types Of Givers: ...
By Bruce Howell
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Someone has said there are 3 types of givers: One type is like a piece of flint. It has to be struck by some object to give, and then only produces sparks and chips. Another type is like a sponge. The more it is squeezed, the more it gives. Then there is the type like the honeycomb. It continually gives, always overflowing with sweetness. Which type are you?
This morning, generosity, rooted in God's grace, leads to acts of compassion and justice, which break the power of greed. As believers, we are called to live generously, reflecting the heart of God and transforming lives, both ours and those we help.
Make a commitment to join me this week, taking practical steps toward generosity. Look for ways to give of our time, talents, and resources to bless others and reflect God’s grace.
I pray that we will have hearts of generosity that reflect God's compassion and justice, that He would break any power of greed in our own lives, and that the church would be a light in the world through our acts of charity and love. By doing so, our faith will continue beyond the selfishness and self-interest that are present during this election season. Generosity is the outward expression of our faith beyond the ballot box.
