GENEROSITY
What is generosity?
the quality of being kind and generous.
Generosity: giving your attention, time, abilities, money, and compassion freely to others.
We often think of generosity as the decision to donate money to a worthy cause or buy a meal for someone on the street. Those are indeed generosity, but generosity in the context of authentic love is much more than financial giving. When we love authentically, we have an attitude of generosity in all we do. (Gary Chapman, Love is a Way of Life)
Example: "I was overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and neighbors" synonyms: liberality
Is it an expaned characteristic of a Christian?
Romans 12-6-8 Amplified Bible
V6. Having gifts(faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them:[He whose gift is] prophesy, [let him prophesy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith; v. 7[He who gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching: v. 8 (He who exhorts, encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind, he who does acts of mercy with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness.
Romans 12:7-8 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
When writing to the Romans, he tells how churches had given to the poor in Jerusalem and he was carrying it there. Paul then reminds them that they owe the poor because their acceptance. They are now a member of the body of the church, they should communicate (give) to the poor.
Distinguished author Tim Keller says, “Our bank statements are perhaps the greatest evidence of having minds that have truly been transformed by the grace of God.” Tim Keller
Luke 6:38 - Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Not talking about “seed money” on TV evangelist.
“I want my last check to bounce.” (He wanted his bank account to read EMPTY.) These are the words of a billionaire philanthropist Charles F. Feeney, who began secretly giving his money away in 1984. Feeney’s goal was to make a difference in the world while he was alive. By 2016, he’d given away more than $8 billion to charitable organizations around the world.
His impact made others such as Bill and Linda Gates. They set up a charitable foundation giving large amounts of money away: At first they contributed $94 million later a total over $16 billion. One of the recipients was educators across the nation. Other missions involved fight AIDS and drilling wells so people could have good drinking water. The mother of bride to be, Linda Gates, on the day before they were married, her mother told her “from those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
Warren Buffet was encourage by this and he gave $30 billion in shares of stock to the Gates Foundation.
(Love as a Way of life. Pg 145)
Andrew Carnegie--Carnegie -- 1835-1919 (83 yrs)
Picked cotton for $1.20 per week when young.
One of the most wealthy men to ever to live in U.S.
Carnegie, Bill Gates, Vanderbilt, Ford, Rockefeller
He invested in railroads and then started in Steel
Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Mellon University
Built 3000 libraries around the world.
His philosophy -- “Man does not live by bread alone. The man who dies rich dies in disgrace.” Gave away around 4.3 billion.
Generosity is not about what’s in your bank account—it’s about what’s in your heart.
James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
1 John 3:16-17
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
We know that through the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. It is also true that through the overflow of the heart, we will give.
As a result of your ministry, they (recipient) will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ”.
As followers of Christ, we need to remember to be generous.
Why is it so important to remember to be generous? Here are ways it makes an impact on our lives.
It makes you happy. Acts 20:35 says, “I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Notice Jesus didn’t say it is not a blessed thing to receive. It does make you happy to receive. But the world will tell you that you will be happiest when you give. Jesus turned that idea around and said that you will be happier when you give than when you receive.
It just makes sense. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” Every one of us wants others to be generous with us. Do you think that by sowing miserly selfishness you’re going to reap generosity from God and others? God says that’s not the way life works. There is a law of sowing and reaping. So if you want to reap generosity, you have to sow generosity.
Not everyone has that kind of money to give. After all, it’s easy for them to those who are wealthy, but, in fact, it may be easier for these who have less to give more. Remember the poor woman who gave two mites at the temple while Jesus was watching. Mark 21:1-4 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
As the author W. S. Plumer said,”He who is not liberal with what he has, does deceive himself when he thinks he would be liberal if he had more. In other words, if you don’t give from our “little,” we do not give out of our “much”.
Take Albert Lexie, for example. In 1981, started working at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburg, cleaning and polishing for $5 a pair. Albert retired after 32 years on the job. There was a retirement party were Albert was told how much he would be missed. His influence at that hospital continued. Albert had donated 30% of his earnings to the hospital’s Free Care Fund which help cash-strapped parents pay for their children’s medical care. And those tips? He gave every single one to the hospital, more than $200,000 in all.
Are you generous?
*Generosity expects nothing in return.
Have you given to any of the children’s hospitals, or the Red Cross and Salvation Army when tragedy strikes?
Food Pantries ? Money to buy food or bring food.
What about Wounded Warriors for soldiers try to adjust to whatever the military did to him or her?
Then, there’s Israel, Everyone that blesses her shall be blessed.
What about the people who sit in the pews. Generosity is supposed to begin with those of the house of faith.
Galatians 6:7-10
7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
They may be people who are qualified as poor, may be sitting in the same pew as you do.
Not your tithes and offering in church.
1 Timothy 6:10 Context
7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Wesley's Notes for 1 Timothy 6:10
6:10 Love of money - Commonly called prudent care of what a man has. Is the root - The parent of all manner of evils. Which some coveting have erred - Literally, missed the mark. They aimed not at faith, but at something else. And pierced themselves with many sorrows - From a guilty conscience, tormenting passions, desires contrary to reason, religion, and one another. How cruel are worldly men to themselves!
1 Timothy Chapter 6
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
10 – 25% According to a recent study Ad for tithing in U.S.
If 75-100 percent of American Christians gave their tithes
Global hunger, Starvation and death from preventable diseases could be stopped in 5 years.
Illiteracy could all but relieved, the world’s water supply and sanitation issues could be solved, all overseas mission work could be fully funded and more than $100 billion per year would be left over for additional ministry.
Psalm 41:1-2 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
2The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
