Today, I wrap up this series on generosity. The Bible talks about it continuously, and commands Christians to care for the poor and needy.
In America, the church has, over the past 60-80 years, done a terrible job at this. I contend that is because government has taken over this responsibility from the church. Government created welfare programs to do the job that the churches were originally designed to do. When the churches were in charge of caring for the poor -- and properly doing their job -- there were none with great need. But, government saw an opportunity to open the treasury, and turn welfare into a political machine for the gain of politicians.
In light of that, I think there are at least three things that we can do today to fulfill the biblical commands on generosity.
Love One Another
It is easy to love the people in our lives that we like. I have a special kind of love for my wife and my three boys. I have certain friends that I enjoy being around. It is easy to love those people in my life. But, what about those that are just acquaintances, or that I don’t know at all? How about those people that I don’t really like to be around? What about someone who has hurt me in indescribable ways?
Mark 12:30-31 details the conversation Jesus had with a religious leader about the greatest commandments: love God and love your neighbor. What’s interesting about the command to love your neighbor is that it doesn’t say we should love our family, or love our friends, or the people we get along with. Jesus said we should love our neighbor. That means your neighbor you like, and the one that annoys you to know end.
This teaching was revolutionary when Jesus said it, and it’s still revolutionary today. It totally transformed the world, and still changes people today. Unconditional love is what gets the attention of the world, and reveals Christ to them. It's also what Jesus said would be the identifying characteristic of his followers.
Compassion
The next step to living a generous life has to involve compassion. Compassion helps us to identify the needs of those around us. Compassion causes us to move from simply caring about someone to actually doing something about the issues they face.
Jame 2:14-20, 26 talks a great deal about compassion and charity. Your faith in God is revealed through your works of compassion. 1 John 3:17 adds to the thought. Clearly, God intends for Christians to not only love their neighbor, but to stand ready to help in times of need.
Prepare to be Generous
In light of scripture, it is best if we prepare our hearts to be generous. Every Christian on the face of this world has God’s Holy Spirit living inside of them. The Holy Spirit communicates God’s will to us in several different ways. One of those is probably best described as a “conscious prompting.” In the case of the hurting people in our world, the Spirit will from time to time tell us what we should do to help them. It’s up to us to listen and then do it or ignore it.
Now, most of us would want to be open to God’s prompting, and do what He commands. But, I contend that it is easy to say that, but not so easy to follow up. I’ll give you an example.
If you knew of a single mom who just lost her job, and had a couple of children to feed, it would be easy to be generous, and help her out. But, if you didn’t know this person, and you saw her out on a street corner holding a sign begging for help, would you freely give? Or, would you be skeptical and ignore her plight?
I know that in my heart I struggle with the second scenario. In Springfield, I see beggars at the stop lights all the time. They all carry cardboard signs that ask for help. Those signs all play on our compassion by ending in the words “God bless.” How am I to know if they really need help, or if they plan to blow the cash they collect on drugs or alcohol? Or, worse yet, what if they’re just scamming people, and don’t really need the help?
In one of his books, author and pastor Max Lucado wrote about this one time. When he was an associate pastor, he sat in on a meeting between his pastor and a homeless man who had come into the church for help. The man had a dozen different stories about what caused his desperate situation, and what his needs really were. Max admitted to seeing through the man’s phoniness, and was waiting for his pastor to boot him out the door.
But, instead, the pastor showed compassion toward the man and gave him some food and cash to help him out. After the meeting, the man left and Max asked his pastor if he had not seen through their guest’s ruse. His pastor told him that while most of the man’s story was probably a lie, what if one part was true. That one possible truth warranted compassion.
Compassion and love dictate our actions as Christians toward the people we encounter. They cause us to listen to and act on that voice in our heads that says “That person needs your help.”
Friday, September 16, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Generosity: Part 3 of 4
This week, I am reviewing the message I preached last weekend on the topic of biblical generosity. Generosity and charity are themes that run throughout scripture. Jesus instructed his followers to practice it, and generosity really became a defining characteristic of the early churches.
The early churches were quite a site. Nowhere else would you see the rich and poor standing side by side in worship. Only in the church would you find a Roman soldier celebrating the same God as a Jewish convert.
At the end of Acts 11, we see an example of one church helping another. The church at Antioch had heard about coming hard times, and took an offering to send to the church at Jerusalem. This kindness really set the church apart from other religions. It also is what really helped propel the Gospel message throughout the world.
The generosity of the church proved to be an unstoppable force, and within a couple hundred years of Jesus’ founding the church, the entire Roman world had accepted Christianity as its national religion.
Here’s an example of how Christian generosity really played a part in the spread of the Gospel. In the 4th century A.D., the Roman emperor, Julian, assumed the throne. He had spent his early years being taught Christianity, but never embraced it, and never accepted Christ as his savior. In his early adult years, he latched onto pagan teachings. As emperor, he sought to bring the old Roman pagan worship back into prominence, while strangling Christianity out of existence.
Because Christianity had become so widespread, he couldn’t just issue an edict to stamp it out. Instead, he tried tactics such as requiring the Gospel texts be taught in public school. He hoped that the loss of students would force the Christian educators to go out of business. He also intended to manipulate the texts to control exactly what was being taught, and combine it with the religion he was pushing.
When that didn’t work, he recognized that the Christians love for one another, and their generosity were one of the keys to winning over converts. So, he instructed his pagan priests to start emulating the Christian practices. But, without the one true God behind him, Julian failed miserably, and was quoted as saying that the Christian faith
Tomorrow, I have some take-aways from this series.
The early churches were quite a site. Nowhere else would you see the rich and poor standing side by side in worship. Only in the church would you find a Roman soldier celebrating the same God as a Jewish convert.
At the end of Acts 11, we see an example of one church helping another. The church at Antioch had heard about coming hard times, and took an offering to send to the church at Jerusalem. This kindness really set the church apart from other religions. It also is what really helped propel the Gospel message throughout the world.
The generosity of the church proved to be an unstoppable force, and within a couple hundred years of Jesus’ founding the church, the entire Roman world had accepted Christianity as its national religion.
Here’s an example of how Christian generosity really played a part in the spread of the Gospel. In the 4th century A.D., the Roman emperor, Julian, assumed the throne. He had spent his early years being taught Christianity, but never embraced it, and never accepted Christ as his savior. In his early adult years, he latched onto pagan teachings. As emperor, he sought to bring the old Roman pagan worship back into prominence, while strangling Christianity out of existence.
Because Christianity had become so widespread, he couldn’t just issue an edict to stamp it out. Instead, he tried tactics such as requiring the Gospel texts be taught in public school. He hoped that the loss of students would force the Christian educators to go out of business. He also intended to manipulate the texts to control exactly what was being taught, and combine it with the religion he was pushing.
When that didn’t work, he recognized that the Christians love for one another, and their generosity were one of the keys to winning over converts. So, he instructed his pagan priests to start emulating the Christian practices. But, without the one true God behind him, Julian failed miserably, and was quoted as saying that the Christian faith
“has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers,That’s one of my favorite quotes that really demonstrates the power of the church and Christianity when it is doing what the Bible teaches.
and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is
not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans (his term for
Christians) care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those
who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them."
Tomorrow, I have some take-aways from this series.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Generosity: Part 2 of 4
Yesterday, I pointed out that the Old Testament passages of Deuteronomy 15:7-11 and Psalm 41:1-2 address the topic of generosity. God's instructions are to be open handed when taking care of the needy. But, God also promises blessings for those who do this.
Today, I want to return to ancient Israel, because even though Moses gave this very important law, the Jewish people eventually turned away from much of the law Moses had given them.
1500 years later, when Jesus arrives on the scene, the religious leaders had so manipulated the law, that it was impossible for the average person to keep. Plus, they had turned charity into something akin to a competition. In other words, those who had wealth would practice generosity, but not to help the poor. Instead, their goal was to bring fame to themselves.
In his sermon on the mount, Jesus tackles this problem head-on by pointing out that God wasn’t impressed with those who gave in order to get public recognition.
That teaching ran contrary to the popular practice in Jesus’ day, and it runs contrary to the philanthropy practices in our world today. It was counter-cultural 2,000 years ago, and it is still counter-cultural today. But, it was this practice that really defined the church, because when you combine it with Jesus’ other teachings on compassion and caring for people, you can begin to understand why the early church conducted itself as it did.
One of the characteristics of the first church was that they took care of each other. The poor were taken care of to the extent that other believers would sell their belongings to help people out.
That is so far out there that we struggle to understand exactly how this all worked. It’s hard for us to imagine selling what we worked all our life to acquire, so we could help others. But, it was this very thing that really set the Christian church apart from the rest of the world.
The world would tell the needy to fend for themselves, and not bother them with their problems. But, the church had applied something Jesus had said in John 13:34-35: when he commanded them to love each other, and noted that this would be how the world identified them as Christ-followers.
Jesus combined compassion and love as the way that the world would know who his disciples were. So, when the church first became organized, you saw an enormous outpouring of love and compassion for the other believers. And, this philosophy wasn’t confined to the church in Jerusalem. It spread to the other churches as the Gospel message was taken through the region.
Today, I want to return to ancient Israel, because even though Moses gave this very important law, the Jewish people eventually turned away from much of the law Moses had given them.
1500 years later, when Jesus arrives on the scene, the religious leaders had so manipulated the law, that it was impossible for the average person to keep. Plus, they had turned charity into something akin to a competition. In other words, those who had wealth would practice generosity, but not to help the poor. Instead, their goal was to bring fame to themselves.
In his sermon on the mount, Jesus tackles this problem head-on by pointing out that God wasn’t impressed with those who gave in order to get public recognition.
That teaching ran contrary to the popular practice in Jesus’ day, and it runs contrary to the philanthropy practices in our world today. It was counter-cultural 2,000 years ago, and it is still counter-cultural today. But, it was this practice that really defined the church, because when you combine it with Jesus’ other teachings on compassion and caring for people, you can begin to understand why the early church conducted itself as it did.
One of the characteristics of the first church was that they took care of each other. The poor were taken care of to the extent that other believers would sell their belongings to help people out.
That is so far out there that we struggle to understand exactly how this all worked. It’s hard for us to imagine selling what we worked all our life to acquire, so we could help others. But, it was this very thing that really set the Christian church apart from the rest of the world.
The world would tell the needy to fend for themselves, and not bother them with their problems. But, the church had applied something Jesus had said in John 13:34-35: when he commanded them to love each other, and noted that this would be how the world identified them as Christ-followers.
Jesus combined compassion and love as the way that the world would know who his disciples were. So, when the church first became organized, you saw an enormous outpouring of love and compassion for the other believers. And, this philosophy wasn’t confined to the church in Jerusalem. It spread to the other churches as the Gospel message was taken through the region.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Generosity: Part 1 of 4
This past Sunday, I had the privilege to preach at a church in Aurora, Missouri. The topic: Generosity.
I think generosity is something that the church does well with at times, and not so good at in other times. And, honestly, as individuals we stink at it.
But, caring for the poor and needy is a theme that runs throughout the Bible. Deuteronomy 15:7-11 is one of the earliest instructions to care for the poor.
The Israelites weren’t supposed to take advantage of those less fortunate among them. Generosity was supposed to be a hallmark of their society.
One example of this can be found in the book of Ruth where the poor and the widows were allowed to go through a harvested field and retrieve the leftovers for their own use. You see in Ruth the practice Moses instituted as a way for the poor and widows to gather grain for their own use or to sell for profit.
What’s neat is that God makes two promises in this passage. One of them, Jesus acknowledged in Mark 14:7. The passages in Deuteronomy and Mark note that the poor will always be around us. Deuteronomy charges us to open our hands wide with our generosity.
The other promise God makes involves a blessing associated with our giving. I think sometimes we mistakenly associate God’s blessings for our giving as being financial in nature. But, this passage leaves the door wide open. God’s blessings for our charity may come in the form of financial increase. Or, it might be good health; better relationships; increased joy in our lives, or maybe some blessings we can’t even imagine.
Psalm 41:1-2 states this in another way. Clearly, there are physical, mental and spiritual benefits to being generous to those in need.
I know from my personal experience that for me, the biggest blessing is the joy in knowing I’ve helped someone. In fact, I can only really think of one time where I was financially blessed beyond measure for being generous. Most of the time, for me, the blessings are more spiritual. I get a real sense of joy knowing what I have done to help has made a difference. I think most Christians are that way, and it’s something that we’ll come back to in a little bit, because the generosity of Christians actually played a major role in you and I being here today.
I think generosity is something that the church does well with at times, and not so good at in other times. And, honestly, as individuals we stink at it.
But, caring for the poor and needy is a theme that runs throughout the Bible. Deuteronomy 15:7-11 is one of the earliest instructions to care for the poor.
The Israelites weren’t supposed to take advantage of those less fortunate among them. Generosity was supposed to be a hallmark of their society.
One example of this can be found in the book of Ruth where the poor and the widows were allowed to go through a harvested field and retrieve the leftovers for their own use. You see in Ruth the practice Moses instituted as a way for the poor and widows to gather grain for their own use or to sell for profit.
What’s neat is that God makes two promises in this passage. One of them, Jesus acknowledged in Mark 14:7. The passages in Deuteronomy and Mark note that the poor will always be around us. Deuteronomy charges us to open our hands wide with our generosity.
The other promise God makes involves a blessing associated with our giving. I think sometimes we mistakenly associate God’s blessings for our giving as being financial in nature. But, this passage leaves the door wide open. God’s blessings for our charity may come in the form of financial increase. Or, it might be good health; better relationships; increased joy in our lives, or maybe some blessings we can’t even imagine.
Psalm 41:1-2 states this in another way. Clearly, there are physical, mental and spiritual benefits to being generous to those in need.
I know from my personal experience that for me, the biggest blessing is the joy in knowing I’ve helped someone. In fact, I can only really think of one time where I was financially blessed beyond measure for being generous. Most of the time, for me, the blessings are more spiritual. I get a real sense of joy knowing what I have done to help has made a difference. I think most Christians are that way, and it’s something that we’ll come back to in a little bit, because the generosity of Christians actually played a major role in you and I being here today.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Preaching This Weekend
I'll be preaching this weekend at the Faith and Hope Free Will Baptist Church in Aurora, Missouri. Come out and join us. Sunday worship starts at 10:30 a.m.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Your Giving Really Helps
When we are stuck in a bear market, it is easy to assume that if we stop giving, it won't hurt anyone and will help our bottom line.
If organizations only lost one giver among the hundreds or thousands that contribute, then it would be like taking a single drop from a pail of water. It isn't noticable.
But, that isn't the case during recessions. Large percentages of people tend to stop giving to worthy causes. Those organizations are left without the means to function properly.
I started this week's topic with a reference to mission giving. When that giving stops, so do the mission works. The pastors of those operations have to return home to drum up more support. This can be a huge hinderance on the spread of the Gospel.
I love the story of the widow woman who Jesus observed giving all that she had to the work of the Temple. She was human, just like you and I. I'm sure she sweated giving to God what she believed she should do. But, in the end, she gave all she had, because she trusted God to do what he said.
And God noticed.
If organizations only lost one giver among the hundreds or thousands that contribute, then it would be like taking a single drop from a pail of water. It isn't noticable.
But, that isn't the case during recessions. Large percentages of people tend to stop giving to worthy causes. Those organizations are left without the means to function properly.
I started this week's topic with a reference to mission giving. When that giving stops, so do the mission works. The pastors of those operations have to return home to drum up more support. This can be a huge hinderance on the spread of the Gospel.
I love the story of the widow woman who Jesus observed giving all that she had to the work of the Temple. She was human, just like you and I. I'm sure she sweated giving to God what she believed she should do. But, in the end, she gave all she had, because she trusted God to do what he said.
And God noticed.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
God and a Bad Economy
This week, I'm addressing the issue of giving financial gifts during a bad economy. Any leader of a not-for-profit (NPO) agency will share how the stress increases when donations are down. Every organization needs money to operate, and NPO's get hit first and usually hardest.
In the church world, people who are faithful with their tithes will typically trim other parts of their budgets and leave giving alone. Those, however, who struggle with trusting God in this area will usually cut out giving to the church before anything else.
In larger churches, this will result in a drop in the ability for the churches to minister. In smaller churches, this could be crippling.
Here's a truth you should let sink into your gray matter. God's economy is not based on man's economy. There are countless experiences throughout the course of human history where God provided the resources to His people at the right moment. The only stipulation he ever gave was to give him ten percent of what He already gave us.
One of the most inspiring stories of God's people giving during a tough economy is found in Acts 11:19-30. It is here that we find the church in Antioch. This was a poor church. Likely deeper in poverty than the church in Jerusalem. But, it is here that we find the Christians giving what they could in order to send an offering to help out the Jerusalem church.
It's an incredible scene of compassion. It's a wonderful example of how we should give during our economic troubles. That example being that we should not stop giving, but we should do so faithfully.
In the church world, people who are faithful with their tithes will typically trim other parts of their budgets and leave giving alone. Those, however, who struggle with trusting God in this area will usually cut out giving to the church before anything else.
In larger churches, this will result in a drop in the ability for the churches to minister. In smaller churches, this could be crippling.
Here's a truth you should let sink into your gray matter. God's economy is not based on man's economy. There are countless experiences throughout the course of human history where God provided the resources to His people at the right moment. The only stipulation he ever gave was to give him ten percent of what He already gave us.
One of the most inspiring stories of God's people giving during a tough economy is found in Acts 11:19-30. It is here that we find the church in Antioch. This was a poor church. Likely deeper in poverty than the church in Jerusalem. But, it is here that we find the Christians giving what they could in order to send an offering to help out the Jerusalem church.
It's an incredible scene of compassion. It's a wonderful example of how we should give during our economic troubles. That example being that we should not stop giving, but we should do so faithfully.
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