Again we are reminded by our Gospel text—life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions. Watch for the next few moments a video clip of Adam Hamilton reminding us of this truth. Sermon Week 4 17As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You
Although we still may wrestle with the voices from time to time, we are able to silence them more easily and effectively the more we grow in Christ. And the more we grow in Christ, realizing that our lives belong to him, the more generous we become. Generosity is a fruit of spiritual growth. Generosity should define us as Christians. The Bible gives us endless reasons to give to God and others. ~In the Book of Acts the very first churches tell us that we find more joy in doing things for other people and for God than we ever did in doing things for ourselves. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) ~We are also called to follow Christ’s lead, because in the very act of losing our lives, we find life. *”For God so loved the world, He gave his only Son…” (Jn 3:16) *Jesus gave His very life on the cross, so that we “…may have life, & have it abundantly.” (Jn 10:10) *Jesus challenged all His disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 16:25) ~Life is a gift, and everything belongs to God. “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” (Ps 24:1) We are wired to be givers…back to God and others! And there are biblical guidelines for giving to help us figure out what it means to live generously. From the early days of the Old Testament,
God’s people observed the practice of giving some portion of the best of what they had to God. A gift offered to God was called the first fruits or the tithe, and it equaled one-tenth of one’s flocks or crops or income. Abraham was the first to give a tithe (Genesis 14:20b & 28:18-22). And in Leviticus 27:30 we’re reminded “A tenth of the Lord’s produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is God’s. It is Holy to God.” (Translation from The Message) Now, as Christians who live under the new covenant in and through Jesus Christ, we are not bound by the Law of Moses, but we look to it as a guide. Most Christians agree that the tithe is a good guideline for our lives, and one that is pleasing to God. Defined by generosity… Giving One tenth…of the many blessings God gives us—that’s tithing. And though tithing can be a struggle, it is possible at virtually every income level. If you cannot tithe right away, I challenge you to take a step in that direction. Perhaps you can give 2% or 5% or 7%. God understands where you are, and will help you make the life adjustments necessary for you to become more and more generous. Like discussed last week, it’s about simplifying our lives…reducing our consumption, Asking ourselves “Do I need this?” Living below our means and Knowing what truly brings us satisfaction and contentment… My friends, it is so important to realize what our giving means to God— That our giving affects God, it affects others and it affects us.