In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of generosity and giving in the context of belonging to the Lord. He encourages listeners to let the spirit of Jesus direct them in how to use their money. The speaker shares a personal story about visiting a sick woman in the hospital and how even a short visit made a significant impact on her. He highlights the need for transparency in church giving and references the example of Jesus' generosity and sacrifice.

I'm going to begin by just giving you a quick overview of some of the techniques that I use in my course. I'm just going to show you the way that you're working with your hands. We really don't want to do that. And we want to say clearly what our attitude toward it is, and we will be encouraging people to get this series of messages, especially if they're new to us, so they'll understand what our attitudes are toward giving and the freedom in Christ that we have, even in the area of giving. And so it's a thrill to be able to do that, and we spoke, as we started chapter 8, about the fact that, like everything else we're learning, everything else, giving comes from grace, not the other way around. Grace does not come from giving. As we give, we're expressing the grace that is in our lives. In fact, it's not us giving. Just like any other good thing in our lives, we're learning that Jesus is everything to us, and that as we depend on Him, He acts through us. And so the good things that come out of us are Him, and we give Him the glory for them, so it is with giving. It is not us that gives, it is Christ who gives through us. It is a grace. Grace never comes from man. Grace is never something that originates with us. Grace is not something that we can create by our activity. It comes from heaven through us. That is so sweet. And the freedom that that brings, and indeed the promise, the implications of it are wonderful, because if God is the one behind giving, then God will direct us in that giving. He will free us in that giving to be generous. He will pour out His generosity through us, and great things will be done. Paul says, And I, brothers, who want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches, comes from grace. It shows itself in urgent desire. They pleaded to be involved in giving. A good sign that God is involved in the giving process is a happy giver. We see this in chapter 9. But an urgent giver too. A pleading giver. Someone who longs to express themselves, and allow Jesus to express Himself through them. Those who are also in this place, first of all, give themselves to the Lord, and then to those in leadership. And we see this in verse 5. As Paul says, They gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us. It's a sweetness about giving that expresses a submission of the whole heart, first to the Lord, and then to those who lead. That's why in the early church, in Acts chapter 4, you see the Lord's people laying their gifts at the apostles' feet, so that then the apostles would then distribute it. And then as he continues on, he speaks of the need to excel. And he says to them, as he urges them, admonishes them, not commands them, but just is spurring them on to good things. He says, Just as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us, see also that you excel in this grace of giving. Again, I say, it's not a command. We shouldn't read it in those terms. Indeed, the very next phrase in verse 8 is to say that. I am not commanding you. It's an admonishment. It's spurring one another on to good deeds. It's an encouragement to let Jesus loose in their lives, in the area of giving. And the word excel is very clear in its meanings, and it means to exceed the fixed mark or measure. Exceed the fixed mark or measure. And we've said this for two weeks, and it's important to say it again, because this will become a teaching tool for new people. We do not and will not urge people to tithe in this church, because tithing is part of the Old Testament law. And we are not under law. We are under grace. The principle of the Old Testament was a burden. It was designed specifically as a burden in order to make people aware that no matter what they did, there was a burden of which they fell short, and it was meant to show them that somebody else had to come along and do better in every area, whether it was in their tithing, or whether it was in keeping every other part, or any other part of the law. It was meant to be given to them as a means by which they would say they needed a Savior. And so Jesus has come, and He has given to God everything that God expects from us. That's glorious. Romans 8, the first part of that chapter, speaks of the fact that the law is fully satisfied in us, not through us, but in us, because of the Lord Jesus and what He has done. What the law was not able to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His Son in the likeness of human flesh in order to condemn sin and sinful man. So in Christ we are set free. Jesus has done all that God requires, has given all that God has asked for, and in us He just pours out that generosity of His soul. It is not about a tithe. It never will be. If we go back to the tithe, we're going back to the Old Testament. We're not in the Old Testament. Hallelujah. We're in the New. We're not under law. We're under grace. Paul says the standard is not a 10% standard. In the New Testament he says, exceed the mark. Let the Lord Jesus show His generosity. And he speaks of that next. I am not commanding you, but I want you to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. Beautiful verse. There is the heart of giving. It is Jesus' heart. It is the Father's heart. It is the Spirit's heart. Jesus gave of Himself. The Father gives us Jesus' Spirit, pours out Himself, that's the proverb, sorry about the grammar, Himself, in order that we might be blessed. And it is that same Spirit that gives within us, not yours and mine. You make fun of the Scottish, anyone of Scottish blood because of their meanness, but you know the truth is, we're all mean. The truth is, we get a hold of things, we want to keep them as our own. The truth is, when we get a hold of things, we claim them as our possessions. But when you come to Christ, you give yourself and you give everything to Him. And out of that, He gives for His own glory. He pours out His generosity. I love what it says in Romans chapter 8 about this generosity of God. Has anybody got the New Living Translation? Because I really like what it says. Anybody carrying the New Living Translation tonight? Is that what you've got there, Carol? Let me read Romans 8. Take your seat there. I'll have to look real close. This could prove my age. Listen to what He says in Romans chapter 8. If I can find it, if I can see it, when I find it. What can we say about such wonderful things as these? This verse in 2 Corinthians speaks about the generosity of the Lord Jesus, who made Himself poor, that we might be rich. But listen, this is not just the Lord Jesus. Listen. If God is for us, who can be against us? Since God did not spare even His own Son, but gives Him up for us all, won't God who gave us Christ also give us everything else? Isn't that a lovely phrase? Won't God who gave us Christ also give us everything else? God is a God of absolute generosity. Does that mean that He's going to give you the Ferrari that you've always wished you could drive? You don't need a Ferrari. I don't need a Ferrari. I might like one. We don't need one. We need His provision. We need the things to feed our families. We need the blessings that we can share with others. That's what He gives us. And He'll give us everything. Everything we need. Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? Will God? No. This is the generosity of God. He is the one who has given us right standing. Here's what God has given us. He has given us right standing with Himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No. For He is the one who died for us. That's what He did. He gives Himself. That's the gift He gives. He died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the highest place of honor next to God pleading for us. That's what Jesus has given. That's what Paul is speaking about. This generosity of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is where giving comes from. Can anything separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity or are persecuted or are hungry or cold or in danger or are threatened with death? Even as the Scriptures say, for your sake we are killed every day. We are being slaughtered like sheep. No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us. And I'm convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can't and life can't. The angels can't and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is the generosity of God. And out of that generosity He gives through us as He pours out His love into and through our lives. That's the standard of the New Testament. It's everything. Did God just give us 10% of His Son? No, He gave us everything. And isn't it true that He has given us everything? Will He not also give us all things? Not so that we can use them, but so that we can pour out blessings so that He can pour out blessings through us. Paul continues as he says in chapter 8. Here's my advice about this. He gives them some advice. And the first thing he says is that God asks us to give not outside of our means, but within our means. As he urges the church to give, he says, if the willingness is there. And that is so important. That's where it has to come from. A willing, full heart. If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Do not feel guilty because today you can't give. Do not feel guilty because today you were not able to pour out generosity because it's just not there. Your time will come. And God will bless you. And when your time comes, then I'll allow the Lord Jesus just to pour out of you. And that's what Paul goes on to say. That this desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time, your plenty will supply what they need so that in turn, their plenty will supply what you need. You will have your turn. When you do, allow the Lord Jesus. In other words, Paul says, don't let the flesh determine what you give. Do not let a standard, whether it's old or new, determine what you give. Let Jesus flow through you in generosity even as He has given Himself so He will give Himself through you. And when you can, when it's there, when God has given it to you, give it away. This is such a strange principle and I don't know if the church really lives it in many places in our generation. I've met one or two who do. Who really honestly believe that they cannot give God. Who really try to be generous and to be joyful and who as they give cannot keep peace with the Lord. The Ukrainian team, as I mentioned last week, have seen this illustrated. They've been getting money in for Bibles. They're still getting money in. They told me yesterday, Kevin told us this morning, there's still money coming in for Bibles. They started by saying that they would give a certain amount. Now they've gone way over that amount because somebody else has given it. Many other people have been involved and the money is still coming in. You can't... You start with the Lord. You say to the Lord, I'm going to do this, Lord. You've given me this desire to be generous. And the Lord just comes right back and says, well, here's my generosity. There's such a challenge there. And it's an exciting promise. Let the Lord Jesus be generous. See what happens. Last part of this chapter. It's taken up in a whole section where Paul outlines the men who are coming to carry the gift to Jerusalem. This was a gift that was needed because of the famine. And he outlines the three men and their spiritual credibility who are coming to carry the gift. The reason he's doing that is because of the need to be transparent. So he says in the middle of this latter section of chapter 8, For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men. It is so important that the church be transparent in our giving. It's so important that people are able to see every penny of how we spend it. It's so important that we be willing to show the world what our finances are because it's transparency. And because we want to give glory to God that He has been good to us and He is pouring out His generosity through us. Then we move into chapter 9. He says, There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints, for I know your eagerness to help. In other words, Paul is saying, I don't have to drive you. This is an interesting thing given our generation. I don't have to get into fundraising events. I mean, some people in our generation who are reading this are saying, Paul has kind of got this wrong because we do need to drive people. We do need to challenge them. We do need to send them. How many mission societies, how many causes do you get mail from every week who ask you for more money? And this is a constant thing. And in the church it's become an epidemic. And I know my mailbox, because I'm the pastor and because I also happen to use the box that the church gets, is stuffed with letters from various groups and organizations most of the time asking for money. Paul says about this thing, There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints, for I know your eagerness to help. When grace giving is an active expression, when people are full of the Lord, when they've surrendered themselves to Jesus, when they're yielding to the leadership, when there is a need that is presented and is clear, people want to, they are eager to, they are ready to give. We do not need to cajole them. That's the best kind of giving. And Paul says, This is the way it's happening here. I don't need to write to you and tell you about it. You're eager. You're ready. And I have been boasting about it, he says, to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year, in Achaia, you were ready to give and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. You want people to give? Then allow, Lord Jesus, to create enthusiasm in your heart. That enthusiasm to give will stir others unquestionably. You don't have to make people give. You don't have to write them letters to make them feel guilty. We don't have to do that. If we have given ourselves to Jesus, if the promise of generosity is in our souls, if He has poured out His generosity upon us, then He will pour it out through us. And our delightful attitude will stir others to action. So he continues on to Urzom in that area. And then he says, But I am sending the brothers in order that are boasting about you in this manner should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, not to say anything about you, I would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it was necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and to finish the arrangements for this generous gift that you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. It's interesting that the gift needed to be administrated. We've already spoken about the fact of the transparency. He was sending men. He was outlining their credibility. He said they were coming in order to take this gift. But it also needed to be administrated. And as he spoke about that, there's a simple little principle. And it's very important. It's important that not just one person administrate the gift. Paul could clearly have taken that responsibility. Who wouldn't trust Paul? Who wouldn't trust Paul with their giving? Everybody who knew him would. But he doesn't even involve himself in this group. He gives the responsibility to others and to more than one. It is amazing to me that still it happens today that in some churches only one person administrates the giving of the Lord's people. There are some pastors who take that responsibility upon themselves and then distribute the funds. That is atrocious. It is not biblical. It is a temptation to sin. And unfortunately, men have fallen into that sin again and again. Even our treasure, the one we have, must not be the only one who administrates our funds. It is so important if we're going to be transparent that we also administrate the gift liberally and we do it through leadership. We do it through numbers. That more than one person sits down and decides where the funds need to go and how they're going to be distributed. And that's why we have and that's why you've invested leadership in some men who sit down and when there is need, talk about it. And that's why then when they see that need and the Lord leads, they distribute it. That's so important. And it's important not just that it's invested in one person. We have six people who together will sit down and sometimes more depending on where we feel the money needs to go. Others will be involved in the process. We're transparent about it because we publish every year our finances but we've also got to be careful not to invest that task in just one person. Anytime you go to a church or hear of an organization where just one person has got control of the funds, don't put your money there. That is a non-biblical practice. Paul sent more than one person who would then administrate this gift and it's so important. And then as he comes back to this whole theme of generosity and it's there in this book, it's constantly there. He says, remember this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. Here is a principle that Paul is laying down. Here's the ground rules. Here is the rule of thumb for the New Testament. It's not the tenth. Nothing to do with the tenth. It's generosity. Listen. Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly. Whoever sows generously will reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give. It's a heart issue. Not reluctantly, second thing, or under compulsion, but thirdly, as a cheerful giver, for God loves a cheerful giver. I don't know how we need to express that. I think because it's a heart thing, we can just do it in our hearts. But I encourage you last week as we give to the benevolence, which we haven't done yet tonight, we will in a minute, to give with generosity and to give with a grin on your face. And I urge you to do that again tonight. To be generous, is she okay? Okay. And to give generously and to give with a grin on your face. God loves a cheerful giver. You know, how does that balance out with what the Lord Jesus did? How does that balance out with how the Lord Jesus gives himself? Because it's Jesus who's giving in us, right? We've expressed that so clearly. It's Jesus working us. Just go with me in the Massey. Remember a few years ago we were at the Lord's Table with our people in Marguerite. And I'll not ever forget that particular time around the Lord's Table. In the Massey's Gospel, you read the story of the Lord's Table. I'm just trying to find the verse that I want to find. There we are. And this is partway through the meal and it's part of the whole expression of the cross and what was coming. And Jesus knew what was coming. Jesus knew that here was the moment of God's greatest generosity to the world for he was about to give his life. But how could it be a happy thing when he knew that he was going to die? How could it be? Yet look at what it says in Massey 26 and in verse 26. Listen to these words. While they were eating, this is the institution of the Lord's Supper, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, take and eat. This is my body. He gave thanks. And we had a missionary who was retired and her name is Jean and she stood up in the time of our celebration of the Lord's Supper and she read that little verse and she pointed out to us as we were about to eat, you know, he gives thanks. Even here he was a happy giver. He knew he was going to die. He knew that his body was about to be broken but he rejoiced and he gives thanks. It's not just a matter of saying thank you Lord for the food like we do. This wasn't grace. This was a whole other kind of grace. This is the generosity of God. This is the willingness of Jesus to die. This is the heart which is saying thank you Lord for the plan of the cross. Yes Lord, I'm committed. Now my friends, take this bread and remember it's a symbol of me. I'm a happy giver. He still wants to be a happy giver. He still wants to be a generous giver. And even as he gave himself, so he wants us to give first ourselves to him, submitting ourselves to leadership and then allowing him to give through us. Even going to the cross. You know it says also in Isaiah that Jesus rejoiced when he saw the results of his work. In Isaiah 53 it says he rejoiced to see the travail of his soul. How can he be happy? This is such a contradiction and such a sacrifice. When such a burden was being placed upon his shoulders, when such a thing was asked of him, when God asked him for so much. And yet in Isaiah 53 it says as the Holy Spirit saw through the eyes of the prophet, it says he rejoiced at the travail of his soul. He rejoiced because he looked and he saw you and he saw me and he saw the results of his work. We were the travail, we were the trouble, we were the struggle of his soul. He looked and he saw down through the years that through his work you would be born again and he rejoiced. Even there he was a happy giver. It's awesome. It's staggering. It's hard to believe. Yet he gave thanks before he went to the cross and the prophet saw that even through the cross and into his suffering he rejoiced in the travail of his soul. Sometimes I think when we give we feel the burden of our giving. Sometimes God will ask us to give much, not just money, but sometimes time or effort or lives. Sometimes he'll ask us to give away a good career. He'll ask us to give away a good financial foundation. He'll ask us to give away a good home. He'll ask us to go on to the mission field, the deepest, darkest Canada or somewhere like it. He'll ask us to stop making piles of money. We were just so impressed with Diane when we knew where this lady had come from and what she'd given up and we always have been. She's given it all away and she's living by faith depending on the goodness of the Lord through his people. She is well trained. She is intelligent. She could be making a fortune in the skills that she has. She could be living high on the hog, rich in every sense. The Lord asked her to give it all away. And then he asked you to do the same someday and you're like, this is such a heavy burden, such a hard task. It's so hard to go and do this. There are days I get down on my circumstances and begin to feel sorry for myself. You have days like that when you feel sorry for yourself. We're struggling with our car right now. I wish I had enough money just to go and buy a new one. It's just so hard, Lord. Why is it so difficult? Why is it so difficult? I'm sure you've had days like that too. Everybody struggles. Why does it always have to be so hard in the ministry? Why do we always have to struggle all the time? It's such a burden to give. It's such a burden to give. And he rejoiced at the trial of our soul. Even as he thought about the cross, he broke bread and gave thanks. He looked up into heaven and he said, thank you, God, that I'm going to die. I mean, not this craziness, but that is the generosity of God's heart. For God so loved the world that he gives his one and only soul. Is there anywhere, anywhere at all in the Scripture where it seems to us or it seems to the world as they witnessed it that it was a burden for God to give? Not so. At the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, the heavens were ripped open and the voice from heaven came and said, this is my beloved son and he is absolutely fabulous. Give. There's no burden in giving. He was a joyful giver. What do you think that Christmas thing is all about? Right? Glory to God in the highest. And peace to men on earth on whom his favor rests. The Bible says that the heavens erupted with joy. The glory of God shone around. Heaven parted because they gave the greatest sacrifice of all. They were given the privilege of giving more than anybody could ever hope to give on earth. They were given the joy of giving away their greatest treasure. He who has given us all things. He who has given us Christ. Will he not freely give us all things? Absolutely. And when he gave us Christ, he gave us Christ with joy. And when he gives Christ to any single soul today, the lady saved this week through the church and also through the ministry of Fat Fish. Man, there's joy. The Bible says, what does it say when he gives the gift of salvation? The heavens, the angels, what? Rejoice! God's not looking down from up there and saying, well, I don't think she deserves that. I mean, if that's what He would do, then He wouldn't say nothing about all of us. Heaven's rejoiced. Once again, God looks from heaven and says, oh, hallelujah, another opportunity to give. This is the principle of the New Testament. Remember this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. Whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he's decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, but joyfully. For God loves a cheerful giver. This is the way God is. Look at your lives. We need to be celebrating what God has given us. Look around you if you've got hope in your heart. What a generous gift. The Bible says that every child is a gift. My children bought their mother lobster today. And just because I stopped at a quarter after twelve this morning, I got some too. And Chad, Nancy, and Mom and Dad and we got together and our children served the meal and they tied it up after the meal and they generously gave us. Man, how rich is that? What kind of man and women are we when we've got kids like that? We're rich. I have the four greatest kids in the world and some of you will want to argue with that about your kids. They are such rich, rich, rich blessings to us. God is so good. That's the way God is. He gives generously. You know what He goes on to say? And it's about the important things. It's so awful to me that people turn this into a crass statement of grabbing money from the Lord. This is what it says next. And God is able to make all grace abound to you. Look at how many times the word all is in this. So that in all things, at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. Now He who supplies seed to the sower of bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. And through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. It horrifies me that I have heard people use this and say, see, this means God wants us all to be so financially secure, so rich, to have everything we need. We, who walk into church every week with our health. We, who sit down at our tables to eat better than anybody else in the world. We, who are given the gift of a child or children often so that our quivers are full. We, who are given the security of a country where there is stability and government. We, who are blessed with the spiritual blessing of salvation. We, who are given the church. We, who are given the Spirit. We are wanting more money? Are you kidding me? Is that what God is about? Is He about the sense? Is He about that? No, He's not. God gave us Jesus. God gave us the blessings of His Spirit. God gave us the power of the church and the ministry of the gospel, the keys of the kingdom, the celebration of not money, but the celebration of money we can put in the spiritual bank to tell people about the freedom that comes in Christ. Those who teach wealth, health and prosperity have missed the point and turned God into some sort of cosmic money lender. It is such a crass destruction of something so beautiful and generous. He gave us Jesus. That's where His heart lies. He gave us salvation. That's where His heart lies. He gave us hope. That's where His heart lies. He gave us His Spirit. He gives us the richness of His presence every single Sunday. Some of us stand every week and say, man, what a great day. And we thought, well, last Sunday was a great day too. Every week we celebrate that God has been with the likes of us. Every week the band is in awe that somehow, somewhere in it all we sounded okay because God was with us. That is such richness. And it is so not about how much money is in our bank accounts. He will make us rich, so rich in every way in the soul so that we can pour it out. That's what He is. That's how He acts. That's the generosity of His soul. Every day we can pour out love and every day we can pour out generosity. Every day we can pour out respect. Every day we can pour out dignity. Every day we can give a gift. It doesn't have to be money and it's not about money. But when money comes, make sure that it's not tainted by greed. Make sure that as you receive it you don't take it as your own because you belong to the Lord and everything you have doesn't. Just then let the spirit of Jesus direct you about what He wants you to do with His money when that happens. But long before that, pour out your generosity of heart. When was the last time you hugged somebody? That's a gift. It's a gift. When was the last time you went and spent time sitting with someone in a hospital who was sick? That's a gift. That means so much. It is a rich gift. Kevin and I talked about this. Kevin and I talked about this week as we went to see a lady who was sick. We spent three or four minutes with her and yet she was just delighted. And as she spoke to us she spoke about a visit that Kathy had had. Kathy had only been able to be there about five minutes. Kathy said that she felt rushed. She felt she wasn't able to spend much time with her. But that girl was overwhelmed because that day she discovered that she was having hallucinations with her drugs and she was so confused and upset. And Kathy noticed it, pointed it out to the nurses and for the first time in days this girl got some relief. She was overwhelmed with that generosity. And yet Kathy thought well it was just like two minutes. I could hardly do that. And so much to her. Do you see the point that I'm trying to make? Does it make sense? It makes sense. As He showed us His heart. Be generous. And if it's in your heart God is able to make all grace. See that's where it is. It's about grace. It's about the heart. Abide to you Father in all things at all times having all that you need. You will abound in every good work. Not just in money. In every good work. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you for the generosity of your soul. Oh God. And the richness you've poured out upon our lives. Goodness. Continue to let your grace abound to us so that in turn we can pass it on to others. Whether it's in the area of finance or in the area of a kiss when we lift up a crying child and send some of our clothes to Africa and we pay for a Bible help us to give joyfully as we visit someone in hospital as we spend time helping someone lose as we direct our care or give our vehicle to the years to your glory. Whatever it is whatever way you've blessed us help us to grin all over our faces as you flow through us for your glory. In Jesus name. God bless you.