Series: Walking in the Way of Jesus “Generosity”

Sunday Sermon Oct 21, 2012            

 Matt 6:19-24 

 A woman accompanied her husband to the doctor’s office…. A woman accompanied her husband to the doctor's office. After his checkup, the doctor called the wife into his office alone. He said "Your husband is suffering from a very severe disease, combined with some horrible stress. If you don't do the following your husband will surely die.

"Each morning, fix him a healthy breakfast. Be pleasant, and make sure he is in a good mood. For lunch, make him a nutritious meal. For dinner, prepare an especially nice meal for him. DON'T burden him with chores, as he probably had a hard day. DON'T discuss your problems with him. It will only make his stress worse. And MOST importantly, make love with your husband several times a week and satisfy HIS every whim. If you can do this for the next 10 months to a year, I think your husband will regain his health completely."

On the way home, the husband asked his wife:

"What did the doctor say?"

She replied, "You're going to die."

We end our 6 week journey today of “Walking in the Way of Jesus, 6 values of followership. Our journey has helped, I hope, us to understand the importance of discerning and having core values as a faith community. Values that I pray will help you carry out your mission ministry here at Cross. The Values I pray you will practice and live out…. Values such as Prayer… Worship… Learning… Serving… Relationship Building… and Today… Generosity.

In addition to our Generosity theme as a value, we will also use this as a transition into the next couple of weeks to focus on our Generosity as a gift. We’ll be using the word GIFT as an acronym for “Generosity In Faith Together” as a way demonstrate our stewardship. Today this is not a sermon about money, rather a sermon about the heart of Generosity.

Luther is said to have proclaimed that in the conversion process the wallet is the last thing to be converted.

Often, we in the church don’t like to hear anything about money. Many people say the church is about spiritual matters, not economic. Many do not believe money is a spiritual issue. This may surprise you, but money is a spiritual issue. In fact, Jesus talks about money several times…  Jesus mentions money 23 times in the gospels and alludes to it another 11 times, and money is mentioned some 200 times in the bible. I believe God must have thought money was important enough to mention it this much.

Jesus says in our story today… “Don’t store up treasures on earth…”

At the heart of the manner, “Where your treasure is, so will be your heart.”

 What does Spiritual Generosity Involve?

Generosity Involves Giving to God… as an act of Worship. 1Chron 29:10-20

Ancient Israel gave a tenth back to God as an act of worship for all the blessings God had given them.

READ TEXT 1Chron 29:10ff

David praised God and they worshiped God out of love & devotion for God’s blessings. The context of this text is one where David had encouraged the people to give towards the building of the temple. They accomplished this goal and now David is celebrating by worshipping God. The people are praise God for his blessing and goodness.

Trinity Lutheran Seminary professor Mark Powell in his book titled “Giving to God” says, “We are not asked to place money in the collection plate because the church needs the money, but because of our need to give as an act of devotion.

Devotion is a matter of the heart… it’s what happens when we give from the heart.

Generosity Involves Giving to God… as an Expression of Faith.

Ps. 24:1… “The Earth and Everything on it Belong to the Lord, the World and its People Belong to Him.”

An expression of faith usually means an act of trust. Everything belongs to God and God gives us the use of some of it. God trusts us to manage the gift. Were not the owners of anything… we are trusted to manage God’s gifts. How we manage these gifts determines our trust in God’s provision. When we have faith in something… we trust it will work. When I have faith in you to do what you say, I trust that you will do it. When we give back to God it is an expression of our faith and trust in God.

Generosity involves Giving to God… as a Spiritual Discipline.

-       Matt. 6:21Jesus says, “Your heart will be where your treasure is.”

Sam Clemens, known as “Mark Twain” was talking to a devote Morman one day on the practice of Polygamy. The Morman said, “There is nothing in the Bible that says a man cannot have more than one wife.” Clemens responded, “I may not be to well-read in the Bible, but I seem to recall something in there that says, “No man can serve two masters.”

What is the master of your life? What do you value most? If I looked at your checkbook, what would your treasure be?  A generous living value is the pathway to growing closer to the heart of God.

Closing:

Walking in the Way of Jesus, 6 Values of Following Jesus…

            Prayer, Worship, Learning, Serving, Relationships, Generosity

What should the church value?

What should the church be about?

I believe the church should be about BELONGING to a community of faith that prays and worships the Lord.

I believe the church should be about BECOMING faithful followers of Jesus that is about learning, serving and having relationships with others. And I believe the church should be about BELIEVING Jesus is Lord and Savior and God’s GIFT of GRACE & LOVE to ALL.

We end the chapter about values, and begin another on the great GIFT God has given. The pages in the book continue to be turned, and God continues to bless us greatly.

See You Out on the Road