Sermon: Why Be Generous?
Scripture Text: Genesis 3:1-24 and Luke 19:1-10
Quotes for Reflection:
Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods
Money cannot save you from tragedy, or give you control in a chaotic world. Only God can do that. What break the power of money over us is not just redoubled effort to follow the example of Christ. Rather, it is deepening your understanding of the salvation of Christ, what you have in him, and then living out the changes that that understanding makes in your heart-the seat of your mind, will, and emotions.
Kim King, When Women Give
We were made to give. Scripture tells us that God made men and women in his image (Genesis 1:26-27), so we were made to love. We were made to enjoy what our Creator enjoys. We were also made to act with authority and responsibility toward all God has created on earth and entrusted to us. We share this responsibility with each other and with God.
Basil of Caesarea, In Time of Great Famine and Drought, 4th century
Preserve gratitude like a precious deposit within your soul, and from it you will receive a double portion of delight.
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
If what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom from anxiety. This is the inward reality of simplicity. However, if what we have we believe we have gotten, and if what we have we believe we must hold onto, and if what we have is not available to others, then we will live in anxiety.
John Cortines & Gregory Baumer, True Riches
What is deeply within my heart, underneath my financial behaviors? If our hearts are full of gratitude for who God is and what he has given us, then we’re poised to experience the joy of God with our money. If our hearts are full of pride at what we can experience or accomplish, we’re on a road that tragically leads away from the true riches of life with God.
Application Questions:
1. Made in God’s image, we are created for generosity. What impact does this have for you personally?
2. Among the barriers to generosity noted in the sermon, what’s most challenging for you?
3. The gospel moves us from pride to gratitude. How can that change your relationship with money?