Celebrating the freeing, supportive presence of God. So your experience of God may become your experience of life. It is wonderful what God can do!

December 5, 2004

LET GOD LEAD IN YOUR GENEROSITY

IT IS THAT SUNDAY THAT WE CONSIDER OUR GIVING TO GOD. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THAT EASY FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT THIS TOPIC. YET, IT IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.

IN THE GOSPELS OF MATTHEW, MARK AND LUKE, ONE OUT OF SIX VERSES DEALS WITH MONEY. OF THE 29 PARABLES CHRIST TOLD, 16 DEAL WITH A PERSON AND HIS MONEY.

SO IT WAS IMPORTANT TO JESUS FOR US TO CONSIDER THIS TOPIC.

YET, AS I WAS CONSIDERING PRAYERFULLY HOW TO APPROACH THIS TOPIC OF GIVING, I HAPPENED TO DRIVE BY A CHURCH ON WHICH THE MESSAGE ON THE OUTDOOR SIGN WAS "LET GOD LEAD IN YOUR GENEROSITY."

AND THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THAT SEEMED TO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO ME. LET GOD LEAD IN YOUR GENEROSITY.

FOR, TO BEGIN WITH, WE HAVE A GENEROUS GOD.

ISN'T THE SANCTUARY DECORATED BEAUTIFULLY THIS MORNING? MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GENEROUS WITH THEIR TIME AND RESOURCES TO HELP OUR SANCTUARY LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL.

OF COURSE, ON CHRISTMAS EVE WE WILL BE LIGHTING WHAT WE CALL OUR CHRISTMAS WINDOW, THE SAINTED GLASS WINDOW ABOVE THE CHOIR.

IT DEPICTS THE ANGEL PROCLAIMING TO THE SHEPHERDS, "I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY FOR ALL THE PEOPLE; TO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD."

SIMPLY PUT, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLY GENEROUS GOD, ONE WHO GAVE US HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.

I RECEIVED AN INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL E-MAIL THIS WEEK. THROUGH BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS, LIVE MUSIC AND POETRY IT DEPICTED HOW GOD'S GIFT OF GIVING ACCOMPANIES YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE. LET ME READ A FEW VERSES.

FROM GOD TO YOU.

"I WAS THERE ON THE DAY YOUR WERE BORN AND I GAVE YOU SPECIAL GIFTS TO LAST A LIFETIME.

I SAW YOU OFF ON YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND I LINGERED BY YOU SIDE THE WHOLE DAY.

I WAS THERE EVERY DAY ALL THROUGH THE YEARS AND I ALWAYS STRIVED TO GIVE YOU DIRECTION.

AND I WILL BE THERE IN THE END TO GIVE YOU COMFORT AND TO SEE YOU SAFELY HOME WHERE YOU'LL SIT BESIDE ME IN ALL THE GLORY OF HEAVEN. LOVE, GOD.

SO, AGAIN, SIMPLY, WE WORSHIP A GENEROUS GOD, GENEROUS BEYOND OUR IMAGINATION.

YET, AS GENEROUS AS GOD IS, IT IS NOT OFTEN EASY FOR US TO BE GENEROUS ESPECIALLY WITH OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES.

A MOTHER WANTED TO TEACH HER DAUGHTER A MORAL LESSON. SHE GAVE THE LITTLE GIRL A QUARTER AND A DOLLAR "WHICHEVER ONE YOU WANT IN THE COLLECTION PLATE AND KEEP THE OTHER FOR YOURSELF." SHE TOLD THE GIRL. WHEN THEY WERE COMING OUT OF THE CHURCH, THE MOTHER ASKED HER DAUGHTER WHICH AMOUNT SHE HAD GIVEN. "WELL," SAID THE LITTLE GIRL, I WAS GOING TO GIVE THE DOLLAR, BUT JUST BEFORE THE COLLECTION THE MAN IN THE PULPIT SAID THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE CHEERFUL GIVERS. I KNEW I'D BE A LOT MORE CHEERFUL IF I GAVE THE QUARTER, SO I DID."

IT IS NOT EASY TO GIVE AWAY SOMETHING THAT SEEMS SO REAL IN OUR HANDS.

OR PERHAPS YOU HAVE HEARD THE ONE ABOUT A LESS PAINLESS WAY TO GIVE.

THERE WAS A MINISTER WHO TOLD EVERYONE TO STAND DURING THE OFFERTORY AT WHICH TIME HE INSTRUCTED EVERYONE TO REACH FORWARD TO THE PERSON STANDING IN FRONT OF THEM AND GET HIS OR HER POCKETBOOK. THEN HE ADDED, "NOW OPEN THAT POCKETBOOK AND GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO, BUT FELT YOU COULDN'T AFFORD."

PERHAPS IT IS EASIER TO GIVE AWAY SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY RATHER THAN OUR OWN.

YET, WITHOUT JESUS IN THE SCRIPTURES HAVING LIFTED UP THE USE OF OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES SO MANY TIMES, WE KNOW ALREADY THAT AGAIN IT IS NOT THAT EASY TO BE GENEROUS WITH OUR MONEY.

ON THE OTHER HAND, PAUL IN II CORINTHIANS REMINDS US THAT THERE ARE REWARDS FOR BEING GENEROUS.

(READ VERSES 6 - 11)

"THE POINT IS THIS: THE ONE WHO SOWS SPARINGLY WILL ALSO REAP SPARINGLY, AND THE ONE WHO SEWS BOUNTIFULLY WILL ALSO REAP BOUNTIFULLY. EACH OF YOU MUST GIVE AS YOU HAVE MADE UP YOUR MIND, NOT RELUCTANTLY OR UNDER COMPULSION, FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. AND GOD IS ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH EVERY BLESSING IN ABUNDANCE, SO THAT BY ALWAYS HAVING ENOUGH OF EVERYTHING, YOU MAY SHARE ABUNDANTLY IN EVERY GOOD WORK. AS IT IS WRITTEN, 'HE SCATTERS ABROAD, HE GIVES TO THE POOR; HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.'

HE WHO SUPPLIES SEED TO THE SOWER AND BREAD FOR FOOD WILL SUPPLY AND MULTIPLY YOUR SEED FOR SOWING AND INCREASE THE HARVEST OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. YOU WILL BE ENRICHED IN EVERY WAY FOR YOUR GREAT GENEROSITY, WHICH WILL PRODUCE THANKSGIVING TO GOD.. ."

THERE WERE ONCE TWO YOUNG MEN WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH LELAND STANFORD UNIVERSITY. THEIR FUNDS GOT DESPERATELY LOW, AND THE IDEA CAME TO ONE OF THEM TO ENGAGE PADREWSKI FOR A PIANO RECITAL AND DEVOTE THE PROFITS TO THEIR BOARD AND TUITION. THE GREAT PIANIST'S MANAGER ASKED FOR A GUARANTEE OF TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE STUDENTS, UNDAUNTED, PROCEEDED TO STAGE THE CONCERT. THEY WORKED HARD, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE CONCERT HAD RAISED ONLY SIXTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS. AFTER THE CONCERT, THE STUDENTS SOUGHT THE GREAT ARTIST AND TOLD HIM OF THEIR EFFORTS AND RESULTS. THEY GAVE HIM THE ENTIRE SIXTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS, AND ACCOMPANIED IT WITH A PROMISSORY NOTE FOR FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS EXPLAINING THEY WOULD EARN THE AMOUNT AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE MOMENT AND SEND THE MONEY TO HIM. "NO," REPLIED PADEREWSKI, "THAT WON'T DO." THEN TEARING THE NOTE TO SHREDS, HE RETURNED THE MONEY AND SAID TO THEM; "NOW TAKE OUT OF THIS SIXTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS ALL OF YOUR EXPENSES, AND KEEP FOR EACH OF YOU 10 PERCENT OF THE BALANCE FOR YOUR WORK AND LET ME HAVE THE REST."

THE YEARS ROLLED BY--YEARS OF FORTUNE AND DESTINY. PADEREWSKI HAD BECOME PREMIER OF POLAND. THE DEVASTATING WORLD WAR II CAME, AND PADEREWSKI WAS STRIVING WITH MIGHT AND MAIN TO FEED THE STARVING THOUSANDS OF HIS BELOVED POLAND. THERE WAS ONLY ONE MAN IN THE WORLD WHO COULD HELP PADEREWSKI AND HIS PEOPLE. THOUSANDS OF TONS OF FOOD BEGAN TO COME TO POLAND FOR DISTRIBUTION BY THE POLISH PREMIER.

AFTER THE STARVING PEOPLE WERE FED, PADEREWSKI JOURNEYED TO PARIS TO THANK HERBERT HOVER FOR THE RELIEF SENT TO HIM.

"THAT'S ALL RIGHT, MR. PADEREWSKI," WAS MR. HOOVER'S REPLY. "BESIDES, YOU DON'T REMEMBER IT, BUT YOU HELPED ME ONCE WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AT COLLEGE AND I WAS IN A HOLE."

AGAIN, VERSE 11 FROM 11 CORINTHIANS, "YOU WILL BE ENRICHED IN EVERY WAY FOR YOUR GREAT GENEROSITY."

SO, YOUR CHOICE FOR TODAY? TO SEW SPARINGLY OR TO SEW BOUNTIFULLY.

MY SUGGESTION, AS DID PEDEREWSKI, LET GOD LEAD YOU IN YOUR GENEROSITY.

IF YOU DECIDE TO SEW GENEROUSLY, DOES GOD HAVE ANY GUIDELINES?

GOD'S GUIDELINES FOR GENEROSITY IS THE TITHE OR 10% OF OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES.

IT IS INTERESTING THAT IN GOD'S GUIDELINE FOR GIVING, IT IS GENEROSITY IN ITSELF. FOR GOD IS SAYING, KEEP 90%, RETURN JUST 10%.

YET, I KNOW THAT THE THOUGHT OF TITHING FOR MANY IN ITSELF IS A GREAT CHALLENGE.

SO, I INVITE YOU TO CONSIDER WHAT IS CALLED PROPORTIONAL GIVING. IF YOU ARE NOT GIVING TO GOD AND THE CHURCH AT THE PRESENT TIME, CONSIDER GIVING 1/2 OR 1% OR MORE.

IF YOU GIVING SAY 2%, CONSIDER GIVING 3% OR MORE.

IF YOU ARE GIVING 4%, CONSIDER GIVING 5%.

IN OTHER WORDS, TAKE A STEP TOWARD TITHING.

AND TO THOSE WHO ARE TITHING, CONSIDER TAKING ANOTHER STEP IN YOUR GIVING TOO. FOR YOU ALREADY UNDERSTAND MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE, THE BENEFITS OF GIVING.

WHATEVER YOU PRAYERFULLY DECIDE TODAY, I INVITE YOU TO LET GOD LEAD IN YOUR GENEROSITY.

I REMEMBER HEARING OUR BISHOP VIOLET FISHER SPEAK ABOUT GIVING. AMONG THE THINGS THAT SHE SAID, WAS THAT "YOU CANNOT OUT GIVE GOD." (REPEAT)

IN OTHER WORDS, THE MORE YOU GIVE, THE MORE GOD WILL GIVE TO YOU.

IN YOUR BEING GENEROUS TO OTHERS, YOU CAN'T OUTDO GOD'S GENEROSITY TO YOU.

LET US PRAY.

DEAR GOD,

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY WHICH CONSIDERING THE GIFT OF YOUR SON IS BEYOND MEASURE.

IN OUR PRAYERFUL CONSIDERATION, MAY GOD LEAD US IN OUR GENEROSITY.

AMEN.