The Joy of Generosity

If you have your Bibles, turn with me this morning to Luke chapter 21, and I want to preach this morning on the joy of generosity.

Luke 21 · chapter mention

And you would imagine that this is tied to what we're doing this morning, and it is, but I want to tell you it's not just about what we're doing this morning.

I want to talk to you not just about what we're going to be pledging and giving, committing in just a few minutes, but about a lifestyle of generosity.

So I hope you'll keep that in mind as I preach the message this morning.

I want to say one thing about this commitment time, too, that we're going to make here in just a few moments.

I want to be real clear about this, and I know that church leadership will agree this wholeheartedly.

We know that some of you have been negatively impacted by this COVID virus over the last year and a half, nearly two years now.

And so as a result of that, some of you have had a loss of income.

Some of you have had additional expenses that you haven't had in the past.

And I know that for some of you, it's going to be impossible to participate, and we want you to understand that's okay.

We understand that completely.

I don't want anybody here to do anything they don't feel comfortable doing, anything that you know that you can't do.

We don't want you to feel like a second-class citizen for not being able to do that either.

We're glad to have you as a part of First Baptist Church of Pickens, and you just give as God leads and enables you to be able to give.

So if you have your Bibles, turn with us to Luke chapter 21, and let me just tell you about the message.

Luke 21 · chapter mention

It's going to be short in explanation.

Usually they're longer in explanation, shorter in application.

This one's going to be shorter in explanation, longer in application, but it's not going to be long, okay?

I'm going to preach a relatively short message this morning for me, okay?

So some of you are saying, well, okay, that's still about 50 minutes, right?

No, I promise it'll be shorter than that.

We've got four verses we're going to look at, and I'm going to explain those, and then we're going to go back,

and we're going to look at three points that I want you to see about the generosity, three principles of generosity.

So with that said, let's jump right in, Luke chapter 21 and verse 1.

Luke 21 · chapter mention

He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury.

Now, if you think about it, and you may never have thought about this before,

but that's kind of an odd thing to see Jesus do, because in Matthew chapter 6,

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Jesus makes it real clear when you give, how you do to give.

You're to give in secret.

Don't let anybody know what you're doing.

Don't let your left hand know what your right hand's doing, right?

So it seems a little bit peculiar that Jesus has come into the temple area,

and he's in this room where they gave their offerings, the treasury room,

and there are trumpets on the wall.

Now, when you think about a trumpet like in our orchestra at times, that's what I'm talking about.

It wasn't an actual playing trumpet, but it was an instrument that looked something like a trumpet,

and it was attached to the wall, and people would go over, and they would put their offerings into this trumpet.

Now, keep in mind, paper currency didn't come around until about the 10th century through the Chinese,

and so at this point in time, everything's coinage.

Coins were silver and gold and other metals, and obviously the silver and gold were most valuable,

and the larger the coin, obviously the greater the value.

Well, Jesus watches, and that's what's kind of odd about it because he's actually watching them.

Have you ever reached in your wallet to put out money to put an offering plate,

and somebody from the pew behind you leans over and says, hmm, that's a 20?

You'd be kind of offended by that, right?

I mean, you'd say, well, wait a second, man.

This is my own business.

Don't watch me give.

But Jesus just kind of takes position here in the room, and he's watching,

and all these wealthy people are coming through, and they're putting their coins into this trumpet.

Well, because it's metal, and the coinage is metal, guess what?

It makes quite a racket, right, as you would expect.

So they're putting their offerings in, there's a lot of clanging going on,

and Jesus is just watching one, another, another, another, another,

and these people drop their money in their offering.

Well, look at verse 2.

He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.

The scholars tell us those coins were likely what we know today as a lepta.

It was a tiny little, almost weightless coin.

I had some replicas of those several years ago, gave them away to somebody,

but they call them widow's mites.

You've heard that expression.

It was just a tiny, tiny coin.

It was the least valuable of all the coins that the Greeks used, okay?

If you took those two coins that I had and you had dropped them on this floor,

those of you only on the front would hear it, and then only faintly,

and those of you in the back would never know it.

They were just light, almost as a feather, much less weight than even a penny.

So verse 2 says,

He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.

Verse 3.

I tell you the truth, he said,

This poor widow has put in more than all of them.

Now here's the picture.

Jesus is standing there watching.

We don't know what the disciples are doing.

They're milling around,

and he's watching these rich people put in their coins,

hearing all this clan,

and then here comes this widow,

and she's got two little leptus in her hand,

and she drops them in there,

and you don't hear anything.

And Jesus just suddenly just stops and says,

Guys, get over here.

And they all come to Jesus,

and he says,

Hey, you see these rich guys going there?

Yeah.

You see that little widow right there?

Mm-hmm.

She just put in more than all those guys together.

Wow.

I mean, Jesus notes what she gives and comments on it.

Now, those disciples,

if they're like us,

you know what they're thinking?

He needs to go to Costco and get a hearing test.

I mean,

did you hear all that clanging and banging

when they emptied those bags of money into the trumpets?

And I don't know what she gave,

but it couldn't be much.

Just look at how she's dressed.

She didn't have much,

but he says she's given more than all of them.

Now, I want to tell you something.

Simple little story.

Four verses.

We're getting ready to see the fourth verse.

You don't have to be a theologian.

Never had to be at seminary a day in your life.

In fact,

if we've got a sixth grade boy or girl here,

they can come and read this next verse,

and they can tell you as well as I can

what Jesus meant.

Look at verse four.

For all these people have put in gifts

out of their surplus,

out of their plenty.

But she, out of her poverty,

has put in all she had to live on.

They've given maybe lots and lots of money.

She's given just something that's virtually worthless.

And he says she's given more.

He's not talking obviously about dollars and cents.

Jesus has a different way of looking at things

than how we typically look at things.

He's not concerned about how many zeros

are at the end of her gift.

Jesus says,

I want to tell you something.

She put in more than all

because they gave out of their abundance,

out of their wealth.

She has given out of her poverty.

And here's the startling thing.

Everything she had to live on.

When you look at her,

we use that expression,

I'm broke.

She really is.

Most of the time when we say it,

we don't really mean that.

We've got stuff back at the house, right?

But she has given everything she had

going forward to live on.

I want to share with you three principles

about generosity.

And I hope you'll listen carefully.

The first is this.

The truest measure of generosity

is not what you give,

but what you keep for yourself.

The truest measure of generosity

is not what you give,

but what you keep for yourself.

The wealthier had given more,

but they had plenty left over.

They gave out of their surplus,

but she gave out of her poverty.

Now, I want to be real clear about this,

and I don't want you to miss this

because I think sometimes

when we talk about generosity,

we skip where we miss this.

What those guys did,

Jesus is not condemning.

Jesus is not saying one thing negative

about what those wealthy people did.

In fact, it was commendable.

I want to say to you,

all giving is good

because they're taking that which is theirs,

no one's forcing them to,

and they're giving it away to someone else.

So all giving is good,

and I'm guessing everyone in this building,

without exception,

has at some point,

it's hard for me to fathom

that anyone in this room

has not ever given something away.

That's always a good thing,

but some of you know what it is to be generous,

and generous is even a better thing.

The book of Proverbs repeatedly

commends people for their generosity.

Jesus speaks a number of times

about being generous.

Jesus tells his own disciples,

freely you have received,

freely give.

The Bible again and again commends generosity,

but I want to tell you something.

No one modeled it better than Jesus.

No one who has ever lived.

He's the absolute epitome

and picture of what it is to be generous.

He never owned a home.

He never owned a means of transportation

that we know.

He's always borrowing a donkey, right?

He owned absolutely nothing.

He lived day to day to day trusting God,

and at the end,

he gives everything.

He spills his blood

that humanity might have eternal life.

You know what's always kind of bugged me

when you think about generosity?

The media will find some athlete,

some actor,

some politician,

some leader in business

who makes kazillions of dollars,

literally millions and millions

and millions of dollars,

sometimes even pointing out

they're billionaires,

and they give $100,000,

they give $200,000,

they even give a million dollars,

and they say,

boy,

what a generous,

generous contribution.

Well,

that's a good thing.

I'm not saying anything bad

about those who make those donations.

It's a good thing,

but generous,

not hardly.

It's not,

it's not what you give,

it's what you got left over

that determines if a gift

is really,

really,

a generous gift.

I want to show you a picture

so you'll know,

you'll leave knowing

exactly what generous looks like.

In my first church out of Seminary,

I'm 25 years old,

I go to be pastor

of Western Avenue Baptist Church

in Statesville,

North Carolina.

I immediately meet

this older couple,

they're in their late 60s,

their names are Clyde

and Eula Neighbors.

We all called him Drag.

Don't ask me why,

I never knew why.

But his name was Drag Neighbors.

Wonderful old fella,

wonderful,

wonderful gal in Eula.

She became like a grandmother to me.

He died about two years

after I got there.

She was still living when I left,

but she died later in her 80s.

They lived about six blocks south

of the church.

They walked to church

on Sunday morning,

on Sunday night,

on Tuesday evening for visitation,

on Wednesday evening

for prayer meeting.

Any other meetings going up

to the church,

they walked that six blocks

to the church.

They walked about a half a mile

to the grocery store and back

anytime they went

to the grocery store.

He walked about a half a mile

to work at J.C. Steel

where he labored

for years and years and years.

They walked a mile to town

in Statesville

to do all their shopping.

Everywhere they went

unless someone stopped

and gave them a ride,

which was seldom,

they walked.

When I went there

and he's about seven years old,

they're still walking.

I'm told that someone

asked Drag Neighbors one day,

Mr. Neighbors,

you work at J.C. Steel.

It's a steel foundry

there in Statesville,

not far from the church,

Cross Street,

in fact, from the church.

And they said,

why is it you never owned a car?

All these other guys

at the foundry own cars.

They pay good wages.

Everybody has a car.

Why don't you have a car?

And they said that Drag

just tried to blow them off,

wouldn't say anything.

They kept pressing,

kept pressing,

and finally,

you know what Drag Neighbors,

told them?

He says,

I don't have a car

because me and you

had decided years ago

if we owned a car,

we couldn't give as much

to missions.

Can I tell you

that our secretary told me

that beginning January 1

and all through the year,

we received money from them

for a Lottie Moon Christmas offering

from January through December.

Drag died

about two years

after I'd been there.

years passed.

We relocate the church

on the other side of town.

I made a pledge

to those senior adults

who lived on the south side

of Statesville.

We'll not abandon you.

We'll come back

and pick you up

and give you transportation

to the new location.

Bought a van

to transport them.

Ran every service we had.

On Sunday nights,

oftentimes,

after I'd preached that day,

I would relax

by taking those ladies home.

So, one night,

I get on the van

with these ladies,

about six, seven, eight ladies.

I'm carrying them

to the south Statesville.

That morning,

I have announced

to the church

we've got an opportunity

to buy 10 more acres of land.

It's going to cost us

$100,000.

In about two or three weeks,

we're going to have a big Sunday

like you're having today,

and we'll take an offering.

We'll see if we can gather

that $100,000

in a single Sunday offering.

Well, I get on the van.

I take the ladies home.

I've dropped off two or three.

Miss Yule is still in the van.

Still two or three

other ladies on the van.

She says to me,

Pastor,

we're pulling up to her house

on Fifth Street.

She says,

Pastor,

when we get to my house,

I've been a little wobbly lately.

She's never been wobbly.

She says,

I'm a little wobbly lately.

Would you walk with me

up to the door?

So, I know

she's got something

she wants to say.

I stop the van,

get out,

open the door,

let her out.

She holds Marm.

I walk her up

to the front door.

She fumbles for her keys

and then as she's opening

the door,

she looks at me

and says,

I heard what you said

this morning

about that land

and I want to help you.

I said,

well,

that's great.

She says,

in my house,

I've got a shoe box

there in my closet.

I saw a pair of shoes.

She calls the name

of a store

in Statesville

on Broad Street.

She says,

I've seen a pair of shoes

up there.

I've been saving for it.

I've got $56.

You wait right here.

I'm going to get

that $56.

Boy,

tears

is being streamed

down my face.

I said,

Miss Sheila,

I don't want you

to do that.

I said,

you need those shoes

way worse than we need

that $56.

You just keep that money.

It'll be okay.

Big tears now

streamed down her face

and she says,

I want to get that money

and she goes inside

and gets it

and comes back

and hands me $56.

She says,

don't let any of them

women on this bus

know what I did.

That's a picture

of generosity.

Do you know that?

It's not that athlete

who gives $100,000

when he's making

$20 million a year.

That's a picture

of generosity.

Second thing

I want you to see

is this.

Generosity

is never about

giving what is expected

of you.

It is about giving

what no one

would suspect

you'd ever do.

Generosity

is not about

just reasoning

and thinking,

okay,

what can I afford

to give

and here's

what I should give

and here's

my fair share.

Generosity

is when you say,

you know what?

Let's just do

what I don't say

I'm going to be able

to do.

Let's just

blow folks' minds.

Let's just blow

our minds.

That kind of giving

is fun.

Let me prove it to you

and I'm going

to prove it to you.

How many of you

have carried

your wife out

for a real nice meal?

It's a special occasion

or maybe you've done

something boneheaded

and you want to make

up for it,

you know?

And so you carry

your wife out

for a real fancy meal.

You go to somewhere

like the Peddler

or somewhere

close by

in the Easley

or Pickens.

It's a real fancy place

and you go in

and I'm going

to make it

probably less

than what you paid

but let's say

for the sake of argument

you paid $50

for the meal,

okay?

They bring you

your bill.

Well,

what are you going

to do?

You're going

to leave

about a $10 tip,

20%.

You're going

to feel okay

about that

but I'll tell you

something.

You put that

on your credit card

and you pull out

an extra $10

and you pay

the bill

and when you walk

out of that restaurant

you don't ever

think about it again.

Am I right?

No biggie.

It's what is expected.

20%

here's my $10,

$50 meal.

Okay,

I'm good to go

but watch this.

The next morning

you get up,

you're heading

on your way

to the office

and you didn't

have time

for breakfast

so you pull

into your favorite

little diner

cafe

and that waitress

who waits on you

all the time

she's there

and she takes

your order

and all you want

is coffee

but you notice

it's taking

an unusual amount

of time

because there are

very few working

that day

and some of the

customers are getting

kind of unruly

and impatient

and they're

dogging it

where are my eggs

and where are my grits

and where's my bacon

and you didn't do

this right,

you toasted

the wrong piece

of toast

and that kind of stuff

you know.

Giving her a hard time

and you watch that

and so when she

brings your coffee

you drink your coffee

and you get up

to pay the bill

and it's only two bucks

but this time

you pay 500%

in tip.

You reach in your pocket

and you leave

a $10 bill

the same $10 bill

you left the night

before at the peddler

but this time

you leave a $10 bill

on the table

for her tip

and then you go

pay the $2

at the cash register.

Can I tell you something?

You will think

about that $10

all day long.

It's not that you'll

regret giving the $10

you'll just think

boy I hope that

made her day

right?

I mean you'll look back

as you're going out

the door to see

did she get that $10

I want to make sure

she got that $10.

You'll feel good

about it.

You can't wait

to see her

the next time

you go in that restaurant

because you know

you've been generous

right?

Generous isn't doing

what you're expected

to do

it's about doing

what nobody

would expect you to do.

Here's the final

third thing

and I close the message.

I believe

great generosity

is motivated

more often than not

not always

but more often than not

by three things.

I'm going to tell you

what those three things are.

First of all

by love.

Love is the best

motivator

for giving

that I know of.

You know how I know that?

you are most generous

with the people

you love the most.

Your wife

your husband

your children

your grandchildren

can I tell you something?

I am generous

to a fault

when it comes

to any of them.

I'm an easy touch

right?

They know

they ask me for it

if I can do it

I'm going to help them.

I'm not going to spoil them

but I'm going to tell you something

I'm going to do everything

I can to give them

everything they need

and much of what they want

because I love them.

You ask me

why did this

woman

put in the last thing

she had to live on?

I believe this

first and foremost

she loved God.

Why is she at the temple?

She's at the temple

because she loves God.

Why is she at the temple?

She's there to worship

because she loves God.

Why is she at the temple?

She's there to pray

because she loves God.

She passes these

trumpets

and thinks

you know what

I've got two

left

there's not much

but I want to give it

to God

and motivated by love

she does

what she does.

Many of you

in this room

have been motivated

by love

at one time or another

to give

and I want to tell you something

every time you do

it's a great feeling

isn't it?

You remember that special gift

you got your wife?

That special gift

you couldn't wait

to give it to them?

That special gift

you got your grandchild?

For those of you

who are grandparents

I'll throw this in

for absolutely free

this morning

I went online

about six months ago

I guess it was

wasn't it Regina?

And I found this little box

it's about this high

and about this wide

and it's a truck inside it

I can't

you remember the name

of that truck?

It's something like

a monster truck

or something right?

And you turn this key

and the box goes

to shaking right?

It's the craziest thing

you've ever seen

in your life

it cost me about

50 bucks

but I'm going to tell you

it was worth

every penny of it

to watch him turn that key

because that box

it talks to you

and it moves

back and forth

back and forth

until finally

the box explodes

and this truck

comes running out

if you want a good gift

for your three year old

grandchild

now that's the gift

I'm just telling you

right?

You do it

because you love them

Second reason

you give

is because

of faith

she gave out

of her poverty

everything she had

to live on

let me ask you

do you think

for a minute

she thought

well I guess

this is it

I'm going to die today

I'm giving away

everything I've got

to eat on

here's the two leaps

no

she gave that

because she loved God

and she had this mentality

God is always

taking care of me

I don't know

where the next meal

is coming from

but he's always

provided one

and so if he takes

care of me

in the past

he'll take care of me

it's not prosperity

preaching

listen

prosperity preaching

says this

if you give

I promise you

God is going to

cause the Wells Fargo

truck to pull up

in front of your house

that's not so

she didn't think that

she didn't give

with that in mind

she just gave

thinking this

God's always been good

God's always provided

I'm a person of faith

don't know how

he's going to do it

but he's going to

take care of me

now listen to me

if I ask you

how many of you

in this room

believe that

about yourself

the vast

vast

vast majority

if not unanimously

everyone in this room

would raise their hand

but I want to tell you

something

the evidence

says

otherwise

I have never

in my life

and I'm 69 years old

witnessed a day

and a time

and I'm not talking

about with believers

only

I'm talking about

with believers

non-believers

across the board

I have never

seen a time

in my lifetime

where people

thought they had

to insulate themselves

and protect themselves

so much

with their

stuff

I call it

we have

more

stuff

than we know

what to do with

and we dare not

give that stuff away

or throw it away

because

it makes us

feel safe

to have all

our

stuff

you know

what I'm saying

right through

one of these

neighborhoods

where the houses

are pretty close

together

in Greer

we got them

everywhere

and

they have

for the most part

two car garages

but you'll see

two and three cars

parked out

in front of that

house at night

you know why

because they can't

get them in the

garage

you know why

they can't get

them in the

garage

because they

got their

say it with

me

stuff

their stuff

is filled

the garage

right

you walk

in

if you just

rudely

walked over

and said

hey what's

in this

closet

open the

closet

you'd get

killed

right

it'd fall

out on top

of you

I mean

it's just

packed with

say it with

me

stuff

big question

for you

you do

know don't

you that

you're going

to die

one day

every one

of us

in this

room

unless the

Lord

come

we're

going

to die

I want

to tell you

something

when you

die

big question

what are they

going to do

with your

stuff

I'm going to

tell you

right now

I'm going to

put your mind

at ease

or horrify

you one

they're going

to throw it

away

they're going

to get rid

of it

they may sell

some of it

the valuable

stuff but most

of it

they're going

to pay

somebody to

come in

with a

truck and

load it

up and

haul it

off so

they can

sell your

house

they don't

want your

stuff

here's how

I know

they don't

want your

stuff

you go

visit your

kids

you don't

want their

stuff

right

you walk

in you see

their stuff

and you say

hmm why

did they buy

that stuff

man why

didn't they

buy furniture

like we

buy

they come

to your

house and

you think

man this

is great

stuff here

we got

they don't

see it

that way

they want

something

utilitarian

they want

something gray

right

they want

something

that don't

have all

them flowers

on it

they want

their stuff

they got

their taste

they want

their stuff

they don't

want your

stuff

and you

don't want

their stuff

so what's

going to

happen is

they're going

to give

all your

stuff away

now you

worked hard

for that

stuff

and you've

been protecting

it all

these years

apparently

right

you didn't

want to

throw it

away

you didn't

want to

throw it

out

so you

must think

it's a

value

but the

truth is

one day

it's going

to all

be gone

so here's

the big

deal

why don't

you give

it away

if somebody's

going to

have the

pleasure

of giving

it away

giving it

to goodwill

or giving

it to

some

ministry

or giving

it to

somebody

in need

somebody's

house burns

or selling

the stuff

and donating

that money

to somebody

or selling

the stuff

and going

on a

vacation

or buying

your wife

a fancy

ring

or something

but why

just keep

collecting stuff

you know why

because we're

fearful

unlike that

lady

that we

won't make

it to the

end unless

we keep

our stuff

you see

that

that's a

lack of

faith

how many

of you

I don't know

about Pickens

but over in

Greer where I

live you can't

go a mile

and not see a

storage facility

we got a real

fancy one now

across from

Riverside High

School

and it's got

we've got air

conditioned storage

for your

stuff

I don't know

what they put

in there

popsicles

ice creams

or what

but

you need

to keep

it cool

you can

keep it

cool

in that

storage

facility

right

and so

folks pay

lots and

lots and

lots of

money

to store

their stuff

and then

they never

go get it

and they

never use

it

so I'm

asking you

why don't

you think

about today

if you don't

get anything

else out of

this message

go home

and throw

away some

stuff

right

just call

somebody

hey you

know what

I noticed

you could

use this

why don't

you come

get this

sell that

stuff and

give it

the money

to some

charity

well here's

the third

thing I want

to say to

you and I

close the

message

there's a

third reason

for giving

love

faith

and the

third one

is joy

and if I

had the

privilege right

now of

changing the

screen

I would put

up additional

word

I didn't

think of

when I

sent Colton

the outline

selfish

joy

selfish

joy

and the

reason I'd

say selfish

joy is

because living

generously

is a hoot

I just want

to tell you

it's a real

real hoot

to live

generously

the scripture

even tells us

it will be

second

Corinthians

nine

seven

says this

each person

should do

as he has

decided in

his heart

not out of

regret

or out of

necessity

you ever

done that

you ever

looked in

your wallet

they take

one of

those quickie

offerings

you didn't

know was

coming

you look

in your

offering

in your

billfold

and there's

a twenty

and you're

hoping there

were some

ones

yeah that's

what he's

talking about

not out of

regret

or out of

necessity

for God

loves a

cheerful

giver

that word

literally

means this

hilarious

has there

ever been

occasion

when you

pass the

play here

and they

couldn't go

on with

singing

because people

were just

laughing so

hard

I heard

you a hundred

dollars

pass it

on

that's how

it ought to

be

now I'm

gonna tell you

something

you have been

like that

when I gave

that little

truck to my

grandson

I was way

more excited

about it than

he was

I mean I

got my

camera

all right son

keep pushing

that box

do what it

tells you

that thing's

gonna bust

out of here

in a minute

it's gonna

be great

right

when you

give

generously

out of love

and faith

I'm telling

you it's

always a

hoot

there's

always

great

great

joy

I close

by telling

you this

there are a

lot of

folk I

know

who are

hundred

heirs

and thousand

heirs

and have a

lot more

fun with

their money

than a lot

of people

who are

millionaires

do you know

that

a lot

of people

who are

thousand

years

have a

lot more

fun with

their money

than

millionaires

do

because

they're

just

keeping

it all

not all

of them

a lot

of them

are very

very generous

people

but there

are some

out there

who are

doing that

I close

with this

story

Francis Chan

is my

favorite preacher

in the world

he's a little

Chinese guy

he was on

the west

coast

he's now

overseas

in Asia

he

he's got

about as

good attitude

toward money

and things

as anybody

I know

he gives

this illustration

he's standing

on this car

lot

and there's

a fancy

fancy sports

car right

here right

and Francis

says

because he

sells books

by the

millions

he could

just buy

anything

he wanted

but

everything

he gets

he gives

away

and Francis

says

I could

drive this

fancy sports

car here

and there's

nothing wrong

by the way

with having

a fancy

sports car

if you

want to

give me

one I'll

take it

nothing

wrong

with that

he says

I could

have this

sports car

but I

don't have

it

and he

walks

and here's

another one

and another

one

and another

one

and another

one

and he

says

I don't

drive

any of

these

but the

truth is

if I'm

if I'm

being honest

with you

I could

afford to

drive

any one

of these

I want

but he

keeps going

down to

the end

of the row

and here

sits

I don't

remember

what it

was

but it

was like

a Honda

or a

Toyota

something like

most of us

drive

and he

said

this is

what I

drive

and you

know why

I do

that

I do

it

out of

selfishness

he said

here's why

he said

if I buy

this fancy

car down

here

and I

pull it

in your

parking

lot

and somebody

scrapes

my door

I am

ticked

and he

said

if I

go down

the road

and somebody

hits me

I am

just

my day's

ruined

or the

first time

he gets

scratched

or even

after a

while I

just get

bored

with it

because we

all know

this

right

we're

all

going

to get

bored

with the

car

sooner

or later

and he

says

so I

have great

joy for

a while

but it

just goes

away

but he

says I

have learned

I can

take the

fifty thousand

dollars I

save in

buying that

car and

not buying

this car

and because

of the

economy the

way it is

I can take

that fifty

thousand and

send it to

Africa and

I can build

an orphanage

that will

house ten

to fifteen

children

and he

said and

every time

I get to

go there

or every

time they

send me

photographs

and I

see the

pictures of

those little

kids not

just this

year but

next year and

the next

decade and

the next

decade and

the next

decade every

time I get

those pictures

he said it

just brings me

great great

great joy

and he

says so

I try to

give and

buy that

cheaper car

out of

selfishness

it brings me

more joy to

do that than

it would if I

had that

sports car

can I tell you

something you

don't believe

that probably

deep down in

your heart

but if you

ever did it

you'd find

out it's

right

it's right

the things in

life that

have brought

you the most

joy are not

those things

you own

it's those

things that

you give

away

I hope you'll

do well in

this offering

but I hope

even more

that you'll

adopt today

a lifestyle

of being

generous

do it with

your waitress

at lunch

today

do it with

your wife

today or

your husband

today or

your children

today or

your neighbor

or the guy

who works

with you

that person

who's having

a tough time

that you know

about

be generous

with it

not just

we a church

just adopt

a lifestyle

of generosity

let's pray

Lord

I pray

you'd move

on us

right now

what we're

to do

in this

service

about this

commitment

I pray

that no one

would feel

coerced

because we

don't need

that kind

of giving

and you

don't want

us to give

that way

but I pray

God that we

would be

motivated by

how well

you've

blessed us

and our

ability to

give

and our

spirit of

generosity

make us

joyful

generous

givers

is our

prayer in

your name

amen

thank you