Core Values 2023 - Week 3: Generosity

We'reing Core Values, wearing week three of our core values, and I want

to encourage you every time I get the opportunity to preach in the Core value

series, I want to encourage you that core values are not the things we

do. They're the building blocks of who we are. Our core We do

four things at Cornerstone, you know, the experience God, we walking freedom,

we find our place so that we can live with purpose. That's what

we do. These core values keep us on track. They tell us how

we should do those four things. And so I want to encourage you to

create values for yourself. So do we go through these every year around October

at Cornerstone because we want you to understand what makes Cornerstone special, what makes

it tick, what makes it work, how God has called us to operate.

But I want to encourage you to make them for yourself, make them

for your family, make them for your business. Listen, this is not

even really part of the message today. But if you will, if you

will put structure in place to operate around when you get into a hard situation,

you won't make the wrong decision. Here's what happens to us. We

don't put these things in place first then we get into the chaos, and

we give in to the chaos, right, and then we start to make

decisions that don't look like our character because we haven't laid the ground where we

don't have the structure. That's what core values do. So I want to

encourage you to think about that as we continue through this series the next couple

of weeks. How you can set yourself up for success by creating core values

that you'll always be able to stand upon personally and your family. Listen,

men, lead your family, make some core values. Listen, business owners

lead your business, lead your employees. Make some core values. Let's lead

the way and be who God's called us to be. I want to jump

right in now. We're in week three, Chiefs taking us through the first

to transparency. Joy. Anybody know what comes next? Generosity? Somebody's there,

somebody's ready, generosity. And I think it's interesting that I get to

teach or preacher on generosity today because I was telling a couple of people earlier

this morning, this is the hardest one for me. I'm pretty transparent,

but I can admit that to you right now that this is the hardest one

for me. That's transparency. I'm a pretty joyful person. I go through

the ebbs and flows of life just like anybody else, but I know where

my strength comes from. Connection. I mean, I just love connecting with

you guys, getting in groups. I'm passionate about that reaching. I mean,

we do all kinds of stuff to reach out and bring people close to

God, but generosity is the toughest one for me. Now. I believe

it's because it goes completely against the grain of who we are as human beings

before we meet Jesus. Let's read our description of generosity. You can find

this at any time. If you're ever curious about our core values see Stone

Church. You can go to about on the click the about section. It

will show you the core values and the four things if you ever need that

information. But here's what our description says generosity. We believe that the greatest

expression of our love and faith to God is extravagant displays of generosity. As

we live generous lives, God works through us in miraculous ways. It's very

very flower, very beautiful language. We put a lot there. We word

at that value intentionally, though, the if greatest expression of our love and

faith to God seems like an exaggeration. I want to show you how it's

not an exaggeration. Let's turn to John chapter thirteen. We're going to read

the words of Jesus to the disciples. In John chapter thirteen, starting in

verse thirty four, Jesus said, and a new commandment. I give to

you that you love one another, just as I have loved you. You

are also to love one another. By this, all people will know that

you are my disciples. If you have love for one another, you might

say, well, pastor Clay, that's about love. I thought we were

talking about generosity. Jesus doesn't mention generosity here, doesn't mention giving here,

doesn't mention money here. That's where our minds go. Let's track over to

First John chapter three, and our writer here spends a great amount of time.

If you get into First John, you'll notice it's just all about love.

He expounds on ag teaches us about love. But let's read First John

chapter three, starting in verse sixteen, John says this, By this we

know love. That he laid down his life for us, and we ought

to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's

goods, and he sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against

him. How does God's love abide in him? Little children? Let us

not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. John

ties the ultimate display of love, Christ giving himself, giving his life for

his people, giving his life to pay the penalty of sin that we could

never pay. We could never afford that price. And John ties that which

is the ultimate love right to helping those in need the most common display of

generosity. You see someone in need, and you provide what they need.

If I see someone hungry, I provide them a meal. If I see

someone hurting, I provide them comfort if I can so. The most extravagant

display in all of history, Jesus giving himself well for us. John says

that is just like this. When you see your brother in need, you

give to him and you help him. See the description of our core value

is not only adequate, but it's actually biblical, meaning that it lines up

with what God thinks. So generosity is not simply a cornerstone core value,

but it's actually a core tenet of the Christian faith. If you're a Christian,

you're not generous. I'm wondering if you're a Christian, y'all. I

don't want to hear that. Nobody really wants to hear that, but I

It's God's word, not mine. I think that's why we made it a

core value though, because again it goes right against the natural grain of who

we are. Listen, it is perfectly natural to look out for yourself over

everything else. That's perfect natural. It's perfectly normal. But did you know

that God has called his people to be beyond our natural tendencies, That you're

supposed to be more than the shackles of humanity, that you're called beyond that,

that natural self interest you're made for more than that. It takes some

work, though, because it is natural for us to want to preserve ourselves

overall else. So it takes a little work, work on our part and

work on God's part. But listen, God has never failed to do his

part. So if we're struggling in this area, if you're like me,

it means we got a little work to do ourselves. Let's look at a

particular situation in scripture. I want to I want to we established that groundwork,

but I want to talk about generosity and and and parson a little and

get a little deeper into it. I want to talk about the source of

generosity and I want to talk about what it accomplishes. Okay, so Part

one. I believe there are people who are naturally gifted in generosity. Some

people. Just have you met those people? They just every time you talk

to them, they're like, oh, oh, take this, you know,

Oh hey, I got this for you are and you may not have

seen I've had. I've had people like this I haven't seen in years.

And we reconnect and they're like, oh, man, I want you to

have this. There's no way you were thinking about that before. Now it's

just but now that we're together, it's just who you are. You have

to just give. I think some people are really gifted that way, but

we're not all gifted that way. For me, it's it takes a lot

of work for me to get there. But let's look at this particular scripture

in Second Corinthians chapter nine. You may know this one. This is one

we always go to when we talk about giving. Second Corinthians, Chapter nine.

Start in verse six, Paul writes, the point is this. I

love it when Paul writes that way, The point is this. You can't

miss it. Whoever so sparingly will also reaps, and whoever sows bountifully will

also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart,

not reluctantly, and not under compulsion. For God loves a tearful giver.

You know it. And God is able to make all grace abound to

you, so that having all sufficiency in all things, at all times,

you may abound in every good work. As it is written, he has

distributed freely, He has given 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. This is very

If you've been in church any amount of time, you've probably heard people talk

about this passage because we talk about cheerful giving. Let's really break down want

cheerful giving. I want you to I want you to let go of this

being a money sermon, because it's not a money sermon. Now it does

include that again, where your treasure is, your heart will be also,

this is not a money sermon. I want you to lift that off your

mind for a second. Paul's talking about a situation where the Corinthian Church,

the Christians in corinth they were supposed to give a gift. There were Christians

back in Jerusalem who needed help. They needed money, they needed they needed

a blessing to be able to continue to grow the church there in Jerusalem.

So Paul, being far away, being in another place, decided to make

that happen through other believers. Does this sound familiar? Sounds a lot like

Chief up here saying, Hey, there's a need in Honduras, Hey there's

a need in Israel. Hey there's a need in I need you to give.

I need you to be generous. So Paul's doing the same thing here,

and he's telling the Corinthian Church that they need to prepare their gift so

that we'll be able, that they will be able to give it cheerfully,

a need that they had agreed to give toward but had not yet given.

If you look back in the history of this a little bit more, there

was a previous occasion where they had promised to give and then backed up on

their word. Have you ever been in a similar situation. I think when

we commit to be generous, that's easy. Before you have to actually do

it. Oh yeah, you know, pastor, I'll give to that.

And then that bucket comes around. Oh oh yeah, yeah, uh,

you know, I'll be there and i'll help. I'll help with that event.

And then the day of comes and you didn't sleep well the night before.

Are you tracking with me? It's hard to be generous when the rubber

me the road. It's easy for us to agree to generosity, but when

we actually have to do it, many of us really struggle to follow through.

And the Corinthian Church was no different. So Paul writes this to encourage

them to give. He encourages the Corinthians to put the money where their mouth

is, and then he gives them the reasons why God's people should be generous

because God is generous. And not only is he generous church, but he's

also well equipped to keep being generous because he owns it all. So if

God has everything and has given us everything, what do we have to lose

by being generous? Our supply is unlimited. If we look at Philippians Chapter

four, verse nineteen, that's a familiar one. God is able to supply

according to his riches in glory. That's an unlimited supply and you are His

people, so you have access to that. I mean, we have no

excuse if we return to our earlier text in John and First John, we

see the motivation that we need because our motivation ought to be love. Our

generosity is predicated on the gift that God has already given us. Listen,

if you give expecting a return, it's no longer generosity. That's a transaction.

I go I hesitate to even use a fast food example, because that's

all y'all remember afterward. But if I go in, I purchase something,

I know the price, I give the money, and I get the item.

It's a transaction. I'm not being generous and they're not being generous.

We agreed to that on both sides. Is you giving without expecting anything in

return? Listen, if you're tweeting, if you take notes, if you

do any of those things, I want you to write this down. Generous

people look back on what they've been given for their motivation. Greedy people look

ahead at what they can get. It's an important distinction because we naturally want

to look ahead. Hey, if I do this, I'm gonna get that

you everything you could ever ask for. So be generous, as he is

generous, so then we could say generosity it stems directly from gratitude, because

if you know what you've been given, if you know the price that Jesus

paid, if you know all that God has done up to this point to

get us right here, then you have all the motivation you need to pay

it forward. When we're thankful, when we understand that we've been graciously given

freedom and eternal life. When we understand that and we become grateful, that

thankfulness breaks that bond of greed. It changes the natural because it's supernatural.

God has done something beyond what we could ask or think, and now we

don't have to live greedy lives. We can live generously. Cheerful givers don't

have four smiles. I think we read this scripture and we think, okay,

well, when the buck comes by, I gotta be like, no

matter how that really feels, or how that looks, or how that affects

my life, I just smiling and grip my teeth through it. You can't

fake cheerfully giving. It comes from generosity. It comes from looking back at

what you've already been given, knowing God has done it before. He's more

than able, So I got to pay it forward, and it's the same

with your time. See, the cheerful giver is the prepared giver. The

cheerful giver is the thankful giver. They know who they are, they know

where they've come from, they know that what they've been given, and now

they can be generous. So that's enough motivation for me. I think when

if you start looking back, thanks be to God for his miraculous gift.

Paul says, if you understand that, you have all the motivation. But

now what does it do? Because it does do something just because we give

with no expectation of return. Listen, our Lord is good, he is

good, and he will give back if we do it with the right heart.

Let's look at the results of generosity. We're going to continue right there.

Tewod Corinthians, chapter nine, go to go to verse eleven. Paul

says, you will be enriched in every way for what to be generous in

every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry

of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but it

is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God by their approval of this service.

By the Christians in Jerusalem approving the service of the Corinthians, giving the gift.

They will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of

the Gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for

all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the

surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.

She Paul says, the Corinthians will be enriched in every way so that

they can be generous in every way. It's a promised church. It is

God who does the enriching. It is God who provides. So when we

trust in God, that begets enrichment. And when you're enriched, then you

can be generous. But it doesn't stop there. Generosity also produces thanksgiving to

God, which is our ultimate purpose. You were created for worship. You

were created to glorify your Father. So when you do this and you get

into this cycle of trusting God for everything, then He enriches your life and

then you pay it forward. That produces thanksgiving to God in your heart and

the person you're generous to and the people you're generous to and the place you're

generous to and then they give thanks, and then they start to trust in

God, and then they become enriched, and then they become generous, and

before you know it, the Kingdom of God has come and it's growing.

Generosity is not about you being able to make it. It's about growing the

kingdom and bringing glory to God. This cycle then can continue and continue.

And within the church we can see from Paul's writing, because he's writing within

the church Corinthians, they were Christians already, they were a church. Christians

in Jerusalem is established, it was a church. So within the church we

see that generosity builds faith. Anybody need their faith to be built up.

Why don't you step out in generosity and watch what God does. So within

the church it builds faith and that encourages more generosity. Outside the church.

It's a powerful witness because when you give extravagantly, when you give abundantly,

when you give out of knowing what you've been given, people see that and

if they don't know Christ, they go, what, why would you ever

be this generous? Because I know what I've been given, I know what

He saved me from, He gave me everything. Oh wow, I've never

really thought about it that way. Your generosity is a witness. Do we

think we need to knock on doors? And hey, you know, you

know if you died right now, would you go to heaven? What if

you just were generous? What if you let your life speak before you need

to even use words? What if you just kept giving knowing God's got it

under control? More powerful witness than I think we could ever come up with

on our own, shows the world that those who put their trust in Jesus

will always have enough, not only to survive. Hear me, Church,

We're so busy trying to survive. And I listen. I know times are

they are legitimately hard, and there is a long list of reasons why the

times are the way they are. And we can be upset. We can

be frustrated with our government, we can be frustrated with the world, we

can be frustrated with the enemy. Or we can start giving and be generous

and let God handle it. Because I don't know about you. I'd rather

him handle it than me handle it. I'd rather him handle it than the

US government handle it. Oh, y'all not ready? Maybe next year's election

year, y'all be hyped up about that. But listen, I would rather

God handle it than anybody on this planet handle it. And he can and

he will. But he's asking his people to be generous. Just do what

he tells you to do and let him sort it out cosmically he can.

He will have you read the end. You read the end of the book

that we're reading from. He hasn't read the end. Go read it.

It spoils the ending, but it's worth it. Trust. All of this

ultimately brings glory to God, which again is our ultimate purpose. So let's

turn over to Luke six. As we begin to close Luke Chapter six,

we're just starting verse thirty. We're gonna read some We started this with words

of Jesus. I want to end it with the words of Jesus because he

can say it better than anyone else. He already said it. Luke six,

starting in verse thirty, are you ready? Jesus says, give to

everyone who begs from you, and from the one who takes away your goods,

do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do

to you, do so to them. We know that one. He says,

if you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?

For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good

to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same. And if you lend those from whom you

expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to

sinners to get back the same amount. But love your enemies and do good

and lend, expecting nothing in return. This is a promise from the lips

of our savior, and your reward will be great. And that's not even

the last thing he says. I think the last thing he says right here

is even greater. And you will be sons of the most high. For

he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as

your father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged.

Condemned not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be

forgiven. Give and it will be given to you good measure. Come on,

church folk, you know what good measure, pressed down, shaken together,

running over will be put into your lap. For with the measure you

use, it will be measured back to you. As the band gets ready,

I want to close with these three things from this passage. Number one,

Generosity isn't just about money. I know I told you that earlier,

and you may already understand that. But Jesus in this just right here in

Luke chapter six, Jesus talks about goods, which can include money. He

talks about acts of kindness. He says, do good, lend. He

talks about mercy, He talks about judgment, talks about forgiveness. You know,

we often say it around here and in another church circles that we often

say that it's it's not just money, it's your time, it's your treasure,

it's your talents. Have you heard that? I know Chief has said

that many times. So if you're still thinking, well, your pastor,

you said times are hard, you understand my bank count's empty. Mine too,

But you know what's not empty. I'm still breathing. I still got

time. Oh but Pastor, my my schedule is so full. Mine too,

And look at the person next to you, there is full too.

But I think we're lying to ourselves if we say, all, well,

well, I just don't have time to fit in any generosity. We find

time for entertainment. Am I preaching or we find time for comfort. We

find time for oh man, we find time for expressing ourselves. Man,

see that the spirit's just here. He's just I didn't even write that down

because it hurts me. To church. We find time for the things we

value the most. So if you want to be a generous people, make

time. Carve out a budget for it. Remember, the cheerful giver is

prepared. Paul was telling them, prepare your so that you don't feel obligated

when it's time to give it. If you'll prepare now, then when I

come back and ask you for that money to go to Jerusalem, you'll have

it. If you prepare, if you carve it out, if you give

it first, God will take care of the rest He always has. So

generosity is not just about money. No matter the number in your account,

you have enough of something to be generous with, because I know, because

I know most of you. And if you don't know Jesus, we're about

to get to that. But I know most of you know Jesus. You

online if you know Jesus, here's what I know. For a fact.

You have enough to be grateful for, which means you have enough to be

generous with. There's fuel in the tank, stop spending it elsewhere. Number

two from this passage, generosity lowers our attachment to things while increasing our connection

to others and therefore our bond with God. Serving others just for their benefit,

that's the most christ Like thing I can think of, because we watched

him do it. He came and he served those that society did not want.

He served those that society said, our outcasts are are lesser. Jesus

had nothing to gain from them, and he served them with his life.

The generous person is the most available to be used by the Lord. We

four things, right, that last one we can live with purpose. Pastor

I don't know what my purpose is. I've been trying to figure it out.

Have you been generous yet? I bet if I was a betting man,

Pastor Gary, I bet if you'll step out and start doing the baseline

purpose of your faith, being generous, I think if you step out and

do that, I think God will start to reveal some more of those specifics

of your purpose. Here's how you're built, Here's here's where you're supposed to

serve. Here's what you're supposed to do. But how can we expect to

do the specific things God wants to do. If we can't do the basic

things. See, we want the we want the call, we want the

moment, we want that thunderbolt. Oh, that's what I'm supposed to do.

That's what I'm That's what I was created for. I'm telling you that

exists. But not before you're generous, Not before you get the basics right

number three, Though we look back for our motivation as generous people, Generosity

has a promised reward. Operating in generosity, it combats the covetousness that resides

within us. You can look back all the way the original Fall of Man.

I'm not gonna read it to you. I hope you're familiar with it.

If not, turn a Genesis one and just keep going. Adam,

and you've had everything and had the first pick of everything, the first two

human beings on the planet, and God say here's everything, but don't touch

this. What's the one thing they had to do? Touch that one thing

that God said do not touch. We are, naturally, from the very

first of us, we want the things we can't have. Generosity breaks that

off of you. No longer chasing a dream that you can never realize because

God's working it out because you gave. We make the mistakes because we overreach

to try and obtain things that don't belong to us. So give and let

God give you what you're supposed to have, because I promise I don't even

have to bet. I promise you what God has for you is better than

anything you can overreach and grab out of the world. Those things are fleeting,

the stuff we chase after, the stuff we give our families up over

the the stuff we kill ourselves trying to get worthless compared to the riches in

glory. God promises to take care of you, So trust Him for the

rewards. To the world and the society and our flesh. They all demand

that we strive, not only to retain what we have. Some of us

are there today. I just want to I just want to hold onto what

I got. No pastor I just God, I just God. Just let

me let me hold on to what I got. I'm satisfied enough with this.

I'm telling you you will lose it because the harder you try to grip

it, the more it'll slip away. But the world says, don't,

don't just hold on to what you have, go get more and if you

have to take it from somebody else, take it from them. But God

says, what you have, give it away, and I'll give you back

over and above, I'll give you back. I will take care of it

to where you won't even think about the things you used to go after,

because you'll have me. Jesus guides us as he often does, as he

always does, to swim against that current, to swim against the natural flow.

And I know that's difficult. But if we can get this core value

in place, not only in our church but in our hearts, I believe

we can live purposeful lives like we never have before. So what do we

do now? It's a few things. I want you to stand with me

all over the room as we go into this time of worship and an alter

call. First thing we do is the first thing we talked about. If

you already know Christ, you need to remember what he's done. If you

don't know Christ, if you haven't accepted him as your Lord and savior,

then you need to recognize what he has done. So that might be right

here in this altan. I'm gonna I'm gonna count here. In a minute,

we're gonna come down alter teen is gonna out. You can go ahead

and get ready. Actually, and we're gonna we're gonna have a moment.

If you want to give your life to Christ, if you want to renew

your commitment to Christ, if you want to just a new fresh recognition to

realize and recognize what God has done, We're gonna pray for that. You

might need a touch right here in this moment. I'm telling you Church,

sometimes I do. Sometimes I just need God to touch me, just wake

me up a little. So if you if you any of those things,

we're gonna pray for those things. But the second thing I want you to

do is I want you to cultivate gratitude every day, com pastor, how

do I do that? I mean, I think I'm pretty grateful. Here's

how you can evaluate if you're grateful. What do your prayers sound like?

Do they sound like God, God in need, God on need, God

on need God, do this, God give me this, God give me

this? Or do they sound like Lord, You're amazing, You're worthy,

You're more than able, you got it under control. I trust you.

You. Look at what you've done. I can see what you've done.

What do your prayers sound like? It'll tell you how grateful you are already.

What is your attitude when you see others succeed? Are you jealous?

Are you spiteful? If you are, you're not grateful. Who do we

credit for the wins when something goes right? Who gets the credit? Do

you pump yourself up? Or do you point it to the provider? Because

if you pump yourself up, there's a gratitude issue, it's a thankfulness issue.

Who do we blame for the losses? Because if we're grateful, we

know that the losses are going to happen. But God always wins, So

the losses are part of it, but they're not the end of the story.

So I want you to I want you to evaluate how grateful you are.

I want you to take time to do this, and your do it

in your prayer time. God reveal the weaknesses in my heart, put a

system in place. If that's reminders on your phone. We talk about it's

so easy, it's not easy. It's not easy. It's simple, but

it's not easy. So I don't want you to walk away from today going

well. Pastor Clay said it was easy, So if it ain't easy for

me, something must be wrong with me. No, no, no.

The concept is simple, but carrying out is very, very difficult. You

need Jesus to help you do this. But you need to put some systems

in place. Reminders, prayers, play the songs when we sing that song.

Calvin talks to me all the time about that song, Gratitude. Maybe

when you wake up and you roll over and grab your phone and you open

Facebook or Twitter or whatever disease social media that you choose. If you like

me, that's what you do. You woke up, that's the first thing

you do. Maybe instead of that, click on Spotify or Apple Music or

whatever, and maybe play Gratitude by Brandon Lake and maybe let that be your

morning wake up call. It's simple, but it's not easy. But if

you don't put these things in place, you're not just going to become a

generous person. It's not natural, it's supernatural. Some other ways you can

cultivate gratitude helpful scriptures, sharing your wins with others, share your victories together,

talk about your victories. It will build faith. Rejoice when others have

victories when things are going good, rejoice with them. Watch what God does

to your heart. And the last thing you'll find an opportunity to be generated

and commit to it, just like the Corinthians. Paul said, I need

you to do this. I need you to be generous. I need you

to give. And they said yes, Sir Apostle, and then they didn't

do it. So he came back and he said, hey, I need

you to give, and I'm giving you. Notice I don't need it right

now. I need you to prepare so that when it is the time to

give, you're ready and you don't feel obligated, and you don't feel slighted,

and you don't feel the pain of that. You're ready to be a

cheerful giver. So find an opportunity to be generous and commit to it.

We make it so easy. We give you opportunities right here in this faith

community, with people who love you, with people who support you, with

people who are on your side. Get on a team, serve at an

event, get in a group, start giving of yourself, and the Lord

will reward you in ways that you cannot imagine. I want to pray,

and I want us to pray. So as we count to three, here

in a second, team's going to sing, and we're singing trust in God

because that's where it starts.