Generous

Hi everyone, this is Emma from Encounter Church Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our podcast.

Our prayer is that through this podcast you can have an encounter with Jesus that will change your life.

And now get ready for an inspiring message from our preaching team.

Today we're going to be exploring our core value generous.

How exciting is that? Yeah?

So before we start, I'm going to pray.

Father, I ask as we explore your word and text that you'll be in the room.

Lord, that you'll soften our hearts so we're ready to hear what you have to say.

I ask that you challenge us.

So walk out of this room. We can continue to imitate your son Jesus.

We thank you for all you've done, all that you'll continue to do. Amen.

So in my previous job, I operated and managed an automotive workshop.

And I regularly would look at the finances, the financial figures daily,

ensuring that would make our daily budget and that would make profit on the work that was completed.

This meant that I knew the amount of dollars that were coming in

and the amount of dollars that were going out of the department.

And at times we would have to meet KPIs.

Now for some of you, you may not know what KPIs are.

So I'll explain what they are.

KPIs are key performance indicators.

So they're basically measurable values that organizations or businesses

use to assess how effectively they're achieving their targets.

So my company would set targets like the percentage of brake pads that were sold

to the amount of cars that were serviced.

And when we did meet these KPIs, we'd be given rewards and further incentives

to go above and beyond for the business.

So if you're in a service center, sometimes they can take you on for a ride.

That might be why.

Every year in May, if we met these targets, so we sold enough brake pads,

we'd be sent to the Mitsubishi Motors Awards evening,

which was a night of celebration for all dealerships across Adelaide.

It was at that celebration that the big boss would finally provide a small

but nice compliment and a small reward for all the staff that made those targets.

In May 2023, we finished the awards evening and the big boss insisted

that we went to the casino for cocktails.

Initially, I had two thoughts.

Number one, I've never been to the casino.

And number two, how much money would we be spending on so-called nice drinks at the casino?

So we headed to the casino and we went to the bar and it was at that moment

that I really, truly realized how much a good cocktail really was.

80, 90, 100 bucks.

Now, at no point would I personally spend that much money on 250 meals,

but on the company card, absolutely I would.

This opened my eyes to the world of business.

For business in most cases, money is just currency.

That just simply doesn't really mean anything but numbers on a page.

Money comes in, money goes out with a click of a button.

So for a business to be generous, it's easy to give out of abundance of figures on a page

because for a business, that small little cocktail is a tiny little expense

for the large monthly expenses that they have.

For us as individuals, it's not that easy.

For us, when we look at our accounts, we might think of a list of things

before we even consider the idea of generosity

because in our circumstances, there's always a cost, a sacrifice.

For most people here to be generous, that can't come from abundance

because we may not have an abundance.

I know that I certainly wouldn't drop 100 dollars on a cocktail.

That's just crazy.

At work, generosity was something that came effortlessly.

Giving was simple, it was convenient, and it carried no significant cost.

So there's a difference between generosity giving out of abundance

like my workplace and giving out of generosity out of sacrifice.

When it comes to money, when it comes to generosity in your life,

you may feel a heap of differing emotions.

Money is one of humanity's biggest idols

because it affects the control it has over our life.

It affects what we do, how we act, who we see, our perspective.

And for some of us, we might set financial goals to gain security.

We might look at our budgets, see our spending habits,

the debt that we have remaining,

or to make sure that our savings account is increasing rather than decreasing.

For me, at the start of this year,

Emma and I sat down and we went through our budget

to review our finances and yes, we had some questions.

Number one, are we on track to meet our savings goals?

Number two, will we have enough money if there's an emergency?

Number three, will we have enough for a holiday?

All good questions.

By simply reviewing two things stood out.

Firstly, we realised that we had been spending money

where we just didn't need to.

You wouldn't believe this, but we were paying for two lots of Canva,

two lots of Foxtel for six months.

Woo! Money down the drain.

But this is why we have these conversations.

This is why we do a budget.

By in reviewing it gave us reassurance

where we're actually putting our finances.

Money, unfortunately, occupies a significant part of our thoughts.

We might navigate things like buying a house,

taking out loans, managing wages, our financial decisions,

and the wisdom behind them often dominate our conversations.

Some of us, we might be a thinker.

We might be constantly doing mass in our head,

spending only if we have to, always asking, will we have enough?

Inevitably feeling anxious about what generosity

out of sacrifice will mean for our life, our family,

and so then we struggle to actually be generous at all.

We might be the kind of person that sees the money and spends it.

We tell ourselves that everything is fine.

We find it easy to be generous out of sacrifice

and we put no dollar on love.

Then we struggle with the reality of the sacrifice

when it actually comes.

Or we could be someone who looks at all the digits,

all the figures, all the numbers on the page.

We plan for every little expense,

including all the generosity for that calendar year.

And in this scenario,

they wouldn't let doubling up on subscriptions happen.

It's definitely not me.

They've planned for everything.

But you can't plan for generosity out of sacrifice

because it's always going to break the budget.

Or you could look at money differently.

No matter who you are, we all have barriers

when we think about sacrificial generosity.

Generosity that comes out of personal cost.

Generosity born of sacrifice.

Generosity that requires sacrifice.

In Mark 1241, we see Jesus sitting at the temple with his disciples,

observing everyone as they come and give their offerings

to the temple treasury.

People watching isn't just a casual pastime.

It's not a hobby for Jesus.

He sees this as an opportunity to teach.

Jesus often used everyday life and ordinary moments

to reveal deeper truths about God's kingdom.

And we see this throughout the Gospels.

So the question is,

why would people bring in money to the temple treasury?

Or we can see it parallel in 2 Kings 12,9.

Then Jehoedia took a single chest and bought a hole in a lid

and placed it at the right of the main entrance into the temple of God.

All the offerings were brought to the temple of God,

were placed in the chest by the priest who guarded the entrance.

When they saw a large sum of money that had accumulated in the chest,

the king's secretary and the chief priest would empty the chest

and count the offerings.

They would give the money accounted for to the managers of the temple project

and they in turn would pay the carpenters, the construction workers,

the masons, the stone workers and the buyers of the timber

and quarried stone for the repair and renovation of the temple of God

and any expenses connected for fixing up the temple.

Jehoedia, the high priest, established a system of collection for the temple.

A chest was placed at the entrance of the temple

and all the offerings were brought to the temple and counted by the priest.

This action was a way to provide the temple's maintenance,

the priesthood, the needs for the people.

The offerings were given directly to God

which is an important context to understand the significance of what people gave.

When someone gave to the temple, they weren't just supporting the building,

they weren't just supporting the institution or the community,

they were giving to God.

Isn't this what we do weekly?

Now, as Jesus is observing, he notices two key differences

and this is where he pulls his disciples over

to highlight something that goes beyond the outward appearances,

goes beyond what the disciples see, the heart of the giver.

The first is the many of the rich who are making large contributions

which may have appeared impressive to everyone watching, including his disciples.

In terms of financial value, it was significant,

like my boss spending big money on cocktails.

But Jesus doesn't seem fazed by the abundance

because there's no cost, there's no sacrifice for the giver.

These contributions don't require them to depend on God for provision.

This is the issue.

Whereas the widow who puts in two small copper coins,

essentially for us two cents, this was all she had.

At that moment that Jesus draws his disciples' attention to the widow's offering

as the true example of sacrificial giving.

While the rich gave in their abundance of wealth without cost or sacrifice,

she gave from her poverty.

The widow's offering wasn't out of abundance,

but rather out of absolute dependence on God.

She simply trusted God that her insignificant two cents

were significant in the hands of God.

When we look a little deeper in the context of the widow,

it reveals the sacrificial generosity that took place.

Firstly, economic hardship was a struggle for the widows in Jesus' time.

Widows didn't have a way to earn money on their own.

The economic stability was often tied to their husbands,

who were the providers for the family.

In terms of property and inheritance, things weren't any easier.

Jewish law back then typically failed male heirs.

When it came to inheritance, so if the widow didn't have a son,

she had very little control over her husband's property.

Many widows found themselves with little to no resources

and then just struggling to meet basic needs.

There was also a lack of protection.

Without a male guardian, whether a husband, father, or even a son,

widows were exposed to all kinds of dangers.

They were vulnerable to exploitation,

where people might take advantage of their situation,

both financial and personal gain.

Despite the widow putting in two pieces of copper, Jesus makes it clear

that the widow has given more.

She gave two pieces of copper and they the rich gave bags and bags of money,

abundance of wealth.

How could that be?

In verse 43 and 44, Jesus called his disciples over and said,

The rich is that the poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together.

All the others gave what they'll never miss.

She gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford.

She gave her all.

Tom Wright says this,

Giving up one's life is the theme of the final scene,

where Jesus contrasts the rich, people who can afford plenty to the temple treasury,

and makes sure others see that they're doing it.

With the poor widow who has given literally her whole life,

two copper coins, which were all that she had to live on that day,

her sacrifice was small, was total.

How can two cents from a widow be more valuable than bags and bags of gold?

It's the odd values the heart of the widow.

Rather than the abundance of worldly things,

God values the heart of the giver.

In verse 44, the NIV states, Jesus said that she out of poverty put in everything.

Here we can see that God truly values generosity of sacrifice,

rather than the generosity of abundance.

We see, look at money in terms of monetary value, rather God looks at the heart.

So how do we become someone who is sacrificially generous?

It's pretty easy to be generous when we have an abundance,

when there's extra, and we're not worried about running out.

But the real test of generosity comes when it actually hurts a little.

When we hesitate, when we're giving something that actually costs us,

or when it feels that there's no logical sense at all.

So I guess the question is, are you only generous when it's easy?

Or do you find ways to give, even when it stretches your bank account, all your time?

Does it feel uncomfortable?

In Mark's passage, the emotions and feelings that the widow felt are similar to what we feel today.

Trusting God in the struggle, relinquishing control with what little we have,

and accepting the sacrifice and the cost involved in the decision and decisions,

because generosity from nothing changes us far greater than any contributions of wealth.

So how do we truly trust God?

How do we relinquish control and accept the sacrifice just like the widow did?

For the widow, it wasn't just a matter of parting with her money.

It was about her heart being fully surrendered to God's will.

She had this unwavering trust that no matter what, he would provide.

That's the kind of faith not so easy to come by, right?

And beyond just trusting, she had a willingness to let go of control.

The widow wasn't trying to hold on to everything in her life.

She gave away all that she had, everything on the line.

Is that not a big deal?

It's not just about money. It's about life, about surrendering our need to control.

I think there's a lesson in us for that today.

It's so easy to hold tightly to our plans, our comforts, like fancy cocktails, internet subscriptions, our time.

But we're called to trust God just like the widow did, to let go of our control

and really believe that he'll take care of us, no matter what happens.

It's not just about the big dramatic sacrifices.

It's about making those small sacrifices every day in the little moments when no one's watching.

The widow gave from something much deeper, a heart that completely trusted God,

a willingness to let go of control and a readiness to sacrifice.

Therefore, we should be ready to trust God.

We should be ready to relinquish control and we should be ready to sacrifice in the day-to-day situations that we face.

The widow's generosity was an act of trust.

Again, she trusted that God would provide for her needs, even when it seemed like there was nothing left to give.

The widow arrived at the temple, trusted God, gave contributions without the expectation of people noticing.

For her trust, she knew what she was doing and she knew the cost when she gave.

So how often do external factors influence your generosity?

We find it hard to give away our worldly things when we fear that we won't have enough for ourselves.

We might believe that our own efforts are more important than his guidance.

We may forget that he has plans for our life, that his timing, that his will are greater than our own.

We simply need to, like the widow, trust God, relinquish control over our lives.

By doing this, she was giving up control over her whole life.

At that moment, when she put those coins into the temple, she was no longer in control of her future.

She had no way of guaranteeing that she was going to eat food the next day.

No assurance that she would be cared for.

No assurance that she would be safe.

All she could do was trust that God was in control and that he would provide for her.

This kind of surrender isn't easy. Relinquishing control isn't easy, I would know.

It's the one thing to give when we have a little extra in the bank, when we have a sense of security and control.

It's another to give when we're faced with real vulnerability.

When the safety net we rely on is no longer there.

The Weiris action shows the real trust in God, often means stepping into uncertainty.

Letting go of every desire to control the outcomes and surrendering our plans and expectations to him.

This brings me to my third point.

The widow both trusts God, relinquishes control.

With that brings significant cost, it brings sacrifice.

The widow didn't give out of her abundance, she gave out of her poverty, from literally nothing.

This is the kind of generosity that God values. Generosity that costs us something.

It's a kind of generosity that transforms not only the world around us, but it also our hearts.

Sacrificial generosity requires a willingness to give until it hurts, to put the needs of others above our own desires and comforts,

to put your subscriptions and your comforts on hold, or to remove them all together.

Similarly to the widow, Jesus didn't have an abundance in worldly riches, rather the opposite.

His life didn't involve a comfortable home, rather he lived in a complete vulnerability in the world that he created.

He had no money to offer, no earthly possessions, no home to return to.

His life was of sacrifice and utter dependence on the Father.

Is this how you live your life daily?

Utter dependence on the Father, on Jesus?

Jesus saw the need for the world.

He saw the need to be generous where generosity seemed all but gone.

Like the widow, Jesus gave his all.

Everything.

His life.

Jesus' death was intentional, willing sacrifice.

He gave everything.

His body.

His blood.

His life.

Jesus knew that his sacrifice was significant.

Significant for you, significant for me.

The widow gave two small coins.

Jesus gave his life.

John 10, 17, 18 in the NIV.

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again.

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own accord.

I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.

This command I receive from my Father.

The difference between the widow and Jesus is that Jesus knew exactly what would happen.

He knew the pain.

He knew the humiliation.

He knew the separation that would happen from God.

He knew he would face, he knew what he would face when he took on the weight of the world's sin.

He chose it anyway.

He chose the cross.

He chose the cross for you guys.

And he chose the cross for me.

He chose the cross of people in Henley, people in Grange, the people in Adelaide.

His sacrifice wasn't made in ignorance or out of desperation.

It was an act of generous love and obedience to the Father.

Jesus knew that his death would bring life to all who believe in him.

All.

So, I challenge you today.

Let's be that generous church.

A church where we actually feel the cost of generosity.

Go to a generous act this week.

But be generous where it actually costs you.

Don't be generous from your abundance.

Be generous from where it costs you.

Let's pray.

Father, we ask that you help us to live out generosity in our daily lives.

Father, we ask that you challenge our hearts to give where it costs us.

Just like the widow who put it all on the line.

Father, we thank you for your sacrifice so that we can truly be transformed and renewed in mind and spirit.

Father, teach us to give when it costs.

Help us to be generous when it feels uncomfortable, when it feels inconvenient.

Show us where we're holding back and help us to trust you and relinquish control over our life.

Help us to be generous when it's a sacrifice, when it stretches us, when it challenges us.

Teach us that true generosity is not about how much we give, but about what we're willing to surrender.

Father, thank you for all that you've done and all that you'll continue to do.

Amen.

Thanks so much for tuning in to this week's message.

If you felt challenged or need prayer, we'd love to hear from you on Instagram, at Encounter Henley.

Or, if you're interested in how you can support this ministry, please go to our website, EncounterAdelaide.com.au.

Thanks again for listening. God bless you.