So far in our series, the word on money, possessions and eternity, we've covered this ground. He started off with be converted from John the Baptist preaching and Luke three. He he taught us that one of the acid test of whether you're actually born again, you've actually turned your heart over to God and through repentance is the fruit of repentance that shows itself. and how we handle the material resources that we have, whether we're cheating other people, whether we're helping other people. And so, you know, perhaps that message plus the one tonight, this morning and tonight, perhaps of the greatest importance, they kind of bookend the series. The reality is that. Being a generous people, being people that give as we ought to give. whether on a daily basis as we see the needs or whether it be as we gather together for worship is really rooted in whether or not there's been a heart change where we're no longer living for ourself. We're actually living for God, where we have a heart that instead of being self-centered is God centered and other centered and has adopted the kind of concerns that God has for rescuing people and showing his love. So be converted is is absolutely critical. Until I have a heart change to give of myself, the sacrifice of myself really makes little sense at all. Our second message was be content from first Timothy six. We we live in a society and it's not new to the world. It seems to think that the more money you have, the more material wealth you have, the happier you are. And it's just a lie. And we don't want to live for that lie. We want to be content. We want to be independent of the circumstances. We want to be grateful for what God gives us know how to how to abound. But we also want to know how to be a base and and live for things that last for eternity and not just for time. And that led us naturally in to be wise, learning from the rich fool who laid up many goods for many years. He was going to eat, drink and be married, but he didn't factor in his accountability to God, his his The fact that God had given them this wealth, not just for himself. And he, quite frankly, didn't get to enjoy any of it because he died that night. All his stuff went to somebody else, but he could have had the joy of being the one that distributed it to other people. Had he actually been interested in investing in eternity, God calls him a fool. We want to be wise. And then we want to be careful of some of the common traps, their symptoms of the disease of materialism. That was the last time we dealt with this today. We've been looking at the theme God stresses the most when he talks about money, possessions and eternity, and that's to be generous this morning. We talk about being generous to the needy with an open hearted attitude of compassion and an open handed action to actually meet the need instead of just feeling bad. We want to actually do something about it and then realizing our accountability to God. for how we respond to those in need and then finding the assurance that we actually belong to Christ because we are responding to that need with the compassion of Christ. Tonight is be generous to God. You already see the first point. I'll get to that in a moment. But tonight, be generous to God. Proverbs three, nine and 10 says, Honor the Lord with your wealth. And with the first fruits of your produce. Then your barn should be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine. How do you honor the Lord? I mean, it's not like God needs anything. He owns it all. And yet. To honor the Lord, it involves dedicating what he has given me materially to him. We've read from Deuteronomy and Malachi, we've seen reference to the first fruits and to the tide, there are actually three ties in ancient Israel. One is for the priests and the Levites. The second one was for the sacred festivals and the cost of doing those. The third one that was taken once every three years was for the orphans and widows and the poor. So basically, every year the faithful Israelite was giving 23 percent of his income to the Lord. That was the tithe. Tithe means 10th, but there's more than one tithe that he is taking part of. The question is what timeless principles for God's people. who live as members of the body of Christ after the Messiah's coming and death and resurrection are still in place. What do the Old Testament regulations reveal about God? What do they reveal about his expectations for his people today? What does the New Testament teach? As I look at the Old and New Testament on this subject matter, and once again, I would commend to you the book Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn for fuller treatment. As I look at Through Old and New Testament, there are three basic areas that remain constant, whether you're looking at the Old Testament or whether you're looking at the new as to why God's people ought to be generous to God. And so my my goal is very obvious. It really has very little to do with church budgets. It has to do with your relationship to God and mine. and whether or not we are being an obedient people and we understand what God intends for us to do with the resources he has given to us. Three major areas that being generous to God is to be devoted to. First, you see it up there to facilitate worship. And we're going to look at one text in Exodus 25, but then also reference a number of others and talk about how it would apply to our time to facilitate worship. And that would be both in providing facilities for worship and also in making it possible for folk to serve in the service of worship among the people of God. The second main category is to support benevolence. to support benevolence. We're going to the New Testament for this since we spent really the morning on this subject. It's important for us to see, though, that this is more than just an individual responsibility. It's a corporate responsibility as the Church of God, as we see illustrated in the relief funds that were collected by the Apostle Paul and others of his team. from the churches in Greece, sending it back to those that were in Jerusalem suffering in time of famine. And we're going to trace that portions of Scripture from 1 Corinthians 16, where he directs this to be done to how that was coming along in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, perhaps the most extensive passage on giving in all the Word of God. And then finally, the third area that we are generous to God. to support is to further evangelism. We actually covered this in our Wednesday series on Philippians, because the Philippian church was outstanding in terms of their connection with the Apostle Paul and helping with his spread of the gospel. This is the big why. And we give to see to it that the gospel is spread both locally and around the world. These three areas. It's possible there's another area, but it's best I can see in looking at the range of scriptures. These three areas are the constant needs among the people of God that that the people of God are tasked to take care of in order to glorify God. We look to God to provide our needs, to make it possible for us to give and to move our hearts, to make us generous, to see that these things actually happen. Be generous to God. Before we go any further, let's just ask God to help us. Father, now we're going to rifle through a lot of the word of God tonight. And so we're really we're listening to your words. On this subject. May our hearts. Be willing and obedient. And I pray by the power of your spirit and for the glory of Jesus Christ, you would increase our generosity. That you would inspire us and enable us to be able to give more than we ever thought possible. If we're already tithing, if we're already giving Lord for us to have the joy of figuring out ways that we can give more, it might be time, it might be effort, it might be sharing what you've given us in terms of the material things, the clothing and food that we have. It might be money, but Lord, help us to grow in our generosity, not only to the needy, but our generosity to God. We have a mission to fulfill. God, may you be praised. And what I pray that this will not be academic, I pray that this will be life changing and I pray from this day forward that that will each be growing in this area to your glory, which in Christ's name we pray. Amen. First major category that God's people are responsible for in terms of being generous to God, in other words, why does God say to give to him? The first area is to facilitate worship and to get a read on this, I'd like us to go to access twenty five where God is giving instructions to Moses for building the tabernacle member. The tabernacle was a portable temple. That they used in the wilderness years. So it was going to be the place of worship. God had already provided the wherewithal. I mean, how do how the slaves recently freed from Egypt have anything to give? Well, if you recall, as they left Egypt, they asked of their Egyptian masters all kinds of things. And the Lord opened the Egyptians hearts and they gave they just wanted these people out. God provided it through the Egyptians. so that there would be sufficient in order to build that tabernacle in the wilderness and have a theocentric, a God-centered kind of life in the camp of Israel. Exodus 25, verse one, the Lord said to Moses, speak to the people of Israel. They take for me a contribution from every man whose heart moves him. You shall receive the contribution for me. And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them. Gold, silver, bronze. blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twisted, fine twined linen, goats hair, tanned ram skins, goat skins, acacia wood oil for the lamp spices for the anointing oil for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, stones for setting for the ephod and for the breast breast piece and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle and of all its furniture, so shall you make it. The tabernacle was designed by God. Solomon's temple was designed by God. He gave the blueprint for it to David. Solomon actually executed it. And so what you see poured out toward worship and the construction of these worship buildings was designed by God himself. Well, what happened? According to Exodus thirty five, twenty nine, all the men and women, people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work of the Lord, that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a free will offering to the Lord. This wasn't even the tide. This was this was free will offering. This was just giving because my heart is moved to give. Well, did they have enough for the tabernacle? According to Exodus thirty six, four through seven. They gave so much that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task in the sanctuary came each from the task he was doing and said to Moses, the people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do. So Moses gave command and the word was proclaimed throughout the camp. Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing the material they had was sufficient to do all the work and more great display. of hearts moved toward generosity toward God, people that have been rescued from slavery and understood what God was doing in their midst. Later in Israel's history, after the Babylonian captivity, they were rebuilding the temple had to be rebuilt. And there was a time where, while people had rebuilt their houses, they had neglected rebuilding the temple. And for that reason, the worship of the Lord was suffering. So we find in Haggai chapter one versus five and six, these words now, therefore, that says the Lord of Hosts, consider your ways. You have so much and harvested little you eat, but you never have enough. You drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Verse nine of Haggai one, you look for much and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why, declares the Lord of Hosts. Lord of Hosts is Yahweh of armies, and it refers to angelic armies as well as Israel's armies, and it points to God's great power to execute justice. So why is this happening? He says, because of my house that lies in ruins while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore, the heavens above you have withheld the dew and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills on the grain, the new wine, the oil on what ground brings forth on man and beast and on all their labors. It's interesting about how the eyes were very similar to the words that Malachi delivers that we read earlier. where people are withholding tithes and contributions from the Lord, and they have a purpose that's been outlined by the Lord. And for that reason, God is actually diminishing their ability to give. In other words, I think we all understand this, that that there's there's a flexibility, there's fluidity to what comes in and what goes out. We've all had months where we thought we were going to have a lot come in and a little came in. Or we thought we had stockpiled a lot and we ended up with all kinds of extra expenses. We know that just one doctor's visit can wipe out the cushion if there is a cushion. One car accident can put us into debt. There's all kinds of things that can happen that can totally change the financial picture. Now, the question is, who is in control of that? And so if God has directed us to give. Toward worship to be generous to God, toward worship. Does it seem like a wise policy to withhold from him? When he's the one that can flood controls both the inflow and the outflow. The answer is actually obvious in the New Testament. We don't have a call for contributions for a building project. For the meeting of the church. Why is that? Well, in the New Testament, in that first century, they were using the temple that was already built to gather for worship. The court of the Gentiles could hold some two hundred thousand people as as persecution arose and they weren't able to use the temple as much. They use often went to the synagogues. The persecution rose there, they would use school buildings. Paul did that in Ephesus. And then they also met in homes, you have epistles that talk about those who've opened their home for the church to meet in. And obviously, the those who had the larger homes could accommodate more people. So that was the first century pattern. They hadn't yet constructed buildings dedicated solely as houses of Christian worship. But as Christianity grew, those buildings were built, so. When there are places used for worship. How should the expenses associated with constructing and maintaining. That house of worship be covered. You have to draw your conclusions from the years when there were such places. Along with common sense. The worshipers make the contribution. It is certain that the unbeliever who does not gather to worship will not be making contribution. It is those who count worship to be important that make contribution to maintaining worship. As believers, we don't have to have buildings to worship. One of the questions we ask ourselves here is if if in the providence of God and the course of history, We were stripped of our buildings. Would our church congregation survive spiritually and what are we doing to make sure that that what we do as a church body? Could be removed from the buildings and still function. So the buildings don't make the worship they. are to help with facilitating what is supposed to happen so we don't have to have buildings to worship. And there are times and places when we will not. But when we do. God's people give freely to cover the cost, why? Because worship is that important. Now, what we construct will largely depend on. The place in the earth where we live and what's considered the norm. Or some places you're going to worship, there'll be no air conditioning, there'll be no doors. You'll wear no shoes. You will. Have all kinds of sights and smells and sounds that you're not used to. Some places. In the place that we live, a lot of worship buildings look much like this. How is it possible for some individuals in the church body to devote the bulk of their time and labors to prayer, to teaching and preaching? To serving the needs of the congregation. Well, that is through the contributions of God's people, just as the Old Testament saints gave tithes and offerings for the Levites and priests to do the same kind of work. In First Corinthians 914, the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. Now, there are times that ministers of the word work on the side to relieve any burden or suspicion from the congregation or the community. Paul did that from time to time when he received support monies like from the church in Philippi. He would then devote himself full time to teaching. There are a lot of times, though, where he actually labored in his tent making trade in the leather trade in order to relieve that from the congregation, from those he was trying to reach the gospel. But the New Testament is clear that that that tent making is not the norm. It's necessary at times. But the norm is that where we consider worship important, we consider important that we free some people to give themselves full time to it. All the saints. are to be involved with the work of the ministry. But we do have those who give themselves full time to the work of ministry so that the spiritual needs of God's people and so that worship of God is healthy and strong. God's people give generously to God to cover those costs because worship is important. And God's people don't give worship suffers because it becomes difficult to sustain. Biblical history and church history both illustrate that falling away from God spiritually is marked by devaluing of worship. And consequently, insufficient means to keep it going. That's why you go to many places in Europe and you find that many churches are being used as restaurants and businesses rather than houses of worship. Why is that? Well, because the population. And that area no longer found worship to be important. And so they cease giving toward it. Where worship is important, God's people give be generous to God. To facilitate worship, worship's important to you, then you need to be generous to God. Second, we are generous to God to support benevolence. We saw this morning how important generosity to the needy is. And I think all of us have to work through how we can do a better job being generous and needy and exposing ourselves to need. I know those that travel abroad and who have have labored abroad for any number of years often come back to America. And it just feels decadent and so self-serving, indulgent compared to what they've seen in terms of poverty and need. And so we need to do some thinking on how we can individually and also corporately meet. The needs of those that are poor, what we're to do on an individual basis is mirrored in the life of the whole congregation of a local church, and we want to learn this from First Corinthians, Chapter 16, verses one and two. Paul says that the church in Corinth and they were a wealthy church. Compared to churches up in the north of Greece now concerning the collection for the saints, As I directed the churches of Galatia, that's a whole province in modern day Turkey. So also, so you also are to do on the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he may prosper so that there will be no collecting when I come. In other words, I want you to take care of this before I get here. And if you will take care of it on a regular basis, there will be enough to meet the need. That regularity of taking as you prospered, you take off much like the first fruits in the Old Testament. Go to second Corinthians eight, see how that was going. Verses one through five, Paul writes to them, I we want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that's been given among the churches of Macedonia. Macedonia is northern Greece. Corinth is in a chaos, which is southern Greece. As for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. In other words, they're the poorer churches, and yet they're the more generous churches. Still true today. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify and beyond their means of their own accord. begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the Saints. And this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Those that really worship God. We really love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. They love their neighbors herself. And when I give my heart completely to God, then it's going to translate into caring about my neighbor. And this is exactly what happened with the churches in Macedonia, churches like Philippi and Berea and Thessalonica. 2 Corinthians 9, verses 6 through 15, he finishes out his plea to them to give the point is this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He's really tying back into that agricultural metaphor and back to ancient Israel with the blessing God. promise to those who would give generously. Whoever so sparingly will also reap sparingly. Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he's decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver, just like the folk gave in exodus for the tabernacle. And God is able to make all grace abound overflow 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 is given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. So, God, as we unite our hearts with. With with God, we love him, we love others and we care about the things he cares about and we start to become generous. God actually provides us more with which to be generous when we become pipelines of God's supply to other people. God fills the pipe. For 10, 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, not just materially, in every way 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, so he's talking about this ministry of giving to this relief fund for the Saints in Jerusalem, not only supplying their need. but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. Why? Because when people's needs are met by the people of God, they don't just thank the people, they thank God that God would move people to do such a thing by their approval of this service. They will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ. And the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others. But I long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift. And all these passages. There's a connection between having experienced God's grace as a born again believer, having having seen Christ as Lord and Savior and received him as your own. There's a connection between that the gospel and are taking part in giving to relieve the afflicted. We further see that the blessing God promises to those who who give generously. And we also see that that such giving moves people toward worship and praise as God meets their needs. For people, God has changed from the inside out to become generous in their giving, having been transformed by the gospel. So after the needs of maintaining Healthy worship have been met. What God's people give goes out to meet the needs of others, and the more we give, the more needs we can meet among the people of God and in the community and the world, and when we hold back. Needy people suffer. And God is dishonored. And we learned this morning, God will hold us accountable, we will pay the consequences for God. is not mocked, whatsoever man sows, that shall he also reap. The second great reason we give is to support benevolence, to help people that are needy. And it's just a great blessing to be able to do that. And we have that responsibility. Individually, we have that responsibility as the body of Christ. You know, this is something that unsaved people understand. They understand that Christians who are truly Christian in their lifestyle ought to be generous people. And too often, the kind of Christianity they've seen is a stingy Christianity that's holier than now. And that ignores the needs of other people. The third area, and this is all bound together, that we need to be generous to God's the further evangelism. Philippians four, 15 through 20. Paul writes, You Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia. So I left that northern area of Greece and there is persecution going on. No church entered into a partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. In other words, you you became a partner with me. In the gospel. Even in Thessalonica. That was the next place you went, you sent me help for my needs once again. Not that I seek the gift. But I seek fruit that increases your credit. And where's he getting that idea from? Well, from the entire rest of the Bible that says, if you're generous and you're giving. That God blesses you, that God rewards you. I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. Epaphroditus was the ambassador, the brother that was sent with this gift, a fragrant offering. And a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God, in other words, this is an act of worship on your part that shows that you hold God in high esteem and my God will supply every need of yours, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus, to our God and fatherly glory. forever and ever. People that are reached the gospel will be praising God forever. But someone came to them with it. We're taught to to make friends with ungodly man and to take money that's worth something only for time and to make use it in a way that we're making friends with people by sharing within the gospel, people that will welcome us into heavenly habitation. There are people that will welcome those who've been generous to God for the sake of evangelism, people you've never met before, whose language you can't even speak. But when you get to heaven, you'll understand them and they will welcome you there and they will say, in part, because you gave. I heard the good news. Thank you, my brother. Thank you, my sister, you gave generous generously to God. And I live in heaven forever because of it, this is the big why we exist to display, proclaim the good news that God's calling out of people for his name out of every nation and kindred and tongue through a deeming work of Christ alone for the glory of God, we give toward spreading the gospel. It's important to God. And it's important to God's people to do so. Besides local evangelism. This is an area we which is an area we want to give more to. We help support in our local body, one hundred and nine missionaries and mission organizations. Amounting to over a million dollars a year. Shrinking contributions, and you saw that this morning in the report means That the fixed cost of our commitment to our missionaries becomes larger, a larger and larger proportion of the whole pie. If every one of us. We're following the biblical mandates for giving. We would have plenty of funds. To do far more for God. Rather than having to look for ways to cut back. in worship, in benevolence, and in evangelism. We want to do more for evangelism, not less. But if God's people hold back on their giving, this area will be shortchanged, along with the other two major categories of why we must be generous to God. If worship's important to you, if benevolence is important to you, If evangelism is important to you and if you're born again, it has to be important to you. Then God's instructions are clear. God's commands are clear as to how we're to devote our funds.