Living Generously - My Generosity Manifesto, Part 2

If I ask you today. Do you consider yourself a generous person. How would you respond yes or no will actually get that shopping mall. It was crazy and you can't believe what they told that's today. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge drift. Your finger tips are vital to discipleship program and friendship series called living generous with our previous broadcast to play the foundation for what you're going to be listed is available@livingontheedge.org or on the shipping room just before we jump in and I want you to know Chip will be with wrap this up in a powerful way, so be sure to stay with his okay here's Chip now with part two of his message. My generosity manifesto.

The third principle, and this is the one, at least for me was like oh wow, do I really believe this or not. Kingdom sewing is counterintuitive. That's a big word for it. Sounds really dumb when you hear it right. The kingdom works.

Here's the world God's kingdom principles are the opposite.

So he's going to say do things that you think you know what will. That doesn't make this illogical notice, the wisest man in the world. In Proverbs 3 verse nine and 10.

Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce. And here's the promise.

So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. I about you Heidegger bring the Bible someone telling me take the very first in the very best of your work and give it to God to love and help people and God says that's how your body makes sense you give away you get more kingdom. That's why your life becomes unexplainable and there's people all over the world, but the score were to be generous and build God's kingdom were getting out of our profits working to give our time getting give to our employees and crazy stuff happens.

He just keeps blessing. There's one who scatters Proverbs goes on to say Chapter 11 increases all the more that's illogical unless you look at it literally. If you scatters more seed a lot more would grow up and there's one who withholds what is justly due and it results only want and we all know this by experience the generous man will be prosperous and he who waters will himself be watered pause for a moment I known going fast. I want you to think of someone that you know that's just winsome but he likes and worker.

Everyone likes in the neighborhood are. It's a Christian. Maybe it's in one your small groups your studies and just and then just ask yourself, what is it about this person that so magnetic. It's the person you sit down and talk and after an hour, you realize you talk for 45 minutes and they listen for 45 minutes.

It's a person that you just can't hang out with and you know you weren't even make a big deal but there was a little neat over here and you get a note the next week and the person that the need generous people are super attractive generous people have friends, generous people have joy, generous people are like a magnet that we all want to be around. But what we sort of forget is to give.

They have the same hours in the day that we do many of them have less money. In fact, all the research says poor people are far more generous than us rich people notice the words of Jesus give and be given unto you counterintuitive. Therefore, back in your lap will have her back like good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, it's a picture to agriculture society work you have someone to give you something and you shake it to make more room. He said God bless.

He's gonna really bless and whatever size measuring you give you get in return. So bring a couple generosity you get a couple generosity.

Bring a bucket of generosity get a bucket of generosity since the law of the kingdom. Now there's no gift to get here by the way, that's a perversion there's no like I am going to give away a lot because okay now you owe me will guess what you just violated the spirit of it is not generosity. This manipulation final principles we never reap in the same season that we so this is why it's hard okay you listen to me thinking that I got a bunch of debt I'm supposed to start giving or okay I give 1.3% or I'm doing this or I'm doing that and even the thought of this not seen God do it right with when you begin to give one can be kind to my wife I'm a new person is going to show up at work. Don't expect the next day to get a promotion. He says don't lose heart. Doing good in due time underlying due time. It'll read that you don't grow weary. So then what should we do what we still have the opportunity is too good to get this to all people circle all people will just love each other all people, especially people that they don't think you care at all the marginalized people. The people his politics or lifestyle or sexual orientation is to do good people.

That's what Jesus did, but especially to the household of the faith. The reason we continue an unhealthy, unwise, selfish, greedy practices and did you hear we all of us is because the consequences of don't show up right away. I mean if I sat down watching the basketball game and eight coming this whole box of Triscuits with my superduper sharp cheddar cheese and my super Diet Coke in a moment of binging and then I got up and walked into the bedroom and immediately 2 pounds when around my waist. I think I can kick my Triscuit addiction but doesn't work like that, and more seriously small neglect in my marriage small neglect in my investment in renewing my mind just a little poking around with some pornography here, just a little flirting here, nothing happened. I happen little obsession with work and not really spending time that's known what's on your kids heart. Nothing happened, but he seems okay 10 years 12 years 20 years marriage fall apart kids disengaged. It was just a little bit of that is just little bit neglect. 10 years later so you never reap in the same season that you so that's why it takes faith the goal. God's goal is not to get some people to come to meetings, church listen to someone talk, sing a couple songs and be relatively a little bit nicer and maybe a little bit more moral than the world that is not a Christian. Those are some activities that Christians are in following Jesus is the seed of the living God of the Holy Spirit comes and takes residence inside your body when you recognize your sin and turn from it and ask God for forgiveness and based solely on what he did on the cross and his resurrection he actually enters your life and begins to develop and cultivate the very character of Jesus in you as you get in commune get in his word and talk to him and become generous. This is it actually says my generosity manifesto so this is my right in years and here's the question do you want to be extraordinarily kind and do you want to be asked were nearly generous. If so, you can check a box or two in the very end. You know you can do this and put that somewhere that's what I really want to be in God will start doing or I would would never say this out loud if you would rather choose to be a bit more selfish and bit less generous and be miserly, which usually ends up in miserable than I would do anything I really wouldn't.

But there is member were deceived. Money has the power to deceive. We actually think were doing okay your money is probably the clearest x-ray or MRI of your Saul and it's so clear and so measurable. That's why Jesus talked about it because our money and hearts are connected so but let me walk through. Here's my manifesto.

Whatever part you're willing and ready by the grace of God. Here's an invitation.

I hereby declare by the following actions I'm inviting you to do that that I believe it is. As Jesus said more blessed to give than to receive. If you really believe it's more blessed to give the receipt of your life is better, and blessed in every way relationally. Friendships financially will then okay check number one either bought by declare that all that I have or ever will have belongs to Christ. That was the turning point for me when I member come to church. I was in a Christian like get 10% of my money are you people on drugs but you like this people on TV to try to rip me off and I met some real questions and saw how they really used it looks like all it's not yours. Chip guess is not as hard to give back his money to him or his time to him. Second, I hereby declare to act in obedience to God's word by giving back to God the first 10% of what is blessed entrusted to me and you know you can hear debates on tithing for today or whatever.

It's probably not worth going into long before there was a law Abraham gave 10% to Melchizedek after God richly blessed in the spoils pre-incarnate Christ Moses, they gave 10% of everything and if you add it all up the gate like 23% of their income because they were living in a theocracy. Part of it was, like tax and other part was these thing in voluntary offerings you keep moving Jesus's life.

The Pharisees of the day with a tithe, but they missed the heart, mercy, justice, kindness.

He said don't forsake the former tithing, but you get your heart right. Malachi would just say you know the reason you're having financial issues and relational issues in your life is got the keys used to talk about like you have a purse with holes in it. I would you keep putting stuff in and it keeps leaking. He said could you robbing God you declare it really belongs to him by giving the first portion for some of you may not that that that be a big step.

You probably have to rearrange her finances and to do it first and not know how it's gonna work out. That's faith that was a hard one for me, but I can look back and realize while third is I hereby declare the Jesus blessings, both financial or otherwise are not designed primarily to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving to what what when you're unconsciously greedy and deceived every time you get more money you get bigger bigger bigger bigger but nice to draw this kind of car.

Another skunk are this kind of car used to make this much. So here's my house. Now this is my house now.

Here's my two houses now and and we just do it now.

I think God wants to raise our standard of living. He's very, very gracious.

I live in a really great house at a really nice car but ask yourself when when you say this is good this is my standard.

This is all I want. This is this is where God wants me to live and you know for some of you. That's a five-year-old Volkswagen for others it's a test let you figure that out because of your roles in your work and however you figure out what it is but the just white. What if you said when God brings more in maybe it's not for a second home. Maybe it's not for remodel. Maybe he actually gave me some help some refugees in Syria or some clean water in Africa or some local ministry right here. The next little box that I've checked is I hereby declare to intentionally and aggressively remove the shackles of personal debt that have limited my giving my going my case. 40 to 50% of all marriages that fail or trace back to financial issues that cause tension.

Some of you.

The next step is okay on you to give this but I mean we there certain things that are appreciable. God bless us right I'm paying for house that actually pay a bunch off on the principal every month. Your personal debt packet go to a counselor cut of your credit cards. This is plenty good books about how to do that. But here's the deal. When I pay everything on time and to make minimum payments on the slaves. The Scripture says borrower was of the slave to the lender. So if I have a card and a lot of stuff there. Charge me 12 1314%, you're more than typing you just not doing it the God. It's called Visa, MasterCard, Discover you are and you're paying that much more. We better move quickly on that one. That was very convicting for some of you but you can't be kind.

You can't be kind. You can't be generous, you got all this stuff on you get aggressively declare manifesto get out of debt and to learn to give along the way.

Everyone I've met that's ever done that.

It's 18 months or two years or three years. Who cares.

Pam, you go forth and you go for every one of these things are to free you be next boxes. I hereby declare that all prayerfully My lifestyle expenses to become extreme and extraordinarily generous person and that this was something that I did not that long ago a group really pretty poor and my wife grew pretty poor and had four kids and sometimes to in college into in private schools and got a member like we have $1000 in savings were doing really really great.

You know, and that was all that many years ago, but I made some decisions and and one of them was to Dupree decisions about generosity because your heart is deceitful so I had a guy that was a mentor and he said someone had asked me to write a book.

I was on my first book and he said I want to hire a professional financial planner for you to help you with your finances. I said I don't need a financial planner. I got two kids in college doing this doing that this is how much I make. This is what were giving. I don't have any money. I don't need a plan to. You need a plan. He said you need to decide in advance Chip what what you can do if God decides to bless this he said you want to be dependent on like income from books.

I said no, but I'd like bill pay for college education and some something okay so I got with his financial planner and basically this is the they tell pastors it's a Christian want to look if you fall morally. You wreck your life you wreck the church. Whatever you have to do. Don't do that if you get arrogant and full of yourself. You wreck your life you wrecked the church. But the one you guys don't think about is if your finances get outlined you wreck your life you wrecked the church so once you decide I've worked this things out.

What should you give before you ever write first book so I prayed about it, talked with recent okay. We won't be dependent on this. So what we say in advance is really easy you know, at least half of anything that comes in from any book any time we just give the Lord's work is really pretty easy. I gave half of nothing like but that decision in advance. Change my world and in you as a result.

Yes, I have a very comfortable lifestyle, but then we said anything Living on the Edge goes to them. Here's our lifestyle. All that comes in when you give it all away and it's been so exciting for me with. We were poor people. We grant money. Poor people like we couldn't pay the rent. The stuff Harley can now to write a check for all these orphans and in Zimbabwean to write a check to an institution. The joy and the excitement of looking to people's life. God wants that for you. This is not out. Give your money, give your money but Your lifestyle and you Where he shows you know I'm to limit myself to two houses okay.

I didn't do whatever God chose you to do, but at some point in time draw a line it's really exciting and in the last one hears. I hereby declare a volunteer my time and talent X percent of my waking hours. I like to write 10% and I'm I'm being really gracious with you ready for this hundred 68 hours in a week you know hardly anyone sleeps eight hours. Although we should so 8�756 subtract that out never down to 112 living to be some time to eat to close 12 hours away so you get 100 hours every week. Imagine ready. Imagine imagine. Can you imagine if all of us gave 10 hours a week that's 10% of our waking in the name of Jesus to love people coming to volunteer in the church you can volunteer outside the church abuse. Here's what I want to ask you which of those boxes you can a check and watch what your next step you grow into generosity while here's some specifics first step and just do it for 90 days. God doesn't show up doing more but for 90 days. I commit to take the first step in generosity by committing to give, and you put a percentage in my income and my time weekly that you sent.

I have much faith. This is all new to me. Dear God, I have 2.5% faith. So that's what I'm getting for 5.741.348.9. I don't care what it is you and God on this. There's no number here, but what about all of us did something half of all the people in America that are Christians give nothing sounds really strong but it's true. But I think if I ask you, are you generous in what we don't make the connection.

You're not a bad person. We don't get it. Next step.

As a follower of Christ. I commit to generously and faithfully give 10% of my time weekly think there's probably a lots of you who know this is what I really do. I intellectually believe that but right now because I give some time and you know get these kids in school and I got this here and things at work are no hard and I'm concerned about the future. Guess what, none of the things ever change. This is about faith.

God, it all belongs to you. You have told me demonstrate that I really believe that by giving first and foremost above and beyond.

I commit to joyfully growing my faith in generosity by giving blank percent above my current tithe 10% of my income, and weekly time. It's interesting that as her as her income and things grow on that people that even if a Christian for 30 years 30 years ago. I believe in typing it all belongs to God, they get 10% 30 years later I give 10%. How can that be how can our hearts, not growth. How cannot we see the opportunities I can tell you what happens we get to see and so what happens is our lifestyle grows better, giving the Synchro you don't like to come take a big risk 1% this year.

I muddle. I'm an 11% this year, I met a guy that literally supercharge my giving. He heard about that. The year after he was married so he decided every year I married him to give one more percent just to see God shows up. I met him when he was married 58 years 58 and 10.

He was giving 68% of his income in any turns because he knows really interesting as a private architect and somehow things worked out and up, doing the shopping centers in I can look back over the chocolate that can look back over his really old and look back over 58 years and I've never made less money this year than the year before.

It's amazing God you invest in the great bank of heaven. Sorry Paul that invitation. But what would happen if we did that, the final one here is for those of you that everything I'm talking about.

You may even have the gift of giving, and you're going yeah yeah yeah Rob Robert. I believe that your giving over and above you're looking at a pretty big percentage hears my word for some of us that are kind of weeping growing pause and just ask about your motives. One of the dangers of getting radically generous in your giving is to begin to see numbers and okay I gave 29% last year. I give 31% this year like a kite 20 may and just back away and just ask, is there still joy and then ask okay Lord, have I justified myself. Is there something really exciting you would put on my heart and I might what will I do something crazy and radical.

If you showed me just pray because this is always about your heart, although he was rich, speaking of Jesus. He became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich. The eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth they might strongly support those whose heart is fully his Lord. I talked a lot about money.

I know you have people all across the spectrum, you have a some people that actually you don't want any of their money today. You want them to say that I receive something. Can I can I receive forgiveness of my sins and you come live inside of me and start a brand-new life and have all my sins behind me today that your heart and God for all of us a it's easy to say this but it's so true you really really really neither need nor want our money. But Jesus you talked about it so much because our heart is connected to it. My hearts desire is that you tender, kind, gentle, loving Holy Spirit would fill people with a level of courage and faith that you would break the power of darkness in their heart and in mind that every one of us would take at least being more generous. If we were talking across the table from one another and you leaned in and said you not ship all the stuff about generosity. It is really a lot deeper than that is in it.

I would say yeah it really is an if you are listening carefully to what I just taught what you realizes left to yourself me left myself. We can be generous. In fact, it reminds me of the Old Testament passage where God would say to the nation of Israel. I'm going to remove your heart of stone and I'm going to give you a heart of flesh. In other words, you need a new heart. You need a new life. You need a new power. I mean you can play the game and try to self improve and work harder and take little baby steps and sorted bees in a Jesus self-help sort of way.

I'm going to be more generous. You can have a radical transformation begins with the new life and I know there's a lot of people that are moral and go to church.

I know there's other people to feel like they could never measure up, but the generous offer of God is for all people. The greatest act of generosity was that God so loved the world that he gave generously, his son the Lord Jesus, that whoever would believe actually would entrust themselves would put their faith in him and what he did shouldn't perish but have everlasting life. What I've learned over the years is when I talk like this. God has already prepared thousands and thousands of people to hear what I'm about to say and that is that you can have your sins forgiven today that the generous God of the universe wants to say to you, would you receive my son is the sole and only means of a relationship with an absolutely pure and holy God. Would you receive that forgiveness and allow my spirit to come within you and to make you my son or my daughter and I prepared a place for you and I want to give you a new life. It's a new kind of life. And so we called it eternal life because it's the life of Jesus living in you what I know is that he's prepared your thinking and your at this crossroads and right now you need to respond and say yes Lord, I want that with all the implications. And if you would bow your head if it's appropriate or keep your eyes open. If you're driving and just say in the depths of your soul in your heart and your integrity.

Oh God, I need you, will you forgive me right now for all that I've done I believe Christ died in my place. I believe that he rose from the dead, and I'm asking you on that basis alone to make me your son make me your daughter and what I want you to know that God made that promise. And as you receive it in this moment by faith. You're his son you're his daughter you're forgiven now today you need to text or call the greatest Christian you know and say I'm not exactly sure what I did but I asked Christ to come into my life and then you need to go to our website LivingontheEdge.org we don't want anything from you.

We have some resources to help new believers and then find a church that teaches the Bible this weekend and start taking baby steps to grow in your relationship with Christ. God bless you, if you prayed with Chip.

I hope you'll take a minute and call us at AAA 83336003. We love to talk with you and get a free resource in your hands that'll help you understand what you just did and where to go from here if you'd rather go to the new believers chat about our website LivingontheEdge.org or tap special offers on the app we'll find that same resource. We just want to help you get started on your new journey of faith. Now here strip with a quick thought for those of you who support our ministry in prayer and in your generous financial giving. I just want to say thank you you know when we share the gospel like this I can just tell you statistically.

It's amazing the powers and the message many, many, many people come to know Jesus are transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and I just want you to rejoice with us and I want to thank you for being a part of Living on the Edge of what God is doing. Thanks for praying. Thanks for giving.

Let's keep pressing ahead together you know a great way to stay engaged and connected to chip and Living on the Edge is with the chipping remap you get free access to all of Chip's recent messages as message notes and much more. And not only that, but it couldn't be easier to call or email directly from the yeah will glad you were with us and until next time, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge