#9 A Generous Heart - Part 2
Part of Chosen Series—Attracting God's Attention
March 4, 2023
1 Chronicles 29:2-3 (NIV) With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple.
1 Chronicles 29:6 (NIV) Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.
1. Generosity is measured by the
of one’s
, not the amount of one’s
.
Mark 12:41-44 (NIV) Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Matthew 6:21 (NIV) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Mark 12:43-44 (NIV) Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Here are 3 benefits of generosity:
๏ Generosity confronts our human tendency to hold and horde.
๏ Material generosity frees us from the spirits of materialism and greed.
๏ Generosity dismantles the spirit of fear.
2. Generosity
God’s
and
on earth.
Luke 19:28-38 (NIV) After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” say, “The Lord needs it.” Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
(1) The Lord needed something to advance His Kingdom and fulfill a prophecy concerning His Son. (Zechariah 9:9)
(2) Someone had what the Lord needed.
(3) Everyone has something the Lord needs.
(4) We always gain when we’re generous. We never lose.
3. Generosity is a
and a
.
1 Chronicles 29:14 (NIV) But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
4. Generosity
others.
1 Chronicles 29:2 (NIV) With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God.
1 Chronicles 29:6 (NIV) Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.
Acts 20:35 (NIV) In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
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