Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. A church walking by faith will be a glad and generous people. A giving spirit will be the outflow of a God-trusting heart. Generosity comes from a heart that's anchored and secure in the character and promise of God. He frees us from the desperate grasping for control that often rules the lives of mankind. As we continue our Living by Faith series, we'll take a look at the connection between what we believe to be true about God and His heart for us and the way that we give.
Now if you have your copy of the Scriptures open to Psalm 37, we're studying through this chapter of the Psalms. The title of this series is Living by Faith, and just as a little bit of review, Living by Faith is demonstrated in a life of contentment. Faith is contentment because we are content in God. Our life is founded in Him. Living by faith means faithfulness, that we are faithful in our walk with God, our pursuit of Him. Living by faith means trust, that we trust God.
He is the object of our trust, not something else, not something created. Also, living by faith means quietness, quietness of mind and heart, because we trust in God. We have our contentment in Him. Living by faith means meekness.
We know our place. We see ourselves the way God sees us. But also, living by faith means satisfaction, because the foundation of your life then becomes the fountain of your satisfaction. If all these things are true, living by faith then also would follow that leads to a life of generosity. And that is the focus for today from verses 21 and 22. Look at it with me, Psalm 37, 21 and 22. The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.
For those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off. Seven truths I want us to consider today about generosity. And I'll be pulling from the context of scripture, but this is our springboard right here. This text right here before us is the focus of our study. Let's begin. Truth number one, God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud.
We need to begin with this. This is a truth that permeates the scriptures. We find it back in Proverbs 3 34.
We find it way down in 1 Peter 5 5. God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud. It says here the wicked borrows but does not pay back. In this Psalm as we've been studying it, who are the wicked? The wicked are those who counter God. It's God's universe.
He created it. He created us and we're created for Him. And the wicked are those who counter God. You can counter God actively in pushing back against Him actively, pushing back against Him and His people and His truth, or you can counter God passively by simply marginalizing Him or ignoring Him. That's countering God. That is wickedness.
God gives grace to the humble but He resists the proud. And when it says the wicked borrows and does not pay back, there's a couple reasons why that might be. First of all, because they're living a life of futility.
And so it's a life of poverty. They lack discipline. They live impulsively, which is folly. That is not the character of God. Another reason why the wicked may not pay back is just simply because of dishonesty. They borrowed money, never intending to pay it back.
You know what that is? That's theft. That is not the character of God. It violates God's character. Psalm 112 10, we read it earlier, the desire of the wicked shall perish. Maybe that's why the wicked can't pay it back because God resists the proud. The wicked are self-exalting, they're self-serving.
Job 5 12 says he frustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands achieve no success. That's one reason why the wicked do not pay back because God frustrates their devices. The truth of the matter is that God gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud.
Pride in the heart is the root of all sin. It means we think we know better than God. He is creator. You are created and you think you know better than He does. That's countering God. That is wickedness and God resists that He will share His glory with no one.
Here's truth number two. Generosity indicates the object of your trust. The righteous is generous and gives. Generosity indicates the object of your trust. The righteous means the one whose life is grounded in God, the one who trusts in God, the one who is living a life of faith, living a life trusting God. You live life by trusting God. The just shall live by faith. So in that sense, generosity indicates the object of your trust. Paul says as much the same in 1 Timothy chapter 6 in verse 17. As for the rich in this present age, stop there. Some of you are thinking, well, that doesn't apply to me. Yes, it does.
You know why? In the standard of living that you do you live in a house or an apartment? Okay. The standard of living that you experience is more than 99.4% of all people, the 80 billion people that have ever existed on the on earth. That's the standard of living that you're enjoying.
This is you. As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches. Don't place your trust on uncertain riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. There is a whole month of series in that one verse and you're like, where?
You know, there's a lot packed in there. Don't trust in uncertain riches. Why? Because they will not and cannot last. Why would you place your trust in that which is inherently transient?
John says in 1 John 2 17, the world is passing away and its desires. And truly, here's the truth of the matter. Bottom line, if you trust in things more than you trust God, what is that? That's idolatry.
Harsh words, but it's true. Why would you trust in something that will pass away when you can trust in the one who is infinite and eternal and loves you and gave himself for you? Generosity indicates the object of your trust. So trust in the creator. This is what the Apostle Paul says, set their hopes not on uncertain riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
Trust our creator. What does that lead to? It leads to generosity. It leads to those who are ready to share.
And so generosity indicates the object of your trust. On the wall of President Lyndon Johnson's White House office hung a framed letter written by General Sam Houston, to Johnson's great grandfather, Baines, more than 100 years earlier. Baines had led Sam Houston to Christ. Houston was a changed man, no longer coarse and belligerent, but peaceful and content. And that's just kind of a portrait that we're painting right here in Psalm 37, isn't it? The day came for Houston to be baptized, an incredible event for those who knew him. After his baptism, Houston offered to pay half the local minister's salary. When someone asked him why, he said, my pocketbook was baptized too. Generosity indicates the object of your trust.
Truth number three, see things for what they are. It's all gods. It's all gods. Say that with me, would you? It's all gods.
Now you might have said that, I'm not sure if you believe it or not, but that doesn't matter because it's true. It's all gods. The only thing that you truly possess is that which cannot be taken away from you.
And what is that? But the life that you have in Christ. Otherwise, it's all gods. It's all his. There are no exceptions to that.
And you know, that can radically alter how you interact with and engage and pursue the stuff of life. You know what? It even includes your children. Moms and dads, that precious little bundle of joy is not yours. It is a trust. Pardon me if I'm calling it an it, but you know, that little bundle of joy is a trust. It does not belong to you. It has been entrusted to you, but it belongs to someone else. It belongs to the Creator.
See things for what they are. It's all gods. Job points this out. Job 41, verse 11, who has first given to me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine, God says. God is speaking right there in Job 41. Psalm 24, one, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell in it. Psalm 89, 11, the heavens are yours. The earth also is yours, the world and all that is in it.
You have founded them. So you think you're so special because you're given 10% back to God. What you're doing is you're returning with his and you say, Lord, the other 90%, I'm going to invest that for your glory.
I'm going to enjoy it and employ it for your glory. That's what things are because it's all gods. See things for what they are.
And this is what we said. Deuteronomy chapter 10 in verse 14, back in the law of Moses, behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heavens of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. So what we studied the first time, the first part of Psalm 37 in contentment, see things for what they are. Things are temporary stewardships to be employed and enjoyed for God's glory.
I want you to write that down. I want you to pursue the stuff of life with this disposition. Pursue the stuff of life with this perspective. Engage the stuff of life with this truth, with this understanding. Things are a temporary stewardship to be employed and enjoyed for God's glory.
Why? Because it's all his. Now that is at the foundation of generosity, isn't it? Even not only at the individual level, but also at the corporate level. Business is at the foundation of generosity.
Businessmen. Robert Lavelle says, in reasons to be glad, the Christian business person attracts people to Christ by serving need, not greed. When you do something to meet someone's need, he will ask, why are you doing it? And then we can tell them it is because of the love of Christ. No one can be apathetic in the face of God's love.
It is the most powerful force in the world. And there are many of you who serve in that capacity. There's a group of people in the church who have formed a group, Grace To Go Community, and they are there ready to serve people, to meet needs, to help them, material needs, physical needs around the house, repairs and things like that.
But it's not just providing free labor for somebody who needs it. It's to be able to touch their hearts, to show them the love of Christ so that we're actually visiting with them. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.
