The Generosity Of God (Part Two) – 1 of 2

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Now, He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. These words from 2 Corinthians are the starting point for today's teaching on the generosity of God as our reason for giving.

From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, you've had a long and fruitful ministry at Moody Church. Can you say that following these principles of giving have resulted in the church's needs being met? Dave, one of the things that I'd like to emphasize is this, that when people become generous, there's no doubt that God begins to bless them in very special ways. It's not as if God guarantees He's going to give them a certain amount of money back, but the Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver. You know, here at the Ministry of Running to Win, we're so pleased when we are able to explain to people that they are not giving to a ministry as such, they're really giving money to God.

And that investment is used to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to many different parts of the world. Thanks to the many people who support us this past year, we've been able to expand this ministry into the Russian language, and we have some other visions even as we begin to think about the new year. If you've never connected with us, here's what you can do. Go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. I need to remind you that this is the last day that you can give in 2023. rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Amazing.

You say, well, does cheerful giving also involve money back? Well, let's look at the text. I'm going to skip here to verse 10. He who supplies seed to the sower, who gave you the seed to sow? God. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing an increase.

And the answer is yes, of course. You reap whatever you sow. You give money and you get money back. Okay, you've heard it from the pulpit of Moody Church. You give money, God gives you money back. You say, boy, that sounds an awful lot of like those false prophets you like to talk about every once in a while.

Very different. Your Bibles are open. Your finger is on the text. Notice what it says. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, it's not that he's going to multiply and give you money back so that you can drive a fancy car and live in a fancy house and so that you can be this rich person that the false prophets talk about.

No. What does it say? He will supply bread for food and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. The reason that God is going to replenish what you have given is so that you can give more. That's the whole point. There's no self-interest here at all. I have to say, I'm really glad you clapped at that point.

And another difference with false teachers is this. They'll say, oh, send the money to us and then you know you'll be blessed. Well, of course, if you find Moody Church to be your church home, your responsibility, your first responsibility is to give to Moody Church. But this message is going to be heard by thousands of people who belong to other churches. And I say to them, give to your church, give to your missionaries, be generous wherever you are. And that will be the pathway to blessing. It's not as if, you know, we send them to one organization because this organization has the ability somehow to bless people.

No, we're just reading the text here. God supplies bread for food and will multiply and increase so that you can sow more. God is the one who supplies. Well, that's the fourth point that we shall continue to emphasize, the divine favor of replacement. You empty this bucket, God says, oh, I found a generous giver, somebody who delights in giving. I'm going to fill their bucket again because the way in which I'm going to promote my work is through them. And so since I have somebody who likes to empty their buckets cheerfully, I'm going to give them more so that they'll have more that they can give. Number five, giving is a matter of worship. What's the point of all this anyway? Why two chapters in the New Testament on giving?

The answer is simply this. If you read the rest of the verses here, and I'm not sure I should take time to read them, but I will in verse 11, it says, you will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints in Jerusalem, but is overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. And then it goes on to say by their approval of this service, they will glorify God.

What Paul is saying is this, that when you give, when these people in Corinth give to the Jewish people in Jerusalem, there is a bond that develops between them. The Jewish believers in Jerusalem are going to give praise and honor to God, and they're going to glorify God because of the generosity of the Corinthian church. And as a result of that, glory is going to come to God and many thanksgivings.

And that's what it's all about. Many thanksgivings. And at the end, God gets glory. You know, you may ask me today, what is your vision as the pastor for Moody Church and giving? Well, the vision is simply this. First of all, I'd like to see that we meet our budget, but I'd also like to see a great overflow of blessing. I begin to dream about all of the things that we could do if we had more money. For example, wouldn't it be wonderful if Pastor Levi and I could write a letter to all of our missionaries who are on a shoestring budget, so to speak, and to say to them, guess what? Moody Church has given so much money, we can increase the amount that we are paying you. And listen, if you live in India and Africa and Haiti and some of those countries, an increase would bring glory to God and many thanksgivings.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could do that? I think, for example, of the advancement and the continued growth of our children's ministry. I think of our outreach ministries. I think of the fact that there are some slots in our staff that are unfilled simply because we don't have funds for it. I see the great things that God could do, even long term.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Moody Church overflowed with thanksgiving and saints, both here and in other places of the world, would give glory to God? That's what it's all about. Now what I want to do is to bring this home to all of us so that there be no mistaking. The world says this, keep your money. Don't let them have it.

Save it. It's very interesting in the book of Proverbs we read this. There is one who scatters. He's seeding. He scatters his seed and yet increases all the more and there is one who withholds what is justly due and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous and he who waters will himself be watered.

You keep it all and it doesn't turn out to be the source of happiness that you think. First lesson as we come to the bottom line is this, that sowing involves faith. It involves faith. There's a story about a man in a third world country with lots of poverty and he took a bucket of grain from the little shed that they were and his little daughter apparently accompanied him. And she saw daddy take a bucket of grain and instead of using it for bread or pancakes or whatever else, knowing that they were so low on food, daddy put all this grain in the ground.

He took it and he seeded it and he came back the next day and there was no evidence of anything. The seed was gone and when his daughter asked him why he would take a bucket of wheat and put it in the ground, he said, because I believe in the harvest. I believe in the harvest. But it takes faith to believe in the harvest doesn't it? I mean when you stop to think of it you realize because you do not reap in the same season that you sow, it does take faith to put that seed in the ground.

Sowing takes faith. You say well I just don't see how God could multiply what I have. I don't see how if I give generously to him how he can replenish it.

You don't have to see how. I just read the text that says God is able to make all grace abound to you so that you would be sufficient and have sufficiency in all things at all times. Now that's just in the word of God. And God takes care of the how if we are faithful. Now I want to say a word to those of you who perhaps have nothing to give, particularly those of you who are in debt, non-mortgage debt especially, which some of you are drowning in. The first thing I want to say is this, what you need to do is to find a plan to get out of debt.

And there are plenty of plans. We have classes here taught from time to time on stewardship and managing your wealth and so forth because there are ways that you need to plan to get out of debt because debt can be a very terrible thing. But could I ask you this? Could you at least give something every week, something? Could you give a dollar a week? Could you? Could you give 50 cents a week? Could you give two cents a week? Could you afford that?

You say well yeah I can afford that. One day Jesus was at Jerusalem and he was watching the people put their money into the treasury. And by the way giving at Moody Church is confidential but I want you to know it sure is not confidential in heaven.

It's news in heaven. Jesus was so close to the treasury that he could see how much each was giving. And he noticed that there was a woman there with two copper coins. Now what can you do with copper coins? You can't even buy oil for one of the lamps in the holy place.

You certainly can't buy a brick or a stone. And yet Jesus said that she's really giving more than everybody else because she's giving out of their living, out of her living, and everybody else was giving out of their abundance Jesus said. Jesus was watching. You see it's not the amount, it's the heart. What I want to see in my life as I pray that it shall be in yours is a heart of generosity, a heart that is willing to give. And when the heart is willing to give God begins to bless because as I mentioned Jesus it is more blessed to give than it is to receive.

I want you to experience that blessing. And so I encourage you to give something. In fact you know what Paul says in the previous chapter.

You can read it there on your own. He basically says that if you can't give much, if you just give a little, you actually get rewarded for giving a lot because your heart was right. To God it's the heart that matters. Now I want to say a word to the semi-rich.

And I'm not going to in any way define that because there's a whole continuum there. To give for the semi-rich is not necessarily to seed in faith because they know that they're going to have money for tomorrow. They're simply giving a portion. And many of us you know have saved some money.

We may have retirement accounts. But we too can prove this principle by being generous. And last time I told you I appreciate the fact that there are those who are rich because they oftentimes are very generous and they are of great help, obviously.

So what I'm saying is you can begin to give more, increase the amount, and then see how God continues to fill that bucket so that you can continue to give more, which is the whole point of this passage. I hope that your clapping today is really a sign of commitment and agreement. And then I want to say something to the super-rich. I was with a man the other day who was a broker, you know, during the time of our financial downfall here in the United States. All of us knew what a broker was.

We were broker and broker as the time went on. He said that, of course, he's looking for clients with an awful lot of money because he gets a portion and that's the way in which he lives. And he was telling me about some who have $10 to $15, $20 million and they're looking for a place to park it. Those are his words. I said, are some of them believers?

Yes, some of them are believers. Now, I'm just talking to you very honestly today. I can't get my mind around that. You've got all this money that you can never possibly use and you're looking for a place to park it?

Are you kidding me? If you want a place to park it, you come and see me after the service and I'll tell you a place to park it. I mean, I'm trying to help raise funds for an orphanage in India. We have the land but we don't have the building. You come and you tell me.

The women of Moody Church have begun to investigate the possibility of beginning a ministry here in Chicago to women who have been a part of sex trafficking. That's going to cost us a lot of money. Are you telling me that you are going to park your money that you will never need, that people will argue about after you die and you're not going to give it?

Now, if you want to invest 10 million in a business that eventually gives you 20 million so that you can give more, I'll vote for you. Folks, eternity is at stake. This past week a friend of Rebecca and I died and he was a good godly man.

We couldn't go to his funeral but I watched it online. His son stood up and said that he found this quote in his father's stuff. Now, this is a quote that you have to write down.

I'm giving you enough time to find a pencil, find a pen because I'm going to quote it twice. It should be in the flyleaf of your Bible neatly written. This morning I wrote it in the flyleaf of my Bible though not neatly.

Should have been neater. Are you ready for it? It is simply this, what you spend is gone what you save will be given to others. You're writing it down. What you spend is gone, what you save will be given to others and what you give to God will be yours forever.

It'll be yours forever. You say, well where's that in the text? It's right here, you know, in the Bible. It says in verse 9, it's quoting a psalm and the he there is not God, it's people. He has distributed freely. He's talking about givers that are generous. He has given to the poor.

His righteousness endures forever. Jesus put it this way, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust are corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but rather lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven which are secure in a high rate of interest and that money, that commitment will be yours forever, forever. You say, well I just can't believe that God would replenish my giving.

Why don't you try it? The Old Testament, it says test me and see whether or not I don't bless you and open up the windows of heaven and bless you if you're going to be generous. Here is a promise, honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of your produce so that the barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. Why don't you put God to the test and generously give to him and do it cheerfully and see what he does.

Test him, he says test me. There's a final and important point to make and that is this, that true giving begins by receiving God's gift, begins by receiving God's gift. You notice the words of Scripture here. It says thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift. It's the last verse.

It's verse 15 in this passage. You and I were born with a love of money and resentment to anyone who has more than we do. That's just part of who we are when we are born.

I can prove this any day of the week. I can line up any two of my grandchildren and give one $10 and the other $20 and I can prove what I just told you. We are born with a love of money and a resentment of anyone who has more than we do. How in the world do you get that greed out of your heart? How do you become a cheerful giver?

Well, the opening thing that you and I must understand is that we must invite the true gift to be ours. There is a story that comes to us about how there was a Persian prince. I'm sure that this is a legend likely. Let's call him a Persian king and he decided that he wanted to connect with some of his subjects. So he put on ordinary clothes and of course in those days without television, they had no idea how the king actually looked and he went down to a common laborer who had the responsibility of filling some boilers of water in the midst of a cave and dungeon. And this man, the king, sat down, developed a friendship with him day after day. They had lunch together. They shared their hearts together. The king gave the man a lot of wisdom and then decided that it was time to tell him the truth and to reveal to him who he really was.

And the man, of course, was absolutely shocked. He had no idea that he'd been fellowshipping with the king. But then the king said to him, is there anything you want me to do for you? Anything?

The man said, no. All that I want is your continuing fellowship. That is the greatest gift. When the Apostle Paul ends this passage by saying thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift, he's talking about the fact that Jesus left heaven. As I explained last time, he's the only one I know who actually gave until he was poor all of his riches, set them aside so that we could be redeemed. And today if you come with a heavy heart, if you come with sin on your conscience, if you come and you don't know Jesus Christ personally and you've never connected with God, would you believe on him and his amazing grace all the way through? The Bible says, as in this previous passage, you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God is able to make grace abound for forgiveness, for restoration. And then as we yield to the Holy Spirit of God, that greed that we are born with begins to dissipate and we finally enter into the joy, the absolute joy of giving.

And God says, wow, we have another cheerful giver to bless. Father, we ask in Jesus' name that you might help all of us to understand the depth to which you gave to us. Help us, Lord Jesus, to look forward to giving, to be asking questions of how we can give more so that we can prove your faithfulness and believe, Lord God, that you are just as good as your word and as good as your promises. And for those who have never trusted Christ as Savior, we ask that today they shall understand that they must receive that gift of eternal life by faith, the beautiful gift of forgiveness and reconciliation in Jesus' name, amen. Well, my friend, as we come to the end of 2023, I cannot emphasize too much that when it comes to salvation, please remember for you and for me, that is a free gift. But having received that gift, God creates within us a very generous spirit. And as we look back over this past year, we are overwhelmed by the generosity of many of you who connect with us, many of you support us regularly, many of you pray for us, and we are deeply appreciative. As we anticipate the brand new year, we here at Running to Win are planning to be in the Portuguese language throughout the country of Brazil, in the Turkish language, of course, in the country of Turkey. How can we do that?

Because of people just like you. I'd like to give you some contact info. I hope that you have an opportunity to pick up a pencil or pen and write this down. And I want to thank you in advance for helping us. Remember, it's not about a ministry, it's not about a man, it's not about the opportunity to simply give to an organization.

Think of it as a gift to God so that people's lives would be changed. Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337.

Of course, I want to wish you a very blessed Happy New Year. But meanwhile, one more time in this year, go to rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. And so, Erwin Lutzer has concluded a teaching series on the generosity of God as our reason for being a giving people. Next time on Running to Win, don't miss another series of teachings designed to help you be a winner in the race of life. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.