Intro: Welcome to Freedom Church… We’re so glad you’re here with us!

Today we are kicking off a brand new 3-week series, called “BE RICH”.

This series isn’t necessarily about money… but about a mindset. A mindset that reveals how “RICH” we really are. It’s about how we handle the resources God has entrusted to us. It’s about having a spirit of radical generosity.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV)

Rich = More than you need

Willing = “Don’t have to, I get to.”

If we have an abundance of any kind, we are RICH… and we are RICH so that we can meet needs around us.

When we are WILLING, we move beyond the “Need” for it, and understand the “Desire” behind it!

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him. Philippians 2:13 (CEV)

Title: Willing and Able

Transition: Today we are going at what it means to have both the DESIRE and ABILITY to be generous.

We are not trying to guilt you into giving, but to simply stir the “WHY.” In fact, if the “WHY” isn’t there… don’t do it.

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: 4 three thousand talents of gold …and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen.

(375 Tons of gold and silver = $21 Billion)

Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the LORD today?”

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. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD... 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 1 Chronicles 29:3-9 (NIV)

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 1 Chronicles 29:17 (NIV)

“Who is willing?”

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. 2 Corinthians 8:11-12 (NIV)

Transition: Here’s the point, God is not looking at the WHAT, but the HEART behind it.

The goal of today = Not WHAT… but to remember WHY.

The WHY is the motivation behind what we do…

When you lose your WHY, you lose your WAY.

(Marriage analogy)

Transition: So I want to do today, is not to show you YOUR why… you have to discover your own WHY, but I want to show you MY WHY.

1.Obedience

My wife and I give… simply because God asks us to.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

A command… not a suggestion (my dad)

Tithe = FIRST %10

Again it’s not a money thing… it’s a faith thing.

God understands that our hope will naturally migrate toward OUR ability to provide… so he set up a way to keep that in check.

(Adeline and offering)

I give… because the one I’ve surrendered my life to, instructs me to give!

2.Joy

I give because it’s fun! (Girl Scout cookies)

You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’” Acts 20:35 (MSG)

When you are able to be generous AND willing… you will find yourself saying “Can you believe we get to do this?!”

3.Relationship

Because I am in a relationship with God and His people…

So I give up personal privileges… and I take up personal responsibilities.

(Marriage – Living for the other person’s good.)

4.Vision

Because I believe in the vision of this church…

-Kid’s learning about Jesus

-MOTION Night

-Small Groups

-Planting churches (500)

-One Hope

-Reaching those who are far from God

5.Blessing

This one is a little selfish… but that’s ok.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field…” Malachi 3:11

We give to position ourselves for God’s blessing and protection!

This can get skewed… (TV preachers / “Give and God will…”)

No, give generously to needy persons. Don’t resent giving to them because it is this very thing that will lead to the LORD your God’s blessing you in all you do and work at. Deuteronomy 15:10 (CEB)

6.Legacy

I want to be characterized as a man that was faithful with what he had… and that modeled RADICAL GENEROSITY!

When you identify a characteristic you want your life to have… work backward!

My wife and I… Generosity is a core value of our family.

(We have stuff – If we want something usually we’ll buy it – but we LOVE giving.)

Freedom Church – The most generous church in the world!? (OPRAH)

(Starbucks last year – bibles – Missions)

7.Devotion

One day… I’m going to be walking in heaven and see Jesus for the first time.

“Well done… well done.”

“Thank you Jesus…”

“No… Thank you.”

Transition: As we discover our WHY… here are 3 ways to take our giving to another level:

1.Intentional Giving

What I mean is this: the one who sows a small number of seeds will also reap a small crop, and the one who sows a generous amount of seeds will also reap a generous crop.

7 Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.

11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every way. Such generosity produces thanksgiving to God through us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, 11 (CEB)

The truth is… I think a lot of people can be manipulated into giving… guilted… play on their emotions.

God doesn’t want us to be emotional givers, but PRE-DECIDED givers.

“YOU” in this verse = Pre-deciders

Intentional giving is what unlocks blessing.

(Will we tithe? When will we give? How much?)

2.Percentage Giving

41 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. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44 (NIV)

God is not looking at the amount, but the amount in relation to what you have.

Percentage matters. (If our giving is safe, is there really any faith involved?)

3.Eternal Giving

Paul describes our work on this earth (including our giving) as building something…

Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out.

The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely. 2 Corinthians 3:12-15 (MSG)

All “building” is not the same…what may look like building in this life, is really in vain.

(Social Justice without Jesus… is building in vain.)

What YOU build… wont last. What HE builds… will survive.

When we look at our resources as a tool to make an eternal impact… we will.

Big Idea:

Challenge:

Salvation: God take control of my life… It’s the easiest thing you will ever do, but I will cost you everything.