Am I Generous? | Robert Morris | Gateway Church

turning your Bibles please to John chapter 12 we're in the series the blessed life and today's message is entitled am i generous am i generous and let me tell you something happened to me I went to Walmart and I was standing line there was a guy standing in front of me and he had his stuff on the conveyor belt there we already had the little rod between my stuff and his stuff little bar thing and he was looking to get some breath mints and he was look I could tell he was wrestling with something I thought what's he wrestling with you know and then he took the breath mints and he set him down on the conveyor belt and he took one another bar and he put it between his stuff and the the I put the bar and then of course my stuff was behind with another bar but he was separating the the breath mints from the stuff you already had there and then he turned around he just kind of turned around like this and saw me and he just started crying and I didn't know I had that effect on people you know I I mean he just starts crying and then he said pastor Robert I have to tell you he said I'm a pastor and I've been listening to your blessed life series and you shared about if you're not faithful with little things you know who will give you true riches and he said I had to buy some stuff for the church but I needed some breath mints and I was wrestling with you know I need to pay for these breath mints separately this is not a church expense this as a personal expense and even though it's $1 I need to be faithful and and so and then he said and then I turned around and saw you standing there and he said I was actually thinking right before I did this what would Robert Morris do and then he saw me you know and I told him I said you ought to get a wwr EMD bracelet I'm joking let's keep a WWJD but the point is I said to him I said you know it's amazing yes that I was standing here and you were thinking what was I doing but even if I were not here and didn't see this God saw it God sees these little things and so I said told him I'm proud of you and here's what I want to say to all of you I'm proud of you because you're doing it you know if I were preaching on witnessing and we're seeing a lot of people more people getting saved I'd say to you I'm proud of you because you're doing it if I was preaching on prayer and you were beginning to pray more that sound proud of you in the same way I know you're giving more I know you're stepping out in faith and sometimes and it's real difficult for many of you I want you know I'm proud of you as your pastor I'm proud of you as a matter of fact I didn't even share this with those services but you just came to my mind January was the largest tithe that gateway church has ever received the month of January so I'm proud of you I want you to know that so alright so we're dull not am I generous John chapter 12 look at verse 1 it says then six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was who had been dead whom he had raised from the dead there they made him a supper and Martha served but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him and then Mary took a pound a very costly oil of spikenard anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil but one of his disciples Judas Iscariot Simon's son who would betray him said why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor this he said watch verse six very carefully not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and he had the money box which was the offering box and he used to take what was put in it he actually took from the offering not amazing that's why he made it okay so when I read this I thought of two questions why would Mary give such an extravagant gift such a generous gift why would she do that I'll explain to you later how extravagant was and then the second question is and why would it get Judas upset there are two hearts displayed here a heart of generosity and a heart of selfishness and I want you to notice what revealed each heart giving that's what reveals so when I say am i generous I put it in the first person so that when you say it you're asking yourself and when I say it I'm asking me because to be honest sometimes I am and sometimes I'm not I still battle with this so let me tell you some things about generosity right here three things number one the enemy of generosity the enemy of generosity is selfishness now by the way we're talking about generosity and selfishness let me let me just say something generosity begins with a G self is just begins with an S all right listen God is generous Satan is selfish just so you can always remember all right God's jitters and we're all born selfish we are but we're born-again generous that's the great news we just have to renew our minds we really want to be if I said to you you really want to don't you say yeah I want to I just don't see how I can do it or I'm strapped or whatever and we want to help you do that but we I want to be generous I said we're all born selfish and if you think about it one of the first words that a child learns to pronunciate very well is the word mine mine mine and I'm a child learns to say it at such a pitch then it will hurt a nerve that you have in your bag you'll be watching the game or something and here's what year from another room mine nein nein nein nein nein nein nein you ever heard that and and the parent has to get up and go through the house and find that sound and you get to another room and it's normally a younger child pulling something from an older child right and the younger child is saying mine mine mine mine right okay let me explain something there's a place where every parent comes to when we don't care anymore about justice we care about quiet we don't care whose toy this we just wanted to be quiet and so we end up saying something like this to the older child give it to her and the older child says but Dad it really is life give it to her she has things of mine too give it to her is that right so we've got this word in mind that's why I think because God wants us to understand and grow out of this listen to me God actually uses that word mine when he refers to the tithe he says it's mine don't touch it this is an amazing story because when it talks about Judas he makes this statement why wasn't this sold and given to the poor you ever heard that statement for can I just remind you who originated that statement Judas why wouldn't that's only given to the poor we do this a lot because we we see the extravagance or the perceived extravagance of someone else by the way let me give you a definition of extravagance the one who has more than you that's extravagant now that neighborhood there that's an extravagant neighborhood until you get a raise and move into that neighborhood now that one's not extravagant but now that one's extravagant that's extravagance see here's what we do we always want to point to someone else so we don't have to point to us we were at one time there was a pastor in town that was seeing the church and spending some time with me and we were going to my home and we passed a very large home not in my neighborhood but I'll vary on the way to my neighborhood we passed this big old house oh you know with land in the pond and all this stuff and this guy said to me look at that house and I said yeah that's actually one of our members and he's a really generous person and the guide the pastor went like this like that when I said he's a jitters break he said he said he ought to sell that and give it to the poor and I decided that I needed to minister to him and so I said to him you don't care about the poor and he said what because remember that Judah said that it said this he said not that he cared for the poor I said you don't care about the poor he said what I said you don't care about the poor because if you cared about the poor you'd sell your house and give it to the poor and by the way I said the one who made that statement up was Judas the one who betrayed our Lord that's it I'm sorry I said I just want you know sometimes what as long as we can say someone else isn't doing what they should be doing and we don't even know what they're doing then we don't have to look inside and see if we're generous or if we're social so much now here's another thing that amazes me about this story in the Bible it says Judas had the money box or the offering box Jesus was in travelling ministry this was an offering box people gave offerings we know that from Scripture people gave offerings to okay so what's shocking to me is who gave Judas the money box well let me ask you this question who's the leader of this bunch okay so do you think Jesus knew he was a thief when he gave him the money box I know he knew because two years before this two years Jesus said did I not choose you twelve and one of you as a devil he knew so why would he do this listen he didn't do it for Judas to fail he did it to give him an opportunity to pass see God will test you not tempt James says God timpz no one he'd not tempt you and he also provides a way of - a way of escape every time you're tempted but God will actually test you in your finances and give you an opportunity now isn't it amazing - that God says that the Bible tells us he was a thief and God says in Malachi the people who don't tithe are stealing for me okay he used to take what was tough took money out of the money box they offered much okay some churches have boxes some passed the plates and I have a little bag did it really doesn't matter what the method is of giving but here's let me the question for you is there anyone here or watching another church or another campus is there anyone anyone that would take money out of the offering there's none of us none of us would do that would we okay I'm gonna ask you another question anyone is there anyone that would keep money in their account that actually belongs in the offering wouldn't that be the same thing isn't that same thing it's taking out none of us when the plate came by would take some money out now I do have a friend that shortly after I got saved when the plate came by he made change I've never seen what he does well I did I'm had to make change I just you know so he doesn't do that anymore he's a pastor now so all right so the enemy of generosity is selfishness all right here's the number two the extravagance of generosity the extravagance of generosity the reasons I say extravagance is because God's a generous God and God gave an extravagant gift remember his son it's pretty extravagant and there are several extravagant gifts in the Bible lots of them I could name several of them David gave 21 billion in today's economy what David gave to the temple would be equivalent to 21 billion with a B that's extravagant I'll tell you another extravagant gift a lot of people don't think is extravagant but Jesus said it was extravagant the widow gave to meit's see it's not the amount it's the attitude behind the amount this Mary gave 300 denarii Denari is the plural of Denarius the word Denarius means a day's wage a day's wage I've had a students ask me how much is a day's wage I said well well you tell my 10 ad or 30 80 because it'd be like the minimum wage you understand he changes so 300 denarii you would work about 300 days a year so that was just common vernacular for a year's wage a year's wage so let me ask you would a year's salary whatever your salary is for you to give that in one lump sum would that be extravagant sure it would for all of us right okay animate something else would that be extravagant to pour on someone's feet because that's what she did and Jesus said she actually did this for the day of my burial this is the only anointing by the way that Jesus received because it was too late when they put him in the tomb to anoint his body so they actually came back with a hundred pounds of spices on Sunday morning you know first day of the week two to anoint his body because they couldn't annoy me before they put him into so they come back that morning and they and says they came back early but Jesus had already checked out so that's extracted so like that's an extravagant gift but could you give a gift to God that would impress him I'm talking about in the mount now the one who owns everything the one who by the way paves his streets with gold not not because he's trying to show off it's just laying around you know you heard about the guy that snuck gold bars in the heavens somehow he snuck him in he had a suitcase and Peter said to him well what do you have in the suitcase in the open look real prideful he said look I got I got some gold bars here and Peter said you brought asphalt so God paves the streets with gold he has 12 foundations to the New Jerusalem 12 foundations and all over the foundations are made of precious stones by the way New Jerusalem is thirteen hundred and eighty miles long and thirteen hundred and eighty miles wide and thirteen hundred eighty miles high and again it's not because he's trying to press anyone he just got a bunch of diamonds and rubies laying around and his gates are made of pearl and if they're that high that could be thirteen hundred eighty miles high the gates I don't know how high they are so could you give something to God that wouldn't impress him absolutely did you know you could 2nd Corinthians 8:5 says they first gave themselves to the Lord the description the Old Testament says God rejoices over you you know what that word means it means he jumps up and twirls about he jumps up and down and twirls around see it's not the amount it's the attitude it's that you give him your heart and don't tell me that he has your heart if he doesn't have your money because jesus said where your treasure is there your heart will be also so actually when God does get our heart he gets our treasure there are three levels of giving by the way if you don't know this and I've done lots of studying there I'm giving three levels of giving I saw this years and years ago probably 2025 years ago tides offerings and extravagant offerings in nearly every gift you see in Scripture falls under the area of a tithe and offering or an extravagant offering I remember when I saw that I called Steve Newlin one of our elders and a close friend of mine and I said to him did you know there are three levels of giving in the Bible and he said yep I said you do not made me mad because you know when a preacher finds something in the Bible will think anybody else knows it you know I'm talking to a layman you know God owns a company at that time and I say I see you don't either I said what what are the three level sin he said ties offerings and painful offerings that's all why it's close enough did you know though that most Christians never get to the first level of giving you know how many Christians last year tithes 10% of their gross income to their local church undesignated by the way they're by the way the reason that it's undesignated can't send what five percent here and three percent to your into person the reason you can't designate your tie this because it doesn't belong to you and people do want to designate money because they want to control kind of say that again because I've seen it a lot I've seen a lot of people try to buy me if I give a big gift will you do this I just going to answer no no so you can't designate so you know how many Christians actually give 10 percent of their gross income to their local church it's between five and seven percent so only 93 to 95 percent 93 to 95 percent let me say this way of all believers never even get to the very first level of giving here's the great news though if you ever get to the first level you'll get to the second and the third because the first level breaks the curse and opens the windows of heaven over you I told you about Steve a moment ago and the Lord when he said painful offerings one of the reasons he said that was because God asked him one time to give a very extravagant offering I think God asks every person several times in their lives to give it extravagant offering but it might be different for you okay so I want to say that clarify that as I as I talk about this and next week is pastor Jimmy Evans and then the next week we conclude the series and I'll share with you our giving testimony four of debía me how God began us on this journey but so one time Steve and melody Steve had paid all the bills and got down at the bottom of his checkbook now you need to know that Steve owned the company for many years and now works with our business ministry and and sold his company and made millions of dollars and gave millions of dollars away matter of fact for 15 years he gave 50 percent of his income to the kingdom so God had blessed him tremendously financially so one day he's adding up he pays his bills and he looks at the amount that's left over in his checking account if you thought God you've been so good to me and then he just thought I wonder how much cash I have and he had no debt no mortgage no no company debt no debt at all so he went to a savings account he took that number and add it to his checking balance and then he went to his an investment account that he had and he added that to the other two and then he went to his retirement account and he added all four numbers and he had a very very large number and he went to bed next morning he got up and he was having his quite time the Lord said to him how much money do you have and he said my first thought was I knew I shouldn't have a deed that up and he'd heard my testimony about giving everything away and he thought I wonder God's ever going to ask me to do that and here was this time where he knew exactly how much he had so the Lord said how much money do you have and he said what do you mean God I mean do you mean like in my wallet I mean how much I have in my wallet the Lord said how much money do you have he said what do you mean you mean like your must check in account what do you mean Lord said how much money do you have he was saying to him you know what I mean you know exactly how much you have you added to that last night so he said well Lord I have this much money and the Lord said to him would you give it to me now he said my first thought was fear I was my first thought and that's what the enemy will do he said but my second thought was the Lord asked me he asked me and he said yes yes Lord I would love to do this so he and melody gave everything away everything they had all the cash everything by the end of the next calendar business year so longer than 12 months it was the rest of that year and then another calendar business year he's it happens quite time one day the Lord said to him hey go add up those four accounts he says it's ok that's alright I'm good I trust you it's good Lord said Chum no no it's it's all right just trust me go look at him and he went looked at all four accounts now get this in just a little over a year later all four accounts had more than twice as much in every account God said what took you 15 years to do I did it one year I could have done in one day son I'm just simply saying I'm not asking you to give everything my asking anyone here to do that anyone I'm asking you though to give everything God touched you and let me just say yes when God does give you the opportunity to give an extravagant gift maybe the greatest thing you will look back on it for the rest of your life thinking we gave this weed it was such a joy for us to do that so here's the the third point I wanna share with you is the reward of generosity the reward of generosity now this same story that we read in John 12 is also in Matthew and in mark let me read you one verse for mark mark 14 verse 9 says assuredly I say to you wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her okay notice I said the reward is generosity um she was rewarded where Jesus said wherever the gospel is preached this gonna be told she she got a reward but she didn't come to give her get a reward she just came together I asked you a lot why did Satan I mean why did why did Judas why was he so upset about this well we know it's because he was a thief that's why and stole from God why though did Mary give such a generous gift let me answer that question because two months before this her brother Lazarus had been raised from the dead see generosity comes from gratitude grateful people are generous well let me ask you something if one of your family members was raised from the dead would you be grateful and do you think that might change the way you give to God I think it changed by the way when I say one of your family members let me just remind you all of you who believe in Jesus had been raised from the dead because Ephesians says we were dead in our trespasses and sins and he made us alive we were buried with him and raised to walk a new life but I want you to understand that she did not come to be rewarded but God rewarded her God always rewards generosity now let me let me give you the definition of generosity though generosity is when you give expecting nothing in return selfishness is when you give and think that God owes you something that's selfishness generosity is when you give to not get anything back but here's the amazing God always rewards that Hebrews 11 verse 6 says without faith it's impossible to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him this word rewarder is a grief comes from a greek word that's only in the bible one time only in the New Testament one time and it's a five-syllable Greek word and nearly every syllable means when you put him together and all the from the root and all means to pay what is due but there's one syllable that changes it and it means to reward with extravagance to give more than what is due it's like if someone lost his wallet and you returned it and instead of giving you a $50 reward he gives you a $5000 in work they said well there's only you know fifty dollars in the wallet this is this is too much okay he's not rewarding the amount that you returned he's rewarding your honesty the attitude of your heart say it's not the amount it's the attitude of our heart that God rewards and he always rewards you have to understand let me say a double negative grammatically God cannot not reward you he's going to reward you if you give her the right heart here's the reason why because it says God is a rewarder he yes this is something he is in other words God can't lie to you because he is truth he can't lie because he is truth he is true he is a rewarder lots of times God has blessed us financially but there's a difference between being blessed to be rewarded he blesses us with finances but Genesis 12:12 tells us what his reward is he set up our your reward will be me I'll reward you with myself he rewards you with himself in other words it affects every every life so I'm going to tell you something that happened and then I'm gonna give you the rest of the story that I've never told you okay I shared one time this with your testimony but I've never shared the rest of the story there was a single mom in her church and she was the Lord was dealing with her about tithing and I shared the message about the thousand dollars and this was a few years ago I shared the most about a thousand dollars how much time and that week she'd made a thousand dollars and it was the first time she'd made a thousand dollars in a week and I'm sharing about a thousand dollars in the tithe there's a hundred dollars and she's just getting more and more convicted that she needs to put God first in life so at the end of the service she gets her checkbook out she writes out a cheque and watch when she's about to put a hundred dollars the Lord said to her add twenty dollars and she said Lord this is going to be a struggle for me to do this a tithe and he said yeah but I want you to give an offering also and she said I sat there and struggling struggling struggling family I wrote the check for $120 put it in the offering box before I left she's walking out her car now I need you know this there was there's a man in our church that for years and years and years has carried hundred-dollar bills in his wallet and gives them to people when God tells him he sees this woman walking to us to her car and the Lord says go give that woman a hundred dollar bill so I reset his wallet pulls it out and right beside the hundred dollar bill was a twenty dollar bill and the Lord said give her the 22 and he said lord I give hundred-dollar bills you know I've been doing this for years and this is and the Lord said no you obey that's what you do and he said when you give her the other twenty she'll know why ain't that amazing she writes a check for a hundred twenty there's a guy gets hundreds but he gives her twenty so I tell this story to the whole church just a few years ago I tell I tell all of you I go home that night we'd invited the kids over for dinner and it was just shortly after my daughter had come back to the Lord my daughter lived a a double life for a while and I've shared that with you and she shares it in when she speaks but it wasn't very long and I was so grateful for my daughter coming back to the Lord so all the kids come over my daughter says can I talk to you for a minute and I said yeah and so we went my office she gets these tears in her eyes and she says story you told today about the man that gives the hundred dollars away I said yeah she said that's you isn't it I said y'all sugar that's me and just so you know by the way I didn't lie to you guys I just said there's a man in her church and I'm I'm in the church okay I just didn't want to say it was me I just wanted to just I wanted the emphasis to be on what God had done and so I said why why don't you think that was me she said because the whole time we were growing up when you started turn telling that story I was remembering all those times that you would get out of the card you'd go talk to someone and you put something in their hand she said I had probably 10 or 15 memories come back to me she said you were given 100 all the reels weren't you I said yeah and my daughter had been away from the Lord looked at me and said daddy I won't be like you I want to be like you one day that's a reward

Channel: Gateway Church

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Keywords: Preston, Morrison, gateway, church, gateway church, scottsdale, tempe, gateway church sermons, church online, arizona church, scottsdale churches, tempe churches, phoenix churches, gateway people, gateway life, Preston Morrison, Robert Morris, Pastor Robert Morris, Pastor Preston Morrison, Preston Morrison sermons, church sermons, The Blessed Life, Morris blessed, Blessed Life, sermons on giving, sermons on tithing, what is tithing, giving in church, am i generous

Id: SPGOQ6Rd8qU

Length: 31min 38sec (1898 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 08 2019