OUR GENEROUS FATHER

AN INTRODUCTION OF THE GOD WHO PROVIDES JUSTIN MURFF

MINISTER OF STEWARDSHIP

STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

We seek to create a culture of generosity built on the Bible by equipping believers to live as surrendered stewards and generous disciples.

A Generous Father…

To understand Biblical generosity, we must first understand the source of generosity.

In every book of the Bible we see the giving nature of God fleshed out. Simply put; our God is a generous Father!

Q: How have you seen God’s generosity in your own life?

God is our provider:

• He gives us life - Gen 2:7, Job 33:4, Acts 17:25.

• He gives us redemption through Christ - Eph 1:7, Gal 2:20, Col 1:14.

• He gives us wisdom - Prov 2:6; 2:13, James 1:5.

• He gives us health and healing - Exe 15:26, Jer 30:17, Ps 103:3.

• He gives strength to the week - Isa 40:29, Ps 29:11, 2 Thess 3:3.

• He gives food to the hungry - Ps 22:26; 147:7, Pro 13:25.

• He gives sight to the blind - Lk 4:18, Ps 146:8, Mt 9:29.

• He gives favor and influence to His people - Isa 66:2, Prov 3:4, Jas 4:6.

• He gives compassion and mercy - Mic 6:8, Lk 1:50, Rom 3:23.

WHY DO WE PAY ATTENTION TO GOD’S GENEROSITY SOMETIMES?THE PASSION AT EASTER, FOOD AT THANKSGIVING, AND CHRISTMAS REMIND US OF GENEROSITY AND THANKFULNESS.

Generosity matters to GodGod has given us the gift of redemption, restoration, and reunification through Christ. We are the benefactors of His amazing generosity.

• God gave radically - John 3:16

• Jesus gave sacrificially - John 10:18

• The Holy Spirit is still giving - 1 Corinthians 12

When we focus on His Generosity, it inspires us to live as generous disciples.

Generosity Built on the BibleGenesis - God gives us the gift of life - both on earth and for eternity (1:1ff)

Exodus - God gives freedom and rescues the captives (15:1-2)

Leviticus - God gives insight to the future and regular reasons to feast (Chapter 23) Numbers - God gives blessings when the world is calling down curses (Ch's 22-24); God gives water for the thirsty (20:1ff)

Deuteronomy - God gives laws to protect us from ourselves (Ch 4ff); God gives the ability to produce wealth (8:18)

Joshua - God gives His inheritance to those who follow Him (11:23)

Judges - God gives strength (Samson - Ch 13ff) Ruth - God generously provides protection to the foreigner and the widow (2:12)

1 Samuel - God gives victory over fear (David and Goliath - Ch 17)

2 Samuel - God gives honor to the broken (Ch 9) and restoration to the fallen (David and Bathsheba - Ch 11)

1 Kings - God gives proof of His presence (Mt Carmel - Ch 18) 2 Kings - God gives supernatural vision to the spiritually blind (6:17)

1 Chronicles - God gives provisions and resources for His work (29:14)

2 Chronicles - God gives talents and abilities (Ch 3ff)

Ezra - God gives His people favor with influential leaders (7:8-10) Nehemiah - God appoints people to stand in the gap for you while you are down (4:13-14)

Esther - God gives power and influence to the mean and lowly (2:17-18)

Job - God gives restoration to the broken(42:10-15)

Generosity Built on the BiblePsalms - God gives redemption to those enslaved to sin (130:7-8) God gives compassion, slow to anger, and abounding in love (103:8)

Proverbs - God gives wisdom Ecclesiastes - God gives rain - and everything else - in its proper season (3:1-8)

Song of Solomon - God gives us the gift of human love (1:2)

Isaiah - God gives us a place in His family (56:4ff)

Jeremiah - God gives warning after warning after warning before He allows punishment (11:6-8) and a future and a hope (29:11) Lamentations - God gives companionship during our suffering (3:31-33)

Ezekiel - God gives life to dead bones (Ch 37)

Daniel - God rescues the perishing and brings them into a Kingdom that never falls (6:26-27)

Hosea - God redeems the lost and those who have prostituted themselves with other pleasures (3:1-3) Joel - God gives us back the years that were stolen by catastrophes (2:25)

Amos - God gives justice to the abused (5:18-24)

Obadiah - God gives righteous judgements (v. 15)

Jonah - God gives opportunities to repent (3:10) Micah - God gives hope to the hopeless (4:10)

Nahum - God gives a refuge in uncertain times (1:7)

Habakuk - God gives joy and peace beyond all understanding (3:17-19)

Zephaniah - God gives us His presence and He writes love songs for His people (3:17) Haggai - God gives specific, sovereign purposes to each person (2:21-23)

Zechariah - God gives protection (2:5) God gives us a spirit of grace and prayer (12:10)

Malachi - God gives us stability - He doesn't change (3:6)

Generosity Built on the BibleMatthew - God gives His touch to the untouchables (10:8)

Mark - God gives food to the hungry (6:31ff)

Luke - God gives continual love by becoming our substitution (Incarnation - Chp 1ff)

John - God gives us His Word (1:1-14) and is the way, the truth and the life (14:6)

Acts - God gives us community for edification and strength (2:42-47)

Romans - God gives us radical grace (5:18-21) God fulfills all of His promises and a path to righteousness (15:8-9)

1 Corinthians - God gives us spiritual gifts beyond our natural abilities (Ch 12)

2 Corinthians - God gives us a new life and new identity in Christ (5:15-21)

Galatians - God gives freedom from the harness of slavery (5:1)

Ephesians - God gives us unity through the cross (2:11-22)

Philippians - God gives eternal inheritance in exchange for our punishment (2:1-11)

Colossians - God gives us the opportunity to share in His glory (1:27)

1 Thessalonians - God gives us the grace to handle poor treatment from others (2:14-16)

2 Thessalonians - God gives us eternal encouragement and good hope (2:16)

Generosity Built on the Bible1 Timothy - God gives us His message - entrusting us to teach it to others (4:13)

2 Timothy - God gives nearness during trials (4:16)

Titus - God gives promises of His return (2:13-14)

Philemon - God provides forgiveness to the runaways (vv. 8-10)

Hebrews - God gives us faith and a great cloud of witnesses to cheer us on (11-12:1)

James - God gives His ear to our prayers (5:13-18)

1 Peter - God gives us the mind of Christ (4:1 and 1 Cor 2:16)

2 Peter - God gives confirmation of His Word (1:16-18)

1 John - God gives remarkable love (4:7-10)

2 John - God gives rewards for following His leadership (vv. 8-9)

3 John - God gives us the joy of seeing faith growing in other people (v.4)

Jude - God gives His people a spotless record (v. 24)

Revelation - God gives a New Heaven and New Earth where there is no more suffering (Ch’s 21-22)

Living the generous life…

Generosity is an outward expression of our inner relationship with Christ. We are called to a complete surrender of our heart and lives to Christ.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Matthew 22:38 ESV)

We often fail to realize this means we must also surrender our resources to His Lordship. They are HIS resources, entrusted us for a purpose.

…as surrendered stewards.Stewardship - The conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.

• God owns it ALL - We can be confident in His provision.

• There is nothing we have that is not from Him.

• EVERYTHING we have is a resource to be managed according to His plan and purpose for our lives and used for the advancement of the kingdom.

WE MUST BEGIN TO SEE STEWARDSHIP AS AN OPPORTUNITY MORE THAN AN OBLIGATION. AS STEWARDS WE… - PARTNER JOYFULLY WITH GOD IN ACCOMPLISHING HIS WORK ON EARTH.

- ACTIVATE OUR FAITH. - DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE

RIGHTEOUS STEWARDS OF OUR TIME, TALENTS, TREASURE, AND TESTIMONY.

Time

Talent

Treasure

Testimony

Surrendered stewards become generous disciples

• Biblical stewardship is about a transformation in our hearts - not just a financial transaction.

• Why we give and the accompanying heart is more important than the amount - Luke 18 (Pharisee and the Tax Collector).

• There is no Biblical punishment for not tithing, but there are consequences.

“…so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.” (Deut 14:29)

Not Giving limits OUR resources

If everything we have is HIS, then the way we steward HIS resources becomes an external reflection of our internal spiritual maturity and condition.

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” - 2 Cor. 6:6-8

4 ROADBLOCKS TO BECOMING A BIBLICAL STEWARD

FearI am afraid at what Money will do in my life.

-A lack of faith and security in the Lordship of Christ in my Life. Lust

I desire money and obsess about it. I am addicted/enslaved to it. -A lack of understanding about God’s ownership, provision, and

an absence of understanding the very heart of who God is. Anger

I despise the rich. I loathe those who have abundance. - This is envy and covetousness at its core.

AmbivalenceI couldn't care less about money because I will never have it.

-A lack of faith about God’s provision in my Life.

STEWARDS HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF MONEYWhen we realize that GOD owns EVERYTHING, it brings a new focus to how we should view and relate to money. The Steward is the appointed

manager of the Lord’s resources and should invest and distribute them to advance the kingdom.

Stewardship is a journey• Joshua was told to march and the walls fell at Jericho.

• Gideon was told to turn away 32,000 warriors and fight with 300 men, torches and clay jars.

• Elijah was told to soak the alter…three times.

• Jesus and the disciples fed 5,000 from a boy’s lunch.

• Peter was told to step out onto the water.

God was faithful EVERY TIME. Are we willing to go where He leads us?

Digging DeeperRead the following passages, and discuss the following questions.

• Ownership: Ps 24:1

• Does God have full Lordship over your finances?

• If so, what does that look like in your life?

• If not, what can you do this week to begin the journey?

• In which ways do we give ourselves to God?

• Control: Ps135:6, Prov 16:9,33, Dan 2:21, Acts 17:26

• Do you include God in your financial decisions?

• How is God involved in you financial decision making process?

• If God asked you to give up your most prized position, could you? Why? Why not? What reservations would you have?

• Provision: Ps 34:9-10, 145:15-16, Mt 6:33, Phi 4:19

• How do you see yourself stewarding God’s resources presently entrusted to you?

• Are you faithfully managing Gods resources?

• Why`do you think God measures our trustworthiness by the way we handle money?If you have to grade yourself (A,B,C,D,F) how would you say you are doing in this area?