Series: Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gift
#6: The Gifts of Spiritual Qualities – Generosity
1 Chronicles 29:1-17 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NRSV)
By John Gill ~ July 9, 2023

Today we are continuing our sermon series on the Spiritual Gifts, starting with the Gifts of Spiritual Qualities. The scriptures tell us that all believers are gifted by the Holy Spirit with gifts that are beyond our talents and skills. The apostle Paul lists the Gifts of the Spirit in several places throughout scripture: in First Corinthians 12; Romans 12; and Ephesians 4. All Christians have one or more gift, a mix of gifts that is unique to them. It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to discover which of the gifts the Holy Spirit has given to us.

As we have learned, the purpose of Spiritual Gifts is not for our own personal glory or gain, but for the glory of God and to edify the church - building up the body of Christ.

As you might remember, on the first Sunday of our series everyone was given a puzzle-piece to remind us that the picture of God's intention for his church will not be complete until we all have discovered our gifts and put them into practice. Like a jigsaw puzzle, there are many unique pieces, each equally important, and each essential to the whole.

We are devoting our messages to the gifts one by one. We have divided the gifts into three categories, spiritual qualities, spiritual roles, and spiritual expressions. The first grouping of our sermons is focusing on gifts of spiritual qualities, characteristics all Christians share to some extent, and yet some of us are gifted in extra measure. So far, we have looked at love, faith, knowledge, and wisdom. This morning we will focus on the Spiritual Gift of Generosity, for like all the other Gifts of Spiritual Qualities, generosity is both a command and a challenge.

All believers are instructed to give. Just because we don't have the Gift of Generosity doesn't exempt us from the command to give, anymore than the expectation to love, or to have faith, or to seek knowledge and wisdom. Giving is basic to the Christian life, not something that is optional. While the purpose of our sermon this morning is to look at this Gift of Spiritual Quality, first let us look at the general command of God – the expectation that we all give.

We all know that we are supposed to be generous. Deep down, we recognize that giving is a Christian virtue. So, most of us try to give something to the church. On Sunday mornings, when we drop our envelope in the offering plate, most of us feel we are being generous; but are we? Well, that all depends. It depends on whether your gift is part of your tithe, or above your tithe. You see, the first test to determine if you have the Spiritual Gift of Generosity is, “Do you tithe?” If the answer is “no,” then you are not practicing the Spiritual Gift of Generosity because you are not even meeting this basic requirement for discipleship.

My, it's gotten awfully quiet! The subject of money makes some people uncomfortable. Some of you are probably thinking, “If I had known he was going to talk about money, I would have stayed home!” It has been said that the most sensitive nerve in the human body is the one that connects to the wallet.

Or maybe you are thinking, “Why is the church always talking about money?” The truth is, we talk less about money and possessions then Jesus did. Jesus had more to say about money and possessions than anything else! Jesus knew that wherever your treasure was, there your heart would be also. He also knew that our attitude about our money is a litmus test of our spiritual life. Someone said that the best way to judge a person's priorities in life is to look at his or her checkbook! I think That's what Jesus was getting at in his conversation with the rich young ruler when he said that to enter the Kingdom of heaven, he would have to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Jesus knew the misplaced priorities of that young man.

Some of you may be saying, “OK preacher, you can talk about money, but why do you have to harp on tithing again! Tithing is so unrealistic!” Yes, I do. Why? Because this sermon is about the Gift of Generosity. And the only way to manifest the Spiritual Gift of Generosity is to first practice the tithe.

So, what is the tithe, anyway? Simply put, the first 10% of your income is to be given back to God. The Old Testament says that we are to offer God our “first fruits,” “off the top,” giving God our very best. The tithe has always been the level of giving that God has expected of his people. It is grounded in the law of the Old Testament, which Jesus endorsed in the New Testament. But it is even older than Old Testament law. Before the law was given to Moses, scripture tells us that Abraham practiced the tithe. So, the tithe is basic to faith. It is grounded in a universal law.

According to the Bible, tithing is not optional. It is the command of God, and to not give the tithe was considered a grave offence. In our day and time, we look at tithing as the highest goal of giving, reserved for the spiritual giants and wealthy members of our churches. Not so in the Bible. Far from being the finish line of giving for mature Christians, it is the starting line for new Christians. The assumption is that, as we mature in faith, we will move beyond the tithe, and begin to give offerings to God.

You know, we are good at making excuses not to tithe. Some people claim we are not legally bound by the tithe since it was established in the Old Testament. But as we have seen, Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it, that it might be written on our hearts. Instead of being compelled to observe the tithe, we are now free to practice tithing gladly and with joy in our heart.

Others who fail to tithe complain that they never have enough left at the end of the month to give 10%-that after they've paid all their bills, there isn't any more money. But that is precisely the problem. They are content to offer God their leftovers, not their first fruits. I guarantee you that if you pay all your bills with the hope that at the end of the month you will have 10% to give, you never will. No matter how large your salary, the money won't be there. Financial advisors tell us that we will have financial security if we save part of our income. The secret they say, is to “pay yourself first.” What they should be saying (if they are believers) is that we should “pay God first, and pay ourselves second.”

In fact, 10% Is not very much for God to ask of us. In our Old Testament lesson, King David says in verse 14, “all things come from you, and of your own, have we given you.” In reality, 100% of all we have belongs to God. But God only asks 10%. Unfortunately, most of us act as though it all belongs to us. And even if we tithe, we convince ourselves that the other 90% is ours. But even then, we are only fooling ourselves. When you study the tithe in the Old Testament, you discover that the percentage of their income people actually gave was more like 23% (when you combine the tithe and on top of that, an additional tithe every three years).

In his autobiography, the great Texas industrialist, R. G. LeTourneau wrote this: “The question is not how much money I give to God, but rather how much of God's money I keep.” LeTourneau dedicated 90% of the assets of his company to Christian causes, as well as gave 90% of his personal income away. He was wealthy, and he considered his wealth a blessing to be used, so he lived on only 10% of his income and had the joy of watching his generosity bring blessings to others.

In reality, if we spend God's tithe on ourselves, we are actually stealing from God. It is taking that part of our income which is to be dedicated to God and spending His tithe on our own selfish desires. The prophet Malachi writes in the book bearing his name (3:8-10), “Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, ‘how are we robbing you?’ In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me - the whole nation of you! Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts: see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”

Tithing is God's plan for two reasons:

First, tithing is the life-blood of the church.

We are not yet into our stewardship campaign - nor are we putting together our budget for 2024. That will come in the fall. But I'm glad we are not in that season yet! Often churches first create a budget, and then beg their members to give in order to meet the budget. But this is theologically and biblically in error: when we do that, the whole motive for our

giving is wrong. We don't give to God to simply underwrite a budget, as if we were being taxed and must pay the bill. We give in order to confirm our covenant with God, and as an act of Thanksgiving!

In one of my former churches the stewardship committee calculated that if everyone in the church were on welfare and tithed, the income of the church would double! If every member of Tomoka United Methodist Church tithed would our income double or even triple? Just imagine the ministries this church could launch, the building projects we could undertake, and the ministry staff we could hire! Yes, tithing is God's perfect plan to fund the ministries of his church.

So first, tithing is good for the church. It is the life-blood of the body of Christ! But, it is even better for the individual giver. There are many benefits to tithing;

Tithing clarifies our priorities, literally putting God first in our life.

It is an act of faith: We invest in pension plans, stocks, and other investments that may be uncertain and unstable, and yet we fail to trust God to provide for our needs.

Tithing to the church assures that it will be there for your children and grandchildren – it is an investment in the future. Tithing is a consecration of ourselves - a symbolic representation of our lives presented to God. It brings us into a covenant partnership with God for the advancement of God's Kingdom in the world and carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ. Giving through the tithe brings satisfaction and joy, that we have done our part. I've never known an unhappy or resentful tither – they are all filled with joy! Tithers who invest in the church are spiritually growing, active disciples, and engaged in expressing their faith in vital ministries. If that is not enough, tithing pays a great dividends - as we heard from the prophet Malachi: God promises that he will bless those who tithe – that when we first give to him, we will have our needs met - we won't even miss the money we gave!

Friends, I want to share something with you. I don't say this to brag, but instead to encourage you.

When King David was collecting donations for the building of the temple, he stood before his subjects and announced what he would give from his own pocket. And because he declared that publicly, his subjects also gave generously. As your pastor, I want you to know that I have always tithed my income. If you want to know how much I will pledge to the church in 2024, all you have to do is look in the church budget to see what my salary is, and divide it by 10.

I wonder what would happen if I were to ask those of you pledging to tithe 10% to stand publicly in worship this morning? Don't worry, I won't. I wouldn't put you on the spot. But you know in your heart - whether you would stand or not.

I have always tithed and I always will. I do it because it makes me feel good that I am being faithful to God. I do it because it gives me joy to put God first in my life. I do it because I never have to wonder what I will be giving. I do it because it helps make our church flourish. I do it because I trust that God will provide all my needs – I will never go without. And he has always been true to his promise. I have always tithed, and like King David, I would challenge each person here to do the same. So, pray about it, and do what the Spirit of God tells you to do.

So, what is the difference between the giving that is expected of all Christians and the Spiritual Gift of Generosity?

As we have seen, the first test to determine if you have the Gift of Generosity is to ask whether or not you tithe on your income. But tithing alone doesn't reveal the Gift of Generosity. While many of us may tithe because it's commanded, and we feel obligated, or because we know God has promised that we will be blessed - and we certainly want to be blessed, the person with the Gift of Generosity goes the extra mile giving lavishly and with liberality, without thought of themselves. They give in the way Jesus described: “their right hand doesn't know what their left hand is doing.”

Those with the gift are happy to give the tithe, and then on top of the tithe, to give in thanks to God. They have no interest in getting credit for their giving, they don't even keep track. It has been said that if you have to ask the legal definition of tithing, you don't have the Gift of Generosity. Generous givers give with no other motivation than to express their love for God and neighbor.

Certainly, it is a great blessing to the church when well-to-do people have the Gift of Generosity. But this gift is not only given to wealthy people. Often the most generous people are not the ones who make the largest donations to the church. They are like the woman bringing her offering to the temple. You probably remember the story of Jesus and the disciples watching people as they threw in their donations. There was a poor woman with only two coins. Jesus said she gave 100%, “all she had,” to God. And she gave it joyfully. As it says in scripture, “God loves a cheerful giver.” And the poor woman certainly gave cheerfully. She had the Gift of Generosity.

Our first lesson today is a perfect illustration of what it means to give cheerfully – in other words, what it means to have the Gift of Generosity. I invite you to open your Bibles or the Bible in the Pew to First Chronicles, chapter 29, (page 536 in the pew Bibles) and let's see what we can learn about what it means to have the gift of generosity: Notice that in this passage all those who gave were giving over-and-above their tithe, they were making offerings to God. Now, test yourself to see if you might possess the Gift of Generosity:

Verse 2 = “I have provided for the House of my God so far as I was able.” David gave according to his ability (actually, all gave over-and-above, even the poor among them). Those with the gift of generosity give all they are able to give.

Verse 3 = “Because of my devotion... I give.” Those with the gift give as a sign of their devotion to God.

Verse 5 = “Who then will offer willingly, consecrating themselves today to the Lord?” Those with the gift of generosity have a willingness to give liberally - which brings them joy. It is not what we have that counts with God, but our willingness to give it.

Verse 14 = “for all things come from you, and of your own have we given you." Those with the gift recognize that all we have belongs to God. We are only stewards of the wealth we possess.

Verse 17 = “in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things.” Finally, the spirit of generosity comes from the heart.

So how did you do? Do you have the Spiritual Gift of Generosity? Do you tithe gladly and without hesitation? Does giving to the Lord's work bring you joy? Do you find yourself wanting to give more and more? If so, you may have been gifted with generosity.

In closing let me share a story about a man in a church who was well-to-do and very successful in business. One Sunday he got up in worship and gave a testimony. This is what he said, “When I was a young lad I got my first job and my pay was a $1.00 bill. The next day I went to church and a missionary spoke about his work in Africa. When the time for the offering came around, I debated in my soul, “I only have a $1.00 bill - I either will give it all or I will give nothing at all. I gave everything I had to God. Now look at me. Because of my faithfulness in giving everything I had to God, He has richly blessed me. Now, I'm a wealthy man!” Then the man sat down. A moment later, the woman seated behind him tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, “I dare you to do it again!”

As God said through the prophet Malachi, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts: see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you and overflowing blessing.”

So, go ahead. Put God to the test.

I dare you!

© 2023 by John B. Gill, III