Help the weak remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself it is more blessing to give than to receive Luke $638.00 from the lips of Jesus give y. And it to be given and to you know how good measure pressed down shaken together running over will be poured into your cup for with the measure of the size that you use it will be measured or given back to you Solomon the wisest man in the world Proverbs 229 a generous man will himself be blessed for he shares his food with the poor are you getting the drift pretty strong argument Solomon Proverbs 917 he who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and what does God do when people are kind of the poor he will reward him for what he has done Deuteronomy Moses writes When you're out harvesting your field and you overlook a sheaf you know you're harvesting your field and oh boy we forgot that one back there notice what he says Do not go back and get it leave it for the alien for the fatherless and the widow why so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands Proverbs 3910 he says honor the Lord with what honor God What's it look like honor God with all your wealth how with the very 1st fruits of your crops you give the 1st in the best What's the result then your barns will be filled with overflowing and your back so burst out with new wine and then finally Solomon in Proverbs 1120 $4.00 and $5.00 I love this $11.00 man gives freely yet gains all the more another withholds what is justly do but comes only to poverty a generous man will prosper and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed Now listen very carefully. This is not a give to get and this is not the prosperity gospel this is not a formula where you can figure out all this is how God has set up life I'm going to figure out how to use God and somehow give so I can get more that's just being selfish but what the Bible teaches from Jesus to Moses to Solomon to all through Scripture is very very simple. You have limited capacity you have limited time you have limited money you have limited opportunity you have limited energy you have limited talent and God says to you if you will take those limitations and you will give the 1st and the best and trust me I have unlimited supply to help you fulfill my purpose in you and my purpose through you the bright idea that comes out of this is this generous living produces emotional happiness spiritual holiness and as a general rule material prosperity no give to get no playing games with God But you know people that are generous are happy they're like anti Scrooge you know when you you just can't wait for your husband or your wife or a close friend or one of your kids or grandkids to open something right you know they want it you know they want it you've been thinking about it you checked it out on the Internet you bought it you can't wait and you know what that is you're made to give in to bless others and when you do what happens it's more blessing to give than to receive but God says this is a way of life. There is an enemy through this though. Left to ourself and in our flesh I'm a selfish greedy person I mean I want to appear generous but protect me right now none of you are like that but that's just left to myself the only antidote to greed and selfishness and the power of money the antidote is to give It's when I give God the 1st when I give him the best it breaks the power of greed and that false belief that just a little bit more just a little bit more than that it can produce security and it'll take care of me and some day when I have then that false belief and then finally what you find is people that are generous with material things and generous with their time generous with the Tao just the hand of God plus and. Now you may be hearing what I'm saying and thinking Ok no wait a 2nd Fact number one is God blesses generous people and you might be saying Well I think I'm pretty generous but I'm not experiencing that kind of lesson back I've got a lot of debt right now I've got a lot of pressure right now I don't have enough time right now I mean how does this really work well I did a little experiment I thought to myself. I wonder if there's a difference between being truly generous and just assuming or thinking that you're generous I went to a little strip mall where there was multiple little restaurants and a Starbucks and I went from person to person to person I said I'm trying to find 100 people I have one question it's a survey I just want to yes or no answer no explanation yes or no and I mean I had young people old people all kind of ethnic backgrounds and I walked around that I was scared at 1st but it got to be fun and I said excuse me 2 ladies are stopping you know I don't want any money I'm not going to do anything it's a survey can I ask you this question and I said here it is do you consider yourself to be a generous person. Yes or no do you consider yourself to be a generous person yes or no if I ask you that just right now you don't raise your hand don't do anything but just yourself talk do you consider yourself to be a generous person yes or no. Well my very unscientific survey revealed that 80 percent of the people at that strip mall consider themselves very quickly to be generous people only 2 people said no. And so I couldn't resist I had a follow up question so you don't think you're generous you know. I don't think I'm generous and I'm not trying to be generous but he just you know move on you know get your own coffee or something. Now here's here's here's what I want you to get. What if all the verses I've talked about aren't for people who think they're generous. What of all the verses I mean this is this the words of Jesus the words of Solomon what if what if God really has a standard or a criteria that if you fulfill that you're generous and these promises apply to you and if you just think you're generous which I'm now learning 80 percent of the people think they are. Then they really don't apply to you and so let me give you Fact number 2 Fact number 2 is that God provides clear criteria for becoming or knowing that you're a generous person I mean right out of the Bible you know you may have said yes you may have said no but I will tell you in about 10 minutes you can know with absolute certainty from God's perspective whether he looks at you as a generous person the 1st 2 are reviewing the last 3 or new characteristic number one genuine generosity gives the 1st and the best to God. When God looks at people when they get the 1st crops the 1st of their paycheck the 1st blessing the 1st opportunity they come to God and say I recognize all I have belongs to you I want to give you the 1st and the best people who do that from God's perspective are generous 2nd genuine generosity is systematic and regular So it's not just a feeling or near Christmas or this person has a need and I gave him a couple 100 bucks or I help this person over here genuinely generous people on a regular systematic basis that 1st Corinthians number 16 verse 2 where Paul is writing to them and says now on the 1st day that week. I want you to prepare yourself and I want you decide in proportion to how God has blessed you on a regular systematic way in the New Testament times most people were paid daily they were paid at the end of the day most of us get paid you know every 2 weeks or once a month or by commission and so the issue is when I get paid do I regularly and systematically give the 1st and the best to God So that would make us generous if I don't do that I can feel generous but from God's perspective I'm not 3rd criteria genuine generosity is proportional to our income notice that same passage 1st Corinthians 162 he says let everyone decide on the 1st day that we were going to what according to this and. You're listening to living with we'll get back to Chip's message in just a 2nd but if you're new to us living on the edges a teaching ministry dedicated to helping Christians really live like Christians how to hear more of chips teaching download the free shipping roadmap Well now here's chip with the rest of his message. Let's pretend that right now I could invite one of you up here and you know you were just very bold and we learned that you earn $30000.00 a year and live in the Silicon Valley and someone else was very bold and very open and vulnerable and I had them come up and they make $300000.00 here in the Silicon Valley Ok a b both of them have maybe grown up in the church both of them love God and both of them have learned that tithing is important giving the 1st 10 percent but they've been taught that that's God's part and somehow unconsciously believe the biggest lie in the church that the other 90 percent is theirs so yes give 10 percent to God is like boy I'm glad that Bill is taking care of but they missed generosity completely So let's do a little bit of math. $30000.00 give the 1st 10 percent is $3000.00 this person is going to live on $27000.00 in the Silicon Valley how sacrificial is $3000.00 is a lot and that this person by God's blessing and grace makes 300000 and by the way don't don't read into good person bad person these are these people both love God with all their heart this just person makes less this person makes more they tie than they give $30000.00 the very 1st portion but who's the most generous I'm going to go on a limb and a number of you would say I could squeeze by 270000 dollars a year here in the Silicon Valley I mean to topple have to really get a budget but I'm going to I'm going to figure out how to make. You understand what I want you to get is this jar represents yours but some chars are bigger than other jars for people that have small jars what they give and how they give it God never measures the amount that you give God measures the amount of the sacrifice that's generosity that's why when the widow would drop in the 2 small copper coins and the other people gave large gifts he wasn't saying the large gives for bad in fact the temple couldn't run without the large gifts he just was saying comparatively this woman has given more than them but we are going to say Jesus your math is all wrong No they gave this much and she gave this much why would Jesus say she gave more. Because it was a greater sacrifice generosity is the 1st and the best it's regular It's systematic it is proportional so it's not like you pay a bill you're on a journey as God blesses you more you get to give more you get to be involved more you get to stretch you get to lot of you get to expand I've had times where I was given more and then I had times where everything went down to here and one of the most humbling times of my life was to say I used to be able to give this now I can only give. It's proportional 4th characteristic of generous people is genuine generosity is sacrificial. The same setting Paul writes a lot about generosity and setting printings chapter 8 and 9 he says Now brothers we want you to know about the grace that our God has given the Macedonian church he's right into the current plans and he's talking about the Macedonian church he says out of their most severe trial their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty it welled up in rich generosity I underline those 4 things because I don't I don't think we think about generosity coming out of that do you. I'm going to be generous when there's an extreme trial I'm going to be generous when I'm under it I'm going to be generous when I don't have much at all at that poverty he said what well of out of then was rich generosity Now notice what he says he says For I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability in the notice the motivation entirely on their own they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints in the service he's talking about is over here these Jewish Christians there was a famine and they didn't have any food and these Christians over here said Gentile Christians they were new Christians and there used to be all this hostility but Christ broke that wall and they said we have and they don't have so we're going to share. The final characteristic of generosity is not simply the 1st in the best in not just systematically or proportional or sacrificial but genuine generosity is thoughtful voluntary in worship full of genuine generosity isn't just you know hearing a series or having a I call it a god moment and I've had and I want to have more but where you just compelled in and you're given it sort of does this emotional thing you go wow see genuine generosity isn't just thinking with your heart it's with your mind and it's an act of war should notice what Paul writes later in the same discussion with this church he says I thought it was necessary to urge your brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift that you promised so they said we want to help those those Jews that are really going through it and there's a famine and hey Paul last visit we're going to help him and Paul says hey I'm coming to collect the gift. And so he says that I'm going to come early and I just want to warn you kind of a little heads up so to be ready is a generous gift and not grudgingly. Because Paul knows human nature I mean I don't know about you but I made commitments and I prayed about it and God showed me and I made it a right moment when I was really in fellowship with God and then it came around time to give the gift that I'm gone. You know maybe I didn't really hear maybe maybe we could let you write don't you all do this stuff and so Paul knows that's what's happening so I say let me just I want to be right from the heart so little heads up I'll be there who knows a couple weeks and then he gives them the stop for suggestion he says remember this as you're sort of weighing in the balance about being faithful to what you said whoever so sparingly reaps also sparingly and whoever so generously will reap also generously and so it's an agricultural world and he just brings them back like farmers because look you know if you put 5 seeds in the ground that you can have 5 stalks come up you put $5000.00 sees in the ground you have $5000.00 stocks on each stock to be hundreds if not thousands of other seeds so if you so little a little comes back if you sell a lot so he's getting to it's thoughtful. But notice that it's voluntary in worshipful he has each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheer for literally a hilarious giver it's it's based on the law of harvest it's voluntary it's not compulsory woman it was and it's worshipful it brings joy to God our. Chip will be back in just a minute to talk more about this message but if you're just joining us you're listening to living on the edge with Chip Ingram chips teaching today is from his series The genius of generosity now as this 4 part series unfolds you'll discover the generosity is far more than just a financial issue it's a lifestyle and according to Jesus it's the smartest way to live if you'd like to learn more about how to develop living a truly generous life this is the series for you now to take a closer look at all of the genius of generosity resources go online to living on the Edge dot org you'll find the book C.D.'s and you can download chips message notes or the m p 3 s. Absolutely free again the Web address is living on the Edge dot org or just give us a call at 188-833-3600 extension 34 the genius of generosity or chip the series has helped thousands and thousands of people overcome Satan's lie that if I'm generous there won't be enough for me that I'm somehow going to get short changed or your book and this is just been rereleased how will it help people understand to see the deceit of this lie well Dave let me tell you I think that lie has kept people from experiencing God's fullness in his Crace and his power in their life but behind that live really is that God isn't generous that he doesn't want to bless that if I give of my time or if I give of my. Money or even if I give up my friendship and my energy there won't be enough left over for me and the fact of the matter is that's the law of the flesh not the law of the kingdom our God is good kind he's a son and a shield he gives grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly and what I have learned is that this kingdom principle that as we give as we are more and more like him and as we release and give and share he just keeps filling up our life in our heart and even our bank accounts so that we give to others now it's never a give to get and that doesn't mean your life is going to work out just perfect but I can tell you this that when people are generous when you begin to have your antenna up looking for opportunities to love and to care and to share your heart and your life absolutely changes and this little book The genius of generosity that I've had the privilege of writing is short only 100 pages it's only 5 by 7 with a beautiful little leatherette cover and what it allows you to do is get your mind in your heart thinking the way God thinks about generosity and what you begin to grasp is that God has unlimited unlimited resource money energy time and he's just looking for a man or a woman like you that he can pour it through let me encourage you to pick up the genius of generosity or better yet we bundle them in groups of 5 deeply discount them get 4 or 5 people and say hey let's go through this together in our small group or Sunday school class or even as a family I think you'll love it well chips book The genius of generosity has just been rereleased It's a beautiful little volume perfect for you or to give as a gift to someone you know it's just 5 by 7 with a soft leather like cover that fits neatly in a handbag or briefcase this little gift edition would make a perfect present for anyone you want a boy yes. Or to hand out to your small group or Sunday school class and I hope you do that we've discovered the 5 pack bundles so check out the new release of chips book The genius of generosity and order your copy is today just go online to living on the Edge dot org or give us a call at 188-833-3600 extension 3. As we wrap up today's program I want to ask you a question that I actually asked you earlier in the program and I ask you Are you a generous person and I did a little survey and about 8 out of 10 or 9 out of 10 people whether they're Christians or not if you ask them Are you a generous person they say yes and so when you listen to oh God prospers generous people most of us think Oh good because I feel like I'm generous and if you listen carefully to today's teaching the scripture is really clear God says this is what makes a generous person from his perspective we're only generous when we give the 1st and the best to God I mean off the top We're generous when we're giving systematically not not emotionally not just when we feel like it we're generous when we're giving proportionally another words if God gives us more we continue to give more we're generous when we're doing it sacrificially and we're doing it with the right heart an attitude voluntarily So here's what I want you to hear I want you to really ask yourself from God's perspective are you generous Do you give the 1st in the best do you tie do you give systematically do you give off the top or do you give what's left over because when you do what God says the promises emotional happiness spiritual holiness and as a general rule he blesses our finances of course it's never a give to get but God says this is how he operates my challenge to you is to be a generous person not by how you feel but according to the Word of God and what he says because his promise is to bless and prosper that kind of person and I don't want you to miss that and neither does he. You know