A Fresh Vision “We Give To The Glory of God”

 A Fresh Vision

“We Give To The Glory of God”

Introduction:

Good morning church. This is it. The last week of our new fresh vision. Let’s read it together this morning. By now, hopefully you have nearly memorized it. It is written there for you on your sermon notes. 

ESBC is on mission to share Christ with every family in the community of Lake Forest and the greater Eastern Shore.

Our Fresh Vision:

ESBC is on mission to share Christ with every family in the community of Lake Forest and the greater Eastern Shore.

That is our vision. A church’s vision is what we hope to achieve. A vision is a destination, a place where we want to one day hopefully arrive. Yet, over the last 5 weeks we have been talking about our values as a church. 

Our values represent our core beliefs. Our values make us who we are, who we want to be. 

Our first value is that we put God first. 

Our second value is that we do our best. 

Our third value is that we are contributors, not consumers and we possess an eternal perspective. 

Our fourth value is we above me.

Our fifth value, the value that we discussed last week was that we enjoy and embrace the journey. 

Today, we will look at our sixth and final value. Our final value is listed as the sermon title. We give to the glory of God. Our giving is not only an expression of obedience to God, but it reflects our love for others. Generosity fuels the mission of our church to spread the Gospel here in our neighborhoods and Eastern Shore community.

You know, the philosophy of giving to the glory of God is and ideal that at the very heart of Eastern Shore Baptist Church. I have spent 13 glorious years as the pastor of this great church and during that time I have seen extraordinary examples of giving and generosity. I know what you are thinking, you are probably thinking that I am referring to people donating large sums of money to the church. While that is true, that is not actually what I am saying. I have seen people give generously, give cheerfully, not out of their abundance. Rather, I have seen people give not out of their plenty, but out of their meager. I have seen people with very little in the way of financial resources give proportionally large amounts. We also need to broaden our horizons when it comes to generosity. For some, it is not real sacrifice to give money, to scratch a check, but the sacrifice comes in giving of their time. I have seen incredibly successful, insanely busy people, give God the first fruits of their time. I have said many times behind this very pulpit that the greatest resource is not financial means but faithful members. Friends, dollar bills are great but dollar bills cannot change a diaper in the preschool. Dollar bills do not teach Life Group classes. Dollars do not greet people in the parking lot, open the doors for the handicap, serve as an usher, take up an offering, or teach a child the Roman Road to Salvation. 

Saying that, we do have a very generous congregation. It was June of this very year that we engaged in a short term giving campaign entitled “Over and Above”. For six weeks, you heard stories from church members about their calling to give and give generously. At the end of the campaign, in one singular Sunday, we had nearly $70,000 given. Given…not pledged. An added benefit to the “Over and Above” campaign was the continued generosity in giving in the months and weeks following. Because of your giving, our church has never been in a more surefooted position to share the Gospel with the Lake Forest neighborhood. Furthermore, we have never been in a better position to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world. 

Do me a favor this morning, fill in the blanks under “Today’s Thought”. Let this be the thesis statement for today’s message. 

ESBC Seeks To Give Generously For The Glory of God, For The Good of the Globe, And Because God Himself Is A Giver!

Today’s Thought:

ESBC Seeks To Give Generously For The Glory of God, For The Good of the Globe, And Because God Himself Is A Giver!

Church, most people, most pastors might not include giving to the glory of God as a value of the church. Why would that be so important to us? I’ll tell you why. The reason that giving to the glory of God is an important value is because God Himself is our model for giving. The Bible mentions giving over 2100 times. I know that it may be hard to believe, but Jesus talks more about money than He does about heaven or hell. Money was important to Jesus. We know this because He named one of His disciples, Judas to be exact, to be the group’s treasurer. Jesus paid His taxes, gave money to the synagogues, to the temples, and even paid for the donkey that He road into Jerusalem during His triumphal entry. Scriptures are filed with incredible examples of generosity from the Widow’s Mite to the generous acts of Zacchaeus and Barnabas. Today, you will hear verses encouraging believers, followers of Christ, to give cheerfully, sacrificially, and with faithfulness. 

You know brothers and sisters, the church should lead the way in giving. We should lead the way in giving our time, talents and treasures. Listen to this quote from Dr. Michael Frost. 

“In a world of greed and consumerism, the church ought to be a community of generosity and selflessness. In a host empire that is committed to marginalizing the poor…causing suffering to the disenfranchised, the Christian community must be generous to a fault, pursuant of justice, flushed with mercy.

Today’s Quote:

“In a world of greed and consumerism, the church ought to be a community of generosity and selflessness. In a host empire that is committed to marginalizing the poor…causing suffering to the disenfranchised, the Christian community must be generous to a fault, pursuant of justice, flushed with mercy.

-Dr. Michael Frost

Founder of Australia’s Tinsley Institute, Baptist Pastor, Missiologist, Theologian

Background and Context:

This morning, we are going to be reading form 2 Corinthians 9:6-9. Before we do that, I want to set up the scene for you. I want to help you understand why Paul wrote this letter, who his audience was, and why his words are so important for you today. 

Let's journey back to ancient Corinth where the Apostle Paul addresses a crucial matter – the church’s willingness to contribute to fellow believers in Jerusalem. Picture a diverse group, each with their struggles and uncertainties. Paul draws on the imagery of sowing and reaping, which makes complete sense because he was talking to a largely farming community. He paints a vivid picture, saying, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." The message is clear: our generosity is like planting seeds, and the size of our harvest depends on the generosity with which we sow.

Paul's emphasis, however, goes beyond mere actions; it's about the condition of our hearts. "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Our giving is to be characterized by joy and willingness, not obligation. Why? Because, as Paul assures the Corinthians, God is not a debtor. When we give with open hearts, God blesses us abundantly, not just materially but in every aspect of our lives. It's a divine principle – the more we give, the more God blesses.

That’s our direction this morning. Before we read Scripture, I want to remind you that…

Statement of Belief:

We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.  

Today’s Scripture:

2 Corinthians 9:6-9 NLT

Remember this-a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. [7] You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." [8] And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. [9] As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever."

How Can We Give Cheerfully To The Glory of God?

Point One: Sow Bountifully vs. 6

This morning, I want to answer the question, how can we give cheerfully to the glory of God. First off church, let’s be honest, giving is hard. It is not something that any of us are just naturally good at, it is something that we have to practice. Giving and generosity is something that is motivated first and foremost by the Holy Spirit. 

Fill in your first blank this morning, how can we give cheerfully to the glory of God? Sow bountifully. Let’s go back to verse 6. Let’s read that together. 

“Remember this-a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.”

I have heard probably dozens of sermons, dozens of messages on this passage over the course of my lifetime. What Paul is talking about is often referred to, at least in spiritual circles, as the Law of the Harvest. 

Simply put, the Law of the Harvest say that in life, we reap what we sow, we pull what we plant. If we are wise, we will reap more than we sow and we will reap later than we so. Good choices, wise decisions will bring forth good fruit and a bountiful productive harvest as a reward. Bad choices, unwise decisions are like bad seeds. Do you know what bad seeds produce? Nothing. Nothing good. Nothing helpful. Nothing useful. If you lie to others, people will lie to you and you will never know who to trust. 

The Law of the Harvest really illustrates that God is just. If you are wise, making good decisions, God in His justice will reward you. If you are unwise, making poor decisions, God in His justice will allow you to suffer the consequences of those actions. 

The Law of the Harvest is powerfully described in Galatians 6.

Galatians 6:7-8 NLT

Don't be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. [8] Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

Friends, you cannot plant an orange tree and expect blueberries. You can’t engage in bad and corrupt business practices and expect blessings. You cannot ignore your kids and expect them to respect you and respond to your discipline. You can’t live a life of immorality, lacking character, and expect your children who watch you closely to walk in the ways of the Lord. If you are in athletics, baseball, basketball, or football, you cannot expect to go out there and dominate on the diamond if you never practice. Life just doesn’t work that way. 

The world has taken the Law of the Harvest and framed it a new way, “what goes around comes around”. God cannot and will not be mocked. God does not dabble in situational ethics. The positive and negative effects of obeying God-given laws hold court for all of us. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about farming or finances, business or ballgames, the law of the harvest is true for all of us.  

Therefore, we must sow bountifully. We must sow in Christian character. We must sow in service that pleases the Savior. 

There are literally hundreds of ways that you and I can sow bountifully. 

Give. That’s right. Give. Give generously. One of the most direct ways to sow bountifully is through financial contributions. Your giving keeps the lights on, the air conditioning running, the salaries paid. Your giving fuels missions, fuels the Gospel presentation to Lake Forest, and sends missionaries around the world. 

Sowing bountifully isn't just about money; it's also about investing your time and talents. Volunteer your skills to help in the preschool. We need teachers, leaders, people who are hospitable, people to visit hospitals. We need greeters, parking lot attendants, we need creative people to help with media, podcasting, design, and editing. We need help in the sound booth and help with broadcasting. Again, money is important, I’m not going to lie and tell you that it is not. But a dollar bill, a check, cannot meet these needs but you can. 

Sow bountifully through acts of kindness and compassion. Be attentive to the needs of those around you and offer a helping hand whenever possible. Simple gestures, like listening to someone in need, providing emotional support, or showing understanding, can sow seeds of love and encouragement.

Sow bountifully in prayer. Lift up not only your needs but also the needs of others. Praying for the well-being of your community, nation, and the world is a powerful way to sow seeds of hope and healing. God knows the church needs you prayers, as does every member of this staff. Please pray for us as we pray for you. 

Lastly, show by sharing the Gospel. Share the message of Christ bountifully. Spread the love, grace, and hope found in the teachings of Jesus. 

Remember the words captured in Proverbs 11.

Proverbs 11:24-25 NLT

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. [25] The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Point Two: Share Cheerfully vs. 7

So, how can we give generously to the glory of God? Sow bountifully. That is point one. Point two this morning is that we can share cheerfully. That point comes from verse 7. 

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully."

When you read this passage, what words capture your eyes? If you are like me, you are probably draw to the same place, the words “give cheerfully”

The Greek words for “give cheerfully” are “hil-ar-os' dot'-ace”. “Hil-ar-os’” is of course the root word for our English word “hilarious”. It means joyful, joyous, merry, and cheerful. Do you see the mental image that comes to mind? The image I see is a Christian with an open heart, mind, soul, and hand. I see a Christian ready to be used by God. A Christian ready to see God move in his or her life. A Christian with a giant smile on his face, ready to give back to God what belongs to God. 

Brothers and sisters, we need to remember that we do not serve a God that is in need. God is not a pauper and nor is He a beggar. Everything belongs to God. That means what is in my bank account and what is your bank account all belongs to Him. It is simply on loan to all of us. We have been tasked with stewardship of God’s belongings. We are the managers and it is up to us to build on what God has so freely given to us. We are not called to be hoarders but helpers. We are not to be cheapskates but compassionate Christ followers. We are not supposed to embody that classic meme of the man standing behind the tree rubbing his hands together, a picture of greed and want. We are to be a living illustration of Jesus, ready to give all to save all for the glory of One. 

We are to live out the lessons from the parable told by Jesus, the Parable of the Talents. In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells a parable known as the "Parable of the Talents." In this story, a master entrusts his servants with various amounts of money (talents) before going on a journey. Two of the servants invest and double the money they were given, while one buries his talent and doesn't gain anything.

Upon the master's return, he praises the first two servants for their faithfulness and wise use of what they were given. However, he rebukes the third servant for his fearfulness and lack of initiative. The master takes the talent from the unproductive servant and gives it to the one with the most.

The parable conveys the importance of using one's abilities and resources wisely for the service of God. It teaches about responsibility, faithfulness, and the consequences of not utilizing the gifts and opportunities given by God. 

Friend, I want you to do me a favor this morning. Ask yourselves a series of important questions? Are you a hilarious giver? Do you receive joy when you give to the church. Yes the church. Giving to the church is more important than giving to just about anything else. Why? Because the church is God’s conduit of grace, peace and mercy. Giving firstly to the church propels the Gospel message around the globe, funds missionaries, funds pastors and minsters to serve you, pray for you, and work along side of you. Should you give to other charities? You absolutely should. Angela and I have given to Fellowship of Christian Athletes, we have given to Women’s Care Medical Center, we have sponsored a child through One Child. We have given to our local schools not to mention that we have given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, we have given to the John and Helen Thomas Mission Fund. Angela and I have given because it brings us great joy to give. However, before we give to anything else, we give to the church first because the church is the priority. It is the number one and I will never apologize for giving back to God first. What I have discovered is that the more I give to the church the more God gives back to me to give to others. 

This leads right into my next point. Before we get there let’s read probably the most classic piece of Scripture on giving from Malachi 3:10. 

Malachi 3:10 NLT

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

Point Three: Shift Culturally vs. 8-9

So, how can we give cheerfully to the glory of God? Sow bountifully. Share cheerfully. Lastly, we should shift ourselves culturally. Let’s read verses 8 and 9 together this morning and I will explain what I mean. 

[8] And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. [9] As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever."

Do you know that it has been the greatest privilege of my life to be your pastor. In January it will be 13 years that I have served as your pastor. I have grown with you and you have taught me a so much over the years. I have loved this church with my very soul. I saw an old friend on Friday night and he and I were talking. He asked me how long I had been here and I told him. He was surprised! He said, “Stuart, do you remember the first time you and I went to lunch for the first time. You had been here for about a month or so and I told you that I didn’t think youd be here longer than 5 years?”

He asked, “Do you remember what you told me?”

In fact, I did remember exactly how I responded to him. I told him that God had called me to be here, at ESBC, for my whole life. I told him that I did not see another church in my future. I felt that this would be my first and my only pastorate. I meant it. I still mean it. 

The reason that I said that was because it takes a long long time to change culture. It takes a long long time to earn trust. People don’t just let you be their pastor, being someone’s pastor is earned. 

One thing about our church that I have noticed is our cycle of giving. Let me explain. In every area of our church we need help. We need called, committed, Christian people to help. From the nursery to the nursing home, we need help. We don’t just need bodies, we need believers who are called to serve, called to pray, and called show up. We are not there yet. That is an area where our culture, starting with me, needs to improve. 

By the way, everything that I say starts with me. I am the leader. I am the pastor. I have to lead by example. I have to show up as much as you do. 

Next, I cannot tell you how many times over the years where we have been behind in our giving. We are behind in our giving right now. I have heard just about every excuse. The economy is bad. People just have less money. Sometimes people don’t give because they are unhappy, mad, upset. Trust me, I have heard it all. Friends, do you know that there are churches that are smaller than we are who meet their budget week after week. Do you know what our weekly budget is? Our weekly budget is just over $26000 a week. Our annual budget is roughly 1.4 million dollars. The end of the year is always stressful because we are annually behind some 60-80 thousand dollars and we usually have to make that up in the last 2 months. Friends, I want you to give out of faith in God. Believe that God will supply your needs and support your family. I dream of the day when I don’t have to come and stand behind this pulpit and prayerfully ask you to give. I dream of the day when giving generously is just integral to being a member of Eastern Shore Baptist Church. Oh don’t get me wrong, we are faithful givers. We have incredibly generous people. We need to follow their example, we should get behind them, and receive the reward. 

How do you change culture. You stay. Remain planted. Keep pressing on. Pray. Pray. Pray. It’s happening folks. Ive seen it. I watched you and been so proud. 

ESBC is on mission to share Christ with every family in the community of Lake Forest and the greater Eastern Shore

We put God first.  

We do our best.

We are contributors, not consumers, with an eternal perspective.

WE over ME.

We embrace and enjoy the journey.

We give to the glory of God

Proverbs 3:9-10 NLT

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. [10] Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

How Will You Give? Where Will You Go? How Will You Serve?