GENEROUS – LUKE 12:13-21
How much money is enough?
Why does money have such a powerful hold on us?
We’re not meant to worship ______ as God, we’re meant to use ______ to worship God.
1) Choose your role-models wisely.
“13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ‘
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself ?’
21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
2) You’re a steward not an owner
OWNER V STEWARD
“”But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” (1Chronicles 29:14)
3) Be rich towards God.
i) We’re richer than we think
ii) giving is proportionate to income.
“each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income,” (1Corinthians 16:2)
iii) Christian giving is voluntary.
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2Corinthians 9:7)
iv) Christian giving is meant to hurt
“For I testify that, they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.(2Corinthians 8:3-4)
v) God provides so you can care for your family
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Timothy 5:8)
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I want to know more:
- To Discuss: book onto Alpha www.stjamesnewbarnet.com/courses
- To Read: Ash Carter, The Money Mentor
- To Read: Brian Rosner, Beyond Greed
- To Read: Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex and power and the Only Hope that Matters
- In debt? Christians Against Poverty have lots of resources online: https://capuk.org/