After studying the gospel of Matthew, I was led to do this series were calling, "God Is Willing." So often we throw around the phrase "God Willing... Lord Willing..." as if there were a question mark about whether God is "able" or "willing" to bless us. Now I'm not talking about, "God willing, I'll win 900 million Powerball lottery drawing." I'm sure God could make the numbers fall in your favor, but I have no reason to believe he is willing for you to win even if you pledged to give most of it to missionaries!
No, we're talking about what God is willing to do in the everyday course of life. Ephesians 5:16 says, "Make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:17 tells us how: "Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Can you honestly say you understand what God's will is... and that you're making the most of every opportunity afforded to you by the will of God? I'm talking about living confidently in the will of God. Are you confident? There is a lot of room for all us grow!
One of the things that strikes me, reading Matthew, is Jesus' confidence. Everything He says, everything He does, is according to the Father's will. His life was this bright light. People flooded his presence because he shattered their expectations about what God was able and willing to do. We can only aspire to live as large as Jesus. But I can assure you God has far more in store for us than you're making most of...
The topic this morning is that "God is willing to reward sacrifice." You know in the church I've found there are four kinds of people. (1) There are Skeptics. I meet skeptics all the time, who believe churches prey upon the weak and poor, only care about money, etc. If you're a skeptic, you're in good company, because one of Jesus' most aggressive acts of protest was to cleanse the temple flipping the tables of the merchants and money changers. His sharpest condemnation was to those leaders who shamelessly cheated widows out of their property, only to put on vain displays of public piety, praying lengthy prayers, carrying on like bunch showmen (Luke 20:47).
But if you remain a skeptic, and never learn to give because of a few fraudsters, you're leaving a whole lot of opportunity on the table. Skepticism can be a crutch that robs you of receiving God's very best. God richly rewards those who sacrifice.
(2) There are Consumers. There are people who give only because, or until, something benefits them directly. The consumer's first concern is, "What's in it for me?" In Matthew's gospel there were people willing to give but only if they could "put their name on it" and "announce it with trumpets/fanfare" and "get attention." Their giving was conditioned, based upon their own expectations. They'd give but only so long as there is an immediate, worldly benefit whether recognition, or something else. If giving is only about receiving, Jesus says you "already received reward in full..."
(3) There are Calculators. There are people who sit down and carefully calculate what they can reasonably and safely "afford" to give God. It's not wrong to be a wise steward of our resources. Its not wrong to plan, budget. But sometimes we can be so shrewd about giving we stop walking in faith.
I think of that time Jesus asked the Twelve to feed the crowd. They pulled out their calculators and were like, "Jesus, five loaves + two fish doesn't feed 5000. Can't do it!" Maybe this describes the Rich Young Ruler. He was willing to obey God but wanted nothing to do with Jesus when asked to sell everything and give it to the poor. When everything becomes a calculation, we don't leave room for God to work. A word of caution is God is much bigger than the little boxes we put him into. God's willing to reward boldness, faith.
(4) There are Risk-Takers. In Mark 12, Jesus is watching people put their money into the temple treasury. "Many rich people threw in large amounts. But then a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents." Who do think Jesus was most impressed by? "Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had live on."
Risk is relative to what God has given us. When it comes to faith, people talk a big game. But when it comes to generosity and sacrifice, and dreaded M-Word (Money), you hear crickets. There are few areas of our lives more tangible, practical to demonstrate faith than our personal finances. [Which Word Best Describes You?]
[Symbol] Principle: God is Able to Reward Risk.
We are well-acquainted with risk. This week, people are risking millions, because they believe the Multi-State Lottery Association is able to pay out mega-millions. Maybe you saw the stock market headlines this week [show picture]... still, people risk billions in the market because they believe banks/companies will make good on their word. Many of you work faithfully, trusting that your federal or state pension will be there when you retire, that social security will be solvent, or your company stock will hold its value. So do you have more faith in these than God's ability to reward risk?
Hebrews 10:36 says, "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised you." A lot of folks operate by "slice of pie" economics. We believe we're all competing for our slice of the pie. Our goal is to get the biggest piece we can get, and that pretty much determines how we vote! Whos going to get me mine? And if someone is getting a bigger piece we cry foul. Worry, greed, panic... is what happens when we're all were fighting over the same piece of pie.
What we fail to realize is that God is the pie-maker, he is the master chef, the master baker, he owns the oven, he's Creator, he's got plenty of dough, plenty of fruit, plenty of oil, and he is able to keep those pies coming, and he does...
In Matthew's gospel God makes the three wise men show up with gold for Mary/Joseph, when they're in the most destitute circumstance. He makes gold coins appear in a fish's mouth, when the temple tax collectors come after his disciples. He multiples the five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand, and there were twelve baskets leftover. What is the craziest way God has revealed himself as Provider in your life? God is able to reward risk... but more than that...
[Symbol] Principle: God loves to Reward Risk.
We live for rewards don't we? In my car, I have this keychain filled with rewards cards. If I go to the gas station, Qdoba, County Market, Ace Hardware, Lowes, Bass Pro... there is a little card to scan. I used to put all those in my wallet, but it threw my hip out of alignment. I don't know about you, but I love maximizing my rewards!
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells the Parable of the Bags of Gold. If ever there was a story of God's desire to reward risk, this is it! [READ MATTHEW 25:14-23]. I want in on that don't you? In Matthew 19:29, Jesus tells his disciples, that at the renewal of all things, "... everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."
But the thing that shocks us about this parable, is that God curses the servant who dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money! God doesn't reward fear, or playing it safe. God is pretty serious about this risk-taking stuff. [READ MATTHEW 25:24-30]. The moral of the story is that one way or another, we get rewarded, whether for faith or a lack thereof.
Church Example... [LAKESIDE CHURCH PLANTING STORY]... Isn't that amazing? FYI... Two types of giving very important... CORE FUND (this now services 911k debt). VISION FUND goes to parking, $150k.
Personal Example... [GIVING TO ALL-IN Campaign 3 Years]. We pledged to give amount out of our personal finances, equal amount out of our home-business. Over three years I had plenty of opportunities to consult, teach, and speak to more than cover what gave out of our personal finances. We have more discretionary money available now than any time in our lives. God rewards generosity.
But on the business side, nothing dramatic happened. We lost tons of revenue. But then very last month of campaign, I got a phone call, someone asked me about doing a project. It was the biggest contract we'd ever gotten in our business, and I've been able to do it over holiday, few hours a night. God loves rewarding sacrifice!
A church I visited clapped at the time of offering.... God loves reward sacrifice.
I want to share few notes of caution about kind of generosity God's rewards... Generosity is about obeying the Great Commandment. Jesus said, "Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, body, soul... and love your neighbor as yourself."
First, Generosity is About Loving People
Long before God gave the Ten Commandments, tithing 10% was already an established standard. In Genesis, Abraham tithed to Melchizedeck. But here is the caution. Sometime we get so wrapped up in tithing, we miss the big picture of what God is doing in the lives of people.
In Matthew 23:23-24, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees. He says, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel."
We can't ever let this conversation, about God rewarding sacrifice, drown out the weightier matter of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Generosity is loving people. Our generosity has to, and actually does, make real impact on people.
This is why Jesus tells the parable of the sheep and goats. Jesus commends the sheep saying, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." ... "WHEN??" ... "Truly I tell you whatever you did for one of the lease of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me."
Second, Generosity is About Honoring God
It seems that sometimes our conscience is bothered when it comes to generosity. When we were contemplating updating our building a few years ago, a young man called me and said, "Shouldn't we build a shelter for homeless people instead."
Shortly before Jesus was put on trial, a woman anointed Jesus, and poured expensive perfume on Jesus head. His disciples became indignant, and said, "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." But Jesus commended the woman's faith, and rebuked the disciples saying, "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me." Some things are rightly done to exalt Jesus, to provide an opportunity for people to express their worship to God. Its not either or, its both-and. Love God/ Love people.
Now, What will you risk? Practical Ideas...
One and only area you can test God... is in giving. Give and watch God reward.
Give to someone truly poor who cannot give back to you.
Give in secret when nobody knows or sees, or can test you.
Give in such a way you have to get on your knees. Take big gulp!
Give in a way that requires sacrifice of appetites, downsizing lifestyle, curbing desires, fasting...