~

This is the audio from the March 12, 2023 sermon, “A Road of Generosity: What Will You GIVE?”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 20:45 – 21:6

“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.”
1 Chronicles 29:14 (NIV)

Today I continued a sermon series with a focus on The Road to Resurrection.  Each week of this series will consider a different glimpse of the life of Jesus during His final week leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection.  When we understand that the true ownership of all that we have and all that we are belongs to God, it ought to lead us along a road of generosity.  While we often think of generosity in terms of the amount we give, I believe God would have us be more serious in examining what we . . .

• Glorify.  Luke 20:45-46
  • Walking with Christ on a road of generosity will lead us to examine what we glorify.  In our text, Jesus points out those who practice a form of religion that became all about their own glory.  When we walk a path of life which seeks to glorify our self, we will quickly lose sight of what true generosity looks like.  It is when we choose in every circumstance to glorify God, we discover an attitude of generosity that truly reflects Jesus.
• Invest.  Luke 20:47 – 21:2
  • Walking with Christ on a road of generosity will lead us to examine what we invest.  In our text, we find a contrast between those who invest with what is extra and those who invest everything they have.  Jesus makes it clear in His teaching that we must give our self fully to God in order to be His disciple.  When we invest in self with no regard for God’s kingdom, we will quickly fall into a trap of selfishness that drowns out God’s desire for us to be generous.  It is when we choose to invest all that we have and all that we are into the kingdom of God, also known as people, we find that we live with a generosity that can only come from Jesus.
• Value.  Luke 21:3-4
  • Walking with Christ on a road of generosity will lead us to examine what we value.  In our text, it appears that a distinction is made between those who value an appearance of godliness and those who value God.  When we define what we value by the standards of the world, we soon find our self choosing temporary over eternal.  It is when we chose to value what God values, we discover a lifestyle of generosity toward people that will help to make Jesus known.
• Enjoy.  Luke 21:5-6
  • Walking with Christ on a road of generosity will lead us to examine what we enjoy.  In our text, we see the conversation quickly shift from observing a person giving everything they have to an apparent change of subject regarding the beauty of the temple.  Our world is filled with great beauty and things of enjoyment, but it can become very easy to forget these things are just shadows of the things to come.  It is when we choose to enjoy the presence and creativity of God, we find a satisfaction that leads us to a growing generosity as a fitting response to God’s generosity.

Today, what will you choose to GIVE?