You Don’t Need More Money to Be Generous

As is the case most weeks, when we work through a book of the Bible, there’s more to cover than can be covered in one sermon.  This is very much the case in the opening of Philippians.  One of the things I love about this book is how personally Paul speaks about this church.

He’s sitting in prison, facing an uncertain future, and as he thinks about the believers in Philippi, he writes: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3–5)

That word partnership is important and not abstract.  Paul isn’t simply saying, “I really like these people.” He’s describing a group of Christians who understood that following Jesus meant participating in the mission of Jesus.

And that participation included their finances.

In Philippians 4:15–16, Paul reminds them that when he left Macedonia, they were the only church that partnered with him financially. Even while he was ministering in Thessalonica, they sent support more than once.

But here's what makes their generosity so remarkable. They weren't giving out of abundance. They were giving out of poverty.  That’s generosity that on the surface doesn't make sense.

When Paul writes to the Corinthians, he points to the churches in Macedonia as an example of extraordinary generosity. Philippi was one of those churches.  Listen to how he describes them: “For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” (2 Corinthians 8:2)

Note the words Paul uses. Severe affliction. Extreme poverty. Abundant joy. Overflowing generosity.  To be honest, those aren't words we typically expect to find together.  We tend to think generosity is something we'll get serious about when our circumstances improve.  When I make a little more money…when the mortgage isn't so tight…when we finally have some breathing room in the budget.

But these Christians didn't wait until generosity was convenient. In fact, Paul says they were begging for the opportunity to give!  Why?  Because they understood something that we desperately need to recover.

Generosity isn't primarily about how much money you have. It's about what has captured your heart.

There's a little phrase in 2 Corinthians 8:5 that I don't want you to miss.  Paul says: “They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”  That's the key to understanding everything else.  Before they gave their money, they gave themselves to Jesus.

And when Jesus has your heart, he begins changing your relationship with everything else including your money (remember…you are what you love).  The Philippians didn't see their resources as something to protect at all costs. They saw them as something God had entrusted to them for his purposes.

This is why financial generosity is such an important part of discipleship.  Money has a unique ability to expose what we're trusting, what we're afraid of losing, and what we believe will ultimately make us happy.  And Jesus wants to be Lord of that part of our lives too.

So what might this look like for us at Port City?  Let me give you four practical challenges.

1. Stop waiting until you have more to become generous.

If generosity always begins when I have more, there's a good chance it never begins.  That’s true of most important things in life.  I often think, if I waited until I felt like I was ready to be a parent…I never would have had kids.  So start where you are. For some, that might mean giving for the first time. For others, it means becoming more intentional and consistent.  The Macedonians remind us that generosity is measured by more than the size of the gift.

2. Make giving a priority, not an afterthought.

Take a look at your budget. Is generosity something you plan for, or something you do if there's anything left over?  Consider setting aside a portion of your income to give regularly to the ministry of your local church. Build it into your financial rhythms.  Not because God needs your money, but because your heart needs the ongoing reminder that everything you have belongs to him.  This is one of the big reasons we offer the Financial Peace course every spring.  We want to disciple you in practical ways to make this possible.

3. Connect your giving to actual people.

When the Philippians supported Paul, they were participating in the spread of the gospel.  The same is true today.  When you give, think about the people being discipled, the people being baptized, the children hearing about Jesus, the university students encountering the gospel, and the churches yet to be planted.  Your generosity is about so much more than funding a budget. It's about participating in a mission.

4. Ask God to stretch your generosity.

Paul says the Macedonians gave according to their means and even beyond their means (2 Corinthians 8:3).  That doesn't mean ignoring financial responsibilities or giving recklessly. But it does challenge us to ask whether our generosity ever requires genuine sacrifice.  Pray a simple prayer: Lord, what would it look like for me to trust You more with what You've entrusted to me?  And then be willing to act on the answer.  

There's one final thing I want you to see.  It all begins with grace.  Paul doesn't end his teaching on generosity by pointing to the Macedonians.  He points to Jesus, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

That's where Christian generosity begins.  We don't give to earn God's love. We give because we've already received a generosity we could never deserve.  Jesus gave himself for us.  And the more deeply that truth takes root in our hearts, the more freely we begin to hold everything else.

That's gospel partnership.  And that's the kind of church I pray we continue becoming.

Pastor Jeremy