10: Just and Generous
Matthew 19:16-22 NKJ
Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good
thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why
do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you
want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him,
“Which ones?” Jesus said, “’You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not
commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false
witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to Him, “All these
things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to
him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful,
for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19:23-30 NKJ
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is
hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say
to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When His disciples
heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be
saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Then Peter
answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.
Therefore what shall we have?” So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I
say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the
throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or
lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit
eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Matthew 6:19-21 NKJ
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:24 NKJ
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and
love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Luke 12:15-21 NKJ
And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for
one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he
possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground
of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself,
saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So
he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and
there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul,
“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease;
eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your
soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which
you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is
not rich toward God.”
Principles of Value Transformation:
- You shift from wanting more to sharing more.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 NKJ
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And
having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those
who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many
foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and
perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which
some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 NKJ
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty,
nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us
richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a
good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on
eternal life.
The Circle of Blessing
Psalm 25:12-13 TLB
Where is the man who fears the Lord? God will teach him how to
choose the best. He shall live within God’s CIRCLE OF BLESSING,
and his children will inherit the earth. - You expose yourself to the need of humanity.
Matthew 25:32-40 NKJ
“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the
goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on
the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was
thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I
was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was
in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him,
saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty
and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You
in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in
prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them,
‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of
these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”
Matthew 25:41-46 NKJ
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you
cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave
Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and
you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You
hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did
not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I
say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these,
you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” - You shift from giving out of abundance to giving sacrificially.
SIMPLICITY—SINCERITY—SACRIFICE
Mark 12:41-44 MSG
Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd
tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making
large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small
coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said,
“The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all
the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss;
she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”