“The real privilege of giving is the privilege of giving to God!”
Sermon Title: LIVING THE GENEROUS LIFE
Scripture Text: JOHN 12:1-8
Sermon Notes:
JOHN 12:1-8 NIV
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,
5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Am I generous?
“We are most like God when we are generous.”
JOHN 12:1 NIV
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
I. THE RESISTANCE TO GENEROSITY
JOHN 12:2-5 NIV
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
“The enemy of generosity is selfishness.”
JOHN 12:2-5 NIV
2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
JOHN 12:6 NIV
6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
“The true value of our devotion is measured in what we leave at Jesus’ feet and not with what we get.”
I. THE PRIVILEGE OF GENEROSITY
JOHN 12:3 NIV
3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
JOHN 12:7 NIV
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.
“God has a purpose for every gift that we give.”
LUKE 21:3-4 NIV
3 “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
“God never holds us responsible for what we do not have.”
III. THE OBJECT OF OUR GENEROSITY
MATTHEW 26:10 NIV
10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
“A poured out life of love for Christ displays what he really means to us.”
“When we give God something that is precious to us, it also shows how precious he is to us.”
I. The Resistance to Generosity
II. The Privilege of Generosity
III. The Object of our Generosity
EXODUS 13:11-15
11 After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your forefathers,
12 you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.
13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.
14 In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’