With Hurricane Helene devastating much of Western North Carolina, chaos in politics, the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the fall of a respected Christian leader, it is obvious that we are living in tumultuous times. Yet, we can take courage in knowing that whatever happens, God is using it to strengthen His church and spread the gospel. During such times we must respond in a manner that strengthens our mission as ambassadors of Christ. We need to be crystal clear that our mission is the Great Commission given us by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20. We are to make disciples of Christ, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and to teach them to obey everything commanded by Jesus.

New Christians are excited when learning of their forgiveness of sin and of being adopted into God’s eternal family; however, due to distractions or changes in circumstances or responsibilities, the initial enthusiasm often fades, and our walk becomes neglected. No Christian desires for his walk to wane, but it is a real possibility. Paul maintained his zeal for Christ because he was living for the gospel.

Living for the gospel should shape every aspect of our life; it means living for Christ. Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” The Christian doesn’t just follow Christ, he is consumed by Christ. Meaning in life comes from living for the gospel. Christ is to have our supreme attention and our supreme affection. 

Philippians 2:14-15 exhorts us to be shining lights “in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.” This means bringing them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, baptizing them and teaching them. Fulfilling the Great Commission is our purpose. The Great Commission provides defined purpose, and clear and achievable goals, provided we keep on mission. Everywhere that Paul went, he heard about the faith of the Thessalonians. The knowledge of the strength of their faith was widespread because they were living for the gospel. We desire that Southside Church also make such an impact on our community. Living for the gospel should fuel us, drive us, and focus us as it did Paul.

Last week as we considered part 1 of this series, Gospel Driven Planning, we saw that detailed planning is essential for successful ministry, but we must always keep in mind that God may overrule our plans. Paul had a strong desire to visit Rome on his planned trip to Spain, yet he recognized that it was possible that none of his detailed planning was certain. He was willing to concede that if such and such happened it was God’s will and if this did not happen it was also God’s will. He was settled in his understanding of God’s providence. Even Nebuchadnezzar, after his sanity was restored (Daniel 4:34-35), declared that God “does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand.” We need to be settled in our understanding of God’s sovereign providence and yield to Him.

II. Gospel-Fueled Generosity (vv. 25-27)

Living for the gospel means embracing generosity, and generosity produces unity; it is unity that gives power to the gospel. Generosity is the central theological theme of these verses and is the method whereby God strengthens His church. Here we are told that Paul was on his way to Jerusalem to deliver an offering from the churches of Macedonia and Achai. These churches were pleased to provide aid to the Jerusalem church because the Jerusalem church had brought them the message of salvation. The gospel should give us a desire to be generous. Generosity is not given from a sense of obligation nor duty nor guilt nor coercion. It is not given for praise; it is not self-serving. True generosity does not expect a return.

Because of our rugged individualism and materialism, it is hard to grasp the true idea of generosity. We generally think of generosity in monetary terms, but it is more than this. Simply, the definition of generosity is unselfishness; it is sharing something of great value to us to help meet the needs of another. The easiest example to see is sharing our home with others in a gesture of hospitality. This implies the sharing of emotional space as well as the sharing of physical space. Hospitality helps us to understand generosity. Generosity characterizes those who inherit the kingdom of God. In Matthew 25:34-36, Jesus helps us understand generosity when he equated serving others as serving Him: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  36  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

We can understand the essence of generosity only as we see generosity as an attribute of God. We first see this in the first sentence of the Bible. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God did not need to create anything because He is self-sufficient. He chose to create the world out of His generous kindness. His grace is seen in that He created the world to perfectly provide for all the needs of His creatures. Not only did He provide for our needs, but He also generously provided for our enjoyment: beautiful mountains and plains, lakes and streams, oceans and the heavens, music, delightful aromas and tastes, the sense of touch, etc. He also provided us with a relationship and communication with Himself and among mankind. Generosity is a direct reflection of God’s grace; it comes from the self-giving nature of God.

• Generosity Always Produces Unity (v. 25)

Because God’s people are a reflection of God Himself, His generosity should be seen in His people. A perfect example of this is seen in Exodus, Chapters 35 and 36. God had given specific, detailed instructions to Moses on how to build a tabernacle in which He would dwell. In Chapter 35 Moses told the Hebrews the items needed for the construction of the tabernacle. The people, in appreciation for all that God had done for them, and anticipation of God dwelling with them in a tabernacle, and being able to offer sacrifices to Him, brought free-will offerings in such abundance that Moses had to restrain them from giving. This free-will offering was above and beyond the obligatory offerings that God required of His people. For example: the sacrifices, the tithe, and the temple tax. The giving for the tabernacle was out of spontaneous generosity. The Rabbinic philosophy is that generosity equates to kindness, with kindness being a higher level of spiritual maturity.

Our text in Romans 15, specifically verses 26 and 27 both tell us that the churches in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make an offering to the Jerusalem Church. They were delighted to sacrifice their needs to make this free-will offering. This church was experiencing great hunger and poverty due to crop failure and economic instability. Second Corinthians 8:2-5 describes the degree of the sacrifice of the Macedonian Church: “in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints”. The ability to give so generously in such dire circumstances of their own was the fact that they first gave themselves to the Lord.

Generosity in the early church is described in Acts 2. After Peter preached his sermon at Pentecost, describing God’s generosity in sending Jesus into the world, the church began selling their possessions and distributing the proceeds to all who had needs. However, the Jews who believed in Jesus were expelled from the Jewish society and experienced, in addition to the famine, great financial hardship and persecution. As persecution increased, many disciples fled Jerusalem, carrying the gospel to other lands. When the church at Antioch learned of famine in Jerusalem, “the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so.” (Acts 1129-30) Luke tells us that the church gained favor with the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved(Acts 2:45-47). Such generosity is an excellent platform for the gospel.

The Jerusalem church was composed mostly of Jewish believers, while the churches outside Jerusalem were composed mostly of gentiles. In an appreciation of the kindness of God in sending the gospel to them via the Jews, they gave generously to the Jerusalem church. We most often think of generosity in monetary terms, but the giving of time and effort is also being generous. The gentiles responded to the crisis in Jerusalem by first organizing themselves to be most effective in their distribution of aid to the Jerusalem church. Lacking the modern transportation and communications of today, it required much time and effort, to develop and execute such a plan. As Paul visited the various churches to receive their offering, he would teach theology and help the churches resolve various issues.

In our busy world today, time and energy are very valuable. The willingness to sacrifice these treasured commodities is motivated by the love of God. The Corinthian church was known as a generous church, but Paul challenged them to be even more generous. (2 Corinthians 8:7) Paul encouraged the Corinthian church to prove that their love for the brethren was real by their earnestness to give generously. (2 Corinthians 8:8-9) The love of God should motivate us to also give generously, not only financially but also our time and energy. We may be willing to be generous as long as it doesn’t impact us too greatly, but are we willing to trust God to supply our needs, even when we think our needs are greater than what God knows we need? 

Generosity will never be unnoticed by God. Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” If we pour ourselves out for others, this doesn’t mean that we won’t get tired, but it does mean that God will encourage us; He will restore our joy. He will increase our love for Him and for other believers and increase the excitement we have for serving. If we are living for the gospel, God will ensure that we will not be fully depleted. Instead, we will be more like the Macedonian church and be begging God to be allowed to give even more. 

If we love God, we will want to give Him our best because He gave His best to us. If we are not living for the gospel, we are really only living for ourselves. The antidote for this malaise is DO SOMETHING. Do something to help someone; give generously of yourself and see the blessings that follow. As you do things to bless others, God’s kindness will cultivate a spirit of generosity within you and fill you with immeasurable joy. We make various excuses for not serving others: we are too tired, we don’t have time; our house is too small, etc., etc. etc. Jesus was a man; He needed sleep, He got hungry, He got tired, but except when Jesus got alone to commune with His Father, He gave every moment of every day in service to others. Give God a moment of prayer, a moment of praise, a moment of thinking outside yourself and allow God to take that seed you plant and turn it into a life faithfully sacrificed for the gospel. 

Jesus will not ask us to do something impossible or that He hasn’t already done. Living for the gospel means being generous with our time, energy, and our financial resources. God’s generosity toward us is shown in Ephesians 1:7-8, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us.” God promises to provide for our needs, but this promise is conditional. Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-33, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

The focus of these verses in Matthew 6 is about developing trust in God. If we truly trust God, we will give our time, energy and resources regardless of what happens. The motivation for this generosity is not transactional; we don’t give with the expectation that God will outgive us. If we give to God, it does not mean that God owes us something in return. If we give generously, God may decide that we actually need less in the way of material goods. However, we can trust that God will supply our needs if we prioritize His kingdom. 

• Unity Strengthens the Gospel (vv. 26-27)

Living for the gospel means that we will use all our time, energy and resources for growth in faith in Jesus Christ and the spread of the gospel, and this will promote unity just like it did for Israel. The purpose of the gift that Paul was collecting for the Jerusalem church was to strengthen the church and to foster unity, so that the world would know that God exists. 

Verse 27 explains that the churches in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to give and “indeed they owe it to them.” Paul wanted them to understand that the blessing of salvation by grace had come to them from the Jews in Jerusalem, and they were obligated to share financially with them. This generous gift wasn’t just a relief effort; it greatly promoted love and unity. This offering was a testimony of the gospel’s power, of the grace of God, and as a catalyst for reconciliation between Jew and gentile. Paul hoped that the example of gentile churches giving generously to the church in Jerusalem would help the church at Rome heal from their conflict caused by disunity between Jew and gentile. Generosity always promotes unity. Paul’s desire was that gospel-fueled generosity would be a powerful witness to the world of unity in the church, and this unity would promote the spread of the gospel.

Selah:

1. Describe some ways that God has been generous to you.

2. How would you rate your generosity in terms of time, energy or monetarily?

3. What is your level of satisfaction when you have given something valuable to you?

4. What are you not willing to allow God to take from you?