Welcome to a firm foundation presented by Princeton ministries with Dr. Ken Smith. This is Carol Smith, Ken’s wife. Please enjoy.

You would help us to understand the truth of the great generosity that you have for each of us, and father, that we would in this moment begin to see that you have called us to be generous people. For we ask this in Jesus ‘name, amen. Let me just ask you very frankly, are you a generous Christian? Say, well, I think so. I hope so. I like to believe so. Well, the problem with a phrase like that, are you a generous Christian? Is to ask the question, what do you mean by generous? Can you define that word for me? Well, it seems that we live in a day where generosity is unique. And I have noticed over the years that there seems to be three types of people, broadly speaking. The first I’ll refer to as a closed fisted person. What’s mine is mine.

And what’s yours, I’d like you ever met him. But then there is another group of people who are cautiously closed fisted, and they know that what I have is mine. But I also have family, and I certainly want to share with them, and perhaps occasionally I’ll share with someone in great need. But as far as the rest of the world, it can just continue to float on. By then there is a third broad group of people who are simply generous. They have an open fist, a palm that can always be seen, and they seem to constantly be saying, what I have, you can have. Generosity has been something that has always marked the christian church, the giving that is voluntary. Across America. Over 80% of that giving goes towards the church and from the church, involuntary giving.

The church, of all institutions in America, is the most generous in its voluntary giving. But it’s one thing to talk about the church, it’s another thing to talk about people. How generous are you? Well, the apostle Paul talks about generosity in chapter four, verses 14 through 20, and he presents to us some principles about godly generosity. First he tells us in verse 14, nevertheless, you have done well, that you shared in my distress. Christian generosity is always marked by looking for areas of need. And so the christian church is constantly having its eyes, surveying back and forth looking for a need. How can the church, how can I, as a Christian, help to meet that need? If it’s a widow, how can I help that widow? If it’s a prisoner? How can I help someone in prison? If it’s someone who is needy?

How can I help them? Becomes one of the first questions of genuine godly generosity. Unfortunately, our day has become very suspicious of generosity. And when we see someone who is generous, we often say, well, what’s in it for you? The apostle Paul gives a great approval to the church at Philippi. Nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. When you face a person in distress, in need, what comes to mind? Christian generosity? Or is it a closed fist? Robert DiVincenzo is on the pro golfing tour. Admittedly, he hasn’t won many competitions, and much to the surprise of the professional golfing association, he recently won a tournament, and he is from Argentina, and he was as surprised that he won as anyone else. On the 18th hole, he was awarded the winning check.

And as he left, with a broad smile, he tucked that check inside of his pocket. He went out to the parking lot, and as he was making his way, a woman came up to him and said, I just want to congratulate you. That was a marvelous exhibition of golf, and I just wanted to say how much I appreciated it. And he started to talk with the woman, and she eventually told him that she had a child at home who in recent months was ill. And it looked as though it was an incurable illness, and it was very difficult. And he thought to himself, and he reached into his pocket and he took out the check, took out his pen, signed it over to the woman, and he said, I hope that this can help buy some good days for you and your child.

And she disappeared. A week later, Robert DiVincenzo, the golfer, was in a country club, and a PGA official came up to him and he said, I heard what happened last week in the parking lot. You gave your check to a woman in need. I want to tell you that woman is a phony. She’s not married, she has no child, and you were taken. And Robert D. Vincenzo, he looked and he said, you mean to say there’s no baby that is going to die? That’s right. That’s the best news I’ve heard this week. I wonder how many of us hear that story and say to ourselves, how foolish. Didn’t you even look into her background? I think he would say there was a need, and I did my best. And before God, I tried to meet a need.

There’s a lot of hucksterism going on, and there are people who will take advantage of you and you will hear of those stories. The problem with those stories is it prevents Christians from becoming generous. Because we heard once about a lady who took a golfer in Argentina. We will not be generous. And instead we look with a jaundice eye at every need that comes along and we’re suspect the apostle Paul. Nevertheless, you’ve done well, that you shared in my distress. Secondly, in verse 15, now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving. But you only for even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.

I think a case could be made if I were a Christian living in the days when the apostle Paul was in need. I think a case could be made that. Is he taking advantage of us? How long has it been since Paul has been back to Philippi? Isn’t it something that the only time we hear about Paul is when he’s in need? Do you think he thinks that we’re an easy take? Because he tells us that there was one occasion when he left Macedonia and the word got back to the Philippians. And what did they do? They took an offering and they sent it to Paul. But then another period of time passes and Paul’s in Thessalonica and again the word comes back, Paul has a need. And what do they do?

They take an offering and they send someone and dispatch it to Paul. And now a third time, Paul’s in Rome. He’s in need. Do you think there were voices at the church at Philippi that said, why do we keep giving to this fellow Paul? We haven’t even seen him. Nobody even knows if he’s alive. But their love for Paul was so great and their belief in the ministry of the gospel was so profound that they would on three separate occasions send that offering. We are told that our giving, the monetary giving that we give is a fruit to the Lord. Usually when we think of fruit, we think in relation to Galatians five about love, joy, peace, the fruit of the spirit. And certainly that is fruit. But the scripture also talks about the fruit of our worship.

And in verse 17 we read that Paul said, not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account that there is a fruit in the christian life of giving, of being generous in the things that you give. Now, this would be a convenient time for me to give a talk on tithing, but I’m not going to do that. This would be a convenient time for me to remind you about the needs here in our own church, but I’m not going to do that. Instead, I am going to assume that you know about giving those things to the Lord.

One thing that I have noticed and now I believe is that the best thing that some of you, as Christians could do, is to make a sizable withdrawal and give away money to christian ministry that we have been gathering and gathering and gathering. Until our storehouses are full. We know how we will spend our retirement. We’re able to pay all of the bills. We have all of the bases covered. The only problem is there’s no room for the Lord. And in our culture this is a problem. The apostle Paul talks about the fruit of generosity, of giving. There’s something about giving that is a great blessing not only to the person who receives, but to the person who gives. I’ve noticed that sacrificial giving always produces greater love and devotion towards the Lord.

And as we would take our possessions and be closed fisted with them, it seems to strangle our own spiritual life. Thirdly, Paul tells us in verse 17, not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Godly generosity has an interesting motivational factor, and that is, Paul was genuinely concerned about the other person to the point that he was able to see them in eternity. He was able to see that each person is building up an account. And someday you and I are going to have to stand before the Lord and give an account of all that is recorded about us.

Paul was concerned for the Philippians that on the day when they stood before the Lord and had to give an accounting of their life, Paul wanted to do everything he could for their accounting to be a good accounting. Sometimes it’s hard for us to do things that are not related directly to us. If you ask Paul, why is it that you’re concerned about the Philippians? Well, it’s because someday they’re going to have to stand before the Lord. Well, Paul, isn’t there anything that is connected to you? Isn’t there anything in it for you? No, there really isn’t. I’m just concerned about them. I’ve noticed that attitude is something that parents are very aware of with their own children. We are able to do things for our children simply because it’s good for them and it has no consequence to us.

I was reading recently a note from a two-year-old to his mommy and daddy says, dear mommy and daddy, I heard you say that you don’t understand two year old’s. So let me explain. When I’m in my high chair and I say up, it really means down. Or sometimes it means, I don’t want milk, I want juice. Unless you give me juice in the first place. Then I want milk. When I say out and you open the door for me, the reason I throw a fit is because I want to stay in unless I can go outside naked, I really don’t like to go for walks. If I can’t ride in the stroller, unless you put me in the stroller, then I want to walk, or else be carried or maybe scream a little. Oh, and one more thing.

When you say, do you have to go potty? And I say, no, it really means yes. But I like to wait to tell you until we’re in the car at the market. I hope this explains everything. Your beloved two-year-old. Well, isn’t it true that we do things for our children simply because it’s for their good? We get very little benefit out of it. We want them to grow in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. And if someone were to say, well, the only reason you’re interested in the way your child’s behaving is so that people will think well of you, well, any good parent would say, no, that’s not the reasoning. It’s because I love my child and I’m doing this on their account.

How often when you see a need, are you able, with godly generosity, to simply see the need of the person and to say, you’ve got an account before the Lord, and I want to help you with your account. There’s nothing in it for me. I simply want to help you. Finally, in verse 19, he tells us, my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Notice that Paul tells us that God will supply all. Not my need. He will supply all of your need, the person who is being generous. Paul says, God’s going to supply your need. So often we take this verse and we say, I will go ahead and do some project because God will supply all of my needs.

But the verse makes it very clear, my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Now, what is the need that he will meet? Is he going to make us wealthy? Is he going to give us a bigger house, a nicer car? No. We are told that he will meet all of your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ. That the needs that God our father promises to meet are all of the spiritual needs that we have, all of the needs of this life that only Christ is able to satisfy, that Jesus Christ will satisfy all of those needs. I received a letter this week from a lady who says, my dad was a farmer. He owned a small farm of 42 acres.

Whenever we harvested the wheat or cut hay or oats, he would leave a lot in the corners for a poor man who raised goats. The man would come by and he would be so happy to rake up the leavings for himself. It always reminded me of Ruth, who gleaned in the fields of Boaz the first ripe apples from our tree and the first tomatoes from our garden we gave to our neighbors. I look back with love for my dad, whose heart was always touched by the needs and concerns of others. He’s gone now. I miss him. Have you ever known someone who truly understood being generous as God is generous with us, who was able to say, my time is your time, my resources are your resources.

Whatever I can do to help you in your account before the living God, I’m going to help you. You ask, well, what would motivate that kind of generosity? It’s motivated because a person has come to understand what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. That God was so generous in sending Jesus. Jesus, who was seated at the right hand of the Father in all of majesty, all of power, he gave up all of that and generously gave his life for you and for all of those who would trust in him. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of godly generosity. Jesus did not come with his hands clenched, saying, what I have is mine and what’s yours I want. But instead, with every gesture, every word, Jesus Christ lived a life where his palms were open.

And he said, whatever I can do, even going to the cross, I will do that for your account. And Jesus Christ loved us until finally he would give himself for us on the cross with his palms open to us, saying, do you see the godly generosity? Do you see what I’ve done for you? Will you be as generous with those who you live with? Will godly generosity mark your life? Let us pray. Our God and our father, by instinct, by nature, we are not generous. Jesus Christ came to rip the veil that our old nature would be destroyed and that our new nature would grow. We thank you for Jesus Christ. We thank you that Jesus generously gave of himself. We ask, Father, that you would help us as christians, not to be closed fisted with our time and our talents and our treasures.

But, Father, that we would have an open hand, that the world might see our palms, and that in seeing them, they would remember the palms of Jesus as they were pierced and he was strung upon a cross to give his life. We thank you for Jesus Christ. We thank you that we too can be generous with all that you’ve given us. We ask that you would help us by your Holy Spirit to understand what it means to be generous as you have been generous with us. We thank you in Jesus’s name, amen.

Thank you for listening to a firm foundation presented by Princeton Ministries. This programming is supported by you, the listener. You may go to our website, princetonministries.org, or send your donation to Princeton Ministries Post office box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 8543. That’s Princeton Ministries Post office box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 08543. The Lord bless you and Dr. Smith looks forward to hearing from you. We would like to thank Rone’s web development company for making this webcast possible. You can find their link at the bottom of our website, princetonministries.org.