Generosity and God's Grace

Generoisty: Studies in Luke PART 1
Rev. Leo Schuster
30 September 2012

Luke 18:9-17
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.  12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance.  He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

15People were also briging babies to Jesus to have him touch them.  When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.  16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

BARRIER TO GENEROSITY
--Comparing yourself to others and thinking you are superior because of some external generosity like giving to charity.
--Pride stops internal true generosity.
--Self consumption with oneself leves no generoisty for others and no room for God in our hearts.

SIGN OF TRUE GENEROSITY
--Humilty--like a child who comes with total dependency.
--Humilty comes from seeing ourselves accurately with all our flaws.
--When we see ourselves as sinners, we can receive Hope from God.

WAY TO TRUE GENEROSITY
--Receive God's generoisty through repentence.
--Receive grace as a gift--like a child would.
--Receiveing God's generosity to reorient ourselves.