What induces one man to use false weights, another to set his house on fire after having insured it for more than its value, while three-fourths of our upper class indulge in legalized fraud…what gives rise to all of this? It is not real want-for their existence is by no means precarious…but they are urged on day and night by a terrible impatience at seeing their wealth pile up so slowly and by an equally terrible longing and love for these heaps of gold…What once was done ‘for the love of God,’ is now done for the love of money, i.e., for the love of that which at present affords us the highest feeling of power and a good conscience.

-Friedrich Nietzsche

  

Greed surrenders to generosity at the point of true conversion.

  

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

-Luke 19:1

He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree…

-Luke 19:3-4a

When Zaccheus saw that Jesus had chosen the least virtuous person in the crowd for a personal relationship, his whole spiritual understanding of God began to change!

   

How do we know this is where Zaccheus’ mind goes?

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’

-Luke 19:8

notes

Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house…’

-Luke 19:9

Salvation does not come to this house because he gave to the poor and returned what he had stolen.

Salvation had already come to the house and Zaccheus’ perspective on his money was proof of that reality!

  

What salvation?

  

Zaccheus met the real Savior and as a result…

Forgiveness—Hope—Belonging—Security

Zaccheus went from accruing wealth at the expense of people around him to serving others at the expense of his wealth.

-Dr. Tim Keller

Jesus is describing a dynamic that is difficult to explain but is manifest in every genuine Christ-follower.

Sell everything you have and give to the poor…then come, follow me.

-Luke 18:22

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’

-Luke 19:8

Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

-Luke 11:42

  

This series is about 2 epiphanies:

  

Epiphany One: The tithe is the poor man’s cross.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

-Galatians 6:2

  

How can you bear someone else’s burden without burdening yourself?

Picking up your cross and following Jesus means, at least to some degree….Bearing the burdens of the world and taking them upon your shoulders.

  

Epiphany Two: No amount of vision casting or Storytelling will transform the heart.

  

Look at the methods of the Apostle Paul:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

-2 Corinthians 8:9

  

“Behavioral compliance to rules without a complete change of heart will be superficial and fleeting.”

  

What did Paul do then?

• He recapitulated the Gospel.
• The solution to stinginess is a reorientation to the generosity of Christ in the Gospel, how He poured out His wealth for you.

Man must have an idol – the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry – no idol more debasing than the worship of money. Whatever I engage in I must push inordinately; therefore should I be careful to choose that life which will be the most elevating in its character. To continue much longer overwhelmed by business cares and with most of my thoughts wholly upon the way to make money in the shortest time, must degrade me beyond hope of permanent recovery. I will resign business at thirty-five, but during the ensuing two years I wish to spend the afternoons in receiving instruction and in reading systematically.

-Andrew Carnegie

  

How much is enough for you?

1. You will not be generous until you have had a true Jesus Revelation.

2. Generosity is proof that you have a relationship with Jesus.

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’

-Luke 19:8-10

  

Action Points:

  

1. Budget! Count the cost!

Ten percent leads to this kind of lifestyle. Embrace it!

  

2.Distinguish between “wants” and “needs.”

If your wants are keeping you from generosity, sacrifice some of your wants for the sake of other’s needs.

  

Greatest need: People far from God coming near!

  

3.Follow Jesus’ example.

Give up your monetary wealth to save the spiritually poor.

  

  

  

  

What are your main takeaways from this message?

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