These four weeks could well be the most important four weeks in the history of New Life Christian Ministries to this point, and in your lives to this point.  They will be—if we hear and respond to the opportunities and commands God sets before us in this Back to Basics series titled “Generous Giving.”  I know that because nothing gives us the ability to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” like trusting Him enough to be generous in our giving.  As you’ve already seen, today’s message is titled:  “Congratulations!  You’re Rich!”  What did you think when you saw that title?  Did you think, “Not me.  There may be some rich people in this congregation, but I’m not one of them.”  That’s the very thinking that robs us of the attitude of generous giving.  The reason we don’t think we’re rich is we don’t FEEL rich.  When the subject of “rich people” comes up we think of business moguls such as Bill Gates or Ted Turner.  We think of athletes with multi-million dollar contracts and endorsements, such as Tiger Woods or Alex Rodriguez.  We think of movie stars, such as Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts; and when we think of them and all their millions upon millions of dollars, we say, “I’m not rich.”

     The thing is if we don’t FEEL rich, we’re going to keep trying to GET RICH.  I want you to see a few statistics that may surprise you—probably WILL surprise you, if you haven’t seen them.  If you and your family made $37,000 this past year, then you are in the top 4% of wage earners in the world.  If you had a combined family income of $45,000 this past year, then you are in the top 1% of wage earners in the world.  So, are you rich?  You see it isn’t the amount of money we’ve made or have that determines whether we’re rich.  It’s how we FEEL. A survey was done of wage earners in America in various earnings’ brackets.  They were asked, “How much money would you need to make to be rich?”  Those making between $35,000-$50,000/year said they would be rich if they made $75,000/year.    Those making $50,000-$75,000/year said they would be rich if they made $125,000/year.  Those making between $100,000-$125,000/year said they would be rich if they made $250,000/year.  Those who making $250,000/year said they would be rich if they had $5,000,000 in assets.   I wonder how those who have $5,000,000 in assets would define being rich?

     FEELING rich isn’t about income.  It’s about what you DO with it.  We all know that a truly rich person is generous.  Sure, there are those who spend their whole lives accumulating wealth, never sharing a penny.  But the genuinely rich people in this world understand that wealth is a trust, and it’s given to bless others.  This series is titled Generous Giving, because Stingy giving isn’t our goal as followers of Jesus Christ, right?  No giving isn’t our goal as followers of Jesus Christ, right? Our goal as followers of Jesus Christ is to be generous givers, and thus reflect the character of Jesus, who though He was rich, for our sakes became poor.

     In the end FEELING rich is about MARGIN.  Do you understand the concept of margin?  It’s the extra space around the pages of a book, that permit us ease in reading?  It’s the extra fifteen minutes we allow on a trip to the grocery store, so that if something unexpected comes up, we won’t be late getting home.  It’s the extra amount of money we have in our savings accounts that allow us to get through tight financial times.  The reason most of us don’t feel rich is because we’ve spent more than we’ve made.  We have more debts than income. We have no margin, so we feel poor.  Since we don’t FEEL rich, we don’t ACT rich.  We act IRRESPONSIBLY.  What we must understand is that our attitudes about money impact every aspect of our lives.  If I asked you straight out, “Would you like to give 10% or more of your income to God’s work in and through New Life?”  Nearly all of you would say, “Yes.”  But if I asked you, ‘Are you giving 10% or more of your income to God’s work in and through New Life?”  Most of you would say, “No.”  Why is that?  Because you can’t afford to do it.  You aren’t rich.

     Listen to me very carefully.  You ARE rich.  By the world’s definition of wealth you ARE rich.  There may be a few of us here who are not making enough to be in the top 4% of the world’s wage earners: those without jobs, single moms, those on fixed social security pensions, but most of us here today are rich.  The reason I make that case is because today’s Scripture, and the Scripture we’re going to be reading the remaining three Sundays of this Generous Giving series is 1 Timothy 6:13-17.  It’s addressed to “rich people.”  If we assume we aren’t rich, then when we read the Scripture together, we might assume that it isn’t for us.  Let’s turn now to God’s word—God’s word addressed to those who are rich.  Please stand and join me as we read together:

¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.  1 Timothy 6:13-17 NIV  Let’s pray……..Amen. (Please be seated.)

     ¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present world …  You see the commands we read today are for those who are rich in this present world.  That includes nearly all of us who are gathered here this morning.  Our focus this morning is going to be on just that first statement:  ¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present world …  The question is:  What should I DO, now that I’ve crossed the line to RICH?  What should we DO, now that we’ve crossed the line to RICH?  We can’t leave here this morning pretending that we’re poor now that we know that we’re wealthier than all but a small fraction of the people in the world.  Do we know how to BE and ACT rich?  There’s a great deal riding on this, because you can’t get from where you are to where you need to be, until you know where you are! 

     The first lesson in becoming Generous Givers is this:    Admit you’re rich.  Again there may be a small minority of folks here today who aren’t rich, but the MAJORITY of us are!  Right now, I’m going to have us do something uncomfortable.  We’re going to practice saying we’re rich.  Look up on the screen.  See what it says?  I have more than I need…I’m rich.  Say that with me:  I have more than I need…I’m rich.  Okay, now let’s look at the religious version of that statement:  God has blessed me with more than I need…I’m rich.  Say that with me:  God has blessed me with more than I need…I’m rich.  Why is it so uncomfortable for us to say that, to say that we’re rich?  Because culturally and politically wealth is often regarded as wrong.  It’s an amazing irony that in a nation where money has literally been made into a god, that rich people are loaded up with guilt because of their wealth.  You know the Bible doesn’t say that it’s wrong to be rich.  In fact, the Scripture we read today, doesn’t command rich people to give away all their money so that may become poor—as if being poor is good.  They’re commanded to be generous with their wealth.  When rich people associate wealth with guilt, it simply puts us in a “guilt loop” and that does no good.

     The reality is the reason why we have so much doesn’t have much to do with us at all, anyway.  We’re rich because of where we were born, because of our life circumstances.  It was GIVEN to us as a gift.  Therefore, if we ought to feel any way about our wealth, it ought to be GRATEFUL not GUILTY.  Some of you’ve been to places where people are born poor, where no matter how hard they work, they’re going to continue being poor.  I remember on one of my first mission trips out of the U.S., a trip to Ruiz, Mexico, where we worked for a week in a poor, mountain village building a church.  We had to walk across a river and then through a field to the place where the bricks were being made, and then carrying them back in mesh bags tied to sticks.  It was about a mile round trip to get fifteen to twenty bricks.  The people lived in tiny houses, not as big as most of our storage sheds.  At the end of the week, we were given the opportunity to go back to a resort hotel in Puerta Vallarta  on Friday evening, and then spend Saturday, horseback riding, or snorkeling.  I chose snorkeling, because I’d never snorkeled in clear water before.  Part of the snorkeling trip was the opportunity to go to a white, sandy beach, and swim in crystal, clear water.  The beach had rentals for parasailing, banana boats, jet skis, and other recreational opportunities.  As I sat in a lounge chair soaking up the sun, I looked behind me and as my eyes adjusted from looking out over the bright blue water, and my gaze rose up the hillside, I saw that it was dotted with little huts.  Immediately, I felt guilty.  Why was I enjoying such a wonderful opportunity, while those on the hillside lived without electricity, running water, bathrooms, or any of what we would call the “necessities” of life?  As I considered that, God spoke to my heart and said, “Don’t feel guilty.  I created the beauty for you to enjoy, but remember to share your blessings with others.”  My attitude turned from guilty to grateful.  It also helped me realize the gift it was to be born in western Pennsylvania instead of on that hillside, or so many other places in the world.

     I know some folks who hear what I just said and think, “Well, I may have been born here in the U.S., but I worked for what I have.”  Really?  People around the world work just as hard as us, and they don’t have anything.  My dad worked harder than just about anybody in this room, and he never made half of what most of us make.  Friends, we don’t deserve what we have and we didn’t “earn” what we have.  It was providential.  God provided it.  As His word says, “¹⁷You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” ¹⁸But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.  Deuteronomy 8:17-18 NIV

     If God has enabled you to manage more wealth than you need from day to day, don’t feel guilty, feel grateful. Think of it this way.  Let’s say you’re in debt right now. You owe more than you have.  If one day by diligence and faithfulness you get out of debt, will you say, “I feel guilty that I got my financial act together.”?  Of course not!  Neither are we to feel guilty when God blesses us with worldly riches.  When we do have worldly riches—and remember if we make $37,000/year or more, then we are richer than 96% of the people in the world—then God calls us to be Generous Givers.  The Biblical model is to give first. Save second. Live on the rest.  Guilt doesn’t get us to that kind of living—Generous Giving.  God gets us there.  We must learn to be grateful for what we have.  Then we must learn to be responsible with what we have, so we’ll be good at being rich.

     I know some of us are still struggling with that idea that we’re rich, so remember:

            If you have a 401(k)  --  you’re rich!

            If you have to pick the restaurant – you’re rich!

            If you have to decide what to wear – you’re rich!

            If you have a “house” where you park your car – you’re rich!     

Don’t feel guilty—FEEL Grateful.     Forget the GREED, the GUILT, replace it with GRATITUDE!  Changing those attitudes are so important for us to move towards lives of Generous Giving.  During these next 40 Days we’re going to work our way through the 40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life booklet.  Each day we’ll have the opportunity to read Scriptures relating to vital topics for gaining God’s attitude toward giving.  This week the focus is “God is the Owner of Everything.”  What I want you to do right now is open your booklet to page 7.  See the format?   Day 1 is at the top.  The title is God is the Owner of Everything (including all that you currently have or ever will have)  Then we read, “Think about, discuss or pray about the verse that relates most to your life. As you see, six Scriptures are listed on the page. (Read the six)  Which one do you want to think about, discuss or pray about?”  That’s your choice.  Each day you’ll have the same opportunity.  Each week you’ll find extra materials about how to become generous givers.  The first week’s “extra” is on pages 9-10.  It’s titled “Practical Advice about Giving.”  I want to highlight the point made under the heading, “If you’re fearful about giving 10% or more of your income to the Lord try a 90-day test:”  (Read it.)  I urge you to do that starting this week.  90 days is three months, from now until April 20^th, just after tax time, start giving 10% or more of your income to the work of New Life—yes I just said to the work of New Life. As you’ll read in this booklet the recommendation is that your tithe from your regular income is to go to your local congregation.  There’s biblical rationale for that as you’ll see.  During that 90 days see if God doesn’t bless you as Brian suggests.  You’ll notice that what he suggests is NOT that you’ll receive back 10-fold what you give, but that God will HELP you.  That help will come in ways that will surprise you.  And if it doesn’t, Brian recommends that you simply stop the test after 90 days.

    Friends, do you remember what I said at the outset of today’s message?  I said, “These four weeks could well be the most important four weeks in the history of New Life Christian Ministries to this point, and in your lives to this point.  They will be—if we hear and respond to the opportunities and commands God sets before us in this Back to Basics series titled “Generous Giving.”  I know that because nothing gives us the ability to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” like trusting Him enough to be generous in our giving.”  There comes a time in each of our lives when we must put God first in our giving, if we are going to know the full experience of being a follower of Jesus Christ.  We can’t wait until we’re rich to do it, because we already ARE rich, at least most of us are.  The sooner we put God first in our giving, the sooner He will be first in all areas of our lives.  At the bottom of page 11 in the booklet there’s a quote from Martin Luther, the great “father” of the Protestant Reformation.  Luther said, “People go through 3 conversions:  The conversion of their head, their heart and their pocketbook.  Unfortunately, not all at the same time.”  Is your head “converted” to Jesus Christ?  Is your heart?  Is your pocketbook?  Today is a great day to go for the “hat trick” when it comes to conversion, if you’re not there yet!

     Here’s TODAY’S CHALLENGE:  Since I AM rich, I will live each day as a generous giver, sharing the blessings I have received from God, so others may come to know Him, too!  Let’s say that together:  TODAY’S CHALLENGE:  Since I AM rich, I will live each day as a generous giver, sharing the blessings I have received from God, so others may come to know Him, too!  Are you starting to feel it?  Are you starting to get comfortable with the reality that you ARE rich, and that as one who is rich in this world, you have the opportunity to be a generous giver to God’s glory?  When we change our beliefs--which is really changing our hearts--our lives change.  That’s what life in Jesus Christ is all about, you know.  We root out the false beliefs that have gotten lodged in our hearts from our parents or from the world, and we replace them with godly, biblical beliefs.  It takes time. It takes intentionality.  It takes recognizing that God’s ways are greater than human ways.  In the end those beliefs free us. Nothing frees us financially like giving generously.  It doesn’t sound right when you say it like that, but until we trust God enough to let Him convert our pocketbooks along with our minds and hearts, we will never know the joy of fully following Jesus.

     Please stand with me.  I want you to repeat after me one more time: God has blessed me with more than I need…I’m rich.  Amen?  Amen.  Let’s pray……  Amen.