More Than Enough

St Timothy Presbyterian Church

Scripture Passage

Acts 4:32-35

Worship Video & Audio

Sorry for the inconvenience! Due to technical difficulties, the Worship Video & Audio are unavailable for this week.

Sermon Script

A Life of Giving

Why do you come to church?

To give; Not to receive.

You come to church to give. That is what church is all about.

You come to church because you want to give. Give your time, give your talents, give your money, and give your kindness.

The church is founded on Jesus. Jesus' life is founded on giving.

Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2)

the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)

After Jesus died, the Holy Spirit fell on believers and created a community with them. That is the church.

When people who received the Spirit gathered together, what did they do? They gave.

They gave all they had and shared with others. We see that in today's Scripture passage.

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. (Acts 4:32)

The power they had was the power to give.

They gave everything they had as their Lord, Jesus Christ gave everything he had.

Living a Christian life is adopting a life of giving.

It is not just about memorizing certain doctrines of what we believe. It is not just about enjoying the good feeling of one's personal piety. It is not just about feeling good about ourselves.

It is about giving.

The first thing that is created in you when you receive the Holy Spirit is the desire to give. You experience this new desire. The desire to give.

You find the joy of giving. Giving is not duty anymore. Giving gives you tremendous joy.

It becomes your new lifestyle. It is a very strange change but that change happens when you receive the Holy Spirit.

The Blessing of Giving

We don't live anymore with scarcity mindset. In this competitive world, many people have developed the scarcity mindset.

If I don't win, then I lose everything that I have. If I give away what I have, then I lose myself. I need to hold on tightly to what I have.

That is fear. Fear of not having enough. Fear of losing what we have. Fear of having to hold on.

But faith is different. Faith defeats the fear of not having enough. Through the eyes of faith, we see that we have more than enough.

Faith defeats the fear of having to hold on. Through the eyes of faith, we see that we can let go.

Joyful life, abundant life is not like a reservoir where you store the water. It is like a channel where water constantly flows in and flows out.

There are two bodies of water in Israel. One is Galilee. The other is the Dead Sea.

The Sea of Galilee is fresh water. But because it is big, they called it sea. Most of the water comes from Jordan river and goes out to Jordan river. Constantly flows in and flows out.

But the Dead Sea is different. Water comes in but never flows out. It just stays there. No life there. Very salty.

I went in and it was a strange feeling. I just floated. Very salty.

When you live a life of giving, your life becomes refreshed. As much as you give, you realize that you receive more. God blesses you with what you need.

This is what Jesus said.

give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. (Luke 6:38)

Your life will be a channel of God's blessings. You receive and you give. That is a rhythm of a good life.

More Than Enough

God always blesses you and that is more than enough. We should always live with this attitude. What God gives us is more than enough.

When we live with this attitude, we can live happily in any circumstances. When God gives you more than before – You say thank you. God gives you less than before- You still say it is more than enough.

Because it is.

Wasn't that St. Paul's attitude?

Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)

We should always say to ourselves that what we have is more than enough.

I don't have to beg others to have more. Because I have more than enough.

I don't have to manipulate my situation to have more. Because I have more than enough.

When we live with this attitude, it is much easier to give.

Blessing with Abundance

There are people who say, I will wait to give until I have more. That's not how giving works.

If you don't give when you have little, you won't give when you have much. Giving is not about how much you have.

That's why Jesus praised the widow's offering.

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.' (Luke 21:1-4)

Giving is about your heart. Deep in your heart, if you believe that what you have is more than enough, then you can give.

It is faith that tells me that what I have is more than enough. Life of giving is life of faith. God loves those who live with this kind of attitude.

This is what Paul said, quoting Jesus.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

Happiness comes from giving not from receiving. If you are in the position of giving, you are living a very happy life.

Abundance is not about how much you have. Abundance is about how much you share.

The early Christian community lived a blessed life. They didn't have a scarcity mentality. They lived an abundant life. A blessed life.

The definition of blessing is: Being blessed to Bless.

That was the principle of blessing God taught Abraham, the beginning of Christian faith.

I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2)

Be a blessing!

The post More Than Enough appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.