10/25/09 - GameDay PT3 - Generosity - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "GameDay - Are You Playing To Win?" with part 3 - Generosity "Living With An Open Hand".

GameDay PT3 - Generosity
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, October 25, 2009

www.churchatmirrorlake.com


Sermon Notes:

Turn Loose and Score
- Deuteronomy 15:7 “Live with an open hand. Don’t be tight-fisted with the blessings the Lord gives you.”
* Note what living with a closed hand does to your body. Open your hand and the whole body feels more relaxed. You cannot hit the long bomb and score profusely unless you turn loose of the ball!

Follow the Playbook
- Psalm 145:16 “You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
* When we live with an open hand, we are living in the image of our Father—like Jesus did (“I say what I hear Him say and I do what I see Him do.”). His plans for us are better than our plans for us and His plans benefit the whole Kingdom, not just our kingdom.

Open Up the Field
- Proverbs 11:24(Message) "The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller."
* Scoring in the “Redzone” is tougher because the field is smaller and easier for the defense to protect. Living with an open hand creates more opportunities, keeps our enemy on his heels, and is just more fun. It is the faith race instead of the rat race. It is a grace-filled life of wonder instead of a stress-filled life of worry.

Final Word
We all have things we hold with an open hand and things we hold with a closed hand. There’s a big difference between the two. To hold something with an open hand is to have it in your possession, to have rights to it, but not to protect it or view it as an entitlement. To hold something with a closed hand is to clench it and refuse to let it go. There are few things we hold with a tighter fist than money. Or what we call our money. Yet there is no better indication of someone’s heart than holding their money with an open hand and generosity for kingdom work. How closed is your hand on money?

You can know how tightly you hold things when they are threatened to be taken away. We want to be in control. We want to self-manage everything. This is where Paul’s example of missional, Christ-focused living is so helpful. For Paul, his rights were things he held with an open hand. If it is best for the kingdom of God, I’ll give them up. Go without. Make tents. Not have a wife along. Not receive support. Open Hand. Anything for the Kingdom. He said it this way in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He held his whole life with an open hand. Was Paul a fool or did he realize something we often don’t?

In the words of Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” It only seems like we can hold on to anything. What do we really control? Nothing. God is glorified when we trust Him enough to hold everything with an open hand. God, you can take these from me because I believe what you will do with them is better than what I would do with them. I want what you want, therefore all I have is yours. I have trusted you with my eternity; I can offer everything else to you as well.