Establishing Kingdom Culture: Generosity & Excellence

• Vision 

  • We exist to elevate and empower sons and daughters to become the place where Heaven touches Earth.

• Why does culture matter?

  • Culture is established by what a community chooses to tolerate and what it chooses to celebrate 

    • The Lord made it clear we needed to be strategic in defining the culture at BCF.

  • Here is the thing about culture: you either build it or the enemy will

    • We believe that God has called this community to be apart of the transformative work HE wants to do in the city of Bethlehem 

      • God is going to give us 10% of the city to steward

      • Our prodigals are coming home

      • Supernatural numerical growth is coming 

    • Therefore, it is imperative that culture is clearly defined here in the community. So when others come, they know what we are about, they know what we celebrate, what we tolerate and how we define success. 

  • In order for kingdom culture to be established, we must go together. 

    • We must choose to all be players in the game, no time for sitting in the bleachers. 

• Our core values 

  • To help us go together the Lord has given us a set of values 

  • Values are necessary to culture because they clearly articulate our: Rules of engagement 

    • This is what we will celebrate and tolerate here. 

    • It clearly defines what is expected from us as members of this community. 

    • It is designed to reflect heaven, so that His kingdom would come and His will would be done.

      • That we would truly be the place where heaven touches earth. 

  • James 1:27 TPT

    • 27 True spirituality that is pure in the eyes of our Father God is to make a difference in the lives of the orphans, and widows in their troubles, and to refuse to be corrupted by the world’s values.

    • We will not adopt the values of this world, we will make a conscious decision to embrace KINGDOM VALUES AND MAKE THEM OURS!

    • This will lead to our community transformed and our city transformed for JESUS CHRIST!

    • What is happening within us, should overfull to out there  

Today will end this part of our series with our last two values: Generosity & Excellence

1. How do we define these values?

GENEROSITY || IT’S NOT OURS ANYWAY

We recognize that every resource we’ve been given comes from our generous Father. We choose to be just like Dad, and give as He leads.

1. Generosity 

   1. Money, time, energy, strength, abilities

   2. Everything we have is a RE-SOURCE given to us to steward by THE SOURCE 

EXCELLENCE || YOUR BEST, HIS GLORY

We choose to do the best we can with what we have even when no one else is watching. He is always worthy.

1. Excellence 

   1. Start with what you got! 

      1. So many people never become excellent because they are waiting to get what they don't got 

      2. Dante Bowe 

         1. “Wow, he is excellent”, but what you didn’t see was him being “excellent” for years with a room full of 2 people because his pastor asked him to lead morning worship + prayer 

         2. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Luke 16:10

         3. Don’t worry about what you’ll get because your main concern is stewarding well what has been given to you. (no matter if the opportunity was big or small)  

            1. Not about what you get, about what you got

      3. HE IS WORTHY 

         1. Recognize who you are doing it for 

            1. observation with other teachers vs. principal & superintendent 

               1. THE EAGLE HAS LANDED 

               2. GREASY CHICKEN NUGGETS 

            2. In the kingdom, the superintendent is always watching. 

               1. The King is always watching 

               2. The King is always in the room 

               3. The King is always worthy 

What does scripture teach us about generosity & excellence?

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Generosity:

1. Generosity defined: 

   1. Strong’s G572 “haplotes” (haplataes) 

      1. Not self seeking, openness of heart manifesting itself by generosity

      2. Giving freely, free from pretense or hypocrisy 

         1. Root word: haplous

            1. Without fold or crease, whole with clean motives and intentions

               1. Blank sheet of paper 

               2. crisp , clean, no place to hide anything 

               3. Giving with no strings attached 

2. Jesus is the model 

9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

1. If He did it, so can we. 

   1. “But Jesus is God of course He can be generous” 

   2. False: He emptied Himself (Phil 2) 

      1. Gave up his divine privileges (v.7)

      2. Jesus showed us what it would look like to be human and be empowered by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16-17) 

      3. Came from poverty, had very little and still was able to be generous 

      4. He started with what He got 

         1. He started with a lot and so did you

         2. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. John 14:12

2. If we want to see His kingdom establish, we must do what the King does 

   1. He was generous, so we are generous 

3. Generosity requires commitment to Christ and His Bride 

5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

1. We must be committed to living Christ’s way

   • Give to God what belongs to God 

     1. Mark 12:17 

     2. Give back what belongs…

     3. Do not withhold anything from Him 

   • If He gives you something, you give it back to Him 

     1. Matthew 14:18-21

        1. Jesus had emptied Himself of divine privileges. He gave the bread back to Him. 

        2. “Only you can do it, Lord. It is yours anyway.”

2. Be committed to God and then His body 

   • You can’t be in covenant with God and not His bride

     1. I love Pastor Joshua, but his wife…

     2. “If you separate the head from the body it's not covenant, it's a crime scene” -Pastor Joshua

   • Jesus loves His bride and is committed to her, we must be too

     1. We should benefit from being His bride

        1. People who love me because they love Joshua 

        2. I benefit from those relationships

     2. Jesus loves you…i love you, Jesus suffered for you, I’ll suffer with you, Jesus rejoices over you, I will rejoice too

Excellence:

1. Excellence in the Kingdom requires generosity 

7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us[c]—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

a. We may be excellent in many ways, but Kingdom excellence requires being excellent in generosity

i. This includes every resource: Money, time, energy, attention, etc.

2. Excellence guarantees that you finish well!

 11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.

Struggle with finishing with what you started?

***We commit to many things, but often don’t follow through. Reading Plans, serving in ministries, attending bible studies, etc…Finishing what you start is a part of being excellent.***

• Start with what you DO have

• If you have it, give it. 

  • BE REAL

• Re-evaluate the time, the resources, the energy, the materials, etc

  • This excellence=doing the best with what you have 

• The woman with the coin offering

  • Mark 12:41-44

• Be intentional with our time, energy, money and other resources 

  • Financial Peace University 

• Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched by what you’re doing now. 

  • Eagerness is not equivalent to motivation. 

  • Eagerness is about being disciplined, not if you’re feeling motivated today  

  • Not about trying hard, but training hard 

Practical Steps 

1. Tithing: Don’t Steal from God (Malachi 3:8-12) 

2. See a need, meet the need (if you have, don’t withhold) (1 John 3:17) 

3. Start with what you’ve got (the woman with the coin offering) (Mark 12:41-44)