Blessedness Of Generosity by Apostle Michael Orokpo: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Foundation

Acts 20:35 — it is more blessed to give than to receive. Proverbs 11:25 — the liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall himself be watered. 2 Corinthians 9:6 — he who sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and he who sows bountifully reaps bountifully.

Generosity is not optional insight — it is one of the foundational principles of lifting and empowerment in the kingdom of God. God loves a cheerful giver, not a reluctant one, not one who gives under pressure.

Great Men of Scripture Were Generous Men

Abraham, the father of faith, was extraordinarily generous. In Genesis 18:1-8, he ran to meet strangers he had never seen, offered to wash their feet, fed them from his best provisions, and did all this with such urgency you would have thought they were dignitaries he was expecting. This was his lifestyle with total strangers. In Genesis 13:8-12, when conflict arose between his and Lot's herdsmen, Abraham gave Lot first choice of land — despite being the elder and the one with the right to choose. Generosity marked the character of Abraham.

David, in 1 Chronicles 29:3-5, gave 3,000 talents of gold and 7,000 talents of refined silver — a modern equivalent of approximately $8.7 billion — toward building the temple. He said: I will not give to the Lord anything that costs me nothing. Even to people: in 2 Samuel 9, he sought out anyone from Saul's lineage to bless because of Jonathan, and brought Mephibosheth — a man with a physical disability — to eat at the king's table for life.

Solomon in 1 Kings 3:3-5 offered 1,000 burnt offerings to God — a single offering worth over 1.5 billion naira in today's terms. That same night, God appeared and said: What do you want?

Generosity Makes Unlikely People Great

The Shunammite woman had no reason to be remembered in scripture. But 2 Kings 4:8 records that she constrained Elisha to eat whenever he passed by — and eventually built him a room with a bed, table, stool, and lampstand. Her name is eternal because she gave. Mary, the sister of Martha, broke an alabaster box at Jesus' feet — and Jesus declared that wherever the gospel was preached in all the world, what she did would be told as a memorial. Her generosity bought her longevity as long as the gospel has.

Cornelius in Acts 10:1-4 was a Gentile — and his prayers and almsgiving rose to heaven as a memorial before God. Because of that, the angel of the Lord came to him. God sent missionaries from heaven to force the apostles to bring the gospel to the Gentiles — all because of one generous man's consistent giving.

Hard Work and Supernatural Provision Are Not Opponents

God's first act toward man was to give him work — Genesis 2:15. Proverbs 14:23 — for every labor there is profit. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 — if you do not work, do not eat. God advocates for hard work, smart work, productive work.

But in this world you are not only dealing with systems and policies — you are dealing with spirits. Satan came to kill, to steal, and to destroy. Hard work alone is not enough against a spiritual adversary. This is why God created supernatural channels for blessing:

• Prayer and supplication — prayer shifts things in the spirit and provokes possibilities.
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Apostle Michael Orokpo
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• Faith and obedience to divine direction — Elijah was fed by ravens for two years because he followed divine instruction. Ravens brought bread.
• Praise and thanksgiving — Let the people praise him; the earth shall yield her increase. Jesus gave thanks over five loaves and fed 5,000.
• Favor — Esther obtained favor from a king and was offered up to half his kingdom. The Israelites spoiled the Egyptians in one day through favor — receiving centuries of back wages in a single morning.
• Prophetic declarations — 2 Kings 7:1, Elisha declared a price reversal in a famine economy and it came to pass exactly as spoken.
• Divine mercy and compassion — Lamentations 3:22-23, it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
• Covenant — when Noah entered covenant with God, God promised that seedtime and harvest would not cease.

And generosity is one of these supernatural systems — perhaps the most underestimated.

Five Reasons Generosity Is So Powerful

1. It is an instrument of establishment. God looked for generosity before he would establish his promise to Abraham. In Genesis 12, God promised to make Abraham great — but the promise was established in Genesis 22 when Abraham laid Isaac on the altar. Abraham called it worship. God said: By myself have I sworn, because you have done this and have not withheld your only son — in blessing I will bless you, in multiplying I will multiply you. He could not hold himself. He swore by himself. Some of you have promises from God that will not be established until the corresponding generosity is demonstrated.
2. It triggers multiplication. Luke 6:38 — give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. You give one bucket and they return it overflowing — a river can flow through it. Every seed carries within it the potential for multiplication, but that potential is only unleashed when the seed is sown. Your hand is an obstruction to your seed's potential. Sow it.
3. It unlocks favor. Favor commands the allegiance of men, breaks protocols, provokes wealth transfer, and opens angelic encounters. Acts 10 — Cornelius' prayers and almsgiving ascended to heaven as a memorial, and an archangel was dispatched. Mary was highly favored and an archangel came to salute her. Giving is one of the things that unlocks favor.
4. It provokes the presence of God. Psalm 112:5 (NIV) — God will come to those who are generous and lend freely. Solomon gave 1,000 burnt offerings and that night God appeared. Generous people carry presence. They attract divine encounters.
5. It has eternal reward. Matthew 6:19-21 — lay up treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust corrupts. Everything of value that you give — time, energy, expertise, resources — has an eternal recompense. Give your best. Give cheerfully. God sees it as worship.

Why God Values Generosity So Highly

• He sees it as worship. Abraham called offering Isaac an act of worship. Paul called the Philippians' giving an odor of sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. God does not see your money — he sees your heart.
• He sees it as honor. Proverbs 3:9 — honor the Lord with your substance, with the first fruits of your increase — and your barns shall be filled with plenty.
• He sees it as responsibility. Those who give are those who see themselves as responsible citizens of the kingdom. Kingdom advanced because those women ministered to Jesus of their substance — Luke 8:1-3. Without giving, kingdom does not advance.
• He sees it as love. 2 Corinthians 5:14 — the love of Christ constrains us. Where a man's heart is, his treasure is already there. Giving is a testimony that you love him. You can weep in worship every week — God checks your heart in your giving.
• He sees it as faith. If you do not trust God, you cannot give to him. Giving is a declaration that God is your supplier and not yourself.

Five Places to Give

1. To the poor, orphans, widows, and strangers — he who gives to the poor lends to the Lord.
2. To parents and family — honor your father and mother so that your days may be long.
3. To ministers of God — give to a prophet in the name of a prophet and receive a prophet's reward.
4. In the house of God — so that there is meat in the house.
5. For missions and kingdom advancement — this is how the gospel spread, and this is how it continues.