Again, good evening and welcome. Well, buckle up.
Tonight's going to be very interesting.
I've I've managed to catch myself the first cold or flu
that I've had all year and we'll see if my voice can hold out.
So I know that that Nat has just prayed, but I'm going to pray
for your sake that my weakness doesn't get in the way of your
capacity to hear the word and that if my coughing gets
intolerable, just mute Micah, and hopefully we can get through
the message. Let's bow our heads again.
Father God in heaven, Your word is, is holy, it is powerful, it
is what we need. And your people have gathered
here tonight to hear from you. And so I pray specifically now
for my weakness to not get in the way of them being able to
hear and to receive and to know and understand your word.
So please, we just commit this time to you now and pray for
your Spirit to be evident within it.
This we ask in Jesus name, Amen. So Second Corinthians chapter 8
is where you need to find yourself in the Bible.
The title of the the message tonight is the Grace of Generous
Giving. Actually, if you're sitting in
sort of a roped area, feel free to just remove those so you've
got a little bit more comfort rather than sitting on one.
But when it comes to generosity, what motivates that for people?
For some, it's the thing that springs out of guilt.
They might hear a particularly sad story and think, well,
somebody has to do something about that.
So, you know, I'll give some money, I suppose, and help out
with that. Or some kind of pressing need
comes across their attention. For others, it builds on that
and maybe enters into the realm of obligation and it becomes a
thing. Well, this is just simply what
good people do. And so I'll give.
And, you know, I'm a very charitable person after all.
And still for others, it might be that we give out of
recognition. Well, you know, if people see me
being just generous and philanthropic in this way, this
generosity might earn the applause of the accolades from
certain people. But Paul here in Second
Corinthians chapter 8 and 9 before us gives us a deeper
foundation for generosity. And what what lies for the
Christian at at the foundational level for why it is that we give
is something called grace. We have received grace that
means unmerited favour. We've done nothing to deserve
that which we've received from God in and through Christ Jesus.
And because we are the beneficiaries, the recipients of
great grace from God, then we are now the conduits of that
grace to flow on out and be a blessing unto other people.
But there's a greater connection to this as well.
Not only does grace reflect Christ Jesus in US and give
glory to God, but as followers of God, our goal is to emulate
the God that we purport to serve.
And the Bible tells us that we are children of God, that God is
our heavenly Father. And so family is just like it's
the case here on earth, our our heavenly family, we share a
likeness and similarity to our heavenly Father.
What the Bible tells us is that God the Father is a generous
God. One of the most often quoted
verses in the Bible that even many non Christians know is John
316. It says for God so love the
world right that he what gave that he gave and so implied in
that there's a generosity that springs out of well, this is the
character of God the father. And so if we're to be children
of God, then a character just as families here on earth bear
similar traits. They might share similar laughs
or or gates in walk or have certainly similar looks to them.
We as children of God are to be generous, flows on out from
that, that we're, you know, a part of the family of God, that
he is a generous God. And so therefore we are too to
be generous. Now, we teach what's called
expositionally through the Bible.
That means we'll typically tackle a book in the Bible.
We'll go through the chapters in that and ideally go through the
verses of each of those. And we, we do that because we
believe it to be the best way to deliver what's called the whole
council of the word of God. So that means that we in, in
doing so, we'll come across topics and we'll, we'll cover
them evenly. So there's no particular hobby
horse. So if you happen to be visiting
tonight and you go, wow, what a surprise.
I've, I've walked into a church and they're talking about money,
then know that we've actually been going through first
Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians. And this happens to be the
subject matter before us in chapter 8 and 9.
So it's what God wants us to deal with tonight as we cover
this chapter. Now, many people, I'm not sure
your particular background, have varying experiences when it
comes to the church and money, don't they?
Maybe it's based on TV evangelists that you've happened
to be scrolling late at night through the channels and you see
some sweaty southern, you know, American guy with the accent and
the handkerchief and praying some blessing and and the the
toll free number on the bottom is calling for you to ring and
to receive some special anointed product that will promise
blessing into your life. If you but donate.
It might be particular marketing that you've received in your
email or even in your letter box, or you've attended a church
service and there's been a a plate that's gone around or a
bag that's gone around or a bucket that's gone around again
and again and again until you know there's been a significant
amount of money given that satisfactorily reaches the goal
of whatever it was that they were hoping.
And for many of us, when it comes to money, we just simply
choose to ignore what the Bible teaches about altogether.
We cover it tonight in chapters 8 and 9, and we're focusing on
what Paul was collecting out of the Corinthian church.
This was an offering specifically for the needy
believers in Judea, in Jerusalem, in Israel.
They were the early church that were experiencing heavy
persecution for being Christians and then coupled with that was
famine in the land. And so it was now an opportunity
for the Gentile churches in this region known as Asia Minor,
which is now modern day Turkey, to be a blessing to the church
that ultimately the gospel message had sprung out of that
the early disciples had spread and, and Paul with his
missionary journeys had delivered the gospel to them.
And so he was wanting to collect this as a means to be a blessing
to the church, specifically in Jerusalem and Judea.
And this collection, it was actually a message that he
declares. It would actually be remiss for
you not to, to, to give generously in this regard.
And so he reminded them of a particular promise in the past
that the Corinthian church had said, oh, we hear that there's a
need in Jerusalem. We promise Paul that we'll give
and we'll help out and we'll be a blessing.
And now in these verses before us, he'll remind them of that
promise, of his boasting on their behalf about this promise
and now seeking for them to fulfil that which they'd
promised to help out. And what we see through these
verses in these chapters are some timely principles for us
when it comes to Christian giving, Christian generosity we
might call it. We prayed for it tonight, our
our tithes and offerings, the way that we steward the money
and the resources, particularly that God has given to us as his
people. So we're going to outline these
principles tonight and I want to do so under 3 headings as we go
along. There'll be some slides coming
up that if you're taking note, you can keep track of where
we're going. So we're going to see verses one
through to 15 out of chapter 8. The pattern of grace that what
we see in Jesus Christ that what they received and what they had
modelled by Jesus Christ of their surrendered to Jesus
Christ in indicates a pattern when it comes to our generosity
in in giving. Second, we'll see the proof of
sincerity that when we give that there's some healthy parameters
in place to ensure that that giving is done in a way where
it's not to be taken advantage of.
And then thirdly and lastly, the promise of blessing that comes
when we do give generously, when we do give on a foundation of
grace that emulates God our Father and Jesus Christ our
Saviour. Let's look at these verses and
firstly the pattern of grace in verses one through to 15.
So Paul begins by pointing out to the Corinthians what the
Macedonian churches were doing. Now Macedonia is a region up in
the north, if you know anything about history and the Grecian
Empire that Alexander the Great came out of Macedonia that
effectively this northern region was what ruled the Grecian
Empire. But the Greeks didn't really
like the Macedonians because of their heavy handed ways of
dealing with them. And you know, this constant
politicking and military fighting on and through.
And Paul kind of uses this to play on those cultural things
that, hey, here's what the Macedonian churches are doing.
How about you guys as as Greek kind of colonies here in
Corinth. Let me tell you about what the
Macedonian churches are doing and let that be a motivation to
spur you on to being generous as well.
The Macedonian church was at this point in time also
experiencing poverty. And yet still they gave
according to their ability and their capacity and they, Paul
says, overflowed in generosity. So let's read these verses.
Just hit mute a second, Micah. All right, verse one.
Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God
bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, that in a great trial
of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
are bounded in the richness riches of their liberality.
For I bear witness, verse three, that according to their ability,
yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, excuse
me, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive
the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the Saints,
not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to
the Lord and then to us by the will of God.
So verse 5 is very pivotal in why it was that the Macedonians
gave and why it is that Paul encourages the Corinthians and
you and I to be generous as Christians that we are
surrendered people unto God. And so we urge Titus verse 6,
that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace
in you as well. Circle that word grace.
But as you are bound in everything, in faith, in speech
and knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us, see
that you are bound in this grace also.
I speak not by commandment, but I'm testing the sincerity of
your love by the diligence of others.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was
rich, verse 9, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you
through his poverty might become rich.
And in this I give advice. It is to your advantage not only
to be doing what you began and we're desiring to do a year ago,
but now you also must complete the doing of it.
That as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be
completion out of what you have. For if there is first a willing
mind, it is accepted according to what one has and not
according to what he does not have.
So he said it was all well and good a year ago to say we're
going to do it, but now come through on that promise.
It's all well and good to promise things that you don't
necessarily have, and you can promise the world and not
deliver it, but I'd like you to come through on that which you
are. It builds on this verse 13.
For I do not mean that others should be eased a new burden,
but by an equality that now at this time, your abundance might
supply their lack and that and on other occasions their
abundance may also supply your lack that there may be equality.
So swings and roundabouts, he says.
There'll be times when you're suffering and you'll be blessed,
benefited by their generosity on that occasion.
But now it's your turn. You're experiencing supply and
relative prosperity and peace and where you're at for a number
of reasons compared to the church in Jerusalem.
Now you can be a blessing to them.
As it is written verse 15, he who gathered much had nothing
leftover, and he who gathered little had no lack.
So let's explain these. Firstly, what we see is that
giving flows from grace. Out of verses 1 and 2, Paul says
that the generosity of the Macedonian church wasn't a
natural thing necessarily, but was supernaturally supplied.
It said the grace of God that has been given among the
churches of Macedonia. And in this way you could think
of generosity like a spring. You know, when we give, when,
when Christians are desirous to to be a blessing unto others, It
doesn't flow because you squeeze it or pressure it or make it
happen. Just like a spring, there is an
abundance within it, a potential that is there.
And that abundance is God's grace.
And this grace begins with surrender in verse 5.
They gave themselves first to the Lord, he says.
And the idea with with giving, with generosity is this, if God
doesn't have you in that, you're surrendered, you're submitted
under him. He doesn't want your money.
If he doesn't have the hand, he doesn't want the gift in the
hand. And This is why Jesus, when we
read his words through the Gospels, spoke a lot about
money. In fact, if you were to look at
the number of times that Jesus in his messages mentioned money,
it's quite dominant that he spoke more about money than
almost any other topic. Then he delivered sermons on
you. Remember that, that Jesus, not
because he wanted money, but he knew that there was a particular
connection to our hearts and money, that which we treasure,
that that we hold to because money reveals the heart.
He put it this way, Matthew 6 verse 21, where your treasure is
there, your heart will be also. And that's true for us, isn't
it? You know, the things that we
worry about, the things that we think about are often attached
and connected to what it is that we value and, and what we're
willing to, to commit our costs, our treasure to.
And give some examples. Maybe if you've started to play
the share market a little bit to invest in, in certain stocks and
so on, all of a sudden you're very interested in what the
stock market is doing, right? Because that's where your
treasure is and your heart, your emotions follows, is connected
with that Your treasure draws your heart.
Well, in the same way when we invest for God's Kingdom, then
our heart follows. So Jesus, God our Father, Jesus
our Lord is not interested in in getting our finances, but he's
interested in capturing our hearts, our affection, our
attention. And when he captures our hearts,
then everything else falls into place.
That's why Jesus would emphasise his teaching so much on money,
why Paul brings it up here, and and why we do so tonight.
And this is the point Jesus made in Matthew 22 when he was asked
whether or not that people at the time should pay taxes unto
Rome. Remember what Jesus did?
He said, bring me a coin. And then he asked a question,
holding it up for them all to see.
Whose image is this? It was an image of Caesar.
And he said, Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and
render unto the Lord that which is the Lord's right.
You, you know that story whose image wasn't Caesar, and it was
give unto Caesar that which belonged to Caesar, and give
unto God that which belongs to him.
So the implication is this, you and I, the Bible tells us in the
book of Genesis specifically, we are made in the image and
likeness of God. So in all actuality, having been
created in the image and likeness of God, you give, you
surrender yourself completely to Him.
This is what verse 5 is all about.
The Macedonian church was surrendered to God.
They had given themselves in totality unto God.
God was their treasure, and so because God was their treasure,
that's where their heart was. And so any earthly, so called
treasures, well man, there's a need for the church and we'd
love to give. We'd love to help out.
Let's be generous and be a blessing to them because that is
the grace of God that we've received.
And now we can be dispensers of that grace unto them.
You see, once we give ourselves to God, we're ready to be right
in this area of finances. And this is surrender.
So what area in in your life, in my life, in our lives
collectively might be the hardest for us to surrender.
It could be finances. Yes, it's probably a big part of
it. It could also be our time could
also be our levels of comfort. And the question in in that in
being surrendered people under God is will we trust him with
it? The implication is that the
Macedonian church trusted because they were surrendered
unto God. And so whilst they were doing it
tough themselves, they said we'll give to help out the
Jerusalem church and we'll trust God with the flow on the impact
of that in our lives now because He's our treasure.
That's where our heart is and we can be a blessing to others.
Secondly, in verses 8 to 9, I want to point out that giving in
this way with generosity and grace, being foundational to
that, reflects Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
And Paul anchors his appeal to the Corinthian church with the
example of Jesus Christ. He said Jesus, though he was
rich. Think of all that Jesus had
prior to his incarnation, and yet for your sake, he said he
became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich.
And think of it. Christ had left heaven's riches
and glory and embrace the poverty of of dwelling here on
earth, and he didn't do so grudgingly but joyfully.
He was born, the Bible tells us, in a borrowed stable.
He was raised by poor parents. When we consider the offerings
that that Joseph and Mary had to make at the temple when Jesus
was born, that was what was described in.
Deuteronomy as as the the offering of the the poor people.
He preached many times from a borrowed boat.
He rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey.
He ate his last meal in a borrowed room and was buried in
a borrowed tomb. The rich one became poor that we
might become rich in salvation, forgiveness, grace, and eternal
life. We often quote this verse about
Jesus having been rich and, and becoming poor for our sake.
But here it's, it's very much in the context of giving of, of
generosity. And the point in that is this,
that generosity, when we do so, makes us more like Christ.
We're displaying Christ's likeness.
And that's what the the word Christian means.
It actually springs out of a label that was given to the
early church that they were becoming like little Christ's.
They're like Jesus, but multiplied.
And one of the facets, one of the aspects of the early church
being labelled as Christian was because they were generous in
giving, of helping out and being a blessing unto others.
And so if we are he's his generosity then is not something
that we just admire and appreciate and go thank you
Jesus for being so generous to us that where once you were
rich, you became poor for my sake.
But no, it becomes something now that we imitate, we emulate,
that we copy. And so giving reflects Jesus
Christ verses 8 to 9, Very practically, giving meets needs,
verses 13 through to 15. And what Paul does here in verse
15 particularly is he he brings their mind back to in the Old
Testament, the story of the people of Israel coming out of
Egypt and through their exodus March, being in the desert, and
their experience of daily collecting and gathering what
was called manna. Maybe you've heard of that this
this miraculous supply of this heavenly bread that came from
God that you know, kind of had this honey like wafer taste,
it's described in the Bible, but managed to supernaturally
sustain them through the day. And Paul recalls God's provision
of manner in that each day they were to awake in the morning and
collect that which they could enough for the day and no one
had too much and no one had too little.
They had exactly what they needed in the supply gathered
and when it comes to generosity in this fashion, in this way,
we're ensuring that the the bodies, the the body of Christ
the church specifically locally here and then more broadly
globally that the bodies needs are met.
And this requires faith to gather and to bless.
In this way, like the Israelites gathering mana daily meant
trusting in in God's capacity to provide Paul Paul will later
build on this and use this image of sewing in in Chapter 9, verse
6. But all through it.
The idea is that God promises to supply exactly what you and I
need. And that's often the worry that
we have in giving. Gee, if I give, will I have
enough to to pay my bills to to meet that need or to kind of
deal with the the unknown. What if this happens and what if
that takes place and all of those unknown elements that
well, if I, if I do go and be generous in this way, then you
know, I've, I've got to kind of cover all bases and look after
things here. Paul says trust God just as as
the the people in Israel trusted God with the manner and the
supply here. Then I I know it to be true in
the principle of giving that God will look after and meet those
needs. So the point here in Second
Corinthians, especially going back to verse 3 is that the
people had given according to their means, Speaking of the
Macedonian church. And in the same way the people
had gathered in, in Exodus, in the wilderness in verse 15, when
he gives that according to their means.
And the result in both occasions is this.
God had ensured that they had no lack.
God looked after them. There was an issue of faith and
of trust in him. Turn with me to the Old
Testament book now of Malachi chapter 3.
So open your Bible to Malachi chapter 3, please.
Verse 8 to 10. And what has God promised his
people, His children in the areas of giving?
He's made some pretty clear, some pretty specific promises
that we can by faith, trust in Him and rest in him that He will
take care of and look after me in this area of generosity and
of giving in Malachi 3, look at verse 8 through to 10 with me.
Verse 8, Malachi 3, he says, Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed me. But you say, in what way have we
robbed you in tithes and offerings?
You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me even this
whole nation. Verse 10 bring all the tithes
into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try
me. That means test me now in this,
says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the
windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there
will not be room enough to receive it.
A bit of context to that and you can turn back to 2nd Corinthians
in Malachi. At the time of the prophet
there, the people of God had been holding back their
generosity, have been holding back their tithes.
This was something wired into the Levitical law as a means of
providing for the Levites and the priesthood to enable them to
be able to serve God and to serve the people of God by
having their income supplied from the other 11 tribes and
support them in their work and their labours unto the Lord.
And the other 11 tribes are holding back from doing that.
They were holding back from their offerings that were on top
of the tithe that was to be given to the Levites as well.
And so that meant that the Levites were having to go and
eke out in existence by finding other employment and trying to
put food on the table. And so consequently, the the
flow on effect was that there was no one to serve in the
temple. There's no one to administer all
of the rituals and all of the process of the worship of God.
And so the worship of God was suffering as a consequence.
And the people in, in, in Israel were, were living large and
enjoying the prosperity. And oh, they had finances, they
had full houses and full tables. And God says, you're robbing me,
we're robbing you. How are we robbing you?
Well, you're robbing me by not giving in the tithes and
offerings because you don't trust me.
Because you don't trust me, you're missing out on the
blessing that I have to flow on out.
And he says you can test me in this.
If you'll give, if you'll be generous in the tithe and in the
offering, then then just wait and see how I will open the
windows of heaven and I'll provide and meet and bless all
of your needs. And that is a principle that God
has promised to his people that holds true throughout all of the
ages. It's a principle that held true
to the people of God back at the time of Malachi's writing.
It's a principle that holds true for the church in Corinth at the
time of Paul's writing, and it's a principle that holds true for
you and I tonight. And so if you struggle in this
area of, you know, they keep praying all the time about the
tithes and offerings. And you know, they say it's to
be something that that we're to do.
And I'm not sure, but I'm I'm yet to trust God in that.
Then then may that settle in your heart tonight to go, OK,
God said I can test him on it. I will test him and I'll see if
He's faithful to His Word. And I guarantee you'll find God
is always faithful to His Word. He's proven himself again and
again and again. So giving meets needs.
If that's a worry that you have, well, you can see how God will
move. So do you trust God to provide
for your needs as you give tonight?
Let's move on. That was the pattern of grace.
The second is the proof of sincerity from verse 16 through
to 9:00 and 5:00. What, what Paul will now explain
is a very practical point and some people back then as as
today will go, OK, well, I'll give, but let me just hear the
logistics about this, Paul. What, what parameters, what
things have you put in place that will kind of cover and
ensure that that what I give will reach its destination and
actually do that which you've promised and said it will do.
And so Paul now explains how the collection will be handled.
Verse 16 But thanks be to God. 2 Corinthians 8.
Verse 16 But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care
for you into the heart of Titus. Well, he not only accepted the
exhortation, but being more diligent, He went to you of his
own accord. And we have sent with him the
brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the
churches. So this unnamed individual, but
was well known back to them and throughout all of the churches
at the time. And not only that, verse 19, but
who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with
this gift which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord
Himself. And to show your ready mind
avoiding this, that anyone should blame us in this lavish
gift which is administered by us, providing honourable things,
not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of
men. And we have sent with them our
brother, whom we have often proved diligent in many things,
but how much more diligent because of the great confidence
which we have in you. If anyone inquires about Titus,
verse 23, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you.
Or if our brethren are inquired about their messengers of the
churches, the glory of Christ therefore show to them, and
before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting
on your behalf. Now concerning the ministering
to the Saints. Verse 1, Chapter 9.
It is superfluous for me to write to you, for I know your
willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that
Akaya was ready a year ago, and your zeal has stirred up the
majority. Yet I have sent the brethren,
lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect,
that, as I said, you may be ready, lest if some Macedonians
come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention
you, should be ashamed of this confident boasting.
What would the Macedonians think?
Therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren
to go to you ahead of time and prepare your generous gift
beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may
be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging
obligation much in there. But what we're seeing is some
very practical unveiling of how it is that the poor set some
caveats in place to protect the administration of this giving.
And so there's integrity that we see in giving and there's to be
integrity in the church in giving.
Paul insists here that the offering that they supply and
the offering that he collects out of the Macedonian churches
and others mention be handled with integrity.
He says we aim to do what is honourable not only in the
Lord's side, but also on the side of men.
So not only is it safe for him to say, well, well, God knows
our hearts and, and God knows how we'll, we'll look after and
care for it. But let's, let's put some good
optics on this and make sure that to the eyes of men and
others around that the way that we administer this is above
reproach. So he appointed Titus, he
mentioned him by name and then two other unnamed brothers are
mentioned in the verses we read. He again wanted to be above
reproach in this and that's why we here, Calvary Chapel, Secret
Harbour do what we do when it comes to money, that that we are
trying to be above reproach. We could just say, well, God
knows our hearts in the way that we handle our finances as a
church, but we have some measures in place to be
accountable, to have good optics before the eyes of men and
before the government, the land in which we live.
We have multiple signatories on our accounts.
We have more than when it comes to the cash in the offering
given to people counting. We have external bookkeepers and
auditors. We have our annual report
published online that that anybody Joe Blow citizen can go
and look and have a squizzy yet if they want.
But the point is that the integrity in that protects our
witness as believers, as followers of Jesus Christ.
And here's why. Do we not know and have we not
heard of so many so called churches or organisations or
people where financial mismanagement has been an issue?
Absolutely it has, right? It makes the news, it appears on
A Current Affair programmes, it hits the media, it becomes the
topic of conversation that people have, oh, the church,
they're just always out for money and they're just trying to
get rich and abuse things and and so on.
We've, we've all heard those words and we've seen examples,
poor examples of the mismanagement of that.
And so integrity in stewardship is a big part of what Paul is
about in this, and it's a big part of what we're to be about
as believers, as followers of Jesus Christ.
But did you know that that flows on beyond just church finances,
That integrity in the way that we manage our resources, that
which we've been given by God is to be also in our homes, is to
be in our honesty, in the way that we deal with with money, in
avoiding certain levels of debt and of being good examples to
our children. It flows on out into all of
those realms as well. The principles put in place by
Paul here cover a whole number of principles in the way that we
as believers, as followers of God, deal with our finances.
And there's to be integrity in that, particularly integrity in
our handling of giving. Well, Paul goes on in, in
dealing with, well, here's the, the measures and the parameters
that we'll put in place at the end of chapter 8.
And then in Chapter 9, he starts to talk about how it was that
their zeal, that their spark forgiving had in fact encouraged
other churches in, in the regions nearby to go, Oh, well,
Corinth is going to give. We'll, we'll give too.
We'd love to be a blessing in this way.
And so zeal in this area of generosity inspires zeal as
well. The Corinthians and their early
eagerness stirred up to give had been a motivator for other
churches to give as well. Now Paul urges them to finish
what they had promised, what they had begun, so that they
wouldn't be embarrassed and so that Paul wouldn't be
embarrassed about his boasting of them.
But haven't you found this? That generosity is contagious.
You know, when we as parents, we, we model it for our children
and they start to see it when churches can model it for other
churches as well. We don't give yes, to be praised
by people. That's what Jesus pointed out in
Matthew 6. But we also give to be good
examples for other people. That's certainly clear.
And what is also clear biblically and scripturally is
this is that if we make promises, just as I had made
promises, we should keep them also.
You guys, you promised that you would help in this, and you need
to be people that not only make promises but keep promises.
But it's more than just that though.
In this, it's about this principle that we see in giving
and that is this when we are a blessing to others, when others
are blessed, when we give, when we're generous, then they're
encouraged by our generosity. Haven't you found that to be
true here in in our midst over the maybe the years of the time
that you've been a member of the church?
You know, aside from the normal giving that we, we do here
regularly when we as a Church of have maybe urged or, or called
for certain causes that, you know, maybe you've been able to
contribute to. I think of the likes of when,
when Haiti a number of years ago was suffering and, and we gave
to them certainly annually we give with the Christmas shoe
boxes, Samaritan's Purse. But a number of years back we
had something called Vale of Tears.
We gave to Ukraine and we've certainly given to AEBM the, the
ministry mentioned in, in Haifa in Israel, We give to Fiji.
There are times when we've, we've done that and, and the
generosity has been overwhelming.
And there's also many people who wish to remain anonymous in our
midst who continually come and say, you know, if, if there's
ever a need in the church, let me be a blessing to that.
But I, I don't want people to know about it.
I just, I just, you know, God is blessed and God has given me so
much, you know, and when we hear of those things and we don't
broadcast it all, you know, another person came up this week
and said, hey, they want to be an anonymous giver.
That's not the point of it. But you know, it does bless your
heart when you hear people designed to just be a blessing
to others. And that's what what Paul is
building on here is that you know, your zeal and your desire
to go and be generous in this way.
It was a blessing to others. It it inspired them.
It encouraged them to be generous.
Now, now follow through on that and and be that blessing that
has encouraged others because giving proves love back in
chapter 8, verse 8 and then in verse 24, the proof of your
love, he said Paul calls generosity the proof of that.
So it's all well and good to say it.
Yeah, it will be generous Paul. We'll give, we'll help out.
But the proof is in actually following through that with with
the love. And just as in a marriage
relationship, you can say I love you, I love you, I love you, but
your actions can all together tell another story.
It's when actions follow through from words that reveal the proof
of love. Giving demonstrates sincerity
and is the proof of love. You see, words can come easy.
So we see the pattern of grace, proof of sincerity.
And let's finish now with the promise of blessing and wrap up
Chapter 9 and our focus tonight. And Paul concludes with an
encouragement here that giving is in fact not a loss, but is a
great blessing. But this I say, he who sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly.
He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not
grudgingly or of necessity. For God loves a cheerful giver,
and God is able to make all grace a bound towards you, that
you always having all sufficiency and all things, may
have an abundance. For every good work.
As it is written, he is dispersed abroad, He has given
to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.
Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food,
supply and multiply the seed you have sown, and increase the
fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in
everything for all liberality, which causes Thanksgiving
through us to God. For the administration of this
service not only supplies the needs of the Saints, but also is
abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while
through the proof of this ministry they glorify God.
For the obedience of your confession to the gospel of
Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,
and by their prayer for you who long for you because of the
exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His
indescribable gift. Whoever so sparingly, he says in
verse 6, will also reap sparingly.
Whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
He appeals to a well known principal, many of us familiar
with the idea that you take a seed, you plant it in the
ground, and that seed needs to die in order for it to bear
fruit. But when it does, it multiplies
that which was originally. Farmers then don't hoard seed in
the barn going, I don't want to plant it because that's all the
seed that I've got. They saw it, trusting that a
harvest will come out because haunted seeds will eventually
rot, but a planted seed will multiply.
He highlights the posture of the giver in verse 7 to 9.
Each must give as he has decided in his heart, So he doesn't set
an amount that each and every one of you give this amount.
He doesn't declare that because he didn't want it to be a
reluctant thing or a thing of compulsion, but he wanted it to
be done cheerfully. For he says God loves a cheerful
giver. You know, God delights when our
giving resembles him in his heart.
That it's joyful that it's free, that it's, that it's that it's
glad. You know, you see the difference
between a, a child that shares a toy begrudgingly compared to 1
who's, yeah, yeah, you can, You can play and you can share that.
Or you know, they've been told by the parents to share and they
do it with a scowl. The action might be the same,
but man, the heart is world's apart.
But there's a praise that is produced out of such giving.
He says in verses 10 to 15, you know, the generosity that meets
needs, that strengthens relationships.
He says it leads to Thanksgiving unto God.
God gets the praise. God gets the glory and the
ultimate result of giving is this worship unto God, worship
under God. So our giving, our generosity,
it not only helps and blesses others, but but praise unto God
springs forth and echoes around the world.
Back in chapter 8, verse seven. Let me read it again and we'll
kind of finish things with this, but as you are bound in
everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence,
and in your love for us, see that you are bound in this grace
also. And this is God's heart for them
through Paul's writing and for you and I tonight on this
subject, you're giving. You see, the church in Corinth
was a church that despite all of the problems that we've been
reading about and that as we've been going through 1st and 2nd
Corinthians, there's been a lot, isn't there?
They had great beginnings. They were blessed by God
concerning the gifts, they weren't lacking in any and one
Corinthians, I think of chapter 1213 and 14, they had all of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit operating and functioning.
They were bounding in certain graces.
Paul reminds them in the verse we just read faith and speech.
That means boldness in sharing the gospel, in knowledge and
diligence and love. He says.
But but Paul declares here, don't miss out on this gracious
gift. See that you are bound in this
grace as well of giving, of being generous in that you guys,
you're abounding in all of these other things, in faith, in
speech, in boldness. You've got the gifts of the
Spirit at work and all of these wonderful things, things
happening. Don't miss this.
Don't miss this grace of being generous givers and see that
you're abound in this grace as well.
He says, what is the grace He wants them to abound in again,
the grace of giving. So Paul reframes generosity for
us tonight and for them. But it's not about guilt, it's
not about obligation. But see it as undeserved favour,
as grace, that it flows from Christ, that it proves our love
and that it results in glory unto God.
Again, the Corinthians abounded in many graces, faith,
knowledge, love, and on through the list.
But Paul urged them to abound in this also.
And I think likewise tonight, God urges, God encourages, God
reminds us through his word to grow in this and to be complete
in this area of grace. John Wesley, maybe you've heard
of him. He put it this way.
Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.
His life showed it. If you do any study of of him as
an example in Christian history, he lives simply, but he gave
generously and and fueled great gospel work across the world as
a consequence. So Christian giving is not what
God wants from us, but it's what he wants for us.
Let me say that again to make it clear It's not what God wants
from us, it's what God wants for us.
There's a distinction in it. As children of a generous
Father, let us reflect our Father's heart and abound in the
grace of giving.