Examples of Grace Giving

Doing this. Well, the Believers are the Apostle Paul desires to raise funds, for the Believers who are living in Jerusalem at the time times there as a Christian, as you could imagine, living during that time was very difficult to say the least. Now that the Corinthian Believers were not in the dark about the issue. They knew about the hardships at their brothers and sisters in Christ were facing in there in Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, a year earlier Paul told them and its first letter that he wrote to them of the need of these Believers that they had a great need and he was reminding them of the grace at the Corinthian Church showed to them a year earlier. And he is asking them to show that same Grace presently. Another reason Paul was wanting to raise money for the Christians in Jerusalem is because of again the extreme persecution that the Believers in Christ were suffering there in Jerusalem. And because of that extreme persecution that they were suffering, they endure, then extreme poverty, great poverty. And so the cause of their great need Paul needed to tell of the churches in Macedonia, the churches in the Philippines that's when I can in Berea. Who threw who do themselves were very, very poor. They gave to those in need who were in Jerusalem. So Paul was trying to show the Believers there in Corinth what God could do through them and how God can bless them and bless others by their generosity. As we are reminded about this background in the context of our passage of scripture. It's hard for us to not be challenged yourself. And it's hard for us, not to be convicted ourselves. As we understand that these Believers in Macedonia who gave out of their poverty, Gave out of their deep poverty to other believers who lived very far from them. Who are also living in poverty. So, Paul mentioned some things.

In this passage of scripture, notice number one, he gives us the human example of giving he gives us the human example of giving your Paul address, the matter of giving with a drinking in church and we noticed that he did so with with gentleness, he did not berate them in any way but he did it with gentleness by citing the remarkable giving of their sister. Churches in Macedonia notice how gentle his words were verse 1. He says moreover brethren We make known to you the grace of God bestowed. On the churches of Macedonia. The grace of God. Paul was referring to was as the context makes it so clear. The gracious inclination to give that had fallen upon the Macedonian churches. And disgrace flowed from the primary source of Grace, which is Christ reconciliation of Sinners to himself. And that is what chapters 5 and 6 deal with that, the riches of God's Grace has been poured out on them, on the Macedonian Believers and then they in return poured out what they had on others. the grace giving is what this section here in chapters 8 and 9 is all about As a matter of fact, the word Paris of the word Grace occur, some 8 times in chapters, 8 and 9. It occurs five times alone in chapters a chapter number 8. And so Paul's teaching on giving really is a sermon on Grace from beginning to end. And again, we read concerning the grace among the macedonians verse one tells us moreover brethren, we make known to you the grace of God, bestowed. On the churches of Macedonia, that in a great trial verse 2. A great trial of Affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. Now what makes they're giving so amazing? Is because we know of their poverty, the churches in Macedonia, that those who are giving so, liberal and so generously, we're also in poverty.

Paul says that they were in deep extreme poverty. We would say that they are at the bottom economically. We might say it's in Arkansas language. They were dirt poor, right? They were they were poor, they were in deep poverty until we know that the region of Macedonia had been reduced to a grinding halt, orrible poverty. And the reason being Macedonia at that time was under the Roman Empire and the Roman government had implemented upon them, their Taxation and Rome's, taxation had absolutely cripple them and he's and it left the people, especially Christians destitute So, they were in deep, deep poverty, not for most of us. It is a major stretch to relate to deep poverty in an ancient setting like this. We think we're poor when we, when we have to choose a restaurant that serves a $20 steak. Instead of the one restaurant that serves a $50. And because we can't afford the $50 stayed, where we consider ourselves poor, Are we think we're poor? What? We cannot afford three car payments at one time. And instead of the only the two car payments that we have now, Melissa needs Macedonian. Believers were in deep poverty as brother Harvey Reeves would say he grew up. So poor, he had to spell poor with four rows. He was poor. That's how these Believers were also. So poor. So we think about what makes her giving. So great is that they were so wretchedly for But also, it makes mention of their affliction. Birth to tells us they were also in great and a great trial of affliction. At the idea, there is that they were being crushed by life.

The surrounding culture, kept squeezing them harder and harder because of a message on Ian's Devotion to Christ because they would not bother need to Caesar their ostracized from society. They were persecuted greatly, they had amongst them on them, immense pressure, it was not easy to be a Christian. In ancient. Middle East. Immense pressure. They were poor. And they were picked on because they were Christians. So the grinding poverty in the crushing tribulation made life very difficult. It would be impossible by our standards. But Paul speaks of not only their poverty, he speaks not only at their great Affliction that they were enduring, great persecution, but he speaks of the giving That out of their difficult situation, they did what most of us would consider impossible. birth to tell sister, Joi, And their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. Now. That is an amazing statement. Is it not? Send Mason statement in a parts existence. These poverty-stricken little churches really spring forth with the joy of giving.

Listen. What God gave them such a joy and why they have such joy in giving was not so much that they were giving just their meager amount that they gave to these poor Jerusalem Christians. Now, that was a point of the joy, but that was not the main source of the joy. Their Joy was really in what God had done for them. Their Joy was first placed in the Lord we met. Remember one message on insurance in Phillipi Paul said rejoice in the lord always and again I say rejoice. So we Joy sing is in the Lord and then Paul says us that's one item. He said in you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received much Affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit. And so, yes, they were joyous givers but their Joy was rooted in the joy that they had in the Lord. Jesus Christ, there was so moved by what the Lord had done in their lives. They couldn't help but joyfully give to others who were in need now. Paul went on to Spanish. Verse 3, He says, for I bear witness that according to their ability. Yes, and beyond their ability. They were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and The Fellowship of the ministering, to the Saints. Paul says they gave beyond their ability, literally, it means that they gave contrary to their ability that even though they could not afford to give they gave anyway.

and what is amazing here is that as one Theologian said they did the begging not Paul. Paul. It did not have to beg the Macedonian Believers to give they were the ones. Doing the begging that Paul would receive their gift. Until the Santa's that Paul seeing their extreme poverty. Paul knowing their extreme Affliction was at first hesitant to take their gifts because he knew it would just deepen their deprivation and deepen their poverty, but they would not be denied.

They would say something like this. Paul, we implore you, we leave with you. Don't deny us, this honor we want to give I'll listen, there is a clear lesson here.

It won't do any good to give our possessions to God. unless we have first given ourselves to God, in fact, such giving Is harmful. Is harmful. And there's many reasons why. First of all, will be tempted to imagine. Then our giving of our substance is enough. That somehow this will make God pleased with us. And this is the reason external giving builds religious pride and you, we must guard ourselves from that Giving things instead of ourselves can easily become our religion. So that we never truly turn to Christ for salvation.

Hey listen friend, it must be said that. If you have not given your life to Christ, don't give your money.

God does not need your money. You need God, you need God. And the way you come to God is Not By youth giving to the church. The way you come to God Is by faith and the repenting of your sin and trusting him. Howling howling yourself before a holy God and trusting him as your lord and savior.

Remember the story about the macedonians As Told, by Paul? About believers. For believers to instruct True Believers, no one else this story is not applicable to those who are lost. It is only a phone call to those who are in Christ.

I noticed verse 6 and 7.

You see the implications?

Of giving birth 60 houses.

So we are urged Titus Titus that as he had begun. So he would also complete disgrace in you as well, but as you are bound and 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 until earlier, Paul had encouraged Titus to bring the Corinthians to completion to maturity. In this area of giving of the Corinthians were where I gifted group Paul says in these verses that many had Faith or speech or knowledge, but they did not process of bound, or XXL in this act, of giving Act of Grace giving So despite all their good qualities, they were incomplete and Paul wanted them to not be incomplete. He wanted them to grow spiritually, which brings us to another major implication about giving. Listen, there is no way to grow. Spiritually mature, without committing your finances to the Lord. There's no way to grow spiritually mature in a spiritually mature without committing your finances to the Lord. You seeing reality how you view your money is a barometer of your spiritual life, how you view and how you handle your money is a barometer of your spiritual life. You see beloved listen. Jesus can have our money. And not our hearts. But he cannot have our hearts without our money. You see blowing money is so intertwined with one soul. Some say that the average American spends, 50% of his, or her time, thinking about money. How to get it, how to make it and then how to spend it. Now, whether that is accurate or not, we know that it is generally true, right? Because we do think about, okay. Making money. Getting my what I'm going to do when I do receive some money and it is also true that our handling of money defines our affection, the things that we truly desire. Jesus said where your treasure is. Your heart is also where your treasure is there. Your heart is also doing this. I would not be true to God's word or two you. If I did not say that some of you may have plateaued in your spiritual growth because you have not begun to give as a scriptures and conscience are directing you to give

And over the years, I've heard all the reasons. Why one cannot give somebody might say, Well, it's just too hard to give, you know, I have so many obligations.

You'll begin.

People would say something like this, why I'll begin when I get a full-time job or get a better job. I'll begin when I get the car paid for. I'll begin when the children are done with school. I'll begin when, when we really have something to give

I'll begin when I get that promotion that I've been promised. McDonald's word, says, to excel in this active brace now. if you're not giving now, You're not going to give when you think that you'll have more. God's word says to excel in this act of Grace. Now the macedonians gave out of their poverty.

So we see this human example of giving. But notice, secondly, the Divine example of giving. Paul didn't have a command from the lips of Christ about the collection, but he did have the example of the macedonians earnest and giving as well as the ultimate example of Christ giving himself. Jesus was beloved and is the great example and motivation for giving notice a nine. We see you the highest highest example. He says verse 94. You know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes, he became poor that you through his poverty, might become rich. That is the Divine example of giving. Right there, the Christ in his pre-existence with the heavenly father could hold the stars in the palm of his hand. He emptied himself of his riches and became one of us and then died for us and such as a scripture. Tell us was he is poverty. He emptied himself. Miss was Heaven's stewardship program. The beginning of Grace giving. And listen, it is also a pattern for us. It is a pattern for us. The macedonians had not been inducted into giving by gimmicks or fear

Rather it was a it was the Heavenly example of giving. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that brought about the grace giving in their lives. this is the ultimate motivation for giving beloved, this ought to be our motivation as to why we giving to the Lord.

There should be no other motive motivation. The Apostle, John wrote In from his fullness. We all have received Grace upon Grace. Amen. Giving is a matter of Grace from beginning to end Christ, gave himself to us.

We received his grace and then we give ourselves to him and two others in his name. And the response to Grace. Includes giving what we have. This is how the macedonians gave out of the poverty with great liberality, with great generosity. And that is how we give out of our abundance. It is the same I noticed first 10.

Paul says, and in this, I give advice. It is to your advantage, not only to be doing what you began. And were Desiring to do a year ago. I remember a year earlier that they rent the ins initially, given to help the Jerusalem Church was an encouraging sign to Paul that they had been truly converted. And if they take up another offering for the Jerusalem Church, it would confirm that they were for real that they were genuine believers. However, if the Corinthians refused to complete their commitment, it would demonstrate that they were not truly part of God's people and so it seems it's not very clear here. It seems that the Corinthian Church had made a commitment to send more than one offering That's why Paul says a 10, it is to your advantage, not only to be doing what you began and where Desiring to do a year ago. But in this, we see this implicit warning That past performance doesn't count if there is no desire to be generous in the present. Past performance, doesn't count if there is no desire to be generous in the present. We can not say well, I used to give to the church. I used to give two missions. I used to give a lot, but do you give now? What do you give now?

We never look back at our past. I consider our past as being the standard for our whole life. Its we look at the present We see the human example of giving the Divine example of giving. But then notice the edict from Paul about giving or the directive from Paul. the only command in Paul's teaching on giving on giving in both chapters here chapters 8 and 9 is in the imperative that We see this a 11. It says, but now you must also complete the doing of it that as there was a Readiness to desire it. So they're also maybe a completion out of what you have for, if there is first, a willing mind, it is accepted. It is accepted according to what one has and not according to what he does not have. DePaul notes, their Readiness approvingly because such rating, this is an in, is an indication of the Corinthians Hearts. Being volition are about Melissa. Neri, generous voluntarily generous during a Spanish worship. Service in Edinburgh is reported that one member of the congregation accidentally, put a put in a crown piece instead of a penny. And once this Giver realized what he had done, he quietly asked for it back. But the Usher was Scottish to and answered in. Once In Forever The Giver said, oh well I'll just get the credit for it in heaven and wish the Usher said to him know, you'll get credit for only a penny. And there's a lot of Truth in that. Is it not? He was right because Don's focus is on the heart. From the heart. And God's desires. His are willing hearts. That eagerly give As Paul says, according to what a person has not according to what he does not have. And so we can sum it up by saying proportionate giving proportionate giving we are to give according to what we have, which means that both rich and poor can give great gifts to God when they give accordingly to what they have from the heart, from the heart, Paul leave the amount of the gift up to the Corinthians because he is convinced that the quantity of their giving will match the quality of their change hearts.

I know that there are many even myself are very weary of many in the church and specially church leaders. Who tried to put guilt trips on a congregation, or a group of people to give will do all kinds of motivations for giving. They'll say something like that as well. Just get Ivan God will prosper. You I'm eight times Miss applying or misinterpreting Malachi 3:10. Where it says, bring all the tithes and offerings into the storehouse. And their God says, I will open up the windows of heaven and will bless you. But we must be careful. Be very careful not to apply a passage that is specifically dealing with Old Testament, Israel and apply that to a New Testament. Believer. I think about this. Think about those who are giving. With the expectation that if I give God is going to open up the windows of Heaven, he's going to bless me thinking materially blessings. But how many people do you know, an even made yourself that you are faithful to tie your faithful to give offerings. But things still happen, your car breaks down, and you may lose your job. You find yourself in in, in deprivation in and sorts. And then also think about the Christians even today who are living in total poverty. May be in a communist country, does that apply to them as well? Or is that just applied to American Christianity? It's always very dangerous and not, not very healthy to take an Old Testament. Picture that really is, applied only contextually to Old Testament, Israel and not apply to you as a new testament, believer. Now, we are to give, yes, but we are to give under grace, not under the law, we're give under grace those who truly experience the Saving Grace of Christ give Those have been truly saved gift.

Because giving itself is a Grace. The grace of God was given to the macedonians who's in Ernest Lee beg for the grace of taking part in the relief of the Saints, there in Jerusalem, and upon their example of the pantheon, urge to complete the grace of God in their lives. But most of all it was and is the grace of Christ. Again, verse 9 tells us for, you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor. So that you buy his poverty, might become rich. John's people joyfully give according to what they have and it is by grace that we give Now, preaching on, giving in a Baptist Church is hard. but it is needful, it's needful and what a fitting passage of scripture, as we think about our missions and how our missions is supported here at Barrel Baptist that when you give your tithe, your tithe goes to the church and it helps fund the mission of the church. It pays salaries, that pays the light bill that pays Insurance, all that, that entails and the financing of a church. But the way we support missions is about what you give over and above the tithe. Has Robbie said, 100% of the money you give through your missions goes directly to a missionary. We don't give to Mission board. And that mission board having a president and 10 other vice president under him. Now we give directed to missionaries. to whom we know to whom, we can talk to to whom we can correspond with do I encourage you if you have not ever Been apart and gotten into Faith promise, giving I would encourage you to do that. if you are not giving now,

On a regular basis to the church at on your ties. Start there. Start there and ask the Lord for the grace. Just to give

You know, to the church as far as the tie this concern, but maybe you are already tithing regularly, but you have never given to Faith promise, ask the Lord, to give you the grace to give that and to support missions. And as Robbie talked about, we have cards should be some cars in front of you just like this. And we would ask you at the end of this month, we're going to be taking these cards up that you don't put your name on the card. That's between you and in the Lord, but we would ask that you would fill out. What that amount that you promised, and what this does, it helps the mission team budget for the next year. This gives us an idea of how much money that the missions team is going to have to allocate to missionaries. So I would encourage you, maybe you can only give $10 a month. Maybe you can give $100 a month over and above your type. I don't know if that's between you and the Lord. I pray that you would begin to praying about it if you'd want some more information about it, please see me or brother Robbie. We can help you. Maybe answer any question, but it's also a very fitting message, as we think about renewal Ranch coming this evening at 5. We're going to have a great time of Fellowship. We're going to have a great meal that the church is providing We're going to have a wonderful time hearing of the testimonies of these young men.

Who at one point were absolutely addicted to drugs. And don't listen to me this drug abuse. Is an epidemic like we've never seen before.

Renewal Ranch does not take a dime from the government.

And they do not want to take a dime of the government because they know if they do that, they would have to follow the guidelines of the government which they would no longer be a faith-based program. And we don't want them taking money from the government, right?

We need faith-based drug addiction programs.

And so I would encourage you tonight. To pray about an amount that you would give. To Renewal Ranch.

Now remember if you going to make it checked out, make the check out to Beryl Baptist church and then we'll give them one particular. One one check, but be praying about that this afternoon.

First of all, come

Come enjoy the fellowship and also come to give come to give because why the Lord Jesus Christ. Has graced you. And the cause of his grace has been applied to your heart and life, you can joyfully give to others. So I pray that you would do that this evening.