Giving Biblically Pt. 3 • 2 Corinthians 9

Review & Overview

1. Previous Study’s Review

Today we finish up the 2nd section of the book dealing with: Money or Giving: chp.8-9.

In chp.8: we looked at the Power for Giving... which was the Grace of God...

We saw that if we’re Giving by the Grace of God...

we’ll give Liberally... Freely... Eagerly... Diligently... Sacrificially... Willingly...

And if we’re not giving by the Grace of God... we’re giving by the flesh so we probably shouldn’t give at all...

2. Current Study’s Overview

This brings us to Chp.9: as we finish up this section dealing with the area of Giving… Read...

As we’ve mentioned in chp.8: dealt with the Power for Giving... today we’ll look at 2 more things.

1. The Principles about Giving: vs.1-7 4 of them

2. The Promises in Giving: vs.8-15

1. The Principles About Giving Vs. 1-7 (4)

1.1 Giving Stirs Up Others Vs. 1-2

Superfluous Definition Vs. 1 - above & beyond... Paul didn’t need to write to them, it was above & beyond what he need to do… why...

Vs.2 - in 2 Cor.8:10 the Corinthians desired to give a year ago... here we see they were ready a year ago…

Stirred Up: to provoke. used 2 times in bible… here in a positive sense... & Col.3:21 in a negative sense, fathers do no provoke your children to anger...

APPLICATION: Point: their willingness & zeal to give... is what stirred up others to do the same...

Now personally this becomes problematic because Jesus said in, Matt.6:1-4 we’re to give in secret...

But as this applies to us corporately as the church the point is as others see our willingness & zeal to give to those in need... feeding the hungry... clothing the naked... housing the homeless… etc.

It will provoke other churches to do the same...

1.2 Giving Should Be Anticipated Vs. 3-5

Paul sent some brethren ahead of him to Corinth to ensure that they would in fact be ready...

We’re not really sure who the brethren are, maybe Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus or Gaius from...

Acts 20:4 NKJV

4 And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

APPLICATION: But the Point is that the Corinthians made a promise to Paul to give to the poor saints in Jerusalem... but Paul didn’t want them to give out of a grudging obligation...

Paul didn’t want them to be shamed into giving just because he came to town... he wanted them to give as a matter of generosity... so he encourages them to Be Ready...

ONe day when you all grow up your going to get these things called: BILLS

And we all know when our bills are due... & we’re ready to pay them... we look ahead, we have a plan...

It should be no different in giving to the Lord... we know church is every Sunday... we should be ready.

1.3 Giving Reciprocates Vs. 6

turn Malachi 3:8-10... because every farmer understands this principle... the more seed you sow the more harvest you reap... & so it is with Giving, when you give you get... Read...

Malachi 3:8–10 NKJV

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try 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.

So God wants us to put Him to the test... or prove Him to be faithful to give back more then we give.

This is a principle the world cannot understand or except... that if we give... we get...

Luke 6:38 NKJV

38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Proverbs 11:24 NKJV

24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.

APPLICATION: Now, we do need to be careful that we don’t give to get... that’s not why we give...

But unfortunately there are many today who twist this principle & use it for their own gain... the health & wealth... name it & claim it groups…

They say if you give to me the Lord will give to you... If they really believed that, we’d be getting checks in the mail...

3.4 Giving Originates in the Heart Vs. 7

So when we give it’s all about the Heart... because that is what God looks at...

1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Grudgingly: sorrow, pain, sad… Necessity: calamity, distress, mad...

Cheerfully: glad… so we’re not to be a sad giver, or a mad giver, but a glad giver

APPLICATION: If we can’t give cheerfully... we shouldn’t give at all... God doesn’t want it or need it...

2. The Promises in Giving Vs. 8-15

2.1 Giving Promises Sufficiency from God Vs. 8-9

Vs. 8 - Now we mentioned back in chp.8:1 that the Power for Giving is the Grace of God...

Here God’s Grace abounds toward us so we have all sufficiency in all things for every good work...

Ephesians 1:3 NKJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

2 Peter 1:3 NKJV

3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

2 Corinthians 3:6 (NKJV)

6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant...

APPLICATION: About we have all we need in Christ....

Vs. 9 - Paul quotes Psl.112:9 speaking to the fact God gives to the poor... God takes cares of the needy...

Psalm 112:9 NKJV

9 He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.

APPLICATION: Point: giving is not based on our sufficiency... but God’s sufficiency to meet our needs when we give to meet the needs of others...

So even though we might not have much to give, when we do God will take care of what we lack...

2.2 Giving Promises the Provisions of God Vs. 10-15

Vs. 10-11a - Whatever we have, came from God... He has enriched us with everything...

He has provided everything we have & everything we need...

Philippians 4:19 NKJV

19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

So why has God provided everything we have & need... in vs.11b-15. there are 5 reasons...

1. To Give With Liberality Vs. 11b - One reason God has given us so much is so that we can give to others with all liberality...

Now there’s nothing wrong with a savings accs... retirement plans... but what God has given to us is not just for us...

In fact everything we have doesn’t even belong to us...

Psalm 24:1 NKJV

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

2. For Us To Be Thankful Vs. 11c-12 - We should be so thankful to God... for giving us so much... that we give to others...

APPLICATION: Point: one we way we show our thankfulness to God... is by giving to the people of God...

3. For Us To Be Obedient Vs. 13 - God’s provision in our life should result in obedience in not only confessing the Gospel... but sharing our provisions with others... & when we do that will glorify God..

4. To Encourage Others To Pray Vs. 14 - When we as a church give by the Grace of God... there are those who see it... & pray for us...

It’s very humbling to know that people pray for me and family every single day.

5. Because of God’s Gift Vs. 15 - God’s provision includes His indescribable gift... which is salvation... & this is the one thing we all have and can give to others who don’t...

So Paul takes this topic of Money or Giving & applies it to the greatest thing we can give others… Salvation.

Romans 6:23 NKJV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

APPLICATION: The question for us today is this a gift that you’ve received... if not I’d like to give it to you...