The Principles Of Giving
Lessons From 2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
We left off two weeks ago in 2 Corinthians 8:16-24 discussing Paul’s fellow worker in the Lord and friend Titus.
How Titus had a zealous heart and Paul could count on him because he was trustworthy.
Today, we are going to be focusing on 2 Corinthians 9, wherein the apostle Paul continues to focus on “the gift” the church had, a year prior, given their word to fulfill for the ministry of the saints in Jerusalem.
In this chapter, Paul discusses several of “The Principles Of Giving” for the child of God.
With this in mind let us examine our lesson for today.
The first principle we find is that of…
Giving Our Word
Giving Our Word
Let Our Yes Be Yes.
Let Our Yes Be Yes.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:3 we read…
2 Corinthians 9:1–3 (ESV)
1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be.
The church at Corinth had given its word and to take back one’s word without biblical reason is sin as far as God sees it.
Matthew 5:33–37 (ESV)
33 Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.
When we obey the gospel we made a oath to follow the Law of Christ and dedicate our lives to our God.
Part of that oath or covenant agreement is that we give as we prosper so that it may be collected by the church for the ministry of the saints.
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
Also, as Paul points out others are watching to see if we keep our word.
If we keep our word it can motivate other Christians to give as they such.
It will motivate others to give as you have given.
2 Corinthians 9:2 (ESV)
2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them.
It will motive those being given the gift as well.
2 Corinthians 9:12–13 (ESV)
12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others
Summary
Summary
When we gave our word to God to keep his covenant part of keep our word is to give to God.
This is often one of the harder aspects of our early walk with God to learn and some never do fully grasp it but it is vital to our giving to the Lord.
Another principle we find here in 2 Corinthians 9 is…
We Reap What We Sow
We Reap What We Sow
God’s Promise.
God’s Promise.
God has promised over and over that man kind will reap what we sow.
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
We see this exact promise in our text in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11.
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Jesus himself declared this in Matthew 6:25-33.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
In fact, this promise from God is the only promise that comes with the demand to “test him in such.”
When the Israelites were “robbing God,” God told them to “test him and see if giving as they should didn’t turn out better for them.
Malachi 3:8–10 (ESV)
8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Summary
Summary
This, of course, is not the health and wealth doctrine of “if you give to some person you will become financially rich and physically healthy beyond belief.
No this is God saying that “if you sow abundantly in your giving to him as we should, we will reap abundantly from God’s blessings which include always have what we need to be content in.
Lastly, we see the principle of…
The Heart
The Heart
A Cheerful Giver.
A Cheerful Giver.
Being a cheerful giver requires these two things.
First, it requires our decision to give be of our own free choice.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
If we are giving because we feel like we “have to” then it is not our choice and it is being forced upon us, which God does not want. No one can be happy giving it they feel forced to do so.
Second, it requires the decision to come from our heart.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
If our heart is not in it and we are simply doing it out of some desire to “work our way to heaven” we once again will not find joy in giving this way.
Summary
Summary
As Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 8:12, “if the readiness is there” i.e., if we freely choose to give from the heart there and are ready to do so, how can one not “cheerfully give back” to their Creator.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The reality is, how we give & how much we give back to God all play a determining role in our relationship with God concerning our trust in him.
As John Blanchard once stated, “Our temporary stewardship will determine our permanent ownership.”
In other words, “if we are giving to God what is right and not just what is left” we demonstrate our trust and love for him who has said to “put him to the test in this matter.”
And brothers and sisters, if we put God to the test by keeping our word to give to him generously from our heart we will reap the spiritual benefits of what we have sowed in this life and the next.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.