Released to be Generous

Our theme for 2024 is “Possessing the Land”

Last year I preached a series on 1 Corinthians entitled “The Spirit-filled church.

It was about this church in the Gentile world living at the intersection of spiritual reality and one of the darkest places on earth.

A year later, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church again.

Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church is to not just be filled with the Spirit, but to release the Spirit.

We don’t just live in spiritual reality, we bring spiritual reality to bear in every situation that we find ourselves.

In this series we learn that we carry the Presence of God with us to change the atmosphere wherever we go.

We began by saying that we are released to bring the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Then we heard that we are released to shine - brighter, bolder and like the stars - forever.

Then we said that Paul calls us Ambassadors - citizens of heaven but living in and representing spiritual reality in the world.

A few weeks ago we built upon the idea of representing God - but this time as His sons and daughters.

Picking up on the theme of representing God and releasing His attributes, today we want to talk about releasing generosity.

God is holy, good and loving, but God is also generous.

The deception that led to the fall of mankind was doubting God’s generosity.

When God’s grace is at work in the lives of believers, one one the indicators is generosity.

God’s goodness is made known to the world through the generosity of believers in Christ.

And generosity is not just about giving money; it is a generosity of spirit that is marked by love and genuine concern.

Today we are going to study the Macedonian church as an example of generosity: their readiness to give, how the gift was administrated and the increase of faith that it produced.

The readiness to give

We talked about this very passage this summer when I was preaching through the Lord’s prayer.

In was part of the message on doing God’s will.

Their will has become God’s desire and God’s desire has become their desire.

They are giving themselves over to giving.

And the more they give, the more they want to give!

And they are caught up in a moment of ecstatic giving!

It’s a total love fest of doing God’s will and seeing God’s will done.

2 Corinthians 8:1–5 ESV

1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

Generosity is a test of commitment.

“They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.”

Your commitment to generosity flows out of your commitment to God.

This kind of love doesn’t come from you, it comes from God working through you.

Generosity like this is not normal.

I doesn’t just happen naturally.

It starts in our relationship to God and expresses itself in our relationship to others.

That means you can’t just make yourself more generous - it is going to come across as fake.

People are going to suspect an ulterior motive.

Eventually they are going to see that this is really about making you feel better about yourself.

Generosity is not motivated by guilt.

Guilt is a powerful motivator.

like the commercials that show you picture after picture of abused animals or starving children fading in and out in slow motion. And for your monthly gift of just $19 dollars you can make the guilt go away and we will send you a free T-shirt so that everyone knows that you are a good person!

That is not generosity - that is manipulation!

It’s highway robbery!

These people gave gave because they wanted to.

How do I know? - because they gave even more than what was asked.

They gave more than what was expected.

You might even say that gave more than they were supposed to.

That is real generosity!

Generosity is evidence of God’s grace.

2 Corinthians 8:6–8 ESV

6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

We see in these verses that generosity is not just a good work, but it is a sign of God’s grace.

God’s grace is His favor, but it is also a Divine empowerment that enables us to do what God does.

You could even say that generosity is part of God’s nature that He gives to us when we are united with Him.

The sinful nature is the opposite of generous - it is selfish.

From the very beginning at the fall, the deception was to question God’s goodness and generosity.

Genesis 3:1–3 ESV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Do you see what happened here?

Didn’t God say you should eat of ANY tree?

No God said we should not eat of one particular tree.

But the seed of doubt was sown - God is holding out on you!

God doesn’t want you to have something that might be good.

Is that the God we know?

God is generous - if He is holding something back, he has a reason for it.

And His reason - whatever it is - is good!

Because God is generous - He wants what is best for us.

And when His Spirit is in us - it causes us to be generous like Him.

Generosity is a culmination of spiritual growth.

2 Corinthians 8:9–11 ESV

9 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 by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.

Jesus came to show us who God is, and how God is.

What did Jesus show us about God?

All the gods of the nations demand sacrifice - He gave himself as a sacrifice.

All the gods of the nations demand power and allegiance - Jesus became a servant who lays His life down.

All the gods of the nations are represented by an elite ruling class - Jesus, on the other hand, calls those who follow him to do what He did and lay our lives down for others.

As we grow as followers of Jesus, we grow in this aspect of selfless sacrifice - essentially, we grow in generosity.

Generosity is part of growing as a disciple of Jesus.

When you are generous you are learning to practice faith in God as you provider.

You are learning to think more of others and less of yourself.

You are giving tangible expression to your love.

And you are becoming a visible representation of God’s love for the world.

So if you feel God calling you to be generous - do it- follow through as a act of obedience and as an exercise of growing as a disciple.

The administration of the gift

So how does generosity work?

Perhaps you have tried to challenge yourself in giving and it hasn’t worked out the way you thought it should?

Giving is a skill that needs to be cultivated.

There is an art to it - knowing how and when to give.

Of course, sometimes giving is more successful or impactful than at other times.

It’s just like learning to follow the Spirit - the more you do it, the more natural it becomes.

And the Bible gives some direction about the best ways to practice generosity.

You can’t give what you don’t have.

2 Corinthians 8:12–15 ESV

12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

In verse 3 Paul said that they gave beyond their means.

2 Corinthians 8:3 YLT

3 because, according to their power, I testify, and above their power, they were willing of themselves,

You can see from this literal translation that it was not about them giving money that they didn’t have - it was about exceed in the limitations of their own power- their own mindset.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes people who don’t have a lot of money are more generous than those who do?

The reason is because they are already trusting God moment by moment and day by day - they expect God to provide when they are generous.

People who have money are more likely to trust their own resources.

Do I have enough for every contingency?

God forbid that I should ever need to depend on the generosity of others!

What Paul is saying here should help us not to give out of guilt.

God is not expecting you to give what you don’t have.

Yes, there is a place for giving sacrificially - but that is giving what we already have and we think we need.

If you have extra at the end of the month, instead of rushing over to the mall, you might want to pray and ask God what that money is for.

Or who it is for? God may know someone who needs it.

When I was a student in Bible school, after the last school bill was paid, our bank account was literally down to $25. But we still needed money for food. We had just been home and stocked up from our parent’s pantries, so it was just the perishable essentials that we needed to buy, like bread and milk. Then we ran out of milk, so we prayed. Then next day there was a half gallon of milk outside our apartment door. So we asked around to find out where it came from.

It was from a couple from Africa who lived in our dorm. I asked them, “How did you know we needed milk?’

He said, I was given some extra money and I didn’t know what I should do with it, so I prayed. “God, what do you want us to do with the money you have given us?”

God said, “Shirley needs a book. Joel needs milk. And the rest you can do with what you want!”

What would happen if we all did that?

What if we all prayed, “God, what do you want me to do with the money you have given?”

The lesson in this story is that my friend assumed that his money belonged to God and that God had a purpose for giving it to him.

Glorify God with your finances.

2 Corinthians 8:16–19 ESV

16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. 18 With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 19 And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will.

Paul is taking up an offering for the church in Jerusalem who is experiencing famine.

In the first century, you could wire money or even take a check, whatever was given was converted to coins which were hand-carried to the recipients.

Notice who was chosen for this task - a gifted preacher - one of Paul’s colleagues to accompany Titus.

Why send someone to minister the gospel? Why not just send money?

Because generosity isn’t just sending money - it is glorifying God.

You want people to know that what they are receiving is in His name.

We have Operation Christmas Child coming up. We pack shoe boxes with gifts and toys to share with needy children all over the world. It is a great ministry! Karie can tell you stories about being there when those boxes are distributed. Why was she there? Because they are distributed by Christian workers through Christian ministries so that when children receive the gift, they will know that it is given in the name of Christ. God will be glorified through our generosity. The people who receive it will know, not just our generosity, but Gods!

So Titus and this other brother are going to Jerusalem, not just to deliver an offering, but to personally encourage the people and to minister to them.

To pray for them.

To share testimonies of God’s goodness and faithfulness among the gentiles.

To show from the scriptures how God’s grace is not only to the gentiles but also through the gentiles.

Giving is a matter of trust.

2 Corinthians 8:20–24 ESV

20 We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.

So Paul goes on to say, “you can trust these men with your money.”

They have proven themselves to be worthy of this trust.

I wish that it were still that easy.

It used to be that if you told people that you were a minister of the gospel, that was instant credibility.

Now I find, that most people, I would rather not tell them I am a pastor until they get to know me.

Too many famous TV preachers have had scandals which have destroyed the credibility of the ministry.

That’s because they ask for your money.

They use guilt and appeal to your emotions,

but then you find out that they live in multi-million dollar homes and own private jets.

All I can say is, I’m sorry that a few of God’s servants have misrepresented Him that way.

I believe that it is important that you know that we give sacrificially too.

We tithe ten percent our my salary to the Hopewell Network.

Karie works for an organization that takes part of her salary for administration.

And besides that, we personally pray for and support other missionaries and ministries with funds above and beyond our tithe.

Yes, the church reimburses most of our ministry expenses, but we also give out of our own resources as well.

I only tell you this because I want you to know that I don’t just preach generosity, we practice generosity - and that is a matter of trust.

The increase of faith

Why does Paul spend two whole chapters talking about giving and generosity?

I thought that Paul was all about bringing faith to the Gentiles?

Giving and generosity is about faith.

I don’t teach about giving and tithing because God needs your money.

I teach about it because God wants your heart - and your wallet is attached to it.

Matthew 6:21 ESV

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Think of generosity as a faith exercise.

When you increase your giving - you are stretching your faith.

So how do you do this?

Plan for your giving.

2 Corinthians 9:1–5 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. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

This is so practical - Paul is writing in advance about the collection so that they can be prepared when the messengers arrive.

In some part of the world, just as in first century Corinth, people don’t primarily give money.

They give food, fabric they have woven, maybe even a goat or a cow.

All of that needs to be converted into currency for travel and that takes time.

But there is a principle here too - prepare to be generous.

Plan for your giving.

Set aside money for giving.

Put it into your monthly or weekly budget.

When you have extra, pray about it.

Talk to a financial planner - figure out what portion of your savings you need to reinvest in order for it to keep growing and what part you may have to give.

There are laws about retirement income that at a certain age you need to begin withdrawing funds - did you know that if those funds go directly to the church or to charity, you don’t have to pay tax on them?

These are the kind of things you learn when you are intentional about giving.

Challenge yourself in your giving.

2 Corinthians 9:6–11 ESV

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.

If you are wise about money you know that you have to spend money to make money.

If you want to grow your finances, you have to invest.

The more you invest - wisely- the greater the return.

That’s an old agricultural principle - sowing and reaping.

You have to set some of your harvest aside as seed for the next year.

When you put a seed in the ground, you are giving it away to receive back more in the long run.

The discipline of setting some of what you have aside is what leads to increase.

Your giving is a kind of sowing.

You are not just giving to the church, to a ministry, or to a charity - you are giving to God.

And you are trusting God to multiply what you give to him, so that after some time has passed, you will have even more to give.

Luke 6:38 NLT

38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

I’m not telling you this because I want your money.

I’m telling you this because I want you to grow spiritually.

I want you to grow in faith - and learning to trust God with money is a good way to do that.

Challenge yourself in your giving.

Try sowing more and see if you don’t also reap more.

It’s not just about money.

2 Corinthians 9:12–15 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, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

It’s not just about money - this is about your heart and your devotion to God.

This is about surrendering, not just your heart, but your life and all that goes with it.

Think about it - if you belong to God, then every thing that belongs to you, also belongs to God.

If it’s your money, and you belong to God, then isn’t it also God’s money?

And if it is God’s money, then shouldn’t you be talking to Him about what to do with it?

Do you see what happens when God’s generosity becomes part of our own character and lifestyle?

Paul says we are overflowing with thankfulness.

We are not feeling entitled.

God is not holding out on us.

The truth is, that when we feel like God is holding out on us, most likely it is we who are holding out on Him.

God is generous, and when we become like Him, we are generous too.

And when we are generous like God, there is more than enough to go around.

Questions for reflection:

How do you feel about a message like this? Does talking about giving and generosity make you uneasy? Perhaps you are used to being motivated by guilt? Ask God to make generosity a positive thing!

Is generosity part of your relationship with God? Do you see God as generous toward you? Is generosity an attribute that you cultivate? Is God able to express His generosity through you?

Do you have a plan for your giving? Are tithes and offerings part of your weekly or monthly budget? Have you thought about how extra income, investments and estate planning could be used for the glory of God? Do you have a testimony of God’s miraculous provision?