Untitled Sermon (5)

Good morning MBC! Welcome back to week 6 of our series, “The Resilient Life.” We’ve been examining themes of resilience in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. Last week, Pastor Dave taught us about the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. This morning, I want to teach you about generosity. Last week we covered repentance … this week we cover money. Two topics that people avoid—yet they are desperatelynecessary for our spiritual growth. I want to give you a vision for generosity in a message I’m calling, “Resilient Generosity.” I invite you to join me in 2 Corinthians 8-9. Note about money up front

As you are turning there I want to open with the story of Bob Lotich, the author of the book Simply Money, Rich Life. He and his wife, Linda, also run a website called “Seed Time,” where they focus on financial education for eternal impact. I love that tagline---we don’t always think of money having eternal impact. Bob and Linda are very open about their journey. Perhaps you can relate to the beginning of their story. In his 20s, Bob found himself at a financial breaking point. One day, he was 1000 miles from home when his car broke down and he only had $7.00 in his bank account. Yes … $7.00! He was living off his credit card to pat the bills, he was stuck in a dead end job, living paycheck to paycheck and consuming a diet of 99-cent macaroni and cheese boxes.

In that moment, Bob cried out to God asking for wisdom! God answered. That moment began a journey of radical generosity and dependence on God. The Lord gave Bob a vision to give away more than he ever thought possible. He eventually met his wife, Linda, and they started Seed Time. As their ministry grew, God gave them a bold vision—to begin giving their age as a percentage of their income (Pause). Bob was 31 at the time, that meant giving 31% of his income. For most of his life, Bob thought a tithe, or 10%, of his income was the ”finish line” of Christian giving … but God was showing him that was just the beginning! Recently, they reached their goal of giving away $1 Million by age 40.Wow! How did they accomplish this? Through God’s power and following a principal laid out by John Wesley who wrote this:

I gain all I can (namely, by writing) without hurting either my soul or body. I save all I can, not willingly wasting any thing, not a sheet of paper, not a cup of water.… Yet by giving all I can, I am effectually secured from “laying up treasures upon earth.” Yea, and I am secured from either desiring or endeavouring it, as long as I give all I can.”[1]

Here is the formula: EARN all your can, SAVE all you can, GIVE all you can. Enjoy it all. This concept is at the heart of Paul’s argument in 2 Corinthians 8-9, where he writes this:

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9:6-7, ESV

God loves a cheerful giver … God loves it, when his people love to give!

TRANS: Now, some in the audience are saying, “Pastor Bob, you lost me at 31%.”And I know, that is a lot of money. I’m not expecting everyone starts giving that much—but maybe some can. I want to challenge you today to ask: How can I give MORE to God’s Kingdom? Answering that questions starts by examining another questions: “Why don’t we give more?”

Tension: Why Don’t We Give ... More?

Selfishness

Fear

Lack of Vision

NOTE: Money touches everything … share story about younger and money.

Why don’t we give more? If you read all of Bob Lotich’s story in Simple Money, Rich Life you will see he was not in it to get rich—he found ways to earn more money … so he could give more away. But it’s the giving away part that makes us pause … because we think we need more ourselves. Let me illustrate how people think about giving.

ILLUS: Consider what happens when you dine out at a restaurant. You order a big meal—think about your favorite meal. Prime rib? sometimes you order several courses and DESSERT! If you haven’t noticed, dining out is expensive! When the meal is done, you TIP your server. We tip based on the level of service—20% for good service … my we are ornery that day and we only tip 5%. Some of us treat God like the waiter—if he answer my prayers, I’ll give him a bigger percentage of my income. Think about the meal itself—if we paid for it … We want to eat all of it. At the end, we might give the LEFTOVERS to the dog or a homeless person. Some of us treat giving to God like that—he gets the leftovers that we did use. Notice … in neither example does God come first.

But imagine Jesus is sitting at the table with you. He is dining with you. Imagine you order the meal … and you make sure Jesus gets the first and biggest portion of the meal. Jesus comes first … not us. Not that is a much different want to think about giving! And that is what Paul is calling us to in 2 Cor. 8-9. If you want to become RESILIENT in your giving … Jesus must always come first. He does want a tip, he doesn’t want the leftovers … he wants the first fruits. And we often don’t give it because we want to biggest cut of prime rib.

Where is God calling you to GIVE MORE for his kingdom?

Background: Before we give in, let me offer some background on 2 Cor. 8-9. The occasion of Paul’s writing centers on what’s become known as the “Jerusalem Collection.” In the mid to late 40s A.D, the Judean believers were facing terrible economic times due to a severe famine. I wonder how much eggs cost back then! Paul and Barnabas make a “disaster relief visit” to Jerusalem in A.D. 46 and gave a monetary gift to the church at Antioch. The Jerusalem church was hopeful more money would be given to assist in their genuine need. As a result, Paul began a serious fundraising effort, a capital campaign of sorts to help these believers who were in serious need. He solicits help from the Macedonia churches—places like Berea, Thessalonica, Derbe and Asia. They were generous, as we will see … and Paul is challenging the Corinthians to give more. The collection was completed in A.D. 57, but this is the background for these chapters.

Where is God calling me to give MORE? Do I have resilient generosity? Is my generosity resilient? Resilient Generosity trust God..

TRANS: Paul is teaching the Corinthians about resilient GENEROSITY. How does he do this? We are going to look at three points in Paul’s challenge: (1) A MODEL of Generosity (2) Our MOTIVATION for Generosity.(3) The MEASURE of Generosity. When we accept Paul’s challenge, our generosity will be resilient and God’s kingdom will grow. Let’s pray.

Movement One: A MODEL of Generosity (2 Cor. 8:1-7) 

First, Paul begins this section by offering a MODEL of generosity. 2 Corinthians 8-9, is the longest treatment on giving in the entire New Testament. In many ways, it is the NT model. The OT model of giving was centered on the tithe in the nation of Israel. But the tithes and offerings of the OT were wound together with the civil life of the people of Israel.[2]The church, however, is not bound to the state—its different era. How should that affect our giving? In many ways, we should be more generous because of the grace we have received from God. Paul begins his challenge in 8:1,

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 Corinthians 8:1, NLT

Paul gets right to the point in this opening verse—“I want you to know something.” Or, if he was from New Jersey, “Let me tell you something …” This phrase often introduced new information. Specifically, he wants to tell the Corinthians how GOD worked through the MACEDONIA churches. These were churches that Paul planted during his second missionary church, recorded in Acts. The principal I want you to see here is this: God works through the Church. He accomplishes his purpose through the people of God. He was generous to us, so we should be generous to others.

ILLUS:This should be an encouragement to us MBC. God wants to work through us. What can God do through the generosity of MBC? I’ll offer one example: Last week a few of us were able to visit the new HQ of City Relief. They have wonderful new site up in Clifton where they can launch outreaches to the poor of the NYC area. One area that has been underserved in Newark, NJ. They used to have an outreach site there, but it was closed down. City Relief wants to re-launch that site to reach the poor in Newark … and we, the church, are helping to fund that effort. Look at what God, in his kindness, can do through the churches.

Paul continues,

They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 2 Cor. 8:2, NLT

This verse is the heart of resilient giving. They gave … even though they were “tested.” The ESV says they were experiencing a “severe test of affliction.” Things were not going well in their lives … and still they gave. That is resilient giving. The Greek noun, “dokime,” refers to a testing that “proves someone’s genuineness.” IOW, if they gave despite their problem … it was genuine. It was resilient. That phrase, “very poor,” indicates that they didn’t have very much money … it can be translated “rock bottom poverty.”

Additionally, when they gave, despite this affliction … they were filled with “abundant joy.” So picture this … imagine that you come to the end of the month and you don’t know how you are going to pay your bills. The money is tight. Still, you choose to give what little you have to help others. That is what Paul is getting at here. Would you be happy about this? If your house is anything like mine, when the money gets tight … joy is not the descriptor I would use! And yet … Paul says they gave joyfully and generously. They trust God! That is a model of resilience!

Moreover … look how he described their attitude:

For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.  2 Cor. 8:3-5, ESV

“The gave not only what they could afford … but far more.” But far more. But far …more. Did you hear that church … their giving didn’t have a finish line! They saw the need … and they gave, even though it was hard for them. Put another way, “the Macedonia gave … not just what they initially thought they could afford … but beyond.” Friends … what would it look like for you to give beyond? But Paul doesn’t stop there. He says these Macedonians “begged … yes, begged to give more.” They wanted to help the believers in Jerusalem so badly, there was a line out the door to give!

ILLUS:Let’s put an MBC twist on this verse. Every Sunday, we remind you, there are three ways to give. You can give through out APP, which you should download if you have not. You can give on the website. Put you can also give in the foyer. In the foyer we have a box (Pull out box). You can drop a envelop in this box to support the work that God is doing through MBC is doing around the world. Now just imagine, if after a service one day … maybe even today people were lining up in the foyer … begging to give. What if people were running up to Kristie Gall, our financial manager, begging to put money in the giving box. Imagine … that is how Paul is describing the Macedonia churches.

They gave … even thought they did not have much.

They gave … joyfully and generously.

They begged to be part of what God was doing through their finances!

Why? Paul says … “their first action was to give themselves to the Lord.” Not first to Paul. Not first to MBC. To God! He must come first … and he will move on your heart. That phrase recalls Paul’s exhortation in chapter 6:13 where Paul asks the Corinthians to “open their hearts to us.” Giving to God kingdom … is opening your heart to God’s kingdom. When you give to your church … you are opening your heart to the work God is doing at MBC. We are partners, we are a family, we are in this together!

Paul finishes this section with a challenge:

So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. 2 Cor. 8:6-7, ESV

Titus was sent by Paul to supervise the supervise the Jerusalem collection. Titus was someone the Corinthians knew and trusted. Paul offers two exhortations to the Corinthians: (1) Finish the ministry of giving. Honor your commitment. Keep giving. This is an important part of resilient giving … anyone can claim they are going to give … but we must finish the work. Many don’t give because they money gets tight and we get scared. Resilient givers honor their word and trust God to provide. (2) Excel in giving. IOW, give more than you think you can. Paul here is honoring the gifts of the Corinthians. Remember, they were an affluent church blessed with many gifts—people had faith, they had wonderful preachers, they had knowledge and gifts of the Spirit … Paul says … give more than you think you can … and watch God work.

APPLICATION: Excel At Giving

Paul offers the Macedonia churches as a model for the Corinthians. They needed to be encouraged to give. And so, MBC, I would ask you: How can you EXCEL at giving? who has been your model of giving? We have so many wonderfully generous people here. Have you been blessed by a generous giver? Has someone taught you how to give generously? There have been so many times in my life I have been blessed by the generosity of someone else ... that I want to give more.

Let me come back to the formula I mentioned at the beginning from John Wesley: EARN all you can, SAVE all your can, GIVE all you can. Some of us have the ability to make a lot of money. Praise God. When you have more ... you can give more. But even if you don’t make a lot of money ... God still calls us to give generously. In fact, Jesus himself commends the poor who give out of their poverty. In Luke 21:3 Jesus says that poor widow who gave two copper coins “gave more than all the others.” Why? She was generous with what she had. How can you excell at giving?

I woudl make this suggestion to you: to be generous, you must actively look for ways to be generous. In our own household, in our generosity line we have three buckets: (1) Church- MBC. (2) Missions- People and organizations that are doign work outside the church. (3) Spontaneous—we are always looking for ways to give to people in need. And we want to grow each year in giving.

Church, how can you excel in giving? How can you become a Macedonian?

TRANS: Turn to you neighbor and say, “I want to be a Macedonian!”(Speak). Yes, that’s right … we need some Macedonians in here today. They were a model of giving. But now, Paul goes deeper … he gets to our heart motivations for giving.

Movement Two: Our MOTIVATION for Generosity (2 Cor. 8:8-15)

And this is where the rubber meets the road. This is where is gets real. Some of us don’t give … because our heart is not in it. We want to money for ourselves … we think we need more than we do … we want that prime rib all to ourselves and Jesus … he can get the leftovers. What is your motivation for generosity.

There are a few reasons I think God call us to give: (1) FAITH. He wants us to trust him. They reason God calls us to give is so that we trust he would do work through us … even though we don’t see how we can. Do you remember the story of Bob Lotich at the beginning. Be began his story by answering the calling to give his age—started at 31%. How does it feel when I suggest you could give 31% of your income away? Some of you in the back are hyper ventilating! That’s why I say this requires FAITH … they only way you would be able to do that is if you really and truly TRUST GOD! And when you trust him … he does far more than you can ask or think. He used that money to bless others and build the kingdom. (2) DEPENDENCE. Giving teaches us we need to have dependence on God. Too many of us are trusting in our own abilities to make money. God wants us dependent upon him for our resources. (3) OBEDIENCE.Some of us … right now … God maybe be calling you to GIVE BIGGER and you are resisting him. God doesn’t need your money .. he is God. But he wants to use your money to give him glory and accomplish his purposes.

In 2 Cor. 8:8 … Paul outlines the main heart motivation for giving:

I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. 2 Cor. 8:8, NLT

This is an interesting motivation strategy that Paul is employing here. In the previous verses, he is obviously calling the Corinthians to generous giving. He has spent most of the letter defending his authority as an Apostle. But here … he seems to wave that right. He is not “commanding” them to give. Instead, he is “testing” them. Which again, is interesting. Imagine you go to you child and you tell them—(1) I want you to clean your room. It would be helpful to everyone in the house if you cleaned your room. (2) I am not commanding you to clean your room. (3) Instead … I am using this as a test. How would your child respond?

What is Paul doing here? He is giving the Corinthians a chance to show, through the Jerusalem relief fund, that they have true love for their fellow believers. So, he started his appeal by putting forth the Macedonians as an example, but now he turns to the ultimate example of generosity in v. 9:

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. 2 Cor. 8:9, NLT

This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible. This is the prime motivation for the Christian life and Christian generosity. Let’s break down this verse. (1) First, he appeals to the “generous grace” of Jesus Christ. This is a gift given to sinners who don’t deserve it. You and I … don’t deserve salvation. We are poor, wretched sinner who deserve condemnation. But God … rich in mercy … sent his son Jesus Christ to die in our place for our sins to satisfy the penalty. That amazing. What did Jesus have to do to offer this gift? (2) Though he was “rich.” Jesus Christ had all the riches in the heavenly realms—seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus did have to come to earth. He did not have to leave his riches. But he did … he became poor. It as voluntary act on his part. The verse can be translated … he “stepped into poverty.”

ILLUS: To make this real, imagine you have a nice home in Basking Ridge, NJ—or one of the surrounding towns. And you decided you are going to leave your house and become homeless in the in the inner city. The poorest of the poor neighborhoods. You live on the street—no shower, not sure when your next meal will be, one set of clothes. And then, when someone comes to arrest the person next to you … you take their place and go to prison. That’s what Jesus did. Though he was rich … he became poor.

He stepped into poverty. Why? Why did Jesus do this? So you could be rich.  So you could be rich.

Church, do you realize that when Jesus Christ came to earth and went to the cross … he opened up the riches of heaven for you? No matter what your life is like right now … you have riches beyond compare! Amen!

And because Jesus did this for you .. shouldn’t that change how you live … and give. Nothing we have is ours—it’s all his! Give … give … give generously … excel at giving … because of our gratitude to God. Resilient givers are resilient, because they know what they have received (x2). In fact, their hearts say, “how can I NOT give because of what I have been given.” The Gospel is our motivation for giving. What does this look like? Paul finishes by offering a charge:

Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. 2 Cor. 8:10-12, NLT

He’s offering a test … but he is giving some unsolicited advice—finish what you started. Apparently some time had lapsed since they last gave. Paul is reminding them … we still need your money! Be eager to give. Give in PROPORTION to what you have. That word, “PROPORTION” is key word when it comes to NT giving. Circle it, underline it, highlight it.

 What is proportionate giving? This word takes the OT principal of the tithe to another level. In the OT, the people of God were called to give a TITHE, or a tenth, of their income to compensate the Levites working in the tabernacle/temple. The Levites took a tenth of their income to support the priests. What’s interesting is that this command is not repeated in the NT. Paul argue in 1 Corinthians 9 that Christian workers deserve their wages, but that specific temple tithe language is not there. Instead, we see this language of “PROPORTIONATE GIVING.” IOW, giving should be in relation to your earnings. If you make $10,000 a year … you would not be expected to give $100,000. Taken together with his previous point … Paul is calling the believers to not just proportionate to their income … but also give more generously than they think they are capable. Excel in giving motivated by the Gospel generosity of Jesus Christ. He does conclude with a caution:

Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. 2 Cor. 8:13-15, NLT

So he clarifies—he is calling to Corinthians to give what they can. He is not asking the Corinthians to put themselves into debt for the sake of giving. He is not calling on them to bring hardship upon themselves … but he is challenging them to push towards sacrificial giving. And many times … we can sacrificially give more than we think we can.

APPLICATION: What Can You Sacrifice?

So here is my question for you, church: Are you giving sacrficially? One of the best challenges I ever received was this: when you give ... it needs to hurt. Paul is not calling the Corinthians to go into poverty when they give ... but he is calling them to push their boundaries.

And I must say ... this is part of discipleship. God is not just calling us to trust him with our money ... he is calling us to take up our cross and follow him with our money. After all, Jesus Christ went to the cross for us—he gave up his life ... what can we give up for him and then invest it in kingdom work.

So here is my challenge—Easter is one month away. I want to challenge you to take an inventory of all this things you can give up over the next month ... and see how much money you can free up to give to the Kingdom. After you to that ... ask yourself ... am I giving proportionately and sacrificially to God’s kingdom work?

God doesn’t need you money ... but he wants to use your money.

TRANS: God wants RESILIENT GIVERS who have a heart for his kingdom. Resilient givers have a model for generosity. Resilient givers know their motivation for giving. Finally, Resilient givers know how to measure their generosity.

Movement Three: The MEASURE of Generosity (2 Cor. 9:6-15)

For this point I am going to skip down to the end of Chapter 9. Let me summarize the part we skipped over. At the end of chapter 8, Paul talks about the administrative work Titus and his companions are doing in this collection effort. The main theme of this section is service. Titus and his companions are doing good work for the Lord. At the beginning of chapter 9, the theme shifts to integrity. Paul wants no question about this collection. No one is stealing money; no one is lining their own pocketbooks. I do want to mention that we take this point seriously here at MBC. We have a wonderful Finance Team and Financial Manager who make sure the books are good. We get audited every year because we want no questions about how we handle the money God has entrusted to us.

When we get into chapter 9, some scholars have questioned its purpose. Some think it is a repeated of the points made in chapter 8. However, it is more than likely this chapter follows from the previous one and serves as theological instructions for INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS rather than the church writ large. So, as we read this last section, I want to challenge you to think—how does this apply to me as an individual.

Paul offers THREE MARKS of resilient givers followed by THREE BLESSINGS of resilient giving. The first mark is this: Resilient givers GIVE BIG!Look at 9:6:

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 2 Cor. 9:6, NLT

Paul draws here from a well known farming analogy. If you sow sparingly … your harvest will be small. But if you sow generously … if you invest big with you seed … the harvest will be YUGE! That word, “generously” refers to an abundance of blessings. Not only will the one who gave be blessed in giving, but the ones who received will also be blessed. And the blessing will continue into future seasons. But bigger you give … the bigger the blessing for all involved.

What does it mean to give big? Resilient givers don’t just give big … they GIVE FREELY. They give what God tells them to give. Paul continues:

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. 2 Cor. 9:7, NLT

Notice … Paul doesn’t tell them exactly how much to give. Instead, he says … decide in your heart. Presumably this means through prayer and talking with the Lord. The NT does not give the same exact guidelines as the OT … instead we are told to “proportionately” and “excel at giving.” Whenever I challenge people to give … I let them know the need and I tell people … Go pray … and you give what God has called you to give. Notice the phrase, don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. IOW, don’t give because Pastor Bob pressured you … any pressure you feel is from the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord … how can I give sacrificially … pray!

Finally, when resilient givers give … they do so CHEERFULLLY. They are HAPPY to give! It brings them JOY to bless others. Paul writes,

for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9:7, ESV

God loves a cheerful giver. Do we have any cheerful gives in the house today? Some of us have the spiritual gift of giving … we LOVE to give. Praise God! And if you don’t have a cheerful heart … ask God to give it to you today. Paul is paraphrasing Proverbs 22:8 here. In Proverbs 22:9, the Hebrew text reflects the idea of blessing—when you are generous you will be blessed. Do you know what a blessing it is to give freely to those in need? God does not promise to give you more money when you give … but you will be blessed. Look at v. 8:

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8, NLT

Notice—God will provide all you need. One of the reasons we don’t give is that we are concerned about our own needs. The only way we can give more … is when we recognize that God will provide for us. If he is calling us to give … trust that he knows our needs. AND … if he give you MORE money … don’t think it’s meant for us … God gives more money so we can be more generous! Look at what he says in v. 10:

In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 2 Cor. 8:10b, NLT

When you are generous … he will bless you by increasing your resources. Why? So that in you God will produce a harvest of generosity. A harvest of generosity. Oh Lord, I wonder if there is some generosity that needs to be harvest today. Lord, we have a congregation of generous people—I pray you move on hearts today to bring about the generosity you have called us to.

APPLICATION: The Blessings of Generosity

Church, what if God has increased your resources … so you can bless others. This is the mind-blowing paradigm shift you need to have church. God has blessed you … to bless others … with whatever God has given to you! Some have a lot … other a little … but the call of 2 Corinthians 8-9 is this—God wants radically generous, resilient givers. And when that happens … we can change the world!

Church, here is the question you need to answer: what is the harvest of generosity God wants from me? (x2) I don’t know everyone financial situation. I don’t know how much you make. I don’t know what opportunities are before you. But I do know this … God wants you to be MORE generous that you are today. He wants you to go deeper in generosity!

Why? Because he wants to bless you and others through giving. Paul paints that picture in vv. 11-12:

Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. 2 Cor. 9:11-12, NLT

There it is again … you will be enriched … so that you are rich? Does it say that? NO! He says you will be enriched … so you can be MORE GENEROUS! And what are the blessings? (1) People will thank God … because of your generosity. I will just say … every time I have received a gift I was not expecting or did not deserve—the first thing my wife and always so is turn to GOD and say … thank you! You know my needs. Right now … God may bring some one to might that you can bless through your giving. There may be needs you don’t know about but God does. Where or who can you give to? (2) Notice, second, when you give … NEEDS ARE MET. Friends, this word is full of needs. You neighbors might have needs. There are needs right here in our congregation. (List examples?). Find the need and give to it. (3) Finally, when you give … people will turn to God in thanks. You giving may lead to someone’s salvation. When you give because Jesus gave for you … you can tell people about the motivation you have … and it is measured by your joy in giving. What harvest does God want from you today?

STORY: Add story?

Conclusion: Glory and Affection (2. Cor. 9:13-15)

I’m going to invite the worship team comes back on stage. As they come, let me close by stating that Paul was challenging the Corinthian Church to give generously to help spread the Gospel. That was a call for the first century and it is call for today. Here at MBC we take that call seriously. We want to be a generous church. We want to give more money outside the walls of our church to missions, we want to help those in need, we want to faithful preach and teach your word. In order for us to that, we rely on the generosity of our people. We are coming to the end of our fiscal year. Before we finish, I want to challenge the congregation to pray about finishing our fiscal year strong. While finishes remain good—we are just shy of hitting our target budgeted number for the year. So I want to challenge you today … to pray … and see if the Lord is calling you to give more to his specifical work here at MBC.

If you call MBC your church home, one of the ways you can open you hearts to our church body is to give financially. To support the kingdom work we are doing here. As a result … you get to be a part of what God is doing. That is how Paul finishes chapter 9:

As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! 2 Cor. 9:13-15, NLT

Friends, when we give, and give resiliently … people will see there is some different about us. When you give to others … affection will grow. The grace of God will be evident. And all eyes turn to Jesus … the one who gives us his blessings.

Let’s pray.

[1]John Wesley, “Sermon LXXXVII: The Danger of Riches,” in Sermons on Several Occasions (London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1864), 3:8.

[2] More discussion on OT tithe needed?