The Cheerful Giver

Intro:

Good morning.

Today we are going to conclude our series on 5 Acts of Worship.

Thus far we have looked at “Singing with the Spirit and Understanding,” followed by a sermon on “Sing and Be Happy.”

We looked at “Prayer Avails Much,” and followed that up with some “False Doctrines Regarding Prayer.”

We looked at “Contemplative Communion,” and then one “False Doctrine Regarding the Lord’s Supper.”

Last week, we looked at a sermon titled “Preaching the Word,” followed up by an interesting story from the Old Testament about “Micaiah the Unpopular Preacher.”

This morning we only have one act of worship left to cover — and I joked a few weeks ago that sometimes we forget about this one and think “Announcements.”

No, the announcements are important, too, but that’s not an act of worship!

We need to make sure and not forget about “Giving.”

I want to pause here and say a tremendous thank you on behalf of my family and especially my dad for what the congregation is doing today. (For the record, I did plan to preach on this months ago).

This morning we are going to look at the topic “The Cheerful Giver.”

And then tonight I want to follow-up with “Some Overlooked Passages on Giving.”

So I hope that you will be here for that at 6 tonight if you can.

For those who will be at SWAY, I hope you will go back and listen on our Facebook page.

Let’s begin.

7. I want to start by reading the passage that our title comes from:

2 Cor. 9:7:

2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

In the context of chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corinthians, Paul is dealing with the fact that there was a tremendous financial need going on at that time for the saints in Jerusalem.

Because of the violent persecution that was going on, a lot of lives of the brethren had been uprooted, and if you study the book of Acts you will see that people were selling lands and possessions and trying to bring money to the apostles to help out.

Obviously, there was a lot of generosity to go around.

Don’t forget, though, that there was also some dishonesty, selfishness, and stinginess, too — particularly on the part of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the Holy Ghost, saying they had sold land for such a price, and given ALL the money to the apostles, when in actuality they had kept back some of it for themselves.

Thus, they lied to the Holy Ghost in their stinginess, and they were struck down dead for it (Acts chapter 5).

But … for that one example of greed and lack of generosity, we sure do see a lot of examples of selflessness and liberal giving to the cause of Christ in the book of Acts.

Well, Paul knows that the church at Corinth had planned to give to the cause as well, and what he does in 2 Corinthians chapters 8-9 is uses the good example of the churches of Macedonia as a “positive peer pressure,” if you will, to encourage the church at Corinth to be liberal givers as well.

These two chapters are RICH in language to show just how right the Macedonians’ hearts were as it pertained to their giving — and at one point the text says the reason why their giving was so good:

2 Corinthians 8:3–5 NKJV

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. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

5. To me, that is very much a “bottom line” passage when it comes to Christian giving.

If we have a problem in our hearts with not giving as much as we really probably should …

It very well may be because we haven’t first truly given OURSELVES to the Lord as fully as we think.

6. So let’s look at this main verse from 2 Cor. 9:7

2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

5 Quick points from this verse, a sermon within a sermon, if you will:

First, “Let each one give” — This shows individual responsibility.

We are all individually responsible to the collective body to help pay the bills of the church.

Light bills cost money, sound and visual equipment costs money.

Parking lots being redone cost a LOT of money, benevolence and evangelism programs cost money.

Mission work, both foreign and local, cost money — And yes, we’ll include local work here in that category.

Augusto and Chase have a right to eat, right?

1 Cor. 9:14 - “Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live (ear their living) from the gospel.”

1 Tim. 5:18 - “The Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

For this point, it can be helpful to for each member to look at the church’s budget, to consider the high cost of goods and services (especially the last few years due to inflation), and to realize - “Hey, I’m individually responsible to do what I can to help pay the bills of this church as I am a part of this collective, the local body of Christ here at Marietta.”

Second, “as he purposes in his heart” - This says that one’s giving should be planned.

Wisdom dictates that we all should be living according to a budget.

That’s just good financial practice, right.

Question — What’s the first line item on that budget?

Well, what is most important?

Matt. 6:33 - “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness ...”

Thus, when we are planning on monthly budget, the Lord should come first — Okay, what am I making? How much am I PROSPERING (1 Cor. 16:1-2), okay here is an amount that I am going to give, and it’s my SACRIFICE to the Lord each Sunday.

And it can be a good thing to think about — What am I actually SACRIFICING with this amount that I give?

Thirdly, “not grudgingly” - Much of what we have covered in this series on acts of worship deals with our attitude - the “in spirit” part of “in spirit and in truth.”

When we give to the Lord, it needs to be not out of a begrudged spirit — The Greek meaning here being: “sadness, grief, grievous, grudgingly, heaviness, or sorrow.”

If we DO give, and maybe it’s even a substantial and sacrificial amount that we give … but we give it with a SCOWL on our face because we don’t really WANT to, then the Lord is not pleased with that.

And let me say something here — Thankfully, this doesn’t happen very often (at least that I am aware of), but occasionally it does — There are some Christians who will decide that because they don’t agree with every single thing that the elders decide on in the budget, that they will just withhold their giving — Brethren, if that’s you — Shame on you for that!

That is a rebellious attitude, and maybe you ought to go read about what happened to Korah and his crew when they rebelled against Moses.

Fourth, “(not) of necessity” - Is giving a command?

Yes - 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 - “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you MUST do.” (Imperative language)

“On the first day of the week” (How many weeks have a first day? All of them), “let EACH ONE OF YOU lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”

Yes, giving is commanded, but it’s not JUST a commandment — It’s also an opportunity and a privilege.

We GET to give, and we get to have small part in HELPING in the Lord’s work.

Don’t view giving to the Lord as a “I guess I have to check this off my box for this week, even though I don’t really want to.”

Fifth, “God loves a cheerful giver” - If God LOVES a cheerful giver — and we need to recognize the opportunity to give as a PRIVILEGE, something we actually ENJOY — Then what does that say about how God feels about the stingy giver, the unhappy giver, the begrudged giver?

7. Let me move on to one more set of thoughts for our sermon this morning, and then tonight, Lord willing, we will look at some more Scriptures …

8. But let’s look at …

Some Common Thoughts that Have Been Communicated When Discussing Giving:

I’ve heard it said that “well, we don’t just give of our money. We also give of our time, our talents, etc.”

And … that is a true statement.

But as one preacher I talked to put it - “Time and talents alone don’t pay the church’s bills.” :D

The Lord requires us to give.

I’ve also heard it said before - “Well, I give to people throughout the week as I see needs come up from time to time.”

That’s wonderful!

If that is coming from a place of generosity of heart and truly looking for people who are in need to help from time to time, by all means, “As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good to ALL MEN … ESPECIALLY to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).

By all means, keep doing that!

… But don’t neglect your giving to the household of faith!

In other words, giving to others in the community really ought to be over and above and beyond what we have already purposed in our hearts to give to the Lord!

I have heard this said before: “If I see more of a need, I’ll give more, but I don’t see much of a need right now.”

Well, there’s only one way to put that to the test.

When a need does come up, do you give more?

Furthermore, I would argue from the start that if we have an ability to give a lot, that entails a responsibility to give more than someone who is not in a position to give as much.

1 Timothy 6:17–19 - “Command (again, giving is a command) those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

The more God has blessed us with, the more responsibility we have to give back, so let us remember that.

CONCLUSION:

This morning, we have looked at what the Bible says about the cheerful giver.

Just like we began our series on Acts of Worship talking about having an attitude of happiness when we sing to the Lord …

We also need to have an attitude of happiness when we give.

Again, yes we are commanded to give to the Lord, but also, we GET to give!

Again, tonight, Lord willing we will be looking at some overlooked passages regarding giving, and then that will wrap up our sermon series.