2 Corinthians 8-9 (Emphasis 9:6-15) - Generosity and Joy
Authentic Generosity • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Church camp pool
Saved up for years and years.
”Tell people we’re putting in a pool.”
Instant resolve.
People will give to what is there.
Sermon series context: Generosity
Big Idea: Generous together.
Big Idea: Generous together.
Stand to read
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.
Leader: This is God’s Word
Everyone: Thanks be to God
Context
Paul is attempting to inspire generosity by giving the church in Corinth a report from the Macedonians.
Suffering and poverty didn’t go away when the Macedonians came to faith.
Suffering couldn’t overcome their joy in the Lord.
Their joy was overflowing.
Extreme poverty produced intense generosity.
Paul called this generosity “love.”
Love move us to action.
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.
The begged for an opportunity to give.
They found giving so rewarding, joyous, and enriching that they were saying, “PLEASE.”
I’d love for us all to get there.
Where we would find giving so rewarding that we’d be pleading to give our resources because we understand that eternity is better.
That we would say “Whatever it takes for the sake of the kingdom.”
These Christians in extreme poverty are begging for an opportunity to give because they gave themselves to the Lord first (v. 5).
Giving yourself to the Lord first is not giving Jesus a tip.
It’s not giving Jesus our pocket change.
Giving ourselves to the Lord first is about making Jesus the center of all your life.
They had been so changed by the gospel that they realized their entire lives belonged to Christ.
The submitted everything—They’re families, resources, money, jobs, hobbies—to the Lord.
“Do with this what you will, Lord!”
They want to leverage their money because Jesus’s glory means more to them than anything.
Church,
Giving is a matter of the heart, not of the amount.
Giving is a matter of the heart, not of the amount.
“ It’s not equal gifts, it’s equal sacrifice” (Joel Ragains)
Last week Jesus reminded us that we can’t serve both God and money.
When we claim to be Christians, we are aligning ourselves with the life of Christ.
We live our lives worshipping Christ.
Many people get caught up on the 10%
“Why do I need to give 10% of my income? Isn’t that an Old Testament thing?”
Yes. The New Testament would tell you to give it all—If we’re reading that Bible that way.
We need to realize that Jesus is not an accountant and that everything already belongs to Him.
What we’re being called into here is a matter of the heart devoted to Jesus—Not the amount committed.
There was a lady who had trusted in Jesus and baptized recently came up to me and told me with so much joy: “I can’t wait to start giving $20/mo”
Love is generous and sacrificial.
A failure to give is a failure of the heart.
Transition
Paul is inviting the Corinthians into an opportunity to put their love on display through generosity.
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.
The Corinthians had a collection of problems (1 Corinthians)
Where they excel, they go hard.
Faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness.
“Make sure you do this well too.”
The Macedonians modeled grace through giving.
“Don’t miss out on this!”
Christians can be open and free with many things, except for money.
The amount of comments I’ve heard on greedy Christians is extraordinary.
Paul calls giving act of grace (v. 7).
Giving to the Lord must be voluntary.
It’s in the joyful giving that the blessing comes.
The prosperity gospel says that you must sew a seed in order to reap prosperity.
That’s a load of garbage.
We do not give in order to receive—We give in order to worship.
Church,
We give as an act of worship
We give as an act of worship
We were created to worship.
We are worshippers by nature—We are always ascribing praise to the things we love.
Over the next few months, I’m going to feel the pressure as I look out into a sea of orange/black Bengal’s gear.
We look for things to fill our hearts and excite us!
Paul is calling us to participate in this intense act of God’s grace that ascribes glory to God!
This requires us to let go of ourselves in order to have more of the Lord.
Knights of Templar baptism
They’d be baptized before war
Hold their swords out because it would shed blood.
You can have everything…except this.
Some of you act as though you’re going all the way under, yet hold something out of the water.
“Lord, you can have all of me, except this.”
What are you holding out of the water?
Some of you hold your bedrooms out of the water.
Some of you hold your alone time out of the water.
Some of you hold your wallets out of the water.
Transition
Some of your have a distrust to the church in how to handle your money.
The Church in Corinth did too.
The Church in Jerusalem needs help, and Paul tells them of the Macedonians generosity to spark inspiration for the Corinthians to get in the game!
Paul tells them that he was sending Titus to them as a proof that Paul isn’t trying to just pocket the money.
They want to do what is honorable, not only in the sight of God but in the sight of man.
Titus will collect their gift and deliver it.
Then he reminds them of this promise of the Lord.
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.
Sow bountifully/reap bountifully
This is not a prosperity gospel
The Lord does not command Christians to give a certain amount, but He provides us with opportunities to give generously.
The reward will be fruit for God’s kingdom in other ways than simply money.
He is able to make all grace abound to us.
He provides us with the means to give generously so that His kingdom/people may be built up!
Why?
Because this is what God does.
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. 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!
Paul links giving with God’s righteousness and worship.
Paul is telling them that their generosity is rewarded in righteousness.
You will grow in godliness through authentic generosity (v. 10)
Giving and grace go hand-in-hand.
Grace without giving is (fake) fraudulent and not real grace at all.
Grace requires giving.
Giving without grace is moralistic do-goodism. (self righteousness)
Giving “because that’s what we do” is not good.
This only makes cranky Christians crankier.
Authentic and biblical generosity finds it’s roots in the gospel.
Generosity + grace.
Why?
Gospel presentation
Our giving reflects God’s heart.
Our giving reflects God’s heart.
In the greatest display of generosity, God gave His Son for the sake of sinners.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, laid aside the richness of His glory to become a poor man so that you could receive His glorious grace.
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.
This is not a mention of materialistic wealth.
This is a spiritual wealth.
At one point, we were spiritually bankrupt.
We were dead in our sins. Enemies of God.
We had nothing to offer God.
We deserved judgement and condemnation, owing a debt we couldn’t pay.
But the Son of God stepped down from heaven.
He laid aside His glory to become like us.
He took a lower position to become a man, like us.
He took on the poverty that we had.
He had rights to all of heaven, yet for your sake, He laid that down and took your sin upon Himself.
When Jesus died on the cross, He killed your guilt; paid your ransom.
He took on the poverty of being abandoned by God so that you can experience the richness of God’s mercy toward sinners!
Not because you deserved it! But because Jesus took your debt and gave you His rights to the kingdom of heaven!
Now, when you repent of your sins and turn to Jesus for salvation, you are treated as if you are a child of the Most High God!
The Lord looks at you as a son/daughter!
You belong in the Kingdom!
If you’re not a Christian, you can lay down you spiritual debt onto the cross of Christ, be forgiven, and brought into the family of God.
Given a new name, a new heart, a new life.
Jesus is joyfully generous with His mercy and love toward sinners.
Will you receive the gift of God’s generous grace?
Turn away from your sins and turn to Jesus by faith.
Take the Next Step
Take the Next Step
Believe: God responds to our generosity.
Seek ways give your money/resources for the sake of the Kingdom.
