In the Groove With Generosity

PRAYER BEFORE SCRIPTURE

In 2 different places in his second letter to Corinth, in chapters 8 and 9, the Apostle Paul speaks of generosity.

The Fire Bible commentary says:

In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 the Apostle Paul gives principles of generosity… Paul’s instructions in this passage contain the most extensive teaching about Christian giving found in the NT. The principles given here are a guide for believers and churches for all time.

I encourage you to read and study both chapters.

But, this morning, let’s just read 2 short excerpts from these chapters. First…

2 Corinthians 8:1–5 (NASB95) Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

And then…

2 Corinthians 9:6–15 (NASB95) Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.” 10 Now 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 everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

The overarching theme to this series of messages has been:

Galatians 5:25 (NLT) (slightly modified) Since we are living by the Spirit, let us [stay in-step with the Spirit] in every part of our lives.

We cannot claim to be led by the Holy Spirit, manifesting the Fruit of the Spirit or manifesting the GIFTS of the Spirit if we are not generous.

If, instead we are stingy.

That is NOT the leading of the Holy Spirit.

If we would be in-step with the Holy Spirit, we will follow principles revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God.

This includes not just giving financially, but giving of our time, our energy, our talents to advance the Kingdom of God.

So, this morning I encourage us to: Understand that generosity is a reflection of God's character and a vital spiritual discipline.

To Be moved by the joy and gratitude that come with giving.

To: Commit to living with open hands.

As we Evaluate how we give our time, talents, and resources.

To help us, let me quickly highlight a few teachings from these passages I just read

Teachings from 2 Corinthians 8

First, let’s look at 3 principles the Holy Spirit reveals in 2 Corinthians 8, …

Our generosity is not dependent on our circumstances being perfect. (vs.2-3)

If we are waiting for our finances to be perfect, it will never happen.

2 Corinthians 8:12 (NASB95) For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

If we will be faithful to give of what we have, God will bless with more, so that we can give more.

When people hear a sermon about tithing or giving, too often they respond, “Well, I’ll tithe when I make more money.” The sad fact is that they won’t. The person who is faithful in tithing on one dollar, two dollars, five dollars, and a hundred dollars will be the one faithful in tithing when he earns much more.

Charles Stanley

If we will allow Him to do so, the Holy Spirit will develop in us the attitude of seeing generosity as a blessing. (vs.4)

I believe that many in this church DO see giving as a blessing from God.

A couple of weeks ago, someone gave $7,000 to pay on the principle on the church’s mortgage.

That combined with what many have given in the 8 years since we took out the loan has enabled us so that even at the current rate of payments, we will pay off the loan 16 years early.

Instead of being paid off in 2048, we will pay the mortgage off in 5.5 years in 2031.

To God be the glory!

Finally in Chapter 8, we see that the key to Kingdom generosity is giving ourselves to God, recognizing His ownership and our stewardship (vs.5)

The Apostle Paul tells Corinth that blessing has come about because as Vs. 5 says, people have given themselves to God.

They recognized that He is the owner of it all.

That He has made us NOT owners, but stewards of His blessings.

Because of that attitude here at NLFC we have seen tens of thousands given to missions over the over 16 years I have been pastor.

Next week, we will have Robin Broom here in service to tell us what our generosity, added to the generosity others, has accomplished to advance the Gospel in Uganda.

The lives it is touching.

Generosity, plus prayer = The Kingdom of God advancing.

The devil being defeated.

As you listen to the Lord, prepare to give another generous offering next week to advance the work in Uganda.

Teachings from 2 Corinthians 9

And then in 2 Corinthians 9 the Holy Spirit shows us 4 more things …

First of all, the Spirit wants us to understand that there are Laws of the Harvest (vs.6)

Beginning in May, the Lord willing, I will be preaching on God’s Laws of the Harvest. God’s Laws revealed by God’s Word, such as ...

Law One: we can only harvest when there are seeds planted — you have to plant something to harvest something.

Law Two: You reap the same kind as you sow.

Law Three: You reap in a different season than you sow.

Law Four: We reap more than we sow.

Jesus, describing planting and reaping said in Mark 4:8 (NASB95) “Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

That increase, the AMOUNT of that increase, is totally beyond the control of the one planting — it’s in God’s hands.

BUT, this law of reaping more than we plant ties in with what we are reading here in 2 Corinthians 9

Law Five: We Reap in Proportion to What we Sow

This is where WE have control. As we read in:

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NASB95) Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Law 6: We can't do anything about last season's harvest. What are we doing for THIS year’s harvest?

Law 7: (An amplification of Law 3) We only reap the full harvest of the good if we persevere.

The second thing that the Holy Spirit reveals in 2 Cor 9 is that God loves a cheerful giver (vs.7)

Did you see that?

God LOVES a cheerful giver.

Generosity is about the heart that gives, not the amount that is given.

Paul makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

This passage reminds us that generosity is not about meeting quotas or checking off a box.

It's about choosing to give from a place of gratitude and joy.

In fact, cheerful giving is what God desires from us.

When we cheerfully give, we align our hearts with the heart of God, who gave His son Jesus for our salvation.

God desires the posture of our heart to be one of joy and gratitude abundantly more than the specific offering itself.

And then we see God’s love demonstrated to cheerful givers.

A love that flows from both His infinite power and His steadfast commitment.

As in His love He shields His beloved from harm and supplies their genuine needs, extending protection that operates at multiple levels—preventing temptation itself or, when temptation arrives, keeping the heart from yielding to it.

Beyond immediate protection, in His love, God actively develops His people spiritually.

His love coupled with our generosity and surrender, allows us to establish a legacy that endures and guides our descendents..

Ultimately, He crowns His loved ones with heaven—a place free from sin, suffering, conflict, and doubt, where tears cease, persecution ends, weariness transforms into rest, and all our spiritual deficiencies are perfected — all because He loves us!

Then we see in 2 Cor 9 the promise that generosity opens the door to not just sufficiency, but abundance — in everything (Vs.8)

As Vs.8 says: And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

Jesus said in Luke 6:38 (NASB95) “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Finally, the Holy Spirit tells us that generosity opens pathways to praise (Vs.12)

Generosity doesn’t just bless the giver and the receiver; it actually glorifies God and leads to thanksgiving.

When we give generously, we reflect God’s grace and goodness, and that causes others to give thanks to God.

Paul writes that the generosity of the Corinthians will not only meet the needs of the saints, but it will cause an outpouring of gratitude and praise to God.

This is the ripple effect of generosity—when we give, it causes others to thank God for His provision.

Jesus Gave

And ultimately, we can give, we can be generous with our finances, our time and our talents, because God was generous to us.

A moment ago, we looked at how God loves a cheerful giver.

What distinguishes God’s love is its character.

God’s love remains fervent; nothing discourages or diminishes it.

Though we will inevitably disappoint Him and may even face discipline, He never abandons us; He maintains His same tender concern regardless of how we may neglect His love.

This steadfastness contrasts sharply with human affection, which often burns brightly initially but wanes over time.

Crucially, God’s love is action-oriented rather than distant sentiment; He proved His love by sending Christ to die for sinners.

He gave not sparingly but sacrificed His most precious possession—His only Son.

Because of God’s love, all circumstances work together for good for those who love God according to His purpose, demonstrating that His care encompasses both protection and providential ordering of life itself.

Generosity is a reflection of God’s character and a spiritual discipline that transforms us from the inside out.

Jesus gave it all for us — He gave up the prerogatives of deity eternity: eternity, ominpotence, omniscience, omnipresence — all that defines deity — He gave it up for us.

He walked among us as a human.

He gave His life…

He suffered pain, ridicule, injustice for us.

He suffered a beating so horrible we would not recognized Him.

He was nailed to a Cross between 2 thieves.

His body was buried in a borrowed tomb.

But that wasn’t the end!

He defeated death and rose again.

He is alive.

But He did it all for us.

Next week, at the Nursing Home, I will be leading a hymn written in 1874...

Jesus paid it all!

All to Him I owe!

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.

How can we NOT be generous when we are supposed to reflect the character of the One who was so generous He died to save us from the power of sin.

The Lord’s Supper

So, let’s remember the generosity of God by partaking of the Lord’s Supper together.

Preparation

1. Before Jesus instituted this New Covenant at The Lord’s Supper, He sent His disciples to prepare.

2. Matthew 26:17–19 (NASB95) Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ” 19 The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

3. More accurately they prepared for the Passover meal that would become The Lord’s Supper.

Preparation was part of the Lord’s Supper then and it is STILL part of this meal.

1. 1 Corinthians 11:27–28 (NLT) … anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.

2. 1 Corinthians 10:15–17 (NLT) You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. 16 When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.

3. 1 Corinthians 10:21 (NLT) You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.

4. Prayer of self-examination.

F. Invitation and Distribution

1. You don’t have to be a member.

2. Come, break off a piece of the bread, receive a cup and hold till ALL can partake at once.

3. Stand here at the front together.

G. Bread:

1. Matthew 26:26–30 (NASB95) While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

i. This bread stands for the Body of Jesus:

a. No leaven- Sinless

b. Stripes – He was beaten for our healing

c. Pierced – He was pierced for our transgressions

ii. Prayer before we partake of the Bread:

a. Prayer over bread.

iii. End prayer with prayer from Seder: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth.

H. The Cup

1. Matthew 26:27–30 (NASB95) And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

2. This cup stands for the Blood of Jesus.

i. The blood that cleanses us from sin.

ii. The blood that, According to Revelation 12:11, gives us victory over the accuser of the brethren.

3. Prayer before we partake of the Cup:

i. Prayer over the cup.

ii. End prayer with prayer from Seder: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

I. Matthew 26:26–30 (NASB95) After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

1. Let us sing a hymn of anticipation for the return of Jesus.

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