2 Corinthians 9 - Generosity Leads to Joy

2 Corinthians 9:1–7 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. 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.

Leader: This is God’s Word

Everyone: Thanks be to God

We go hard at the festivals around.

I love that our church wants to go to where the people are.

The Lord called us to be fishers of men, and that’s how we try to reach people.

I feel torn because as the pastor, I want to be present and engage people with the gospel and invite them to church. But as a dad, my five year old just started riding the big kid rides.

We were only able to do two nights of the fair because we were going out of town, so Hilary and I tried to get Silas’s fill before we left.

As we were winding down, he started getting blue because we were running low on tickets.

Three kids gave Silas their last tickets the Thursday of the Dillsboro fair.

They received more joy giving the tickets to Silas than Silas did even riding.

I saw a quote from a friend of mine

Nobody cares to hear a "We bought a car" story.

But people love to hear a "We gave away a car" story.

Generous people have better stories.

Big Idea: Generosity leads to joy

Most people believe joy leads to generosity.

You get a bonus, then you're generous.

You have extra money, then you're generous.

You feel blessed, then you're generous.

Paul flips the equation.

In 2 Corinthians, he points to a group of Christians who were suffering, persecuted, and poor.

Yet somehow they became known for extraordinary generosity.

The question is: How can people with so little give so much?

The answer is that they possessed something more valuable than money.

They had joy in Jesus.

The question we’re asking today, is how does this joy play out? How do we get to a place where generosity leads to joy?

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.

The Macedonian Church were under persecution of the Roman Empire and in extreme poverty (vv. 1-3)

This did not paralyze them.

The Macedonians counted the cost and begged to participate (v. 4)

The kingdom of God does not grow by the wealthy but by the generous.

The Macedonian’s joy comes comes not from their (material) belongings, but their belonging to God (vv. 4-5)

Their true treasure is in the gospel

Their true jewel is knowing Jesus Christ

Their wealth is knowing God!

Their salvation led them to joyful generosity!

These people give like they’re actually Christians!

The way Christian gives is a testimony to what they believe about Jesus.

You know the worst time to be in the food service industry?

Sunday afternoons.

Church people are known for going to restaurants, treating their server poorly, and tipping even less.

Nothing reveals our hearts quite like our wallet.

They understood that the Lord has given everything to us first.

The basis of the gospel is that God gave us His Son to save us from our sins.

John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Our salvation is an act of grace to be received by faith!

By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, you can be saved!

Jesus gave Himself up to die on the cross to free you from your sins so that you can have a relationship with God again and be transformed!

Before you ever give to the church, here’s what Paul and I want from you.

Give yourself to the Lord first (8:1-5)

The Lord doesn’t want your money. He wants you.

He owns the universe—You think he needs your money?

He doesn’t need anything from you, just for you.

God gave us Jesus, His Word, His law, and His commands for us to have a way to the good life with Him.

Obedience is for you

Obedience is for you to enjoy the Lord.

Jesus said, John 14:15 “15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

The Macedonias gave out of their abundance of joy and extreme affliction.

They had received grace from God because they are sinners in need of a Savior.

Joy is found in the person and work of Jesus.

When you have encountered the risen Jesus, obedience is a desire because it’s worship.

Obeying God is not how you get God’s love.

Obedience is something we desire to do because we are already loved by God.

Obedience is for you to display your worship.

Obeying Jesus is not a suggestion when it comes to following Jesus.

Giving is an act of obedience and worship where we literally put our money where our mouth is.

Giving is an act of worship.

To worship, you must first give yourself to the Lord.

If you don’t first belong to the Lord, then your giving is charity.

Still a good and right thing.

When you belong to the Lord, you’re giving is more than just providing a need.

It’s a proclamation to the world

Material things do not have my heart; the Lord does.

The things that I was given to steward aren’t mine; they’re the Lords.

The world is not my treasure; the Lord is!

If I let one of you borrow my truck, and you begin to act like it’s yours—that’s absurd.

Yet every dollar in your bank account belongs to Christ.

When we give ourselves openhandedly to the Lord first, our tight grip on everything else begins to loosen up.

Transition

Paul tells them of the Macedonians generosity to inspire them toward generosity.

Paul bragged to the Macedonians about the Corinthian’s generosity

“You can count on them to give.”

It almost sounds like he winks at Achaia: “That dude’s been trying to hand me a check since last year.”

Paul sends Titus from Macedonia to Corinth to receive some financial assistance for their mission.

Paul is putting his reputation on the line by showing his confidence in them. “They won’t let me down”

Paul’s encouragement to them is that they would give just as the Macedonians did—sacrificially, willingly, and joyfully.

He builds his encouragement theologically.

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 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.

Sow sparingly, reap sparingly.

If you’re planting a garden, you won’t plant one seed and think, “This one is going to fill my pantry.”

That harvest won’t be much!

If you’re looking for abundance, you’ll reach into your seeds and swing as far as you can!

If you want a small harvest, plant small.

If you want a large harvest, swing wide.

When a disciple is eager to give, it pleases the Lord!

Paul’s nod to Achaia is so fun to me!—Brother’s money has been burning a hole in his pocket!

This comes down to a matter of the heart and preparation (v. 7)

We must give from the heart—Not compulsion.

Generosity is an act of worship that we participate in to put God’s grace toward us on display.

We truly believe (v. 8)

The Lord is able to supply us with everything we could ever need!

He doesn’t need our money—He wants our obedience! He wants us to trust Him with every element of our lives *especially our money!*

Look what the Lord capable of:

2 Corinthians 9:10–11 ESV

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.

This doesn’t believe the Lord will always bless you financially if you give, but the spiritual rewards are guaranteed!

You shouldn’t expect your bank account to swell, but you can expect that your generosity leads others to be thankful to the Lord for you!

The grace He has given me was intentional, therefore, my desire is to model this type of generosity!

It’s not based on how much we give, but rather that we give as generously as possible with an attitude of joy!

Church, what Paul is telling us is:

(Prepare to) Give with Gospel-generosity (9:7-8)

This demands us to respond with intentionality.

Gospel-generosity is not accidental—We must decide in our hearts that I want to please the Lord with my generosity.

This requires us to prepare to give.

Perhaps that means reorganizing the budget or the priorities.

Ask “What am I giving my money to that is preventing me from giving generosity?

This requires us to ask the Lord to give us a new heart bent toward generosity.

Greed is natural—Generosity is supernatural.

We need the spirit of God to do a work in us that goes beyond philanthropy and takes us to Jesus-like generosity.

“Lord, give me a heart that gives like you give.”

This demands us to respond with enthusiasm

Paul opens chapter 9 by saying, “I don’t even need to tell you about the ministry here because I already know you’re ready for it.”

Before Chris came from Scotland, I had sent out so many emails to pastors and churches to see about them allowing Chris to come speak.

He went to Olive Branch Baptist, and the church was ready to double whatever their members gave that morning.

That’s preparation to give to the work!

Our friends at Bethel Baptist in North Vernon had Chris come, but they were ready for him before he even got there!

They’re the church that is eager for us to find a building to pursue for a permanent spot.

Their pastor said, “You just give me a call.”

Out of their love for Jesus, and their enthusiasm to see the gospel go forward, they’re ready to put their money where their mouth is and lay the dollar bills down.

I would love for us to be a church that if Chris were to call us and say, “I’ve got a guy that needs help planting a church in Scotland,” he wouldn’t even need to feel like he has to explain himself because Harvest City is ready to give with gospel-generosity.

Let’s be the kind of Christians that joyfully trusts the Lord to provide every single one of our needs to supply us for the work of ministry He has called us to.

Take the Next Step

If you’re not giving, start giving.

10% is not a requirement, but it is a goal. The New Testament calls us to give everything.

If you’re not giving 10%, work to that—then give more.

Look at your budget or bank statements and ask: “What does this reveal about my heart? What do I treasure?”

The Kingdom doesn’t grow by the wealthy, but by the generous.

This is not a ploy to get you to give emotionally or to produce a guilt trip.

Give intentionally, not emotionally.

The Macedonians gave out of extreme poverty and an abundance of joy in Jesus—Which showed everything their supreme wealth is in Christ.

They made a conscious decision that everything we own belongs to the Lord and the Lord is ours.

If you haven’t given yourself the Lord, do it today.

The God of the universe gave up His Son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for your sins so that you can have a relationship with Him.

No matter how spiritually broken you are

No matter your past

No matter your present.

Jesus came to save sinners, and if you can recognize that you’ve sinned against a holy God, then call out to Jesus to save you.

Give your sins to Him

Give your anxieties to Him

Give everything to Him

The Lord shows intense generosity