IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE

IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE 2 Corinthians 8:7 and related texts in Chapters 8 and Chapters 9 With grateful acknowledgement of these sources of direction and inspiration: the Holy Spirit; the Word of God; "Excellent Giving", sermon by author, May 24, 1998; "FlexChurch" article in Homiletics, June 2003; Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity; Gene Getz, Rich in Every Way: Everything the Bible Says About Money and Possessions; Timothy Keller, Treasure Versus Money November 7, 2004 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introductory Monica Belmonte is anti-car. She doesn't own one and doesn't want one. But that doesn't mean she never drives. There are some everyday errands that are not conducive to the bus, subway or taxi. So, on those occasions when she needs a car she uses "flexcar". For many city dwellers, sharing an automobile is the perfect way to have a car when you need one, but without all the problems of ownership. The garage maintains a small fleet of automobiles shared by a few dozen people. If you need one for an evening or just a couple hours during the day, you just call and reserve one. You pay a $24 lifetime fee and a modest monthly charge, such as five hours for $35.00. You reserve it, pick up the key at the office, punch your code into the black box, start up and go. The car is clean and maintained, and if anything goes wrong a quick call to the garage and you have an immediate replacement. And the garage picks up the towing fee. After your tasks are finished, you bring the car back, punch out and go home. No oil changes, no insurance policies, no repair bills. The concept is something like what the apostle Paul writes in his letter, 2 Corinthians. But he is talking about a flexChurch. A community of believers, so flexible and so willing to share in the needs of one another, that everyone's needs are taken care of, not to mention the preaching of the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 8:7 Paul congratulates the Corinthians congregation because they "excel in everything." Well, just about everything. He says they excel in faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness and love, and then he adds, "see that you also excel in this grace of giving." You see, Paul knew some things that would not allow him to be satisfied with these Christians being good at everything else, but not in giving. He knew, for example, that if your wallet isn't converted your faith will be anemic. He knew that when a person has received the generous grace of God his natural response is generosity toward God and others. He knew the unimpeachable joy in the hearts of those who give cheerfully to God's work. And he wanted these things for them. What does EXCELlent giving look like? Excellent Giving is Sacrificial Giving In the first 5 verses of 2 Corinthians 8, Paul brags about a church in another city. Listen as I read these verses and see if you can pick up the three notable things about the giving of the Macedonian Churches, whom Paul uses as an example. "And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." The marks of sacrificial giving, in reverse order, are: 1. Rich Generosity. The last part of verse two tells us these Christians gave with "rich generosity." When Paul asked them to contribute to the need of their fellow-believers in Jerusalem, they poured it on! I always think of Mr. Feeney in this regard. Charles Feeney made his money by owning literally hundreds of those "duty free" shops you see in the airports. And he made a lot of money, too. But Mr. Feeney was more famous for what he gave away than what he earned. Brace yourself. He gave away over 600 million dollars in a 15-year period. In addition, he spent 3.5 million dollars establishing charities that would eventually give all that away as well. The records show that in those 15 years he also kept 5 million for himself. You might say he was a "reverse tither" because he kept a little less than 10% for himself and gave away the other 90+%! Like the Macedonians Feeney gave lavishly of what he had. And as he did he proved that excellent, sacrificial giving is marked by rich generosity. Secondly, the sacrificial giving of the Macedonians was done out of extreme poverty. 2. Even in Extreme Poverty. It is remarkable that these who were so poor were so generous. God has a way of providing more through a generous, poor person than through a stingy, rich one. History shows that charitable giving during the great Depression averaged 2.9%; today? 2.5%! Poorer Americans give a greater percentage of their incomes to charity. A few years ago, surveys showed that people who earned under $10,000 annually gave 5.2% of it to charity. Those who earned $10,000 to $20,000 gave away 3.3% of it. And those who made between $75,000 and $100,000 gave only 1.6%. In verses 4 and 5 Paul brags, "…entirely on their own, they pleaded with us to let them give more…" You can almost imagine what the apostle had said, "Listen, you-all are in worse shape than most of them in Jerusalem. Don't worry about that special offering." Just then the elders pull Paul aside and beg him, "Please let us give. Our people want to help out. They've been saving for months. Please take it." 3. Overflowing Joy. There is one more descriptive phrase Paul uses of the Macedonian brethren. He says their sacrificial giving was done with "overflowing joy." There is deep pleasure when you express your love for others and for God through a sacrificial gift. That kind of joy comes when we give beyond our level of comfort-when we share at the level that it really costs us something. Bob Hope: "Laughter is an instant vacation. Giving is a two-week cruise-with pay." In the famous story, The Gift of the Magi, the poor husband sells his watch so he will have a loving gift for his wife-a set of combs she had wanted. In her love for her husband, she cuts off her hair and sells it in order to buy him, of all things, a new watch. When you love someone, you do not hesitate to give selflessly. Anyone can give sacrificially-rich or poor-all you really need is love enough for the object of your giving. We, like the Macedonians and the Corinthians, excel in the grace of giving when we give sacrificially. Excellent Giving is Sacrificial, and it is Strategic Very quickly, will you notice in verses 5 and 6, Paul says, "they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord." Have you ever been on the receiving end of a gift from someone whose heart wasn't in it? You know, the person was somehow obligated to give a gift, and there was almost a sense of resentment in the giving? You just want to say, "Don't bother!" Gifts really are expressions of the heart's sentiment. If it's obligatory it's not a gift. This is why we do not resort to manipulation when it comes to raising funds for the people and programs of the church. More important than receiving what it takes to maintain the church, is the heart of the givers. God isn't really much interested in begrudged giving. Let God love you, then love Him back-then you can give as you like. It will always be enough, because it will always be sacrificial. But generous giving is also "strategic". By that I mean that God has in place a strategy for translating the generous gifts of the givers into ministry for people. In a word, that strategy is leadership. Paul said that the Macedonians gave themselves first to the Lord , and "then to us". Who is "us"? The leaders. When you trust your leaders it is a lot easier to give, isn't it? You simply have to have confidence that those who handle the funds that you give to the Lord's work are doing so in a responsible manner. I am so glad that, from the beginning of this church we have had dedicated, devoted people in leadership who've handled the funds in an impeccably careful way, and they have always disbursed the funds in ways that please God. I find it easy to give to the Lord through MECF because of the reliable, godly leadership. And that's God's strategy. Excellent Giving is Sacrificial and Strategic, but it is also Steadfast In verse seven, Paul lists the Christian disciplines in which the Corinthians were already excelling, and then he adds, "but, you need to excel in this grace, too, this grace of giving." In addition to everything else it is, Christian giving is a basic Christian discipline. Regular, sacrificial and consistent giving is a fundamental building block of faith. I use the word "discipline" deliberately. Discipline doesn't speak of impulsive, short-term, flash-in-the-pan commitment that fizzles with rapid burnout. The Christian discipline of giving is a steady simmer, marked by longevity, follow-through, and long-term commitment. God's will is that His people would be steadfast, consistent and reliable. No organization can run on fits and starts of income, neither does the Lord want His church to be erratic in its income. You see, if you give only when you have a little left over, or only when you're not gone on vacation, or only when there is a stewardship drive or a special need, or only when you feel like it, that is anything but steadfast. Our missionaries depend on regular and consistent gifts in order to do their work. The power and water here at this facility don't stop running when you go on vacation. We can't tell the bank, "Look, we won't be making this month's mortgage payment. You see, a few of our folks have made some significant purchases and they just didn't have any leftover for the offering!" I can tell you firsthand, people who are salaried by churches rely just as much on a regular paycheck as anyone else does. God desires givers to be more like the "Ever Ready Bunny" and less like Freddy the Freeloader. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:2, "On the first day of every week each one of you should set aside a sum of money, in keeping with his income…" Don't be a flash-in-the-pan giver. Be a steadfast giver. That's the kind of giving that honors God. It's a discipline, but it's ultimately a lot easier to budget in your tithe or offering and write your check to the church first. Otherwise, you're just waiting to see if there is anything left after your other spending, and you're leaving God standing in a welfare line. When other things come first and we wait to give to God last, there is never anything left-at least never anything that resembles generosity or sacrifice. Because it is best for you, and it honors God, give in a steadfast way to the Lord. Don't tip the lord of the universe-honor Him. There's a fourth aspect to excellence in the grace of giving. Excellent Giving is Sacrificial, Strategic, Steadfast, and it is Sincere Let's wrap up our study with a look at verses 8 and following. Right away Paul says that he is testing the sincerity of the Corinthians' giving. I think we should ask ourselves, too, what is sincere giving, and am I engaging in that kind of godly generosity? 1. Sincere Giving is, first of all, voluntary giving A good question to ask yourself is, "Do I ever give to God's work and God's people because I feel commanded to give or inordinately coerced? Are there any external pressures on me that make me feel so much like I ought to give that I don't even know any more if I want to give? If there are doubts in this area, you really should step back and take a good look into your motives. In 8:12 it says, "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable…" Consider Paul's teaching in the next chapter of this book, and verse 7: "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And here is another clue to the nature of sincere giving. When we give we ought to be able to do so cheerfully (Paul uses the word HILARION, from which we derive our word "hilarious"). Has the joy drained out of your giving? What I am not saying is that you only give when you feel good and giddy. I am suggesting that you should check your attitude about giving. Remember, Paul says the Lord loves a cheerful giver-but He'll take money from a sourpuss, too! Seriously, giving is one of the most pleasant things we can do. In Run with the Horses, Eugene Peterson tells how he saw a family of birds teaching their young to fly. Three young swallows were perched on a dead branch that stretched out over a lake. "One adult swallow got alongside the chicks and started shoving them out toward the end of the branch--pushing, pushing, pushing. The end one fell off. Somewhere between the branch and the water four feet below, the wings started working, and the fledgling was off on his own. Then the second one. "The third was not to be bullied. At the last possible moment his grip on the branch loosened just enough so that he swung downward, then tightened again, bulldog tenacious. The parent was without sentiment. He pecked at the desperately clinging talons until it was more painful for the poor chick to hang on than risk the insecurities of flying. The grip was released, and the inexperienced wings began pumping. The mature swallow knew what the chick did not--that it would fly--that there was no danger in making it do what it was perfectly designed to do. "Birds have feet and can walk. Birds have talons and can grasp a branch securely. They can walk; they can cling. But flying is their characteristic action, and not until they fly are they living at their best, gracefully and beautifully. "Giving is what we do best. It is the air into which we were born. It is the action that was designed into us before our birth. ... Some of us try desperately to hold on to ourselves, to live for ourselves. We look so bedraggled and pathetic doing it, hanging on to the dead branch of a bank account for dear life, afraid to risk ourselves on the untried wings of giving. We don't think we can live generously because we have never tried. But the sooner we start, the better, for we are going to have to give up our lives finally, and the longer we wait, the less time we have for the soaring and swooping life of grace." Sincere giving is voluntary, but it is also responsible 2. Sincere Giving is Responsible Verses 10-11 read: "And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means." Two questions I suggest that every believer ask himself: first, If every Christian in this church family gave as much as I do, percentage-wise, would the church be able to do more than it currently is? We have often used the phrase, Not equal commitments, but equal sacrifice. You ought to strive to give at least 10% of what God gives you. The "tithe" is the only figure God ever gave His people to indicate what is reasonable service in the area of giving. Ten out of ten people I know testify that they are blessed awesomely by God through their giving. They also say they are happy, joyous and contented Christians. The second question to ask yourself is, Have I been faithful to follow through on my commitments to the Lord and others? When I make financial promises am I known for keeping them or breaking them? Paul said "finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it". Sincere giving is voluntary; it is responsible; and it is abundant 3. Sincere Giving is abundant Read verses 12-15 - (The Message) "Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands. This isn't so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you're shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even. As it is written, Nothing left over to the one with the most, Nothing lacking to the one with the least." Not equal commitment, but equal sacrifice. This is the beauty of percentage giving. The preferred method of sincere givers is the tithe. If you've never tried it, you ought to try it in faith and commitment. God says in Malachi 3:10- Test me in this thing - "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, 'says the LORD Almighty, 'I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!" Sincere giving is abundant giving-by that I mean giving that stretches you. God loves it when His children stretch themselves to do more of a good thing for Him. If you are not giving at the level of a tithe, try it. If your heart is right, Paul said, If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable. If you are already tithing, consider stretching further. All the blessings of growth and joy are not for those arriving at the tithe. There are even more for those who press on beyond ten percent. God always blesses the efforts of anyone who stretches his trust of Him. Conclusion Remember this: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." ( 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 ) Folks, I exhort you, just as you excel in other things of the faith, see that you also excel in this grace of giving. God really is interested in returning incomparable blessings into our lives if we will trust Him with our money and our giving. Last summer, Charlotte and I were privileged to attend the Cardinals game on Transplant Day, when organ transplant recipients and living donors were honored. One young woman who threw out the opening pitch had received a bone marrow transplant from her younger sister. But when her sister decided to donate her bone marrow, she saved not only the life of her sister, but her own life as well. As they were doing the necessary testing on her, they discovered a fast-growing, lethal cancer in her body. With no symptoms, the cancer had hidden in her body. But she would have died quickly from it had it not been detected. In her sacrifice of love for her sister, she actually saved herself as well. Blessings rebound to those who give. This principle is always true, and never more so than in the matter of tithes and offerings.   [Back to Top]