Doing our Part
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Intro:
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Tonight as we continue our series on 2 Corinthians, entitled, [Matters of the Heart], I want to speak on the subject of [Doing Our Part].
Before Bekah and I married, I lived on my own and I had to do it all around the house. When we married, we divided responsibilities. We share the load. There are certain parts of the house I help clean and there are certain parts she cleans.
Before Bekah and I married, I lived on my own and I had to do it all around the house. When we married, we divided responsibilities. We share the load. There are certain parts of the house I help clean and there are certain parts she cleans.
When I mow the lawn, she often weed eats. In our garden, we both have responsibilities. As husband and wife we are helpmates. We try to strike the delicate balance of both of us doing our part.
Sometimes when we are busy or stressed one of us will do too much. The other will remind, I am here to help you, you do your part and I’ll do my part.
The same concept should spill over to our relationship with the Lord. As the body of Christ, we are all to do OUR part. We are to share the load and work together.
Last week we studied chapter eight. Paul emphasized the fact that God owns it all.
As the body this does not mean that we divide the jobs based on personal interest. I cannot say I will do all the praying because I love to pray, but I expect you to do all the fasting!
Or, I really like to worship so I will sing, clap, raise my hands during praise and worship, but I don’t like the preaching as much. So I will pay attention during worship and you will pay attention during the preaching.
Last week we studied chapter eight. Paul emphasized the fact that God owns it all.
According to , Jesus expects three things of us, prayer, fasting, and giving. He encouraged us, WHEN we pray, WHEN we fast, and WHEN we give in private, God will reward us in the open.
What does this mean?
We are all to do our part in prayer. We are all to do our part in fasting. We are all to do our part in giving.
There are no exceptions for prayer. God doesn’t say, “oh, you find prayer boring? We can try and communicate another way.”
Likewise, He wants us too fast. He does not expect everyone to go on just liquids. God doesn’t look at someone who is facing a prolonged illness and on medication and say, “your doctor tells you to take this with food? Ignore that because your church is fasting.”
Instead, we all do our part. Some may give up food, some may give up soda or pop, others may give up television. We do our part.
If prayer and fasting are shared responsibilities, so is giving. God promises supernatural blessings to those who give, therefore He wants us to give so He can bless us!
Last week we studied chapter eight. Paul emphasized the fact that God owns it all.
It would be unfair for God to say, only the wealthy have to give, or only the poor have to give. Instead, He wants us to do our part. We are to share the spiritual and financial responsibilities of His church!
We have to determine in our hearts and minds, I am going to do my part in building His church and extending His Kingdom. If we have not done our part, then we need to ask for the Lord’s help!
Part of me wishes Paul had dedicated chapter nine to prayer or fasting, but he chose to continue his thought on giving. He showed the Corinthians that they must do their part.
The problem with the Corinthians is they started giving and were faithful in their finances, but soon their enthusiasm waned.
It reminds me a story I heard about a man who made $50 a week. He faithfully tithed and put in $5. He then got a raise and started making $500 a week. He stayed faithful, did his part and tithed $50 a week.
But he had a problem, he got another raise and started making $5000 a week. He struggled putting in $500 a week. He went to his pastor for prayer and explained the situation. He shared, I want to tithe, I know I need to tithe, I could do it when I made $50 and $500 a week, but now I just can’t seem to bring myself to give THAT much.
The pastor listened and prayed a compassionate prayer, “God, let my brother make $500 a week again so he can tithe!”
Doing our part. How do we do our part? I have three questions I want to answer, [What is our Responsibility?], [What is our Response?], and [What are our Results?].
Last week we studied chapter eight. Paul emphasized the fact that God owns it all.
Let’s begin
1. What is our Responsibility?
1. What is our Responsibility?
1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.
1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.
As we discussed last week, the church in Jerusalem suffered. When the church began on the Day of Pentecost, 3000 Jewish people came to faith in Jesus as their Savior.
But, persecution came to the church and as a result, the wealthy Christians who could afford to leave Jerusalem fled, leaving behind the poorer Christians.
Many of them lost their jobs and their financial standing because of their faith in Christ. Paul went to the churches he visited and shared of the plight the Jerusalem believers faced.
What church did Paul speak to first? He spoke to the church in Corinth. A year before he wrote this letter he visited them and they were inspired to give.
They made commitments to help their brothers and sisters in the faith who were turmoil. Paul took their testimony to the other churches.
He went to the church Macedonia and shared what the Corinthians promised to do.
One author imagines the conversation went this way (Swindoll):
Paul: the Jerusalem church is suffering. The light of the gospel is spreading to the Gentiles, but the original source is dwindling under persecution. They need help. Fast.”
Macedonians: but it’s so far away, what can we do?
Paul: Well, the Corinthians heard about the need, they immediately volunteered to set a portion of their money and send it directly to Jerusalem. They pledged a significant amount. Of course it was purely voluntary, but...
Macedonians: We would love to help out,. We do not have much, but we can do without to keep the flame alive in Jerusalem.”
The Macedonians, who were poverty stricken, gave generously, in part because the Corinthians committed to lead the way.
Paul explained, how embarrassing would it be if they did their part, based on your leadership, but now you are not staying faithful in your giving?
Therefore, Paul sent people in advance, namely Titus, to remind them of their responsibility. They are not forced to give, but in light of God’s grace, they are to do their part.
What is our responsibility? We are to do our part! God does not expect ONE person or a few people to fund the work of God. He designed it for each of us to do our part.
2. What is our Response?
2. What is our Response?
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:
“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”
Knowing we have a responsibility to give, what is our response?
Different people have different views on responsibility. When I was sixteen, I got my first job at JCPenney. I quickly learned about work ethics.
There were some who took their job for granted and they did just enough to get paid. There were others who were happy to have a job and they did above and beyond.
Those who did just enough did not work their long. Those who gave it their all were promoted.
The same concept goes with giving. Paul explained when they respond to their responsibility, remember what happens when we plant a garden.
There is a reason I only got a couple messes of green beans and Earl fed most of the church his green beans! I planted two short rows, he planted much more.
I sowed a little, he sowed a lot. Our results were different based on our response to future growth.
Therefore, when it comes to giving, if we do just enough to get by, we will have just enough to get by. But if we give generously, we will be blessed!
I want to restate what I have said before. While I believe that God blesses financially, he does not ONLY bless financially. He promises to take care of our needs, but there are times our spiritual need is greater than our financial need.
Therefore, when we sow, give above our tithes, God determines how we will reap! It may come in the form of finances, it may come in a physical healing, it may come in a restored relationship, or it may come in a Spiritual blessing we have needed!
He is the one who decided HOW we are blessed. We must respond to our responsibility!
I have had relatives and friends who know my staunch view of tithes and offerings and they have quizzed me, how can someone really afford to give 10% +?
The ability to give can be summarized in one word: GRACE!
When we think of God’s grace, the unmerited favor that saved us from our sins, it should be easy to give cheerfully!
There is a reason we clap our hands when I say, it is offering time. God gives us the grace to give back to Him what He gave us! There is a cycle of gracious giving.
When I respond responsibly and do our part, God will bless us, enabling us to keep doing our part. When we do our part, God does His part!
What is our responsibility? To do our part.
What is our response? To give cheerfully, thanking the Lord we have it to give!
3. What are our Results?
3. What are our Results?
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.
4
There are a few results of gracious giving. First, when we give, it shows God we are serious about trusting Him and it gives Him the opportunity to provide for us.
I am sure I have shared this story, but I was raised in a church that taught us to give. A lady named Nancy once shared a testimony. She was a single mom of three. She was recently saved and learned about tithes and offering.
She made very little and felt prompted to be obedient. She explained to her three children that she was going to do this and they would not have money for groceries, but they were going to trust God.
She put in her giving on Sunday. On Monday they three kids came home from church and the kids looked in the fridge and cabinets and it overflowed with food!
They called their mom at work and she thought they were joking. She came home and saw and was overcome, but couldn’t figure out who gave the groceries.
She called her parents, who were not in church, and her dad said, I was at the grocery store, and something told me to buy your food for the month.
That story has always stuck with me. It affected me as a child and it taught me to trust God. The results of giving is God will meet our needs.
Another result of giving is God will meet others needs through us. Because of the generosity of the Corinthians, the church in Jerusalem would have a two-fold blessing.
Their needs would be met and they would give thanks and praise to God. They will glorify God because of your responsible response to their problem.
There is a reason we call giving worship. We do our part, we share the load with others, and we do what we can because of GOD’s grace!
Therefore, the results of our giving is more worship, more opportunities for God to provide, and more GRACE to keep giving, which will result in MORE worship, MORE opportunities for God to provide, and MORE grace to keep repeating the cycle!
Close:
How does Paul conclude this chapter?
15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Paul concludes thirty-eight verses on giving with one thought: thanks be to God for this indescribable gift.
Other versions call it:
the Inexpressible gift
the unspeakable gift
the gift too wonderful for words
What is this gift? The gift of salvation, which provides God’s grace.
When we realize we God’s grace as our focus, it changes the way we view the world.
For instance, without my glasses I cannot see. I am not blind, but everything is blurry. I cannot read, I cannot make out faces, and I cannot really see where I am going. It can be very stressful. But when I put on my glasses, everything becomes clear.
God’s grace is like a pair of glasses. With His grace, I have a different perspective. Because of God’s grace, I want to pray, I want to fast, and I want to give.
Why? because I once was lost and now am found, was blind but now I see. I can see God’s goodness in every area of my life.
I can see that God truly does OWN it all.
I can see my responsibility to pray, fast, and give.
I can respond to my responsibility with joy.
And I can watch the results!
Do what do we do with this knowledge! We do what Paul did, we model a life of generosity and we teach others the importance of being faithful.
As I look at my life, as a twenty-eight-year-old, I can say, God has truly blessed Bekah and me. I know part of the reason! I had people who helped me understand my responsibility!
Now, I respond with joy every time we give. And we could spend the rest of the night sharing testimonies of the results!
So let’s give thanks to God for the gifts that keep on giving. And let’s ask Him to help us teach and train those who need to understand this truth.
Let’s trust God to help us do our part!
