The Gospel of Generosity: The Grace to Give

When I was born again at the age of eighteen I plunged myself into my new faith. There was so much I wanted to learn about the Christian life. I had a deep desire to grow in the faith. I was fortunate in that I was surrounded by a number of godly people who prayed for me, were patient with me, but most importantly modeled Christianity to me. Two of those believers were my in-laws. One of the things a dealt with very early in my Christian walk was biblical stewardship. How much should a believer give to the Church and/or Christian causes. My father-in-law was the one who really helped me. I had been baptized in August 1973, and became a member of Calvary Baptist Church. As a new church member, one of the first things I was given was a box of weekly offering envelopes. I had been periodically putting money in the offering plate, but now I had official offering envelops ... weekly offering envelops which seemed to imply a weekly offering. This poor former not-so-good Catholic boy was confused so I went to my then future father-in-law and asked him how much a Christian should give to his church. To his credit, he never told me this is what you should do. Instead, he said “This is what our family does,” and he went on to explain tithing — that the bible encourages us to give 10% of our income to our church to accomplish the Lord’s work. He told me that anything above one’s tithe was considered an offering and included all the special offerings our church took for things like home and foreign missions, world hunger, the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, and love offerings for the revival evangelist. I always appreciated that conversation. I started tithing and never looked back.

As I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve since discovered that the believer’s generosity is a gift that comes with our salvation. It comes with the renewing of our minds by the Holy Spirit that allows us to prove the good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

This is the attitude of the Macedonian believers the Apostle Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians, chapter eight. They did not think it was too much for God to ask that they become good stewards of their lives, of their time, of their talents, and of their possessions. The salvific grace of God so overflowed in their lives that an overflowing generosity in their lives was the result.

So what do these Macedonian believers teach us?

I. GRACE MAKES US OVERFLOW WITH RICH GENEROSITY

“And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” (2 Corinthians 8:1–4, NIV84)

1. God's grace is nothing short of amazing!

a. it is amazing because there is nothing within ourselves that is deserving of God's grace

2. the question is: If God's grace is amazing why do we sell it short when it comes to our material possessions?

a. we trust God with our eternal soul

b. but too many believers won’t trust Him with their temporal blessings

3. Paul speaks here of this amazing grace being bestowed or given to the Macedonian believers

a. he writes, And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches

1) God gave them the grace to live eternally, and with it came the grace to give sacrificially

b. as we shall see, the grace of God in the lives of the Macedonian believers had resulted in a radical generosity of their part

5. the bible says there can be no significant spiritual growth in your life unless you put your money, and your attitude toward it into God’s hands

6. what does the giving of the Macedonian churches teach us?

a. these first four verses teach us about their attitude behind their giving

A. THEIR GIVING WAS AMAZINGLY SACRIFICIAL: THEY WERE IN DEEP POVERTY

“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” (2 Corinthians 8:2, NIV84)

1. no one would have blamed the Macedonian Christians if they had just given a little or not given at all

a. after all they were experiencing great trials of affliction and deep poverty

2. but these Christians were unwilling to use their hardships as an excuse to hang on to the meager wealth they had

a. rather they were dependent upon the grace of God and it was producing abundant joy in their lives

b. that grace allowed them to give sacrificially

ILLUS. Dr. David Jeremiah writes, "To touch the threshold of sacrifice is giving up something we want to keep."

1) this is what the Macedonian believers did — they gave us an example of sacrifice

2) generosity isn’t measured by the size of the gift, but by the size of the sacrifice

3. too many professing Christians want to give out of the abundance of what they have

a. but the Macedonian believers were giving out of the abundance of grace and gave while trusting God to bless them and meet their needs

B. THEIR GIVING WAS AMAZINGLY SPONTANEOUS: THEY GAVE FREELY AND WILLING

“For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,” (2 Corinthians 8:3, NIV84)

1. the Corinthian Christians had been working on collecting an offering for over a year

a. because of persecution, many believers in and around Jerusalem were desperately needy

b. Corinth, being a wealthy commercial center, had some wealthy Christians as members

1) and yet a year has gone by and the collection has not gone well

c. and evidently, because of their obvious poverty, the Apostle Paul has not even said anything to the Macedonian believers about this offering

1) he did not want to burden them

2. but when the Macedonian believers find out about the need of fellow believers in Jerusalem, they actually insist that they be given the opportunity to give!

a. I’m sure the Apostle Paul was appreciative of the willingness of the Macedonian believers to give, but I’m equally convinced that the Apostle was expecting much

1) but their generosity left him slack-jawed in amazement

2) they gave spontaneously, willingly, and they gave beyond their ability

b. as the Apostle writes to the Church at Corinth, he uses the generosity of the Corinthian’s poor country cousins to the north, as an example of grace overflowing in the lives of believers

1) he also, quite skillfully, uses their example as an inducement

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV84)

2) the word cheerful indicates the heart-attitude in which the Macedonians gave

ILLUS. One of the lessons that most parents attempt to teach their children from the earliest age is the importance of sharing. Sharing hugs and kisses, and sharing their toys. It’s a lesson that has to be reinforced again, and again, and again, because the natural tendency of the human heart is to be selfish, and to desperately want to hang on to what is ours. We’re not born good at sharing. Parents long to see that moment in their child’s life when they share their possessions freely and gladly, not reluctantly.

c. the point? God wants His children to be cheerful givers not begrudging givers!

1) giving ought to be an experience that puts a smile on our lips and joy in our hearts

3. the Scriptures indicate that our giving ought to be spontaneous because we so desperately want to be involved in and a part of God's work!

C. THEIR GIVING WAS AMAZINGLY SELF-LESS: THEY INSISTED ON GIVING

“they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” (2 Corinthians 8:4, NIV84)

1. our old fallen nature says we should focus selfishly on ourselves, but our new nature in Christ, encourages us to focus selflessly on other

ILLUS. At no other time in our society’s history has the culture so relentlessly asserted that, “My life is all about me.”

2. but God's grace gives us a new nature — the very nature of His son into whose image the Spirit is busy conforming us into

a. the result is a nature that naturally desires to give instead of naturally desiring to keep

b. we see an example of this in the life of the early church

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.” (Acts 4:32, NIV84)

3. the Apostle Paul tells us that these Macedonian believers urgently pleaded — literally begged — the Apostle with much urgency over and over again to accept the gift they were giving so that they too might be a part of what God was doing — ministering to the saints

a. it's almost as if Paul was saying, "Now, you don't need to give this much. After all you have so little and you need to take care of yourselves."

b. and the Macedonians are saying, "No, no, we really want you to take this offering to our brothers that we might minister to them. Please take the offering!"

4. the grace to give is always amazingly selfless because it always allows the giver to give beyond themselves in a rich and radical generosity

II. GRACE MAKES US GIVE BEYOND OUR CAPACITY

1. if vs. 1-4 are all about the Macedonian’s attitude in giving, vs. 5-6 are all about the action of their giving

“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. 6 So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.” (2 Corinthians 8:5–6, NIV84)

2. not only amazing is God's grace, but it is abundant

a. Paul is amazed at their generosity, he says, And they did not do as we expected...

1) translation? “You wouldn’t believe what these folks did!”

3. just how sufficient is God's grace?

a. looking at the Macedonians we see the grace to give allowed them to start and also finish their giving

b. I don’t know how many times in my career as a Pastor I’ve had a Christian admit to me, “Yes, I know I need to be a better steward of my possessions.” or “Yes, one of these days I plan to begin tithing,” but they never begin tithing or ever become serious stewards of their material possessions

c. they never become obedient or faithful in this part of their Christian experience

ILLUS. Fred Lasswell is the artist who draws the cartoon “Snuffy Smith.” Snuffy is an Ozark Hillbilly. He’s a likable enough character, but tends to be a bit lazy and a bit shiftless. In one cartoon, Snuffy’s buddy, Zeke steps outside and hollers, “HEY SNUFFY!!! You can come on back in th’ barn dance now!. Th’ fiddlers are all done passin’ th’ hat.”

d. too many Christians are like Snuffy Smith when it comes to church — they really enjoy the dance, but they don’t want to pay the fiddler!

4. the Macedonian believers not only made a commitment to give, they carried through with their commitment and actually gave

A. ABUNDANT FROM START TO FINISH: THEY FIRST GAVE THEMSELVES

“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.” (2 Corinthians 8:5, NIV84)

1. when Paul declares they gave beyond what he might have hoped for, he is not emphasizing the amount of the offering, but the manner in which they gave

a. here in this verse we find God's design for giving

1) Give yourself to God

2) Give yourself to others

3) Act upon what God wants you do for others in need

2. God's goodness was the basis for the generosity of the Macedonians

a. upon first giving their lives in obedience to God they then gave of their resources to man because they believed it to be the will of God

1) the Macedonian believers did not give spontaneously and abundantly because they thought it would be beneficial for tax purposes

2) they didn’t give because they it gave them something to crow about to their friends

3) they didn’t give because they feared that the Apostle Paul would think less of them if they didn’t

3. they gave spontaneously and abundantly because they had experienced God’s grace in their lives and that grace demands grace

III. GRACE TO GIVE IS THE RESULT OF OUR RICHES IN CHRIST

“But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:7–9, NIV84)

1. God's grace is so amazingly abundant to meet our every need

a. listen to what the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthian believers

“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 9:8, NIV84)

b. the question for us, of course, is do we believe that?

1) do you believe that when your life overflows in rich generosity toward others that God will make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need

2. why does God want to lavish His grace upon us?

a. so that we may have abundance for every good work

b. God’s blessings are not given to us carte blanche

c. they are directly tied to our good works — those things we do for others in the name of Christ

ILLUS. In the Gospels, Jesus tells a number of parables that talk about the stewardship of our lives. In them, He warns us that blessings can be withdrawn from those who selfishly hoard or foolishly use the treasure that God gives them and might actually be transferred to a more faithful steward.

d. the Apostle James — never one to mince words – tells us bluntly:

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:3, NIV84)

3. so what good works are we to abound in?

“But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” (2 Corinthians 8:7, NIV84)

a. Paul reminds the Corinthian believers that their lives have been graced in all areas ... grace to believe, grace to speak, grace to know & learn, grace in spiritual diligence

1) the Corinthian believers even abound in their love for the Apostle Paul and his companions in ministry

2) he tells them not to stop at these things

a) now let "this grace also" — the grace of giving — abound in your Christian character as well

4. why can we abound in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in earnestness, and in the grace

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, NIV84)

a. Christ became poor and died that you and I might live and be rich in Him

5. God's grace is always challenging us to give up of ourselves for the sake of others — just as He did for us — that His grace might abound in our lives

IV. SUMMATION AND APPLICATION

1. let me sum up Paul’s three principles of biblical stewardship

A. THE 1ST PILLAR OF CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP IS SACRIFICIAL GENEROSITY

1. this is the heart of Paul’s teaching on radical generosity

a. while Paul never uses the word tithe in his writings, the Old Testament teaching of tithing underpins his thoughts and understanding of stewardship

2. Deuteronomy 26:10-15 explains that by giving back to Yahweh a tenth of their wealth, the Israelites were acknowledging that God had prospered them and showered them with blessings

a. if the Law demands a tenth, what should grace freely produce

b. I understand that there are differences of opinion on the topic of tithing, but I’m convinced that it is the foundation for sacrificial giving even in the New Testament

c. in Matthew’s gospel there’s an interesting discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees

“ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (Matthew 23:23, NIV84)

1) the Pharisees were deeply religious men who scrupulously observed the tithing ordinance of the Old Testament

2) so meticulous were they that every tenth leaf of their garden plants were picked off, and every tenth seed set aside, and given to God

d. Jesus’ concern is that they have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness

1) but notice that, while he chastised them for neglecting some really important issues, he does not condemn their commitment to tithing — they merely need to add justice, mercy, and faithfulness to their commitment to give ten percent of their wealth

3. tithing is the foundation for radical generosity because it reveals an open-hearted and open-handed attitude toward giving

a. and let’s face it, for most people I know, regardless of their annual income, tithing is a sacrifice

1) to just immediately begin tithing very well might add a burden to your finances

2) but if you’re committed to it, make a plan and begin someplace and work toward 10% over a number of years

B. THE 2ND PILLAR OF CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP IS THAT IT INVOLVES GRACE

1. in the Greek text of 2 Corinthians, chapters 8-9, the Apostle Paul mentions grace 10 times

a. what makes us cheerful givers? — grace

b. what makes us generous givers? — grace

2. in these chapters, Paul highlights how the Gentile Christians throughout Macedonia had given sacrificially to help the Christians in Jerusalem

a. his argument is that God, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, had bestowed grace — God’s unconditional benevolence — on them though faith

b. as a demonstration of the overflow of God’s grace in their lives, the Macedonian believers went beyond their ability to give

3. the Apostle now encourages the believers at Corinth, an exceedingly wealthy church, in an exceedingly wealthy community to follow their example

ILLUS. For some reason, wealthy people have a hard time with generosity. Do the rich give lots of money to charitable causes? Yes. The top one percent of tax returns (around $500,000 and more) amount to nearly one-quarter of all charitable contributions. But poorer Americans gave at a much higher percentage. Those wealthiest Americans, those with earnings in the top 20 percent, gave an average 1.3 percent of their income to charity. The bottom 20 percent gave 3.2 percent. And, unlike, wealthy donors, poorer givers don't take advantage of big charitable tax deductions because they don't itemize deductions on income-tax returns. Christians who attend church weekly, not surprisingly, give four times as much to their church as those who attend sporadically.

David Callahan, the founder and editor of Inside Philanthropy and the author of The Givers, a recently published book on big-money giving, when asked, “Why don’t wealthy people give away more of their wealth than they do?” responded simply, “It’s hard to part with money.”

4. it takes grace to be generous

C. THE 3RD PILLAR OF CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP DEMANDS A COMPASSIONATE HEART

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” (Mark 6:34, NIV84)

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12, NIV84)

ILLUS. In the mid-1980's a song sung by Steve Green topped the Christian charts. It was People Need the Lord. Thirty-five years later it is still considered one of the 100 greatest songs in Christian music. The song was written by Greg Nelson and Phil McHugh. They were long-time friends who together had written dozens of Christian songs. One day, after trying to come up with a new song with little success, they went to eat lunch at a nearby restaurant. The waitress was pleasant enough, but was distracted; she seemed sad and lonely. They commented to each other about it and began looking around the restaurant… noticing how many others also seemed to be empty.

They finished their meal, and, as they were leaving Greg told his friend, “You know, people need the Lord”. They both stopped dead in their tracks, and immediately recognized that a song had to be written around those words. That afternoon, they wrote this song. Many of you know it, but let me give you the last stanza ...

We are called to take His light

To a world where wrong seems right

What could be too great a cost

For sharing life with one who's lost?

Through His love our hearts can feel

All the grief they bear

They must hear the words of life

Only we can share

1. the song speaks of the compassion the believer owes his neighbor and the larger world

a. we owe compassion toward others because God, in Christ, had compassion on us

b. the Macedonian believers were moved by a heart of compassion to minister to the needs of others, and it produced in them a radical generosity

Conclusion: What do the Macedonian believer teach us about stewardship?

1) giving is not just about the Gift ... but the Giver

2) giving is not just about the Action ... but the Attitude

3) giving is not just about the Method ... but the Motivation

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