Sermon Tone Analysis

2 Corin 8:1-

Background:

The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were suffering from famine and substantial religious persecution.

Because of these layers of hardship and suffering, the apostles — including Paul — were taking offerings and sending them as relief to the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem.

As Paul is writing to the Corinthian church about their opportunity to give graciously and generously to participate in this support of the Lord’s work, Paul is holding forward churches in the region of Macedonia — which would have included the church at Phillipi — as models for the Corinthian church in giving.

And in this season of giving, these words of Paul can serve as models for us as well.

First sermon series on giving in 10 years...

Of all the areas of following Jesus and becoming like Jesus, giving financially is one the the easiest.

Sermon series on Anger coming up...

Sermon series on Forgiveness coming up...

Sermon series on the family (marriage, kids, parents)...

Those are hard.

Giving is easy.

Christian giving is “in the midst” and never “in spite.”

Spite and In the midst

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.

2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

Severe trial

Overflowing joy

Extreme poverty

We are not commanded to give in spite of these realities in our lives, but rather the sacred opportunity to give in the midst of such realities.

2. The gave as they were able and “begged for the priviledge” to give.

2 corin 8:3-

Their giving transcended the legalisms to give and entered into the grace of giving.

They gave money… and they gave more than Paul expected… and in a manner beyond what Paul expected.

“Begging” — kid at the toy section...

What if we begged to give the way that kid begged to get.

Ben Baker Guatamala trip...

3.

They excelled at giving like every other part of their discipleship.

3. Giving and receiving should be from the sincerity of divine love.

2 Corin 8:

RJ’s Angry man…

Jesus’ generosity and the model of it should not spur resistance and resentment…

We come to the table to receive not only with gratitude… but with love… and his model of giving is what we get to emulate in every area of our lives.

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