2 Cor 8:1-7 Source of Generosity

Source of Generosity

2 Corinthians 8:1-7

As we begin this section on generosity in 2 Cor., I want to express my gratitude to God for having the blessing of witnessing and receiving the joyful generosity as your pastor. You have taught me and encouraged me. May we continue to teach and encourage one another as we study this rich section of Scripture.

Paul does not say give. He teaches the God-centeredness of generosity.

Main Idea: Generosity births from recognizing and realizing that God is the gracious source of giving.

Moves from confidence(7:16)...to addressing some areas of needed obedience and growth among the Corinthians...confident that they will respond and obey.

Why do we struggle with generosity? Illus: Child…mine. We are selfish. How do we overcome selfishness and move toward generosity?

Generosity births from recognizing and realizing that God is the gracious source of giving.

1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,

The focus of the verse is not the churches of Macedonian. The focus is the grace of God that has been given(divine passive).

“grace of God”: not earned or deserved. (Giving is one of the main things that we turn into a way to gain God’s favor.)

“given” God is giver, He is the source…Theology of giving.

Paul here seeks to overcome the fatal separation of God’s gifts from God the Giver, which brings the misrecognition and perversion of God’s gifts. (Seifrid 318)

Uses the Macedonian believers as an example of being a faithful conduit of generous giving. The churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.

Philippians 4:14–18 ESV

14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

The apostle regarded the liberality of the Macedonians as the result of God’s grace in their lives. God is generous, and where his grace is experienced in people’s lives, the evidence will be similar love and generosity. (Kruse 198)

The Macedonians were...

Generous despite affliction and poverty (paradox)

2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have

Macedonians were both persecuted for their faith and extremely poor. Yet, they had an abundance of joy.

1 Thessalonians 1:6–7 ESV

6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Do we give primarily out of our context of comfort, or do we give extensively(abundantly), even under severe circumstances? (Guthrie 394)

overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

In the midst of their deep poverty they were overflowing with generosity. The word for generosity originally carried the meaning of being the opposite of duplicity…the word means singleness of heart or undivided simplicity. They were not torn over what to do with their resources. The Lord supplied and would continue to supply in spite of their poverty. So, they gave with liberality…undivided simplicity

Generous beyond their means (paradox #2)

3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,

3 things...1. Gave what they could. 2. Gave beyond what they could...how?

2 Corinthians 9:7–8 ESV

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.

The thing that makes us more close-fisted than we should be with our money is that we are too careful and look too far forward at possible dangers that might come upon us and so become too cautious and anxious and work out too fretfully how much we are going to need during our whole life and how much we lose when the smallest part is taken away. But the man who depends on the Lord’s blessing has his mind set free from these vexatious(worrisome) cares and at the same time his hand set free for (generosity)beneficence. (Calvin via Kruse 199)

3. Gave of their own accord...were not coerced, or told to do so. In fact, they asked to help...

Illus: Commend Parkwood’s giving to North American Mission offering for church planting this past Easter. No soliciting or advertising due to Covid, but over $44k was still given.

4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—

Illus: Giving to Crisis Fund, James 1:27 and PCO

The simplicity of giving cannot be separated from the simplicity of receiving. Love finds its energy and source in faith; faith expresses its energy in love. (Seifrid 316)

Paul sums up the Macedonians by saying that they were...

Generous in every way

5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

Here lies the starting point and the continued application of generosity. Giving of yourself to the Lord…”by the will of God” look to another text that explains the same principle...

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

repeat 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. ... commitment to the lordship of Christ stands as the preeminent foundation stone for a robust, joy-infused, sacrificial giving. Thus giving to any ministry should find its primary impetus in a commitment to Christ. (Guthrie 400)Second, on the other hand, such a commitment to the lordship of Christ will naturally lay the foundation for support of those ministries that are sacrificial in ministering under that lordship. (Guthrie 400)

True generosity depends less on the size of the bank balance and more on one’s walk with the Lord. (Naylor 23)

So What?

Are we recognizing and realizing that God is the gracious source of generosity in our actual giving?

6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace.

1 Corinthians 16:1–3 ESV

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

previously instruction and agreed expectation.

7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Not only do we give only that which comes from God alone, our very act of giving is a work of God’s grace. (Seifrid 325)

Philippians 4:19 ESV

19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Needs/wants confusion in all of our lives. I need a new truck, I need a vacation, I need new furniture. I want a new truck, I want to go on vacation, I want new furniture. All forms of want are not bad. We are not buddist. We must seek to not be driven by our wants.

I need to recognize and realize God’s supply. We need to recognize and realize God’s supply.

Illus: Celeste…”It’s all the Lord’s”

I need to be generous. We need to be generous.

Listen to what happened after this letter…Paul wrote in Romans 15:26 written a few months later: ‘Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.’ The churches of Achaia, of course, included the Corinthian church (cf. 9:2). (Kruse 197)

Illus: Pandemic and giving. As I have spoken with other ministries that are struggling, I thank God for your shared joy of giving.

Prayer: Giving and receiving, place of generosity in every way.

Members’ Meeting Sept. 13

Fall Kick-off—churchwide next Sunday afternoon

Mitigation changes next Sunday

No longer doing temperature checks @ 9:30 and 11

Masks during entrance, exit and singing, Can be removed during the sermon.

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