Liberality (Abounding. . .)
Apostolic Defense: 2nd Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:26
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Handout
Giving par excellence
Giving par excellence
We cannot deny it, giving is one of the central themes in the scripture. Giving our heart, our devotion, our time, our focus, and giving to the ministry to continue the ministry and to help those who are in need.
The aim of this lesson, our continued study of 2Cor today is looking at the liberality of giving.
What is the best way to motivate Christians to give liberally?
The pattern we see was the collection noted in 1Cor16:1-2 a collection as purposed for the needy saints in Jerusalem
We still have the same work to minister to the needy saints, yes and when possible, others.
There are examples of giving as commanded in the O.T. and some use as an argument for liberal giving in the N.T. but that is not where I want to focus today. The O.T. was out of compulsion, command a tithe (10%) of everything, but that is not the N.T. pattern and we want to look at that today.
Paul uses this passage to the Corinthians as a “grace” the grace of giving.
Paul gives the example of giving through churches of Macedonia and that is where we will focus today.
Paul uses the churches of Macedonia, Philippi, Thessalonica as his example of the liberality of giving. Those who gave willingly, cheerfully, purposefully and liberally.
(Transition) I have to agree with Mark Copeland in his comment on this portion of scripture “The Macedonians provide a much better role mode when it comes to Christian liberality! they show “giving par excellence.”
Items to look at this morning
The text (2Cor8:1-7)
Who were the churches of Macedonia?
What was their character in giving?
The Text
The Text
Always good to look at the text, the context and let the scripture speak. As Bible students we then can glean from the word and then look for any application of the word for us today.
1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,
5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6 So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.
7 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Gleaning from the scripture:
Question: Who is Paul talking to, who is Paul talking about, what is Paul talking about (vv.1-2)?
Paul is talking to the Corinthians, about the Macedonians about the liberality of their giving.
Question: Using your own words how did the Macedonians give (vv.3-4)?
Question: What did the Macedonians do first according to (v.5)?
They gave of themselves to the Lord and to us.
Question: Paul gives some great truths about the Corinthians, then makes a request from them, what is the request (v.7)?
Requests that they abound in this gracious work (giving liberally).
Paul, compliments the Corinthians in abounding in faith, utterance, knowledge, earnestness and in love, as inspired by the apostles, now he calls for them to support the saints through giving liberally.
(Transition) Paul in using the churches of Macedonia as his example, let’s look into them some this morning.
Who were the Macedonian churches
Who were the Macedonian churches
We heard the Macedonian call (Act16:9-10) and we are now looking at a couple of the churches as a result of the call and the response to the call. This helps us to understand who they were, how they came to be and then in the next section, the results.
9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
So, Paul has the vision and he set out from Troas , to Samothrace, then Neapolis and then coming to Philippi (Act16:11-13). That is where we want to start now.
The Church at Philippi (Act16:11-40)
Starts with a worshipper of God named Lydia her conversion, and that of her household as well as her hospitality (Act16:14-15)
14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Do you think this maybe a set up, the hospitality, the heart that was so giving of the people because of what they were given (Gospel message)? She was not an isolated case either, there is the Philippian jailer.
Then the conversion and hospitality of the Philippian jailer and his household (Act16:31-34)
31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.
33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.
Do you see a pattern there, conversion led to hospitality. hold onto that for a little bit as we go on. -
The Philippian church was a giving church (Php1:3-5, 4:10, 4:14-18)
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
Question: What do you think Paul is meaning by “participation” in the gospel (v.5)?
Can you say mission support?
There was a time they were unable to support (Php4:10) Paul says they lacked opportunity, but nevertheless they did not forget
14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. 15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;
16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. 17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
Paul was thankful, was grateful for their support, sharing in his affliction, they alone at one time, on several occasions shared in giving and receiving (v.15); Notice in (v.17) what Paul sought for them, in fact let me put back on the screen again.
17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
Question: What did Paul seek for them in (v.17)?
He sought the profit which increases to your account.
Ah, he wanted the blessing to the, he knew that it was a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, and was well-pleasing to God (v.18)
On a side note, just a little more about the Macedonian church of Philippi, it was not easy for them, they were encouraged to stand firm, be united in one spirit, with one mind for the faith of the gospel and to know they were granted to suffer for Christ sake too, to share in the suffering (ref: Php1:27-30).
(Transition) I think you will remember that Paul had to abruptly leave Philippi because of the persecutions (Act16:39-40) and that led him to our next Macedonian church at Thessalonica
The Macedonia church at Thessalonica (Act17:1-10)
Paul started there like is his norm in the synagogue of the Jews (v.1);
He reasoned with them for three Sabbaths (vv. 2-3)
We see the first conversions (v.4)
4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.
And like in Philippi trouble starts where there were conversions (vv.5-9)
They like the church at Philippi continued to have issues (1The2:14, 2The1:4-5)
14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,
They suffered at the hands of their own countrymen just like those in Judea did.
4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
Paul spoke highly of this young church in Thessalonica about their perseverance of faith in the midst of the afflictions they were enduring because of Jesus, they were to be considered worthy of the kingdom of God.
They excelled in brotherly love (1The4:9-10)
9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,
Now they were generous, abounding in love for the brethren as taught by God. They did not just have the theory of it, they had the application of it.
(Transition) I know we are studying in Corinthians, and have spent time in other books today. This all ties back to our passage, to giving liberally using these two churches in Macedonia as the example, so turn back to our passage and let’s now see what characterized their giving.
What was their character in giving?
What was their character in giving?
Input impacts output. I think you may have heard that before. Because of the love of Paul and the mission team it greatly had impact on the churches of Macedonia and that impact then in turn impacted and set the character of giving we can see in our passage today that we can learn from.
They gave liberally (sacrificially; generously in some versions) (vv.2-3, 12-13)
but check out how the message puts it
2 Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. 3 I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—
in the midst of fierce troubles, great affliction, and even in great poverty they gave.
They gave far more than they could afford, beyond their ability
They gave liberally, sacrificially, generously and not under compulsion or expectation.
12 For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality—
They were not asked to give beyond measure, beyond means, they chose to do it and in fact they begged to give (v.4).
They gave in an abundance of joy (v.2; Act20:35; 2Cor9:7)
They really did learn along the way the joy of giving
Were they following the Lords teaching
35 “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
and we know what God thinks about a cheerful giver
7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
They gave of their own accord (willingly) (v.3, 8, 12, 9:7)
They were freely giving, not under compulsion. This is the kind of giving God desires.
There is no N.T. Command to give against their own will
8 I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
Giving must be giving willingly
12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
Another version of not giving under compulsion or begrudgingly.
7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
They gave persistently (v.4)
4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
See the Macedonians implored, begged, urged to participate in giving. They did not want to take no for an answer. We know from other scripture we have looked at in Act’s that the Philippians continually gave for the mission work of Paul and to meet the need of those in need in Jerusalem.
(transition) Why did they give like this, sacrificially, joyfully, voluntarily, persistently? Good question, now may we address the answer.
They gave of themselves (v.5; Jn13:34-35; 1Jn4:20-21)
5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.
ah first and foremost they gave themselves to the Lord just as we do, did. This would explain why they gave the way they did, they knew, they understood what they had. They did not worry about the cost, they wanted to participate.
It is a natural response when they understand what the Lord gave to them that in turn they are willing to give others. For such is the mark of a true disciple
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
and it is a mark of true love for God
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
(Insert: What is your take away picture here)
(Transition) I could sum up everything today but what fun is that, what did you see, learn, were reminded of today in this passage and study?
If needed here is it (don’t read unless dead stares from the people)
Give sacrificially joyfully, voluntarily, persistently, by first giving of yourselves.
Your giving helps support this church, to keep this building up and useable, it helps pay for preacher, benevelolence, and even mission work, outreaches when applicable.
So consider your giving, is that how you are giving? Are there prayerful adjustments that need to be considered and applied?
(Prayer) (Exit)