Sermon Transcript Tone Analysis

It's time for scripture, reading.

It will be 2nd Corinthians, 8 7 through 15.

But since you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, and knowledge and complete earnestness earnestness, and in the love, we have kindled in you that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you but I want to test this is Sarah T of Your Love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

But, you know, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor.

So that you through his poverty, might become rich.

And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter.

Last year, you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.

No finish the work so that you're eager willingness to do.

It may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

But if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable?

According to what one has not according to what one does not have.

Our desire is not the others might be relieved, while you are hard-pressed, but that there might be equality.

At the present time, you're plenty will supply what they need.

So that intern there.

Plenty will supply.

What you need.

The goal is equality, as it is written.

The one who gathered much did not have too much and the one who gathered little did not have too little This is the word of the Lord.

Let me open under prayer.

Let us pray gracious.

And loving God, open our minds that we might know you.

Open our hearts that we might follow you.

And open our souls that we might be utterly transformed by you in your name, we pray.

I want to open with a question for all of you.

And the question is this?

Is it better to give or is it better to get? Do you like being The Giver?

Or do you like being the receiver?

Now?

You don't have to answer that, but I do want to let those two questions, run laps around your mind for just a little while.

The news me, of course, is quick to report the giving of a multi-billionaire such as Bill Gates or Warren Buffett when they give a portion of their wealth to good causes.

And just this past summer, if you remember, mr.

Buffett gave away over four billion billion dollars to two organizations that they can use that money to further what they need to do in order to serve other people.

Everybody loves a giver and perhaps wish that they too can be forgiving in their own lives.

However, in our consumer-driven marinade that were immersed in We often gravitate towards what we can get far more than what we can give and what author writes this, she points out that we can see this relationship with breaks down because of one person isn't getting what they want from one another.

We can see it.

No work.

We looked for greater job satisfaction or personal meeting.

We do.

We can also see in the church, where people's involvement in the community or other places gets in the way of all that.

Did not getting enough of it.

They want more of it, and they want something out of it.

This person also writes that actually, you can hear the language of getting.

A lot around in the church.

One hears it from people who want to get something meaningful, elephant or enjoyable out of their experience of church when they hear is it when we want to get people more, get them on positions of leadership, get them on a roster of our serving and some appreciable way or get people to give more money.

But also regular hears it from parents or grandparents who want to get their children or grandchildren back to church.

I know as a pastor for many, many years.

I've heard this comment from parishioners members at Enders and visitors.

We want something out of what we do.

In this morning, scripture passage Paul pashley argues, that his followers of Jesus.

People of Faith, should be known as communities.

as people of faith that are known for their giving, Writing to the Corinthian.

Church reminds them that they had pledged to contribute Monies to struggling churches in Asia, Minor and particularly the the church in Jerusalem.

The Christian church in Jerusalem led by James.

Was a poor Church, it struggled mightily to do, the ministry wanted to do in Jerusalem.

Part of Paul's apart, apostolate Ministry, was to raise funds to help other churches who are struggling financially, churches throughout Asia, Minor were not on the same playing field.

Unlike other churches in Asia, Minor, the Jerusalem Church.

What's going through fierce, fierce Financial hardships?

And he knew that the other well-off congregations in the Roman Empire.

We're doing a lot better.

And the Believers in the Corinthian Church, it seems they had started this fun drive that had started Gathering money for the church.

But like, in our own world.

Life happens.

And it kind of the kind of didn't forget about it, but they weren't diligent about it.

So now Paul is following up on them as he hopes to visit them soon.

And collect all the funds that they promised that they would gather.

And so in addressing the Corinthian Church, deprimes, the pump by giving an example of another church that had completed a fun drive for the Jerusalem Church.

He gives the examples of the Christian in Macedonia.

who not only gave unselfishly, but it also begged, Paul to let them have the honor of giving And is it?

Paul writes?

This is my friends.

We want you to know that the churches in Macedonia have showed others.

How kind God is.

Although they were going through hard times and were very poor.

They gave as much as they could and they gave generously.

they gave as much as they could for Dan even more simply simply because they wanted to The asked and begged me to let them have the joy of giving their money to God's people.

And they did more that we could ever have hoped.

No, you don't you when you read this initially on the surface.

It seems that Paul is taking the Corinthian Church on a voyage which in our vernacular is a guilt trip.

but in fact, if one reads on to chapter 9, it becomes apparent that the the Spectre of Shame, hangs over the Believers in Corinth if they renege on their Promises of support, but this is, this is not Paul's main impetus.

It is not Paul's main reason and it's not in Paul's intention to guilt or shame them is a theologian.

He's a deep deep thinker, and many people think I'm a genius in his time.

Instead.

He uses the character of God to highlight God's grace and God's generosity.

He wants to show.

How kind God is or as it is transferred in the English Standard Version.

He wants them to know the grace of God that was given to the churches.

And then doubles down on his assertion of God's generosity by giving the example of Jesus Christ himself and the theological hinge that opens the door to understanding of this passage pivots on verse 9. Eugene, Peterson's translation of verse 9.

It reads like this.

You are familiar with the generosity of our Master Jesus Christ.

Rich.

As he was, he gave it all the way for us.

In one stroke became poor.

and we, we became rich.

Jesus was not born into privileges, you know.

He was born into poverty.

He was born in a stable of poor working-class parents who struggled every day, just to put food on the table.

And to make ends meet.

And as an adult.

Jesus was a poor preacher that went from place to place to place teaching and preaching.