Generosity is Rewarded | 2 Corinthians 9:6–15

Time

Paul begins to encourage the Corinthians in the importance of giving by reminding them of the grace of God.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV)

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.

Paul understood that generosity is about more than money, and here he encourages them that by trusting the principle of the sower in their time, God is glorified.

When I give my time, God blesses other believers. But how?

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Ephesians 5:15–17 ESV

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

When I was a kid the Mormon Church had a series of videos that came on TV. One slogan that stood out to me was the one with a son and father playing knights and it tagline was “Family, it’s about TIME.”

The same is true in the body of Christ. One of the keys to growth in the body is the time that we spend with one another.

Every week people say they don’t have enough time to go to church.

But consider this.

There are 168 hours in a given week.

The average person will sleep 49 hours.

The will spend 40 hours at work (or more depending on the job)

22 hours watching TV.

3-4 Hours cleaning house, washing dishes, and doing laundry

17 Hours on Social Media, playing games, etc.

Which leaves an average of 28 hours left for other leisure activities, or 3 hours a day.

And of those 168 hours, we say we have two hours to spend gathered with the people of God for our edification, growth and community?

The truth is we make time for what we love. And if we want true community in our church. True Fellowship, which we need according to scripture, then we must make church a priority for ourselves, but also for others.

The demands of Christian Community do not only apply to us, they apply to others within the body. When I do not gather with others, I am robbing others in my church from the “whole body, (being) joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, (which) when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

And let me say this: Church leaders. Staff, Deacons, Elders, Lay leaders, quit making excuses for your haphazard attendance.

When leaders attend infrequently and demonstrate low commitment it signals to the body that church really doesn’t matter.

1 Timothy 3:1-13 says clearly that church leaders are indeed held to a higher standard If we are going to build community then it begins with YOU.

When I withhold my time the Church’s COMMUNITY suffers.

Community doesn’t grow in a vacuum. That’s why the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:25 notes:

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

When the saints gather, the elect fellowship, the saints are encouraged, and the body grows stronger.

Talents

Second, Paul notes the importance not only of giving our time, but also in giving our talents.

2 Corinthians 9:12 ESV

For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

The ministry of service that Paul is speaking of is the ministry of the gifts both financial and spiritual of the churches to Paul. Yes, according to 2 Cor. 11:7-8

2 Corinthians 11:7–8 ESV

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.

Paul did receive financial support from the churches in Macedonia, though not from Corinth according to his speech upon his return to Jerusalem in Acts, but more importantly Paul enjoyed the talents of men and women who traveled with him, such as Priscilla and Aquilla, Timothy, Titus, Epaphroditus, and others.

It was the giving of their talents: The talents of service that Priscilla and Aquilla showed. The Hospitality of Tabitha, called Dorcas, the spiritual gift of preaching and teaching of Timothy and Titus that benefitted the churches.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul spoke to the church in Corinth about their spiritual giftedness.

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 ESV

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Paul proclaims that they were given these spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit “for the common good”.

1 Corinthians 12:27–31 ESV

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Notice what Paul is saying. We are given gifts. And these gifts are given to the body, FOR THE CHURCH.

Ephesians 4:11–15 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

God has given us leaders, yes, but what has he given us pastors and teachers for? It’s right in the text:

To equip the saints for the ministry of building up the body in love. We are given these gifts not to build OURSELVES up, but to build the CHURCH up.

Unfortunately, many in the church feel that church is more “what’s in it for me.”

Thom Rainer lists four attitudes that are destroying the church and but one of them really stands out:

The attitude that we are part of a church primarily to get our needs met.

It is this attitude that causes much division in the church. We demand our own worship style, our preferred order of worship, and the building to be built, painted, and arranged just as we demand. But we are to be functioning members of the body of Christ for the greater good of the body. Philippians 2:3 says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.”

Church is not about you. It’s about Him and Then It’s about Them: The Body of Christ and the World around us.

We are called to be a part of God’s purpose to shape and mold each other into who Christ wants us to be.

Do you know why so many Christians are immature in Christ? Because they do not SERVE. They come to be SERVED.

I want you to think, Jesus began his ministry in Matthew 4 and six chapters later in Matthew 10 he sends out his disciples 2 by 2. This means that within his first year of ministry with the disciples he sent them out. And yet we have Christians that will spend 50 years never doing anything.

When I withhold my talents the Church’s MATURITY suffers.

We are called to serve and in serving others and indeed we become more mature. The body needs our talents! We must serve.

The greatest sign of Christian maturity is not our knowledge of God’s Word but our DOING of it.

Treasures

Finally we are called to share our treasures. our finances.

Throughout scripture we are called to give faithfully. Perhaps no more dramatically than in Malachi 3:8-10

Malachi 3:8–10 ESV

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Notice the text, both here in 2 Corinthians and in Malachi. In both places there is an encouragement to give. The reason for giving is the blessing of God.

In 2 Corinthians, it is the needs of those around us. When we give, the mission of God advances. When we give financially, God’s people are blessed.

When I withhold my treasure the Church’s MISSION suffers.