140504 The Blessing in Giving

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

The apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthian church to teach them about giving in such a way that they do not feel condemned. Instead, he wants them to see what God’s plan for giving really is. Paul wanted the Corinthian church, and all believers, to be willing and happy givers. I personally do not enjoy preaching on giving because to many people it seems that the church is constantly standing with a hand out instead of a hand up. Today we’re going to look at 2 Corinthians 9 to see how giving was handled by the early church.

First, let’s remember that Jesus’ teaching on giving must be the basis of everything that we do. It is important to note that…

Jesus talked about money. Listen while I read what he said in Luke 6:38. “…give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

This teaching is found along with several statements that Jesus told his disciples to encourage them to have a right attitude in their day-to-day lives. Jesus said that we are to love our enemies and be careful not to judge others. Just before this teaching Jesus said that we are to forgive and we will be forgiven. In keeping with our latitude of the passage Jesus then says that we are to give. When we give it will be given back to us in abundance! Jesus promises that the results of giving will be a return in good measure. What we receive will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over. The attitude we have about giving will be the same attitude as those who give to us will have. That could explain a lot about the financial condition of some Christians. The measure they use in giving is measured back to them. The Bible tells us that…

Abundant giving results in abundant living. Listen while I read from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Here, four important verses reinforce what Jesus said. Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

A lot of people are waiting to give when they have extra money. First of all, they forget that everything belongs to God and we are just stewards of the things, and money, that we have. I learned a long time ago that God would not reward me unless I would be obedient. God knows all about your finances and wants to help you in many ways but he will not reward disobedience. What we sow, in money and actions, will come back to us in the end. When we pour the resources we have been entrusted with into the world system we are sowing to the flesh. From the flesh we will reap corruption. When we take the resources that we have been entrusted with and invest them in the kingdom of God we are sowing to the Spirit. You can count on it! God is not deceived he will reward his people as they grow in grace. However, we shouldn’t expect there would be an immediate response. We are not to grow weary in our giving or our doing for others.

Those gardeners out there are eagerly awaiting frost free days so they can begin planting the garden. When the day finally comes the ground is prepared, the rows are laid out, and the seeds are carefully placed in the ground. The expectation is that what they have sown will produce a lot more of the same. The next day after planning nothing seems to be happening. Everything looks the same as the night before. The gardener doesn’t go out and dig up the seed to see if anything is happening. The gardener knows that it takes warmth, moisture, and time for there to be a crop. The same is true in our spiritual life! We need to give, go, and serve and wait on God to reward us in his time and in his way. God is not stingy…

Jesus came to give overflowing grace. Jesus is illustrating his relationship to his people. He is the good shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep. He is not just a protector but he is also the provider. Listen while I read John 10:10. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The “thief” is none other than Satan himself! The devil comes into our lives in order to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to give life! Not just a “get by” life but instead he came that we might have life and have it abundantly. Abundant life comes in many forms. Abundant life may represent a loving family, loving friends and a Christian fellowship. Abundant life may, or may not, represent financial blessings. It certainly represent spiritual blessings and the resources necessary…

To meet every need of our life. Look with me at Philippians 4:19. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

This verse is often used by itself to claim some kind of blessing from God. It needs to be put in its context. Paul is writing to the Philippian church to thank them for a gift that they had sent to him. He assures them that he is able to live well on the things he has received. The Philippian church was the first church to send Paul financial support. Now Paul wants them to know that their giving is going to pay off in a supply for them that will meet every need. It is not a supply that he can give them but instead it is a supply from God according to his riches in Christ Jesus. God wants to reward his people…

So that we can be generous. Look back at our text and listen while I read 2 Corinthians 9:11. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

The abundant grace that God is pouring out is not just providing for our needs. God wants us to be enriched in every way. “Every way” includes our spiritual needs and makes us able to share our faith with other people so that they may come to Christ also. God wants to meet our needs and provide for us materially beyond our needs. He doesn’t do that just so we might be better off financially. He meets our needs and gives us more so that we can have something to share with others. The God that we serve wants us to be a generous people. In fact…

We should excel in giving. Listen while I read background material for the text we chosen for today. 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ² for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³ For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, ⁴ begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— ⁵ and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. ⁶ Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 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.

⁸ I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Paul wants the Corinthian church, which is in Greece, to know about the grace that God has given to the churches in Macedonia. Macedonia was, and is, a very poor country. The resources they had was very limited. In fact, I get the sense from this passage that Paul was not going to ask them to give to the offering that he was taking for the church in Jerusalem.

The Macedonians were in a severe test of affliction and extreme poverty. However, their abundance of joy overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. They gave, not according to their ability, but far beyond their ability. They didn’t give out of some sense of obligation to Paul. Instead I can imagine them learning about the offering and begging Paul to let them partake in the gift. They didn’t see this as a burden they saw it as a favor to their benefit.

Telling the Corinthians about the Macedonian gifts was Paul’s way of encouraging them to get in on the blessing. Paul knew that their love was genuine and he reminded them of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus was rich beyond our ability to understand. Jesus is God! His riches include everything on the earth and, in fact, everything in the universe! With those riches beyond comprehension Jesus chose to come to earth, be born in a stable, live out his life as a carpenter and then; be arrested, illegally tried, beaten, and crucified! He who knew no sin became sin for us! He who had existed forever as God became a man! He did this so that we could become the righteousness of God in him! He became poor so that we could become rich.

This was not in order for us to live like kings and queens on earth but instead he did this so we might become the children of God and show the world by our actions, our loving and giving, what God is like. There is no doubt…

God desires to bless us. In the last book of the Old Testament we find God charging his people with theft. Listen while I read Malachi 3:8-12. Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. ⁹ You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. ¹² Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

God has Malachi recording a dialogue with Israel. “Will a man rob God? How can this be?” God replies that they had robbed him of his tithes and contributions. They were not giving according to the plan laid down by God thousands of years before. The direct result of their stingy attitude was to bring God’s curse down on them! Because of their robbery the fruit of their soil was being devoured and their vines were failing to bear. God invites them to bring the full tithe into the storehouse and test him and see if he would not pour out on them a blessing beyond their wildest expectation. Before I entered the ministry I was in business with my Dad. We sold fill dirt by the truckload. One day, a sudden rain squall came up. There was my Dad, a couple of truck drivers and myself who went into the office to be dry. We had been doing very well with our business and one of the men turned to my Dad and asked him a question, “Mr. Bray why is it that everything you do prospers so well?” My Dad started to answer but was interrupted by one of the other drivers. He was a preacher at a small church in the area. He said, “Mr. Bray can I tell him?” Dad said, “Sure.” Then the preacher said, “That man is sitting under the window. God said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it^. He’s just sitting under the window.” King James Version of course!

Another example of God saying that he wants to bless his people is found in Psalm 81:11-16. “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. ¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. ¹³ Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! ¹⁴ I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. ¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. ¹⁶ But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

During the days of David the King God was having the same problem with his people that he did in the days of Paul and that he does with us today. First he tells us that he has people will not listen to him! Then he says that he lets them go their own way reaping the problems that they were sowing.

The Father faced with all these problems cries out with, “Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!” Know for sure that God is not frustrated but he is expressing his desire. God wants his people to listen to him today just as he did then!

If we would just listen to him he would subdue our enemies before us and be a shield to us. God’s desire is to feed us with the finest of wheat and with honey from the rock. At the time this Psalm was written that would have been the best of the best so far as food was concerned.

God is limited in what he will do for us because of our unwillingness to listen to, and obey him. If we would just listen to him he would bless us so that we could be a blessing to others. Are you listening to him? Is he blessing you? Think about it!

George Halverson, a former chaplain of the United States Senate, said once, “Jesus Christ said more about money than about any other single thing because, when it comes to a man's real nature, money is of first importance. Money is an exact index to a man's true character. All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man's character and how he handles his money.” Money is not evil but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It’s so sad to see people miss out on God’s blessing because they can’t trust him to take care of them! God desires to meet your needs and pour out blessings. Do you trust Him? Is he your Lord? Today is the day of salvation we are not promised that we will have another day.

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.