04.03.2016 2 Cor. 9 - A Biblical Foundation for Generosity

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I’d like to say Happy Easter (Even though today is not Easter)– Easter continues – it has for 2000 years.
Lord, thank You for the opportunity to worship You – on this post-Easter Sunday – to remember that resurrection is why we meet – we will be alive forever with You. May we live to proclaim the Easter message every single day. May we understand that it is all this world needs – everything focuses on Easter. I ask that as we continue in 2 Corinthians that You would speak to our hearts – that our lives would be changed – in humility and brokenness as You speak through Your word. You work in each heart individually and we want to allow that in our own hearts – to be soft and tender to You.
8 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,
Does this describe the typical Christian giving today? Does it describe OUR attitude towards giving today? If I am to be honest – and I try not to be – but I will – just kidding – I am not there yet – I don’t know about you. If I were to enter extreme poverty that I would give extremely generosity. For me, giving is about faithfulness and being generous. This is something totally different from that. The Macedonians are doing something completely different from being faithful and generous. Before I make you feel guilty beyond measure, let me give some history.
In the Roman Empire, during Paul’s time, there were a number of famines. Shortly before this – there was a famine in Palestine and it affected the church in Jerusalem – and it hit the church hard because of persecution – and there were those who were living in desperate poverty – on the edge of existence. Paul – while he is spreading the good news throughout the world, he is also taking a special collection for those in Jerusalem. This passage is not about tithing – though it has been used in this way – and it is not about meeting the church’s annual budget or about a building campaign. It is about the extreme need of the Macedonian brothers and sisters – even though they were in extreme need, they gave sacrificially. It is the reaction we have when a member of our family is in extreme need. It helps us to go beyond what is normal.
We tried to teach our children financial responsibility – and they have done well – probably not because of what we have taught them – but part of it was learning delayed gratification. A lot of that is allowing our kids to not have for a period of time in order that they may acquire responsibly.
Even to this day – if there is ever a desperate need with our kids – we jump in wholly and completely and throw out all the other principles because there is a desperate need and it needs to be met.
Scammers prey on the elderly’s love for their grandchildren. I know of one who knew the name of the grandkids – and they called the grandfather asking to wire money – and this also happened to someone else I know.
They caught on – but it is something to be aware of.
But this is the principle – the Macedonians had love for this family they had never met.
I’d like to look at some giving principles.
8 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,
Why does the church always talk about giving? Well, this church rarely talks about giving – but when you work your way through a section – you can’t just skip it.
1st principle – God’s grace enabled the Macedonians’ generosity. A giving heart like this can only come from God.
This word grace comes from the word charisma – it is used 10 times in this passage – grace/gift/giving – translated these different ways even in this short passage.
Generous grace comes from God – and when we receive and understand it – we will become generous in giving to others. To the extent we understand God’s grace we will be gracious to others – and to the extent we are not gracious to others – we do not understand the grace of God.
Giving is much more than financial. If we are unable to give grace to people in any way – if we are stingy in our attitude or service or time or whatever, it means we do not grasp how much grace God has given us. SO the Macedonians got it. They understood God’s grace and were gracious to others.
2nd – they did so voluntarily -
2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
A lot of times giving comes out of guilt – but Paul knew their situation and did not want them to give, but they begged him to give. They were enthusiastic about it. Their attitude was incredible. “You shouldn’t give “and our attitude would be, “Oh good!”
It’s not happening Paul -
3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
The foundation for generous giving – money time or whatever – the foundation springs out of a commitment to Christ. If they had not given themselves fully to Christ, they could not give themselves in the same way to others. These, in their desperate poverty – giving themselves wholly to God – show that those in the most desperate circumstances can give themselves wholly to God. We don’t have to focus on our selves – but we can become more and more committed to Christ. A commitment to God results in a genuine commitment to God’s people.
Today, there are many wealthy people – Warren Buffet has the billionaire challenge – and he has asked them to live on a measly 500 million dollars and to apply the rest to generosity – using your wealth for the world. He hasn’t gotten a lot of takers –
You see in athletes some who want to give back – that is a great thing happening. This has nothing to do with this.
This is about those in desperate poverty with a need to give back. That is really unusual.
4th – those who have experienced great struggle and have experienced God’s grace in that struggle are those who give out of that struggle.
If you have struggled with health, you can have more compassion for those who are struggling in health.
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 [e]love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
The Corinthians weren’t in poverty – they were in a normal middle economic situation – and the people had committed a certain amount – and Paul is saying – be faithful to what you have committed.
8 I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
This is not just about money but about love. Money is just the tool or object that is going to reveal how connected you are with the wider church. With all the divisiveness between the Jews and the Gentiles – Paul is saying that the Jewish brothers in Jerusalem need you now – and he is breaking through this division by hitting at people’s pocketbooks. Will you help those you have a hard time getting along with?
We live in a Christian world where denominations focus on their own things – and there is not a sense in the Christian world of being in this together – it is sad – and there is also a sad sense of competition – and what is going on in the situation in Corinth – Paul was demonstrating that they were all in this together. Today – we are more divided by political views in the church than we are united in Christ.
Around the world there are Christians being persecuted – you probably saw what happened in Lahore, Pakistan – a bomber blew up mostly women and children at an Easter celebration – and they are our family – we need to think of the church as our family – Jesus said, these are my mothers… - we cannot comprehend this in our minds. He goes on -
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 through His poverty might become rich.
Jesus is the example in all of this. He was rich – the creator of all things – everything holds together because of Him – and He became poor – it speak s of the incarnation and the cross and His suffering – that we might become rich in Him. We have all the blessings in the heavenly places. We have the Spirit of God living in us. That is the example that is set and the example He wants us to follow.
10 I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. 11 But now finish [f]doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. 12 For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
He gives the normal approach to giving – in general – here is what I am after. You have made a commitment – now do what you are able to do. According to your ability or means – don’t use giving to impress people – it is not a competition – it is about doing as we can for the benefit of others. We need to learn a balance of financial responsibility and stewardship – and at times – sacrificial giving in desperate times – there has to be a balance. He is not saying to be irresponsible with money – but find a balance between responsibility and sacrificial giving in desperate times.
13 For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— 14 at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; 15 as it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
This verse is hard on Americans! This is not a political or economic philosophy – this should be an attitude of Christians to one another in desperate need.
Political philosophies to bring about economic equality never work.
Paul is talking about believers and brothers and sisters in Christ.
Back to the beginning – we are not talking here about tithing, church campaigns, or meeting a budget. There will be times to talk about those things – this does not throw all that out – but not today – because we are focusing on something else.
He is talking about how these things take place –
And then he says this:
The more you sow, the more you reap.
6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
Giving financially results in all types of good works. Yes, we talked about giving, but this works out in every aspect of your Christian life. Don’t limit this to money.
. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
It is this abundance! You will overflow! Whatever the good deed – financial- service – time – whatever the good deed, God wants to give us the grace necessary to meet the need. As we take this grace to pour out to meet the needs of others – God fills us with more grace – and we don’t just hold onto our grace.
I have heard it preached – you give and God will make you rich – and this is NOT what this is saying. If He gives you more financially – He only does it for one reason – to give more! Time may be one of our most precious commodities – and it is hard to give – but you reap what you sow.
Let’s pray.
Thank You, Lord, in the example of the Macedonians – probably none of us can compare our circumstances to them – even the poorest here are rich compared to the Macedonians – who gave sacrificially – beyond their means – to those who were more desperate than they were – and I’m sure, because of that, they experienced riches we’ve never experienced. Lord, it may be financially or in other ways – You would like us to see the desperate need and to give to them. In Jesus’ Name