Our Attitudes and Our Assets
2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Key Verse (5)
Introduction: And the Bible has an awful lot to say about money, and so while it may not be the most comfortable of topics it is a very necessary topic, and so even though I am not an expert nor claim to be the best of examples of all that is in this book, I do have a responsibility to address those topics that are in it.
• Allow me to set up the text before we read it. The church in Jerusalem has fallen into a condition of extreme poverty, so Paul set up a collection that would take place with the churches that he founded to help the poorer Christians in Jerusalem. At first, the Corinthian Christians had provided funds which they had promised but now their enthusiasm seems to have waned. It is into this situation that Paul is now writing. In 2 Corinthians 8:1 – 12 (read text)
• Paul uses the example of the Macedonian church as a model for the Corinthians to imitate and I want to look a little more in depth at that example, but before I do I first want to pull out a couple of important principles that Paul makes about a person’s attitude towards giving that will help us in understanding the Macedonian example a bit better.
• Listen again to what Paul says in verse 8 “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.”
• The point that Paul is making is that your giving is a true reflection of the sincerity of your faith.
• Friends what you truly believe you support. And one of the predominant ways we support something is with our finances. Friends, if you were to look at your spending habits over the last month, what would it reveal about your values?
• If someone who didn’t know you looked at the breakdown would they say about you, “Wow, these people really take their faith seriously.”
• I also want to suggest that your attitude towards giving is not only a reflection of the sincerity of your faith it is also a reflection of the depth of your experience of God’s love.
• You see, Paul says that all giving is really just a following after the example of Jesus, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
• One time when Jesus was teaching He said that “the person who has been forgiven little, love little.” His point was not that there are some people who are more needing of forgiveness than others, it is only that some are more acutely aware than others, and because they are aware of their need they are exceedingly grateful when they are forgiven and it wells up in great expressions of love.
• Friends, what do your giving habits tell about your gratefulness, and the depth of your experience of God’s love for you? If it suggests a shallow experience, may I propose the remedy is not to give more, the remedy is a deeper walk with God who will then motivate and change your heart.
• One last principle that I want to draw out before looking at the example of the Macedonian church, in verse 11 Paul encourages them, “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”
• You see Paul is saying that their real attitude towards giving is not validated by their feelings of good will, nor is it validates by the amount of money they give, it is validated by the act of giving itself.
• When your heart is moved to give, do you give? Is that your habit? When you feel a compulsion to give, do you make the effort required so that it translates into real action? The point is less that you feel bad for the AIDS orphans in Africa, its more about does that feeling bad translate into any real and tangible action on your part.
• You see the case that Paul has built in all of this is that our giving habits reveal our true attitudes towards our faith in relationship to our wealth.
• Our giving habits reveal if the substance of our faith has penetrated the grip of materialism that seeks to keep human hearts in bondage.
• And consequentially the way we give has the potential to communicate the Gospel.
• You see weather you are a follower of Jesus Christ or not, your attitude towards finances expresses some of your core realities with regard to priorities. It helps to reveal the dominant ruling party within our hearts.
I. The problems - vs. 1-2
a. They were being persecuted
b. They were poor
Now, it is important to understand the background to Paul’s statement. Paul planted the church in Corinth in 51-52 AD, during his second missionary journey. After Paul established the Corinthian Church he returned to Antioch, thus concluding his second missionary journey.
On his third missionary journey Paul traveled to Ephesus and stayed there for three years. During his stay at Ephesus, Paul wrote several letters to the Corinthian Church, addressing several concerns that had arisen at that church. Most likely Paul wrote this letter about 55 AD.
The churches of Macedonia consisted of three churches: in Philippi, Berea, and Thessalonica. They were north of Corinth, in what is northern Greece today. Corinth is in southern Greece. So the churches in Macedonia were not far away but they were in very different circumstances.
Macedonia was severely impoverished. It had been a Roman territory for 200 years. They had been cruelly treated by the Romans. The Romans had taxed them so heavily on their rich mineral resources that they were extremely poor. Moreover, the churches of Macedonia were the objects of persecution.
Paul was raising money for the church in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem was experiencing an extremely difficult time financially for several reasons. There had been an explosion of new Christians in Jerusalem from all over the world that needed to be housed and fed. There had also been a persecution of Christians, so that they could not easily find work. And finally, there had been a massive famine that impacted the availability of food.
And so Paul was raising money for the church in Jerusalem. Wherever he went he asked for financial support for the church in Jerusalem. He had previously asked the churches of Macedonia, and now he was asking the church of Corinth to support the work.
II. Their participation - vs. 3-4
a. They gave according to their ability and beyond
b. They gave of their own accord
III. The principle - v. 5
The secret of living a successful Christian life, or to say, a life that is pleasing to God is found in the declaration: “they first gave themselves to the Lord”.
1. The first thing the Macedonian Christians did was to get their priorities straight: "they first gave themselves to the Lord."
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33
2. Notice that there was nothing coercive about their service. It was voluntary: "they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God."
“…….. Consecrate your-selves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy." Leviticus 11:44
“…….. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?" I Chronicles 29:5.
3. Their service involved a total and complete commitment: "they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God."
The Macedonian Christians had few possessions but they still gave liberally to God; they went beyond what could reasonably be expected; they stretched themselves and their faith for the Lord!
"…present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1.
4. Their commitment was correctly directed: "they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God."
"Then Jesus to him…For it is written: You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve." Matthew 4:10.
5. Their dedication and service was a natural byproduct of a right relationship with the Lord: "they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God."
True service to God must be worked out in the lives of others.
"For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister." Hebrews 6:10.
" …….I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:40.
IV. The power - v. 9
a. preeminent example – strongest possible argument for liberality
b. prosperity to poverty
V. The performance
Every Sunday school child knows the story of Zacchaeus (in Luke 19:1-10). Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. Zacchaeus lived in Jericho. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.
Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was a “wee little man” (as the Sunday school song says). So Zacchaeus ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus, for he was about to pass that way.
And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
So Zacchaeus hurried and came down. Jesus evidently confronted Zacchaeus about his sin, and he believed.
Now, what was the evidence of his transformation? The immediate, first evidence that Zacchaeus was a new creation in Christ was financial.
As soon as he felt the waves of God’s grace wash over him and cleanse him, Zacchaeus stood and said to Jesus, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
Now, it is very important to notice what Jesus said to Zacchaeus. Jesus did not say, “Zacchaeus, that’s great! What a wonderful gesture!” No. As soon as Zacchaeus said that he was willing to part with his money, Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house.”
The evidence of Zacchaeus’ transformation was his attitude toward money. Money is a spotlight on a person’s spiritual condition. It is an index to a person’s character. It is a reflection of a person’s heart.
Contrast the story of Zacchaeus with the story of the rich young ruler (in Luke 18:18-30, and also in Matthew 19:16-30). The rich young ruler who came to Jesus was a typical urban professional: doing very well financially, young, hard-working, decent, earnest, sincere, and desperately wanting peace in his life. He wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life.
After a brief discussion about the ruler’s morality, Jesus told the rich young ruler the bottom line, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Do you remember the rich young ruler’s response? Did he say, “I will gladly sell all that I have and distribute it to the poor”? That would have been an evidence of his transformation. No. He did not say that. Instead, when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And he walked away from Jesus and eternal life in order to hold on to his money.
In the case of Zacchaeus, his attitude toward money was the evidence of God’s grace in his life and of his transformation. In the case of the rich young ruler, his attitude toward money was the evidence of the lack of God’s grace in his life and of his hard heart.
1. Grace-Oriented Giving Is Initiated by God’s Grace (8:1)
2. Grace-Oriented Giving Transcends Difficult Circumstances (8:2a)
3. Grace-Oriented Giving Is Generous (8:2b-4)
4. Grace-Oriented Giving Is an Act of Worship (8:5)
There is so much more that I could say about this wonderful example of grace-oriented giving.
But let me just say that grace-oriented giving is one of the clearest barometers of our spiritual condition. I am not saying that you must give all your money away. No. That would be foolish. However, I am saying that if you are a Christian, you know that all the money that you have actually belongs to God. You are simply a steward of his money. And your job is to manage it for his glory.
