Introduction:
A. The American industrialist, Henry Ford, was once asked to donate money for the construction of a new medical facility.
1. The billionaire made a pledge of $5,000.
2. The next day in the newspaper, the headline read, "Henry Ford contributes $50,000 to new hospital."
3. The irate Ford was on the phone immediately to complain to the fund-raiser that he had been misunderstood.
4. The fund-raiser replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the following day to read, "Henry Ford reduces his donation by $45,000."
5. Realizing the poor publicity that would result, the industrialist agreed to make the $50,000 contribution under one condition.
6. That above the entrance to the hospital was to be carved the biblical inscription: "I came among you and you took me in." (Bits & Pieces, March 3, 1994, pp. 1-2.)
B. Ford truly had been taken in, which is an experience that should never happen in the context of Christian giving.
1. No one should ever feel like they are being manipulated or arm-twisted.
2. Unfortunately, many worldly tactics have been used over the years to increase church donations.
3. Many ministers have stood in pulpits and said erroneous and horrendous things in order to increase what goes in the collection plate.
4. I hope and pray that that is something that never happens in this pulpit by me or by anyone else.
C. Giving is a very important and spiritual subject that needs to be addressed often and unapologetically.
1. Why? First, Because the God’s word speaks often about the subject of stewardship and giving.
a. Research shows that there are 2,350 passages in the Bible dealing with money and material possessions. That’s more than on any other subject.
b. Jesus talked about the proper approach to money and things more than any other subject – even more than heaven, hell or loving our neighbor.
c. Some of Jesus’ greatest statements are about money. Like, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21), or “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
2. But that’s not the only reason giving should be addressed often and unapologetically. Another reason is that faithfulness in giving generously transforms people.
a. When we learn to release our grip on the things of this world, we become liberated from all kinds of bondage and snares.
b. Paul warned about this in his first letter to Timothy. He wrote, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim. 6:9-10)
3. Let me add one more reason to address the subject of giving: Giving is the path to blessing.
a. It is the path to blessing for ourselves, the church and the world.
b. It is one of the best ways for God to be praised and receive glory.
4. Well, with that said, by way of introduction, let’s turn our attention to 2 Corinthians 9.
I. Paul’s Approach
A. At the end of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, in chapter 16, he told them of his intentions to take up a collection for God’s needy people living in Judea.
1. So, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to begin putting aside money on a weekly basis, so that when he came through Corinth, he could pick it up and take it to Jerusalem.
2. It appears that they were very excited about participating in this collection and pledged to give very generously.
3. 2 Corinthians 8:10ff reads, “And here is my advice 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. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it will 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.” (2 Cor. 8:10-12)
B. Paul begins chapter 9 saying that he shouldn’t have to remind them about their pledge to contribute to this collection, but he is going to do so anyhow.
1. “There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.”
2. We get the feeling, don’t we, that Paul really wants this contribution to happen, but that he doesn’t want to do so in a way that will cause hard-feelings on anyone’s part.
3. Paul certainly doesn’t want it to appear that he is prying the money out of their hands.
C. Next, Paul proceeds to lay down some general principles of giving that we see echoed both in the teachings of Jesus and in some of Paul’s other letters.
1. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 9:6-11)
2. The principle of sowing and reaping is found throughout the Bible. What we sow is what we reap, both in kind and in amount.
3. Nevertheless, God loves a cheerful giver. The root Greek word for “Cheerful” is “hilarious.”
4. The point is: we should take great joy in being able to give to the Lord.
5. Following the statement of the need to not give begrudgingly, Paul explores the heights of the bounty and blessing of God.
6. He declares that as we give to God, God gives right back to us in abundance – super abundance – more than we need.
7. And just what is it that God pours out on us? His grace! Grace for all circumstances, at all times, having all that we need.
8. Why? So that we can abound in every good work.
9. When we let go and give, God gives…he gives what we need to be content and to do the things he has asked us to do.
10. God doesn’t necessarily make us rich with money, unless he has something special he wants us to do with that money.
11. He makes sure we have enough so we can be generous on every occasion.
12. The more we give, the more we will have to give.
13. And the more we are obedient and faithful in giving, the more we will become like God. He will increase our harvest of righteousness.
14. Doesn’t all this sound wonderful and good? Doesn’t it put giving in an incredibly powerful and positive light?
15. Well, Paul’s not finished yet.
D. Let’s continue reading: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
1. Paul is saying that the giving of the Corinthians will do more than just supply the needs of impoverished people.
2. It will also result in the worship and glory of God. Isn’t that amazing!
3. Their giving will cause others to express praise and thanks to God.
4. Both for God’s goodness and grace, but also for the obedience of the Corinthians.
E. Paul concluded the whole discussion with a declaration of the wonder of our generous God.
1. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” (2 Cor. 9:15)
2. God’s indescribable gift is the grace he has poured out on us through the gift of his Son.
3. God is the greatest giver of all, and it is in response to his indescribable gift that we give.
II. Our Application
A. So, what can we learn from today’s lesson? What does it mean to be faithful in giving?
1. Let’s summarize the principles of giving by using four words: systematically, generously, cheerfully, and expectantly.
B. First, We should give SYSTEMATICALLY.
1. As we have already mentioned, Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 16, that they should organize their giving.
2. The approach he was encouraging for them was the one he had also given to the Galatian churches.
3. The approach was systematic and simple. It included a regularity (every week) and a responsiveness (in keeping with his income, or as he prospers).
4. Biblical giving should be approached as a discipline to be done with consistency and in response to God’s provision.
5. We know that in the Old Testament the Jews were required to give tithes and offerings.
6. The tithe was 1/10 of their income in crops, or herds, and the offerings were above and beyond the tithe.
7. As Christians we are not obligated to follow the requirements of the law. Their system of government and religion cannot be compared to the church.
8. Therefore, no one can tell anyone else the exact amount or percentage that we should give as Christians.
9. I am certain God would be very pleased if we decided to give 10% or more in regular giving, but since Scripture does not require a specific amount it would be wrong for me to bind a specific amount upon you.
10. I like what C.S. Lewis said, “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”
11. Which leads to our next point.
C. Second, We should give GENEROUSLY.
1. If I counted correctly, the word “generous” appears 7 times in 15 verses in 2 Cor. 9.
2. What does it mean to give generously? It means to give in a liberal or large way.
3. To be generous in some respects may mean to give sacrificially; to give in a way that requires denying ourselves of some things that we want or need.
4. If I have a million dollars and I give away half of it, we all would say that was very generous, yet it may not be very sacrificial, because I may have enough left to buy all I want and need.
5. But if I have $100 and I give away $15 it may be considered both generous and sacrificial, because I probably won’t be able to buy all I want or need with what is left.
6. The point is: God knows what each of us has, and he is looking to see how generous we will be with what he has blessed us with.
D. Third, We should give CHEERFULLY.
1. As we have already mentioned, “God loves a cheerful giver.”
2. The story is told of a mother who wanted to teach her daughter a lesson.
a. So, she gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church. "Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself," she told the girl.
b. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given.
c. "Well," said the little girl, "I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did."
3. Was the girl wrong? I don’t think so. Whatever we decide to give, it should be given cheerfully, not grudgingly, reluctantly, or under compulsion.
E. Fourth, We should give EXPECTANTLY.
1. Meaning that we should give with faith and trust.
2. As we give we should be expecting that God will be blessing the gift and the giver.
3. Those who sow generously will reap generously. That’s God’s promise!
4. Speaking from personal experience, Diana and I have tried to be faithful in our giving and I can attest to the fact that God has faithfully provided for us.
Conclusion:
A. So, that’s my encouragement for each of us today – Let’s learn to give systematically, generously, cheerfully and expectantly.
B. We cannot out-give God can we?
C. J.L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who had given approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord.”
D. Being faithful in giving starts wherever you are with whatever you have.
E. “J.D. Rockefeller said, “I never would have been able to tithe the first million I made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”
F. Lord, teach us to be faithful in giving!
