Enriched In Every Way Series

Scripture

Four weeks ago I began a series of messages that I am calling, “Lay Up Treasures in Heaven.”

Today, I want to conclude this series of messages by looking at an encouragement to giving. The Scriptures teach that when we give to God we are enriched in every way.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about various concerns. He had planted the church about 3 or 4 years earlier, and was now receiving reports about various problems in the church. Second Corinthians is actually his fourth letter to the church. Things had started to improve in the Corinthian Church, and so Paul reminded them about their pledge to support the Jerusalem Church.

The Jerusalem Church was struggling financially because of the massive influx of new Christians from other countries, persecution, and famine. There were tens of thousands of Christians living in Jerusalem at this time.

The Corinthian Church was rather wealthy and they were not experiencing any persecution. So Paul used several reasons to motivate them to give for the relief of the poor Christians in Jerusalem. First, he used the example of the extremely poor Macedonians in the north in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. Then, in 2 Corinthians 8:6-15, Paul exhorted the Corinthians to give. And after that, in 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5, he explained how they should give. And finally, in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Paul motivated the Corinthian Church to give by way of encouragement.

Let’s read about being enriched in every way in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15:

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 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. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

Introduction

In his book titled Charismatic Chaos pastor and author John MacArthur tells about one of the most unusual legacies of World War II, which has been the “cargo cults” of the South Pacific. Many aboriginal island peoples ranging from north Australia to Indonesia were first exposed to modern civilization through the Allied armed forces during the war. The American military in particular often used the remote islands that dot that part of the globe as sites for temporary landing strips and supply depots.

White men came bearing cargo; then they left as quickly as they had come. The tribal people had no time to learn the ways of modern civilization. But for a brief time they saw high technology—such as it was in the 1940s—up close. Cargo planes would swoop from the sky, land, leave their payload, and then take off again. Island natives saw cigarette lighters produce fire instantly and believed it to be miraculous. They saw large machinery push aside whole forests to build airstrips. They saw for the first time jeeps, modern weaponry, refrigerators, radios, power tools, and many varieties of food. They were fascinated by all of that and many concluded that the white men must be gods.

When the war was over and the armies were gone, tribesmen built shrines to the cargo gods. Their tabernacles were perfect replicas of cargo planes, control towers, and airplane hangars—all made of bamboo and woven material. These structures all looked exactly like the real thing, but they were nonfunctional except for their use as temples to the cargo gods.

On some of the more remote islands, the cargo cults still thrive today. Some have personified all Americans in one deity they call “Tom Navy.” They pray for holy cargo from every airplane that flies overhead. They venerate religious relics—such as Zippo lighters, cameras, eyeglasses, ballpoint pens, nuts and bolts, and so on. As modern civilization has begun to penetrate some of these cultures, their fascination for cargo has not diminished. Missionaries who have been sent to areas where the cargo cults flourished receive a warm reception at first. But the cargo cultists are looking for cargo, not the gospel, and missionaries have found it difficult to penetrate the materialism that is the very essence of the islanders’ religion.