Generous In Giving

SERMON OUTLINE:

Principle #1: Generous Giving Begins With Surrender To The Lord (8:1-7).

Principle #2: Generous Giving Is Motivated By Grace (8:8-9)

Principle #3: Generous Giving Involves Faith (8:10-15)

Principle #4: Generous Giving Is a Testimony To Others (9:1-5)

Principle #5: Generous Giving Must Be Done Sparingly (9:6-15)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• A few weeks ago, I was offered a phone upgrade,

• An on this occasion Apple were very generous.

• My contract would be slightly cheaper than the previous one – good start!

• But included in the upgrade was the gift of an Amazon Prime membership,

• Which is free 2-day delivery/shipping!

• It also included some free audio books each month.

• As well as free music and movies for a selected period.

• And then there was even more,

• It included free space in the cloud to store and share photos.

• And to top it off, it included free all you can eat meals at 25 local restaurants.

• Ok, I made the last one up!

• But all those others are included.

• You buy a phone and Apple have been very, very generous,

• By throwing in all these extras

• (Now I know they are all time limited, and they want to suck me into signing up permanently,

• But for now, |I will enjoy their generosity!)

• TRANSITION: We have a God who is generous,

• Unlike Apple there is no hidden motive in his generosity,

• We don’t deserve his generosity, but we can delight in his generosity.

Note: The background to these two chapters.

• The apostle Paul is taking a financial offering from this Gentile Church at Corinth,

• To the Jewish Church at Jerusalem.

• A year or so earlier to this letter,

• This Church had agreed to do this,

• But twelve months down the line their initial enthusiasm had waned,

• And they had not followed through on their pledge of support.

• Verse 6:

“So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning,

to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.”

• So, the apostle Paul reminds them of their pledge,

• And takes the time to also explain some principles regarding giving,

• Principles that still can be applied by you and me today.

Principle #1: Generous Giving Begins With Surrender To The Lord (8:1-7).

“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: they gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you – see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

ill:

• Story told of a man being baptized and as he entered the pool of water,

• He remembered his wallet was in his back pocket.

• So, he stopped to take it out and place it on the side.

• The person doing the baptising called out,

• “Stop, either I baptise your wallet and all or not at all”.

• Now he was not interested in making the man’s money wet,

• But was making the point that to say,

• “I will follow Jesus but not allow that to affect my money”, is a nonsense!

• God's way of providing for his work on earth is always through his people,

• I don’t see any other way mentioned in the New Testament.

• All Christians are called to give, and to give financially!

Note:

• The principle here is don’t give your money until first you have given yourself!

• Verse 5b: “they gave themselves first of all to the Lord,”

• So, the first thing the apostle tells us about the Macedonian Christians,

• Is that before they opened their wallets, they opened their hearts!

• Their heart was first, and their generous contribution followed.

• Their giving was the out working of their love for God,

• They gave not to win God’s approval,

• But rather it was a demonstration of God at work in them.