INTRODUCTION
START WITH VIDEO SLIDE
SLIDE #1
Comedian Flip Wilson told a story about a preacher and his church. A preacher was trying to get his people to be more enthusiastic about their church. The preacher said in his sermon: "If this church is going to get anywhere, it has to learn to crawl." The people said, "Let it crawl, Rev., let it crawl!" Then he said, "And after it learns to crawl, it has to learn to walk." And the people said, "Let it walk, Rev., let it walk!" The preacher got excited and said, "After this church learns to walk, it has to learn to run!" The people shouted back, "Let it run, Rev., let it run!" Then he said, "And if this church is going to run, it’s going to take money!" And the people said, "Let it crawl, Rev., let it crawl."
As we continue with our series, “When God Builds a Church”, we are going to look at one of those subjects that make some people uncomfortable. It is one of those subjects that admittedly I myself have even shied away from because of the perception that people have concerning the church and this subject.
Today we are going to deal with the subject of giving.
I believe people get uncomfortable with the subject of giving because of the fear of being convicted about the need to do better. This subject hits ALL of us where we live.
Studies show the average Christian gives about 3% of their income. Only about 9% of evangelical Christians tithe. (Barna Research Group) A 2003 Barna study says the average gift is closer to 2.2%
Giving is something that if we do not practice, we miss out on a great blessing.
I want us to focus on the joy of giving. Being able to give is something that should bring joy. I remember when I went from, “DO we HAVE to give this much?” to enjoying returning a portion back to Jesus.
Today we will look at five things that will help us to give with a joyful heart. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 for our text today.
In this chapter Paul is trying to encourage the Corinthian church to follow through with their promise to help the church in Jerusalem. To do this, he speaks of the giving of the churches of Macedonia. They were in a bad way financially, but they still gave to the relief efforts in Jerusalem.
SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. GIVING IS A SHARING OF GOD’S GRACE. (1,7)
“Grace” is one of the eight words used by Paul in various places to describe the offering the churches were taking up for the Jerusalem church. Grace is unmerited favor, or getting something you did not earn.
SLIDE #3
2 Corinthians 8:1 (NASB) 1Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 7But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
In Acts 2:42-ff you will see that part of what the early church did, was to give to help others.
God gives us grace; we share that with other people.
When you look at the situation of the churches in Macedonia, it would not appear that God had blessed them because of the poverty and afflictions they were suffering. Throughout all the problems in that region, the churches felt God’s grace shinning upon them.
Every Christian should consider it a favor from God to have the opportunity to give.
In verse 7 we see that God had blessed the people so they abounded in everything.
God has given this church what it needs to do what we need to do.
When we give, we are sharing God’s grace. When we give to something like the Missions program, we are helping to reach people with the gospel who may have no other opportunity. In verse 7 Paul reminds the Corinthian church not to waste what they have been blessed with.
SLIDE #4
II. GIVING IS NOT ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE GIFT. (2-4)
Giving is not about the size of the gift, it is about the heart, attitude, and sacrifice behind the gift.
SLIDE #5
2 Corinthians 8:2 - 4 (NASB) 2that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,
The Macedonian area was afflicted by high taxes and plunder by the Romans government. The people were not wealthy.
Paul could have made light of their gift because of their poverty. What impressed Paul was not so much the size of the gift, but the size of the sacrifice that had to be made in order for the gift to be offered.
The blessing they had in Christ was bigger than their poverty. It would have been easy for the churches to make a token gift, but they did not do that.
They gave liberally! They gave according to their ability and BEYOND! VERSE 3
They also gave on their own accord. They were not forced to give; they gave because they wanted to!
In Mark 12:41-ff, Jesus was watching people put money in the treasury. He noticed many rich people were putting in large sums of money. Then He saw a widow put in what would amount to a couple of pennies.
SLIDE #6
“And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on. " (Mark 12:43-44)
Some can write out a check of $10,000 without batting an eye. For some, $10 is a large sacrifice.
Notice the impoverished churches on Macedonia BEGGED to help.
It would have been easy for Paul to skip even asking those churches for help. He should have taken up an offering for them!
In verse 4 we are told they BEGGED to help out. This people could not wait to help their brothers in need!
Their heart was in the right place. Because of their heart being in the right place, they were able to give beyond what looked possible.
There is joy in being able to participate in something that helps others. There is joy in being able to do something larger than yourself.
I would image that those who sacrificed so we could have this wonderful building to worship in have to feel a sense of joy over the effect their sacrifice has had on this church!
SLIDE #7
III. SELF-SURRENDER TO JESUS MAKES GIVING A JOY. (5)
One of the things I noticed in my life was this. Until I gave my self totally over to Jesus, I did not like to give. I wanted to give the minimum to God. It takes a lot of love and faith to give sacrificially.
Look at verse 5. Why were the people giving so much with such eagerness?
SLIDE #8
2 Corinthians 8:5 (NASB) 5and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
They first gave themselves over to the Lord. The primary direction of their devotion was to God. This verse literally means that of first importance was the self-surrender of their lives to God.
As your relationship with Jesus grows, so does your desire to do more for Him.
If you are giving before you give yourself to God, you might feel like you are being cheated. It is like a person who resents their spouse because they cannot chase after other people now they are married. They resent the spouse because they have not given themselves over to them.
As a person grows in Christ, one thing that grows is their giving. I know that from my own life.
I have gladly made sacrifices and changes in my life for my family because I love them. I have gladly done the same for my God because I love Him. When you have surrendered yourself to Jesus, you will experience joy when you give!
When we totally give ourselves and all we have to our Lord, when it comes time to share it, we will do so with joy!
SLIDE #9
MATTHEW 6:21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
If your treasure is with Jesus, your heart will be there also!
SLIDE #10
IV. JESUS IS OUR EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO GIVE. (9)
The great leaders lead by example. Look at verse 9 with me.
SLIDE #11
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NASB) 9For 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 gave up all His glory to come to earth, to suffer and die for our sins.
The Corinthian church has the example of the Macedonian churches, they have their own loyal affections for Jesus, and they have the example of Jesus Himself.
Philippians 2:1 - 8 (NASB) 1Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but £emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Verse 9 of our text mirrors with Philippians 2 tells us. Jesus gave up what He had and because of the sacrifice, He gained much more. Without Jesus sacrificing His life for us, we would have no chance at eternal life!
Did Jesus give of Himself half-heartedly? Did He give an 80% effort? Did He sort-of sacrifice for us? NO
Jesus had a 100% commitment to what He was called to do. Jesus had a 100% commitment to providing a way by which you could be saved!
Jesus could have ended all of His suffering with one word. He did not. Jesus knows what it means to give.
SLIDE #12
HEBREWS 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Through His poverty we are seeing the results of His sacrifice in our lives now. Salvation is not just about going to heaven; it is about being blessed NOW. It is about having meaning and purpose in your life NOW.
Jesus led the way for us!
SLIDE #13
V. WE ARE BLESSED BY GOD SO WE CAN BLESS OTHERS. (14-15)
I love what verses 14-15 remind us. Look with me!
SLIDE #14
2 Corinthians 8:14 - 15 (NASB) 14at 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; 15as it is written, “HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK.”
Why are you being blessed materially right now? SO you can spend it all on what you want!
Wrong! It is so we can help others in their time of need. If the Christians would practice proper stewardship, there would be little to no need for the government to take over helping people. There would be plenty of resources within the churches to do that.
The Corinthian churches were in better shape than the churches in Jerusalem and certainly they were better shape than the Macedonian churches. Paul is pointing out to them that God had blessed them for times of need such as this.
Is God blessing you materially right now? Maybe He is doing it so you can be a blessing to others and His church?
Think of where this church would be today if the people in the late 70’s decided they could not sacrifice and give to help God’s church? We might not be here today and many who have been saved may not have been saved.
Paul quotes Exodus 16:17-18 to illustrate the point that God will take care of them as they help others.
CONCLUSION
When you give yourself over to Jesus, you will find great joy in giving.
When you give gifts to your children or grandchildren isn’t there a joy that goes with giving them gifts?
When I get my wife something, I can hardly wait to give it to her because I love her.
SLIDE #15
2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 reminds us, “Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
If we will have the faith in God to return a tithe to Him, the things we feel we need to carry out the ministry of the church more effectively will be a reality.
Giving is something that is between you and God. I do not want to know what you give. I do want you to experience the joy and blessings that comes with giving.
