Introduction:
A. Today we are continuing our sermon series “Learning to Lean on God” a study of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.
1. Last week, we worked our way through chapter 8.
2. I mentioned that chapters 8 and 9 are two of the best chapters in the NT on giving.
3. I also mentioned that I’m not preaching these two sermons on giving because our congregation is in financial need, or because the church needs to be chastised for not giving as we should.
4. Rather, I’m focusing on this subject, because the text is focusing on this subject.
5. Nevertheless, I never shy away from teaching on giving, because if we learn to be graceful givers and cheerful givers, we will be blessed and we will be a blessing!
B. Last week, I summarized what we learn about giving from chapter 8 as the following:
1. Our financial giving should be prompted by grace.
2. Our financial giving should be based on what we have.
3. Our financial giving should naturally follow the giving of ourselves to God.
C. Just like last week, let’s start with a few cartoons that speak to some of our fears about giving and some of the stereotypes we have to battle against.
1. You notice that the letters on the backs of the people standing before the congregation spell the word tithe (which means 10%).
a. The husband says to his wife, “I think it’s called subliminal advertising.”
b. This illustrates the manipulation that sometimes occurs surrounding fundraising.
2. Don’t you hate it when you go as a group to a restaurant and they take away your privilege of tipping at 15% or more by adding it to the bill as a charge?
a. Look at this second cartoon. “Giving is up at First Church since they adopted restaurant tipping guidelines – 15% tithe required for families of 5 or more.”
b. Imagine churches doing that – 10% giving for individuals and small families. 15% giving for families of 5 or more!
3. Look at this next cartoon: “Great steward ship sermon, Pastor. I’m going to increase my giving by 100% - from one dollar to 2 dollars!”
a. That’s a good news/bad news scenario. Good news…I’m going to double my contribution! Bad news…usually I only give a dollar!
b. Obviously, if a dollar is all you can afford, then a dollar is the right amount to give.
4. Here’s one more cartoon: “We only give when we feel led. The last time we felt led was 1979.
a. Hopefully, we feel led a little more often than that!
D. Let’s work our way through the text of 2 Corinthians 9 and see what lessons we learn about being cheerful givers.
I. Understanding the Word
A. Let’s start with verse 1: There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints.
1. I find this verse a bit humorous – How many times have you said something similar as you sought to remind someone of something?
2. You might say, “I know I don’t need to remind of this, but do you remember you said…”
3. Or “I’m sure you already know this, but, let me mention it anyway…”
4. So, Paul said to the Corinthians, “There is no need for me to write to you about this…but I’m going to do so anyhow!”
B. In verses 2-5, Paul revealed one of the reasons he felt compelled to remind them: 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 Cor. 9:2-5)
1. Do you see what was going on here, and what Paul was concerned about?
2. It becomes clear that Paul had been encouraging the Corinthians to generosity by pointing to the example of the Macedonians, and at the same time, he had encouraged the Macedonians to give by pointing to the example of the Corinthians.
3. There’s nothing wrong with spurring one another on toward love and good deeds by pointing to the example of others, and that’s what Paul had done.
4. The Corinthians had expressed a desire to help with the relief effort.
5. So Paul went to the Macedonians and told them about the need and about the way the Corinthians had expressed a desire to get behind the effort.
6. Motivated by a number of things, including the example of the Corinthians, the Macedonians went ahead and gave beyond their ability.
7. Unfortunately, the Corinthians had yet to follow through with their promises.
8. Paul’s afraid that when he comes to Corinth accompanied by some of the Macedonians, he will be embarrassed and they will be highly offended if they find out that the Corinthians have not given as they said they would.
9. The Macedonians will think that Paul tricked them into giving.
10. That’s why Paul was sending the brothers to get their generous gift in order before Paul’s arrival.
C. Now Paul turns his attention to one of the primary principles of giving.
1. Look at verse 6: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
2. Paul may be employing a common proverb of the day – “Scanty sowing equals scanty harvest; plentiful sowing equals plentiful harvest.”
3. The principle of sowing and reaping is one that we often see used in Scripture.
a. Proverbs 22:8-9 says, “He who sows wickedness reaps trouble…A generous man will himself be blessed.”
b. In Luke 6:38, Jesus taught, “Give, and it will be given to you…for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
c. In Gal. 6:7, Paul taught, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
4. The basic meaning of the principle is difficult to misunderstand.
5. Even though most of us are not farmers we understand the law of the harvest.
a. The farmer who sows a lot of seed will have a better chance for a bigger harvest. The farmer who plants one seed cannot hope to reap as big a harvest as the famer who plants millions of seeds, right?
b. To use a different illustration – the investor who invests more money will have a better chance for a bigger return.
6. So the principle is simple – the more we sow the more we reap, period.
D. Paul then moves from the principle to the perspective of the giver – what is the givers attitude?
1. Look at verse 7: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2. Here we notice that the giver is given complete freedom to decide how much he or she wants to give.
a. They are free to make that decision in their own heart and mind.
3. The giver is not to give reluctantly nor under compulsion.
a. Look at Peterson’s paraphrase of this verse: “I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.”
4. God loves a cheerful giver.
a. The Greek word for “cheerful” is hilaros, from which we get our English word “hilarious.”
b. God loves a hilarious giver.
5. God doesn’t want sad givers to give reluctantly.
6. God doesn’t want mad givers who give because they have to.
7. God wants glad givers who cheerfully share because of the grace they have received.
E. Next Paul turns our attention to the promises of God.
1. Let’s begin reading at verse 8: 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. 9:8-11)
2. Here Paul expressed his belief in his God who can do all things.
a. Did you notice all the “alls” in the passage?
b. God is able to make “all grace” abound to us.
c. God is able in all things, at all times, to give us all we need.
d. Why does God do that? So we can abound in every good work – in all good works.
3. What else can God do?
a. Since God is the supplier of seed, He can increase our store of seed and enlarge our harvest of righteousness – that sounds good, doesn’t it?
b. And God can make us rich in every way so that we can be generous on every occasion.
4. Isn’t it amazing what God can do, if we trust Him?
F. Paul concluded by revealing the great result that comes through cheerful giving.
1. Look at verse 12 and following: 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! (2 Cor. 9:12-15)
2. Look at what will result from the generous gift of the Corinthians – it will result in supplying the personal needs of God’s people, and it will result in glorifying God.
3. How wonderful that we can give assistance to those in need!
a. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of that kind of help, then you know the difference it makes.
b. And you also know how that your praise and thanksgiving for such help ultimately goes to God.
4. Do you remember in Matthew 5:16, when Jesus said: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”?
a. How incredible it is that our good deeds and generous gifts can can turn people’s hearts toward God!
b. Recently, we took up a special collection for relief for those who were suffering after the earthquake in Haiti – we collected about $2500.
c. The funds we sent were then used to take supplies to the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.
d. As they received that much needed assistance, surely there was an overflowing of thanksgiving to God.
5. Paul’s concluding doxology points our attention to the magnificence of divine giving.
a. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”
b. All of us are recipients of God’s indescribable gift and so we give thanks to God.
c. The poor in Judea had also received that indescribable gift, and would now receive a generous monetary gift that would also result in thanksgiving to God.
II. Applying the Word
A. So what can we learn and apply from today’s section of Scripture about being a cheerful giver?
1. Let me point our attention to three aspects of cheerful giving.
B. First of all, cheerful giving involves practicing the right principle.
1. That right principle is the principle of sowing and reaping.
2. The story is told of a man who asked his minister how much he should be giving to the Lord. The wise minister replied, “How much do you want to receive from the Lord?”
3. How much do we really want to be blessed by the Lord?
a. If we want big blessing, then we must do generous giving.
b. Remember the equation – big sowing equals big harvest.
4. Certainly this needs some clarification.
a. Many preachers and fundraisers have abused this principle.
b. The big harvest that will come from our giving will likely not be financial.
c. So the idea here isn’t – If I give $10 then the Lord will give me $100.
d. God is not a heavenly slot machine – put in a quarter and get a bucketful of money.
5. So what kind of harvest will come from my cheerful giving?
a. Certainly heavenly treasures – whatever they are – our reward in heaven will be great.
b. Certainly the harvest of righteousness and holiness as we keep the sins related to money far from us by our giving.
c. Certainly the harvest of peace as we learn to trust in the Lord.
d. Certainly the provision of what we need.
6. As we have said before – “God’s arithmetic just doesn’t add up.”
a. Proverbs 11:24-25 says: “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
b. God puts it this way in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
7. As we practice the principle of sowing, we must understand what we are doing.
a. When we give, we have not lost something, rather we have invested it.
b. The farmer isn’t sad that he has “lost” his seed by planting it, no he is hopeful about the harvest.
c. When we give we should be hopeful about the blessings that God will give us in return.
8. But we must keep in mind – the bigger our investment, the bigger will be our blessing.
9. Let’s be testing the Lord by practicing the principle of sowing.
10. And remember – the farmer must be patient, the harvest doesn’t come immediately after the seed it sown.
C. Second, we learn that cheerful giving involves having the right perspective.
1. What I’m talking about here is having the right view point and attitude.
2. God wants us to give with hope and joy.
3. God doesn’t want us to give wishing that we didn’t.
4. As we give, God doesn’t want us to be thinking…“That could be a car payment” or “That could have been a nice Caribbean cruise.”
5. The story is told of a mother who gave her son a dollar and a dime and said that he could decide how much of it he wanted to give to the Lord in the collection.
a. The little boy could give none of it or all of it. Or the little boy could give the dollar or the dime – it was his choice.
b. The mother could hardly wait to see what her son would do.
c. When the plate came by, the little boy put the dime in it and he kept the dollar.
d. Afterward, the mother asked her son why he had made the decision he had made.
e. The little boy said, “Well, I was all ready with the dollar in my hand to give it, but just before the offering came by, the man in the pulpit said we should be cheerful givers, and I knew that I would be much more cheerful if I gave the dime, so I did.”
6. We might think that little boy should have given more, but remember, the Scripture we studied today says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7)
7. Are you cheerful about your giving?
8. Should you give more than you are giving? Only if you will do so cheerfully!
9. Ultimately, our giving to the Lord should come from a heart of gratitude and love.
10. How many of you moms have received a bouquet of dandelions from one of your kids?
a. It’s a special moment isn’t it? Why?
b. Is it because dandelions are so valuable?
c. Is it because dandelions are so rare?
d. Think about it – the dandelions usually come out of your own yard – they are already yours.
e. No, what makes it so special is the heart behind the gift – the expression of love.
f. And what also makes it special is the joy of both the giver and receiver of that gift.
11. When we give money to God, we are giving Him what is already His – but He loves to see the joy and love that is involved in our gift.
D. Finally, we learn that cheerful giving involves trusting in God’s promises.
1. Will we trust in God enough to let go of some of our money, believing that He will make sure we have what we need?
2. Look again at the promise of verse 8: 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.
3. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he thanked them for sending a financial gift to help him in his time of need. He concluded by saying to them: And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)
4. Do we trust that God will meet all our needs?
Conclusion:
A. Let’s review the three lessons we have learned today one last time:
1. Cheerful giving involves practicing the right principle – sowing and reaping.
2. Cheerful giving involves having the right perspective – cheerful and thankful.
3. Cheerful giving involves trusting in God’s promises.
B. Let’s learn to be cheerful givers who trust God enough to sow generously and then reap generously!
Resources:
Paul for Everyone, 2 Corinthians, Tom Wright, Westminster John Knox Press, 2003
2 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary, Scott J. Hafemann, Zondervan, 2000
2 Corinthians, John MacArthur, Nelson Impact, 2007
The Letters to the Corinthians, William Barclay, The Westminster Press, 1975
Be Encouraged, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Warren Wiersbe, Victor Books, 1989
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Murray J. Harris, Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, Zondervan, 1976
