December 26, 2010
Morning Worship
Text: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Subject: Giving
Title: A Prosperous Church: Part 1 in the Benefits of Giving Series
I pray that everyone survived the busyness of Christmas. I also pray that you all took the time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas truly is the season of giving and receiving. God gave the greatest give ever given and we have been the recipients of that gift. I don’t know who is happier the giver or the receiver. I shared with you recently about the ways that God gives. He gives liberally, freely, abundantly and graciously. In doing so God has established a pattern that His church is to follow for giving.
A Mom wanted to teach her little daughter a lesson about giving. Before they left for church she gave the girl a dollar and a quarter and told her she could put whichever she wanted in the collection basket and keep the other for herself. When it came time for the offering she put the quarter in the basket and kept the dollar. When asked about her decision she told her mother, “I heard the preacher saying that God loves a cheerful giver. I figured I could be a lot more cheerful giving the quarter so I did.”
I want to spend the next few weeks talking about the benefits of giving and I believe that by the end of the series you will see giving, not as a chore or a commandment to be followed, but as an opportunity to do God’s will and receive His benefits for doing so. As we go through this series I also want to show you that the principles involved with giving not only apply to money and finances but also to every act of giving that you do. I believe that these truths about giving will transform this church and your life if you will personally apply them to your life.
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11.
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 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. 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. 9 As it is written:
“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
10 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. 11 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.
I. A SPIRITUAL LAW IS ESTABLISHED. Throughout the bible God has established laws. These laws, whether they are natural laws like gravity or day and night, or spiritual laws, are laws that God has set into motion in which there can be no variation unless acted upon by God Himself. One of those laws is described in verse 6. 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. This is the Law of Sowing and Reaping and it goes hand in hand with another spiritual law, the Law of the Harvest. The Law of the Harvest is stated in Galatians 6:7-8, 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. This law states that what you sow is what you will reap. There are no variations. You cannot sow corn and expect watermelons. The law of sowing and reaping is like the Law of the Harvest except it applies itself to the amount sown instead of the seed itself. If you sow sparingly you will reap sparingly; if generously then generously. This is not just a law for the church. It applies to everyone. But, it has special significance for the church. It is not a law that deals only with finances although in this context it is about your finances. This is a kingdom principle. If you sow into the kingdom you will reap for the kingdom. When Jesus told the parable of the sower we look at it with the understanding that the difference in the results came from the variation of the soils. What we should be looking at as well is the simple fact that seed was sown – the initial action was taken to set the law into effect. Now, hear is the lie that the enemy wants to tell you concerning the Law. Some people are meant to be poor and there is nothing you can do to change that. Or, some people are meant to be soul winners and others aren’t so you might as well know your limitations and live within your means. Let me give you three scriptures to counter this. 1) Acts 10:34, Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism… The KJV says, “God is no respecter of persons…” In other words, what He has done for one He will do for you. 2) 3 John 2, Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. The NIV uses the phrase “go well with you” which weakens the meaning a little. The word in the Greek means to help on the road or to help in reaching – as in reaching a goal, or, I want you to get this, to succeed in business affairs. So God wants you to be healthy and prosper spiritually (your soul) and in the natural man as well. 3) Deuteronomy 8:18, But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant (His Law) … Once we settle these scriptures in our hearts and allow the spiritual Law to take hold in us we can expect to reap according to how we sow.
II. AN OPTION IS GIVEN. 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. Just because a spiritual Law is established God does not force you to follow that Law. You may know these Spiritual laws and yet choose to do nothing with them. However, Paul says that this is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Have you ever noticed that whenever I pray over a special offering (Church Night at the Fair or a Missionary offering) I always ask that the givers would first pray and allow the Holy Spirit to tell them how much to give. Paul says, Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give… When we give, whether it is money, time, efforts, talents, or spiritual gifts, whatever it is, we should make that decision in the spirit man and not in the natural man. The natural man always looks at the checkbook balance or the personality of a missionary or the worthiness of an organization. The spirit man will only hear what the Spirit tells him to do and is satisfied with that. Romans 8:14, …because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Now, the end of verse 7 tells us what our attitude should be in giving, …not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. When we are led by the Spirit we should not hesitate in following Him, nor should we feel like we have to. If we are doing so against our will, even though we are doing the right thing, we need to stop and consider our motivation. If we don’t give back to God out of love for Him, if we don’t give to His church because we love His people like He does, If we are not willing to give freely, and abundantly, and liberally and graciously, the same way that God does, then we need to take time to examine our hearts in our relationship with Him. In the latter part of the 17th century, German preacher August H. Francke founded an orphanage to care for the homeless children of Halle. One day when Francke desperately needed funds to carry on his work, a destitute Christian widow came to his door begging for a ducat--a gold coin. Because of his financial situation, he politely but regretfully told her he couldn’t help her. Disheartened, the woman began to weep. Moved by her tears, Francke asked her to wait while he went to his room to pray. After seeking God’s guidance, he felt that the Holy Spirit wanted him to change his mind. So, trusting the Lord to meet his own needs, he gave her the money. Two mornings later, he received a letter of thanks from the widow. She explained that because of his generosity she had asked the Lord to shower the orphanage with gifts. That same day Francke received 12 ducats from a wealthy lady and 2 more from a friend in Sweden. He thought he had been amply rewarded for helping the widow, but he was soon informed that the orphanage was to receive 500 gold pieces from the estate of Prince Lodewyk Van Wurtenburg. When he heard this, Francke wept in gratitude. In sacrificially providing for that needy widow, he had been enriched, not impoverished. You do not have to give. That is your option. But you can see the great benefits that come from your giving with proper attitudes.
III. GOD’S POWER IS AVAILABLE… 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. Three things I want you to see about the character of God. 1) He is able to make His grace abound to you. One of my favorite words in the original Greek is the word translated “abound”. The English translation really limits what the word really means. It means to “superabound” or “to be in excess”. God is able to give you an excess of grace – more than you could ever use. 2) God makes that superabundance available in all things. Turn over to Romans chapter 8. This is a great verse that we studied last Wednesday night at bible study. If you weren’t here you missed something good. Verse 32, He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? In what does God make His superabundance available to you? … in all things. 3) God expects a return for His giving. We have often heard and even I have taught to some extent that we should never give simply so we can get something back from God. Those are wrong motives. However, knowing the spiritual principle that is in place we should always expect what is going to happen when we give. …having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. When God gives, He is expecting a return on His investment, but He doesn’t do it for His benefit but for yours. He gives you all you need and expects you to give back. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He expects a return. We should do the same. Now the problem lies in our motives for giving. James says that we have not because we ask not, but when we do ask we ask with wrong motives, so we can spend it on ourselves. However, if we give, expecting a return then we use that return – the grace that God pours out on us – to reinvest in the kingdom. We are establishing a cycle that will promote and provide for the kingdom. God is able… in all things… to make grace superabound.
IV. THE PATTERN IS SET. 10 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. Let’s go back to the Law of the Harvest. God supplies your seed. Whatever kind of seed you are going to sow God is willing to increase so you can sow more. And in doing so He will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. Do we realize what limitations we put on God who is willing to increase you more and more for every good work? Maybe we say that we don’t doubt God; what we really doubt is our own abilities. Don’t you see that when we say that we really doubt God, because He says that He will supply seed and increase your store of seed. It is God who gives his grace for all good things superabundantly. Don’t we know that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or imagine… Can’t you see that what is impossible with man is possible with God…? Can you or can you not do all things through Christ who strengthens you? In 2 Kings 13, the prophet Elisha was dying and the king of Israel came to him. Elisha told him to take a hand full of arrows and strike the floor with them. Jehoash struck three times. When he was done Elisha chastised him for his lack of faith. verse 19, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” When you understand that it is God who supplies His grace for every need, once you settle in your heart the reality of the promise, once you establish the pattern, 11 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. God supplies, you give, and God is glorified. The pattern for a great church.
Many in the church today are on what the world tells them is a fixed income. I can’t give any more because I only have so much. That is true. But if the spiritual law that we studied today is, in fact, a reality, then you can understand that it is not your income that you should be concerned with. God’s income, His properties, His possessions, His wealth, is limitless. And He is willing to pour it out on you so that you have grace for all things. Proverbs 11:24-25, 24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Let me reiterate, this teaching is not only about giving financially. It is about giving yourself the same way the Jesus gave Himself – sacrificially.
Do you want this church to be able to minister to more people? Then give yourself sacrificially to ministry.
Do you want to see more souls won for Christ? Then sacrifice yourself to share the good news.
Do you want to see the gifts of the Spirit operating on an increasing basis? Then avail yourself to being used by the Spirit.
God has established the Law.
You have an option to give.
God is able to make all grace abound to you.
You can initiate a pattern.
And God is glorified.
