2 Corinthians 9:1-15
Generous Giving
Do you remember 1972? Why 1972? That’s when I went to high school. A gallon of gas cost 36¢. A gallon of milk cost $1.20. By the time I graduated high school, the cost of gasoline increased an astronomical 64%, to 59¢ per gallon. Imagine, that? Milk had risen 37%, to $1.65 a gallon. Stamps were 13¢.
I remember when my mom would plan her shopping excursions. We had two grocery stores within walking distance, and my mom was a walker. But, when there were eggs on sale at another store, my dad would have to drive her, they got in the car to go and buy one dozen eggs because they were on sale for 50¢.
My, how times have changed. We won’t go and drive a long distance to save a few pennies on a dozen eggs, and maybe not even to save a nickel for a gallon of gas. Our time is precious . . . yet so is our money. So, how do we balance the two? What are we supposed to do with our money? In fact, what does God tell us to do with our money? For the next couple of weeks we’re going to look at what God calls us to do with our money and time, because time is money and money is time, right? Right!
Now, most pastors don’t like to talk about money. It’s not something you talk about at parties or social gatherings. It’s like telling someone their breath stinks; or they have lettuce on their teeth, or the meal they prepared is uneatable. Yet, God demands that we talk about money, giving and possessions.
I read an interesting statistic concerning the frequency of certain themes in the Bible.
Believing is mentioned 272 times
Prayer is mentioned 371 times
Love is mentioned 714 times
But . . . Giving and possessions are mentioned 2,162 times!
o 3 times more than love,
o 7 times more than prayer,
o 8 times more than believing
Evidently, God wants us to be givers! So, instead of apologizing for bringing up money and giving, I should probably apologize for preaching on it so seldom! My intent is to challenge us about what God says about giving, possessions and our money.
So, let’s dig into what Paul was talking about in this section of his letter to the Corinthian church.
2 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 (A-CHAI - YA) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.
3 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.
4 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.
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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
The Corinthian church heard about the opportunity to give to the poor in Jerusalem, and they reacted with great enthusiasm at the chance to give their money to this church. They weren’t required to do this and they weren’t manipulated into offering a generous gift. They simply believed this is what they were supposed to do.
When Paul traveled to other cities, he would speak of the generous response of the Corinthians, and their commitment to sacrificial giving, and more. Paul wanted to make sure two things didn’t happen ~
● He didn’t want the Corinthians to drop the ball and not send the offering to the Jerusalem church. He didn’t want the church and himself to be disappointed if they didn’t follow through.
● Secondly, he wanted the Corinthians to be prepared. Paul didn’t want the believers from Macedonia to come to the church and learn that all of his boasting was for naught, that they dropped the ball on that end.
So, Paul was encouraging the believers in Corinth to send their gift to the Jerusalem church. They wanted to do this, but would they?
Have you ever been there? You want to do something . . . you think about it, maybe you even pray about it, but something holds you back. Maybe it’s a personal thing, maybe it’s the need to step up and get involved in something. Maybe it’s about taking that step of faith and doing something which is bigger than you, but it’s scary. Maybe it’s about volunteering or giving money or giving away some possessions, or maybe it’s even about giving your heart to some cause that has suddenly hit you in your heart.
What will you do? Paul’s words to the Corinthian’s are still vital for us to hear and understand today.
We’ve all been around people who have talked a big game, but don’t perform in crunch time. They do a lot of talking, we call it trash talking, but when the moment of truth arises, they’re nowhere to be found. Paul doesn’t want this for the church, he wants them to stand behind their word. But even more than that, Paul wants the people to believe that being a generous giver is about our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Now, I want to point out a few things about what Paul said in this passage and how it relates to us. At the end of verse 2 Paul, states, “your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.” What a statement by Paul.
There are few things in the Christian life more powerful than good role models. We often hear of poor role models, people who make a mockery of whatever they’re involved in. It could be a Christian or a non-Christian act. We read those stories and we shake our heads. But here Paul is saying, because of your passion and enthusiasm for this project, people are catching what you’ve got. You’re becoming contagious in a good way.
It’s like when Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Do we want people imitating our lives? Are we imitating Christ?
In fact, Are you contagious? What are you doing with passion and enthusiasm? Anything? Do you do your job with passion? Do people see your love of life in your work? Do they see it in you at school, or in after school activities? Do they see you living life with a contagious smile when you’re shopping? Do they see it when you’re serving and giving? Are you contagious?
Paul is talking about a lifestyle, not a temporary moment where we forget about ourselves and give. It’s about how we live our lives. This is why he talks about the harvest, because the harvest doesn’t happen overnight, it’s about a process.
In verse 6, Paul reminds us ~ 6 Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Paul is not making a threat, he’s really talking about the way God views the way we live our lives. When we don’t put much into whatever we’re doing, then we aren’t going to get much out of it. That just seems to make sense. We don’t often think of life that way. We think we should be able to put little in, and get much out.
The harder and more dedicated we are to whatever we’re doing, the better the results are going to be. Put your whole self into your work, into school, into band, or sports; and you know the results will be great! You will never look back on your life and wonder . . . what if . . . Instead, you will have people looking at your work ethic and seeing your passion for what you do.
The same is true in the church world. When we put much in, whether it’s giving our time, giving our money, giving our possessions, we will get much out of it. It does not mean we give much, so God will give us much. It’s not the health and wealth gospel.
It’s about living our lives in such a way that we can’t help but give, because Christ has given us Himself. This is what Paul means at the very end of this passage when he says ~ 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Paul is simply referring to the overwhelming grace and mercy; power and courage we receive from Jesus Christ. It’s the gift God gives to us, the gift which never ends in our lives. A gift which is alive and active and when we try to describe the gift, it’s just so difficult to describe, so Paul calls it the indescribable gift!
We aren’t to flaunt what we give, or expect special benefits. Nobody outside of your family may ever know what you give or do, and that’s the way it should be. But as a body we still may be encouraged by each other’s giving. I don’t know what anyone gives in this church. I’ve never seen a giving report. But when I look at the giving of this church, I know we’re a generous people. We’ve undertaken amazing challenges and we always succeed. I’ve never doubted our ability to give.
This is why Paul again reminds us ~ 7 Each person should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Why does God love a cheerful giver? Because your actions are based on your relationship with God Himself. You give because you recognize how wonderfully blessed you are because of that indescribable gift you received from Jesus Christ. So, we become cheerful givers, we don’t give because we have to, we give because we want to. Again, it could be money, or time or possessions. Nobody is forcing you to do anything, you do it because of the love of Jesus in your life.
The greatest way the early church grew was through actions and word of mouth. People were amazed at the love and sharing in the church. In spite of persecution, the church grew exponentially.
And don’t you love what Paul said in verse 14. One translation puts it this way ~ Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they'll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for you. Isn’t that great? The Jerusalem church will respond with prayer, passionate prayer for the givers. That’s a great gift. Maybe not what you think about, but passionate, enthusiastic prayer for you and I?! That’s pretty awesome!
As we finish, I want to end with the way Eugene Peterson in The Message describes the act of cheerful giving. He wrote ~ 7 God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
Isn’t that a great way to describe this? God loves it when the giver, you and I, delight in the act of giving!
If you sow service, you may not be served! But your harvest may be another kind of blessing, proportional to your sowing. And if you sow financially, you may not reap a financial blessing. But you can be sure that God promises to reward you proportionally. God calls for us to be cheerful givers! Are you?
