CULTIVATING A GENEROUS HEART - Eagerness to Help
2 Corinthians 9:1-5 (p. 806) June 25, 2017
Introduction:
Let me ask you a question…an important one. When we surrender ourselves to Christ’s Lordship is there anything in our lives that isn’t under His control?
No? What about our families? What about our activities? What about our money?
It’s a touchy subject when we talk about money and giving in the church…There have been charlatans that have used people and taken advantage of the weak, sick, and hurting for money…promising healing while lining their pockets with millions…Because of this, Satan has lied to unbelievers…by telling them “the Church is only after your money.”
So for many, money and giving have become taboo subjects to challenge people on because you don’t want to offend visitors.
The problem with this is: Jesus spoke often and taught often about giving and money.
And, money holds so much power in the world today and in people’s lives, it’s essential we deal with this question…Is my money…is my giving under the Lordship of Christ?
And if it’s not…why not?
Jesus taught this truth…“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and vermin do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21)
Three verses later He would get even more real…“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24)
Two things cannot have Lordship in your life at the same time. Two priorities cannot guide the reason you live at the same time. Every one of us will choose…If you are a Christ follower…you work for His glory and the advancement of the kingdom of God..It’s your first priority…the first thing you seek. And when we do, God promises to care for us as His children.
Because of this truth I would challenge each of us with this Biblical advice.
I. DON’T LOSE YOUR ENTHUSIASM IN THE MIDST OF REALITY
Let me give you a little background to our text in 2 Cor. 9.
The mother church in Jerusalem is hurting and in need…undergoing severe persecution and unable to care for all those in trouble…So, a plea is put out to “all the churches.” “Help.” We’re going to take up a collection and we’ll come and get it…and during that year the collection of gifts were collected…The Corinthians had been the first to say… “We want to help. We want to give”…so much so, Paul had bragged on them to the Macedonian churches…It stirred others to want to give.
But the Corinthians hadn’t actually given anything yet to help (or at least hadn’t lived up to their commitment). So Paul writes to them and says:
2 CORINTHIANS 8:10-12 (p. 806)
I know your eagerness to help…I saw your enthusiasm when we first asked…now complete it.
[I started cutting all the honeysuckle that was in front of my house last week…Kari got me a machete for the little ones.
SHOW PICTURE OF RICK WITH MACHETE
I used my chainsaw for the big ones…when I started out I was eager…I was enthusiastic…but about halfway through “reality” set in. It was hot, hard and itchy…I finished the job…but because I had made a commitment…not because I was enthusiastic or eager anymore.]
There will be times in our faith when we keep our commitment…because we are people of our word.
I’ve found it’s much easier to tithe 50 cents from the 5 dollars you made mowing the lawn than the $5000 from your $50,000 salary. Maybe your first steps with Christ were so enthusiastic…so eager…but then halfway through your life you get tired, hot and hurt…or the amounts get bigger and you think of what you could do with that money for yourself…and you begin to tip God instead of tithe to God.
Maybe that’s what happened to the Corinthians…a year before they felt the compassion for Jerusalem…a year before they made a commitment to dig deep…to be part of the Kingdom Covenant…but a year’s a long time isn’t it? And now as Titus came to receive the offering…reality hit.
2 CORINTHIANS 8:16-19 (p. 806)
Paul sends Timothy and others, “some from the Macedonian churches” that had been stirred to give by the Corinthians commitment…to Corinth to receive the gift…He doesn’t want the Corinthians to be unprepared or embarrassed…In fact he doesn’t want to be ashamed of how confident he was in the Corinthians.
I get a helpful truth out of this portion of scripture:
II. IT’S BETTER TO BE PREPARED TO GIVE THAN AT THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT
I’m not saying you shouldn’t give at the spur of the moment. There will be Holy Spirit “winks” when you should be obedient to His prodding…but I also know that there are hundreds and hundreds of people who request money…thousands of missions, ministries and organizations that ask you for funds. I know this because I get dozens personally every single week.
The Apostle Paul says, “We don’t want the Macedonians to come with me and find you “unprepared.” (2 Cor. 9:4)
The Corinthians desired to be part of this common goal…this eager willingness to help comes first…and Paul also says…now comes the completion of this desire “according to your means.” Not everyone can give the same amount, because not everyone makes the same amount, but there can be equal sacrifice.
A great Biblical and common sense model is the 10…10…80 plan. Tithe 10%, save 10% and live on 80%. This honors God, allows us to be generous in our community and it teaches us self discipline and self denial.
I love this quote:
When a person commits himself or herself to Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit begins to change our priorities, God begins to align our motives and desires with His. Apart from Jesus, you and I will continue to dwell on all of the things that we don’t have that we think we need. We will continue to strive to make more money so that we can have more things, go more places, and hopefully achieve a greater level of satisfaction in life. Satan will seek to draw us away from the blessings that only come through obedience and faithfulness in being good stewards.
Just as Paul encouraged the Corinthians to engage in prepared giving, he encourages us. Life will always have its ups and downs. Transmissions will go out…and refrigerators will stop working…surgeries will be needed. And yes, there will be stress…but those who plan ahead…those who spend 15 minutes sharpening the ax so they can cut down the tree better in 5 minutes, will have a faithful witness for a long time instead of a “what should I do” spur of the moment worry.
[I spend a lot of time preparing to share God’s message with you for 25 minutes of so each Sunday. Why, because I believe the Holy Spirit works just as powerfully in the preparation Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.]
In a few weeks we’ll look at this scripture, but it’s a great reminder of how God uses prepared, connected, giving Christ followers:
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
The Charlatan liars who preach a health and wealth gospel take this scripture out of context to say…give a seed of faith to me and God will bless you.
But God says, “Trust me…live generously…and I will increase your ability to trust me even more and live even more generously…and there is a big difference!
Let me end with this encouraging truth:
III. GIVING HELPS CONNECT US AS A COMMUNITY
The Macedonians, those in Achaia, the Corinthians, those in Jerusalem were in totally different regions and communities in the world…and yet the needs of one of these churches brought all of them together as family.
It connected Titus, Paul, and the “other brothers” in a common goal…the Kingdom of God.
Gardenside Christian Church and every Christ following body of believers is engaged in a worldwide mission “To be a family committed to loving Jesus and others so our neighbors, community and world can experience good news.”
Whether it’s our partnership with Denford in Africa, or Habitat for Humanity here in Lexington…Giving lets us connect powerfully, and unselfishly for the gospel…This is true for the Corinthians are the Gardenside believers as well.
Let me conclude with a quote form David Platt from the book “Follow Me.”
I want to be a part of a people who are gladly sacrificing the pleasures, pursuits, and possessions of this world because we are living for treasure in the world to come. I want to be part of a people who have forsaken every earthly ambition in favor of one eternal aspiration: to see disciples made and churches multiplies from our houses to our communities to our cities to the nations.
This kind of movement involves all of us. Every single follower of Christ fishing for men. Every single disciple making disciples. No more spectators. Instead, ordinary people spreading the gospel in extraordinary ways all over the world. Men and women from diverse background with different gifts and distinct platforms making disciples and multiplying churches through every domain of society in every place on the planet. This is God’s design for his church, and disciples of Jesus must not settle for anything less.
At Gardenside Christian we won’t settle for anything less…and I thank God for the privilege to sacrifice for this purpose and be part of a people who sacrifice for this purpose.
Let’s pray.
