TWO WAYS: The American way is everyone is on their own; Paul’s vision is that we are there for each other.
- 2 Corinthians 8:10-15.
- Galatians 6:2.
- The American way emphasizes the rugged individual. You pull yourself up by your bootstraps and you mark a path of success for yourself. You are self-sufficient. You don’t need anyone.
- That’s the iconic American mythology.
- Paul here paints a different picture. We’re going to unpack that vision in this sermon.
- It’s a vision of us being there for each other. It’s a vision of a larger family. It’s a vision of community.
- And note that I say this is Paul’s vision because of the way v. 10 starts. Paul tells them that this is his “advice” on what’s best.
- I want to get into this with a story of a dramatic gift at a women’s event.
- Tony Campolo story about taking up an offering at women’s event [it’s available on preachingtoday.com].
- That story speaks to a needed truth. Often we ask God to provide for needs when He’s already done that – He just needs our obedience.
- If every American Christian tithed, think of the needs that we could meet nationally and globally. If every Christian within a local church was looking around them for those struggling and needing a helping hand, think of the burdens we could relieve.
- This vision of Paul is of a loving community. It’s a vision of a group of people watching out for each other. It’s a vision of the church helping each other.
- The church is intended to be more than a place to sit for an hour on Sunday mornings. We are to be a family that’s there for each other in times of need.
- So many, especially today, feel like they walk through life alone. Friends are rare, good friends are non-existent. But not within the church. At least not within the church as Paul conceives it. In that kind of church, we carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). The world is thirsting for such a place today.
LIES THAT KEEP US FROM LIVING THAT OUT:
1. Give once and you’re good.
- 2 Corinthians 8:11a – “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it . . .”
- When we do help in a situation, many of us prefer if it’s a “one and done” deal. You give and it’s over. We are much less inclined to walk with someone through a situation.
- Here the Corinthians had begun showing their generosity to those in need and Paul encourages them to “finish the work.”
- Why do this? Why not just give and wipe your hands of the situation?
- Well, it has to do with being there for someone. It has to do with being a family.
- When we’re a family, I want to walk with you through your struggle. It’s not just a momentary touch and then going on my merry way. Rather, we’re in this together and I’m not going to abandon you.
2. If you’re not wealthy, you don’t have anything to offer.
- 2 Corinthians 8:11b-12.
- Luke 21:1-4.
- It’s tempting to think that it’s only those with great means who are able to do much. That’s not true, though.
- Paul encourages them to given “according to your means.” Our gifts are acceptable according to what we have, not what we don’t have. God can use us no matter how little we have.
- Sometimes we use our lack of extravagant means as an excuse to do nothing. “If I can’t totally solve the problem, then nothing I can do is worthwhile.” Again, not true.
- God desires for us to do what we can. He may multiply our gift, like He multiplied the loaves. He may use us in concert with others with small means. That’s all up to Him – our task is to be faithful when He puts a need before us.
- God does not judge us based on the dollar amounts that we give near as much as on the level of sacrifice.
- In Luke 21:1-4, Jesus praises the poor widow’s tiny offering. She gave an amazingly insignificant amount, but it represented a huge sacrifice for her because it was all that she had. Jesus praises the offering as greater than all the other offerings. That evaluation was not based on the cash amount, but on the sacrifice amount.
- God is aware of each person’s financial situation. How much do you make? Do you have kids? How many? What’s the housing market like near you? How’s your health?
- All these questions and many more play into our unique financial situation.
- God knows where we are at financially and therefore what we are capable of.
3. Some people are always at the top; some people are always at the bottom.
- 2 Corinthians 8:13-15.
- Matthew 6:11.
- If you’ve been struggling with the call of this sermon so far, here’s a point to help because it speaks to a need that each of us will have.
- We are inclined to think of some people always being at the top and some always being at the bottom. In truth, though, most of us have spent some time at each end. Most of us have had times of barely getting by. I think back to when the kids were young and Karen was a stay-at-home mom. It was worth the sacrifice, but it was certainly tough financially. One way we were blessed during that time was to have both of our parents eager to help us with new clothes for the kids.
- At other times, we’ve been better off and not only been able to care for our own expenses, but have a little left over to help with needs that we saw around us.
- Paul speaks in v. 13 of their being equality. When we’re enjoying a time toward the top, we are generous with those struggling; when we are having a bad year, we appreciate the support that keeps our head above water. He doesn’t mean equality in the sense that everyone makes the exact same income. Verse 14 explains it. We help when we’re up; we get help when we’re down.
- Verse 15 points us back to the story of manna. God miraculously provided manna to the Israelites, but manna was not something that could be hoarded. What you collected each day was to be enough to supply your need for that day. Attempts to get extra for the next day were futile because the next day it was rotten and full of maggots. It is a picture of God providing that “daily bread” that Jesus spoke of (Matthew 6:11).
WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE IN EVERYDAY LIFE?
1. You have to know each other well.
- Some of you might be thinking, “How do you know when there’s a need in someone’s life?”
- Well, occasionally there might be a circumstance when the need is publicly known. Someone loses their job. A family member has a lengthy illness that takes a toll on the family. There is an unexpected death and major funeral expenses.
- More often, though, the struggles are private. There may not be any indication that there is a problem going on. The only way to know is that you have meaningful friendships and therefore know what’s actually going on in their lives.
- Many churches claim to have deep love when they really just have shallow friendships. Many churches claim to have unity when they really just have indifference.
- We need to pursue being a church family where we really know and really care about each other. Now, that shows up in a thousand different connections. It’s not something that orchestrated from the pulpit, but rather it’s the result of many small, meaningful connections.
2. Respond when there is a need lovingly, humbly, privately.
- In this situation, the entire church (indeed the entire region) was in financial distress because of larger economic forces, so this was a public request and offering. In most of the situations we deal with, it’s probably not going to be something like that – a big situation affecting an entire group of people. For those around us in America, it’s usually going to individual situations. In such cases, it’s obviously counterproductive and embarrassing to make a public spectacle of what’s going on. Instead, it’s something to handle privately.
- Now, having said that, there may still be situations where we are being generous with sister churches in other countries where they are those larger economic situations. Entire regions may be deeply struggling. There is nothing wrong in those situations with being public in the request, similar to what Paul does here.
