“ARE YOU A HILARIOUS GIVER?” 2 Cor. 9:6-7
FBCF – 4/30/23
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Several years ago, I had a man tell me that, as pastor of the church, I ought to check people’s giving records so I would know who to listen to.
I don’t listen to people based on how much money they give to the church. I listen to people based on how they are walking w/ the Lord. But I will tell you this: Someone who is walking w/ the Lord is someone who is going to give to His Kingdom work through His Church. Why?
- B/c that person recognizes that God is the owner of everything in their life – every penny in every pocket, wallet, cupholder in their vehicle, bank acct, IRA, 401k, every square inch of their house, every acre of their land, every vehicle in their garage, every stitch of clothing in their closet – EVERYTHING belongs to God & is a gift from Him on loan to us.
- B/c that person realizes that Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:24 – “You cannot love God & money” – is an unchanging truth.
- B/c that person recognizes that even their ability to make money is a gift from God – Deuteronomy 8:18 – “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is HE who gives you power to get wealth…”
- B/c that person realizes that greed is the same thing as idolatry, & God hates idolatry – Ephesians 5:5 – “You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.” (NLT)
Money was one of Jesus’ most frequent teaching topics. Things like:
- Don’t be overwhelmed w/ worry about material things.
- Grow your faith in God to provide for every need.
- Be thankful for how He has provided in the past.
- Use God’s wisdom in managing your finances.
- Give generously to take care of needy people.
Since it was a big deal to Jesus, it ought to be a big deal to us. So, let’s talk about it.
EXPLANATION – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
2 Cor. 8-9 deal w/ giving. Paul was challenging them to give to a specific offering for the poor believers in Jerusalem. And in the process of doing that, he taught them some core principles about giving in the life of a Christ-follower.
Interesting that he’s not just talking to a bunch of wealthy people who have a lot of money to give to the church & to other needs.
- 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
- Macedonians were poor. Secular history confirms that they lost all their wealth when they were conquered by the Romans. Look at the word used to describe them: “severe test of affliction” – “extreme poverty”
- And yet, they didn’t have to be asked to give. They gave willingly (“of their own accord” – v. 3) & even BEGGED for the privilege of giving (v. 4).
- They didn’t have MUCH to give, but they really WANTED to give. Saw it as a privilege, not an burden or obligation.
- You know why they were so generous & were so excited about giving? B/c “they gave themselves FIRST to the Lord” (v. 5). That’s where it all starts.
Paul comes out of that teaching & moves to helping the Corinthian believers understand how THEY can live a life of generosity, too. He wanted them to be “hilarious” givers! Where did I get that from? Come on & I will show you!
APPLICATION – Be a hilarious giver & see God work abundantly through you.
Mrs. Jo Richardson – “You had me at the sermon title! Can’t wait for the rest of the story!” So here it is:
Some might be thinking, “Yeah, if you saw my checking account balance, you’d definitely say it’s hilarious for me to give!” Might be true, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
v. 7 – “God loves a cheerful giver” – Gk word for “cheerful” – hilaros – Literally means happy, without grudging, HILARIOUS! We, as Christ-followers, are supposed to be HILARIOUS givers! Here’s how hilarious givers give to the Lord & His Church:
HILARIOUS GIVERS GIVE:
SUBSTANTIALLY – v. 6 – “sows bountifully” – “The point is this:” – “Pay attention! This is important!”
Pretty clear analogy here that a lot of you can relate to as farmers. You want a big harvest? Then sow a lot of seeds – “sow bountifully.”
- Material blessings – When you trust God & give bountifully to Him, you can be sure that He is going to bless you & take care of you. I’ve never met a person who has said, “Man! I wish I hadn’t given so much to the Lord!” But I have met a bunch of people who have said, “Wow! When I started trusting God & giving the way the Bible says to do it, He blessed me in some incredible ways!”
Interesting word – eulogia – “eulogy” – Speak favorably & bountifully about someone.
- James 3:10 – “blessing, divine favor” – God pours out His blessing & favor on us in a substantial way
- Romans 15:29 – the bountiful blessing of Christ
- 2 Corinthians 9:5 – “a willing gift”
This is not a “prosperity gospel” teaching, but a clear Biblical principle: Don’t expect great blessings to be poured out in your life if you’re not living a generous life. Hilarious givers understand that & give substantially to the Lord.
DECISIVELY – v. 7a – “decided in his heart” – I can’t tell you the exact amount you should give. I do believe there is a baseline for us as Christ-followers that I will talk about in a minute. But the point is that you need to decide.
- Decide first of all, that you are going to give. Settle that issue. Make it the first check you write when you get paid (if you still write checks), or the first online payment you make.
- Decide what you are going to give – I believe that the Bible teaches us that the tithe (10% of our income) is where we ought to start.
- Decide that you are going to trust the Lord. Might think, “There’s no way I can do 10%.” Testimony after testimony from believers of God faithfully providing & blessing when they stepped out in faith & began to tithe.
HAPPILY – v. 7b – “a cheerful giver” – Back to “hilarious.”
When you understand that God is your source of EVERYTHING, you'll give cheerfully, happily, "hilariously." You'll know that your faith is growing when you give w/ a glad heart in response to the goodness of God.
- "Giving should be a joy, not a job." (Tony Evans)
OBEDIENTLY – 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 there will not be room enough to store it.’” (NIV)
Basically, God says, “If you’ll trust me & tithe, I will bless you socks off!” And every person I know who has started tithing has said that that’s exactly what God did! He promises it & He’s never broken a promise!
Here are the ways you can give to your tithes & offerings to FBCF:
- Offering plate
- Offering boxes
- Online – church website
- Vanco Mobile app
CONCLUSION – Some may say that I preached this sermon b/c we are behind in our giving right now. Some may say I preached it b/c I’m worried. Neither of those is true.
I preached this sermon today b/c, back in Nov. when praying about & planning sermons for 2023, I felt led by God to preach on giving on April 30, 2023, not having any idea whatsoever what the 1st 4 months of 2023 were going to hold for me personally & for us as a church FAMILY.
- Didn’t know that a staff member who had been here for 16 years was going to leave.
- Didn’t know that we were going to get behind in our budget.
- Didn’t know that the world & our economy was going to be in such upheaval & turmoil.
- Didn’t know that a deadly tornado was going to ravage communities right in our part of the state.
- Also didn’t know that in the 1st 4 months of 2023, we would baptize over 70 people & have another 30-40 people join our church FAMILY!
But you know what? God knew all of that. And He knows what tomorrow holds – & the next day, & the next day, & the next day. And all He wants & expects us to do as His children is to:
- Trust Him
- Obey Him
- Serve Him, &
- Live for Him.
And that includes our money, too.
