On the day after Christmas, some time ago, Mr. Greene parked his car to pick up the morning paper. He noticed a dirty, poorly dressed boy, staring at his car. Seeing the boy eyeing his car, Mr. Greene reminded himself to be quick or he might be missing a hubcap or two when he returned. He came out of the store with his paper under his arm, and just as he opened the door to his car, the boy asked, “Mister, how much would a new car like this cost?”
Mr. Greene responded, “I really don’t know; my brother gave me this car as a gift.”
The ragged little boy, with a look of wonder in his eyes, said, “Gee, I wish I could be a brother like that” (Kay Arven, 1+1=1).
Don’t you wish you could be a brother like that? Don’t you wish you could be an extravagant giver? Well, the good news is you can! If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 2 Corinthians 9, 2 Corinthians 9, where the Apostle Paul shows how each of us can become extravagant givers.
2 Corinthians 9:1-5 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction (ESV).
Paul had used the zeal of the Corinthians to challenge the Macedonians. But now he was using the Macedonians to challenge the Corinthians! (Wiersbe). Paul was taking up a collection for the poor believers in Jerusalem. And the Corinthians, a year before, had expressed an eagerness to give. However, in that year, the Corinthians had yet to give. On the other hand, the Macedonians gave immediately.
Now, Paul is afraid that the Corinthians will embarrass themselves in front of the Macedonians on the “finance committee,” coming to collect the funds. So he encourages the Corinthians to “be ready” when they get there. That way they show that their gift is “a willing gift, not as an exaction” (vs.5), literally, “a blessing and not a [matter of] greed.” In other words, by being ready to give, their gift benefits the receivers without the givers expecting to get something back in return (Easley, CSB Study Bible Notes).
In the same way, when you give readily, people receive it as a pure blessing, a benefit, without thinking someone is pushing you to give by promising something in return. So, if you want to become an extravagant giver…
GIVE PROMPTLY.
Get ready to give when the need arises. Prepare to share so the money is available when required.
Churches in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram have a beautiful phrase to express the way they give to God—“Buhfai Tham.” It means “one handful of rice at a time.” This is how it works: Families in the church set aside a portion of rice at every meal for God. When they collect enough rice, they donate it to their local church. The church turns around and sells the rice to generate income.
In 1914, they used the sale of rice to raise $1.50 (in U.S. money). Eventually, though, they collected $1.5 million a year to support 1,800 missionaries, in addition to local ministry. These Indian Christians also started to give in more creative ways, donating vegetables, firewood, and other resources to the church's outreach for the kingdom.
One church leader said:
There are many ways of serving the Lord. Some people do great things. Some people are great preachers. Some people contribute lots and lots of money. But when we talk about this “Handful of Rice,” it is very humble. The service is done in the corner of the kitchen where nobody sees, but God knows and he blesses it.
Another church member said, “It is not our richness or our poverty that make us serve the Lord, but our willingness. So we Mizo people say, ’'As long as we have something to eat every day, we have something to give to God every day’” (vimeo.com/ 16288195#; Paul Pastor, Giving Is Global,” Leadership Journal, Spring 2013; www.PreachingToday.com).
You don’t have to give a lot to become an extravagant giver. You just have to give a little every day, or every week, and before you know it, God turns it into a major blessing.
So don’t wait until you have a pile of money to give. Just give a little today and every day. To become an extravagant giver, give promptly. Then…
GIVE FREELY.
Give willingly and generously. Give happily and liberally, not because you have to, but because you want to.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (ESV).
Literally, God loves a hilarious giver! I like Warren Wiersbe’s comments on these verses: We must not be “sad givers” who give grudgingly, or “mad givers” who give because we have to; but we should be “glad givers” who cheerfully share what we have because we have experienced the grace of God (Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary). So...
GIVE GLADLY.
Give willingly, and not under compulsion. Give voluntarily, because you’re happy to, not because you have to.
The Presbyterians are the largest Christian group in Ghana. Scottish Presbyterians established the church over a hundred years ago, and their worship service are very staid, much like a Scottish Presbyterian service. However, the African culture has crept into their worship during the offering.
That’s when the people dance. The people dance as they bring their offerings forward, and they really get down. It’s a big production with the music is going and the people taking their time to dance down the aisle with their offerings. In the middle of their staid, somber worship, it's the only time they smile. Isn’t that interesting? The only time they smile is when they’re giving their money (“Whom Do You Serve?” Preaching Today, Tape No. 110; www.PreachingToday.com).
Now, you don’t have to dance down the aisle when you give. Just smile! Give gladly. Then…
GIVE READILY, NOT RELUCTANTLY.
Give willingly.
In his book Seismic Shifts, Pastor Kevin Harney writes about a little boy named Dustin, who loved Smarties. Pastor Kevin says, “I am not a huge fan of Smarties, but when I saw Dustin come into church with a fresh roll, I just had to ask him if I could have one.”
Dustin immediately became Kevin’s Smarties hero. Dustin peeled out a piece with a smile and handed it over gladly. This was surprising enough, but from that day on, for the next two years, every time Dustin got a pack of Smarties, he gave one to his pastor.
Sometimes Dustin would open a pack of Smarties during the week, but he would still save his pastor the first round, sugary, chalky tablet in his pocket. By the time Sunday came, the Smarty was a little mangy and would have lint and other pocket paraphernalia stuck to it, but he never forgot to bring it for his pastor. In those cases, Pastor Kevin thanked him and put it in his pocket so he could “enjoy it later.”
Dustin loved Smarties. He also loved his pastor, and he loved to share. Pastor Kevin says, “Since that time, I have asked myself many times, ‘How am I doing with my Smarties?’” (Kevin G. Harney, Seismic Shifts, Zondervan, 2005, p. 188-189; www. PreachingToday.com).
Let me ask you the same question: How are you doing with your “Smarties?” How are you doing with the goodies God has given to you?
Seneca, a stoic philosopher in ancient Rome once said, “We should give as we would receive: cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers” (Seneca, Christian Reader, Vol. 32, no. 3; www.PreachingToday.com).
If you want to become an extravagant giver, give gladly, give readily, and…
GIVE GENEROUSLY, NOT STINGILY, because you reap what you sow.
Now, every farmer understands this principle.
When it comes time to plant wheat, a farmer doesn’t take a handful of seed, scatter it over his field, and call it done, no. He takes a truckload of seed, pours it into his 15-, 20-, or 30-foot-wide planter, opens the slots, and pours the seed into the ground. He knows that if you’re ever going to be cheap, you can’t be cheap with the seed? Why? Because of this universal principle: If you sow a little, you reap a little. If you sow a lot, you reap a lot. That’s just the way life works. It’s a principle of life that not only applies to farming; it applies to every area of your life.
So give generously if you want to reap generously. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over… For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). So…
GIVE FREELY TO INCREASE YOUR OWN GENEROSITY.
Give gladly, readily, and generously to become an extravagant giver. That’s God’s promise to you. Take a look.
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work (ESV).
I love the “all’s” in this verse: all grace, all sufficiency, all things, all times, and every good work. Four “all’s” and one “every,” all in one verse all by itself! Paul piles them up, one on top of another, just to impress us with the fact that our God is ALL-sufficient. God gives generously to you so you can give generously to others.
2 Corinthians 9:9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever” (ESV).
This is a quote from Psalm 112:9, a psalm about a man who fears the Lord. According to Psalm 112, he is a generous man, who lends his money freely (vs.5). As a result, the psalmist says, “[Since] He has distributed freely; [since] he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever”—i.e., his righteousness as expressed in his generosity. You could say, “His generosity endures forever,” or “His almsgiving endures forever.”
In other words, the more he gives, the more he is able to give. As he is generous with his money, God extends his generosity and grows it without end. That is, God supernaturally empowers him to give more and more and more and more and more… on into eternity.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God (ESV).
God enriches you not for you to hoard those riches, no! God enriches you so you can give those riches away.
In a sermon on giving, Dave Ferguson, pastor of Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, read a letter from Jeff and Julie, who attend the church:
We moved here for a business opportunity that ended up not working out, and we soon found ourselves in a desperate financial situation. We were behind in our rent and our car payments. We had back-IRS payments, 16 credit cards with more than $40,000 in debt, and not enough food in the fridge to keep our tummies full. And on top of all that, we decided to start a business.
Well, in the middle of this, [our pastor] had challenged us to include our finances in our commitment to following Jesus, and I really struggled with this. It wasn't that I didn't want to support the church or set an example for others to follow. It was, in fact, that on occasion Julie and I were so broke that we ended up going to a friend's restaurant to ask for free food. I thought, If I'm struggling to keep my family, how can I commit what I don't have to God? What am I supposed to do; just write a check for ten percent of my income and hope that something happens? [Our pastor] urged me to trust God and give it a shot.
After prayer and discussion, we decided that God would get the first portion of every check and not just what we were willing to give up each week. We learned to make God the first priority in our lives, and we had no idea how we'd get by.
During the week after this decision, my brother and I were dropping off flyers at a construction site looking for work. We'd started a carpentry company. We met a builder, and he asked if we would be interested in doing their work. He had a house that was ready for us to start immediately and about twenty more to do during the next twelve months.
Julie and I no longer questioned how we'd honor our financial commitment. Julie and I decided to increase our giving.
If our story ended there, it would be a good story. However, you cannot outgive God. Over the next couple of years through a complicated and divinely orchestrated series of events, Julie and I also went from renters to homeowners. Owning a home has given us the ability to restructure our debt and give us some security and stability. I felt the need to tell our story. The story is much, much more than about finances. It's about faith, stepping out and trusting God with all that we have—our lives, our future, our relationship, and even our finances.
Now, as I reflect on this story and what we experienced, I'm still trying to answer one question. What was it that we sacrificed? (Dave Ferguson, pastor of Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, from sermon Here Is My Investment Strategy; www.PreachingToday.com).
What do we really sacrifice when we give to the Lord? Not much! On the contrary, God enriches you so you can enrich others.
It’s like turning on a water faucet. As long as the faucet keeps giving out water, it keeps getting more water to give. But as soon as it cuts off the flow, as soon as the faucet stops giving, then it stops being able to give any more. So give freely to increase your generosity. But not only that…
GIVE FREELY TO INCREASE GRATITUDE TO GOD from those who benefit from your giving.
Give gladly, readily, and generously to bring glory to God, to increase His praise.
2 Corinthians 9:12-14 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you (ESV).
Your giving to the poor believers in Jerusalem brings praise to God, along with their longing and prayer for you. God gets the glory, and His church experiences greater unity as Jewish and Gentile believers open their hearts to each other.
A suburban Chicago woman was left stunned when one of her patrons left a combined tip of over 1,000%. Nicole Thompson, a teacher who worked a second job as a bartender to help pay the bills, received two separate tips by the same person—one for $500, and a second for $1,000. She said, “I can't take this,” and he said, “Yes, you can.” The generous man had heard that she worked two jobs and thought she deserved it.
“The rest of the day I felt like different,” said Thompson, “like, what just happened here. I never anticipated that.”
The owner of the restaurant publicly thanked the man, saying, “Although I have never met you, your act of kindness is inspiring.” The surprising generosity of one man made national news while it no doubt had a significant impact on one woman's life (“’I Never Anticipated That': Man Stuns Suburban Bartender, Leaves 2 Generous Tips Totaling $1,500," NBC Chicago, June 30, 2016; www.PreachingToday.com).
If such an act of generosity brought such good will in a bar, think about how much good will Christians could bring if they too gave generously. People around the world just might hear about it and grow in their respect for the Christian’s God.
So give freely to increase your generosity. Give freely to increase gratitude to God, and…
GIVE FREELY, BECAUSE GOD HAS GIVEN FREELY TO YOU.
Give gladly, readily, and generously, because God gave gladly, readily, and generously to you.
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
That inexpressible gift is Jesus, God’s only Son. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
There are no words to describe the awesome generosity of such a gift. God gave His only Son to die on a cross for your sins, so you could have eternal life simply by trusting Him with your life. Please, don’t disregard such a gift. Instead, treasure it by receiving Christ as your Savior and then by responding to such love with gifts of your own.
You see, we don’t give to get something from God. We give because God has already given His greatest treasure to us.
Author and mother, Carrie McKean from west Texas, recently wrote her thoughts about Jesus coming into our world:
When I think about the night of Jesus’ birth, the first picture that comes to mind is straight from my childhood. It’s like I’m peering into a snow globe manger scene. Snow falls softly, blanketing the hillside in a carpet of quiet. All is calm. All is bright. Give it a good shake, the snow gently swirls, then settles over the pristine couple and silent baby once again.
But that image is quickly crowded by another. 15 years ago, my husband and I lived in a dusty Chinese village on the outskirts of Beijing. We volunteered for four years at New Day Foster Home, a private, Christian nonprofit organization. In those days…they helped fund surgeries and provided long-term foster care for medically fragile orphans. We lived in an apartment complex about a mile from the organization’s campus, and most mornings we walked behind a flock of sheep and their shepherd on our way to work.
You could smell that shepherd’s stable before you saw it. Fetid and filthy, the sheep crowded in at the end of a day. In the summer, flies buzzed. In the winter, sludge froze solid. I would pass the sheep and their shepherd, pitying him a little. Around Christmas, I pictured my Savior born amid fresh, sweet hay in an inexplicably warm and comforting stable. The snow globe in my mind was just how I wanted to imagine Jesus’ entrance into the world. But the stable I walked past told the truth: Stables smell like dirty sheep…
There’s no way around the fact that incarnation means coming to a filthy and fetid world, just like that stable in China… It’s a world with disease and mental illness. A fallen creation groans with earthquakes, floods, and fires. Sorrow, unending sorrow. It is all too dirty, and yet he came near.
Jesus is God-made-flesh who doesn’t ask us to clean up the mess before he comes. He enters into our messes, always, always with us. He put on human skin… willingly emptying himself (Phil. 2:5-8), becoming a shepherd for you and me, a bunch of dirty sheep (John 10:11). He didn’t leave us in our squalor but led us to green pastures—to healing, rescue, and restoration of our souls (Ps. 23). I love a God who sees dirty sheep and tends them himself (Carrie McKean, “Filthy Night, Fetid Night,” Christianity Today Online, 12-19-23; www.PreachingToday.com).
How can you not love such a God? He gave His all for you. It makes you want to give a little something for Him.
So give promptly and freely, because God gave freely to you. Like the old song says: Freely, freely you have received. Freely, freely give (Carol Owens).
