THE OPPORTUNITY YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
THE CIRCUMTANCES OF GIVING
2 Cor. 8:1-9 - Nov. 2, 1997 - Sunday AM
INTR: This is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. Dilliard’s is consolidating all of it’s 1997
fall clothing under one roof at their Eastlake Mall discount center. All merchandise 66% off or
more. . . . Sound Advice is having their annual scratch and dent sale. VCR’s for under $70.
Camcorders for under $200. . . . I saw an opportunity the paper warned me not to miss last week.
A local car dealer was selling used cars. Trade-ins beginning at $5.00.
TRNS: Most opportunities which we are told we don’t want to miss involve money. 99% of them
involve opportunities for us to make money for little or no work or opportunities to save
incredible amounts of money on purchases. Well today I want to share with you about an
opportunity that you don’t want to miss. And it involves money.
READ: 2 Cor.8:1-9
BKGR: In this letter to the people of the church at Corinth, Paul encourages them to finish a task
they had formally begun. The church at Corinth had previously indicated they would send money
to help the church at Jerusalem which was very poor by now. But the money had not been
forthcoming. So Paul writes to remind them of their obligation. He does so by using the
Macedonian churches as an example.
The area referred to as Macedonia included Phillipi, Thessalonica, and Berea. In chapter 8, Paul
begins by referring to the “grace” God has given to the Macedonian churches. The grace he refers
to is a clear reference to the opportunity to give of their money to a cause important to God. And
Paul says . . .
1. THEY GAVE JOYOUSLY.
a. They had “overflowing joy” at the opportunity to give.
b. And the great joy was not a function of the abundance they had to give.
i. Their’s was severe trial and extreme poverty.
ii. We are not sure what the severe trial was. It may have been a religious or
political persecution that resulted in an inability to find work which led to
the extreme poverty. Or the severe trial may have been the extreme poverty
which was a result of poor economic circumstances.
c. Even so they gave joyously, grateful for the opportunity to give.
ILST: Several years ago Ted Turner gave a multi-million dollar donation to the UN. When I read
about Ted Turner’s gift to the UN, the articles I read pictured him as absolutely giddy over the
gift he had given. Turner’s gift did not press him like that of the Macedonians. Never the less,
Turner believes in the UN. He believes we live in a world economy and he supports the idea of a
global village. He believes the only vehicle to accomplish the goals of establishing that one world
approach geo-politically is the UN. And so he gives joyously to what he believes in.
APLC: God has given you the opportunity to give to a cause greater than any other on the face of
the earth. When you give to God and his work you give to a cause whose work will last forever.
If you were ever going to give money away joyously I would think it would be to the church.
When was the last time you gave money away joyously?
Paul says the Macedonians gave joyously and . . .
2. THEY GAVE GENEROUSLY.
a. “Rich generosity.” “They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their
ability.”
b. The implication here is that these were poor people who gave what they could and
then gave some more.
ILST: You know who the most generous giver is America are.? In the May 1997 Christianity
Today there was an article which said research indicates that the weakest givers are those with
incomes between $40,000 and $100,000 per year. The two groups which give the highest
percentages of income were those who make more than $100,000 and those who make less than
$20,000 and while those who make more generally give more, they do so as a decreasing
percentage of their income. The most generous people are those who make the least. Kind of
reminds you of the story of the widow who gave her last two coins doesn’t it?
APLC: You would think people given the opportunity to give to the most important cause on the
face of the earth would give generously. Ted Turner also gave 75 million to educational causes in
1994. Theodore Johnson, a man not nearly as rich as Turner gave 36 million to educational causes
in 1991. And then there was Ralph Beeson who gave 80 million to educational causes including
Samford University and Beeson divinity school in 1990, but he was dead when he gave that. But
education is an important cause.
Mormons agree to give ten percent all they make when they first join the Mormon church and the
Mormon Church is one of the richest financial institutions in the world. Why? Because Mormons
believe in what they are doing. They consider theirs one of the most important causes on the face
of the earth.
We stand for something dramatically different from the Mormon church. And when you give to
the true church of Jesus Christ you give to the most important educational cause you could ever
give to. That is the cause of educating people that hteere is a heavena and a hell and they will spen
eternity in one or the other. And their is a devil and a Savior. And the Savior came and died for
them so they wouldn’t have to go to hell.
The Macedonians gave to the Jerusalem church joyously and generously. And . . .
3. THEY GAVE COMPLETELY.
a. Paul says here that the Macedonians did not do as he might have expected, but
rather, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to them.
b. Sometimes, as hard as it is to let go of our money, sometimes the easiest thing to
do is give a little and ease the conscience. What’s a twenty-dollar bill going to hurt
or even a fifty.
c. Paul says that the Macedonians didn’t just give some money. They gave money
generously, beyond what they had to give. But more than that, they put themselves
at the disposal of both God and Paul and God’s representative.
d. Perhaps the conversation went something like this. “Paul, here’s the money we
collected for our fellow Christians at Jersusalem, but isn’t there anything thing else
we can do. Perhaps we could go to Jersusalem and help them in some way.
Perhaps some could come stay here awhile. Tell us, isn’t there anything else we
can do.
e. They not only gave generously, they gave completely as they gave themselves.
4. GAVE EARNESTLY
a. They gave sincerely. They gave from the heart. That’s why they gave joyously,
generously, and completely. They gave because they saw it as a great opportunity.
CNCL: How about you? How do you give, when you give? Are you miserly in your giving? Do
you give grudgingly, wishing the preacher would find something else to talk about? Are you one
of those people who think giving is something personal and private that shouldn’t be spoke of? Or
do you recognize the opportunity to give as an opportunity to be a part of the greatest cause on
the face of the earth? And right now, what does the Spirit of God speak into your heart about
your giving? Does he say “well done!” Or does he say, “Why do you take salvation, but refuse to
give so that others might be saved? What is God speaking to your heart today?
