Cheer Up – It’s Time to Take the Offering!
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
September 23, 2001
Introduction
Well, I’m sure that the vast majority of the regular attenders of this church have been just bursting with a desire to hear a message about giving in the last year since I started preaching here.
You are about to get your wish.
The looks of unspeakable joy on your faces just does my heart a world of good.
Richard Halverson, the chaplain of the U. S. Senate, pointed out something that bothers a lot of people and excites a few. He said,
“Jesus Christ said more about money than about any other single thing because, when it comes to a man’s real nature, money is of first importance. Money is an exact index to a man’s true character. All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man’s character and how he handles his money.”
Why is that, do you suppose?
It may have to do with Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” Ouch.
Our hearts are too often tied to our money.
The passage we are exploring this morning gives us some important principles in the area of giving, and how to become people who allow God to use our pocketbooks for His glory rather than our own.
I ask that you hang on through the message, and not put on your “I’ve already heard all this before, Preacher” earplugs until I’m done, okay? I’d appreciate it.
Turn with me if you will to 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. If you are using the Bibles in the seats, this is found on page 820.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
There are three main principles I want to cover this morning. My purpose in giving this message is not to brow-beat you, but rather to encourage you to step out in faith and experience the wonder of giving to a God who blesses not only the gift, but the giver as well.
By the way, I’m not campaigning for a new building program, or anything like that, okay? I just think it’s time we had a message about giving, that’s all.
The first principle I want to focus on today is…
I. Giving originates with God.
The idea here is that anything we have, we have only because God gave it to us in the first place.
We have air to breathe only because He gives it. We have food to eat, and the ground to grow it in only because of God.
He gives it to us. We don’t deserve it. His grace makes it possible.
I want to focus on a couple things He makes possible through His grace, and the first is..
A. His grace makes survival possible.
Look back at verse 8:
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
When we give, God moves to provide for our needs.
Verse 10 also says that He will increase your store of seed.
And guess what? He can do it. This is not an empty promise, it’s the real deal. Count on it.
Let me read a few more verses from Matthew 6 to help us grasp this a bit. These are the words of Jesus:
So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Christian financial consultant Larry Burkett says that our giving reflects our inward attitudes toward God.
If you are struggling financially, it may be that you are not seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness, trusting Him to supply your needs as you honor Him with your wealth.
Let me challenge you to give it a shot. Will it be easy at first? Probably not, but I can tell you it gets easier over time, and just watch God work.
God’s grace makes survival possible.
Second…
B. His grace makes generosity possible.
Verse 11 says this:
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Now isn’t that something! God wants us to be generous, and He generously provides us the resources and opportunities to be generous.
I’d say that’s pretty generous of God, amen?
But that’s grace for you. We don’t deserve it, but He supplies anyway.
Pretty incredible. God’s grace makes generosity possible.
For our next section, I want us to focus on verse 7:
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
I want to visit now about…
II. How to give cheerfully.
Some of you didn’t know that was possible, did you? Some of you know that’s what it says, but haven’t been able to figure out that’s supposed to work.
When we are faced with mounting bills, whether from our excess spending or from unforeseen circumstances, it is very hard to give, and extremely hard to give cheerfully.
But here are some suggestions to help. The first is…
A. Remember God owns it in the first place.
God is the Creator, and therefore the owner. Every resource is from Him. The gold in Fort Knox is not from the government, but from God.
The payment you receive when selling livestock or crops is not from the customer, but from God.
And the paycheck you receive at your job is not from your employer, but from God.
A multi-millionaire was asked how he could remain so humble after amassing such wealth. The man had spent many years in accumulating wealth through his business, and could retire if he wanted and even his grandchildren would never have to work if he so desired.
But his answer was very key. He replied, “I know who really gave me the money, and that He can take from me at any minute if He so desires.”
He was wealthy, because he worked hard and God had granted him success. But he understood who really granted his wealth.
And when you understand who really owns it anyway, you get a handle on the meaning of the term, “Stewardship.”
Stewardship means that we take care of things that don’t belong to us, but are entrusted to our care.
That’s exactly the case with our finances.
Remember that God owns it in the first place. Second…
B. Give purposely, out of loving obedience.
Give with a purpose and a plan. Haphazard giving is foolish, and can lead to more trouble than its worth.
Here is a plan that I think will be helpful to most people:
1. Start with the tithe (Mal. 3:8-10).
Tithing has been a part of the church since the time of Moses. It was an integral part of how God met the needs of the temple and its priests.
The idea was to give 10% of your income to the temple. Nowadays, we don’t have a temple, but the principle remains.
Please listen as I read Malachi 3:8-10
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, `How do we rob you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. 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 you will not have room enough for it.
This is the only place in Scripture where God invites us to test Him. And I can tell you from first-hand experience that God keeps His promises.
I know others in here will tell you the same thing.
Some may say, “Preacher, the New Testament doesn’t command a tithe – why should we bother?”
Two reasons:
First, Jesus did not nullify the tithe. In fact, he mentions that those who tithe their resources must also be generous in helping their fellow man.
Second, if you want to go to a New Testament standard, be prepared to give even more than 10%!
Let me give you an idea of the New Testament standard of giving and stewardship.
In the Old Testament, the picture was like that of a dam, and you gave that which spilled over.
In the New Testament, the picture is not a dam, but a pipeline, through which God channels His resources.
Unfortunately, we can’t get enough of the people of God to even be like the dam, much less the pipeline.
W.A. Criswell tells of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he’d promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, it was too costly now. The pastor replied, "I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00."
Another question that comes up regarding the tithe is this: “Should I tithe on the net or the gross?”
My answer is this: “That depends - do you want God to bless you on the net or the gross?”
Where should you bring your tithe? To the church. This is not just a Wesleyan preference. We are in agreement with just about every denomination, as well as Christian financial planners Larry Burkett and Ron Blue. You start with the church.
And Burkett, maybe Ron Blue will tell you that you should write your tithe check before paying any other bills.
Boy, that just caused a bunch of you to break into a cold sweat, didn’t it?
And by the way, don’t come up to me and tell me you are tithing your time and talents rather than your money.
First of all, nowhere in Scripture will you find that time and talents are to be substitutes for money.
Second, other than your board members, I can’t think of anyone coming close to tithing their time and talents here.
Think about it. In a week there are 168 hours. I’m not sure I’ve seen people putting in 16.8 per week for the church.
The bottom line of tithing is that it means actual money, given out of loving obedience and trust.
Trust me. You can trust God here, okay?
After giving your tithe, then you can…
2. Expand to other ministries as God allows.
I believe in missions, and in organizations such as Campus Crusade for Christ, The Navigators, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and the Gideons, among others.
And I like to give to these as God allows. I would encourage you to do the same. Pray for God to lay a burden on your heart for a specific ministry or need.
Then…
3. Watch Him bless.
Captain Levy, a believer from Philadelphia, was once asked how he could give so much to the Lord’s work and still possess great wealth. The Captain replied, "Oh, as I shovel it out, He shovels it in, and the Lord has a bigger shovel."
Remember what God said about opening the floodgates of heaven, and about your barns being filled to overflowing?
Just try it and see what He does. Say, “Lord, I’m not sure about this, but I’m going to trust You to take care of my needs as I give back some of what You have given me.”
The fourth step is to…
4. Repeat steps 1-3.
So that’s how to be a cheerful giver. Now let’s look at the…
III. Results of giving.
Wise investors like to know where their money is going. And as people who give of the resources given them by God, you should know as well.
Three things happen when you give. The first is that it…
A. Allows the church to do its work and pay its bills.
Your probably not going to believe this, but the utility companies, and the firms that provide our supplies and stuff want actual money from us.
Can you believe it? They don’t want our prayers, they don’t want our good intentions, and they don’t even want our memorial plates from the 100th anniversary of the church.
They want money. How’s that for being tough?
A pastor stood before his church and said, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the church has all the money it needs... The bad news is that it’s all still in your wallets.”
Back in the old days, when we passed the offering plates, I would pray that God would give us wisdom as we used these funds for His glory, and for the advancement of His Kingdom.
Your offerings are used to purchase educational materials for Sunday School and Wednesday night activities, as well as things like new whiteboards for the classrooms.
They pay for the Bibles you see in the seats, that we use for services and give to those needing them.
They help pay for church activities and outreach efforts.
They are used to help formulate programs designed to evangelize the lost, establish new believers, and equip workers for God’s kingdom.
On a more utilitarian level, your tithes and offerings go to such mundane things as the utility bills, cleaning supplies, as well as the salary of a certain pastor whose name I won’t mention.
Your tithes and offerings make it possible for us to continue the work God has placed before us.
By the way, every month Jim Schaunaman, our Church Treasurer places a financial report on the back table for anyone who wants a copy.
We do nothing in secret with God’s money, and you are welcome to come to anyone on the Board with questions about expenses, or whatever.
Also, I do not know who gives and who does not. I don’t feel the need to know, and I trust God to nudge those who aren’t giving as they should.
Your giving allows the church to do its work and pay the bills. Second, giving…
B. Brings praise and thanks from God’s people.
Look back at verse 12:
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
Also verse 13:
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
Your giving goes beyond just meeting the financial needs of the church. It brings thanksgiving to God. And that’s a good deal any day, amen?
You want to spread some cheer around? Start by spreading your pocketbook around.
The third result is a…
C. Positive witness.
Folks, we all know people who are slow paying their bills. And we know people who talk about people who are slow paying their bills.
Are they ever praised? I’ve never heard anyone say, “Boy, there goes Joe Smith. Never pays his bills on time. He’s the kind of guy I want to be like! I tell you, he’s the man!”
It’s the same about businesses, and it’s the same about churches.
It’s a horrible witness for churches to not be able to pay their bills on time. And the same goes for Christians who do not pay on time.
If we can’t pay our bills, we will have a hard time finding someone to take us seriously when we share the gospel with them.
But paying our obligations in a timely manner is a great witness, both for the church and its members, who because God is blessing are able to meet their own obligations.
Giving gives a powerful witness.
Conclusion
Well, the conclusion of the matter is this: give to God, and watch Him work, both in your personal life and in the advancement of His kingdom.
Trust Him to take care of you as you take care of the church’s needs with the resources God has given you.
I want to challenge you to consider a few things:
If you are not currently tithing, pray that God would give you the faith necessary to start right away.
If you are tithing, ask God to bless you so you can expand your giving to other areas needing your help.
And lastly, no matter where you are in your giving, ask God to make you a cheerful giver.
You have noticed that we don’t take an offering like we used to. Instead we have placed two offering boxes on the back table.
These are there to receive your tithes and offerings, as well as the response cards in your bulletin.
Part of the reasoning behind this is that we don’t want to give the impression that we are trying to shake anybody down for their money, especially our visitors.
If you’re a visitor, we do not expect you to tithe to our church, nor do we want you to feel pressured to give anything.
We don’t bring you in here to get your money, and we have no problem with you giving to your regular church home, if you have one.
But for those who call this their church home, we do expect you to be obedient to God in this matter, and I trust that God will help you to be faithful and cheerful as you worship Him with your giving.
And may God be honored to advance His kingdom in our area, glorifying Himself as He does.
Shall we pray.
