GRACE-FULL LIVING
II Corinthians 9:6-15
S: Money
Th: Grace-Full Living
Pr: WE ARE TO BE FULL OF GRACE.
?: How? How do we be full of grace?
How do we give? by following…
KW: Principles (of grace, giving)
TS: We will find in our study two principles of giving that show how we can be full of grace.
The ____ principle of giving is…
I. UNSELFISHNESS
II. CHEERFULNESS
The ____ outcome of our giving is…
I. FRUITFULNESS
II. THANKFULNESS
RMBC 8/27/00 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Money (ten dollahs)
Stumpy Grinder and his wife Martha were from Portland, Maine. Every year they went to the Portland Fair, and every year Stumpy said, “Ya know Mahtha, I’d like ta get a ride in that theah aihplane,” and every year Martha would say “I know Stumpy, but that theah aihplane ride costs ten dollahs…and ten dollahs is ten dollahs.” So Stumpy said, “By Jeebers Mahtha, I’m 71 yeahs old, if I don’t go this time I may nevah go.” Martha replied, “Stumpy, that theah aihplane ride is ten dollahs…and ten dollahs is ten dollahs.”
But the pilot overheard them and said, “Folks, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take you both up for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say ONE word, I won’t charge you. But just one word, and it’s ten dollars.”
They agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of twists and turns, rolls and dives, but not a word was heard. He did it one more time, still nothing…so he landed.
He turned to Stumpy as they came to a stop and said, “By golly, I did everything I could think of to get you to holler out, but you didn’t.” And Stumpy replied, “Well, I was gonna say something when Mahtha fell out…but ten dollahs is ten dollahs!”
Have you ever noticed the hold money has on people?
Perhaps we should be more personal.
Have you ever noticed the hold money has on you?
Sometimes we find it very hard to let go of it, don’t we?
Perhaps we think we should spend it for another matter.
Perhaps we feel we should save it for something else.
And we never seem to have enough.
We would all feel a bit more secure if we had two times or three times more than we have now…
We all know that churches have reputations of always talking about or asking for money.
And to be truthful, just as for any organization, money is an issue.
To prove it, check my mail from time to time and you will discover that there are all kinds of companies out there that are willing, for a fee of course, to help us with the stewardship program of our church.
So you may not be surprised at what length, for example, some leaders in a church will go to…
ILL Internet: electrocution
The story is told of a pastor who was about to speak on stewardship. And he took the drastic action of calling in an electrician and wiring the pews. The next day, when the offering time came, the pastor announced, "From now on all pledges will be made publicly in the worship service." Then he added, "All those who will pledge $10 per week, stand." At that moment, the switch was thrown that sent the juice through the wires in the pews. The response was immediate—one half of the congregation jumped to their feet. Then the pastor said, "All those who will pledge $20 please stand." The electrician raised the voltage and a second, stronger shock wave caused more people to rise. The whole process was repeated several more times. Each time the amount was raised and so was the voltage. The ushers had to work frantically to get all the names and the pledges written down. Later, in the counting room, the pastor and his staff were busy adding up the totals and congratulating themselves on the great success of the campaign, that is, until an usher came in and announced that four parishioners had stubbornly remained glued to their seats and were electrocuted.
Anybody out there ready to make a pledge?
OK, maybe that wasn’t so funny after all!
TRANSITION:
But let me be serious here…
1. Money is a matter of spirituality.
In the church, we have sometimes let money become a secular matter as opposed to a spiritual matter.
This is why some churches (including many Baptists) run with two governing boards—trustees and deacons.
The trustees handle the secular matters, including the money.
The deacons handle the spiritual matters.
I believe that this is a false distinction.
Money is a spiritual issue because it is about control.
Who is in charge?
Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the Senate has 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.”
One of the most significant statements Jesus made about money is, “You cannot serve God and money.”
Jesus is asking us to check our heart.
Who do we really serve?
Tomorrow morning, most of us are going to get up and go to work.
Why?
Let’s be truthful here…we’re not doing it out of the kindness of our heart.
Some of us hate that job, but we won’t quit.
Why?
Why do we even choose one job over another?
Why do we live in this neighborhood instead of that neighborhood?
Why do we drive this car instead of that one?
I’ll tell you why.
Money.
So when it comes to the relationship of the church and money, it is not something that cannot be ignored.
There is a relationship.
In fact…
2. There is a direct relationship between grace and giving.
Now…what I am not saying…is that in order to experience God’s grace, we must give.
That is not where the relationship exists.
The relationship exists in the nature of grace.
The word itself finds its root meaning in the words favor and gift.
So, when we extend favor or when we give to someone, we show grace.
When we give, we show grace.
Our theme for the year, and the title of today’s message is “Grace-Full Living.”
Today, I want to take a break from restarting our study in Galatians and make a practical application of our theme.
And it is this…
3. WE ARE TO BE FULL OF GRACE.
We are to be a people that abound in grace.
We are to be a people that know what it is to extend favor.
We are to be a people that practice giving.
And so you don’t misunderstand me altogether, it is not just about money.
The application can also be made to whatever we can give, including time and abilities.
So…
4. We will find in our study of II Corinthians 9:6-7, two principles of giving that show how we can be full of grace.
OUR STUDY (part 1):
I. The first principle of giving is UNSELFISHNESS (6).
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
1. In God’s mathematics, the best way to increase the sum is to subtract from it.
Now, that may drive some of the mathematicians among us crazy.
But this is how God’s system works.
To have more, you must give away what you have.
To see an increase of blessing, you must willingly let go of what you possess.
To be sure, this is not an easy task.
For, when we put God’s Kingdom first, when we dedicate a portion of our income to His work, naturally there’s not as much available for us to use in meeting our needs.
That’s a risk.
That takes faith.
That demonstrates that we’re trusting God instead of our bank balance.
But it is the very thing that God blesses.
If, instead, we give sparingly or begrudgingly, we are acting in the opposite way of grace.
We are working against God’s system.
He has a different way that He works.
ILL Notebook: Giving (quickly)
Two laymen went to see a third about making a donation for a proposed church that was much needed in their community. The man told his visitors that he had recently included $10,000 in his will for such a project. His callers expressed their gratitude but indicated the immediate necessity of a church in that area. "Friends," he replied; "I have told you what I have done and this must definitely end the matter. You won’t get a penny from me until I’m dead." "Now, my brother," one of the men answered, "don’t say that. The Lord knows just how badly we need this church."
This points us to the fact that…
2. Giving is to be deliberate and generous.
We are not to make the mistake of being tight with our money.
God doesn’t bless that.
He blesses generosity.
Why?
Because He has been generous and He wants us to reflect Him.
Can you imagine our predicament if He held back His Son?
Can you imagine if He had not allowed all His fullness to dwell in Him?
He spent everything for us so that we would not be lost.
So He wants us to be generous as well, for it is the path to success.
As H. A. Ironside has said:
“No one ever loses by loving, nor becomes poor by giving.”
The text tells us that bountiful sowing leads to bountiful reaping.
Bountiful planting means a harvest of plenty.
When we give what we have—time, talents and money—there will be generous reaping.
This means that we must be deliberate in our giving.
We are to plan on giving.
To be a person full of grace, we offer generously to God the things that He has given us for His use.
We don’t do it “off the cuff.”
We do it with premeditation, planned out ahead of time.
We give to God as God has given to us—wholeheartedly.
II. The second principle of giving is CHEERFULNESS (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.
1. God wants us to be happy in our giving.
He does not want us giving grudgingly.
He does not want us giving because we have to.
He does not want us giving out of a sense of legalism or a fulfillment of duty (got to give that 10%).
He does not want us giving until it hurts.
But He does want us to give until it is downright hilarious.
That gives a sense of the root meaning of the word cheerful in the text.
God loves a hilarious giver.
God loves it when someone looks forward to the giving of time with joy (like Bev, Dondra, Anna Mae and Nobby did yesterday—they pulled weeds with smiles on their faces).
God loves it when someone takes a talent or spiritual gift they have been given, and use it joyfully.
God loves it when the opportunity to give financially comes and we are excited about what we can contribute.
Someone has said, “You can’t out-give God, but it is fun trying.”
That statement uniquely captures the spirit of this verse.
Are you a person full of grace?
2. We are people of grace when we act on “want to” instead of “have to.”
This is such an important distinction, one we have been making throughout the year, and especially in our study of Galatians.
The difference between the law-oriented person and the grace-oriented person is motivation.
The person full of grace does the right thing because they want to.
What God is looking for is people that can hardly wait to give.
They give what they have because they want to.
OUR STUDY (part 2):
This leads us to the second part of our study, for as Paul shares the two principles of giving, unselfishness and cheerfulness, he then shares the outcomes of those two principles.
I. The first outcome of our giving is FRUITFULNESS (8-11).
(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.
1. God has designed us to be channels of blessing, not “cul-de-sacs.”
We are, by nature, hoarders.
We keep what we are given.
The blessings come down our street, and stay there.
We become like a “cul-de-sac.”
There is nowhere else to go.
But God has not designed us to be cul-de-sacs.
He has designed us to be channels.
We are to be continual conduits of God’s blessing.
This is what He has designed us to be.
So, the more we give, the more God will give us the ability to give.
And God keeps giving, so that we will have enough, and an abundance for others.
ILL Notebook: Giving (God stretches his blessings)
In The Peter Principle, Stan Toler writes about this personal experience:
I was a church planter at one time and felt impressed by the Lord to send $50 to some missionaries. When I shared with my wife what had been laid on my heart, we took a look at our checkbook and found $54 in our balance. Not much room for error there. She said, "Honey, I wasn’t raised quite like you, but I trust you and have faith in your stewardship commitments. Let’s do it." So I wrote the check and sent it to the Carters in Arizona, who were ministering to Native Americans in a small reservation village. Even though I knew it had been the right thing to do, I did begin to wonder how we were going to manage.
The next day I went to the post office, and amazed I picked up a letter from a student at Asbury Theological Seminary who had been one of my roommates at college. The letter read, "I just had you and Linda on my heart and felt impressed to write you. I’m enclosing a check for you, knowing you will probably put it in the offering plate next Sunday, but it is not for your church. It is for you." Fifty bucks!
When the check we sent arrived in Arizona, Doug Carter called immediately. "Stan, your check just arrived. What timing! We had an appointment with the doctor for our daughter, Angie, but we had no money to pay the bill. I was just about to make the dreaded phone call to tell the doctor, but I paused to look at the mail first, and there it was. The Lord was right on schedule, wasn’t he?"
How could God touch a poor church planter on the shoulder and say, "Send $50 to missionaries in Arizona," even though he knew the church planter needed it, and at the same time touch a student at Asbury Theological Seminary on the shoulder and say to him, "Send $50 to the Tolers"? A cynical person might ask, "Why didn’t God just impress the Asbury student to send his $50 directly to the missionaries in Arizona?"
To the first question I say, that’s how God works. To the second I suggest that God wanted to pour out his blessings on three families instead of two.
God wants us to bless each other, to be channels of blessing.
Then…
2. The results will be continual and eternal.
The text refers to a righteousness that goes on and on into eternity.
We should make no mistake about this.
There are eternal results because of generosity.
And note the following principle.
The more generous we are, the more generous God will be with us.
But it is not so we can keep it.
It is so that we will keep on giving.
God has designed it that there will be a return on giving.
But the return is not to be kept.
It too is to be invested into eternal righteousness.
II. The second outcome of our giving is THANKFULNESS (12-15).
(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!
1. God is glorified in our offerings.
Whatever we give, whether time, talent or financially, it is an act of worship.
It is a personal act.
It is between God and us.
Let me, for a moment, though center on financial giving, which is the context of our text this morning.
Offerings to God are not “charitable contributions,” “donations,” or “membership dues” or your “fair share of the budget.”
The church is not a charity, a political organization, a country club, or a profit-making business.
Your gifts are thank offerings, unbloody spiritual sacrifices.
They are the priestly work of God’s priestly people.
They are part of your worship of God, a concrete way of saying, “Thank You.”
The text tells us that others will glorify God because of His grace at work in our lives.
They will be moved to thank God and praise Him for His working in our lives.
ILL Paraguay
This very principle was at work in our trip to Paraguay. As we prepared to leave, Ani Bergamo grabbed me and said, “Thank you so much for coming. I can’t tell you how much it means to us. You were and are such an encouragement to us. We thank God that He sent You to us.” I was speechless. I had thought that we had been the great receivers of the blessing. Instead, we had both been channels of blessing to one another.
I think this speaks to the fact that…
2. The reality of God’s kingdom and His salvation is evident when we are people of grace.
Do we see God as the great Taker or the great Giver?
To be full of grace depends on how we see God.
If we see God as demanding and taking, we cannot be full of grace.
But if we see Him as the Replenisher of hope, we will be people abounding in grace, thanking Him for His indescribable gift.
APPLICATION:
I think the conclusion of our study comes down to two very simple questions that we must ask ourselves.
The first question is…
1. Who do you trust—gold or God?
We live in a world that trusts the gold standard.
But we have a much more reliable standard—God Himself—and while other currencies fail, He will not.
The second question is…
2. What are you full of—accumulation or compassion?
We need to recognize that we are rich.
And we need to learn that we have much to give out of our accumulation.
And if we do not, compassion will always be far from us.
ILL Notebook: Giving (the drive home)
He was driving home one evening, on a two-lane country road. This small mid-western community was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he’d been unemployed, and with winter raging on, the chill had finally hit home. It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill. But he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and knew the country. He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working, that came in handy. It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down. He’d better get a move on. You know, he almost didn’t see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe, he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill that only fear can put in you. He said, "I’m here to help you ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm. By the way, my name is Joe."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down her window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid. Joe just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Joe never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Joe added "...and think of me." He waited until she started her car and drove off.
It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor - it didn’t ring much. Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Joe. After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get her change from a hundred-dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on a napkin. There were tears in her eyes, when she read what the lady wrote. It said, "You don’t owe me a thing; I’ve been there too. Someone once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here’s what you do. Don’t let the chain of love end with you." Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through the rest of the shift. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could she have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything’s gonna be all right; I love you, Joe."
Will you be a person that is full of grace today?
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Be full of grace…and be known, not as a cul-de-sac, but a generous channel of blessing;
Abound in grace…and give because you want-to, not because you have-to, and thus know the continual blessings God has for you and those around you.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
