"HOW TO GET THE JOB DONE"
TEXT: 2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-9:8
INTRODUCTION
Employers at a Detroit business office found they were having a difficult time getting the job done so they posted the following notice on the employee bulletin board: "THE MANAGEMENT REGRETS THAT IT HAS COME TO THEIR ATTENTION THAT WORKERS DYING ON THE JOB ARE FAILING TO FALL DOWN. THIS PRACTICE MUST STOP, AS IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN DEATH AND NATURAL MOVEMENT OF THE STAFF. ANY EMPLOYEE FOUND DEAD IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION WILL HENCEFORTH BE DROPPED FROM THE PAYROLL."
Today is Labor day weekend, a time set aside to honor work and the work ethic. And since there is no greater work than Kingdom Work, I want us to talk about Kingdom Work today, about getting the job done in The Kingdom.
Our text today is II Corinthians 8 and 9. In these chapters Paul is encouraging the Church in Corinth to take part in the offering that he was gathering to help the Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering greatly because of famine and persecution. As Paul starts this section off he uses the Macedonia Church as an example of supreme generosity in order to encourage the Corinthians to also be involved.
As I read through these chapters that deal with Paul encouraging the Corinthians to greater Stewardship (here specifically giving of money), I saw 10 (and don’t get scared, I’ll keep them short), I saw ten principles. And I want to apply these principles that Paul gave in regards to one aspect of stewardship (giving of money) -- to the broader scope of stewardship including the giving of not just our money but our time and talents as well. These principles relate to getting the work done in the Kingdom. Principles which form the very foundation of Kingdom Work, principles that if we adopt, there will be no limit to what God can do in this place.
Everyone here today, who is serious about being a part of Kingdom Work -- (and that should include everyone who is a Christian), needs to pay close attention to this study. And if you are a leader in the Church or are active in ministry you especially need to tune in.
WE WILL READ THROUGH THESE 2 CHAPTERS AND THEN STOP OCCASIONALLY AS WE ENCOUNTER ONE OF THESE PRINCIPLES.
Are you ready, then let’s go!
1. FIRST GIVE OURSELVES TO THE LORD (8:5)
This is the first step we have to take if we are ever going to do anything significant for the Kingdom of God-- we must First Give Ourselves to The Lord... What does it mean to give ourselves to the Lord? It means more than simply walking down the aisle and being baptized -- It means more than accepting Jesus as our Savior.
It means to accept Jesus as our Lord, It means to be completely sold out for Jesus, it means to give up "self", to submit our will to the King of Kings. This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote the following words in Galatians 2:20
"I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST AND I NO LONGER LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. THE LIFE I LIVE IN THE BODY, I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME."
And also when he wrote the following in 2 Corinthians 5:15;
"AND CHRIST DIED FOR ALL, THAT THOSE WHO LIVE SHOULD NO LONGER LIVE FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR HIM WHO DIED FOR THEM AND WAS RAISED AGAIN."
Unless, we no longer live for ourselves, unless, we give ourselves completely to Him -- unless, we are ashamedly sold out to Christ -- We are not even on the road to doing significant Kingdom Work...
If you have ever wondered HOW some people can be so uncommitted in their giving, their attendance, their participation in worship (they act bored, "man when is this thing going to be over") and in their service in the Church... The problem is not the church; It is a spiritual problem, Because those individuals have not yet, first given themselves to Lord...
Because the automatic and natural consequence of giving oneself to the Lord -- is that the individual really gets serious about the Work of the Kingdom/Church -- because "that individual no longer lives, but Christ lives in and works through them."
LET’S MOVE ON...
2. IF WE WANT TO GET THE JOB IN THE KINGDOM DONE, WE MUST ALSO EXCEL IN THE GRACE OF GIVING. (8:7-9)
Paul in these verses is telling the Corinthians, "hey guys you are on a roll, you are making great progress in your: faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness and in love... let’s keep the ball rolling, don’t stop short, but also excel in the grace of giving, as well."
Faith, speech, knowledge and love are important, but we can’t stop there -- we also need to give. Now Paul is talking here about specifically financial giving or stewardship, but it is also part of stewardship to give of our time, talents as well as our treasure to the Lord.
I know that sometimes it seems that everybody and his brother wants something from you.
IT HAD BEEN A HARD WINTER IN THE ROCKIES. THE SNOW PILED DEEPER AND DEEPER. THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW ZERO AND STAYED THERE. THE RIVERS FROZE OVER. PEOPLE WERE SUFFERING. THE RED CROSS USED HELICOPTERS TO FLY IN SUPPLIES.
AFTER A LONG HARD DAY, AS THEY WERE RETURNING TO THEIR BASE, THE RESCUE TEAM IN A HELICOPTER SAW A CABIN NEARLY SUBMERGED IN THE SNOW. A THIN WISP,OF SMOKE CAME FROM THE CHIMNEY. THE MEN FIGURED THOSE PEOPLE IN THAT CABIN WERE PROBABLY CRITICALLY SHORT OF FOOD, FUEL, AND MEDICINE. BECAUSE OF THE TREES THEY HAD TO SET DOWN ABOUT A MILE FROM THE CABIN. THEY PUT THEIR HEAVY EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT ON THEIR BACKS, TRUDGED THROUGH WAIST DEEP SNOW, AND REACHED THE CABIN EXHAUSTED, PANTING, AND PERSPIRING. THEY POUNDED ON THE DOOR AND A THIN, GAUNT MOUNTAIN WOMEN FINALLY ANSWERED.
THE LEAD MAN PANTED, "MA’AM, WE’RE FROM THE RED CROSS."
SHE WAS SILENT FOR A MOMENT, AND THEN SHE SAID, "IT’S BEEN A HARD LONG WINTER, SONNY. I JUST DON’T THINK WE CAN GIVE ANYTHING THIS YEAR!"
Though demands for our time, talents and treasure come form nearly every direction -- and sometimes with understandable justification we are leery at times to answer the phone or open the door... But the grace of giving to God is not, a demand -- It is a command.
And Paul says in verse 8 that our giving is a test of the sincerity of our Love. He goes on to say that Jesus practice the grace of giving..."THOUGH HE WAS RICH, YET FOR YOUR SAKE HE BECAME POOR (LEFT HIS HEAVENLY THRONE, PUT ON FLESH, SUFFERED ON THE CROSS) SO THAT YOU THROUGH HIS POVERTY, MIGHT BECOME RICH." The bottom line is this, if our love for Jesus is sincere, we will give him the best of our time, treasure and talents...
And if we are not giving our best -- our love is not sincere, it is only a collection of hallow and meaningless words...
3. TO GET THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM DONE, WE MUST ALSO FINISH THE WORK WE EAGERLY BEGAN (8:11)
Years earlier when Paul first started collecting this offering the Corinthians had been the first ones to desire to give and to give. They had led the parade, they were out in front. They may have been the motivation that led other churches to give towards the offering for the Jerusalem Church. Paul probably shared as he traveled about how eager the Corinthians were to give.
However something had changed. They had evidently lost both the desire and the doing. And therefore Paul says in verse 11, "NOW FINISH THE WORK, SO THAT YOUR EAGER WILLINGNESS TO DO IT MAY BE MATCHED BY YOUR COMPLETION OF IT.." They meant well , but they didn’t carry through, they left the job unfinished. Many churches do faith promises where people pledge to give a certain amount above their regular tithe -- excitement make commitment s to give but when the going gets rough or they want something for themselves -- the don’t follow through on their commitment.
I think we all know what that is all about, I’m each of us here has eagerly started a project around the house or some other thing and before long the thrill is gone... and the exercise bike sits collecting rust in the garage, the car has a permanent home on those blocks, those books never do get read, and the job that we started off with such desire, never gets done.... And they forever remain a monument of our failure to count the cost and our unwillingness to pay the price to see the thing through.
This also happens in the church too, people eagerly volunteer, take on a job or task with great eagerness -- but before too long that job also winds up as a monument, stuck up on blocks or locked in the garage. Meaning well is not good enough in the Kingdom, because the job remains undone... And jobs in the kingdom are essential to the effectiveness of the church carrying out it’s mission and are therefore matters of life and death.
Something worth starting is worth finishing....
Now certainly there are times and situations beyond our control that prevent one from finishing the work -- but we need to ensure that they are valid reasons and not lame excuses.
If we want to get the job done in the Kingdom we need to Finish the work we eagerly began. If we take on a job let’s see it through to completion....
4. WE ALSO NEED TO STRIVE FOR EQUALITY IN THE KINGDOM WORK (8:13-15)
There is a great deal of work to be done in the Kingdom/in the church. And if we want to get the job done there needs to be equality in the work distribution. It really does no good to have some who are hard pressed, taking on a much to great of a load while others have it easy...(no loads)
If everyone one does the best they can... If they give the best of their treasure, if they give the best of their time, if the give the best of their talents... The work will not always outnumber the willing workers...
There are some within the body here that are carrying much too heavy of a load, if there is a job that needs to be done and no one wants to do it -- they will always step in, you can always count on them, "GOD KNOWS WHO YOU ARE" and I praise HIM often for such willing workers. But while they are breaking their backs, there are others who are not even breaking a sweet and are just taken it easy (pew potatoes) ... And that is neither right or fair...
In most churches 25% of the people give 75% of the offering and do 75% of the work -- and the church is therefore severely limited (by the energy and the ability of the few), as she strives to get the job done carrying along a lot of dead weight (like the business in Detroit).
If EVERYONE AT ETCC WORKED AND GAVE THERE BEST there would be no stopping the influence of this church in this place. SOME MAY SAY "THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN IT’S A PIPE DREAM" BUT I SAY IT’S NOT A PIPE DREAM, IT’S GOD’S DREAM -- AND SATAN’S NIGHTMARE.
5. IT IS LIKEWISE ESSENTIAL THAT WE DEVELOP A CONCERN FOR THE KINGDOM. (8:16)
Titus was concerned about the church in Corinth, he knew them and cared about them. And when Paul told Titus about this appeal(for the churches in Judea), he knew that the Corinthians needed to be a part of this effort. And Titus was concerned enough about them to do something, he turned around and made the trip back to their city.
If the job is going to get done in the Kingdom, in this place... We need to have people who have a genuine concern for the Lord’s work here (building a strong church to influence this community for Christ, seeking and saving the lost that live outside these doors), we need people like Titus who have enough concern that they are willing to do something -- to ensure that the work gets done, that the message gets out.
TWO MORE KEYS FOR GETTING KINGDOM WORK DONE ARE FOUND IN VERSE 17
6. THE FIRST IS WE MUST HAVE MUCH ENTHUSIASM! (8:17)
Several years ago when Chelsea was just a baby, and we were doing the first child kind of thing, going to Sears about every week to have her picture made. I was sitting in the waiting room and I saw a sign that I have never forgotten... It said
"NOTHING GREAT HAS EVER HAPPENED WITHOUT ENTHUSIASM."
Enthusiasm is; "a strong excited feeling", "it is to be filled with zeal, fervor or passion"
When Titus went to Corinth with this appeal his was full of zeal and passion, he was excited. He didn’t say "well Paul is doing this uh offering thing, and uh if you uh would like to maybe help it would be okay and all." No Titus was pumped and excited about it. "HEY BROTHERS WE REALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO HELP OUT SOME HURTING BROTHERS -- TO GIVE AND HELP THEM LIKE CHRIST HELPED US."
If we can get enthuses about NBA CHAMPIONSHIP, ABOUT THE SUPER BOWL OR THE WORLD SERIES -- A NEW DRESS OR GREAT MOVIE -- DON’T YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE ENTHUSED ABOUT KINGDOM WORK -- WORK THAT SAVES PEOPLE FROM ETERNAL CONDEMNATION AND GIVES THEM AN ABUNDANT LIFE IN THE HERE AND NOW.... IF WE CAN’T GET EXCITED ABOUT THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG!!
AND ONE MORE THING ABOUT ENTHUSIASM IT’S CONTAGIOUS... TEACHERS, LEADERS, WORKERS, CHRISTIANS LET’S BE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE LORD’S WORK HERE....
7. THE SECOND PRINCIPLE MENTION IN VERSE 7 IS INTUITIVE. IF WE WANT TO GET THE WORK DONE WE MUST ACT ON OUR OWN INITIATIVE
Paul said that "HE IS COMING TO YOU WITH MUCH ENTHUSIASM AND ON HIS OWN Initiative" Can you believe that? He came on his own imitative. Titus was a self starter, hard worker! He looked for ways to help.
That kind of spirit is rare today, most people look for ways to get out of work rather than look for work. "Oh no they are looking for volunteers again, quick I better hide in the bathroom, I’ll pretend I didn’t or didn’t see him."
But praise God for those self starters, those who look around and see something in the Church that is not running smooth or not getting done... And rather than criticizing it or going to another church where it’s done better, they come up to the leadership "Hey I was noticing that this needs to be done... If it’s okay I’d like to take that job on."
Titus had much enthusiasm and he acted on his own initiative -and that combination, "enthusiasm/initiative" is powerful and will lead to things in the kingdom....
LET’S READ ON....
8. WE NEED TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS (8:18-24)
This point really applies to the leadership, to those who handle the affairs of the church. "WE WANT TO AVOID ANY CRITICISM OF THE WAY WE ADMINISTER THIS GIFT. FOR WE ARE TAKING PAINS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, NOT ONLY IN THE EYES OF GOD BUT ALSO IN THE EYES OF MEN"
It is foolish pride that DISREGARDS the opinions of people. Paul knew that some would question the way he handled the gift. "HOW DO WE KNOW PAUL IS GOING TO TAKE THIS GIFT BACK TO JERUSALEM? HOW DO WE KNOW THAT IT ISN’T SKIMMING SOME OFF THE TOP, JUST HOW MUCH IS HE CLAIMING AS EXPENSES?"
Paul didn’t flippantly say, "Trust me, I’m your leader" Rather he gave detailed information. "TITUS IS GOING WITH ME AND SO IS THE BROTHER YOU SELECTED, A MEN OF IMPECCABLE CHARACTER -- AND WE WILL DELIVER THE GIFT TOGETHER."
WE NEED TO DO GOD’S WORK AND AT THE SAME TIME BE SENSITIVE TO THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS. WE NEED TO DO THINGS ABOVE BOARD SO THAT THERE WILL BE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR INTEGRITY...
THIS WILL BUILD TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE LEADERSHIP AND THIS ESSENTIAL IN GETTING THE KINGDOM WORK DONE.
9. WE MUST NOT GIVE OR WORK GRUDGINGLY (9:1-5)
It is important that the money we give and the work we do is not done in grudgingly manner.
Suppose it’s your anniversary and your Spouse comes in and throws a brown paper sack at you and says, "WELL THERE’S YOUR ANNIVERSARY PRESENT! DIDN’T WANT TO GET IT, COST TOO MUCH! BUT I KNEW YOU’D GRIP AT ME FOR A MONTH IF I DIDN’T. SO THERE IT IS, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!" That gift doesn’t mean too much..does it?
On the other hand suppose your spouse buys you a thoughtful gift and wraps it up and writes a note on it that says, " You deserve much better than this, and when I have the resources some day, I’m going to give you a lot more." -- now that gift means a whole lot, does it?
How do you think God feels about a gift that is grudging given -- "WELL IF I HAVE TO HERE YOU GO GOD AS WE DROP IN OUR CHECK, YEAH I’LL KEEP THE NURSE OR TEACH THAT CLASS BUT DON’T ASK ME TO DO IT AGAIN... I’ SERVE YOU GOD BUT I DON’T WANT TO AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE REALLY PUTTING ME OUT." doesn’t mean too much does it?
ON THE OTHER HAND HOW DO YOU THINK GOD FEELS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL WHO GIVES ALL THE CAN -- WHO SACRIFICE MONEY AND TIME TO GIVE GOD THE GIFT OF SERVICE. "GOD YOU DESERVE SO MUCH MORE THAN I COULD EVER GIVE YOU BACK... BUT I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE BEST I CAN!"
EVERYONE HERE IS GIVING GOD SOME KIND OF GIFT -- ARE WE THROWING HIM A PAPER BAG AND SAYING , "HERE YOU GO GOD, I HOPE YOUR HAPPY!"
OR ARE WE WRAPPING UP OUR ENTIRE LIVES AND SAYING GOD IT’S NOT MUCH, BUT I WANT YOU TO HAVE IT ALL.
10. AND LASTLY WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.
(9:6,7)
It is a foolish farmer who sits on his porch everyday/all day, smoking his pipe, with sacks of seed stacked up all around him... saying to himself, "YUP I SURE HOPE WE HAVE A GOOD CROP THIS YEAR." FRIENDS IF WE DON’T SOW ANYTHING WE ARE NOT GOING TO REAP ANYTHING!! IF WE DON’T PUT NOTHING INTO CHURCH, THAT’S WHAT WE’LL REAP NOTHING!
IF WE COME INTO THIS WORSHIP SERVICE WITH THE ATTITUDE -- I’M NOT GOING TO ENJOY THIS AND GRIT OUR TEETH ALL THE WAY THROUGH... WE’LL LEAVE EMPTY. WE MAY HAVE FULFILLED SOME INNER GUILT ABOUT BEING IN CHURCH, BUT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR FROM WORSHIPPING THE LIVING GOD...
IF YOU CAN TAKE OR LEAVE CHURCH, IF YOU CAN TAKE OR LEAVE BIBLE STUDIES, IT IS NOT THE CHURCH -- YOUR NOT SOWING!
ON THE OTHER HAND IF WE TRULY PUT OURSELVES INTO THE LORD AND HIS WORK -- LIKE THAT SMALL SEED THAT BECOME A STALK OF CORN --- WE WILL BE AMAZED AT WHAT WE REAP FOR OUR NOMINAL HUMAN EFFORTS .. GOD IS A GIVING GOD WHO LOVES TO BLESS HIS CHILDREN...
CONCLUSION
IF WE WANT TO GET THE JOB DONE: WE MUST:
GIVE OURSELVES TO THE LORD -- EXCEL IN THE GRACE OF GIVING -- FINISH THE WORK WE EAGERLY BEGAN -- STRIVE FOR EQUALITY IN WORK -- DEVELOP A CONCERN FOR KINGDOM -- HAVE ENTHUSIASM AND INITIATIVE -- BE SENSITIVE TO OTHERS OPINIONS -- DO NOT GIVE GRUDGINGLY -- AND UNDERSTAND WE REAP WHAT WE SOW...
WE WILL CLOSE BY READING THE REST OF CHAPTER 9 AS A DOXOLOGY WHICH EXPRESSES THE BLESSINGS WE RECEIVE WHEN WE GIVE TO GOD...
WHAT IS THE INDESCRIBABLE GIFT -- "JOY & BLESSINGS OF SERVING GOD"
