"Happy Heaping Handfuls"
2 Cor. 9:7
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Intro:
Several months ago when I preached on tithing I determined in my heart to preach more faithfully the theme of giving. To pay more attention from the pulpit to what the Bible says in regards to our finances and our worship of God.
I am pleased to report to you that I am not coming to you with an appeal for an urgent financial need. Our books are in the black, our bills are paid, and we have a little in the bank.
The purpose of this sermon is to bless you and to encourage your faith and to encourage you to continue to be faithful in the grace of giving.
The Bible says, "God loves a cheerful giver." The word used here for cheerful is the word that gives us our word hilarious.
So I’ve entitled my sermon this morning, "Happy Heaping Handfuls." I get this from all the references to generous and bountiful giving in these two chapters. Scan over these two chapters with me as a quick refresher on this point.
8:2 the words, "overflowing, ...welled up, ...rich generosity"
v:3 "they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability."
v:4 "they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints."
v:11 your eager willingness
9:2 I know your eagerness to help, ...you ... were ready to give; and your enthusiasm...
v:5 the words "generous gift" are used twice to describe their offering
v:6 whoever sows generously will also reap generously
v:11 so that you can be generous on every occasion, ... your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
v:12 This service that you perform is ... overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."
v:13 "your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else."
v:14 "the surpassing grace God has given you." ("The grace of giving." - 8:7)
In the margin of my Bible I have written descriptive phrases and summary expressions beside these verses.
One-liners and notes like:
8:3"They gave when they couldn’t afford to give." (They must have reasoned we can’t afford not to give.")
8:4"They pleaded for the privilege of sharing." ("please don’t rob us of the privilege.")
8:7"Giving is an act of grace." (How graceful are we when measured by our gifts?)
"Don’t fall behind in giving." ("Excel in this grace of giving."8:7)
8:8"Giving is a test of sincerity." (Are you sincere when you say, "Something should be done."?)
8:11"Finish what you started."
"Eager willingness."
8:12"Give what you have... God judges not only by what you give but also by what you have left." (What you hold on to may say as much as what you give.)
9:2"Eager to give."
"Ready, ... enthusiastic giving!"
"Generous giving."
"Grudgingly giving." :-(
9:6"Giving sparingly."
"Giving generously."
9:7"Giving deliberately, thoughtfully."
"Reluctant giving."
"Forced giving." (Compulsory.)
"Cheerful giving."
9:8"Bountiful giving."
"Giving that abounds."
9:9"Liberal scattering of gifts." (Random acts of kindness.)
9:10-11"You will be given to so you may give -"
9:11"Always generous in giving." (That kind of giving results in thanksgiving.)
9:12"Overflowing gift."
"Many gifts."
9:13"Evident giving."
"Obedient giving."
"Generous giving to all."
9:14"Surpassing grace." (In reference to "the grace of giving" in 8:7.)
These are just my notes on Paul’s comments about the Corinthians’ gifts. Even a casual reading of these two chapters will tell you the Corinthians were givers. They gave by the fist-full and loved doing it! That’s why I use the title "Happy Heaping Handfuls."
Now I want to draw some applications from these chapters - especially chapter 8, verse 7. The last part of that verse says, "God loves a cheerful giver." (One preacher added, "But He’ll also take it from a grouch.")
HAPPY HANDFULS
Let me talk to you first about "happy handfuls." We have often heard the expression and have even been invited to "give until it hurts." But I don’t believe that way. Oh, I believe we should give until we can feel it. David said, "I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (2 Sam. 24:24)
I just don’t believe it hurts to give.
Having said that let me remind you that when the Church was first getting started, some of the Christians sold their lands and gave the money to help the poor. Acts says, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." (2:44-45) And, "There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." (4:34-35) Some have read those passages and have jumped to the conclusion that these people acted unwisely and literally gave themselves out of house and home. Then they make a further leap and assume that these are the same people Paul has in mind when he refers to "the poor saints which are at Jerusalem." (Rom.15:26) (There’s a phrase that flies in the face of heretical prosperity teaching! "Poor saints!")
So the line of reasoning is this: The first Christians gave too much out of emotion, and in the end wound up regretting it, or at least suffering because of their generosity.
I don’t believe that!
First of all, this is an argument usually offered by fearful and stingy people afraid of sharing the wealth they possess. (Now that’s fine. If they don’t want to share that is between them and the Lord. But don’t cite these passages to build a doctrine intended to scare others out of being generous!)
Secondly, it’s a pretty big stretch to imagine generosity was the only cause for poverty in the early Church. "The Christians in Jerusalem sold their land. There are poor Christians in Jerusalem. They have to be the same individuals." (If you recall they sold their possessions to alleviate suffering that was already present. Not to create needs! There were already poor saints in Jerusalem. Just a few months prior to this, Jesus is anointed for burial with expensive perfume. The disciples murmured that it should have been sold and the money given to the poor. To which Jesus replies, "the poor you have with you always.") (Mt. 26:11)
Thirdly, Luke never says these folks sold all their land. For all we know they might have sold parcels and kept enough to live on. Maybe they had two or three parcels of land and only sold one to bless others.
I don’t believe in giving ‘til it hurts. I believe in giving until it feels good! A lot of Christians aren’t happy givers because they’re stingy givers. I wouldn’t be happy if that’s all I gave either! They don’t give enough to feel good about. And when they do give, they give grudgingly. There’s no worship in an attitude like that.
You remember the old story about the Indian brave?
He had heard the Gospel and knew God expected something from him in return for the gift of His Son. So he brought his horse and tied it to the altar. But he still felt bad. It wasn’t enough. So he brought his saddle. He still felt bad. He brought his kids and put them on the altar. He still felt bad. Still not enough. He brought his squaw to the altar. But he still wasn’t satisfied until finally he climbed on the altar himself.
If you want to be blessed be a happy giver. Be eager, not reluctant to give. And don’t give out of a sense of duty. "I have to give." Give like it’s a privilege. "I get to give!"
When you give an offering be a cheerful giver and bring happy handfuls.
HEAPING HANDFULS
The other application I want to draw from these chapters has to do with the amount of our giving. This is about percentages and proportions in giving. I can’t read this section without generosity. (The word is used 3 times. As is generous. And generously twice.)
When you give, give heaping handfuls.
Now don’t misunderstand me on this point. I am not saying God only blesses large amounts of money. I’m not saying He only blesses BIG gifts. At least not dollar value.
I am saying that He takes note of the proportions with which we give. If you are able to give thousands per year and only give hundreds you can’t say you’ve given your share. 2 Cor. 8:12 bears this out. As does 9:6 and 9:10-11, and 9:13-14.
Jesus stood in the Temple courts watching as offerings were made. He saw wealthy people dropping in large sums of money. But hey never felt it. They’d never miss what they gave. Then He saw a poor widow drop in the smallest coin available. He praised her generosity. She gave all she had. The others hadn’t scratched the surface.
After preaching one of my first sermons the pastor encouraged the saints to give me a "Pentecostal handshake" (a handshake with money in the clasp) as I left. Two people gave that night. One was a man. A wealthy land owner. He raised cattle, was a farmer and had a good-paying job. He lived in a fine brick house and drove a Cadillac. He gave me $5. The other was a woman. A widow. She was poor and frail. She was probably the poorest person in the church. She lived in an old run-down shack. She didn’t have a car but relied on others to get to church and back. She gave $1. Hers was a gift. His was a token. I’m glad for both gifts. Neither had to give. It was their money. If they gave and what they gave was their business. It more than paid for my gas. And the two minute sermon probably wasn’t worth more than $6! (Except for the stress and perspiration of getting and delivering it!)
Dan Betzer tells the story of a woman who sometimes attended church - and called it home. She called him one day and said, "Pastor, we’re buying a new piano and having it delivered. I wonder if we could give the church our old junkie one?" He said. "No. I don’t want your old junkie piano. I’ll take your new one." She slammed the phone down. The next day someone came into the office and told him a piano delivery truck was out front with a new piano. So he called her. "There’s been some kind of mix-up, your new piano is being delivered here." She blurted out with tears, "No there’s no mistake. I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about what you said. We want to give God our best."
When you give, bring heaping handfuls. Give generously - regardless of the dollar amount. Do what you can. Give in such a way the Lord would be pleased with your gifts. Your generosity will be turned into "many expressions of thanks to God." (9:12)
Close:
As I said, I’m not hitting you up for some urgent need of the church. But let me remind you, if you feel the need to respond in a financial way, there is always an area that could use some cash.
* List a need.
* List a need.
* . . . etc.
So there is always a place for another offering if you are led to give in worship of the Lord.
"God loves a cheerful giver."
