“GIVING GENEROUSLY”
The X-Factor - Week 2
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-15
INTRODUCTION:
A little girl became restless in church as the preacher’s sermon past the 15 minute mark. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?" Someone once said, “We all would like the reputation of being generous, but we’d like to buy it real cheap.”
Today we come to our second “X-Factor:” giving generously. As I begin I want us to be sure to understand two basic Scriptural principles. (1) Everything you have ever had, or have, or ever will have belongs to God. This is the principle of ownership. The Bible repeatedly tells us that we are only managers of God’s stuff. Psa. 24:1 - “The earth and everything it contains are God’s. The world and all who live in it are his.”(GW) You see, the Bible teaches that my things are really not my things. They are all owned by God and just given to me to use. (2) God never said, wealth is evil. He never says having things is a sin. But He does want us to recognize the principle of stewardship. We saw last week that the Bible does say: “The love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil.” (2Tim. 6:10 - NLT) Not money itself, but the love of it. So, the question this morning is not, “how much wealth or how many things do I have” but rather “how am I using what I have?” Since everything belongs to God and I have a responsibility, as any renter or borrower would, to use His stuff in a way that pleases Him. And one of the things God insists on is that we are generous people. So, today let’s look at God’s expectation for us as managers and givers.
Now, I understand a message like this can be uncomfortable. Many in our culture think all the church “wants is my money.” And certainly there have been churches and ministries that have been guilty of greed, mismanagement and even extortion. That is not true of Discovery. We do not harp on money here. We keep our finances open for anyone to see and we make a point not to preach on it specifically but once a year. We even tell our first time visitors that they are not expected to give. But on the other hand, to totally disregard this topic would not be very “Jesus-like.”
Jesus discussed money and possessions in 1/3 of His stories that are called parables. He talked about this topic more than He did prayer, heaven, hell or baptism. Why? Because He knew that the greatest rival God has for our affection is what we have. So, this morning I want us to look at some words of man who in life experienced wealth and poverty. His words in 2 Corinthians give us a great gauge on this concept of generosity. I want us all to understand, both those who have a relationship to Christ and those who are seeking Him, that the way to handle our possessions not only helps us in the next life, as we discussed last week, but in X-Change for our generosity we find true peace and contentment in this one. Remember, these words are here to help us not milk us.
I. THE INSTRUCTIONS IN GIVING:
First, let’s discuss the instructions for giving. The key verse in this text is vs:7. And the key word in that key verse is the word "give." "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give.." Giving is expected but God is more concerned with the attitude of giving than He is the amount. Not that the amount is of no concern, because what you give and what you give to, tells a lot about why you give.
A lot of folks, unfamiliar with the Biblical principle of stewardship, that we are managers of what God has given us, have a very different perspective and principle on giving. You see, the world’s view is: Accumulate as much as possible, invest as much as you can and then indulge yourself with what you’ve made. But God’s advice starts at a totally different level, He says: Examine what you’ve earned, knowing it all comes from Him, then give back to God first, and live on the rest.
And that is one of the greatest differences between the world’s idea and God’s about giving.. when you give. The world tells us to earn and then give out of that which you have left over. The Bible tells us to first give and then live off of the amount remaining. In the O.T. this principle was called "first fruits." The Jewish person living in Old Testament days knew that the first 10% belonged to God. Ex. 23:16-19 told the Israelites that the first of the harvest, the first of the flock, the first of the spoils of battle belonged to God. And when you think about it, isn’t that how God has given to us? 1 Cor. 15:20-23 tells us that Jesus was the first fruits of God, that His raising from the dead was the first to tell us that we can live forever too. When we apply this “first fruit” principle to our lives it is a demonstration that we trust God to provide. What faith does it take to give God out of the left overs?
I heard about a man who hated his wife’s cat. The cat just irritated him constantly. Cat hairs on his clothing, cat would sit out the bedroom window at night and wail, the animal was always getting under foot. So when his wife went to visit her mother, he killed the cat. When his wife returned he lied and said, "I guess the cat has just run off, you know how independent they can be." Well, she was distraught. She pleaded with him to find some way to find her feline friend. So he put out a $1000 reward for the return of the cat. And a friend of his said, "That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, offering a $1000 reward for a cat that you don’t even like!" And with a twinkle in his eye he said, "When you know what I know, you can afford to take the risk." And there are many people who give only what’s left over so they can afford “to take the risk.” But understand that God wants more than your hand-out, He wants your hand. He wants more than your pocketbook, He wants your heart. He wants your first fruits because that act says to him, “God, you are first!”
Now, God’s instructions in this passage on how we are to give can be summed up in 2 adverbs. Might want to circle them. (1) is in vs:6 - Generously. "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." Please understand that God wants us to live in a constant state of generosity. God doesn’t just want you to be generous to the church but to become a generous person in every area of your life. As an employer you ought to have a reputation of being generous with bonus’ and salaries for loyal workers if possible. Generous people are the 1st to respond with possessions or financial help when we hear of someone being hit with tragedy. If God has blessed you with extra furniture, you have more than you need, don’t just put it in storage, leaving it rot, give it where it can be used. We are to be generous with all that we have.
(2) the second word that summarizes God’s instructions on how to give is the word- cheerfully. Vs:7- "Each man (person) should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And that word cheerful in the Greek means "hilarious." God loves a hilarious giver. He loves someone who gives because he wants to give. who isn’t critical or reluctant. God is a cheerful giver to us. James 1:5 says- "God is generous with everyone and doesn’t find fault with them." (GW) God has given each one of us so much. But He doesn’t say, "Well, I’m going to go ahead and give you forgiveness, I’ll bless you with a family, I’ll give you health, but you know you missed Church three weeks ago or I heard that bad word you said, or you haven’t given generously to me, but here it is." No. God gives generously without finding fault. And that’s the way we should give. Now, I know that you can’t give to every appeal and that you must make a living. But when you give, follow this simple rule. Give generously, and cheerfully. Because that’s exactly how God has given to us.
II. THE INCENTIVES FOR GIVING:
Now, I want us to look back over this passage and see several incentives for giving. It’s only natural to need motivation and there are several motivating factors here.
Incentive #1- Your giving is a wise investment. Look again at vs:6 where it says if we sow "generously we will reap generously." Here’s the principle: When we give to God He promises us a return. Actually two returns.
First, God promises to meet your needs. Several phrases in this text say that. Vs:8 says you’ll have “all you need.” Vs:10 says he will supply and even increase your store of seed. Vs:11 says that he will give you enough to share. Here’s what I’ve discovered in my personal life. When I’m, generous in the way God asks, he in turn supplies my needs. I can honestly tell you that the 85-90% that I live on now goes further than the 98% to 100% I was living on and not giving! Jesus asked why we worry about such things as food and clothing because he said, “Your heavenly father already knows all your things and will all you need from day to day...”(Mt. 6:32 NLT)
Secondly, God promises something else. See vs:11? "You will be made rich in every way..."? Now, isn’t being rich having more than we need? Yes. But we must understand this second principle: God’s riches are not always material. To the world, being wise with your finances is determined by how big a return you make on your dollar. And sometimes those who are Christian’s get caught up in this trap. They take a passage like this one and figure if they give to God they will be made rich in every earthly way. It’s kind of a “health and wealth” gospel. “If I give to the Lord then I can depend on God to give me a BMW to drive, I’ll live in a mansion and be financially set for life.” But whenever the Bible talks about being rich it is from God’s perspective of what true riches are.
How many possessions did Jesus have? He didn’t’ have the latest model chariot or a fine castle or even sharp clothes. In fact, he was homeless, walked wherever He went and when He died the only things He owned were the clothes on His back and His robe was gambled away. Yet there was no one closer to God than He. Why do we then expect to be made rich financially? In fact vs:8 tells us the reason he meets our needs is for what purpose? So "you will abound in every good work." I really believe that material blessings are at the bottom of the list of God’s priorities. And we need to grow to the place where we don’t count wealth exclusively by the almighty dollar.
One more way our giving is an investment. You give generously so as it says in vs:11. "... you can be generous on every occasion.." Our purpose for having things is to be a funnel of God’s blessings. Whatever God pours in the top, you are to channel out the bottom. When you do that you will please God and be storing up for yourself true riches- treasure in heaven. 1 Tim. 6:18-20- "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." When we are God’s funnel we lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven. You just can’t get a better investment on your dollar than that.
Incentive #2: Your giving meets the needs of others. Vs:12-"This service that you perform (giving) is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." The people here were doing two great things in their giving: showing their thankfulness to God and helping others in need. We are to do the same. Give to people who have legitimate needs and to the church to spread the message of God’s love. Would it surprise you to hear me say that God has already provided the funding to completely underwrite every ministry, minister, mission and Christian enterprise - not just here but in the world? I’m not the first one to say it. The late Larry Burkett, a financial expert said, “If every Church member in America would increase their giving to an average of 10% (current estimates are that American Christians give less than 3%), there would be an extra $69 billion for overseas missions and an additional $150 billion in income for American churches.” You see, the funding is already here, it’s called a “tithe.” The biblical word for giving 10%. Barry Cameron in his book, The ABC’s of Financial Success writes: “Think of it. No special offerings. No special fund-raising drives. Just Christians simply and faithfully obeying God by bringing the tithe into the storehouse every Sunday here in America. It would result in an extra $219 billion dollars for the Kingdom. It’s currently estimated that there are 350,000 churches in America.” (Divide 350k into $219 billion) “That would mean an additional $625,714.29 for every church in America. Could your church use $625k+? Absolutely.”
You see God’s supernatural system for funding is in place.. It’s called tithing, giving 10%. And giving the tithe is a serious matter to God. Listen to Malachi 3:8-ff.. “I ask you, is it right for a person to cheat God? Of course not, yet you are cheating me. ‘How?’ you ask. In the matter of tithes and offerings... 10Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple...”(Mal. 3:8 & 10 TEV) I want you to start tithing today. Sure, because it would help us do more and better ministry, helping us tell more people about God’s love. But also, for another reason.. I love you and I don’t want you to someday stand in front of God and not have an answer for the question that is asked in Malachi - “Are you cheating God?” “Why did you not give in the manner that the owner has prescribed?”
Now, remember a couple of things here. (1) This is God’s prescribed formula for giving. Some might say, “Wait, Tim, Malachi is in the O.T. Aren’t we N.T. Christians?” Yes, on both accounts. But Jesus didn’t tell us to get rid of the tithe, in fact he told us to start with it. The religious leaders tithed religiously. Their problem was that their attitude was terrible. But Jesus said to us in Matt. 5:20, “You must obey God’s commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them.”(CEV) That includes tithing. And here’s what I know is true. If you are faithful to God writing, first thing, a check for that 10%, he will make sure you have everything you need and He will bless you in ways you can’t imagine. In fact, we are so sure of that promise of vs:8 - “...that in all things at all times, having all that you need...” and vs:11 - “You’ll be made rich in every way...” that I have a challenge and a guarantee for you today. If you will try tithing for 90 days then I, on behalf of the leadership team, guarantee you this. If you don’t find that God met your needs during that time and if you don’t reap God’s spiritual blessings... we will give you your money back. That’s right. When you leave today you can get this card from an usher. Read the scripture that’s printed there, pray about it. Then, your part will be.. Give 10% for 90 days. Our part will be a money back guarantee. We ask that you turn the bottom of that card in so we have a record of your decision. That’s how much I want you to learn the blessings of trusting God in this. You see, trust is what this is all about. Do you believe God will be faithful?
One more Incentive: Giving is a testimony to your faith. Vs:13- "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God.." The people of the world may not be impressed so much with our verbal testimony. Anybody can talk a good game. But one thing that does impress a lot of people is when you give of yourself to do something for others. That means material blessings but it also means giving generously of your time and talent. Let me ask you some challenging questions. How healthy would this church be if everyone served in it like you do? Parents: How great would what we offer to the children be if everyone served there like you do? Would we even have a children’s ministry? Folks: How many ministries would get done, from set-up to greeting to having coffee if everyone helped in the way you are helping right now? To help you with this we are today, announcing a new web page on our web site. It’s called “Volunteer Central.” On this page you find: (1) Our different areas of service. (2) A form where you can express interest in serving, and (3) in the future we’ll have “opportunity ads” where our ministry teams will post needs. Write down the link and visit it. When you serve it’s true as vs:11 says, “...your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
III. THE INDESCRIBABLE ILLUSTRATION OF GIVING:
Lastly I want you to see the indescribable gift from God. Vs:15- "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" That indescribable gift is Jesus and His grace that is described in vs:14. The question is, do we appreciate that gift?
Maggie Fitzgerald is successful in the boxing ring, but rather than spend the money on herself, she has been generously sending it home to her impoverished mother. One day she decides to stop by her mother’s house, because she has a surprise for her. A gift that Maggie knows her mom will be so excited about.
{Video Clip: Million Dollar Baby - Start: Chp. 21:1:12:54 - End: Chp. 21:1:15:27 = 2:33}
Doesn’t that just make you ticked at her mother? She is so wrapped up in her own life she can’t see the tremendous gift that has been set right before her. But wait. Could we ever be accused of acting that way towards God’s gift? And God’s gift is so much more precious than an earthly house. In fact, when I think of His gift I think of three things about it. (1) It’s a gift that I cannot comprehend. I am a father and you can ask me to give my money, you can ask for the use of my possessions or my time and I’ll do the very best I can to meet your need. But if you were to ask me to give up one of my children... no way. (2) Secondly, that makes this a gift one I cannot repay. No matter how many good things I do, no matter how generous I am, I will never be able to repay God for sending Jesus Christ. Who gives knowing that there will never be any chance of repayment? Knowing that the debtor will continue to sin, and at times even act like they don’t even appreciate the gift? Who gives like that? God. William Barclay writes: "Paul ends this chapter by turning our thoughts to the wonder of the love of God in Jesus Christ, A gift whose wonder can never be exhausted and whose story can never be fully told; and, in so doing, he says to us, "Can we, who have been so generously treated by God, be anything else but generous..?" So I cannot comprehend this gift nor repay it, and because it’s so ideal I cannot identify with it, but I can do my best to emulate it, to imitate the way he gives to me by giving in a like manner.
God who has given so freely of what He has, now asks us to do our best to do the same with what we have. He asks of us nothing that He hasn’t already done Himself. He gave to us generously- the best He had. “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that... by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” (Jn 3:16 Msg) And He gave to us cheerfully. Heb. 12:1-2 tells us that Jesus is the author of our faith and that He gave cheerfully, He, "who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.."
You see, in the final analysis, God wants you to understand that money can’t buy you what you really need... Oh, it can buy a bed, but not sleep; books but not wisdom, finery but not beauty, a house but not a home, amusements but not happiness, religion but not salvation.. a passport to everywhere but heaven.
So here’s the great exchange.. "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 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."
{All Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise noted}
