GAVE THEMSELVES FIRST TO THE LORD
2 Cor 8:1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Cor 8:2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
2 Cor 8:3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 2 Cor 8:4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 2 Cor 8:5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
The context of this text is that Paul was collecting an offering to meet the needs of the Jerusalem church. It’s a powerful text. We can’t help but be moved by the words (, severe trial, overflowing joy, extreme poverty, rich generosity, beyond their ability, entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded). How were they able to have such a spirit about giving?
PT 1: THEY GAVE THEMSELVES FIRST TO GOD
This is the key:
They gave themselves first to the Lord. What does this mean? This giving of themselves first to God. It means they offered themselves first to God and I believe that the reason that their offering was so great was because they themselves were an offering. In all of our giving we need to imitate the heart of these saints and first let’s give ourselves an as offering to God.
Let’s take a look at some scriptures and learn what God taught His people in the Old Testament about offerings.
There were many offerings described in the scriptures. Burnt offerings, fellowship offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings and each had their purpose but whatever was offered to the Lord had to be the best.
(Lev 1:10 NIV) "’If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, he is to offer a male without defect.
(Lev 2:1 NIV) "’When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it
(Lev 3:1 NIV) "’If someone’s offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he is to present before the LORD an animal without defect.
(Lev 6:17 NIV) It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy.
(Lev 22:21 NIV) When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable.
These offerings sacrificed to God in the way God described would be a fragrant offering, an aroma pleasing to God, an acceptable sacrifice, a sacrifice that is most holy to the Lord.
Now it was not the people who came up with the standard of how these offerings were to be done. It was God Himself. God was teaching His people how to honor Him. He was teaching His people how to have an acceptable sacrifice, one that was pleasing, great and holy in His presence.
You want to have a great offering Bring Your Best To God!
Bring your best attitude, your best strength, your best heart and give it to your King. Honor Him with the best you have! This is what God was teaching His people.
PT 2: NO LEFTOVERS PLEASE
Given the opportunity to have something fresh or leftovers what will you choose? Exactly, we don’t want leftovers. Tres has told me on occasion, Honey I feel like I just get the leftovers. Meaning what’s leftover when you’ve given to everyone else. You give and give and give and by the time you get to me you’re too tired to give. Ouch! Our loved ones want the best we have and so does God.
The book of Malachi is a clear example of what God did not want to happen. The hearts of the people were revealed through their offerings to God.
Mal 1:1 An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
Mal 1:2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, ’How have you loved us?’ "Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?" the LORD says. "Yet I have loved Jacob,
Mal 1:3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals." Mal 1:4 Edom may say, "Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins." But this is what the LORD Almighty says: "They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD.
Mal 1:5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ’Great is the LORD--even beyond the borders of Israel!’ Mal 1:6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, ’How have we shown contempt for your name?’ Mal 1:7 "You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, ’How have we defiled you?’ "By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.
Mal 1:8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. Mal 1:9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the LORD Almighty.
Mal 1:10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. Mal 1:11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
Mal 1:12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lord’s table, ’It is defiled,’ and of its food, ’It is contemptible.’ Mal 1:13 And you say, ’What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. Mal 1:14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.
Mal 2:1 "And now this admonition is for you, O priests. Mal 2:2 If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the LORD Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me.
Their offerings reflected no honor, no respect and it was actually contemptible before God. Their offerings were useless. What was Gods admonition to His people; set your heart to honor me. The sad thing is that it just wasn’t that their offering was disrespectful but rather there hearts disrespected a Holy and Righteous God! They themselves disrespected God.
Our offerings will either bring honor to Him or dishonor Him. Notice the spirit in 2 Cor 8:16 I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 2 Cor 8:17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 2 Cor 8:18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 2 Cor 8:19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 2 Cor 8:20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 2 Cor 8:21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.
Notice the condition of Titus heart (much enthusiasm, own initiative). Paul heart is also reflected; we are taking pains to do what is right. Amen! Paul says the offering which we are carrying we administer in order to honor the Lord Himself! What does God care about more; the offering or the heart behind the offering.
GOD HAS ALWAYS WANTED ONE THING: YOU!
This green paper money means nothing to God! What means everything to Him is your heart behind your giving. And it’s not just the giving of our finances. It’s giving of ourselves period.
That’s why the Corinthians offering was so powerful because they gave themselves first to the Lord! How do we give ourselves first to God. How do we offer ourselves to the Lord? Look at Jesus!
PT 3: JESUS WAS A FRAGRANT OFFERING
Jesus Christ set the perfect example. Eph 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children Eph 5:2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
He gave himself up for us a fragrant offering. O.K. But how do we do that? Look at Jesus example.
Jesus gave himself up to doing Gods will! All around Him in the garden of Gethsemane and up to going to the cross there was sin. Sin that he could have let get a foothold in his heart but he gave himself up to doing Gods will and was willing to sacrifice His life for us.
We offer ourselves as we do Gods will when sin is all around us and we are willing to sacrifice to fulfill Gods will.
Eph 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
We must do Gods will instead of bitterness, Gods will instead of rage, Gods will instead of anger, brawling, slander and every form of malice. Forgive! Just as in Christ God forgave you.
If you want to have a powerful offering get rid of the sin in your life give yourself to doing Gods will and be willing to sacrifice anything that he calls you to and to God be the glory!
