MPC, 5th August 2001.2 Corinthians 8-9 - "Gifts from the Heart"
Phil Campbell MPC, 5th August 2001.
If you're visiting us this morning, and I guess some people are, can I start by saying you've really drawn the short straw. Because I'm going to spend the next 20 or so minutes talking about GIVING AWAY MONEY.
Giving away money isn't something a lot of people DO these days. A sort of peculiar CHRISTIAN THING in a way. And something that in the non-Christian world as they look at THE CHURCH, they'll tend to say, DON'T GO THERE. They ONLY WANT YOU FOR YOUR MONEY.
And so if you're here for the first time today, you'll be thinking, YEP, they're absolutely right. Walk into church and the preacher hits me for money. But can I say to you that much to the frustration of a lot of the regulars here, this is something that happens VERY RARELY. In fact, I've often been asked the question, WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT GIVING MORE OFTEN. Usually by people who are pretty sure they're putting in enough. And think other people aren't.
So here we are. 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Which is all about the delicate issue of MONEY.
My friend Bryson Smith who's the minister down at Dubbo Presbyterian Church in NSW was telling me that when he spoke on this passage a couple of years ago, he decided he'd really get everyone's attention. So his opening line was, I want to ask you, HOW MUCH DID YOU PUT IN THE COLLECTION PLATE THIS MORNING? There was a stunned silence. Because it's kind of RUDE isn't it. HOW MUCH DID YOU PUT IN THE COLLECTION PLATE THIS MORNING? Was it a few coins, the loose change at the bottom of your pocket? Did you open up your wallet and look for the SMALLEST NOTE? There's only a twenty, so you closed it and put it away again? HOW MUCH DID YOU PUT IN THE PLATE THIS MORNING? He said you could hear a PIN DROP.
Well, I didn't have the courage to START LIKE THAT. And I guess if I had a choice, I wouldn't be talking about GIVING at all. But I can't avoid it today. Because this is where we're up to in 2 Corinthians, and that's what our passage is all about. It's the Apostle Paul talking to the Corinthians very bluntly about the unmentionable subject of GIVING MONEY.
It's a big section, two whole chapters, 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and 9, but the same message runs all the way through. Giving's important; cause it's such a good indication of the attitude of your heart. Christian giving is all about DOING THE LORDS WORK WITH A GENEROUS HEART.
Now before we start, I want to fill in some background. Cause there's something going on, and it helps if you understand it. Almost everywhere Paul goes, he's collecting money. It's a collection for Jewish Christians hit by a famine back in Jerusalem. They in dire straits. They're starving. And so Paul wants the new NON JEWISH churches he's founding up around Asia Minor and Greece to show their JEWISH Christian brothers and sisters that they want to help.
About a year back, these Corinthians have made some big promises. They've pledged their support. They phoned in during the Telethon and the SAID THEY'D HELP OUT. Only trouble is, they've never come through with the cash. And to be blunt about it, Paul's reminding them of their promise. It's easy to talk big. But you've got to put your money where your mouth is.
That's the background. That's the situation. But I want you to notice as Paul's deals with that specific situation, a lot of very concrete principals come through that have got something to say to us today about OUR GIVING. It's a very relevant passage.
So here's the first principle. God's not so much interested in how much is given, as he is in the attitude of the giver. I've said that already. And we're going to see it all the way through. But we see it first of all here in the example these other Christians from Macedonia, the top part of Greece. They're incredible, these Macedonians, and Paul's holding them up as an excellent example. For the Corinthians as well as for us. They live just up in the North of Corinth. They're neighbours. And the fact is, they're poor. They're in hard times. But it didn't stop them being GENEROUS.
Now you know this, don't you. GENEROSITY isn't something you can measure in dollars. Generosity is something you can't put a number to. Because generosity is a matter of the heart. The rich man can give a hundred times more than the poor widow, but the poor widow might be a hundred times more generous.
But just as often it's the reverse. We use the fact we're doing it tough to EXCUSE us from being generous. Not the Macedonians. Paul says there in verse 2, out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in RICH GENEROSITY." Keep reading. Verse 3. "For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even BEYOND their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently PLEADED with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints."
They had all the excuses in the world. They were doing it tough. They were eating sausages every night, never steak; they couldn't even afford to go to the movies. And yet instead of begging Paul for money, they were BEGGING PAUL to be allowed to GIVE.
They didn't just give as much as they could. They gave MORE THAN THEY COULD. And before you want to go on about how irresponsible that is, before you say, yeah, but I've got to provide for my retirement and the new DVD player and the kids education, I just want you to notice one thing. They might have gone without some stuff. They might have been crazy. But the thing that delights God is... they were very, very generous.
How long since YOU'VE PLEADED for the privilege of GIVING? Since you've BEGGED to be able to give away your money? Paul says they did it because of their overflowing joy. The joy that came from hearing the gospel. God's kindness to them just flowed out all over the place in generosity. Even when they couldn't afford it.
That's the sort of giving God loves. Have a look at verse 11, cause he's saying the same sort of thing. "For if the WILLINGNESS is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have." Doesn't matter if it's not much. DOES matter if it's NOT WILLING.
Can I take you to the second principle, and it's there in verse 5. It's an important principle, and it's one that sometimes gets me in trouble, so I want to make sure you understand it.
If you've been coming here for a while, you'll know if there are visitors here in church, I'll generally say something just before the collection. I'll say, "If you're visiting today, please feel free not to contribute. The plate's coming round for our regulars." [I said it this morning]
Now when we've got lots of visitors in church, there are some people who say to me, WHY WON'T YOU TAKE THEIR MONEY? I mean, they'll say, NO WONDER OUR BUDGET'S SO TIGHT!
And nightchurch it's even worse. We don't even pass the plate round at all. And here's why. Have a look at verse 5. Cause here's the principle. Paul says, he's delighted by these Macedonians, cause here's what they've done. He says "And they didn't do as we expected, BUT THEY GAVE THEMSELVES FIRST TO THE LORD, and then to us in keeping with God's will."
Now can you see what he's saying. He's saying the GREAT THING IS, they put FIRST THINGS FIRST. And that is, they've GIVEN THEMSELVES TO THE LORD FIRST. Before they've given their money.
Now can I say to you, that's how it SHOULD BE. The only people we should EXPECT to give to GOD'S WORK are people who HAVE GIVEN THEMSELVES TO GOD FIRST. And if we've got people coming into our church who aren't even believers yet, the LAST THING we want them to do is give their money. The thing we want people to do is GIVE THEMSELVES TO THE LORD FIRST. Everything else comes as a response to that. You've got to get it the right way round. Otherwise it's like trying to walk backwards in thongs. Doesn't work. The Macedonians gave themselves to the Lord first. Then they gave money.
Like I said at the start, the past the church has got a reputation for being an organisation that's always asking people for their money. And we've got to work against that. So that the community starts to see us as GIVERS. And not takers. And that people realise God's actually asking for a much BIGGER COMMITMENT than just a few dollars. He wants the WHOLE PERSON.
Well, that brings us to principle number 3. And that is, MODEL YOUR GIVING ON JESUS. You'll see it in verse 9. I mean, the Macedonians were one example of generous giving. They didn't have much, and they were happy to give it. They started off poor. They finished up poor. But here's the ultimate example. That goes from one extreme to the other. The example of Jesus, who Paul says here in verse 9 was rich. And became POOR for us.
It stretches our minds a bit to tangle with this. But the fact is, before he was born in that stable as a baby, Jesus was with the Father in heaven. Now I gather before you and I were born, we were nowhere. I gave up nothing to be born. But Jesus was different. Because he gave up the throne room of the universe and got born in a cowshed. And then after that he totally emptied himself of every bit of pride and ambition and self interest by letting them nail him up on a cross under the curse of God. Taking our sin. So that we could become CHILDREN OF GOD. And heirs of the Kingdom.
Can you see why Paul says in verse 9? "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, YET FOR YOUR SAKES he became POOR, so that YOU through HIS POVERTY might become RICH."
Friends, Paul says that sort of SELF GIVING is the model for our giving. That sort of GRACE, that sort of GENEROSITY that gives without asking anything in return, that gives when it's not deserved... be like that.
Well, I want to jump straight on to chapter 9, and we're only going to be here briefly. Like I said before, Paul's putting on the thumbscrews. He's putting the pressure on the Corinthians to put their money where their mouth is. They were eager to give a year back, they were full of promises while the Telethon was on. And Paul's been telling people about their enthusiasm. So now it's time to deliver. He wants them to give what they promised they would. And he's sending some guys to pick up the money.
But there's more to it than that. The fact is, the reason he's writing ahead to give them some warning, is not so much so they can work on getting the right money. It's so they can work on getting the right attitude. Read the end of verse 5, cause that's his goal. He says "Then it will be ready as a generous gift - not as one grudgingly given." See, it's the same thing again, isn't it. ATTITUDE. If you're going to give grudgingly, if you're going to complain, if you can't give generously and gladly, then don't give at all. Because God looks at your heart. Is it generous? Or are you cursing under your breath?
And that's what verses 6 to 15 are about as well. The final section. Sowing generously. It's a little lesson in farming.
Now I guess you've heard of called Kenneth Copeland; he preaches what they call a PROSPERITY GOSPEL. He says if you're a faithful Christian, God rewards you financially. He reckons if you claim the promises of God with enough faith, your business will prosper, your bank account will blossom, you'll never have another money worry in your life. He says the MONEY YOU GIVE is like SEED. That grows MORE. Especially if you sow your seed in HIS DIRECTION.
Nice. And it's no wonder Kenneth Copeland always draws a crowd. I like hearing that stuff about getting rich quick.
And at first glance it sounds a bit like what Paul says in chapter 9 verse 6, doesn't it? "Remember this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Now has Kenneth Copeland got it RIGHT? Because if sowing is GIVING, is he saying there that if you PUT MORE MONEY IN THE PLATE WHEN IT COMES ROUND, you'll actually end up getting MORE MONEY IN RETURN? I mean, you sow a handful of seed, you get a crop. So does it work the same way with dollar coins? And hundred dollar notes? I guess you sort of hope so, don't you?
But if you look at it carefully, that's not quite what he's saying.
Keep reading. Cause you'll see what he means. First of all, the sowing. And there's one of those famous tea-towel quote bible verses coming up in the second half of verse 7. Each man should give what he's decided in his heart to give - notice, it's not the old testament tithe, it's not a law that you give a tenth - it's about generosity. Which might even mean MORE than a tenth. Not reluctantly, he says, or under compulsion. And here's the tea towel verse. FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. Heard that before? Same idea again, isn't it. God looks at your attitude. At your heart. At your generosity.
That's the sowing. Now what do you REAP? He says if you sow generously, you reap generously. And so keep reading. God, he says in verse 8, is able to make all GRACE ABOUND TO YOU, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, YOU WILL ABOUND in EVERY GOOD WORK.
You know the harvest you're going to grow? Sow generously, and God's going to grow GOOD DEEDS in you. Read verse 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."
Now can you see what he's saying? See, what happens when you plant seed? It grows more seed. What happens when you plant GENEROUSITY? It grows more of the same. What happens when you plant RIGHTEOUSNESS? You'll harvest more of it.
In other words, if you've got the problem that you're tight fisted and tight hearted, here's how you fix it. Sow some generosity. Let the moths out of your wallet. And God promises you'll grow MORE OF IT. And your giving muscles will get stronger. And you'll get more and more generous.
Now can I ask you, are you disappointed by that? Would you rather be harvesting $100 notes? Think about it for a minute. What would you really prefer? I mean, don't you LOVE seeing generosity? Don't you ADMIRE generous people? Don't you ever see someone do something generous, and think, boy, I wish I was like that? Well, I tell you, sow sparingly, and you reap sparingly. But throw some generosity around, and you'll grow some more. Just like that.
And people are going to praise God for it. Paul says to the Corinthians in verse 11, your generosity will result in praise to GOD. The service you provide, verse 12, it's not only supplying the needs of God's people, but it's also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." He says people are going to praise God for the obedience that goes along with your confession of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
God's not interested in how much you give. So much as how GENEROUSLY you give. You might only give a little. But given your circumstances, it might be incredibly generous. Or you might give what on paper seems like a lot. And yet it's only a fraction of what you could give. And it's not generous at all.
Friends, can I ask you as we finish up this morning, to seriously re-evaluate your giving. And ask one simple question. Am I being generous? If you are being generous, ask another question. Am I being CHEERFUL?
Let me tell you, you might think we're doing enough as a church already. But the fact is, what we're doing is just the start of what we COULD DO. And as time goes by there'll be more and more opportunities to see GOD'S WORK DONE through our church and our giving. Which is something to LOOK FORWARD TO, isn't it.
But if you're not a Christian yet, let me say again, you're very welcome to GIVE NOTHING. Until you've come to the point where you're prepared to GIVE YOURSELF… to the Lord.
But if you've done that, if you've come to that point of committing your whole life to Jesus - then it should be a small thing to hand over your wallet, shouldn't it? And to learn to be generous. Funny thing, they reckon the last two parts of a bloke to be converted are his HIP POCKET. And his right foot when he's driving.
How is it with you? When's the last time you gave til it hurt a little? When's the last time you can remember doing something for someone else that was out and out GENEROUS? When's the last time you actually compared the amount you're putting in the plate at church with the cost of a packet of cigarettes? Or a magazine? When's the last time you decided to increase your giving BEFORE someone got up in church and said there was a money crisis? When's the last time you gave more cause you wanted us to be AHEAD OF BUDGET - instead of just a little bit behind? So the Management Committee can learn to be LIBERAL, looking for ways to spend money on gospel work and gospel facilities and more and more ministry? Instead of always trying to cut corners? When's the last time someone asked you for money in the street, and you bought them a coffee as well as a sandwich. And GAVE THANKS for the opportunity to GROW IN GENEROSITY?
Generosity has a liberating effect, doesn't it? Nobody's saying how much you should give. Just give what you've decided in your own heart. Nobody else needs to even know about it. Just make sure it's a generous heart. And a cheerful heart. And a heart that learns from the example of Jesus.