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September 21, 2003 |
"The Joy of Giving" Series |
Pastor Brian Shimer
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"THE JOY OF GIVING -- AS A PAUPER"
2 Cor 8: 1-15
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One of the members of this congregation was job hunting and had to take an
online questionnaire with 100 questions for a customer
Service / sales job for which she was applying. The company said they were looking for 50% correct. "These were not knowledge questions," she wrote me, "they were personality/moral questions. I answered:"
*No, it is not okay to lie.
*Yes, I am always on time.
*Yes, you should give found money to security to hold in case someone is looking for it.
*No. It is not okay to lose your temper and yell.
*Yes, I am optimistic about the future.
*Yes, I love what I am doing with my life.
These were the questions and her result came back a 3! A 3? "How could I get a 3?" She wondered. She spoke to friends about it, and they said that was not the kind of test you want to pass. They are looking for people who are aggressive and dishonest. So she said, "You mean that I am 97% decent and not 50% bad?" They said yes.
Someday God will be doing a final test on our hearts -- and his desire is not to find deceitful & wicked hearts like this company sought. No, God's desire is for hearts wholly devoted to Him -- unlike that of the Unjust Steward but like those of Araunah and David, with whom we visited last week.
How pleased God is with hearts like theirs: hearts with a singular devotion to Him and bowed humbly in worship.
But there is more to the Joyful Giver's heart that pleases God and that is generosity. Paul found this expressed through the lives of believers who lived in what is modern day Greece.
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In Second Corinthians Paul devotes two whole chapters to what he calls the grace of
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giving. With 2 chapters from this book, it is an important topic for the Corinthians - indeed, they had promised to support a cause and were not following through -- but it is also important for us. In today's chapter, Paul shows us the Source and Purpose of this grace.
A. First, the source of God's grace of giving is discussed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:9. We are diving into the middle of this passage but Paul uses the facts of Jesus' gift to us as the source of generosity in us. This is the foundation of giving in Jesus Christ. He did not think "equality with God was a thing to be grasped, so made himself nothing…" Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians in Macedonia.
And now he offers the same thought for the Corinthian church.
The passage begins, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…." In Ephesians Paul had written: "By grace you have been saved through faith."
What Jesus did was an action of God's grace, his undeserved favor for you and me. Paul says, the "Lord Jesus Christ" naming Him as the one to whom we bow as Lord, we embrace as our brother, and we worship as Messiah.
Again, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich…."
Jesus was rich with true riches and true property -- which are promised us when we are faithful with all God has given. We saw this taught by Jesus in the parable of the Unjust Steward in Luke 16.
Jesus was also rich in his perfect fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He had joy with them. On our best family days, we are far from experiencing the kind of joyous relationships shared by the Triune God. And Jesus the Son experienced this constantly, 24/7 so to speak. And from there in that fellowship, in Heaven, before Mary was born, before the woman in the garden was tempted, before the creation of the world, Jesus died for you and me.
He died there by making the decision to offer Himself for you and me. His decision preceded the action, but by that decision the act was as good as completed. What is decided in heaven is fact and will take place. So, when the Son said, "I will." He meant it, and in reality, it was done.
Again, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes…" Jesus did not do any of this for his own sake, but all for you, all for me.
And here is what he did: "He became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."
Paul encases in financial terms the very physical and dynamically spiritual action of Jesus. He condescended to come down to earth that we might have access to heaven. He made himself nothing that you might be something. He became poor that you might be rich. Earlier in 2 Corinthians Paul wrote the same sentiment in these terms: "He became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God" (5:21).
What a great exchange Jesus accomplished: Sin for righteousness; Poverty for riches; condemnation for forgiveness! No wonder we call Him Savior.
This is the grounding of the generous heart -- the source of the grace of giving. And it is found in Jesus.
B. Now the Purpose is that this grace of giving be seen.
Paul begins the chapter with the example of the Macedonians. These folk are living in Thessalonica, Philippi, Berea and other towns in the region called the Macedonian Peninsula. It is God's grace made manifest, he writes. Listen: "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity."
1. What a unique description-- 'severe Trial,' 'overflowing Joy' and 'extreme Poverty' are used in the same sentence as 'rich generosity!'
Have those ever combined in your life? Have you encountered a season, which was especially tough, yet have had overflowing joy as you trusted in God? Perhaps this season, like the Macedonian's trial, combined with extreme financial need and yet out of it all, you responded to others' needs with rich generosity? That is grace.
I look at the list and think that I have experienced times that have included this mixture of elements. There are times when in the worst of circumstances it seems easy to give all we have. But I find myself more generous when I am feeling more financially stable.
These people were in the midst of the persecution meant to stamp out their faith. They were experiencing the joy of Jesus even while tested and impoverished-- and out of it all expressed a rich generosity!
How about you? I know some of you have been through similar circumstances. Ah the stories I could tell! Jesus brings generosity out of trial and poverty.
He did it for the Macedonians-- these paupers who discovered the joy of giving. He can do it for you and me.
The Macedonian Christians were not just generous up to their abilities, but gave even beyond their ability! They did not just write a check, but offered their lives -- They may have asked: "Could we go help deliver the gift to Jerusalem?" They gave of their substance!
2. Even as they gave, they did not give as Paul expected. He says instead of what he expected, they "gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will" (v 5).
They committed themselves first to God. They were not beggars but children of the King and they cast themselves first upon His providence.
That thought takes me to Peru. Pastor Marcos told me that an image of Peru is of a starving child begging while sitting upon a pile of gold. Peru has wealth, but it does not touch the people. Many people have a tendency to ask for foreign help rather than seek God and use all that He has given them. Pastor Marcos' deep desire was to counter this selfishness. When our team went there, we were received as if we were celebrities. They were grateful we had taken time and money to come so far. They were in tears watching God work miracles for which they had prayed.
Although, they had "nothing" compared to the comforts we enjoy: no heat in their homes, no plumbing for indoor toilets, no flooring other than dirt, no railings on steep staircases. Yet, out of their poverty, they gave to us the best beds, the best foods, the best service, the best of love. They did not want us to pay for anything in Cerro. Indeed, they would not take "money" for all the costs incurred. So, the money I had to give, I gave as a gift to the churches there.
The people had given themselves to God and then to us serving with us in the mission of love we brought to Cerro. Paul finds these Macedonians also giving themselves first to God, and then to his mission to Jerusalem.
These were radical people. They were excelling in the grace of giving. They were surpassing the wealthy Corinthian church in their giving even though they were impoverished by comparison.
How generous is your heart?
It is the heart that matters in giving. In verse 12 Paul writes of this saying: "If the willingness is there the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have."
Isn't that a great verse? God does not so much care about the amount, but the heart of the giver giving the gift. We give according to what we have not according to what we do not have.
God does not want you to be hard pressed while others are relieved. Instead, he wants us to learn the grace of giving while meeting the needs of our families. If we neglect our families to give to God, God has harsh words for us -- check out (1 Timothy 5:8 or Mark 7:9-13).
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But God's goal is equality between people -- not equality of income
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or supply, but of equally met needs. There will be differences in styles of living and in income levels, but still needs are to be met.
A. Such giving is pictured first in this passage at the international level. Those in Macedonia are sending funds to help the church in Jerusalem. We give internationally through our local church to many international projects, our missionaries we support, the gifts we took to Peru. We do this also through Samaritan's Purse with the Operation Christmas Child ministry. We are giving ourselves to the Lord and then giving out of all He has given us touch people around the world.
B. Such giving begins in the heart -- it did for the Macedonians. And since it begins in the heart, it also begins at home.
1. In this local fellowship -- we offer ourselves to God and then to one another in service and ministry. What I have supplies what you need, and then in turn, what you have supplies what I need. As we give to one another, there is equality between us. You may not be able to give financially as another person can, but as you give out of what you have, and serve, God builds the church.
2. Outside this Sunday fellowship, in our local neighborhoods and workplaces, God has tasked the church to change the world. The church sometimes leans heavily on the governmental programs of welfare and education to meet needs. But although these can help at one level, they cannot, as Dallas Willard says in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines:
"Eliminate greed, loneliness, resentment, sexual misery and harm, disappointment with one's lot in life, hunger for meaning and recognition, fear of sickness, pain, old age and death or hatred of those of other cultures" (© '90 Harper San Francisco, p235).
Only God's people can bring with their presence God's kingdom rule. With the kingdom comes the means to meet the needs of the heart in those around us.
3. A few years ago a small membership church a friend pastored began an oil change and lube service for single moms for free. The men in the church got fired up and made this happen. They provided this service every 3 months. They had 50 cars on a Saturday. While the men and some women too, did the lube work, other folk from the church served free coffee, brownies and cookies to the people who were waiting.
Here they were meeting more than one need. Many of these single moms ended up coming into the church community, meeting Jesus, and had more than their lube and oil needs met. To reach lives, the grace of giving calls us to give ourselves to God and to service.
How is God calling you to express the grace of giving through your life?
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"The Joy of Giving… As a Pauper"
2 Cor 8: 1-15
I. Someday God will be doing a final test on our hearts
What will He find? Generosity?
II. 2 Corinthians 8: 1-15 Paul speaks of the S___________ and P_________ of the grace of giving.
A. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 you find the fount of all we do is Jesus!
How was Jesus "rich"?
He had: True R______ True P___________
And Perfect F_____________________ with whom?
He offers us the Great Exchange. His riches for our
Poverty, His Forgiveness for our condemnation, His Righteousness for our sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
B. Purpose is that this grace be s_______
1. Look Paul says at the example of the Macedonians
2 Corinthians 8:1-7
Have these ingredients (v 2) ever combined in your life?
When?
Look how they surprised Paul in their giving.
They gave out of poverty!
They gave more than ability dictated!
How generous is your heart?
2. God's purpose is not for you to be hard pressed while others
are relieved. God says take care of your family!
1 Timothy 5:8
God's goal is "equality." Not communism
Equality means equally met needs!
Equality means the church is visibly the church.
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