10 minute read
My pulpit message notes: Growing in Giving
from TT 157
by TIMES TODAY
Growing in Giving
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This is the story of two churches. The Macedonian churches: Those of Philippi, Thessalinica and Berea. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 and churches in the region of Achaia: the Corinthian church.
These churches were all in the Gentile region, that had been planted after the Lord commissioned Paul and Barnabas in Antioch in Act “Set them aside to be mission I have called them’ and they begin preaching to the Gentile church, a mission that is blessed by the church in Jerusalem.
As time goes on the church in Jerusalem begins going through some very tough times. In Acts we read how the persecution begins. Remember the persecution associated with the stoning of Stephen. But things get worse as the communities of faith, the believers in Jerusalem are ravaged by a very serious famine. There is no food, no sufficient water and the believers there are going through a very difficult time.
They are not only going through a very difficult time because of their faith, but physically they are going through a very difficult time because of the famine. And Paul looking at this situation of the church in Jerusalem that had blessed them to go and begin ministry in these Gentile regions he then begins to rally these Gentile churches to serve the Jewish congregation at this time of need.
His argument in Romans 15 is that you as Gentile churches have benefitted so much from the Jerusalem church because they are the ones that have sent this message, so because you have gotten a spiritual benefit from them, why not give them a physical benefit at this time when you have been blessed by their spiritual gifts towards you and now that they have a physical need why not bless them with a physical / material blessing,
So Paul goes round challenging these congregations to give towards a gift that will be given to the believers to help them go through this particular hard famine.
Two things (calibrations) that were the marks of generosity 2 Corinthians 8:1-12
1. Willingness. (2 Corinthians 8:2-4 9:7) - The positive attitude and the generous action of the Macedonian churches)
2. Ability - 2 Corinthians 8:3 & 12
1. Willingness. 2 Corinthians 8:2-4 9:7 (The positive attitude and the generous action of the Macedonian churches)
Paul is writing to the Corinthians, but first says let me give you the testimony of these other believers in Macedonia. 2 Corinthians 8:1 “And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.” Then Paul brings out the testimony of the believers in Macedonia and uses two correct calibrations to measure the genuineness, validity of their giving.
“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.”
- “Extreme poverty” goes with ‘severe trial”. But “overflowing joy and rich generosity” seem misplaced. Churches in Jerusalem were going through a hard time because of the famine, but then there were these churches in Macedonia that were going through a hard time because of the colonisation that was going on there.
- They were under Roman rule, they were overtaxed, their VAT had gone up, the dollar had gone crazy against their currency, their fuel prices and goods had gone berserk. The believers in Philippi we are told were going through a very severe trial that was common to all in those areas. But some specific and extreme severe trials that were coming just to believers.
- One Bible commentator says, because they were believers, they were excluded from some of the trade / business unions and so some of their businesses had gone down. So these believers, the result is that they were going through a very severe trial, but they were also going through extreme poverty.
- But against that background, when they heard these people that they had benefited spiritually from, when they heard about the people where they church had started, where Jesus Christ had been crucified, that place that existed where a …people worshipped God, they said even with our severe trial and our extreme poverty, we must find something even with pockets that are empty, we must keep looking and find something to give to relieve our spiritual fathers and mothers.
- So without waiting to be contacted and solicited, they gave willingly
- They did not consider giving as something to be avoided. - Verse 12
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
The Greek word for ‘cheerful’ is ‘hilaros’ from where we get the word hilarious. Can you imagine giving in a way that you look hilarious? You are overcome by the joy of giving. No guilt trip, no coercion, no manipulation.
- Do you give willingly? These people gave willingly, urgently pleading, entirely on their own with overflowing joy and welling up in rich generosity.
2. Ability - 2 Corinthians 8:12
“..the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.”
- In these particular Scriptures which are called the hallmark of Christian giving in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 8 and 9), Paul repeatedly makes it abundantly clear that giving is to be willing and according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
- All the manipulation we see in some communities of faith is not biblical. It cannot be willing if you are being asked to give outside of Scripture and beyond what you are able.
- There is no maximum, no minimum, or prescription that Paul gives them on what they can give.
- Luke 21:3 Jesus at the booth declares,
- Giving to God is no private business. Jesus was looking into the offering basket. In the New Testament church giving was not private. Ask Barnabas, Acts 4, sold a field and put that money there in the community of faith. Ask, Ananias and Saphira who lied in Acts 5. There was no hiding about this. They had not given according to their ability. Ask Paul here openly sharing details of the Macedonians giving to encourage the Corinthians.
- This level of private worship and giving is dangerous. We need to do it as God tells us.
- So the Corinthians are urged to give proportionate to their income. The example they are given in 2 Corinthians 8:3
Is there a contradiction here? Are we being told to give what we are able, or are we being told to give beyond our ability? The two in my opinion are not in contradiction. Why? If I live on Ngong Road at Adams and I decide in my heart, that according to my ability, I can worship the LORD with 50 shillings today to the glory of God. Then I should carry that 50 shillings and bring it to the church with two calibrations that are true; willingly and according to my ability.
How then can I give beyond my ability? I can make a decision that instead of taking transport to NBC on Ngong Road, I will walk from Adams all the way to the church and the bus fare I will add it to the 50 shillings and it becomes 70 shillings and it will now be sacrificial giving.
- The challenge to you and I, is are we giving according to our ability and even beyond?
- Peter Marshall, a former chaplain to the US Senate, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington DC, ministering 1902-1949 is said to have commented, “Give to God according to your income, or God may make your income according to your giving.”
- I say this because there are times you and I are celebrated with our giving, yet you have not given to your ability / appropriate / proportionate to your income and ability. I know there are many whom God has asked to give according / proportionate to their income and because you and I give 50, 500, 5000 shillings when they give 500,000 shillings there is celebration that God is good and indeed He is good, but this person hasn’t been faithful to the full calibration. - The Macedonians gave willingly, but they gave proportionate to their income. They gave as they were able and beyond their ability.
- Randy Alcorn in his book ‘Money, Possessions and Eternity’ argues, we talk a lot about a tenth, and asks believers: if those under the law gave ten percent, surely it doesn’t mean that those of us under grace should be living under lower standards.
- Talking about the sermon on the Mount Alcorn says on the issue of murder, adultery and taking of oaths, Jesus raised the standards for us as new covenant believers and provided the grace necessary to judge to that level and be empowered to give at that level, a level beyond what we can naturally. - Out of the most sincere trial, overflowing joy, extreme poverty, welled up in rich generosity.
- I know I am speaking today to a people who were recently shocked at the fuel pump, 159 with threats of going up to the 200 mark. I speak today to people who are experiencing prices of foodstuff that are difficult.
I wonder if you like me have looked at some of our domestic staff salaries and wondered, how are these people surviving? Then turning to the bank trying to see if you can add something to their salaries and realise there is disparity between your desire and what action you can take.
I wonder if today I am speaking to a people who have been ravaged by lost business unemployment, COVID-19, etc, I have a word from Genesis 26:1 and 12 it says “In that same year of famine, Isaac planted, and he reaped a harvest of a hundredfold.”
