Preached: LR What is the Point? 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 Introduction A.

Have you ever had someone trying to give you advice, or maybe you are reading a book and about half-way through you ask the question, What is his point? or What is she trying to tell me? Weve all been there. 1. Sometimes it is because the person speaking is dancing around the issue, and is just not speaking clearly on the matter. 2. Sometimes it is because we do not really want to know the point of what is being said, so we are just barely listening. 3. Sometimes its because there is just a breakdown in communication. Maybe they are using words we do not understand, or maybe they are not fully informed on the subject in the first place, so they are not able to communicate properly to us what the real point is. B. Thankfully, when it comes to the most important things in life, we have One who speaks clearly to us and tells us exactly what is best for us. God is a communicating God and through the pages of His Word, He not only tells us facts and commands, He states them clearly. C. It is not often, however, where God just comes out and says: Here is the point. While that might be implied in several passages of Scripture, it is not directly stated all that often. D. But when it comes to the subject of money, possessions, and giving, God comes right out and tell us what His point is. E. Last week, we looked at 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, and noticed several congregationsthose in the region of Macedoniathat were giving above and beyond financially despite times and circumstances that were extremely difficult. Those 7 verses, though, did not exhaust Pauls treatment of the matter of giving in this letter to the church at Corinth. In fact, the subject covers almost all of chapters 8 and 9. Now, we are not going to look at every section of these two chapters, but we are going to look at one more this morning. F. The reason we are going look at it is simple: it is one of the rare times in Scripture when God comes right out and says: Here is the point! If you want to know the point of giving, God tells it to you. In fact, He tells it to us in direct statement and in several implications. This morning, our goal is to notice four aspects of our giving that we must see as the point of giving as we discussed last week. Body. Our giving is to be I. Bountiful A. Using one of the universal principles set in order by the Lord, Paul writes that those who sow (plant) sparingly will reap sparingly and those who sow bountifully will reap

II.

bountifully. Keep in mind that Paul states that this is the point of what he is writing about in this section of Scripture. B. In some ways, it is the point of all of our Christian lives. Those who give in any/all areas of their Christian lives in small amounts should not expect God to pour out blessings in their lives. However, those who give in abundance should expect Gods blessings to be clearly seen in their lives. 1. Now, let me state: is this only talking about reaping financially? No it is not. God gives in more ways than just with finances. It is speaking about Gods blessings being seen in our lives. When we give and give and give, we are far more sensitive to seeing God at work. 2. However, there is a financial element to these words. This is not a prosperity gospel, but it is stating that God will take care of you, and will do so strongly. C. I tell you, we just dont do enough at church. We need more of this or more of that. Well, the question we need to think about is really simple: am I giving in such a way that Im planting the seeds for those things to happen? If I am not sowing bountifully, I do not need to complain that we are not reaping bountifully. D. Farmers and gardeners realize this basic principle of life. When we sow, we reap. But they also realize that they will reap, not only WHAT they sow, but MORE OF WHAT they sow. They dont plant a grain of corn, expecting to have a stalk grow up that only has one corn kernel on it. They expect that plant to grow up to have several full ears of corn. E. God has promised us the same idea in our giving. Now, again, we are not stating that this is strictly financial. It is stating that God will pour out blessing after blessing after blessing if we will give bountifully. Luke 6:37-38: Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. [Take note of this last sentence.] For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. F. I want God to bring me little tiny blessings. Dont you? Of course not! We want God to bless us in every aspect of our lives with peace, joy, hope, and His presence. So why dont we give like it? If we give just a little tiny amount, well see some of Gods blessings. But when we bring Him the best, the first, and the most, He will pour out unimaginable blessings in our lives. G. But it is more than just what we GET, it is our TRIBUTE to Him. We need to give bountifully because He already has given bountifully. But God does tell us about what we will receive. If you want to receive the best, you must give the best. Its that simple. H. Giving is to be bountiful. Purposeful A. We often hear of spontaneous giving. It is when we see a need that just pulls at our heartstrings, so we give either of our money or of our time and energy right in the moment. That is a great way to give at times.

B. However, Paul tells us in our text that our giving to the Lord must be purposed, or planned. In verse 7 he says, Each one must give as he has made up his mind. C. God leaves it in our hands and to our wisdom to think about our giving to His cause. My question is quite simple: do we really put thought into our giving? 1. For some, giving takes little thought because they just give whatever is left over at the end of a pay cycle. I spend money on my house, car, food, utilities, and I go out to eat a couple of times and pay for a movie, and I buy a new shirt that I like or a new fishing rod that I just absolutely need. Thenits Sunday morning, so, right before the plate comes around, I reach into my wallet and get the 2 one-dollar bills that are left there out and give those. 2. For others, giving takes little thought because you dont think about financial matters anyway. Some just live life with no plan, and just pay for stuff however, and that includes giving. 3. For others, giving becomes mechanical. You always give the same amountyou have for 10 yearsand so you just pull out that $20 bill or write that $50 check every week, and there is no thought to it anymore. Its totally mechanical. 4. For others, you think about it, but it is all mathematic. Maybe you always give the same percentage, so, with a change in income, you have to refigure to make sure you are still giving 5% or 10% or whatever. D. Folks, none of that is what Paul has in mind here. Obviously, he is not speaking of nothought giving. But he also isnt speaking of math. E. He is talking about giving being truly purposed. It is thinking about several things in order to arrive at how much we will give. 1. It is thinking about what God has done for us. We spoke of this last week, but giving is to be a reaction toa gratitude forwhat God has done for us. When we are considering what to give, it is worth slowing down some and thinking of all the blessingsboth physical and spiritualthat God has given to us. 2. It is also thinking about our wants vs. our needs. There are certain things that we need money for. It takes money to survive in our world. We must eat and God will make sure we do, but He most often does that by providing money to come to us. However, there are far more things we spend money on that are wants. They may not be sinful things, but we need to take stock of what is truly necessary and what is just something that is just a want in this life. 3. It also means thinking about purchases in advance, and living within our means. Sometimes we do not purpose to give because we cant control our spending, so there is little or nothing left to give. Before you sign up for that car payment, think about how it will impact your giving. Will you have to give less just to have a nicer car? What about if you buy all your clothes on credit and end up paying interest on that credit card? You see, when we get those things under control, it makes purposing for our giving far easier. F. But it is to be thought through and purposed. Before you budget your money, think about your giving. Is it the first thing you consider, or just what is left over at the end? Is

III.

it truly a loving, grateful reaction to God for what He has given to you, or is it just a line on the budget that you put on there because you know you have to. G. Take the time to really think about your giving in advance. Purpose in your heart not just to give, but to give bountifully. Cheerful A. Paul begins the next concept with a negative, then turns it to the positive statement. B. There are two negatives: 1. Not reluctantly (KJV= grudgingly) a. I wanted to learn about this word when I was studying for this lesson. b. Its interesting to look at how this word can be translated and defined and put that into the concept of our giving. (1) The word was one that was sometimes used in a setting where someone had died or where there was another type of loss and there was sorrow associated with the moment or the loss. (a) We can easily see how this would fit in with our giving. Am I sorrowful for having to give up money? Does it hurt my heart to give away that money? (b) We can far too easily become like the rich young ruler who came to Christ. When the Lord told Him to sell all he had and give it to the poor, youll recall that the man went away sorrowful. (2) But the word could also mean something that was not just sorrow-causing, but annoying! (a) That really is the idea of how it is used here in 2 Corinthians 9. We can be annoyed by the fact that we have to give each week. All we begin to think about, is how much this is costing us and how it is draining us from other things we could be doing. (b) When we get that way, we are obviously focused far too much on ourselves instead of on the real reason we give. We do not need to give reluctantly. nd 2. The 2 negative is Not under compulsion. a. But we have to give. Yes, it is true that giving is commanded, but our attitude should not be one of have to. b. Think of how this fit in with the NT world. Some of these to whom Paul is writing were being converted from the world of Judaism, where, under the Law of Moses, they HAD to give and often it was a specific percentage for different areas of life. c. Now, though, they live under a new and better covenant. One thing that makes it better is that God leaves the giving up to us. We are not required to tithe. We are not told to bring certain animals or crops for certain sacrifices or festivals. We are just told to give as we have prospered. d. Yes, it is a command, but when we consider what God has done for us, we will see it as far more than a command! We will see it as an opportunity.

IV.

C. There is one positive: 1. Pleasing God. Wait, I thought it was a cheerful giver. It is, but why are we cheerful in giving? Its because thats what God loves, and we wish to please Him. 2. You know that I am not a Greek scholar, but I love looking at the language and seeing things that are there. 3. Even if you are not all that interested in the Greek language, you should appreciate the word that is translated cheerful. It is the Greek word hilaros (HE-luh-ross), from which we get our word hilarious! God wants us to be hilarious givers. 4. Now, we are not saying that giving is a joke, but the idea is that we should gain the same joy and satisfaction from giving as we do from a moment of hilarity. We should enjoy giving and find it to be a delight, not a drudgery. Trustful A. Verse 8 begins by telling us, And God is able to make all grace abound to you. Folks, our God is able, but we need to trust Him. We didnt read this far at the beginning of our worship this morning, but I want you to read verses 9-11 with me and really ask yourself, Do I really believe what Paul is teaching here? As it is written (Psalm 112:9), He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. B. What is Paul saying? He is simply stating that we need to trust God. Why do we have food to eat? Because God put in place the grain and the process by which that grain grows into plants which produce food. If He can create that amazing process and sustain it, then why would we not trust Him to keep His promise of supplying our needs? C. But, doesnt God want us to be wise stewards of our money? Absolutely He does. There is no way around that fact. 1. That is one of the ways in which He supplies to us, is through our wisdom and thinking and planning. 2. However, we need to make sure we put Him into that thinking and planning and that we seek His wisdom. If I spend all my money on stuff, that is just simply not wise. And that is especially true when God has promised to provide if we will just trust Him. D. It really is amazing that, when we give more to the Lord and to help others, we just seem to come across blessingswhich often include financial blessingsthat we never saw coming. I have to say that Ive seen that in our life. We may not have enough money to have the biggest house or the newest cars or to eat out a ton, but we have never gone hungry or not had a place to live, even in times when we have given more. Funny how God seems to keep His word, isnt it? E. Have you ever thought about this: 1. The idea behind our money and possessions is that God has named us as stewards of them. He entrusts us with those things and finances. Are we always worthy of

that trust? Of course not! We are often foolish. We make mistakes with money. We spend without really thinking. But God still entrusts us with things to manage to His glory. 2. That being the case, why would we not entrust to HIM our money and possessions? He is perfectly wise. He never miscalculates. He owns everything anyway. He can see the larger picture when we cannot. What in the world makes us think we would do better with our money and possessions that He would? And, what could we possibly spend money on, or give money to, that would be better used that to give it to the Lord or use it to help others see His love? 3. I am amazed that we will put our money in a bank or a financial institution because we trust them, without ever really taking a lot of time to research that company. However, we can look back over the history of the earth and see that God has never made a single mistake, and yet we struggle to trust Him with our money or our possessions. F. We must trust Him!!! Conclusion A. Are you giving to the full? 1. Is your giving bountiful? 2. Is your giving purposeful? 3. Is your giving cheerful? 4. Is your giving trustful? B. What is the point of giving? It is that we trust God to do what He has promised. We need to trust Him with our whole lives, including our money. Are you willing to do that?