THE GRACE OF GIVING
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Chapter 8 starts off with a progress report of the giving in a special offering
by the Macedonian Churches. The Churches in Jerusalem was in dire need and
the churches in Macedonia rose to the occasion. They themselves were in poverty, but
gave generously above their means by the grace of God.
In fact the Macedonia Churches, not considering their own needs, begged to give in the
special offering to the Jerusalem churches. They sacrificed themselves for the better
good of others.
EXCEL IN THE GRACE OF GIVING
V:7-8 But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.
A. I think that it is good encouragement to hear about the generosity of others to
those in need.
1. The Macedonia Churches didn\’t have it to give, but their desire to give
cause the grace of God to fall fresh on them so they were able to give
well above their means.
2. God can make away out of no way.
3. With a desire to give, God can take the little you have and multiply it
to take care of your needs and the needs of the receiver of your desires.
B. We can do all things through faith in our God who strengthens us.
1. No matter how bad you situation is, there is someone who in worst
shape than you.
2. There are some areas where it is easy for us to excel in because of
grace God has given us.
3. The Churches at Corinth believed in God, proclaim the Gospel, studied the
Word and had a genuine love for one another.
4. Paul gave the a good old pat on the back for excellent in these areas.
C. Paul encouraged the Corinthian Churches to give the same energy and zeal to
the \”grace of giving\”.
1. Grace is God\’s favor towards us.
2. Every day we awake we are showered with God\’s grace.
3. Since God has shown us favor in areas of our lives, we ought
favor others with generosity in our giving to their needs.
4. The needs of others is a window of opportunity for us to
express our love in a tangible way to them.
D. In this case, the Apostle Paul was not commanding the churches to give,
but urging them to give as a show of the sincerity of their love
to brothers and sisters in need.
JESUS ,THE EXAMPLE OF GIVING
V: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. \”
A. The greatest example of love is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1. In heaven, Jesus was second in the Holy Trinity, and rich beyond any
measure we can conceive of.
2. For the joy of our eternal life, Jesus stepped down out of heaven and
was born into a poor family to die on the cross for our sins.
3. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice, himself, to atone for our sin
B. 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to
God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
1. Being in Christ Jesus, we have access to all abundance which is Christ.
2. What ever we sow in the name of Jesus will be multiplied in all
abundance.
3. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11
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.
11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every
occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
MAKE A VOW TO GIVE AND KEEP IT
V:10-11. \” And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you
were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your
completion of it, according to your means. \”
A. Whatever we start for Christ, we should complete.
1. When we make a vow, we should be careful to fulfill it, because others
rely on our trust worthiness.
2. Others may find encouragement to give because of our generosity.
3. Maybe the Churches in Macedonia were encouraged to give because of
what they heard the Corinthian Churches were doing.
B. God blesses the start of good works to their completion.
1. We should never loose heart in doing good.
2. It is the Spirit of God that drives us to start and it should be the spirit of
God that strengthen us to complete a good work.
3. Galatians 6:9-10
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
4. We must never forget that whatever we sacrifice for others in the name
of Jesus stores up treasures in Heaven for us.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will
be measured to you.\”
GOD PROVIDES FOR OUR GIVING
V:12. \” For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. \”
A. God will never ask us to give what He has not already blessed us with.
1. Malachi 3:10
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test
me in this,\” says the Lord Almighty, \”and see if I will not throw open the floodgates
of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
2. The tithe is 10 percent of a blessing that God has already given to us.
1. To give we must arrange our priorities so God is first in our activities.
2. Before we pay any bills, we are commanded to pay God first.
B. Giving is a command with a promise of more giving from God.
1. we may never be able to see how we can live off of ninety percent of our
income.
2. There in lies the problem our desire to see before we give.
3. The just live by faith and not by sight.
SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE
V:13-14. \” Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,\”
A. What goes around comes around is an tried and tested saying that is based on the
Word of God.
1. 2 Corinthians 9:6
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously.
2. God gives to us so that we can give to others so that His will shall be done.
3. We are not an island to ourselves.
4. We all need each other,
B. God never told us that serving Him would be easy.
1. He did tell us that we would face trials and tribulations because of
our love for Him.
Luke 23:31
For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
John 15:20
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If
they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying,
they will keep yours also.
2. Jesus also promised that He would never leave us or forsake us.
3. The Churches in Jerusalem were facing persecution because of
teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
a. Their need arrived from their love for Christ.
b. God used the generosity of the Churches in other cities to provide for
needs.
EQUALITY AMONG BELIEVERS
15 as it is written: \”He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.\”
A. If the world was equal, there would be no rich or poor people.
1. Unfortunately we live in a world where the rich get richer and the
poor get poorer.
2. In the Church it is not so. We are all equal under the Lord.
1 Corinthians 12:25-26
so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal
concern for each other.
26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part
rejoices with it.
B. In order to be in a mode of sharing you have to have a unselfish attitude.
1. To go along with the unselfishness is total dependence on God.
2. To give up the excess of life is to live each day with the assurance that
God will take care of tomorrow.
3.Giving takes on a whole new priority when you put God at center of your
existence.
4. The reason of our existence is God\’s continuous giving to every area of our
lives.
POINT TO REMEMBER ABOUT GIVING
Here are four things I have learned about giving.
1. We should give joyfully
2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2. We should give Sacrificially.
We don\’t test our faith unless we push our giving to the limit.
We there no way to know how much you can give unless you
trust God with your finances.
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was
commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by
faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
3. We should give Expectantly.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it
will be measured to you.\”
There is no way to get the running over blessing unless you give trusting
that God will fulfill His promise.
4. We should give Completely.
To give completely you have step out on faith and let God support you.
Matthew 14:28-29
\”Lord, if it\’s you,\” Peter replied, \”tell me to come to you on the water.\”
\”Come,\” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and
came toward Jesus. \”
Since God said it, you have to believe it and act upon it.
I heard a preacher say that giving completely means:
\”NO RESERVES, NO RETREATS, AND NO REGRETS.
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Park Way North
Houston Texas, 77041
For more lesson, follow me on facebook and visit my blogs
revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
