November 26, 2023

Giving and the Christian Life

Preacher:
Series:
Passage: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:7
Service Type:

Introduction

Looking at giving – particularly financial giving

Not to think of this as optional

Financial giving is never an add on to Christian life

It is part of our response to God’s amazing love to us
The costly gift of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit
Our response should be giving ourselves completely to God

Looking at the teachings of the passage
Looking at what governs our Christian life

8:9
This is our motivation for giving as Christians

Principles in the Passage
1. Desire is important but it must lead to practice

Not hoping to give

Not a plan that is not put into action

The Corinthians were a wealthy church

Paul instructed them to store up a gift each week
Paul is keen they fulfil this promise (8:6,10-11,12)
It is good to build up this gift and not to stop at the end (9:5)

Have you thought about giving but never went through with it?

Maybe it is time to rethink about this

11 principles

2. Inspired and challenging by the giving of others

Paul is exhorting the Corinthians to be inspired and challenged by the Macedonias

The gave out of poverty

Yet they gave joyfully
8:1-4
They give both according and beyond their ability
Example of the liberality of poor countries in giving

8:8

A test
If you really love God and His people – prove it

3. Giving is never an end in itself

8:5

Not just raising money and giving it over
Serving God
Serving the churches
Part of their obedience to God
Not a competition

4. Liberal giving is to be encouraged

8:7

Paul is encouraging liberal giving
God can bless the church with the grace of abounding giving

9:6

Bountiful giving
Multiple benefits

Bountiful sowing, bountiful harvest

5. The pattern of giving is the giving of the Lord Jesus

8:9

God does not give a specific command about giving

Instead God reminds us of the amazing gift of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus emptied Himself

He decided not to use many of His divine attributes
He went to the cross
That we might have peace with God and every spiritual blessing and an abundance of grace

Paul is encouraging them by the pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ

6. Giving is always voluntary and not by compulsion

You must give in response to the love of God

Not to be pressed into giving
Each person must decide before the Lord

8:8,10; 9:7

Each must make their own wise decisions before God in their heart
The way in which we give is important

Not because we must but because we desire it

7. Giving must not be a burden or impoverish the giver

8:12-13

Not to give that you would struggle
Example

8. Make sure that no-one suffers

Wealthier churches should support poorer churches

8:14-15
There should be equality
God wants all the needs of the saints to be supplied
We must ask in the local/wider Church – is there anyone lacking?

9. Organising strategic giving

There are many verses
Titus was sent to organise giving

9:3
Planned giving is often better than spontaneous giving

10. God’s grace enables us to give

God is able to make us sufficient to give

If we need, we must pray ‘Lord provide it’

Example

9:8

God will supply (in different ways)
Trust in God
You will never lack

11. There are multiple blessings to giving

9:9

Example of George Muller
9:10-11

Quick Recap

Of the 11 points above

The Bigger Picture in Giving

We are given conscience – but it can be seared
There are wonderful truths in the Old Testament that help us in giving

The Ten Commandments – Love God and love your neighbour as yourself

Especially in relation to giving

The principle of a tithe

Before it was ever recorded in Scripture – Abraham gave a tithe

It would be foolish to ignore this principle
It is a helpful marker

Not legalistic giving like the pharisees

Jesus spoke out against this
Jesus also showed the heart of the law

Examples
Jesus wants us to give ourselves to Him – and to give a tithe out of this

How do we make decisions about giving – we look at the Lord Jesus

Examples
We give because Jesus give
We forgive because Jesus has forgiven us

Eph 4:32 – we follow Jesus’s example
Col 2:13

1 Cor 6:18-20 – what governs our sexual behaviour?

What directs our Christian life?

The gospel
Not to sin against the law and not against the Lord Jesus Christ

Live before Him and honour Him