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Home Sermons 2009 Celebrate Giving to the Lord
 
Celebrate Giving to the Lord PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

2 Corinthians 8:1-15
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We want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God which has been shown in the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints -- 5 and this, not as we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6 Accordingly we have urged Titus that as he had already made a beginning, he should also complete among you this gracious work. 7 Now as you excel in everything -- in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for us -- see that you excel in this gracious work also. 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire, 11 so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he has not. 13 I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, 14 but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack."

Summary and Purpose

Summary: It is an honor, privilege and pleasure to give to the Lord. Giving should not be thought of as a heavy burden or even a duty. It should be seen as an opportunity to show genuine gratitude for the love God has already given us. The ways we can give to the Lord are numerous. It includes but is not limited to tithing (setting aside a percentage of income to support your local church), helping the needy and supporting various charities/ministries. It also includes using your time and skills to help others and support the church.

The Christians in Macedonia and Corinth enthusiastically responded to an opportunity to give. Second Corinthians 8:1-15 indicate that they gave sacrificially and gladly to help the poor in Jerusalem. Lets follow their example and ‘celebrate giving to the Lord’ by looking at our financial and personal resources to determine how we can help others and further the Kingdom of Heaven.

Purpose: To encourage the congregation to generously give their time, talents and money to advance the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Sermon

I. Introduction: Everyone has a need to give. Being able to give in some way gives
people a sense of purpose and belonging.
1. My 21/2 year old son, Joshua, is already starting to demonstrate a desire to give or
contribute in some way.
  • It gives him great pleasure to put the napkins and help put the food on the table prior to meals
  • He’s starting to enjoy sharing. He’ll share his fruit snacks ‘gummies’ with me. He’ll also share his food with me.
2. When I visit nursing homes, I find that many of the residents no longer feel useful
because they can no longer give back to their families and friends like they use to.
  • I remind them that as long as they draw breath, God can still use them in some way. They can still give to others by praying or saying an encouraging word. They can give their wisdom.
  • When I was a pastor in Lake Como, we visited a nearby nursing home. The residents would make cards for me and my family for various occasions. It was their way of being able to give something back to me.

3. We all have a need to give.

  • An opportunity to give is a blessing from God
  • Whenever we are able to give, we need to thank God and give.
  • The Christians in Corinth and Macedonia understood this.

II. 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

  1. Background to the passage
  • The Apostle Paul is in Macedonia collecting money for the poor in Jerusalem
  • He writes to the church in Corinth to encourage and exhort the church.
  • In the letter, Paul pleads with the Corinthians to give generously to help the poor in Jerusalem just like the Macedonians have done.
2. In this passage, note the attitude of the Macedonian and Corinthian Christians when it
comes to giving: “We want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God which has
been shown in the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their
abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on
their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their
means, of their own free will, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in
the relief of the saints” (2 Cor. 8:1-4, emphasis added)

3. There are two things that stand out in this passage

  • They gave beyond their means and of their own free will. They willingly gave enough to make it a sacrifice
  • They looked upon giving as a favor or blessing from God. They realized that if they give, God will bless them.
4. Paul wasn’t, however, telling the people they should give so much that they can’t take
care of their family needs. He finishes this passage by saying, “I do not mean that
others should be eased and you burdened, 14 but that as a matter of equality your
abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may
supply your want, that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, "He who gathered much
had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack." (2 Cor. 8:13-15)
III. Conclusion: Right now, God has blessed us with an opportunity to give
1. We have the opportunity to tithe.
2. When thinking and praying about how much to tithe, we should be be willing to give
enough so that we sacrifice some of our wants and re-adjust our lifestyle.
  • We don’t need a daily cup of Starbucks coffee. We can cut back to one cup per month and tithe the money we save.
  • We don’t need 100 cable channels. We can cut back on our cable and tithe the money we save
  • We don’t need the most expensive clothes. We could shop at Wal-mart rather than Penneys and tithe the money we save.
3. Today, we are turning in our tithing commitment cards. If you have not pryerfully
decided how much you are going to commit to give the church each month, that's ok.
Continue to pray about it and turn the commitment card in on another Sunday.

4. Also pray about how you can give your time and skills to further the Kingdom of God.
 
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