Thanks—giving! - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Thanks—giving! - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
By Pastor Lee Hemen
November 11, 2007 AM
Thanksgiving is about so many things in our lives. We carry with us the memories of family, friends, and loved ones whom we have spent the years with over mega meals of turkey, potatoes and gravy, and candied yams. Yet, for the believer, there is so much more to this holiday than a mere holiday feast. It should bring us to where we remember what the holiday was truly about in the first place: Thanking God for what He has done in our lives. It should be a day of thanks---giving for the Christian.
Within these few verses we will look at today is such a rich teaching on what Christianity is all about that I almost hesitate to begin. It is a daunting task but one that is sorely needed in our day and age. We live in an era whereby churches have become nothing more than emotional way stations for the unregenerate where they can come to feel good about themselves. Church is to be more than a spiritual pep rally! It should be a place whereby God’s people come together and are transformed by the renewing of their minds and are encouraged to live their lives for God. More getting than giving occurs within the walls of the average church building on Sundays. Christians have forgotten what thanks—giving is all about. Let’s find out what Paul taught on the subject…
READ: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Have you heard the maxim that relates: “You get as good as you give?” Well, that little ditty came from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. It is an age old adage that you reap what you sow in life. This is true of your work ethic, school, family, and your spiritual life as well. There are many who think that their spirituality comes full blown when they come to Christ. This is simply not true. While a person is completely saved when they come to Christ, they are not completely trained to walk in Christ. In this, Paul teaches us an important lesson concerning thanks—giving.
I. In thanks—giving, we get out of it what we put into it (v. 6)!
1. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously! The idea of reciprocity runs throughout Scripture and is a core biblical teaching. We find Jesus telling His disciples, 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.” (Luke 6:38) This idea is found in not just giving your tithe, but also in your willingness to forgive others (Luke 6:37) and Psalm 37:21 tells us that “the righteous give generously!” Paul understood this principle and knew that a person who sows with a generous nature, reflects the love of God in their life. They will therefore “reap generously” from the respect of others and from the Lord. The motivation comes from a heart devoted to God. Christians are to “announce”” their giving, but in humble generosity give so that not even “your left hand know[s] what your right hand is doing.” (Matthew 6:3) Giving is not to be seen as bill paying, or as a “debt owed,” but rather a act of praise to God. If it bothers us to give regularly , perhaps we have gotten out of it what we have sown? Paul teaches us that in thanks—giving, we get out of it what we put into it!
EXAMPLE: We forget that Jesus spoke more on giving as it applies to stewardship, than anything else except heaven and hell. In fact the Bible speaks more about personal stewardship than any other subject. Don’t believe me? Let’s put it in today’s language. Scripture speaks to God’s people about ecology -- the wise use of land and animals, recycling – reusing what God has given us by meeting the needs of others, and investing by being wise with what we have been given in life. Denise and I determined a long time ago that we would give to God first. In fact, we decided we would try to increase our giving each year until we reached a place where we knew God would want us to be. I went from earning over $50,000 to $60,000 a year to earning less than $12,000 a year, after entering the ministry, but we never missed our giving to the Lord first. In our lives we have reaped what we have sown in this area. Missionaries have been able to go to the mission field, our church has been able to pay its bills on time, and we have been able to do ministry in the community. We both have learned that in thanks—giving, we get out of it what we put into it. Have you?
There are too many people who call themselves “Christian,” or consider themselves part of the “church,” yet they never give to further God’s work through His church. Fewer than 3% of regular “church attendees,” consistently tithe to the Lord. And yet these same people will want the church to provide individual ministries to them, their families, and their communities. There is no one who claims Christ that should not be giving back to Him! Why is that? Paul teaches us that…
II. In thanks—giving, grace should motivate our giving (v. 7)!
1. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver! The idea here is following up on the previous verse. Our cheerful, literally “hilarious,” attitude comes from God’s own gracious heart! How is that? The Bible teaches us that our inner motivation for giving should come from God’s mercy to the point that “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” (Proverbs 25:21) Grace should always proceed our giving. God’s tender mercy has been richly extended toward us, how much more could we give in return? Therefore, we are to give to those in need, without announcing it or expecting any thanks for doing so. For what you treasure in life, that is where your heart will be. (Matthew 6:2-3, 21) Proverbs reminds us that anyone who takes credit for giving to God, when actuality they do not, is “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.” (Proverbs 25:14) Jesus reminded His disciples, “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) What we acquire in this life is nothing compared to what God has given us! This is why Jesus reminds us, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) Our joy should be made complete in our giving. We are to give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and in thanks—giving, grace should motivate our giving!
EXAMPLE: I have often said that “I have never met a dynamic vibrant Christian, that does not give to the Lord first. Never.” I have met people who have claimed they know Christ, but rarely give, begrudgingly give, or give out of guilt – and these usually are weak in their faith, struggle with their bills, only once in a while read the Word of God, and rarely pray except to ask God for some need. Harsh? I suppose, but true. I am often reminded of one elderly lady who wanted to give a gift to the church that I thought was way too much for her to give. In my “pastoral” thinking I wanted to protect her from giving more than she “could afford.” She put me right immediately and I never forgot what she told me: “Pastor, never take from someone the right to praise God through their giving. God has given me so much, what little I can give to His work is a tremendous blessing to me!” She taught me something that day I have never forgotten. It is the same thing Paul teaches here, that in thanks—giving, grace should motivate our giving.
This little lady learned something early on in her life that needs to be taught anew to today’s transitory Christian. Steadfastness in your walk with Jesus reaps rewards that the world can never measure. In fact, Paul teaches us that…
III. In thanks—giving, we receive a blessing that cannot be measured (v. 8)!
1. God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work! Is Paul talking about good deeds that save us? NO! Jesus tells us that we are not to “work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (John 6:27) In fact we discover that “God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.’” (Romans 2:6) Paul asks, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) and the answer of course is “Yes, He will.” Notice that here in the verses I just quoted and in verse 8 in our passage today, the word “all.” “All things… at all times… having all that you need… [God] graciously gives us all we need!” WOW! And you ask, “Why giving so important to the Lord?” It reminds us of how much God gave us: “For God so loved the world that He gave...” (John 3:16) and it also reminds us how much God continues to give us each day: God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45) Oh how we so easily forget! In thanks—giving, we receive a blessing that cannot be measured!
EXAMPLE: Have you ever noticed that when you go to the beach, sand gets into everything? On your feet, in your clothes, on the dog, in the car, in your hair, and in places we sometimes cannot mention! What if we took all of that sand that has accumulated in all of those places and counted each grain of sand. I wonder what it would come to? Would you accept a dollar for every grain found and counted? I know I would! What if you picked up a handful of sand, placed it in a plastic bag and counted each grain -- would you accept a penny for each grain? Of course you would! Yet in all of the sand, on all of the beaches, in all of the oceans of the entire world, the amount of grains does not measure up to the blessings we receive from God when we follow Him with our lives. Those who do not, do not understand. Those who do, do. Why? This is why God told Abraham He would bless him like “sand on the seashore,” and David would be blessed “as sand on the shore,” and Israel would be blessed as “sand on the shore.” It was not just about the number of offspring each would have, but the magnificent promise of God coming true in Jesus Christ. All the blessings of heaven and earth are accumulated in Jesus. And when know Him, we enjoy every one of them! This is why Paul teaches us that in thanks—giving, we receive a blessing that cannot be measured!
Conclusion:
In thanks—giving, we get out of it what we put into it (v. 6)! In thanks—giving, grace should motivate our giving (v. 7)! In thanks—giving, we receive a blessing that cannot be measured (v. 8)!
By Pastor Lee Hemen
November 11, 2007 AM
Thanksgiving is about so many things in our lives. We carry with us the memories of family, friends, and loved ones whom we have spent the years with over mega meals of turkey, potatoes and gravy, and candied yams. Yet, for the believer, there is so much more to this holiday than a mere holiday feast. It should bring us to where we remember what the holiday was truly about in the first place: Thanking God for what He has done in our lives. It should be a day of thanks---giving for the Christian.
Within these few verses we will look at today is such a rich teaching on what Christianity is all about that I almost hesitate to begin. It is a daunting task but one that is sorely needed in our day and age. We live in an era whereby churches have become nothing more than emotional way stations for the unregenerate where they can come to feel good about themselves. Church is to be more than a spiritual pep rally! It should be a place whereby God’s people come together and are transformed by the renewing of their minds and are encouraged to live their lives for God. More getting than giving occurs within the walls of the average church building on Sundays. Christians have forgotten what thanks—giving is all about. Let’s find out what Paul taught on the subject…
READ: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Have you heard the maxim that relates: “You get as good as you give?” Well, that little ditty came from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. It is an age old adage that you reap what you sow in life. This is true of your work ethic, school, family, and your spiritual life as well. There are many who think that their spirituality comes full blown when they come to Christ. This is simply not true. While a person is completely saved when they come to Christ, they are not completely trained to walk in Christ. In this, Paul teaches us an important lesson concerning thanks—giving.
I. In thanks—giving, we get out of it what we put into it (v. 6)!
1. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously! The idea of reciprocity runs throughout Scripture and is a core biblical teaching. We find Jesus telling His disciples, 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.” (Luke 6:38) This idea is found in not just giving your tithe, but also in your willingness to forgive others (Luke 6:37) and Psalm 37:21 tells us that “the righteous give generously!” Paul understood this principle and knew that a person who sows with a generous nature, reflects the love of God in their life. They will therefore “reap generously” from the respect of others and from the Lord. The motivation comes from a heart devoted to God. Christians are to “announce”” their giving, but in humble generosity give so that not even “your left hand know[s] what your right hand is doing.” (Matthew 6:3) Giving is not to be seen as bill paying, or as a “debt owed,” but rather a act of praise to God. If it bothers us to give regularly , perhaps we have gotten out of it what we have sown? Paul teaches us that in thanks—giving, we get out of it what we put into it!
EXAMPLE: We forget that Jesus spoke more on giving as it applies to stewardship, than anything else except heaven and hell. In fact the Bible speaks more about personal stewardship than any other subject. Don’t believe me? Let’s put it in today’s language. Scripture speaks to God’s people about ecology -- the wise use of land and animals, recycling – reusing what God has given us by meeting the needs of others, and investing by being wise with what we have been given in life. Denise and I determined a long time ago that we would give to God first. In fact, we decided we would try to increase our giving each year until we reached a place where we knew God would want us to be. I went from earning over $50,000 to $60,000 a year to earning less than $12,000 a year, after entering the ministry, but we never missed our giving to the Lord first. In our lives we have reaped what we have sown in this area. Missionaries have been able to go to the mission field, our church has been able to pay its bills on time, and we have been able to do ministry in the community. We both have learned that in thanks—giving, we get out of it what we put into it. Have you?
There are too many people who call themselves “Christian,” or consider themselves part of the “church,” yet they never give to further God’s work through His church. Fewer than 3% of regular “church attendees,” consistently tithe to the Lord. And yet these same people will want the church to provide individual ministries to them, their families, and their communities. There is no one who claims Christ that should not be giving back to Him! Why is that? Paul teaches us that…
II. In thanks—giving, grace should motivate our giving (v. 7)!
1. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver! The idea here is following up on the previous verse. Our cheerful, literally “hilarious,” attitude comes from God’s own gracious heart! How is that? The Bible teaches us that our inner motivation for giving should come from God’s mercy to the point that “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.” (Proverbs 25:21) Grace should always proceed our giving. God’s tender mercy has been richly extended toward us, how much more could we give in return? Therefore, we are to give to those in need, without announcing it or expecting any thanks for doing so. For what you treasure in life, that is where your heart will be. (Matthew 6:2-3, 21) Proverbs reminds us that anyone who takes credit for giving to God, when actuality they do not, is “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.” (Proverbs 25:14) Jesus reminded His disciples, “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8) What we acquire in this life is nothing compared to what God has given us! This is why Jesus reminds us, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) Our joy should be made complete in our giving. We are to give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and in thanks—giving, grace should motivate our giving!
EXAMPLE: I have often said that “I have never met a dynamic vibrant Christian, that does not give to the Lord first. Never.” I have met people who have claimed they know Christ, but rarely give, begrudgingly give, or give out of guilt – and these usually are weak in their faith, struggle with their bills, only once in a while read the Word of God, and rarely pray except to ask God for some need. Harsh? I suppose, but true. I am often reminded of one elderly lady who wanted to give a gift to the church that I thought was way too much for her to give. In my “pastoral” thinking I wanted to protect her from giving more than she “could afford.” She put me right immediately and I never forgot what she told me: “Pastor, never take from someone the right to praise God through their giving. God has given me so much, what little I can give to His work is a tremendous blessing to me!” She taught me something that day I have never forgotten. It is the same thing Paul teaches here, that in thanks—giving, grace should motivate our giving.
This little lady learned something early on in her life that needs to be taught anew to today’s transitory Christian. Steadfastness in your walk with Jesus reaps rewards that the world can never measure. In fact, Paul teaches us that…
III. In thanks—giving, we receive a blessing that cannot be measured (v. 8)!
1. God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work! Is Paul talking about good deeds that save us? NO! Jesus tells us that we are not to “work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (John 6:27) In fact we discover that “God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.’” (Romans 2:6) Paul asks, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) and the answer of course is “Yes, He will.” Notice that here in the verses I just quoted and in verse 8 in our passage today, the word “all.” “All things… at all times… having all that you need… [God] graciously gives us all we need!” WOW! And you ask, “Why giving so important to the Lord?” It reminds us of how much God gave us: “For God so loved the world that He gave...” (John 3:16) and it also reminds us how much God continues to give us each day: God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45) Oh how we so easily forget! In thanks—giving, we receive a blessing that cannot be measured!
EXAMPLE: Have you ever noticed that when you go to the beach, sand gets into everything? On your feet, in your clothes, on the dog, in the car, in your hair, and in places we sometimes cannot mention! What if we took all of that sand that has accumulated in all of those places and counted each grain of sand. I wonder what it would come to? Would you accept a dollar for every grain found and counted? I know I would! What if you picked up a handful of sand, placed it in a plastic bag and counted each grain -- would you accept a penny for each grain? Of course you would! Yet in all of the sand, on all of the beaches, in all of the oceans of the entire world, the amount of grains does not measure up to the blessings we receive from God when we follow Him with our lives. Those who do not, do not understand. Those who do, do. Why? This is why God told Abraham He would bless him like “sand on the seashore,” and David would be blessed “as sand on the shore,” and Israel would be blessed as “sand on the shore.” It was not just about the number of offspring each would have, but the magnificent promise of God coming true in Jesus Christ. All the blessings of heaven and earth are accumulated in Jesus. And when know Him, we enjoy every one of them! This is why Paul teaches us that in thanks—giving, we receive a blessing that cannot be measured!
Conclusion:
In thanks—giving, we get out of it what we put into it (v. 6)! In thanks—giving, grace should motivate our giving (v. 7)! In thanks—giving, we receive a blessing that cannot be measured (v. 8)!
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