THE JOY OF KINGDOM GIVING
Back in the day, in the late 1800s to be exact, orchestra conductors were the “rock stars” of that generation. A certain Hungarian conductor, Arthur Nikisch, was quite popular with the ladies. He had quite the hair. And so, the women besieged him often for a lock of his hair. It seemed that he kept cutting his hair over and over again responding to these requests. He would put the locks in envelopes and sent them all over the world. One of his friends said to him, “At this rate, my friend, you will soon be bald!” To which he replied, “Not I! But my dog will!”
Anyone can give. I had originally entitled this sermon, “The Joy of Giving,” but added “Kingdom” when I realized my title was too generic. Bill Gates is reportedly giving 2 billion dollars to charity in the next while, which is wonderful. Anyone can give, Christian or not. What’s important in our giving, is not how much we give, or what we give, but the reason and heart with which we give.
We are jumping into the middle of a letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians, so a little background is needed. In 2 Cor. 9:6-15, Paul is reminding the Corinthian church of the collection he is taking up. This is a specific offering. The believers in Jerusalem were in the midst of a famine. By taking up this collection from Gentile churches, Paul hoped to bridge the gap between Jews and Gentiles in Christ’s church.
While the situation was specific to that particular event, Paul leaves us with clear teaching about giving and the benefits of giving in the kingdom of God. These guidelines are important reminders for us today with regard to our attitudes towards money.
1. Your Giving is an Act of Generosity (9:6)
The Corinthians had promised to set aside money for this collection a year ago, but so far, they had not followed up. Paul did not want to shame them but remind them of their promise and the benefits of keeping this promise.
From agriculture, Paul used a fairly obvious principle: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously,” (6). Farmers know this: you cannot be shy with seeding canola; you have to sow liberally to expect a good harvest.
We town people know this too. Two summers ago, Scot Dyck installed underground sprinklers in our lawn and in so doing left bare, grassless trenches. He left a bag of grass seed with me to regrow the grass in those tracks. Scot said he would pick up what I didn’t use later. I scattered the seed and waited. I’m not very patient and when I didn’t see results, I seeded some more. I used almost the whole bag. But it worked.
If you sow in a tightfisted manner, you won’t get much of a result. It doesn’t make sense to save your seeds and expect a good result. Hoarding your seeds in the garage “just in case” doesn’t produce grass in your lawn. In agriculture, one seed of wheat can produce 30 to 100 times the amount sown.
We see what Paul is saying. Sow generously. Become a person who gives generously for the sake of the kingdom of God. Give in an openhanded spirit and you will reap a bountiful harvest.
As one church illustrated this matter of giving, we are all on a spectrum between an emerging giver and an extravagant giver. We are at different places in the spectrum, but Paul tells us “Keep moving to the right.” Make it your goal to become a generous giver.
To sow generously is to demonstrate two things: a) “your” money doesn’t belong to you; b) faith in God’s provision.
2. Your Giving is an Act of Joyful Intention (9:7)
Paul did not want to guilt people into giving to this cause. But even if they gave generously, that was not enough. Paul wanted them to give cheerfully as well. He wrote, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver,” (7).
Please note the nuances of this teaching: “Each of you should give…” not because of tradition or guilt, but for your participation in the Spirit. It is your spiritual worship. You should give “what you have decided in your heart,” not according to what someone else thinks you should give. You alone know what God is telling you to do. “Not reluctantly or under compulsion” gives the sense of torture. No! Giving should come from a joyful intention. You decided to give, and you are glad to give because God loves when you give.
If you give grudgingly, it has the potential of restricting the effect of your giving on you. The Greek word for “cheerful” is “hilarious.” You are to be a hilarious giver – a person who hilariously scatters (like seeds) your finances. There should be a joy that leaps over all your restraints. We don’t give then out of a sense of duty or prestige, but because your heart is so full of joy in the Lord, you can’t help it.
Randy Alcorn said, “I have found that cheerful givers love God and love him more deeply each time they give. To me, one of the few experiences comparable to the joy of leading someone to Christ is the joy of making wise and generous choices with my money and possessions. Both are supreme acts of worship. Both are exhilarating. Both are what we are made for.”
Intentional giving implies a decision. Many today use the principle of tithing in their giving to the church. The idea of tithing comes from the OT where God required the people of Israel to give ten percent of their earnings or produce (wheat or livestock) to the Lord at the Temple. Does this apply to us today? Well, if we were to follow the tithing practices of the OT today, someone suggested with all the tithing required, the average Israelite would have given 30% by the end of the year.
The NT does not actually directly teach tithing as a practice in the church. It is assumed but never stated. What do I think about tithing, you may ask? Sharon and I practice it with our income as a guiding principle. It helps you consider what to give. But on the other hand, ten percent limits what the Holy Spirit may prompt you to give. For some, ten percent is just not possible and so, again, you must decide how much to give. At one meeting, we were told that if each family gave just under 4000 dollars a year, we would make our budget. Some can meet that easily; others here find that number beyond their means.
Let’s not take the joy out of giving with statistics. Rather, consider how your giving honors the Lord.
3. Your Giving Reflects the Heart of God (9:8-11)
Why give?
That’s the question that has plagued Christians for centuries. When it comes to “my money,” I like to have control of what it is used for, where it goes, what happens to it. Right? And sometimes we question how the church or the mission or the organization we contribute to distributes the money. But let’s return to the heart of the question…
Paul said that God is able to make every blessing abound so that they will abound in every good work (8). In effect, that means that God is the source of all human generosity because God is the One who supplies the blessing. The only reason I can give is because God has given to me.
The focus of verses 10-11 is God. He is the source of the Corinthians’ liberal giving. They wouldn’t have anything to give if it wasn’t for him. He supplies the seed that makes the farmer prosperous.
God will give you what you need so that you can continue to be generous. Have you noticed this about certain people? God gives generous people more so that they can keep giving more.
I want to add a word of caution: I am not teaching prosperity gospel here. If you give 100 dollars, do not expect 1000 back. I think we can see that the motivation is already tainted if this is your expectation.
Earlier in this letter, Paul gave the prime example of God’s heart in terms of giving. He motivated the Corinthians with this picture, “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,” (8:9).
Why do we give? Because it reflects the generous heart of God towards us. Giving is a spiritual indication in your faith that you appreciate what God has done for you in Christ.
4. Your Giving is a Blessing to Others (9:12-15)
Giving is spiritual worship! It praises the name of Jesus by reflecting his own character. And it benefits others as well.
Paul mentions four ways giving benefits others. The NLT translates this text very clearly: “So two good things will result from this ministry of giving – the needs of believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the good news of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words,” (12-15).
Let’s highlight the four ways giving blesses others.
1) It supplies the needs of the Lord’s people – When we talk about budgets, we can easily lose sight of the people that budget represents. I, for one, could not do the work of pastoring without your generous support. Thank you! We support Rolf and Ang, Marvin and Heidi, Sharon Cornelsen, and Inner City Youth Alive (Kent), and so many others with our gifts. Because you give, people can worship in this place all year long.
2) It gives those who receive these gifts a reason to thank God. When you give, you are an answer to someone else’s prayer. God uses you to meet the needs of others.
3) It reveals that God is at work in you. For Paul, it was proof to the Jews in Jerusalem that the Gentiles were really following Christ. When we give, it demonstrates that we have grasped God’s mercy to us and are willing to share that mercy with others.
4) It will lead them to pray for you. Do not take this too lightly. The church in Uganda prays for us because we sent the Kruses to them. The church in Madrid remembers us in prayer because the Schmidts are part of the ministry there. When we give, we create koinonia, a fellowship, a partnership of the global church.
Randy Alcorn wisely said, “A revival of lavish giving and strategic living is a revival of grace empowered by God. As the body of Christ gets serious about learning and living out God’s instructions concerning money and possessions, Christ’s cause will be furthered and his person exalted.”
Are you ready for what God wants to do in your life when you give to the Kingdom work?
The prophet Malachi gave a warning and a promise, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, “How do we rob you?” In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are robbing me. 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,” (3:8-10).
Are you ready for that kind of blessing? Can you handle that much blessing?
Kingdom giving blesses the heart of God. He has a special love for the cheerful, generous giver who invests in the kingdom of Jesus. Sermons about money are hard to hear; they are hard to preach too. But the reality is this: God has given us whatever we have. More, he has given us the best of heaven in his Son, Jesus. We are responsible as stewards to give to him and the work of the gospel.
Sharon and I give our ten percent to the church out of our combined income (we believe the church receives our first fruits, then we give to other ministries); we give to Inner City Youth Alive and to a ministry called “Give the Word” which hands out bibles to anyone for free; we support Steinbach Bible College; and we have regularly supported Compassion children. I tell you this not to brag or boast, but to stand here as an example of what I preach. I believe that giving to the kingdom is an important part of our spiritual worship. And I believe that God blesses the cheerful giver.
You have everything you need to be a generous and cheerful giver. Will you help build the kingdom?
AMEN
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