Giving

6/04/23

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Sermon Transcript

Good morning. Our topic this morning is the subject of giving, which on a list of popular sermon topics would probably not be near the top. So maybe our preliminary question is why talk about giving today? Well, one reason to talk about giving is that I was asked to talk about giving, and that’s always a good reason to talk about a subject. But I might have talked about giving anyway, because giving is such an important subject. In fact, it’s one of the most important subjects we could ever consider. The only reason we are here today is because of an act of giving. John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave, he gave his only begotten son.” And if we as children of God want to be like our heavenly Father, then we need to carefully consider the subject of giving. God gave and God gives, so must we. And if we want to be more like Christ, then we should start with the subject of giving. As we sing, “Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe.”

So let’s look at some important questions this morning on the subject of giving. And Why must we give? Why must we give? Well, one reason we must give is that giving is a commanded act of worship. Giving is a commanded act of worship. And this first reason of why we must give may simultaneously be the most important reason and perhaps the least appreciated reason for why we give. Why do we do the things that we do each week in our worship service? The answer is that we are following a pattern for proper worship that is laid out for us in the New Testament. That is why we sing. That is why we pray. That is why we proclaim the Word. That is why we partake of the Lord’s Supper. And that is why we give. Each of those actions is part of the divinely provided pattern of worship for the church assembly that we find in the New Testament. And each of those things must be done in spirit and in truth, John 4:24, if we are to please God. Now, I said a moment ago that this aspect of our giving is sometimes not perhaps as appreciated as it should be. Why did I say that? I said that because quite frankly sometimes it feels as if we are apologizing for the contribution. We sometimes work so hard to explain that giving is not part of the Lord’s Supper that we appear to be downplaying the importance of our giving. I know that is not our intention, but sometimes I think that’s how we sound. Yes, I suppose that our giving is separate and apart from the Lord’s Supper. But so is our singing. So is our preaching. And yes, the timing of our giving in the worship assembly may be a matter of convenience, but the fact that we are giving is not a matter of convenience. It is a commanded act of worship to God. And while we’re on the subject, I’m not convinced at all that the timing is a matter of convenience. Now I wasn’t there when it was determined when we would give. But can anyone think of a better time to give back to God than right after we have remembered God’s inexpressible gift to us? I don’t think it’s a matter of convenience at all. It is a commanded act of worship. Giving each Sunday is part of the pattern for proper worship that we find in the New Testament. First Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered him. Let there be no gatherings when I come.” And our giving, if it is done as God desires, is an act of worship, worship to God. Philippians 4:18, “I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.” Sacrifice to God is worship. Our giving, our sacrificial giving, given in spirit and in truth, is part of the worship that God desires from each member of His Church in the Assembly on each Lord’s Day. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by Him in store as God has prospered Him.

A second reason why we must give is that giving is required for the work of the Kingdom. Giving of the kingdom. There are many things we can give to God, but there is only one thing we give to God that keeps the lights on in this building, and that’s money. Absent money, we will soon find ourselves collectively unable to do the work of the kingdom in this place. If we fail to give as we should, then soon we will be failing to work as we should. A third reason why we must give is that giving lets us go into all the world. Jesus commanded that we go into all the world, but Jesus did not tell us how to go. And one way that we can go into all the world is to support missionaries who are going into all the world to proclaim the gospel of Christ. A fourth reason we must give is that giving shows our gratitude for the grace of God. You know, there’s an important question that I need to ask myself every single day, and you need to ask yourself every single day. Where is the evidence of God’s grace in my life? What do I do with the money that God has given me? The answer to that question, how I use the money that God has given me, is a visible sign of God’s grace in my life. A fifth reason why we must give is that giving causes us to grow and mature spiritually. The more we give, the more we grow, both individually and as a body. The more we give, the more we become like Jesus. So there are many reasons why we must give.

Our second question this morning is this, how must we give? How must we give? There is a wonderful example of giving in the Bible that I want us to look at this morning very carefully. And if you still have your Bibles open to 2 Corinthians chapter 8, I’d like us to read the first six verses to read about the example of the Macedonians. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. And this not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then by the will of God to us. We urge Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace.” Who were the Macedonians? Well geographically, the Macedonians included the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, and we’re all familiar with the history of Paul’s travels in Macedonia. After Paul received the famous Macedonian call in Acts 16:9, he traveled to Philippi, which Acts 16:12 tells us “was a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.” It was there that Lydia was converted. It was there that Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned. He next traveled to Thessalonica in Acts 17, where a jealous Jewish mob attacked the church, that the Christians had turned the world upside down. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone said that about us? Next in Acts 17:10, Paul traveled to Berea. That’s where he found the noble Jews who search the scriptures daily. But he also found there the trouble-making Jews from Thessalonica who had come to Berea to cause even more trouble. And of course, we know a lot more about the Macedonian congregations in Philippi and Thessalonica from Paul’s letters to them.

So our question about the Macedonians this morning is this, how did they give? They are the example that Paul gives us. How did the Macedonians give? Let’s look very closely at that question. And when we do, we will find 10 things in these six verses about how they gave.

First, the Macedonians gave in the midst of a test of affliction, a severe test of affliction, verse 2. The Greek word used there for affliction means they were crushed by life. It means they were being squeezed and pressured by everything around them. We see descriptions of that affliction both in the events from Acts and in Paul’s letters. Philippians 1:29, “For it’s been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but you should suffer for his sake.” 2 Thessalonians 1:4, “Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all of your persecutions and in your afflictions that you are enduring.” 2 Corinthians 7:5, “For when we were coming to Macedonia our flesh had no rest But we were troubled on every side, without were fighting, within were fears.” The Macedonian congregations were afflicted on every side. Such afflictions might have caused them not to give at all. But that’s not how they responded. Instead, despite that affliction, despite that pressure, they looked, they begged for opportunities to give.

Second thing we can say about how the Macedonians gave is that they gave even while experiencing deep poverty, also verse 2. The poverty of the Macedonians was extreme. The Greek word means rock-bottom poverty. It’s from that Greek word that we get our word bathysphere, which is a vessel used for deep-sea observation. We’re talking about Jock Cousteau deep poverty here. That’s how deep it was. What caused it? The most likely cause was economic persecution. They weren’t allowed to work and join the trade guilds if they did not offer a pinch of incense and say that Caesar is Lord. And they refused to do that and so they were cast out, unable to make a living. They were canceled for Christ. You think canceling is something new? It’s not. It’s been around a long, long time. And like those who are canceled today, they were suffering economically. The saints in Jerusalem were also suffering in a similar way. And so perhaps the Macedonians had some empathy for them because they knew what they were going through. We see that same aspect of giving out of poverty and another great example of giving in the Bible, Luke 21:1-4 about the widow, the poor widow who gave all she had to live on. What these examples tell us is that great wealth is not required for great giving. The Macedonians were materially poor, but they were spiritually rich. Their poverty was outward and visible and temporal, but their wealth, their spiritual wealth was inward. It was unseen. It was eternal. We see the same thing with the church in Smyrna, Revelation 2:9, “I know your works. I know your tribulation. I know your poverty, but thou art rich,” Jesus says. And of course, the opposite can also be true. We see that with the church in Laodicea, which was materially rich, yet spiritually poor. Revelation 3, “Because you say I am rich, increased with goods, have need of nothing, you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,” Jesus says.

A third thing we can say about how the Macedonians gave is that the Macedonians extreme poverty and abundance of joy overflowed into a wealth of generosity. Isn’t that beautiful? There in verse 2. And perhaps the most surprising there is abundance of joy. Joy filled poverty? Joy filled affliction? Where does that come from? The answer of course is that Christian joy is not determined by our outward circumstances. And if we need proof of that fact we have it right here in verse 2. Not only were the Macedonians joyful while suffering severe affliction and extreme poverty, but they had an abundance of joy, we are told. Faced with extreme poverty and afflictions, they did something completely unexpected. Given all their own troubles and all their own concerns, would anyone have been surprised if they had turned inward? But they did not. turned outward and they overflowed outwardly with generosity. What we see in verse 2 is the overflow of a grateful heart, a grateful heart. In fact, perhaps the main characteristic that we can discern about the Macedonians here is that they were a grateful people. They were grateful to God. How else can we explain the joy? How else can we explain the generosity? And likewise, our own giving must come from a grateful heart for all that God has done, for all that God is doing, for all that God will do. And the more grateful to God we become, the more understanding we have that we are but stewards of these blessings from God rather than owners. 1 Corinthians 4:2, “It is required of stewards if they be found faithful.” And later in verse 7, “What do you have that you did not receive?” We are but stewards of God’s blessings. Our giving should be based on that fact that we are stewards of these blessings from God. The Macedonians were grateful to God. But you know what? They were also grateful to the poor Jews that they were giving the money to. Well why? Because the Macedonians knew that the spiritual blessings that they were now enjoying had come to them through the Jews and they were grateful for that. Romans 15:26-27, “For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints of Jerusalem, for they were pleased to do it and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they also ought to be of service to them in material blessings.” They were grateful to the Jewish Christians for that reason. Paul tells us great giving comes from great gratitude every single time. And we also see the Macedonians had a trusting heart. Why did they give so generously in the depths of their poverty? The only answer is that they trusted in God. They trusted in God to provide for their needs. Paul had told them that. Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.” The Macedonians generously gave as they did because they trusted in God, they were grateful to God and because their joy was overflowing.

A fourth thing we can say about how the Macedonians gave is that they gave according to their means, verse 3. Now I’ll have to say that is kind of giving 101, isn’t it? First Corinthians 16:2, we read it a moment ago, “We’re to each give as God has prospered us.” Each of us is blessed differently. Each of us gives differently. Each of us must give as he or she has been prospered by God. Proverbs 3:9, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.” And Luke 12:48, which is such a sobering verse. Luke 12:48, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required.” We have been blessed so greatly by God. And with great blessing comes great responsibility. Luke 12:48.

A fifth thing we can say about how the Macedonians gave is that they gave beyond their means, verse 3. Well, how did they do that? How is that even possible? How can we give more than we can give? Well, I think the answer is that they gave together. They gave as one body. I think we see the same idea in the next chapter of 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, “The point is this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all time, you may abound in every good work.” The pronoun you in verse 8 is plural. If we translated it into Texan, it would be y’all. Each individual gives in verse 7, the entire body abounds in verse 8. The Macedonians gave together. I think we see the same thing in Ephesians 3:20-21. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory.” That is how we can collectively give more than we can give. That the Macedonians gave beyond their means also confirms something else about this gift. They gave sacrificially. They didn’t stop when they reached 10% or some other limit. They continued to give and to give and to give. We know that the Macedonians gave until it hurt because they were hurting before they ever started giving.

A sixth thing we can say about how the Macedonians gave is that they gave of their own accord. Verse 3, that’s what it means to be a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Now with the Macedonians, this point isn’t very surprising. Why? Because no one expected them to give anything. No one thought they had anything to give. If the Macedonians were giving, it had to be their own idea. And it was. We’re told that right here. Cheerful giving does not depend upon our ability to give. We may have a great deal that we can give or we may have very little. It matters not. We can each still be a cheerful giver who gives from his heart, not reluctantly, not under compulsion. And what can we say about such a person? God loves a cheerful giver.

A seventh thing we can say about the Macedonians and how they gave is that they earnestly begged for the favor of giving. When it comes to giving, the Macedonians did the begging, not Paul. And despite their own extreme poverty, they weren’t begging for themselves. They weren’t asking Paul, Paul, why aren’t you collecting money for us? We don’t see that here. Instead, they were begging Paul to help other people. You know that they had to beg Paul to help tells us something. It tells us that Paul had not asked them to help. I think we see that also in 1 Corinthians 16:1. There Paul tells us who he asked to help. And it was the Corinthians and the Galatians. And nowhere does Paul say, “I also asked the Macedonians.” Paul knew their poverty. Paul knew their affliction. Well, how did Paul know that? He had experienced it with them. He’d been beaten with them. He’d been imprisoned with them. He’d been persecuted with them. He had been there among them. He knew what they were enduring. And it seems that for that reason, Paul did not ask them to help. Now, if the Macedonians had been looking for a reason not to help and not to give, could there have been a better reason than that? No one asked them to. No one was looking for their check in the mail. It wouldn’t have been missed at all when it didn’t arrive. But they were not looking for a reason not to give. Instead, they were begging for the opportunity to give. The contrast here is very stark. While Paul was begging the rich Corinthians to follow through with their initial commitment, the poverty-stricken Macedonians were begging Paul to let them give. It’s this aspect of their giving, perhaps more than any other, that shows us the Macedonians truly understood giving. They understood that giving is a gift, not only a gift to the one who receives, but a gift to the one who gives. Giving is a gift to the giver. That’s why in Acts 20:35, Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And Paul made this same point to the Macedonians in Philippi. Philippians 4:15-17, “And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift,” Paul wrote, “but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.” The Macedonians understood that giving is a gift to the giver, and so they begged Paul for the opportunity to give.

An eighth thing we can say about the Macedonians and how they gave is that they gave for the relief of distant saints, verse 4. Had the Macedonians ever met the people they wanted so badly to help? No. They were giving to a distant people in a distant land. But the Macedonians knew something very important about those distant Christians. The Macedonians knew they were distant saints. They were Christians. They knew they were all part of the same body. They knew they were all part of the same family, whether Jew or Gentile. They saw the suffering Jewish Christians as what they were, distant family members in desperate need of help. And what was the result? The result was joyous, generous, sacrificial, cheerful giving.

A ninth thing we can say about how the Macedonians gave is that they gave more than expected. Verse 5. The Macedonians’ request to give was so surprising, I think, that Paul thought some of the Corinthians wouldn’t even believe it. I think that’s why Paul says in verse 3, “As I can testify.” The gift from the poor persecuted Macedonians, it must have stunned Paul, it must have delighted Paul. This came out of the blue. Anything the Macedonians gave would have been more than Paul would have hoped or more than Paul would have expected them to give. And if we want to follow that example, then our goal should never be just to give the bare minimum. Our goal should never be to just give whatever we think might make us appear presentable. Our goal should be to surprise. Our goal should be to exceed all expectations. That’s how the Macedonians gave.

A 10th thing we can say about how the Macedonians gave that they first gave themselves to the Lord. Verse 5. Paul saved the most important point for last. The Macedonians did what they did with regard to this collection because of something else they had done. The Macedonians first gave themselves to the Lord. And when the text here says first, it doesn’t just mean first in time. The word used there means first in priority, first in importance. This was the most important did. They gave themselves to the Lord. Their commitment to Paul’s project came from an even deeper commitment, commitment to Christ, commitment to the Lord. As Paul would later tell the Corinthians, “I seek not what is yours, but you,” 2 Corinthians 12:14. That had to come first. The Macedonians’ commitment to Christ was the foundation of their joyous, generous, sacrificial, cheerful giving. The Macedonians, it seems, did not need to be told what Paul had earlier told the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “You are not your own. You were bought with a price.” I think the Macedonians already knew that. And if I am not my own, then how much more is it true that my possessions are not my own? Belong to God. If we don’t first give ourselves to Jesus, then anything we do will just be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Whatever we seek to do for God, we must first give ourselves to the Lord.

Our next question is this. What excuses might we have for not giving? Well, some might say, “I’m too poor to give. People should be given to me.” If anyone, anyone could ever have said that, it was the Macedonians. They were so poor and afflicted that not even Paul expected them to give anything he didn’t even ask them to. The Macedonians wouldn’t have even had to make this excuse 'cause everybody was already assuming it. They’re not gonna give anything. They don’t have anything to give. That is not how the Macedonians responded. Despite their poverty, despite their affliction, they begged for the privilege of giving to the work of the church.

Well, others might say, “Charity begins at home.” And I’ll have to say, when I hear that, I think it’s usually true it ends there as well. And again, the Macedonians could have made that excuse more than anybody else. There were people in Macedonia who could have used that money. But the Macedonians didn’t say that. They didn’t focus inward. Instead, they focused outward. They begged for the privilege of giving to suffering people who lives far, far away from where they live.

Well, others might say, “We don’t even know these people. What if they don’t say thank you?” Again, this is something the Macedonians could have said if they’d been looking for an excuse not to give. In Romans 15:31, Paul asked the Roman Christian to pray that “my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints.” So why might the money he was collecting not have been acceptable to the Jewish Christians? Perhaps because it was Gentile money. As we study Paul’s collection for the saints in Jerusalem, we discover that a big reason for that project was Paul’s desire to unify Jew and Gentile in the one body of Christ. The Gentiles here were helping the Jew. And there was a chance that that gift might not have been accepted. Paul said there was a chance of that. But that risk made no difference to the Macedonians, did it? And if I am motivated by anticipated gratitude back to me, am I serving Christ or am I serving myself? Am I seeking the glory from the gift or am I letting God have the glory? And maybe I should be the one saying thanks to the one I am giving to. That’s especially true for missionaries who suffer hardships all around the globe spreading the gospel of Christ. They deserve our gratitude along with our money. We should never, never act as if we’re doing that missionary a favor by giving to his support. That missionary is doing us a favor. We should be the ones sending the thank you note along with the contribution, thanking him for preaching the word in a distant land so that we can have the opportunity to help spread the gospel there.

Well another might say, “You know, what if I don’t like something that might be done with that money?” Well, let me ask you this. Which of the following statements is correct? God commands us to pay our taxes. Or this. God commands us to pay our taxes only if we agree with everything the government might do with that money. All right. The fact that we’re not in jail lets me know we know the answer to that question. Matthew 22:21, “They said, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” We all understand the first half of that verse, because we pay our taxes. I’m pretty certain most of us don’t like how that money’s being used a lot of the time. Well, let me ask this question. Which of these statements is correct? God commands us to give each week as we have been prospered to the work of the church. Or this, God commands us to give each week as we have been prospered to the work of the church only if we agree with everything the elders might do with that money. Yes, there are certainly some situations where a congregation goes right off the rails. But where that has not happened, where that has not happened, we should trust our elders to do what is right, and we should respect their authority to spend the money as they see best. That is God’s plan for the church. We all understand the first half of Matthew 22:21. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. What excuse could we possibly have for not understanding the second half of the same verse and to God the things that are God’s.

But someone might say, “What if I want to use my contribution to just send those elders a message?” You know if I ever say that to anyone here is what I hope you will say back to me. Have you ever heard of email? Have you ever heard of a telephone? There are a lot better ways of sending a message to someone than lowering the contribution that I am giving to the work of the Lord’s Church. And as for sending messages, let’s look at the two examples of giving that we see right here in 2 Corinthians. There are messages being sent. The Macedonians sent Paul a message and their message was, “Paul, please let us give.” And the Corinthians? Were they sending a message to Paul? We know they had made an initial commitment to this project. We know they were having now to be encouraged by Paul to finish what they’d started. Why? Why had they lost their initial zeal for this project? Were they trying to send Paul a message? We know that the Corinthian congregation was racked with division and inner strife. We know that they had a contentious relationship with Paul involving a painful visit and a painful letter. We know that there were some in Corinth trying to undermine Paul’s influence, apparently spreading some rumors that he was going to misuse these funds. Were the Corinthians slowing down their giving because they were trying to send Paul a message? If so, Paul had a message for them. 2nd Corinthians 8:7-8, “But as you excel in everything in faith and speech and knowledge and all earnestness and in our love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.” Yes, the poor Macedonians were undergoing a severe test of affliction, but the Corinthians were also being tested. Was their love genuine? And likewise today, if I’m reducing my giving to send a message, I may be sending a message I did not intend to send.

Here’s the real question for me with regard to all of these possible excuses not to give. Here’s the question. It’s a question for me. It’s a question for you. What if God gave like I do? What if God looked for an excuse not to give? What if God just gave the least He could get by with? What if God held back for fear I might not say thank you? What if God loved in word but not in deed? What if God gave but held back the very best? What if God gave like I do? Where would I be then?

The key word in everything we’ve said here this morning about giving is the word grace. Grace. In 2 Corinthians 8:6, Paul refers to this collection as this act of grace. And Paul repeatedly uses the word grace to describe this collection of funds for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Grace as we know refers to something freely given, either something God gives to us or something we give to God or something we give to others. That is undeserved, something that is unearned. And our grace to others is a sign of God’s grace to us. As another has said, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ denotes the utterly undeserved, royally free, effective, unwearying, inexhaustible goodwill of God, active in and through Jesus Christ, God’s effective, overflowing mercy. When we have been the beneficiaries of such undeserved grace from God, how can we ever close our hearts and our wallets to those in need? 1 John 3:17, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” God, through Christ, gave us the perfect example of sacrificial giving. John 3:16 tells us, “God loved and so God gave.” We see that same great gift a few verses later here in 2 Corinthians 8:9. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” And the Macedonian Christians understood this also because Paul had told them all about it. Philippians 2:4-8, “Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interest of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, that though he was in the form of God, did not account equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, Being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, He humbled Himself by coming obedient to the cross, the point of death, even death on the cross.” And the Corinthians had been told about it as well. 2 Corinthians 5:15, “He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.” When we think about what God has given us, Can we be anything other than joyful, generous, sacrificial, cheerful givers? “All to Jesus I surrender. All to Thee I freely give. I will ever love and trust You in Your presence daily live. I surrender all. I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.” Is that just what we sing? Or is that how we live and how we give? If we have not been giving as we should, let’s all resolve to do better. And if you are outside of Christ, then God has a gift for you if you will but obey his gospel. And when you arise from that watery grave of baptism, God will give you the gift of eternal life with him forever. That is the promise of God. That is the grace of God. That is the gift of God. We can help in any way this morning. Please come while we stand and while we sing. I’m sorry.