A Recipe for Generosity 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
I’m sure you’ve heard it before, probably around Thanksgiving or Christmas, but generosity is good for you. The studies are out there which present irrefutable evidence that this is true. If you are a generous person then you will reap the benefits of your generosity. A study done by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton found that giving money to others lifts a person’s happiness more than spending the same money on themselves. None of the participants predicted that to be the case before they entered the study. And it’s not just being generous with our finances that has a positive impact on our lives. Doug Oman of the University of California, Berkeley, found that elderly people who volunteered for two or more organizations were 44% less likely to die over a five-year period than were non-volunteers, even after controlling for their age, exercise habits, general health, and negative health habits. Those who help others reduce their risk of dying while those receiving help showed no decrease in death risk. Other studies on the benefits of generosity that I read this past week show that being generous increases our sense of social connectedness. In her book, “The How of Happiness,” University of California, Riverside professor Sonja Lyubomirsky writes,
Being kind and generous leads you to perceive others more positively and more charitably and fosters a heightened sense of interdependence and cooperation in your social community. (Lyubomirsky, Sonja, The How of Happiness)
I could literally fill the rest of our time this morning laying out for us all of the benefits of being generous instead of being greedy or stingy. I’m not going to do that because I have a greater goal than to simply convince you that being generous is going to benefit you. My goal this morning is to share with all of us not the benefits of generosity, but the recipe for generosity. There is a much greater motivation for becoming a generous person than focusing on how my being generous can benefit me. Also, being generous is much more than simply doing generous acts. Two sociologists, Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson, conducted a study back in 2014 which led to their book, “The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose.” The results of their study showed that generosity is a lifestyle and not a series of acts. They write,
Generosity cannot be faked in order to achieve some other, more valued, self-serving end. Generosity itself needs to be desired. The good of other people must be what we want. Generosity must be authentic. It must actually be believed and practiced as a real part of one’s life. Only then might its well-being enhancing powers kick-in. (Smith, C., & Davidson, H. The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose. Oxford University Press. 2014)
What is the recipe for living a life of authentic, joyous generosity? This is our topic for this morning, but to learn the recipe we must turn to God’s Word. Let’s read together from 2 Corinthians 8:1-9.
1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything-- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you-- see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 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 you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:1-9 NIV)
Before we can take a look at the recipe for generosity, we first need to set the scene for this morning’s Scripture. At the beginning of Paul’s ministry, he was sharing the good news about Jesus and many Gentiles became followers of Jesus. That posed a problem for some Jewish followers of Jesus. What is required for salvation? What would be required for the Gentile believers to be integrated into the larger community of Jesus’ followers? Some Jewish followers of Jesus said they needed to continue to follow the Law and be circumcised, but Paul, himself a Jewish believer, said “No way!” We are saved by grace alone! Paul and Barnabas made their way to Jerusalem to meet with James, Jesus’ brother, who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem, along with Peter and John. What came out of what has become known as the Jerusalem Council was that salvation was by grace alone and not dependent on circumcision and keeping the Law. James and the other leaders did ask Paul to have the Gentile converts refrain from eating “food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality” (Acts 15:29). We learn in Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia that they also asked him to remember the poor. Paul writes,
9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. (Galatians 2:9-10 NIV)
Paul had first spoken to the church in Corinth about the collection for the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem who were suffering because of persecution, poverty, and a severe famine in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. Read those verses with me.
1 Now about the collection for the Lord's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. (1 Corinthians 16:1-4 NIV)
The “love offering” for the people in Jerusalem began in 46 A.D. Some funds from the church in Antioch were delivered by Paul in 47 A.D. Paul then set out to raise funds while sharing the Gospel in Ephesus, Achaia, where Corinth was located, as well as in Macedonia. In Romans 15, Paul tells the church,
25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord's people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord's people in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. (Romans 15:25-27 NIV)
That journey took place in 57 A.D. When Paul arrived in Jerusalem with the love offering for the poor brothers and sisters in the church, he was arrested. The church in Corinth was one of the first churches who wanted to give to help the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. In 2 Corinthians 8:20 we read,
10 …Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. (2 Corinthians 8:10 NIV)
They were enthusiastic about helping, but then their relationship with Paul deteriorated and the tension led Paul to back off and not mention the subject again until Titus came to Paul and told him about how the church had experienced a change of heart. Now that the relationship was restored, Paul felt free to once again encourage the church to resume their collection for the church in Jerusalem. Paul wrote to the church about his desire for them to be generous towards the suffering church in Jerusalem in the next two chapters, thirty-nine verses. That’s a lot of talk about money isn’t it? He has much to say about giving money, but he never uses the word “money” in any of the thirty-nine verses. Instead, Paul speaks of the grace of God, the grace God gives which enables us to be generous, and most importantly, the grace of our Lord. Paul writes,
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 you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9 NIV)
And to begin his lesson on generosity, Paul points out the brothers and sisters in the Macedonian churches. The Roman province of Macedonia was located just above the province of Achaia, the region where Corinth was located. Both provinces were in Greece. Just to help us understand the geography of the two regions. You could say Oklahoma is Macedonia and Texas is Achaia. With that in mind, let’s read verses 1-5 again.
1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.
Paul had very specific churches in mind when he wrote about the grace given to the Macedonian churches. They were Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Macedonia was a very poor region, unlike the region of Achaia. It had been ravaged by wars and plundered by the Romans, but we just learned that these impoverished believers were radically joyous and generous. Did you notice what Paul had to say about these churches?
They were facing a very severe trial.
They possessed overflowing joy.
They were experiencing extreme poverty.
They were extravagantly generous.
They gave beyond their ability to give.
They gave voluntarily.
They pleaded with Paul for the privilege of sharing in the service to the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.
They gave themselves first to the Lord, then to the collection.
This description of the situation of the brothers and sisters in Macedonia gives us some insight into the recipe for developing a life of joyous generosity. You may hear that list of the characteristics of the people in Macedonia and think, “Well, I’m not poor or going through a severe trial, so how can I follow the recipe?” That’s a great question! Wealth is relative and so is poverty. You can not gauge a person’s generosity by the size of the gift they give, but only by the joy they experience in giving.
In the New Testament the Christian’s experience of joy has no correlation to his or her outward circumstances. Paradoxically, Christians can experience joy in the midst of great persecution and personal sufferings. Poverty overflowing into wealth also may seem paradoxical, but it fits the crazy-quilt logic of the gospel: joy+severe affliction+poverty=wealth. Here, wealth relates to a wealth of generosity and joy multiplied. Material wealth, on the other hand, may cloak spiritual poverty, as Christ’s condemnation of the wealthy but tepid church at Laodicea reveals (Revelation 3:14-22) (Garland, David. 2 Corinthians. pg. 367).
It is so important for us to stop equating generosity with the size of the gift given or the magnitude of the service performed for someone else. Do you remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13, the great chapter about love? Paul said,
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3 NIV)
If I sell it all and donate it to a person, a church, or some other organization but I don’t have love, if my generosity doesn’t flow from a joyous heart, then it amounts to nothing. Did you hear that? It’s not that it doesn’t count as much, but it amounts to nothing. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were very faithful, they tithed not only their finances, but even from their spice rack and yet Jesus had harsh words for them. Turn with me to Matthew 23:23-24 and let’s read together.
23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-- mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-- justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Matthew 23:23-24 NIV)
Jesus went to visit the temple one day and He happened to be there while they were collecting the offering. As He watched, Jesus took notes. Then He spoke to those who were with Him.
1 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 "Truly I tell you," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4 NIV)
I read this past week that the number of Americans who volunteer to help in non-profits continues to decline. In the article, “Helping Out: How American Volunteerism is Changing–and Why," Glenn Gamboa writes,
For decades, volunteerism in America has been declining. But according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps survey, it dropped another 7 percentage points between 2019 and 2021. The survey found about 23% of Americans volunteered with a formal nonprofit – including churches, schools, and food banks – at least once in the previous year. (Glenn Gamboa, April 20, 2023)
I understand what has been taking place in our society, but it should alarm all of us at how the same mindset has invaded the Body of Christ. As our society grows more and more materialistic and individualistic, Jesus calls us to swim against the tide. The American mindset that has invaded the Church thinks like this: “I work hard for my money and I deserve to spend it how I choose. If I want to get for myself with what I think will make me happy, then there’s nothing wrong with that. I spend so much time working and taking care of my family, how dare you ask me to give up my time to do something as menial as…others can do that.”If you want to swim against the tide and follow in the footsteps of Jesus then you must utilize the recipe for generosity. We can find it hidden in plain sight by taking a look at the Macedonian believers. They gave themselves “first” to the Lord (vs.5). George Guthrie points out that the use of the Greek word for “first” is used to point out the priority of the Macedonian’s commitment. Without first submitting ourselves to the lordship of Jesus and possessing a desire to follow in His steps we will never become a person with a joyous generous spirit and lifestyle. The goal is not to give of our resources, but to give ourselves, the totality of who we are and all that we have for the use of His glory. Many, many years ago I was blessed to hear Howard Hendricks speak at a Promise Keepers event I attended. Dr. Hendricks taught at Dallas Theological Seminary for many years and that day he told all of the men who were present that without knowing us he could tell us what is most important to us by simply doing two things. First, he said he would talk to our wives to see how we spend our time. Second, he said he would take a look at our checkbook. Not many people carry checkbooks any longer, maybe he would check our credit card statements. He said, “Where you spend your time, how you spend your time, and how you spend your money tells the real story of who you are.” Second, what the Macedonians did, their joyous generosity, was a work of divine grace. Because of their understanding of Jesus’ grace demonstrated for them, they wanted to demonstrate that same grace in their relationship with others. As it was then, so it remains today, joyous generosity is a work of divine grace. You may very well be generous from time to time of your own accord, but without the Holy Spirit working in your life you will never become a person of joyous generosity.Third, the Macedonian’s experience of divine grace filled them with joy. If you and I will take time to read God’s Word and learn about the transformation that has taken place for those who will follow Jesus because of His grace, then we too will be filled with joy. Listen to this:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- (Colossians 1:21-22 NIV)17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NIV)1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1 NIV)
It is because of God’s grace that we, who were alienated from God are now His children, we who were lost have been found, and we have been made a new creation in Jesus Christ. If that doesn’t make you joyful then I don’t know what will! The Macedonian’s joy was a product of their experience of God’s grace, not a result of their financial prosperity. They were exceedingly poor, rock bottom poor, but their poverty had no impact on their joy. Fourth, the joy they possessed as a result of God’s grace lavished upon them overflowed in generosity that helped to meet the needs of others. Tim Keller was talking about the needs of others and the opportunity the followers of Jesus have to make a difference. He said greed is inherent in humanity and yet greed is a squishy word. We often define “greed” so that we aren’t that. Then he gave a test to help us determine if we have a “generous heart.” He said,
A generous heart is one that joyously, proactively, aggressively is looking for ways to give away your money and you don’t stop at some 5%, 3%, 10%--you don’t stop until it has made a measurable difference in the way you are able to live your life, where you are able to eat, where you are able to go on vacation, how you live. You don’t stop until then, and you like it! Until this is the way your heart operates you can’t be sure you aren’t greedy. (Tim Keller)
Fifth, the Macedonians didn’t wait for Paul to visit them and beg them to help out, they begged Paul for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to help the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. I will never forget a conversation Connie and I had right after we were married. I had just finished my last season of playing football so I got a job working at Derby Rents delivering furniture. It was a tough job and when I brought home my first paycheck Connie said we needed to tithe. I honestly didn’t know what the word meant, but when she explained it to me I wasn’t having any of it. I said, “I worked hard to earn that money and now you want to give 10% of it away?” I’ll never forget her words. Connie said, “It all belongs to the Lord. We couldn’t earn anything without God’s grace and provision. Giving 10% of what we make is just a place for us to start. We will give even more!” I was an American Christian instead of a Christian who lives in America. I didn’t understand and everything within me fought against the idea, but the more I’ve learned about God’s grace, His wonderful, incomprehensible grace the more joy I’ve come to know. The more joy we experience from our relationship with the Lord the less we will seek satisfaction from the stuff of this world. I’ve still got so much to learn. How about you? Do you want to experience joyous generosity in your life? Well, you now have a recipe, a fool-proof recipe. Remember, it all begins with surrendering to Jesus. Are you a follower of Jesus? Have you ever prayed and asked Him to be your Lord and Master? If not, then I’d like to invite you to come forward and express your desire to become His follower this morning. You and I can meet this week and talk about how to grow in our relationship with Jesus, how you can learn more and more about what it means to live your life for Him. Mike HaysBritton Christian Church922 NW 91stOKC, OK. 73114June 4, 2023