The Indescribable Gift 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxeXjjycgKQ&t=1sFor two long chapters now, 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul has been encouraging the brothers and sisters in Corinth to help with the offering being collected for those in Jerusalem who are struggling. When they first heard about the ongoing situation in Jerusalem, the believers in Corinth were the first to speak up and commit to helping out. Their enthusiasm had inspired the poor churches in Macedonia to get involved as well, even though they were desperately poor themselves. Do you remember how Paul described the response of the Macedonians? Go back to 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 with me and let’s refresh our memories. Paul writes,

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. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NIV)

The believers in Macedonia were undergoing a “severe trial,” they were experiencing “extreme poverty,” and yet their “overflowing joy” led them to give with “rich generosity.” The Macedonians did little talking, but lots of giving. The Corinthians, on the other hand, had talked a big game, but they were yet to finish taking up a collection for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Paul had held the Corinthians up to the people of Macedonia as a shining light, a bold example, because of how quickly they had responded with their commitment to help. If a wealthy church like Corinth failed to come through it would be devastating. What should Paul do? What could Paul do? Well, we don’t have to think too hard to come up with possible answers do we? Paul could guilt the people of Corinth into giving. “How could you, who have been given so much, care so little about our brothers and sisters in Jerusalem who are suffering with not even enough food to eat?” He could have gone back to them and shown them the commitment card they filled out and used his authority as the founder of the church and an apostle of the Gospel to put the squeeze on them. Paul didn’t do either of those things. He didn’t want them giving for the wrong reasons so he shared with them the most important truths of generous giving. Let’s read our Scripture for this morning and then we’ll see how these truths are still applicable for us today. 

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 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. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: "They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever." 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:6-15 NIV)

The greatest motivation for being a generous giver, a “cheerful giver” as Paul describes them in verse 7, is an awareness of the continuous overflow of grace which God so freely gives to us. All throughout the Bible, in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, we see example after example of the rich generosity of the Lord towards His people. I’ll tell you what I would like to do this morning while all of us are here in this sanctuary. I would like to do nothing more than hear your stories of how kind and generous the Lord has been to you. I know that we could fill, not just this hour of worship, but the entire day recounting the many, many times and ways the Lord has demonstrated His kindness and generosity with all of us. I know it would never happen, but even if none of you spoke up, I could fill the entire day sharing with all of you the countless ways the Lord has blessed Connie and me. He has provided for us over and over again and in so many ways. Here’s the thing, you and I are to be conduits of His generosity and not cul-de-sacs. As God has provided for us we are to use the resources He has provided for us to help provide for others and not hoard them for ourselves. This Scripture we are looking at this morning has to do with financial resources and it is important for us to understand that every cent we have to our name has been provided by the Lord, but our financial resources are not the only resources the Lord has provided for us. I want us to break our Scripture down into three separate sections this morning. Let’s take a look at the first section, verses 6-8. Read it again with me.

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 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. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NIV)

The illustration of sowing and reaping was commonly used in biblical times. It’s a great illustration to use when you live in an agricultural society. Every farmer’s family would know that if you sow seed sparingly then you shouldn’t expect much of a harvest. It’s not the one who carefully places each seed eighteen inches apart row after row who will reap the greatest harvest. No, no the great harvest will come to the one who strides through the field slinging seed from his bag across the landscape! In verse 7, Paul picks up on an idea he has already shared with the people of Corinth when he writes,

7 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. (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV)

I’ve heard stories about some of the bad experiences some of my friends have had in other churches when it comes to giving. I have one friend who told me the Stewardship Committee of the church asked for the financial statements of their members and then decided what they should give based on their income. Others have told me how they were guilted into giving more than they could afford to give. They were told that to keep the lights on or pay the preacher the people would have to step up and dig deeper.  Paul says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give…” We can either give what we have decided in our hearts to give, we can give nothing at all, or we can give “reluctantly” or “under compulsion.” I want us to take a moment to understand these two Greek words translated “reluctantly” and “under compulsion.” The Greek word “lype” means “grief, sorrow, or sadness.” Paul has already used this word five times in 2 Corinthians to describe “grief” or “sorrow.” In biblical times the word was used to describe the opposite of happiness and joy. So, Paul does not want anyone in Corinth to feel sad or to regret what they have given. He doesn’t want them to give and then, when they get home after worship, regret giving what they gave. Neither does Paul want the people to give because of “ananke," “under compulsion.”  Giving because we have been pressured to give is a horrible reason to give. Paul would not strong arm the people of Corinth and neither should we. Giving generously and freely has always been a character trait of God’s people. Back in Deuteronomy, God gave His people instructions on how they were to help those who were struggling in their community. I love Eugene Peterson’s translation of Deuteronomy 15:10-11. Read it with me.

Give freely and spontaneously. Don’t have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers GOD, your God’s blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors. (Deuteronomy 15:10-11 MSG)

Don’t be stingy. Always be generous. This has always been the path the Lord has laid out for His people. How have we veered so far off the path? Does it really matter how we get the money as long as we get the money to carry out the ministry we have here at Britton Christian Church? You better believe it does! It matters for three reasons. First of all, using tricky schemes, coercing and manipulating people to give, dishonors the Lord. If the Lord is true to His promise to provide for all of our needs, then using methods and schemes to manipulate people proves that we don’t trust Him and that is dishonoring to the Lord. Paul wrote,

19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NIV)

Not only can we as a church trust Him, but you and I can trust Him as well. We don’t need to look to slick fundraising campaigns or pulling on emotional heartstrings to get what we need…we can trust Him.   Secondly, those who use manipulation, shame, and schemes to get people to give will soon lose all credibility. Their schemes and sob stories won’t succeed for long. Third, when we use methods that aren’t biblical to get people to give money we fail to teach the followers of Jesus the true source and motivation for generosity. Paul said, “God loves a cheerful giver.” A cheerful giver is totally different from a reluctant giver who regrets what he or she has done. A cheerful giver is totally different from someone who has been shaken down for the money.  The Greek word translated “cheerful” is “hilaros." It is the word from which we get our English word “hilarious.” The word means “cheerful, joyful, or happy.” God loves a cheerful giver because that is what God is…He is the Chief of the cheerful givers! Cheerfully giving away our resources is illogical isn’t it? It just doesn’t make any sense for me to take away from what I have so that someone else, maybe even someone I don’t know or trust, can gain more than they have. Their having more will only mean that I have less. I’m confident in saying this is the way most of us, even the followers of Jesus, think about our financial resources. If you are a follower of Jesus and you think this way, your thinking is wrong. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 9:8 with me. 

8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV)

God is able to bless you abundantly! Why? So that I can move into a nicer neighborhood? So I can upgrade my truck? So Connie and I can have everything we’ve ever wanted in life? That’s exactly what the health, wealth, and prosperity preachers will tell you, but that’s not what the Bible teaches. “...God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” I know this is going to sound like something a preacher should say, but it’s not a truth that is only true for the followers of Jesus. It’s truth period. If you were to get all that you ever wanted it wouldn’t be enough. You think I’m crazy, but let me assure you…it wouldn’t be enough. While Connie and I were on vacation I watched a Netflix documentary about Johnny Manziel, the Heisman winning quarterback from Texas A&M. Johnny Manziel is the only freshman in NCAA history to win the Heisman trophy. At the beginning of his freshman year nobody even knew his name. It is a remarkable story. After Johnny’s freshman year the floodgates opened and money and fame came pouring down on Johnny like he never dreamed possible. Everyone wanted to get next to Johnny. Everyone wanted a piece of Johnny. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the NFL draft and everyone knew he would do for the Browns what he did for the Aggies. But he didn’t. He squandered it all away. I was watching the documentary when Johnny said, 

I had every single thing that I could have ever wanted. You have money, you have fame, you’re a first round draft pick battling for a starting quarterback position. When I got everything that I wanted I think I was the most empty that I’ve ever felt inside. (Johnny Manziel) 

I had to press pause and write it down. “When I got everything that I wanted, I think I was the most empty that I’ve ever felt inside.” Oscar Wilde was the Johnny Manziel of the last half of the 19th century. He traveled the world as a poet, novelist, playwright, playboy, and pop culture icon. Oscar Wilde said, “In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.” Johnny Manziel and Oscar Wilde were looking in the wrong place for contentment, satisfaction, and joy in life. Paul said, “God will bless you so that you have what you need for every good work.” Do you see the difference? For Johnny, Oscar, and many of us, our happiness and pleasure are the goal, but for those who are followers of Jesus, good work done for the glory of our King is the goal. Jesus said,

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NIV)

Let your light shine by being a blessing to others, by serving others, by helping others, by giving to others. Why would we do that? So that “others” may recognize God’s hand in our kindness and generosity and praise Him instead of us! Peter must have been listening when Jesus spoke these words because he would later write, in 1 Peter 2:12,

12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:12 NIV)

In verse 8, Paul reminded the Corinthians that God would bless them abundantly so that they would have all that they needed. I can’t speak for the people of Corinth, but I can ask you, “Has God been true to His promise to you? Do you have all that you need?” The failure is not on God’s part, but on ours. Instead of focusing on God’s abundant provision of all that we need, we focus on not having all that we want. Because of this, whatever we have will never be enough and we will continue to give like we are destitute paupers.  About 25 years ago Tim Stafford shared a remarkable study which I’m certain still holds true to this day. He learned that Americans give more to charitable organizations than any other country. The most charitable of Americans are Christians, not just Christian-in-name-only, but committed followers of Jesus. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Dr. Stafford found out that even committed Christians give just a small percentage of their income. He writes,

The bad news is that, though certainly ‘rich’ by the living standards of even our grandparents, Christians today contribute only between 1.1 percent and 3.4 percent of their annual income to religious and nonreligious organizations combined. Such statistics show just how much materialism has gripped both us and the culture in which we live. (Tim Stafford, “Anatomy of a Giver,” Christianity Today (May 19, 1997), pg. 22, 24).

Let’s move on. In verses 10-12, Paul shares a great lesson with the people of Corinth. He lets them know that their generosity will not only be a blessing to those who are in need, but it will result in God receiving the praise. Let’s read these verses.

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2  Corinthians 9:10-12 NIV)

God is the One who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food. God is the One who provides you and me with everything we need, everything we have, even the meals we sit down to eat. He promises to “enrich us in every way” so that we can be generous on every occasion. I’ve been wondering, “If I decided today that I was going to take Paul’s advice and begin to see each new day as an opportunity to live generously towards others, what would I get in return?” There’s got to be a return on my investment right? That’s a great question! How about a plaque? Could it be a round of applause? Could I maybe sit on the front row? Let me tell you, there is nothing you could ever receive that would even come close to witnessing someone praising God for His provision…provision that came through you. A few weeks ago there was someone in our church who was having car trouble and was not able to afford to get it fixed. Living in Oklahoma City you really need a car. The Lord provided for the car to be fixed. I got a text from my friend wanting to know who paid for the car to be fixed. I sent the following text: “The Lord touched people’s hearts and His love for you caused them to help you. They want nothing more than for you to recognize that He has provided and will always provide for you.” My friend had been struggling, wondering, “Why is the Lord allowing me to go through all of these troubles?” Now my friend knows that no matter what trouble she will have to face, she will never face it alone. What Paul wrote is so true: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”I get to see this truth lived out before my eyes almost on a daily basis. Most every week there is someone who is behind on their electric or water bill working here at BCC so they can get caught up. I’ve lost track of the number of funeral expenses you have covered for those who lost a loved one and were unable to pay for the casket and burial. If I had a dollar for every meal you have prepared for those who were coming home from the hospital I’d have more money than Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos combined! How much money have you given to buy school clothes, to provide school supplies, and activities for the kids at Britton Elementary School? I could go on and on…On Wednesday I went to pray for Karen Douglas before her surgery on Thursday morning. She told me someone, who was going out of town, had already brought some frozen casseroles by the house. She heard that our Elders had filled up a Meal Train to provide meals for the week after her surgery. After we prayed and I was leaving her house, Karen said, “I want you to know that BCC is the greatest church in the world. I’m so glad the Lord has blessed me with my church family!”  When we give, when we serve, from a cheerful heart, He gets all of the praise! Let’s take a look at our last section found in verses 13-15.

13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:13-15 NIV)

We are running short of time so I want to focus on one little phrase in these verses. Paul says that when we give and serve with a cheerful heart, those that we serve will pray for us and their hearts will go out to us. As we close our time together this morning, I want us to go back to the day when the offering was completed and Paul and his companions carried it all the way to Jerusalem, to those Jewish followers of Jesus who were being persecuted for their faith and suffering because of a famine. I want you to imagine what that would have been like. The Jewish Christians were looked down upon in Jerusalem with nobody to help them. They had no ability to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. They turned to God and prayed for relief, relief that only He could provide. The days drug on and their hope was wearing out. Then one day a group of Jesus’ followers led by Paul, but representing dozens of Gentile churches and hundreds of Gentile believers, who were unknown to the believers in Jerusalem, arrived with the love offering. Word spread fast that Paul and his friends had come with help. As those Jewish Christians gathered around, Paul laid the offering before them. They couldn’t believe their eyes! There was enough money there to buy food for months. Women as well as men wiped tears from their eyes. Tears of joy, laughter, hugs for everyone–it was a sight that no one would ever forget! People forget that there was still plenty of skepticism about Gentile converts. Some Jewish Christians still harbored prejudice against the uncircumcised Gentile believers, but that was before love came to town. There’s lots of skepticism about you and me, the followers of Jesus, in our own society. How should we respond? Work to get our people in seats of power so that we can get the upper hand? Should we hire some Madison Avenue marketing firm to help put a better spin on who we are as followers of Jesus? I’m certain that is what some of us think would be best, but I’ve got a better idea. Let’s follow in Jesus’ footsteps and give with cheerful hearts, let’s serve those around us and expect absolutely nothing in return. And for those who are antagonistic and skeptical…let’s put them at the front of the line. You say, “I just can’t do it. It’s not in me.” I know. Neither is it in me, but remember, if you are a follower of Jesus He is in you and He is more than willing to use you in ways you never dreamed to be a blessing to others. If you are not a follower of Jesus then I want to invite you to recognize your great need for Jesus this morning. Mike HaysAugust 27, 2023