Revering the Word
2 Corinthians 9 Is it wrong to proclaim that giving will lead to blessing?
Good morning everyone this morning we are in 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 and Paul is continuing his discussion with the Corinthians regarding Preparing for a gift that the Apostle Paul would take to Jerusalem to provide for the needs of the saints in Jerusalem and Although this is not exactly this gift like a tithe that you would give to your church It it does give us an indication of what it means to be generous with the things of God so let's go ahead and taking this chapter for it is Superaphos for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints for I know your readiness of which I boast about you to the Macedonians Namely that a Kia has been prepared since last year and your zeal has stirred up most of them so Paul has had a report that the Corinthians were desiring to give and help Paul with this need and in fact the Apostle Paul has said that he even you know bragged about to the churches of Macedonia like Philippi as an example that the Corinthians were eager to help in this regard Verse 3, but I have sent the brethren in order that are boasting about you may not be empty in this case So that as I was saying you may be prepared Otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared We not to speak of you will be put to shame by this confidence So he's saying I'll actually look bad if you're not ready to give because I've already bragged about it and Paul is sending the brothers we've talked about that he's sending some reputable people with this letter to Corinth and He is hopeful that they will follow through on their act of generosity Verse 5 so I thought it necessary to urge the brother and that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand You're previously previously promised a bountiful gift So that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness I think I think he's hoping this is just going to be easy meaning they'll have already prepared it they'll come they will have a gracious generous gift prepared and You know he won't have to have them continue to talk about giving and have there be a risk that There's some kind of complaint about you know how there can be right as it relates to giving sometimes You know you talk about giving and people might misinterpret or You know think think wrongly so he's hoping that when he comes they've already just got everything ready So that it really won't be an issue and they'll just be generous now. I say that now this I say He who so's sparingly will also reap sparingly and he who so's bountifully will also reap bountifully each one must do just as he has purpose in his heart not grudgingly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver and God is able to make all grace a bound to you so that Always having all sufficiency and everything you may have an abundance for every good deed now it's interesting you know there is a Some like prosperity gospel teachers that will really focus on these passages and talk about how You know they'll be compelling people to give and how because of your giving That's how you're gonna receive and be blessed. So they really stress these verses in order to You know compel people to give now It's interesting because that's what it says So the word of God does say here that you know what when you're generous Essentially God knows and he's gonna bless you and I'll tell you you'll hear a lot of testimonies about that There are people who have put God to the test so to speak in this where they feel like God compelled them to give even when it was hard to give even maybe when they Didn't have a lot of resources and then God turns around and blesses them So there is some truth to this and I think it should be it can be taught that this is in the word of God but when you overemphasize it for your own gain when you as a as a preacher or a You know some kind of ministry over emphasize this to the point where you're just trying to almost manipulate people to to give I think that's a mistake too but to say that we shouldn't teach it well that would be a mistake because it's in the Bible and I Do believe God knows about our generosity and I do believe God blesses his children and blesses people who are faithful to him So, you know, I would say cover it in proportion to what the Bible does. It's not like this is something that is Covered all the time, but yet, you know It's a good and healthy thing to be generous with God As it is written he scattered abroad. He gave to the poor. So now he's quoting Psalm 112 here He's scattered abroad. He gave to the poor his righteousness and doers forever. That's actually a great Psalm That's one of my favorite Psalm Psalm 112 Be encouraged to take that in it's not real long of a Psalm, but it's just It's about a man who is blessed who fears the Lord and what does what are the kind of the actions and what are the What does a man do who fears the Lord and one of those things is that he he gives he's generous a man who fears the Lord It talks about that in this that chapter and that God blesses them God's favors upon him Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of Your righteousness and you know again, it's it's back to Sometimes what's overemphasized, but yet is in the scriptures that you know when you provide seed that God's gonna Provide you with more seed, you know, so, you know, that's what it says here You will be enriched in everything for all Liberality you're gonna be blessed when you are When liberal in the sense that you're liberal or generous and you're giving which through us is producing Thanksgiving to God and you know it is when when you when when a church is generous when people are generous It does produce Thanksgiving to God. I mean, you know, we had a missionary in you know about a year ago and our church is very generous and I know that she felt the blessing of God, you know, on it through our generosity For the ministry of this service is not only Fully supplying need to the saints, but it is also overflowing through many Thanksgiving to God so yeah, it's providing for a physical need, but it's also Providing like got people see God in it, you know There was a time in the Bible in the early on in the book of Acts where people like even had a field And they sold it and they laid it at the apostles feet and and you know when you hear stories of the men's chest Generosity like that people are amazed. They're like gosh, you know man man by nature our own flesh. We're selfish That's the nature of man. So when you see man responding away that is generous towards God You you're like that's God doing that in man because man on their own would be selfish So God is moving in those people to do that kind of a thing Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ And for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all so basically people are going to see the obedience of God And you know what a way to confess the gospel is not just through the words of the gospel But through the act of giving and generosity It actually shows the God at work and the gospel at work in in you and I Verse 14 while they also by prayer on your behalf yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you You know the grace of God. What a wonderful thing. I believe that's going to be my focus this coming Sunday is the grace of God It's such a a powerful word such a rich word and I'll look forward to Talking more about that this Sunday, but this this shows the grace of God is upon them Thanks be to God for his Indescribable gift and you know when you see people Having favor upon them when you see people acting in really special godly ways Whether it be they've faced a very significant challenge in their life and they're still able to have faith and joy Maybe like in this chapter. They they give generously when you see God moving Through someone and using someone in a powerful way. It's appropriate to say God's grace is upon them God's grace is moving through them God's power God's favor God's gifts are moving through them and those people Hallelujah And what a compliment that is and what a blessing it is to have the grace of God upon you May God encourages all to reveal Not only through our words not only through our faith But through our actions through our giving that we truly are the people of God and that the grace of God is upon us God bless you all