Sunday 10th October 2010 by Alan Walden.
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
We are continuing today our series on discipleship and we come now to Christian generosity. For anyone who is concerned about being forced to give more than they want, there is some excellent news. 2 Corinthians Chapter 9 v 7: ‘Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’ So I am not about to tell you how much to give, or what to give to, or to try to force you to give against your better judgement. If the very idea of a sermon about giving puts you on edge, then do relax! There is no pressure or compulsion in the Kingdom of God.
But the Bible has a lot to say about our attitudes to money and to giving - because money is spiritual, and how we treat it is an excellent barometer of how much we trust God and his promises. This passage supplies 2 powerful reasons for generosity and 2 amazing attitudes towards giving.
The first most basic inspiration comes from the generosity of God himself.
Verse 8: ‘God is able to provide’, he supplies our needs abundantly. God is the great provider, from creation onwards. Last week we celebrated that provision with our harvest festival. God’s nature is abundant generosity. Verse 9 (quoting Psalm 112) says ‘he scatters abroad, he gives to the poor, his righteousness endures for ever’.
The generosity of God is not limited, it will never run out. And so, God does not need our money or our generosity, he is quite able to provide all that is necessary. Whatever our motivation is for giving, it is certainly not that God is running a bit short on funds and needs us to help out. Rather, the generosity of God inspires us to be generous ourselves.
Sometimes, giving can feel rather like chipping away at ice. It is sometimes my job to defrost the freezer, and if it needs doing quickly, while it is still frozen hard, it requires great effort. Deep frozen ice is incredibly tough. But if you allow it to warm up, soften and melt, comes away easily and soon flows freely as water. Likewise, our giving should be something which overflows from hearts which have been warmed by God’s love, and inspired by the generosity of God towards us.
If giving is hard, it is because our hearts are hard, and a sign that we need to be warmed by the generosity of God.
And the ultimate generosity of God is expressed in Jesus, the divine giver and the divine gift. He is the greatest treasure we have received. Verse 15 ‘Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!’ His giving of himself, freely, voluntarily and completely, is our example and inspiration.
The second reason for generosity is the promise of God. Our giving is not filling in a shortfall in God’s ability, but rather it triggers a greater outpouring of God’s generosity.
v6 ‘the one who sows bountifully will reap bountifully’.
When we give of ourselves (financially or in other ways) to support God’s work, then we are joining in with what he is already doing. This is a great privilege - however we choose to do it. Giving to support the mission of God puts us on his side.
What’s more, it means that what we give will be multiplied in its effects by what God is already doing. As we give, there is the great power of God transforming our seed corn investment in the Kingdom of God into a fantastic crop ripe for harvesting - the more we sow, the more there is to reap.
Verse 10 ‘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.’ Our giving is part of the flow of God’s Spirit. God fills us with good things, so we can give out. Verse 11 ‘You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity’. And the extent to which our very limited open-handedness will result in an overflowing from God’s open hands was also spoken of by the prophet Malachi in the last book of the Old Testament. In chapter 3 of Malachi, at verse 8-10 God says ‘bring the full tithe into the storehouse... put me to the test... see if I will not ...pour down doe you an overflowing blessing!’
And this flow continues with a round of thanksgiving to God, and warmed hearts which produce more generosity. When we receive a good gift, it produces thankfulness in us.
When our mission partners the Reads came to visit, it was obvious that they really appreciated the generosity they had received from some people and groups in Frimley. They were truly - touched, and thankful. And they were clearly encouraged to continue in their work of spreading the good news of Gods love by word and deed.
So the promise of God - that he will multiply what we give - resulting in an abundance of blessing, is a wonderful reason for generous giving to be a particular feature of our Christian discipleship.
So with these two powerful reasons - the generosity of God and the promise of God to bless our giving, what does it imply for out attitude to giving?
Firstly, it means our attitude can cheerful. ‘God loves a cheerful giver’ (Verse 7). I think the translation ‘cheerful’ is a bit weak - the word used in the original Greek is hilaron from which we get the word hilarious. God wants us to be joyful as we give, and he has given us those twi strong reasons to be extremely glad that we can respond to his generosity.
Being cheerful is the very opposite of being fearful. Fear is a great barrier to generosity. If we are fearful for our financial security, then giving money away is low down our list. The other enemy of giving is of course our own greed.
There is, I think, a correct order about how we should think about what we do with money, which leads to cheerfulness.
If we first think what we give, then what we should save, and lastly budget what we spend, then our giving has its right relationship to what we receive. Our culture encourages us to spend first, save if we can, and give out of any surplus. Then it feels much harder to give, than when it comes first. It is hard to cheerfully give up spending on something we had hoped for, but if we think of giving first, we can more happily enjoy spending what we have left.
Secondly - our attitude should be generous. Since it is founded on the generosity of God, this follows of course. What do we mean by generous?
The Old Testament had a rule - tithing - one 10th or 10%, (Leviticus 27:30 and elsewhere.) In the New Testament, we have no such law. Instead, as it says in Verse 7 of our reading, ‘Everyone should give as they think fit’. It is for each of us to decide what we think is a reasonable and appropriate level of giving. That leaves room for generosity, rather than obedience to a command.
Of course, the tithing rule of the Old Testament was established in response to the generosity of God experienced by the people of Israel. In the New Testament we have a different and fuller revelation of the generosity of God in Christ. That stimulated the early church to great acts of generosity. It is a question for each of us whether our giving should be less, or more, than the 10% of the old testament. Personally, I think it would be strange if the ratio chosen by a disciple of Christ was less than the Old Testament level, because of the abundant grace we have received in Christ. But (like faith itself) it is an entirely personal decision.
(It was only after I had finished preparing this sermon that I realised the date I was to deliver it was the 10th of the 10th of the 2010. At the 10 o’clock service. Apparently some couples have been waiting to get married on this day (seen as being lucky). I really don’t want to focus on any number in relation to giving, because the subject is generosity, not a rule. But perhaps, this particular date might be an auspicious one to consider the percentage of our giving!)
So I hope that today you are inspired to review your generosity to God’s work - this needs prayerful consideration. Not something we should do on the spur of the moment, neither is it a one off or an occasional activity. Giving is part of the lifestyle of a Christian. It is bound up with the closeness of our walk with Christ. As we know more and more of the generosity of God and the promises of God, our giving will be come more cheerfully hilarious, and ever more similar to the generous love of God in our Lord Jesus Christ
QUESTIONS
1) How have you experience the generosity of God in your life?
2) In what way does God both supply and then multiply the ‘seed’ of our generosity?
3) What steps might you take to become a more cheerful and generous giver?
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