WEBVTT 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:13.919 Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible teaching ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:19.359 You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.199 Thank you for listening. 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:25.039 It is awesome to know we have a living hope that we worship. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:25.760 Amen. 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:28.559 Alive because Jesus rose again. 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:35.200 We are in the second week now of our Faith Forward Emphasis this year. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:45.200 Of course, that is the time each year where we take a special offering above our tithes that moves us forward as a church. 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:51.200 And this year the focus will be on helping us create a campus out in the Chaffee area. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:53.439 And this is something that we do every year. 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:55.439 This is our second annual one. 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:59.039 And so our theme is investment in eternity. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:01.679 Next week is the week for that offering. 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:03.280 So I pray that you've been in prayer. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:11.920 You and your family, there are envelopes there in the back of the pew in front of you that you can use next week, or if you need to give during the week, or whatever, that's great. 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:16.799 We give cash or you can pledge or both, and that helps us kind of move forward. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:27.280 Our theme, investment in eternity, we started last week talking about uh sort of the illustration of life that happens in the game of Monopoly. 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:31.120 And uh so we had a good time talking through some of that last week. 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:38.640 And uh it's great to hear some of you talk about the fights that your family has while you're playing Monopoly, which makes the rest of us feel normal. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:40.239 So thank you for sharing those. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:49.280 Uh and it's a lot of fun as you go through around the board, you're collecting properties, and of course, the whole point of that is to uh is to gain money. 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:58.159 Uh now it's interesting as you're looking at this game, in a lot of ways, it sort of reflects life as you're walking through and you're investing and you're doing all of that. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:08.879 But there are two little places here on the middle of the board uh that you'll remember uh the community uh community chest and the chance. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:10.639 You guys remember those cards, right? 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:18.080 And so as you're walking, as you're going around the board, as you're collecting, as you're doing life, they're kind of a reminder that life happens. 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:23.759 And some of those are things like you have to repair something or whatever. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:33.280 Some of them are opportunities for you to give or impact or you get a blessing for being benevolent or generous to people. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:44.560 But even in this picture of this game, it's funny how the structure of it kind of speaks into how we approach a lot of these things in life. 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:49.680 Here's kind of how generosity works in the world of monopoly. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:53.840 I pulled out some of these community chess cards and they're kind of fun. 00:02:54.000 --> 00:03:01.039 This one says, you help build a new school playground, then you get to test the slide. 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:05.680 And for that benevolence, you collect$100. 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:11.120 Well, if you think about it, that's kind of how life works today. 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:19.520 When we give our world and country has structured this in a way that you benefit because you give. 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:22.479 We even mess up the definition of generosity. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:24.159 Of course, this is fun. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:26.639 Another community chess card. 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:33.759 You go to the local school's car wash fundraiser, but you forget to close your windows, pay$100. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:38.719 And uh and so life kind of sets in and happens as well. 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:40.000 Here's another one. 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:45.680 You rescue a puppy, and you feel rescued too, get out of jail free. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:50.159 Wouldn't it be nice if that's all it took to get a get out of jail free card? 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:55.759 Husbands will be selling these for$100 donations for all of you after service. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:04.639 But if you look at this, it's just reaffirming in a funny way what we actually know is kind of how people raise money in today's culture. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:07.120 You volunteer at a blood drive. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:10.240 There are free cookies, collect ten dollars. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:18.079 You organize a block party so people on your street can get to know each other, collect ten dollars from each player. 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:21.759 I don't know that I want you to be a neighbor in my neighborhood, right? 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:24.639 Uh if you have to pay to come to the block party. 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:30.560 You help your neighbors clean up their yards after a big storm, collect$200. 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:32.079 How does that work? 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:36.639 You know, again, it's teaching us in our world that benevolence relates to that. 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:38.959 You help your neighbor bring in her groceries. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:42.000 She makes you lunch to say thanks, collect$20. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:55.600 And so everybody tells us that if we give, or the way that universities or hospitals or people who raise money today, the way they talk about that is they really pitch the benefit to you. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:05:05.040 A lot of times they'll pitch the benefit of what the organization is doing, but they also pitch that this is a benefit to you if you will do this and help do that. 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:16.959 If you read books on fundraising and generosity, and I have friends that have worked in the fundraising area and all that, there's a whole lot in there about how you're supposed to thank people and tell people what they did and all that kind of stuff. 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:26.160 And all that is designed to get somebody to give you something that came from their pile of money. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:33.519 And so, in a lot of ways, the way this community chess thing works, it feels a little bit like that in life. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:44.319 You're walking through life and doing what you're doing, and you run into a banquet or a salesperson or a friend or somebody who asks, can you give from your money to this? 00:05:44.800 --> 00:06:01.439 And of course, as we saw last week and understood, when we are finished with this game that we call life, what we have collected and hold on to all goes back in the box. 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:12.959 And I think because of that, we live in a culture where generosity is a word, but it's not really taught as a matter of the heart. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:33.519 When for Christians, for us, our standard on how we give, on how we invest in eternity, is built on the biblical concept and understanding of generosity as the heart and character of a follower of Jesus. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:52.399 I want you to turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 8, and we're going to look at a couple of instances, a couple of verses there in that passage that speak to us about generosity, where God is affirming and teaching that truth. 00:06:52.720 --> 00:07:01.360 Now, our anchor passage that we have jumped off of for this series comes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 6. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:07.839 We spent some time in that last week, and I want to remind you of Jesus' instruction and command from that verse. 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:12.319 You're going to 2 Corinthians, just stay there in 2 Corinthians. 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:29.120 And what we know is that Jesus in this message begins this part on finances telling us, do not collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:41.199 And even in our definition of giving and sort of the fun way we looked at it today, from monopoly, even that is investing in things here that go away. 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:49.759 Pastor, where I grew up, used to say it's not our job as Christians to make the world a better place from which to go to hell. 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:59.680 That our calling as gospel people is heaven and bringing other people to Christ so that they can be in heaven. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:12.160 Us looking forward to heaven and the rewards that happen in heaven because of our faithfulness and following Christ here and allowing him to change our character to be like him. 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:16.639 And so Jesus says, don't collect for yourselves treasures here. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:34.320 They don't last for eternity, but collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal, because they can't, because it is protected for eternity by our heavenly Father. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:39.519 And so he tells us this idea of collecting for ourselves treasures in heaven. 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:43.039 And note he also says, collect for yourselves. 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:57.360 He says, Look, this is impacting your life when you look at eternity and when you invest in eternity, and you are creating for yourself rewards that last forever. 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:04.960 You are creating in the kingdom of God things that last for eternity when your focus is collecting those. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:08.559 Now, this word collect it means like literally collect. 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:10.080 It's not a one-time deal. 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:20.559 It's not something that you do once, but it is a focal point of our lives that we are pursuing heavenly impact through what we do. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:23.759 And that's why we tell people about Jesus. 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:26.720 That's why we serve and disciple new believers. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:29.120 It's why we follow the Great Commission. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:34.720 It's why we give as a church, it's why we send people out around the world. 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:44.000 For example, we have partnerships in El Salvador and London, and we are helping plant churches and expand the gospel there. 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:58.320 It's why we participate in things like Arkansas Baptist Life and we try to help reach our state and be a part of that cooperative mission to spread the gospel around Arkansas to see revival happen. 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:01.519 It's why we do those things as a church. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:12.399 And they are natural to a church and the people of God to give and to support missions and ministry and benevolence and evangelism and all the things that we do. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:40.720 Here in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, you get a very practical passage of Scripture where the churches have come together around the world at that time that were connected through the ministry of Paul and those missions, and they are actually taking offerings, and he is talking about this process and how it works, and how the people in the church give to the church and how the church invests out in ministry to project the gospel. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:52.559 What's happened is uh there is a uh a famine that is going to come and sweep across a lot of the Roman Empire at that time, and in that time it really had hit Palestine very hard. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:55.600 The churches in Jerusalem in that area are struggling. 00:10:55.759 --> 00:11:04.080 And so what happens is all the other churches around have said, let's let's help our brothers and sisters back in Jerusalem. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:18.159 Just like we have stepped up as a church to try to help our brothers and sisters in London, began to push the gospel back into that nation and into that key international city. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:22.399 And so they are collecting an offering and they're discussing that process. 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:32.320 Paul is about to send one of the men named Titus to collect that offering from the churches in Corinth, and he addresses that in this letter. 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:35.679 Sort of follow with me and let's read a few of these places. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:42.879 As we read some of these select verses in chapter 8 and chapter 9, I want you to watch for certain words. 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:51.200 Now remember, what we're going to talk about today is the biblical standard of giving for us is cheerful generosity. 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:54.080 And I want you to look and see certain key words. 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:58.480 Generous, how often you see the word generous in this passage of scripture. 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:02.240 Excellent or excel, how often you see that word. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:04.960 Rich and grace. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:07.919 Now, what does the word grace mean for us? 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:10.000 It is a powerful word. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:17.200 It means, well, if you take the word mercy, that means when God gives us mercy because of our sin. 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:24.720 It means Jesus forgives us and we do not get what we deserved to get because of our sin. 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:29.279 But we know that God does more than just save us from our sin. 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:33.919 When you've accepted Christ as your Savior, it is his grace that saves us. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:49.440 And what that means is he goes so far beyond not just giving us what we should have gotten, what we deserve because of our sin, but he goes so far beyond that, and he blesses us with all of the riches in heaven. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:58.320 Ephesians chapter 1 says, in Christ, we have been blessed with every blessing in heavenly places. 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:09.840 God, when I grew up and learned learning scripture things growing up in church, they taught us this for the definition of grace: God's riches at Christ's expense. 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:22.240 He goes more than just forgiving our sins and saving us, and he adopts us as his child, and he brings us into his family, and he walks with us, and all of the scripture, all of the promises in scripture are sealed in his blood. 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:24.399 We are protected in him forever. 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:29.919 He is building for us a mansion with rewards in heaven, and we will spend an eternity with him there. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:31.600 We are never alone again. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:40.399 Once you know Christ as your Savior, the riches of a relationship with him become ours when we have trusted him as our Savior. 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:46.720 And so the word grace is a word of richness and of spiritual riches. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.799 Read with me here, see what happens. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:50.480 Beginning of verse 1. 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:58.080 We want you to know, brothers, Paul writing to the church, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia. 00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:01.279 It's a different area that he's speaking of. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:15.279 During a severe testing by affliction, because they're being persecuted, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:35.279 I testify that on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability, he's talking about their financial ability, they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints, and not just as we'd hoped they might. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:41.519 Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God's will. 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:53.519 So we urged Titus that just as he had begun you know collecting, going around and collecting the offerings from all the churches, so he should also complete this grace to you. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:56.480 At the end of the chapter, he tells them Titus is on his way. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:58.320 Be ready with your offering. 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:14.480 Verse 7 Now as you excel in everything faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us, excel also in this grace. 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:15.759 What is that? 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:21.519 The offering that they are collecting for these other churches and brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:38.320 So he brags on them with their faith and their knowledge of Scripture and their diligence and all of that, but he puts their excellence in giving at the same level as those other spiritual truths. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:50.000 Verse 8 says, I'm not saying this as a command, rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love. 00:15:50.559 --> 00:16:07.200 In other words, we're going to count all these offerings, and I'm going to let everybody know what all the other churches are giving, because I want you to do a self-evaluation of how much you love God by comparing how much you give to the other churches. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:13.200 That'll shock some modern day Christians today to think about that concept. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:18.879 He says in verse 9, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:24.720 You know God's riches at Christ's expense for our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:40.000 Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty, taking on our sin, you might become rich in God's grace. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:50.240 Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something, but also to desire it. 00:16:50.399 --> 00:17:04.160 So he's affirming that they wanted to be a part of this, but now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire being a part of it, so there may also be a completion from what you have. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:13.039 For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:17.279 It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:18.960 In other words, I'm not talking this. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:23.119 You make yourselves poor so that we can give them money and we can make them rich. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.039 He says that's not what we're doing. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:27.440 It is in a question of equality. 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:31.119 In other words, it is a question of supporting each other. 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:41.599 At the present time, your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so that it may be equal. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:43.519 Or in other words, we're in this together. 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:47.519 Now skip with me over to verse 1 of chapter 9. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:18:01.200 Now concerning the ministry to the saints, it is necessary for me to write to you, for I know your eagerness, and I brag about you to the Macedonians. 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:04.960 In other words, he went to the Macedonians and did the same thing. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:11.279 If y'all really want to give to this offering, churches in Macedonia, I need to brag on our brothers and sisters in Christ over in Corinth. 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:12.480 Man, those guys are awesome. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:15.039 Here's what they pledged to do. 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:21.200 And he's using their excitement to incur the Macedonians, to stir the Macedonians. 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:28.160 And now he's telling the people in Corinth, listen, your commitments stirred the Macedonians. 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:36.400 He says, Achaea has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:51.680 In other words, he's bragging on the church because of your passion and your desire to give and your desire to participate, and because of your spiritual spirit of generosity, you have, God has used you to stir these other churches up to be a part of that. 00:18:52.720 --> 00:19:01.599 But I sent the brothers to you so that our boasting about you in the matter would not prove empty. 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:04.559 And so you would be prepared, just as I said. 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:13.440 For if any Macedonians come with me and we find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be embarrassed. 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:32.799 Therefore I consider it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised so that it will be ready as a gift and not we're an extortion or look, y'all promised to do this, and these people are here and y'all hadn't met your thing and that kind of deal. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:43.359 I had a church I pastored, my first pastorate, and they tell me that the pastor used to call over and find out what the offering was at the end of the service. 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:53.279 And if it wasn't good enough or what he thought it should have been, he'd have the deacons meet him in the parking lot behind the church afterwards and say, okay, fellas, y'all need to pony up and catch up the rest. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:57.440 By the way, I'll be out at the No, I'm kidding. 00:19:58.640 --> 00:19:59.839 That was kind of nervy. 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:01.519 I thought, wow, that's pretty impressive. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:02.960 I don't know that I could do that. 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:05.519 But it's certainly not how it's supposed to happen, right? 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:07.759 And so he's telling them, I don't want that to happen. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:09.839 I want your generosity to flow. 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:16.799 And so he is stirring in them to engage and finish what they had had a desire and stirred to happen. 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:18.400 Now he begins to teach about giving. 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:20.000 Look what he says in verse 6. 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:26.880 Remember this: the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:33.279 And the person who sows generously will also reap generously. 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:35.759 My pastor, when I grew up, used to refer to this. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.720 He said people would ask him, Pastor, do we tithe on the net or the gross? 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:44.400 You want net blessings or gross blessings? 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:50.400 Do you want to be sparing or do you want to sow generously? 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:54.559 Each person should do as he has decided in his heart. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:58.480 See, he's teaching us that generosity is a matter of character. 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:02.640 You'll notice they don't have a goal, there's not a plan, he's not putting that place. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:14.400 What he's doing is he's pointing them to Jesus, and he's understanding that these moments are opportunities for a Christian to have their heart changed and reflect that heart change in behavior. 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:27.839 And so he says, Each person should do as he's decided in his heart, not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:38.559 That means someone who is joyously engaged in this process, that it is a heart matter for them, and no one even really has to ask. 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:40.079 They just love it. 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:49.920 And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:51.359 And there's that work again. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:58.079 He has called our generosity to be excellent as believers. 00:21:58.960 --> 00:21:59.759 As it is written. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:06.079 He scattered, God scattered, God gave to the poor, and God's righteousness endure forever. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:08.400 And so he gives an illustration of that. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:22.319 The one, that's Jesus, who provides seed for the sower and bread for food, will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:30.000 You will be enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:40.000 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but it is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God. 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:48.559 In other words, people are giving God credit for what's happened in his body as it impacts their lives. 00:22:48.799 --> 00:23:02.880 Therefore, we glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and others through the proof provided by this service. 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:14.400 In other words, thank you for your commitment to the gospel and thank you for your faithfulness that you give and serve like you believe the gospel. 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:16.319 Does that make sense? 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:25.119 The testimony of their giving and participation is testimony of the fact that Jesus and the gospel has changed their lives. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:36.720 And they will have deep affection for you in their prayers on your behalf because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:40.319 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. 00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:44.799 I want to remind you of four principles, and then I want to give you some truths about generosity. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:49.359 Last week we looked at those four principles, and I'm going to cut them in shorthand for you right here. 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:51.920 There are four principles all throughout Scripture. 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:53.519 We talked about this last week. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:59.279 God is God, God is provider, God is at work, and God who blesses. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:00.480 What you say with me? 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:01.519 God is God. 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:03.680 God is God. 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:07.440 Number two, God is provider. 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:10.240 God is provider. 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:12.960 God is at work. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:15.359 God is at work. 00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:18.400 And God who blesses. 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:22.880 You see those four principles all throughout this scripture. 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:28.720 So let me give you just a word about generosity, and then I want to show you some practical ways it applies in our lives. 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:35.359 Cheerful generosity, it illustrates all four of those principles. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:39.440 You find all four of those principles here just like they were in Matthew 6. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:43.119 But I want you to just think about a couple of these truths. 00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:49.279 Cheerful generosity from believers, Paul says, reflects the gracious heart of God. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:52.960 In chapter 8, verse 9, look at what he says. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:25:03.200 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich for your sake, he became poor so that by his poverty you might become rich. 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:28.640 The graciousness of salvation and the riches that God bestows on us spiritually, personally, relationally, financially, whatever it is, eternally, all of those riches of salvation, when we give generously, we are reflecting the generous heart of a God who gives, a God who provides, a God who is at work, the God who blesses. 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:34.079 When you give generously, it looks like Jesus has done something in your life. 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:37.519 When we give generously, it meets his standard of excellence. 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:41.279 How many times did you see him command them or encourage them? 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:43.519 Excel in this, excel in this. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:46.640 This is an area in which you should excel. 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:50.319 Our giving, it reflects the grace of Jesus. 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:59.839 I'm giving to the gospel, I'm giving to the building of the church, I'm giving to the ministry of the church because it has changed my life, and I want other lives to be changed. 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:10.559 I'm giving because of what God has done in my life, and now I want to be a part of that, and I want to be a conduit that God uses to impact other people's lives. 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:14.400 It reveals the heart of Jesus when you give. 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:17.519 Again, he uses that illustration. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:27.359 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:28.720 Look at what happens here. 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:36.000 He says, as they gave, why would you come and beg in a time of famine and a time of depression? 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:39.920 Beg to be a part of giving to other people somewhere else. 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:44.799 Because of what God had done in your heart, and it reflects that heart of Jesus. 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:48.079 Again, look what he describes why they gave this way. 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:56.079 He says, I testify in verse 3 that according to their own ability and beyond their ability, they begged us for the privilege of sharing. 00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:08.640 Verse 5, he says, and not just as we had hoped, they gave themselves especially to the Lord and then to us by God's will. 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:16.640 Because they had given themselves to Jesus, God is God and He is our God, and now I am going to give myself to Him. 00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:19.759 It is going to produce action in my life. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.519 When we give generously, it creates praises to God. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:28.400 I love this in chapter 9, towards the end, here in verse 13. 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:41.039 They will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others through the proof provided by this service. 00:27:41.279 --> 00:28:09.759 It's incredible to think when we give, and then when we impact through Arkansas Baptist Ministry or Lottie Moon, or you think about the impact that we are having as a church as we're serving Brother Ugo and those who are planting that church in El Salvador, or you think about people in London who probably couldn't find Arkansas on a map and are grateful for you because of what we have begun doing in the developing partnership there. 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:19.920 They are worshiping the Lord and praising him for what he is doing that flows out of the generosity of what he's done in our hearts. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:22.720 When you give, it stirs other believers. 00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:23.680 Man, I love this. 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:26.720 This is one of my favorite places in Scripture. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:31.119 Verse 2, I brag about you to the Macedonians. 00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:34.160 Your zeal has stirred up most of them. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:35.519 Isn't that exciting? 00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:37.759 Don't you want to be a blessing, an impact? 00:28:37.839 --> 00:28:39.680 Don't you want to stir other folks? 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:45.279 Don't you want them to say, look at that church and what they are doing, and we want to be a part of that? 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:48.880 And then it moves God's heart of generosity. 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:50.559 Remember one of those four things. 00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:52.880 The last one is the God who blesses. 00:28:53.039 --> 00:29:00.880 Remember, Jesus says in Matthew 6, why are you worried about what you need when God knows and he provides and he blesses? 00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:20.400 Here in this passage of Scripture, he reminds again, chapter 9, verse 7, God loves a cheerful giver, and God is able to make every grace overflow to you so that in every way, always having everything you need. 00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:21.519 Is that incredible? 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:24.000 Can you get any bigger words than that? 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:33.119 Make every grace overflow so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:35.519 Listen, you can't outgive God. 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:37.359 That is why we say that. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:45.599 I've spent my life as a pastor watching Southern Baptists try to save God money because somehow we think he's going to run out in heaven. 00:29:45.839 --> 00:29:47.119 It's unbelievable. 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:48.480 Well, Pastor, we can't do that. 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:49.440 Pastor, can we do that? 00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:51.119 Pastor, what does the budget say about that? 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:52.240 Who cares? 00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:54.799 How big is your God? 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:59.359 I'm not saying we should be foolish and I'm not saying we shouldn't plan. 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:00.559 I'm a planner. 00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:01.279 We plan. 00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:05.119 But listen, at some point it's got to grab our heart. 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:13.759 What can we do if God's heart of generosity flows through us in our generosity? 00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:17.359 What happens if that happens? 00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:23.759 We couldn't create enough opportunities to do ministry if God moved. 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:27.839 If we began to be biblically generous in what we do. 00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:34.240 So let me give you some practical tips about how to do this in our lives. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:40.079 When we start defining what actual terms are, people ask specific questions, and that's good. 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:40.640 You should. 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:42.319 Pastor, how much am I supposed to give? 00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:45.519 Pastor, is tithing an Old Testament thing or a New Testament thing? 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:46.720 Are we required to do that? 00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:48.640 Pastor, why don't we set a goal for this? 00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:50.079 Pastor, why don't we set a goal for that? 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:51.119 Pastor, how do we do this? 00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:52.000 Pastor, is that a. 00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:55.200 And those are great questions, and we should ask those things. 00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:59.359 We should be practical, and it should make a difference in your lives. 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:02.480 So here's some things I want you to see from this passage of scripture. 00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:06.480 First of all, sacrificial giving from your circumstances. 00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:08.559 It's the way I've couched that. 00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:12.640 There are three ways that the Bible talks about giving in these two chapters. 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:18.720 There are people who give below their ability, there are people who give according to their ability. 00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:20.240 That's mentioned twice. 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:23.680 And then there are people who give beyond their ability. 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:25.599 And that's a matter of faith. 00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:34.559 A Christian should always live in the tension between giving according to my ability and giving beyond my ability. 00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:40.079 Because if you're not in that tension, where have you tripped into generosity? 00:31:40.400 --> 00:31:42.400 Where have you tripped into faith? 00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:45.599 Where have you tripped into sacrificial giving? 00:31:47.839 --> 00:31:56.640 If you think about it, there's a lot more that we could give and we could change that really isn't even a sacrifice. 00:31:57.119 --> 00:32:07.279 It's amazing when we begin to think through, okay, I want to reflect the heart of God and be generous, and so I want to give and I want to give, and then we start making decisions of priorities. 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:11.519 It's amazing how many things here, there, this, that we can get rid of. 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:18.880 We don't even miss because we want to lay up for ourselves, we want to collect treasures in heaven. 00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:23.680 Are you pursuing sacrificial giving? 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:32.640 Not wrecking your family or anything like that, because the Bible also says a person who doesn't provide for his family is worse than a pagan. 00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:33.759 Right? 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:35.039 And it says that. 00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:37.039 So we're required to do that, right? 00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:39.759 We're required to take care of things and pay things. 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:43.119 Listen, I want to give you an illustration to get you to think about. 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:58.160 Randy Alcorn, in a book on money, wealth, and heaven, quotes from a guy named Claude Rosenberg who devoted years to researching America's giving habits and potential. 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:04.160 He quotes from this book, Wealthy and Wise, How You in America Can Get the Most Out of Your Giving. 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:06.079 Now listen to these stats. 00:33:06.880 --> 00:33:14.960 Most of us as Americans give away less than 10% of what we could afford to give. 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:22.079 Not 10% of our income, but 10% of what we can afford to give. 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:26.000 Even without making significant lifestyle changes. 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:39.680 He argues that Americans giving away 2% of their income could actually give away 20% of their income with simply wiser choices about what they spend. 00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:55.359 Just that change, he says, Americans could easily donate over$100 billion more every year without a lifestyle change. 00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:59.279 Is that stunning? 00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:10.960 Stats tell us that between 15 and 20% of church members tithe, 35% of church members say they tithe. 00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:20.000 I would suggest that the second category is worse to be in than the not giving category. 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:28.800 And so what Paul says is listen, give according to your ability, but he then affirms the other church, stirring them up they gave beyond their ability. 00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:34.960 And then he says, in this context, you give, and God is the one who is providing what you give. 00:34:35.119 --> 00:34:39.840 That's that whole, if you're sowing seeds, the one who provides gave it to you to sow it. 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:41.519 And he's giving you what you have. 00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:53.199 And if you recognize that it's not your money because God is the provider and he's given it to you, then you are then you are simply being a steward and investing what he's given. 00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:55.440 It came from him, there's more from him. 00:34:55.679 --> 00:34:57.599 He provides, he meets those needs. 00:34:57.840 --> 00:35:06.480 God is provider, and if we're not giving sacrificially, we never get to that second principle that God is actually providing for us. 00:35:06.960 --> 00:35:14.639 And so you look at where you are, you see your circumstances, but you also begin to push yourself to sacrifice. 00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:16.880 What does that feel like? 00:35:17.119 --> 00:35:21.199 It is in that moving into sacrifice that we begin to move into generosity. 00:35:21.920 --> 00:35:24.639 Number two, not sparingly. 00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:31.760 Again, Scripture says the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:36.239 And the person who sows generously will also reap generously. 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:38.320 What do you want to reap? 00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:50.000 Our desire should be to reap a heart that is a generous heart that reflects the heart of God. 00:35:50.880 --> 00:36:07.840 And in order to do that, we have to engage our character by making choices of faith to give generously, to sow generously, so we are having that heart change that moves us into a heart that reflects the heart of God. 00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:11.760 Not sparingly, but generously. 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:16.320 In Galatians chapter 6, there's another illustration of this sowing and reaping. 00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:18.400 And he says, Don't be mocked. 00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:23.360 Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. 00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:29.679 Pastor War grew up used to teach us all the time the rules of sowing and reaping. 00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:36.800 You reap what you sow, you reap more than you sow, and you reap later than you sow. 00:36:37.039 --> 00:36:43.599 When you begin to sow, you have seeds, and you sow those seeds, and then you reap more than you sow. 00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:46.880 It turns into wheat and it turns into a field. 00:36:47.119 --> 00:36:48.159 But that takes time. 00:36:48.239 --> 00:36:50.079 You reap later than you sow. 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:52.000 But you reap what you sow. 00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:53.840 So what are you sowing? 00:36:54.079 --> 00:36:57.280 Are you sowing seeds of generosity in your character? 00:36:57.519 --> 00:37:01.440 Are you giving to the Lord because you want to reflect him? 00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:10.320 Or are you counting dimes and I can only do this or I'll only have to do that? 00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:18.400 Number three, it is appropriate to check yourself by the diligence of others. 00:37:18.639 --> 00:37:21.840 I want you to look at what he says repeatedly. 00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:25.920 He is encouraging all of these different churches. 00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:29.599 He told the Macedonian churches what Corinth had done. 00:37:29.679 --> 00:37:33.280 He's telling Corinth what the Macedonian churches had done. 00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:45.760 He's going back and forth, helping this understand this in practical terms what giving means and how it's impacting their lives as believers in these churches. 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:50.000 But listen to what he says in verse 7. 00:37:50.960 --> 00:37:54.880 He is challenging them to excel in giving. 00:37:55.199 --> 00:38:05.039 As you excel in everything, faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence and in your love for us, excel also in this grace. 00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:07.840 I am not saying this as a command. 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:12.639 In other words, he's saying, I am not trying to arm twist you. 00:38:12.880 --> 00:38:18.960 The way I say this in my life, and I've told you before, I'm not a fundraiser, I'm a preacher. 00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:20.800 I'm not trying to raise money. 00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:22.719 That's not what we do as a church. 00:38:22.880 --> 00:38:29.199 We give as believers, we fuel the ministry as God leads, and we are gospel people sharing the gospel. 00:38:29.360 --> 00:38:31.039 And that's what Paul is basically saying. 00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:41.840 I'm not trying to arm twist you, but he says, rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love or your passion for the Lord. 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:50.400 In other words, he's saying, listen, you check yourself, you look at your brothers and sisters in Christ, you look at other churches, how are they giving? 00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:52.000 Are we in line? 00:38:52.239 --> 00:38:54.480 Are we stepping into the ministry? 00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:58.239 I just need to check and see how is my passion? 00:38:59.679 --> 00:39:04.960 Am I in line with people who really are sacrificially giving? 00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:16.159 And then what that says to me from an accountability standard, or as Proverbs says, as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. 00:39:16.320 --> 00:39:33.760 He is saying, listen, when you compare that way, it is you are you are engaging this self-evaluation of, I can't just look at somebody over here and say I'm better than them because I look at them also. 00:39:34.400 --> 00:39:39.039 I can't just say I'm better than them because they're here also. 00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:47.519 And I am broadly looking and evaluating and asking the Lord to show me where is my passion level and am I giving as I should be giving? 00:39:47.679 --> 00:39:49.599 Am I sharing as I should be sharing? 00:39:49.760 --> 00:39:52.000 Am I serving as I should be serving? 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:57.039 That's one of the reasons that we're in a church together, that we're a church family. 00:39:57.199 --> 00:40:00.639 That's one of the reasons it's so important to be in the body. 00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:13.280 It's more than just watching a message or watching online or other things, and those are great, and praise the Lord, we provide those, and I want us to continue to do that because we are reaching out with the gospel, calling people in. 00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:23.599 But listen, being here and being a part, rubbing shoulders, participating, being there in line, giving an offering with everybody else that gave and being a part of that. 00:40:23.920 --> 00:40:25.760 We are stirring each other up. 00:40:25.920 --> 00:40:29.280 We are challenging, encouraging, lifting each other up. 00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:32.239 We are stirring each other up in this process. 00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:37.599 When you give next week, you want to be a part of what your brothers and sisters are doing. 00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:40.000 And that is a critical part. 00:40:40.159 --> 00:40:50.800