Christ Methodist Church Memphis
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Christ Methodist Church Memphis
Excelling in Acts of God’s Grace | Rev. Paul Lawler
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What if generosity has less to do with your bank account and more to do with your heart? Paul points to a group of struggling believers whose joy overflowed into radical generosity, revealing a powerful truth: when grace takes hold of a life, everything changes.
Welcome to the podcast of Christ Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Join us as we dive into this week's sermon that challenges our hearts and minds to grow closer to Christ. We pray that your heart is inspired and transformed by God's Word.
SPEAKER_02All right, faith family. As you settle in this morning, I do want to ask you to be mindful of our mission team that I think just crossed
Mission and Mercy
SPEAKER_02the border of Mexico. I feel like singing an old Christopher Kraus song, but but they just crossed the border of Mexico. And uh, but do keep us about 55 people in our faith family that are serving among the poor and will be engaging with the gospel and acts of mercy. Just encourage you to pray for them this morning. Before we go to the Word, I I just this just really just strong in my heart. I want to remind you of an episode in the life of Jesus as he was serving on this planet. He goes to the home of a Pharisee, and there's a woman there that bows at the feet of Jesus, and as an act of worship, she cracks open this very expensive perfume, and she just is expressing worship to Jesus. In fact, it's kind of extravagant. And you may remember that there's a man who's a Pharisee. So let's let's translate that to modern terms. There's a man who's in church every Sunday, and he thinks to himself, if Jesus knew what kind of woman was touching him, he would put a stop to this. That's a transliteration. Now, what that infers is that she was a prostitute. And yet what's happening as we read between the lines, she's experiencing Jesus, and she knows that in Christ she's forgiven and she's cleansed and she's reconciled to God, and she can't do anything but worship.
SPEAKER_01And it's a little over the top. But I would question you in light of what Jesus has done, is it? Is it over the top?
SPEAKER_02Now you may remember before that story ends, Jesus says this to the Pharisee, by the way, he's been reading his mail, reading his thoughts. And Jesus says, Who is it that loves more? The one who has a little bit of sin forgiven, or the one who has much sin forgiven? And the Pharisee gives a very common sense answer. Why is the one who has much sin forgiven? Now here's the problem. The Pharisee thinks Jesus is talking about the woman. His affections aren't awakened to worship and to adore and to magnify and to love and to treasure Jesus because he thinks his sin's not a big deal. And Jesus uses this moment in a sense to indict many of us that our affections are not awakened in light of the grace and the mercy that we have received from Almighty God. I pastored a church for 15 years where right here about one o'clock, 25 to 30 prostitutes who were victims of human trafficking worked worshiped right here about one o'clock every Sunday. And I watched many of them come to know Jesus.
SPEAKER_01And when they did, their affections were awakened.
SPEAKER_02Their love and adoration from the Lord was awakened. And I remember numerous times where members of our church family would say this. And I want to encourage you before we even teach the text this morning, to just check your heart. Are your affections awakened? To be forgiven of sin by Almighty God when all of us deserve condemnation and eternal separation and hell. That kind of mercy and grace. To know that you've been redeemed awakens a love, awakens an adoration. I want to encourage you in that way. So, loved ones, that's the sermon before the
The Grace of Giving
SPEAKER_02sermon this morning. But I want to take you, let's journey together as we're studying the book of 2 Corinthians in this series. Go with me to chapter 8, 2 Corinthians chapter 8. And by the way, I just want to remind you before we delve into this topic this morning, particularly if you're a guest here, we go where the text takes us. Okay? And so the text is going to take us into some unique territory. And so we're, again, 2 Corinthians chapter 8. So we're aware that there are moments in the Christian life where God tests us whether we truly believe the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that our profession aligns with our lifestyle. And so one of those moments is when the grace of God operating in the heart of a believer collides with generosity. And that's where this text is going to take us today. And Paul writes about something here that's deeper than money. It's deeper than money. It's not merely about money. He goes there, but it's much deeper than that. What he writes about really is our worship. It's about our heart. What he writes about is surrender. Surrender to the Lord. Whether the grace of God has truly touched a human heart. And so I want to invite you to hear the text. We're going to read 15 verses. Hear the word of God. Paul writes, We want you to know, sisters and brothers, about the grace of God that's been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. And this not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he started, started, so he should complete among you this act of grace, but as you excel in everything in faith and speech and knowledge, in all earnestness and in love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine, for you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. And in this matter I give my judgment. This benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work, but also des to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness and desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the stead readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and uh excuse me, eased and you burden, but that is a matter of fairness. Your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness, as it's written, whoever gathered much has nothing left over, whoever gathered little has no lack. I'm going to pray for you again with my eyes open. Jesus, I pray that a spirit of revelation of you would rest upon this gathering as we worship you now through
Poverty and Generosity
SPEAKER_02your word. So here's the deal, loved ones. The Apostle Paul is telling the church at Corinth about another church. He's lifting up another church as an example. And so he's as he's lifting up Second Presbytery, I mean, sorry, the church at Macedonia. As he's lifting up the church at Macedonia, he's pointing out some things that he wants them to understand about this church that he's lifting up as an example.
SPEAKER_01Here's the first thing they're not wealthy. Take note of that. They were not living in comfort.
SPEAKER_02In fact, if you were paying attention to the text, Paul says they were experiencing, get this, and be mindful, God cannot exaggerate. They're experiencing not just a test of affliction, a severe test of affliction, which means they're going through difficult times. We don't know what that is. Persecution, whatever the case may be, but they are undergoing a severe test of affliction. Make note of that. And then also make note that Paul is saying that the church in Macedonia is not just poor. Notice the language. They are in extreme poverty. Severe affliction, extreme poverty. Yet somehow, out of that poverty, Paul is saying, pay attention that this church has a wealth of generosity. Now think about that. Afflicted, impoverished, and yet a wealth of generosity. This is one of the great paradoxes in the kingdom of God. People who have little can live richly because of the power and the presence of God's grace operating in their lives. And so what I want you to notice what Paul doesn't do here, he's not bringing up church budgets and campaigns and fundraising techniques. He begins with something deeper. God's grace impacting the heart of human beings. This is why he begins in verse one. Look there with me. We want you to know, sisters and brothers, about what? About the grace of God. Remember, the grace of God, one of our working definitions, all of God for all my need. I want you to know about all of God for all your need, because generosity is not fundamentally about finances. It's really, and Paul's going to the root system, about the way the grace of God, the presence of God, the love of God, the mercy of God is working in your heart. And we're we all know some of you are on boards, you run 501c3s, or you're uh partnered in some way, and you're aware that you can pressure people into giving temporarily. But what Paul is driving at here is much deeper. He's driving, or shall we say, leading us to look at the grace of God that fuels a joyful generosity. And the example is coming from people who don't have much to give, the suffering Macedonian church. And so, in light of that, we're aware that if we just are observe the texture of reality, there are people with enormous wealth who can be very stingy. There are also people with enormous wealth that can be very giving. But we also know there are people with very little who can be deeply stingy, and there are people with very little who can be giving. What's the difference? The difference is that there are Christians that overflow with a generosity because they understand how God has graced them, given them mercy, and biblically that everything belongs to God. The Macedonian church had learned something powerful, and that is that the grace of God working in them loosened the grip of depending upon materialism for your security and opened up their giving heart. And when the grace of Jesus gets deep into the heart, the spirit, the mind, will, and emotions, the soul, and you you can't stop, or excuse me, you can't continue to cling to possessions as your source of security. Why is that?
SPEAKER_01Because Jesus becomes your treasure. That's the way it's supposed to be.
SPEAKER_02Knocking at the door of his own church, because the church has become blinded by her wealth to her need of Jesus. This is why Jesus says to the church, You are, you think you're wealthy, but you're poor. You're blind, you're naked, you're in need of a return to your first love. And if you open the door, I will come. We want we will fellowship together. But the it's the it's the illusion that the things of earth are our security. And one of the dangers of prosperity is that prosperity can subtly undergird the thought pattern that we don't need God. Now, please, I want you to understand that when I'm talking about what prosperity can do to us, it's true for all of us in this room, including me, because we live in Western culture, and comfort numbs, it can numb spiritual hunger. Affluence can create self-sufficiency. And the Macedonians who had little, yet they had everything because they had the treasure of Christ. And Christ was
Joy Overflows in Christ
SPEAKER_02enough. Paul says, look with me, verse 2, if your Bible's open. Here we go. Their abundance of joy. Now think about that. Stop right there. They're impoverished, they're in severe affliction, but what do they have? They have Christ who brings the fruit of joy. And so here these impoverished Christians are, but yet they have the joy of the Lord. They have the peace of God that passes understanding. I am not preaching that you have to be poor to have that. But the point is, is they have sufficiency in Christ. They have abundance of joy and their extr in their extreme poverty, there it's validated, they have overflowed with a wealth of generosity. Now, notice this word overflowed. That's a key word because, loved ones, walking with Jesus is about an overflow. The overflow is that the as the mercy of God works in your own life, you also extend mercy to others. As the grace of God works in your own life, you demonstrate the grace of Jesus to other people. And the Christian life, ultimately, loved one, is about overflow. My cup overflows, David said. Jesus also illustrated it in the negative. He said, out of the heart, out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks. In other words, what's inside comes out? It comes out in overflow. If bitterness fills the heart, bitterness overflows. If anger fills the heart, anger overflows. If greed fills the heart, then greed overflows. But loved ones, when the grace of God, the beauty of the Lord, the glory of God, the love of God, mercy of God, when it fills the heart, oh, it overflows. Now you've heard what I'm about to say before, but it's true. As a follower of Jesus, you are blessed because you've received grace you didn't deserve, mercy you didn't earn, but you're blessed to be a blessing. You're blessed to bring the image of God to others, to bring to be a witness. Let me pause for a moment. Let me share with you. There's a worldly way of thinking about this whole paradigm. Let me give you one example. One of the worldly ways is this when we think like this. One day when I hit it big, I'm going to become generous. Okay? One day when I get that raise, I'm going to be more generous. Or one day when the company hits pay dirt and we get this contract, I'm going to become generous. That's a worldly way of thinking. The gospel says, because you've been transformed by the grace of God, by his mercies, generosity flows no matter what you have. And that's why Paul's lifting up this example of the Macedonians. I remember after the Berlin Wall fell and uh you began to see the former Soviet Union break up. Some of you are not, some of you weren't born yet, God bless you. But but I remember that period of history, and I remember hearing a story from a missionary, and it was, and it went like this that when the when the wall fell, and particularly Romania, very oppressive under a Shoshevsku, Shoshevsku, and there was freedom to worship, and we all gathered at an old, dilapidated, crumbling church building. And we had gathered for the first time in a long time because we were free. And we worshiped, and it felt good. But there was this old lady who had a jar of coins that she saved. She was very poor. And she walked up during the worship time and put that jar of coins on the altar. And everybody in the community knew her and responded, Well, you know, how are you doing that? You don't you just you don't have much. Why you just did what are you doing? And her response was simply, Jesus has given me everything. He sustained me with his joy as we have suffered together and we've not been able to gather. I owe him everything. The heart of a Macedonian. It's what Paul's lifting up for us as an example. This is an expression of God's grace in the heart of a believer. Loved ones, can I put it to you this way? This is worship. You realize that. That giving is worship. It's part of what you're saying. God, I I value you, I treasure you, that I will not let earthly treasures be my security, that you are my Lord. It is the breaking open of our own alabaster jar and giving him glory. This is gospel
First Given to the Lord
SPEAKER_02generosity. Now let's keep moving. Look with me, verse 5. This is the key. Notice what Paul says about the Macedonians. They gave themselves, say that word out loud, would you? They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Wow. You see the cross right over there? And while the cross represents our redemption through Jesus, notice that the cross is both aiming vertically and horizontally. That's a good picture of the Christian life. And that's what's happening. It's what Paul's illustrating in this verse. They gave themselves first to Jesus. Can I say that's where all of us need to be, loved ones? We give ourselves first to him. In your self-talk right now, as you're listening to the sound of your pastor's voice. Just if that's not aligned in your heart and life right now, would you just start a conversation with Jesus to make it right? You don't have to wait for an altar call. As an act of worship, you can say right now, Jesus, forgive me for putting other loves ahead of you. Let's get that aligned right there. First, they gave themselves to Jesus. He's our first love. They gave themselves first to the Lord, and then by the will of God, because of the grace of God working in their own hearts, that they gave themselves to us. In other words, it was vertical, the Lord's first, generous toward others. That's the secret. And you realize that ultimately what's going on here, God does not want your money.
SPEAKER_01He wants you. He wants your heart.
SPEAKER_02And when God has your heart, the gift is your resources don't control you, they don't become your security. Security. You flow with them faithfully as a good steward, and they flow through you as a good steward. And the reason many believers struggle with generosity really isn't financial, loved ones, it's spiritual. Because we still think my money, my house, my retirement, my portfolio, my future. And the scripture says this, Psalm 24, 1. The earth is the Lord's. Everything. It belongs to Him. The earth is the Lord. Everything it contains, the fullness thereof, everything belongs to the Lord already. We are not owners, we are stewards. Many of you know, most of you probably don't. I drive a pickup truck. I feel like I'm confessing something, okay? I I'm from Alabama. Okay, do the math, okay? Just make sense. All right. I drive a pickup truck. And because I own a truck, it's not uncommon for a friend to say to me, Paul, can I borrow your truck? Because they've got to move something. And I because I'm I'm a steward, I want to love my friends well. I don't go, you know, Jesus died on the cross for me, he gave everything, but I won't loan my friend my truck. Okay. But oftentimes when my friends borrow my truck, when they return the truck, they've put a full tank of gas in it. Now I don't empty it out strategically.
SPEAKER_01That's just that's just what they do. Why do they do that? Because they're stewarding something that's not theirs.
SPEAKER_02And they want to take good care of it. Loved ones, we're stewarding everything that's not ours. We want to take good care of what God has entrusted to us. Look with me
Excel in This Grace
SPEAKER_02at verse 7. Paul says, But as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, and knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you, note this bold part. See that you excel in this act of grace also. Now, what's he referring to? He's referring to the grace of giving and being generous, because the Corinthians excelled in many spiritual gifts. We know that from 1 Corinthians 1. And that is, they had gifted teachers, they had spiritual gifts of knowledge, they had passion. But what Paul's saying is excel in this gift of generosity. And he's also noting for all of us, loved one, it is possible to have a really good orthodox theology, but be weak in generosity. It is possible to sing loudly in worship while clinging tightly to possessions. It is possible to know good doctrine and even be able to recite it without reflecting the generosity of Jesus. And Paul is sharing with the Corinthians, and God's speaking to us, that we would understand generosity itself is an act of grace, a way that we're also formed, and generosity reflects the heart of God in the heart of God's people. And the entire story of redemption through Jesus Christ is a story of divine generosity. Think about it. We've been given everything that we don't deserve and we didn't earn. God created, God pursued you, God forgave you, God rescued you, God gave his one and only Son. And the gospel itself is a gospel of generosity.
Christ Became Poor
SPEAKER_02Now look with me. Verse nine. We're going to keep moving. Here we go, because we're going to be out of here by two o'clock. Here we go. For you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. This is one of the great summaries of the gospel of Jesus Christ found in the New Testament. In other words, what God's saying to us is Jesus, be mindful, he left the riches of heaven and entered the poverty of humanity. The King of Glory was born in a borrowed manger. He preached from borrowed boats. He rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey. He ate the Last Supper in a borrowed room. And he was buried in a borrowed tomb. Why? Because he was pursuing, leaving the riches of heaven, so that he could rescue spiritually bankrupt sinners who would become rich in his grace. And the cross itself is an ultimate act of generosity. Jesus did not merely give us something, loved ones, as we all know, he gave us himself. And at Calvary, God opened his treasury of his greatest gift, the greatest gift from heaven, which is Jesus Himself. And this changes how we view generosity. Christian giving is never about guilt. Christian giving is rooted in gratitude. We do not give to earn grace. Let me say it again. We do not give to earn the grace of God. We give because we have received the grace of God and we are deeply thankful. And Paul says that the Macedonians, when they gave, they not only did this out of the work of grace, the grace of God working in their own hearts, they did this, and I quote the scripture, beyond their means. Huh. Now that doesn't mean they gave recklessly. What that means is they gave in faith, because generosity always reveals who am I really trusting? Where is my ultimate security? The gospel declares that your security and mine comes from God in the person of Jesus Christ. Now,
Generosity Defeats Fear
SPEAKER_02before we move on, and I was just teasing about two o'clock, you know that. But before we move on, let's take a moment and let's just keep it real. Here we are. It's okay to keep it real? Rhetorical question. Giving can at certain times feel unsettling. There are certain times where we are mindful, markets fluctuate, expenses rise, especially when the future feels unstable. But generosity is one of the ways that God frees us from the slavery to fear. And that is, every act of generosity becomes a declaration in your life. And that declaration is that God, you are my ultimate security. I trust that you will provide. And church family, we don't have time, but I have many stories, and many of you do as well, where being generous was counterintuitive, but God is faithful, always provides. Many of you know of, I probably could sit down and let somebody else tell this, but you know the story of George Mueller, who took care of thousands of orphans in England. And one day the orphanage ran out of food. Now, what you may or may not know about Mueller is that Mueller had a deep, intimate walk with Jesus, which is available to every single one of you. He was a prayerful man, a man who abided in Christ in Scripture, and he knew the heart of God. And so what Mueller did was so counterintuitive on the morning that they had no food, he gathered all the children around the breakfast table, fortnives, sitting there with empty plates, because he knew God would take care of the children. Well, a man knocked at the door who ran a bakery and said, Last night when I was baking bread, I had this strong impression to make some bread for the children. And so bada boom, bada bang, here I am. That's not a quote, but that's what happened. And then a milk truck broke down in front of the orphanage that morning. And the milk truck driver knocked on the door and said, Look, all this milk's gonna go bad unless I give it to someone and put it to good use, and he gave it to the children. No, I'm just mindful that God does provide. Now hear this carefully, church family. Generosity is not prosperity gospel manipulation. May God deliver us from that. It's not giving money to get rich. The scripture does not teach that. But throughout the scripture, we see that God-honoring, trust-filled, obedient generosity, God meets needs. Sometimes he provides materially, sometimes it's spiritually, sometimes it's emotionally, sometimes it's relationally, like we studied two weeks ago with Titus coming to Paul while he was depressed. But God never abandons those who
One Body, One Need
SPEAKER_02trust him. So as we wrap up, Paul shares verse 15: whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no act and or no lack. And what Paul's illustrating is how the entire body of Christ, the people of God, matter. In other words, the collection the Macedonians took up was not for isolated individuals. What Paul is illustrating is that the body of Christ, we are family. If one part of the body suffers, the body responds. This was radical in the ancient world. The wealthy and the poor in the ancient world live completely separate from one another. But in the church, the socioeconomically challenged, as well as those who were in the middle, as well as the wealthy, came together. Jew and Gentile came together as one family because the gospel of Jesus Christ tears down those barriers between races, between socioeconomic class in Christ, through the blood of the Lamb, we are one. And generosity becomes tangible evidence that the kingdom of God is real. So, church, in Memphis, we understand in our city both wealth and need. We see brokenness and blessing side by side. There are neighborhoods that are filled with abundance, and we have neighborhoods that are filled with despair. And the church has the opportunity to demonstrate the gospel visibly, not merely by preaching sermons, but by living generously. Can I brag on you for a moment? Okay, it's just one o'clock in Atlanta right now. It's okay. Everything's cool.
SPEAKER_01I'm brief I'm gonna be brief, but will you let me brag on you? I'm I'm going to anyway, but
Living the Kingdom
SPEAKER_01when believers foster children, you're demonstrating the kingdom.
SPEAKER_02When mills are delivered, you're demonstrating the kingdom. Living generously. When missionaries are supported, you're living generously, you're demonstrating the kingdom. When debt is relieved, you're living generously, you're demonstrating the kingdom.
SPEAKER_01When schools are strengthened in our city.
SPEAKER_02I still think about the reality that when a third grader has not learned to read statistically, that puts a lid on their life the rest of their life, there will be no human flourishing for that child. Those of you that are giving hours an education in our city, you're being generous, you're manifesting the kingdom of God. When churches are planted, when the lonely are welcome, the world gets a glimpse of Jesus because you're different. One of the most powerful testimonies is not merely rooted in what the church says, but the way the church loves, the way the church is generous.
Heart Transformed by Grace
SPEAKER_02So I have a question for you as we close.
SPEAKER_01Here it is.
SPEAKER_02Jesus, or excuse me, the scripture says God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. This was written to Christians. I don't think it means you lose your salvation. What I think it means is it's like if the quarterback hands you the football and you're the running back, you're running downfill, one of the things you're going to do is you're going to try to stiff arm those that try to tackle you. And I think there's a sense in which God's saying, You're still my child, but I'm stiff arming you until you humble yourself. You put your pride aside. Remember what Jesus said. You can't enter the kingdom unless you're teachable like a child. We put our pride aside and say, Lord, I repent of allowing other loves to get creeping up on the pinnacle of my heart. Fear loosens, possessions lose their throne in our lives, and generosity begins to flow. Some people say things like this if I had more, I would give more. But generosity doesn't begin with abundance. Generosity begins with surrender to Jesus.
Heart Over Amount
SPEAKER_02Jesus once watched wealthy people giving large sums of money at the temple. You may remember that. But then there's this poor widow that shows up and she gives two small coins. And Jesus makes a remarkable statement. This woman gave more than all the others. Jesus measured generosity not by the amount, but by the heart. The issue is our heart in Christ. And Paul calls the Corinthians, and God calls us as a faith family to excel in this grace, not reluctantly, not under compulsion, but joyfully. Why? Because we serve a generous Savior, and the cross declares forever that God is not stingy with grace. He pours mercy, the Bible says lavishly in Ephesians upon sinners. He welcomes prodigals home. He forgives abundantly. And when grace, the grace of God, grips our hearts, we begin reflecting his character to a fallen world. So, with God's help, may Christ Church Memphis be known not merely for worship services, programs, and buildings, but may we continue to be known and increase in the grace of gospel-shaped
Known for Gospel Generosity
SPEAKER_02generosity. May we excel in God's grace and acts of God's grace, and may the world see through the hearts of this people the generosity of Christ through you, in you for his glory. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Church family, would you stand to your feet? Let me pray over you. We're going to worship this song as we close. So, Lord, I want to go back to the image we opened up with. It's the image of the woman at your feet, breaking open the alabaster jar. So we don't want to sing worship to you detached, but with our full hearts. Adoring, treasuring, magnifying because of the gifts of expressions of your grace in each of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the podcast for Christ Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. We pray that today's message has inspired and encouraged you in your walk with Christ. To stay connected with our church community, visit us online at ChristchurchMethodist.org. We hope to see you this upcoming Sunday for worship as we seek to glorify God and make disciples of Jesus Christ for all peoples.