2 Cor. 9: 6-13
We have been talking about ‘Growing in Faith’ and throughout the series I have been emphasising the promises of God.
Faith means taking someone at their word.
People who walk by faith (not their own understanding) are people who know and claim the promises of God.
One of the best known promises in the Bible is Phil 4:19 our memory verse this week.
‘My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus’.
This is a very bold statement but what does this mean? Its meaning is often misunderstood.
You may think to yourself “I have needs in my life that are not being met. I have physical needs. Spiritual needs. Social needs. Personal needs. Many needs that are not being met, so why doesn’t this verse work for me”?
The first thing I want to say is that the problem does not lie with God.
Behind every promise in the Bible is a premise.
A condition; God says “If you will do this then I will do this. And today we are going to look at those conditions that lie within the promises of God. If we follow the premise behind the promise – we can rely on God to meet all our needs. He doesn’t say I’ll meet all our greed’s! In 2 Cor. 9 God spells it all out more clearly for us by offering us a life-changing formula which has a principle, a procedure and a promise.
These are some of the most important words I will speak on the subject of faith.
Here is the Principle:
I. When you have a special need – plant a seed. “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously”. 2 Cor.9:6
This is the principle of ‘sowing and reaping’. (All of us understand this principle at least in part).When a farmer looks at a barren field and he wants to grow a crop of wheat or maize, what does he do? Does he pray about it? No – prayer is worthless at this point. Does he complain about it? No. Complaining is pointless. What he needs to do is to go out and sow whatever seed he has. Until he sows some seed nothing is going to happen in that field.
The first thing he has to do is ‘give’ – to exercise faith.
Imagine that there are two farmers both in debt but they both have a sack of seed. One farmer says “This is all I have left – I’m hanging on to it. I’m not going to give it away and I’m not putting it in the ground – once it’s gone, its gone.”That man will never get out of debt.
The other farmer says “My last sack of seed. I’m going to sow it in the ground where of itself it will die. The only way I will get out of debt is to give away what I have (let it go).
This is the Principle.
Now it’s not so hard for a farmer to invest his seed in the ground because he has had some experience of how the grain harvest works.
But God says that the principle of the grain harvest extends to all of life.To our finances; our time; our relationships they are all subject to the level of our faith.
It may seem illogical. You may say “Well, I don’t have enough. Why should I give away what I have?” The answer is ‘because it’s God’s way’ and ‘God’s ways are infinitely better than our ways’. God wants to teach us faith.
Example.
Q. What are our ways of getting out of a financial bind?
1. Borrowing – put it on the credit card.
2. Work harder – second job – overtime
3. Some people beg or steal but most of us borrow or work harder.
God says “That’s not my way”. My way is spelt G.I.V.E.
‘When you have a need, sow some seed’. This is a faith response and the more seed you sow the bigger your harvest. If you only want God to bless you a little, just sow a little.
I talk to people all the time who say “I’m too busy to give my time” or “I’ll give more money when I get out of debt. God says “You don’t understand. I’ll help you find more time”. (Busy people always have the most time)“You start giving and I’ll get you out of debt”.
It’s a matter of faith.If we want to make it through life on our own, God will let us do that. But if we want to walk by faith instead of by sight, start planting some seed.
The law of planting and reaping is a principle that applies to every area of our lives.Whatever you give out in life we are going to receive back. If you give out criticism you are going to receive back criticism.
If you show kindness, people are going to be kind to you. Similarly you’ll get anger for anger, love for love.
And what’s more, whatever you receive back will be in a greater measure than you have given.
Notice that if you get angry with someone, they well become more angry with you. If you are critical of someone, they will be more critical of you. (Dynamics of vendetta it just accelerates)
So whatever you need your first need is to give what you have away. If you need more time, give away time; more money, start sharing what you have; more energy, give it away. How do we become more energetic? By sitting around? No, by using what energy you have to exercise.
So this is the Principle and the next verse (Vs 7) gives us the Procedure.
II. Give with the right attitude.
There is a right way and a wrong way to plant seed and a right and a wrong way to give. It doesn’t work unless we do it with the right attitude.
“You must each make up your own mind (in other words nobody can tell you what to give) as to how much you should give. Don’t give reluctantly nor in response to pressure for God loves a person who gives cheerfully”. 2 Cor.9:7
Let’s be very clear – God doesn’t need our time, our talents or our money. Let’s not forget ‘the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’.
We only hold what we have in trust. We use it when we are alive, and when we die it goes to someone else. So we don’t really own anything and God doesn’t need any material thing from us.What He seeks from us is our heart.
He wants what our money represents – Money is at the centre of a great deal of our life’s efforts, plans, worries and thinking.
And God says money is such a major part of your life, I want that too.
The Bible says “Where your treasure is your heart is also.”
Q. What do you spend your time thinking about? We don’t have to have a lot of money to be preoccupied with it – it’s not the amount that matters to God but the attitude. And this extends to our giving. God is not interested in how much we give, but in why we give what we give. Why? Because we give according to what’s in our heart.
Let me give you 5 good attitudes to develop from this verse:
1. I am to give thoughtfully. Paul says “make up your own mind”.
Don’t let anyone tell you what to give. Don’t give impulsively (some people think that impulsive giving is more spiritual) – But God wants us to think about it – pray about it and make a thoughtful decision.
2. Be enthusiastic. – Paul says ‘not reluctantly’ out of guilt – never give out of guilt – ‘not grudgingly’ (“I guess I have to”).
3. I am to give voluntarily. It says “not in response to pressure”. You won’t ever hear me tell you what you must give. Some of you may feel pressured when the subject of giving comes up. But that’s your problem – it’s an internal problem that you may need to deal with. So do it voluntarily – if you feel pressured – don’t give. Because God says it’s the attitude that counts – remember the widow’s mite?4. I am to do it cheerfully if I want God to meet my needs.
Like the farmer, I sow my seed glad of the opportunity to reap a good harvest in due time. “God loves the person who gives cheerfully”. The word is ‘hilarus’ – our word ‘hilarious’. The Bible doesn’t say ‘give until it hurts’ but ‘give until it feels good’.
If it never feels good to give, you have not given enough. You will always have a good feeling when you know your giving is making a difference.
Q. Why does God love a cheerful giver?
Because He is one.
He cheerfully gave to us every moment we have. We rejoice in the life He has given us. It’s His nature – He loves to give and when we give cheerfully He knows that the real essence of Christ lives in us. (“That’s my son or daughter?) If you don’t believe that read the opening chapters of Job)
5. I’m to give weekly.
“On every Lord’s Day (when is the Lord’s Day?) – Sunday – the first day of the week. 1Cor.16:2
The day Christ was resurrected. Christians have always celebrated the resurrection “put aside some from what you have earned during the week and use it for the offering”.
Giving is an act of worship and it forms part of our worship. Worship isn’t just singing, praying, listening to a message.
It also includes our response, our commitment and our giving. God says ‘I want you to give me the first part of your earnings, the first day of your week because I want to be first in your life”.
If you are not by nature a cheerful giver, remember these three things:
1. Remember that – everything we have comes from God in the first place.
We wouldn’t have it if God didn’t give it.
(Verse 10) “God gives seed to the farmer and food to those who need to eat and God will also give you seed and multiply it”.
God provides the seed and He is entitled to a royalty.
2. Remember God’s guarantee.
God guarantees that whatever I give to Him cheerfully – He will give back to me. Luke 6: 38: “Give to others and God will give to you. The measure you use for others is the one God will use for you.”
God says, ‘You can choose how much I bless your life’. You choose by the extent of your giving.
Verse.11 “You will be enriched so that you can give even more generously”. (Story of the generous farmer)
Q. Do you know how God grows your heart?
You give him what you have and He will give back a bigger heart. Give it back to Him and He will return it bigger and stronger every time.
Remember God’s guarantee – we can’t out-give God 3. Remember your eternal reward.
Jesus said that the way to store up treasure in heaven is through our generosity.
Jesus. “Use your worldly resources to benefit others. In this way your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven”. Lk 16:9 Anything I hold onto in this life, I will lose the moment I die.
But anything I place in God’s hands, I will enjoy forever.
As someone said “You’ve got to do your giv’n while you’re liv’n so you’ll be know’n where its go’in.”
You can’t take it with you but you can send it ahead.
i. So God’s Principle – when you have a need, plant a seed.
ii. And His Procedure – give with the right attitude.
iii. And His Promise
III. I Can Expect God To Meet All My Needs. There are more promises about giving in the Bible, than anything else and over and over God promises to meet our needs.
Vs.8: “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”. Look at the number of times Paul uses the word all:
(i) All grace – God says I’ll give you ‘all grace’.
(ii) So that in ‘all things’ – not in some things but in all things.
(iii) ‘At all times’ - Not some of the time, but always
(iv) You’ll have all that you need – not just some but all.
Q. Is there anything in life that this verse doesn’t cover?
Mortgage payments, school fees, doctor’s bills – absolutely?
So here is the real issue – Can God be trusted?
Can you trust God to do what He says? Giving is really about ‘faith’. Do you believe God will keep His promises?
This is a most fundamental question about our faith – not a test of feeling but it’s a test of faith.
Q. Why is giving so important to God? When you obey the Gospel you say you believe in people will praise God because you have freely shared with them out of your abundance”.
When I give, it’s an encouragement to others – it says I really believe that God will take care of me.
Learning to give sacrificially was one of the most important faith lessons in my life. (I learned to tithe while I was a student). I have never lacked for anything and I have had the most wonderful life.
I think it’s a tragedy if you never learn to give in faith; to trust God with your finances.
God urged the Hebrews to, “Bring your whole tithe into the storehouse. Test me in this, says the Lord. And see if I will not throw open the flood gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it.” Malachi 3: 8 – 10
God is issueing a challenge here. This is the only verse in the Bible where you can test God.
God says “Go on, test me and. I’ll prove it to you. You give to me and I’ll give back to you and we will see who will out-gives the other.” It’s amazing that the God, who created the whole universe, puts Himself on trial. He did not have to make this promise. He could have just said “I want you to tithe because I am God and your not.”
He didn’t demand it because He wants us to learn generosity.
Do you know that the most sensitive nerve in your body goes from your heart to your wallet? We get nervous even talking about this!
‘Anything but not money’ – suffering, persecution, tribulation even death but not giving.God could have just said ‘Give it up’ but instead He makes a promise and He puts His character on the line and says ‘Test Me’.
Q: Is God real? Is God loving? Will God keep His promise?
You will never know until you become a sacrificial giver.
If you would like to follow what God laid down in the Law that represents 10%. (And I don’t know why God nominated 10% He could have said 50%). I only know that as far as I’m concerned it belongs to God. The truth, of course, is that it all belongs to God and there will be times when He asks us to give sacrificially to support Missions or a building project over and above our regular giving. The Church was built on sacrifice.
But let’s get it all in perspective. Whatever we give is nothing compared with the sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave for us.
Paul writes “For you know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you, through his poverty, we may become rich”. 2 Cor.8:9
Today we have talked about giving back to God and I make no apology for that. If we are going to grow in our faith, we have got to learn to give back to God. But what God really wants is you – your love and your life.
“Offer yourself as a living sacrifice to Him’.
When you think of what He’s done for you, is this too much to ask?
We all know the answer to this Question – don’t we?Amen!
Prayer
If we can trust Jesus with our forgiveness and our future, we can certainly trust him with our finances, our time and all of the other things that are important to us. Do you need to ask God to forgive you for not trusting Him with your daily needs? If so, do it now and ask Him for the faith to sow more good seed.
“Lord Jesus, we will never be able to repay what you have given us. In fact everything we have is a gift from you. We can only give back what we have first been given. Help us to learn the miracle of generosity.
Stretch our faith, increase our commitment. Deepen our love for you. Break the grip of materialism in our lives. There are people here today with real financial difficulties and we pray for them now as a church family. We ask you to help them. Work a miracle in their lives as they trust you. And work a miracle in all our hearts this coming week we pray.
In Jesus name. Amen