To God We Trust - 2
OUR EXAMPLE
… based on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Okay, imagine this scenario … somebody comes up to you tomorrow & says, “For this next week, money is not an issue. You can go wherever you want; you can get whatever you want. Go to a car dealership & if you see a car you like … you can have it. You can go on vacation. You can buy a house. Whatever … for 1 week you can accumulate as much as you want. And you get to keep it. You can go to Best Buy & get an 80” TV to watch the Colts beat the Titans next Sunday. In fact, even go to the game,
get the best box seat. Money will not be an issue for 1 week.”
Do you think that would change your life?
I think I could get fired up over that real fast.
I want to say something that’s going to sound absurd right now,
but I hope by the time I’m done this morning it will make sense.
When it comes to money & us … there’s something more exciting than a weeklong unlimited spending spree. And we’re going to learn what that is by spending some time in Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians. And we’re going to see how God is our example when it comes to this exciting life.
Now let me 1st explain a little about this passage before I read it.
And we’re going to go through it … starting at the end & working our way forward because I think the key to Paul’s logic comes at the end,
so we’ll start there & work our way backwards.
The believers in Jerusalem have a serious financial need,
so the Corinthians are taking an offering to help. In fact,
Paul’s talking to the churches all over the place about taking offerings.
(Romans 15:26) He’s encouraging the believers in each town to participate generously in providing for the needs of the faithful in Jerusalem.
So, let’s jump into the conversation Paul’s having with the Corinthian believers. Listen now to Good News, from Paul, to the Church in Corinth,
& to us here at Bear Creek Church.
Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord …
Remember that the person who plants few seeds will have a small crop; the one who plants many seeds will have a large crop. You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. As the scripture says,
“He gives generously to the needy;
his kindness lasts forever.”
And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity. He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us. For this service you perform not only meets the needs of God’s people, but also produces an outpouring of gratitude to God. And because of the proof which this service of yours brings, many will give glory to God for your loyalty to the gospel of Christ, which you profess, and for your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else. And so with deep affection they will pray for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown you. Let us thank God for his priceless gift! (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
Jesus said, “Happy are those who hear the word of God & obey it.” (Luke 11:28)
May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen
God is our Example. And our Example makes us alive.
“Let us thank God for his priceless gift!”
What’s Paul referring to? … He’s describing Jesus.
Thanks be to God for Jesus, our priceless gift.
“God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
God looked at you & me & saw our need … before we even knew we had a need. Before we even cried out for help … God knew our need,
& He loved us, & He gave us His Son. Our God is a giving God.
God the Father gave us His Son, but at the same time, the Son gave us Himself. Paul often testified of this. “This life that I live now, I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me & gave his life for me.” (Galatians 2:19-20)
Jesus said, “No one takes my life away from me.
I give it up of my own free will.” (John 10:18)
Matthew explains to us that when Jesus was on the cross,
He “gave a loud cry & gave up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50)
The Father gave us the Son; the Son gave us Himself.
Our God is a giving God. He’s our example. And it’s not just about salvation. God gives us so much more.
He gives us authority. (Matthew 10:1)
He gives us truth. (John 17:8)
He gives us glory. (John 17:22)
He gives us peace. (John 14:27)
He gives us life. (John 5:21)
He gives us The Holy Spirit. (John 3:34)
He gives us prosperity. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
He gives us freedom. (James 2:12)
He gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13)
He gives us victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
He gives us wisdom. (James 1:5)
And I could go on & on & on & on & on & on & on & on.
Our God is a giving God, & He’s our ultimate example, & our Example makes us alive with generosity. You & I are created in His image, (Genesis 1:27), which means that we’re most alive when we break free from self-centered living & move into a life of generosity. That’s when we become most alive,
& that’s when this all starts to make sense. That’s when there’s excitement & joy. Our Example (God) makes us alive when we become more like Him …
more generous, more giving. And I’m not just talking about our money.
#2 … our Example (God) makes our lives count.
We all want our lives to count; to have meaning & purpose. To not just exist, but to have made some kind of contribution to our world.
“He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us. For this service you perform not only meets the needs of God’s people,
but also produces an outpouring of gratitude to God. And because of the proof which this service of yours brings, many will give glory to God for your loyalty to the gospel of Christ, which you profess, & for your generosity in sharing with them & everyone else. And so with deep affection they will pray for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown you.”
Paul’s telling us that our lives will be meaningful, will have purpose,
if we become generous with our time, & money, & talent.
And he lists 4 really good things that will come out of it.
Now one of the results of generosity is that gratitude is given to God.
We help someone & they pray, “thank you God for bringing Duane into my life; thank you God for bringing Cindy into my life.” God is being praised when we are generous with others. Paul continues, our generosity “meets the needs of God’s people.” You see, we’re not wasting our time.
It’s not just about us, it’s helping others.
3rdly, generosity proves our faith. If I’m on the outside looking in,
I want to know that the people who are sitting in Bear Creek Church really believe what they say they believe. And do you know how we prove that?
It’s not by singing songs. It’s not by even coming here every Sunday.
It’s by how we live our lives when we’re outside of this building. (James 2:18)
That’s how we witness out in the world.
People observe us & see that Jesus is really making a difference in our life.
And 4thly, generosity increases our love.
We start becoming more generous & meeting the needs of other people; we’re generous with our time & talents & money. And all of a sudden,
we notice that our love has increased. Love between believers,
love between believers & nonbelievers. It all starts to expand.
Those are some wonderful results that come out of generosity.
Thanksgiving to God, meeting needs, proving our faith, love increases …
those are really good things. And none of that happens when we’re selfish.
Now there’s a major objection out in the world about Church in general,
so let’s take a moment & address it. “The Church just wants my ______ (money).” You’ve all heard something like that, I’m sure.
I certainly welcome the opportunity to talk to anyone who holds that view,
& if you run into any of those individuals, maybe these next few moments will be helpful to you. And let me begin by saying to anyone who has that view …
it’s preventing them from having a passionate relationship with Jesus.
Imagine sitting in your house & the doorbell rings. We go & find a Girl Scout selling ________ (cookies). We look her right in the eye …
“Little girl, you just want my money! Get the heck off my property!”
And you slam the door in her face. The little girl doesn’t just want our money. It’s something bigger than our money.
She’s trying to fund some beneficial programs. She wants to go to Camp.
She wants to make a positive impact in the community.
Or we’re shopping at IGA during December. And as we’re walking out the door there’s a Salvation Army bell ringer. … “You just want my money!”
No, it’s not just about our money; it’s about something much bigger than that. The Salvation Army wants to clothe the poor, & feed the hungry,
& meet the needs of humanity. It’s not about our money;
it’s about something much bigger than that.
Do the Salvation Army want our money? … Yes. Is it just about our money? … No. Does the Girl Scout want our money? … Yes.
Is it just about our money? … No.
Last month on Kathy’s birthday, she had a Facebook fundraiser for Dravet Syndrome Foundation. (That’s the medical situation our granddaughter Bella had, of which she passed at the age of 11 last year.)
Was Kathy just interested in getting money? No.
She’s interested in finding a cure of Dravet Syndrome.
There’s something bigger going on in this world than our money.
So, my answer, as a Pastor, when someone says to me,
“the Church just wants my money” … I respond, “I don’t just want your money; I want your house, I want your car, I want your time,
I want your talent. I want the very best of what you’ve got.” Why?
Because if the Scriptures are true, & Jesus is who He says He is,
& there’s a Heaven to be gained, & a Hell to be avoided, & if the Church is God’s “plan A”, & if the Church, acting like the Church, is the hope of the world … then I’m totally in, & I want you to be totally in, too.
God has a purpose for us, & for the Church.
So, I say unapologetically, without any shame, “I want your money,
I want your time, I want your talent, I want whatever you have,
because there’s something bigger going on here than just your money.”
And that’s the truth.
#3 … our Example (God) blesses us for a reason.
“God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves & more than enough for every good cause.
As the scripture says,
“He gives generously to the needy; his kindness lasts forever.”
And God, who supplies seed for the sower & bread to eat,
will also supply you with all the seed you need & will make it grow
& produce a rich harvest from your generosity.
He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times.”
I heard a terrific illustration about this once. It was a picture of the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point geographically on the planet Earth.
The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan River & some underground springs.
So, there’s stuff always coming into the Dead Sea.
The reason it’s called the Dead Sea is that there’s no outlet …
stuff comes in, but nothing goes out. The salt & mineral content in the Dead Sea is so high that it cannot sustain life. There’s no fish, no vegetation.
That’s why it’s called the Dead Sea … stuff coming in, but nothing going out.
Our Example (God) blesses us for a reason.
When we stop the flow by being selfish, we become dead.
We lack the life & energy & joy & purpose that God created us to have.
The opposite image is Niagara Falls. The water comes & goes, comes & goes. There’s vegetation & fish. There’s life & energy & excitement & activity. Things are happening. Why? Because the water is coming & going,
coming & going, coming & going, coming & going.
Whether it’s our money or our time or our talents … our Example (God) blesses us for a reason. It’s not just about us. It’s about what kind of results can come as we live a life of generosity. And the sooner we figure that out … the more life makes sense … the more alive we become. People who are bored with Church, bored with their faith, bored with Christianity …
it’s because they settled for something less. They’re simply settling for sermons, while contently sitting in a pew for a hour or so.
But if they would break into a life of generosity the game would change.
God blesses us for a reason.
Maybe you’ve heard the old financial image …
Get all we can
Can all we get
Sit on the can
Well, we might end up with a lot of money in our can,
but we’ll miss the very best that God has for us.
Final point … Our Example (God) wants us to follow His lead.
“Remember that the person who plants few seeds will have a small crop;
the one who plants many seeds will have a large crop. You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty;
for God loves the one who gives gladly.”
This is pretty obvious … “We reap exactly what we plant.” (Galatians 6:7)
I have corn seeds, & I scatter them in a field. What’s going to grow? …
(corn) If I plant corn seeds my harvest will be corn. If I plant a lot of seeds, I’ll get a lot of corn. If I plant a few seeds, I’ll get a little corn.
I have another field, & a bag of apple seeds. If I plant them,
I’m going to get what? … (apples) If I plant a lot, I’ll get a lot of apples.
If I plant a few, I’ll get a few apples.
I have watermelon seeds, & I plant them in a field. What am I going to get? … (watermelons)
We all understand this … we reap what we plant. And if we plant sparingly, we will reap sparingly. And if we plant a lot, our harvest increases.
If we spend all our money at Best Buy … our harvest is going to be some really good electronics. If we spend all our money on electronics our harvest will be electronics. If we spend our money & time on golf …
our harvest will be … golf.
Wherever we invest our time & money & talent,
that’s where we’re going to get our harvest. (Matthew 6:21)
So, here’s the question we need to ask ourselves.
“Where am I placing the best effort of my life?”
Because that’s the harvest we’re going to get. And if we want a different harvest, we have to plant a different kind of seed.
American clergyman & writer, Max Lucado, translates these verses this way:
“The person who plants a little will have a small harvest, but the person who plants a lot will have a big harvest. Each one should give as you have decided in your heart to give. You should not be sad when you give, & you should not give because you feel forced to give. God loves the person who gives happily.
And God can give you more blessings than you need.”
So, this is a personal decision between you & God, between me & God;
& it’s a decision that’s going to take resolve on our part.
What are we going to give? Financially? Time? Talent?
But regardless, the bottom line is … “God loves the one who gives gladly.”
Okay, by way of review …
Our Example (God) makes us alive
Our Example (God) makes our lives count
Our Example (God) blesses us for a reason
Our Example (God) wants us to follow His lead
Okay, it’s time for some audience participation.
We’re going to finish with an activity.
I asked you to bring some pocket change, coins … this involves all of you,
& if you didn’t get the e-mail, & you don’t have any coins, then you’re going to have to use $’s. …Take your money out & hold it in your hand. …
Everyone have something in your hand?
But before we start, here’s the disclaimer. There’s the potential that you’re going to leave with more money, or less money, than when you arrived.
I have no control over what’s going to happen.
Everybody stand up. Move into the center aisle.
I’m going to give you 30 seconds, & here’s the goal. I want you to try to collect as much money from other people as you can. I want you to go up to one another & say, “I want your money. Give me some money.”
Okay, on your mark, get set, go …
(30 seconds … 29 … 28 … 27 … 26 … 25 … 24 … 23 … 22 … 21 … 20 … 19 … 18 … 17 … 16 … 15 … 14 … 13 … 12 …
11 … 10 … 9 … 8 … 7 … 6 … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1)
Okay, times up, go back to your seats. The awkward moment at church … “can I have your money?”
Okay, one more round, stand back up, back out in the aisles.
Now I want you to give away as much money as you can in 30 seconds. Go!
(30 seconds … 29 … 28 … 27 … 26 … 25 … 24 … 23 … 22 … 21 … 20 … 19 … 18 … 17 … 16 … 15 … 14 … 13 … 12 …
11 … 10 … 9 … 8 … 7 … 6 … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1)
Times up. Return to your seats.
The 1st round was awkward wasn’t it … trying to get money from other people? We don’t like asking people for money, for things. It’s uncomfortable. But the 2nd round came to life, there was a lot of laughter, there was more movement, it was louder. It was fun.
Why was the 1st round awkward & the 2nd round much more fun? … Because that’s the way we’re wired. Our God is a giving God & we’re created in His image, & we become truly alive when we follow our Example (God)
& live lives defined by generosity.
I read this past week that America could be on the verge of a serious financial crisis. The coming year is going to be crucial.
And certainly, that can be disconcerting. It can be frightening.
But the real question is … how much do I trust my God with my financial needs? Am I being fearful & self-consumed?
Or am I learning to be able to tell the difference between wants & needs?
This is all temporary. God is up to something …
& He has invited you & me to be part of it.
So, while we enjoy things like money, comfort, & convenience,
we will refuse to serve them because we cannot serve 2 Masters. (Matthew 6:24)
And there’s only one Master that’s worthy of our very best.
In God We Trust.
MARANA THA
