THE GRACE OF GIVING
Christian leader Gordon MacDonald shared the following
story about how God transformed him from "giving as merely an
institutional obligation" to a cheerful giver. The process began when my
wife, Gail, and I made a mission trip to West Africa. On the first Sunday of
our visit, we joined a large crowd of desperately poor Christians for worship.
As we neared the church, I noticed that almost every
person was carrying something. Some hoisted cages of noisy chickens, others
took baskets of yams, and others had bags of eggs or cassava paste.
"Why are they bringing all that stuff?" I asked one of our hosts.
"Watch!" she said. Almost every person in
that African congregation brought something: a chicken, a basket of yams, or a
bowl of cassava paste. I saw that giving, whether yams or dollars, is not
optional for Christ's followers. Soon after the worship began, the moment came
when everyone stood and poured into the aisles, singing, clapping, and even
shouting.
The people started moving forward with what they brought
to a space in the front. Then I got it. This was West African offering time.
The chickens would help others get a tiny farm business started. The yams and
the eggs could be sold in the marketplace to help the needy. The cassava paste
would guarantee that someone hungry could eat. I was captivated.
I'd never seen a joyful offering before. My
keep-money-under-the-radar policy would not have worked in that West African
church. Those African believers, although they never knew it, had moved me. I
understood that giving—whether yams or dollars—was not an option for
Christ-followers. Instead, it was an indication of the direction and the tenor
of one's whole life."[1] Today we will learn about
the believers in the 1st-century Macedonia region. The Apostle Paul
used them to teach the Corinthian Christians and us a few lessons on the
Grace of Giving.
I.
What do we know about the first-century Macedonian Christians?
We have been drawing lessons from Corinthian Church
for the past several weeks. In this passage, Paul uses the example of Macedonian
churches to teach them a lesson on giving. What do we know about the Macedonian
Christians? Responding to a vision of a man from Macedonia in Northern Greece,
Paul preaches the Good News in that region. (Acts 16:9).
As a result, three Churches were established in
Philippi, Berea, and Thessalonica. Paul wanted the Corinthian believers to know
that God's grace motivated Macedonian churches' generosity. Macedonia was an
impoverished province that many wars had ravaged. It was plundered by Roman
authority and commerce. Christians were persecuted and lived in abject poverty.
Yet the believers in those churches displayed a beautiful spirit of
generosity.
II.
The poor Christians yet were rich in giving.
Vs.2 "They are being tested by many troubles, and
they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which
overflowed in rich generosity." This verse is paradoxical. How could poor
people be rich in generosity and the troubled be filled with exceeding joy?
When those who make $100,000 yearly give $100 to
charity is no big deal, but when someone who lives on food stamps makes such a
donation, it is admirable. That was what the Macedonian Christians were doing.
Their circumstances did not control their giving.
We see some unusual practices of giving among the
churches in Macedonia. They gave what they could afford and beyond. We do not
often see such qualities displayed by Christians of our time. They repeatedly
begged the apostles for the privilege of sharing the gift with the believers in
Jerusalem. From Acts 11:27-30, we learn about a severe famine that occurred
during the reign of Claudius in the entire Roman province. The Macedonian
believers and others gave as much as possible and beyond their ability to help
the poor saints in Jerusalem.
Macedonian believers saw it not only as a privilege
but an obligation. Romans 15:26-27 "For you see, the believers in
Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the
believers in Jerusalem. They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a
real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the
Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in
return is to help them financially."
III.
What made the Macedonian Christians excel in joy and giving?
Vs. 5. "They even did more than we had hoped, for
their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God
wanted them to do." They exceeded the apostle's expectations. What
contributed to Macedonian's joy and outlandish giving? They first gave
themselves to God and then gave themselves to serve the needs of God's people.
When we give ourselves totally to God first, something
happens in us. We will recognize that all we have, and all we are, belongs to
God. We say He is the Lord of all my life, including my checkbook. How many
believers today are willingly saying that to the Lord?
When we serve God and the needs of God's people, God
will meet our needs in return. Philippians 4:15-19 "As you know, you
Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought
you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did
this. Even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent help more than once. I do not
say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward
for your kindness.
At the moment, I have all I need and more! I am
generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a
sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same
God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches,
which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." The principle at work here
is, "The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves
be refreshed." Prov 11:25.
III.
The Grace of Giving (Vs. 6-7)
It looked like the Corinthian
Church was doing well in its scripture knowledge, faith, love for the apostles,
and enthusiasm. They also have a lot of gifted speakers but may be lacking in
the area of generous giving. Hence Paul appealed to them to grow in the grace
of giving.
Why is giving associated with grace?
One of the earliest revelations of God to Moses was that He was full of love
and grace. (Ex 34:6) God's love and grace motivate him to give. John 3:16, For
God so loved the world that He gave his son. Romans 12:6 reads, "In his
grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well."
How does grace-giving practically
work out in our lives today? First, we don't give out of compulsion and guilt.
No, one is commanding us to give, but we give out of our love for God and
others. Secondly, we give not out of compulsion but out of our free will.
Thirdly, we give not grudgingly but cheerfully. Each one will decide what to
give in their hearts.
Two primary ways of giving are mentioned in the Bible:
Tithes and free will offerings. According to Smith's Bible Dictionary, a
"Tithe" or tenth is the proportion of property devoted to religious
uses from very early times. Tithing first appeared in the Bible when Abraham
gave one-tenth of the spoils of war to Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem
(Gen 14:18-20).
As we give 10% of our income to the local church, we
use that to maintain this facility to have a place to worship. It helps pay the
salaries, provides for the poor, and supports our local missions and
missionaries so that the Gospel will continue to be preached.
In addition to tithing, whatever we give, amounts to
free-will offerings, like towards the Deacons fund or to meet a specific need
or cause. It is not how much we give but how we give matters to God. When we
give with eagerness, it is acceptable to God. Giving helps us overcome
selfishness, greed, and discontentment. Therefore, let us excel in this grace
of giving.
