THE MINISTRY OF GIVING II Corinthians 9:1-14
You have heard it said, "It is better to give
than to receive." Is it in the Bible? Yes, it is a Biblical principle. To
show he worked to supply his needs and those with him, the Apostle Paul
reminded the Church of Ephesus of these words of Jesus. Acts 20:35, "And I
have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard.
You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give
than to receive."
Though there is no record of Jesus saying these words,
the principle is consistent with his teachings and actions. When it comes to serving
the community through giving, even the secular world understands it and is
pretty good at it. For instance, look at the philanthropic acts of the rich,
the successful, and volunteerism from all sectors. Someone wrote this in a
blog:
"The importance and benefits
of giving back to your community. "Donating your time to support those around
you is extremely beneficial for you and your community. It will enrich your
life, familiarize you with your community, and connect you to people and ideas
that will positively impact your perspective for the rest of your life. Helping
your community is an opportunity for you to grow as a person to understand
better how you fit into the world around you. It is statistically proven that
people who volunteer regularly are physically and mentally healthier.
Individuals who have volunteered throughout their lifetime typically live
longer and have better psychological well-being."[1]
My message today is not to induce guilt in those lacking
in giving nor to twist the arms of those already giving and make them give
more. My heart is to share with us what the Bible says about giving and how
you, I, and our Church will benefit through our giving. I Cor 9:1-13.
I.
Why giving is a hallmark of a Christian?
We see the first act of God's giving in Genesis
1:29-30 when God made a provision for humanity by giving them fruit, seeds,
plants, birds, and animals as food for their survival. God expresses his love through
giving and wants His children to excel in the grace of giving.
A.
Giving the first fruits of our labor is a form of worship that honors God.
Wise King Solomon encourages us to follow the
principle of bringing our first fruits to God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says,
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and the best part of everything you
produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow
with good wine."
How does this apply to the modern culture? You honor God when
you bring Him the first fruits of your increase. Offering the first fruits, in
contemporary times, would be giving a portion of your paycheck each time you
get it or a portion from the addition in your business to God. It demonstrates
that God is the number one priority in our lives, and we trust Him. God says if
we honor Him with our first fruits, we will be abundantly blessed to become a
blessing to others.
B.
Giving is an expression of our Love for God and others.
God's love for
humanity was not expressed in mere words only but through solid actions. God
demonstrated his love by sending his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, into this
hostile world. John 3:16. Jesus expressed his love by giving up His life
voluntarily on the cross so that we might live forever in eternity with Him.
God expects us to show our love through our actions.
I John 3:18-19, "Dear children, let's not merely
say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions
will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand
before God." Our generous giving measures our Love for God and others to
those in need, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of God.
C.
Giving breaks the grip of greed in our lives.
Greed is the opposite of giving. Greed is
self-centered, always wanting to satisfy one's selfish needs and desires. Jesus
rebuked the Pharisees, saying you have greedy hearts (Matt 23:25). Paul warns
Ephesians saying greedy people will not inherit God's Kingdom (Ephe 5:3). In
the parable of the rich fool, Jesus warned his disciples to "Beware! Guard
against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own."
Luke 12:15
One of the criteria for the Church leaders is not to
be greedy ( I Timothy 3:3). Wouldn't it be helpful to adopt this criterion for
all our congressional leaders? How can we break this choking grip of greed?
Through generosity! So, let's embrace generosity and let go of greed.
D.
God meets the needs of the poor and the needy through our generous giving.
Throughout the scriptures, God made provisions for the
poor and the needy through the generosity of people, even more so the rich. God
instructed the Israelites, when harvesting the crops of their land, not to
harvest the grain along the edges of their land or pick up what the harvesters
dopped. They were for the poor and the foreigners living among them. Lev 23:22.
God commands us to care for orphans and widows and not
to mistreat foreigners. Exodus 22:22–23). James says that caring for the needs
of orphans and widows is part of religion, "pure and faultless"
(James 1:27). Caring for those in distress is not optional but a command from
God.
Deuteronomy 15:10-11, "Give generously to the
poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you
do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am
commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need."
God is mindful of the needs of the poor, and so are we. In his second letter to
the Corinthians, Paul lays out a pattern through which the poor and the needy
are cared for in God's family and outside. It is something He wanted all the
churches in the region to follow.
II
The Ministry of Giving II Corinthians 9:1-14
I encourage you to read II Corinthians eight and nine,
two beautiful chapters on how we can grow in the gracious act of giving.
Macedonian Christians excelled in the ministry of giving. Though they were
plagued with troubles and poverty, their spirit of giving did not dampen. Instead,
they were filled with abundant joy that overflowed in their rich generosity.
The ministry of giving is for all of us. Here are a few things we can learn
from the Corinthian Church.
First, be eager to help the believers of God's family
everywhere, beginning with your local church. Second, we should give willingly,
not grudgingly. Third, our blessings are in proportion to our giving. If you
give little, you receive little, but if you give more, you receive more. Jesus
shared this principle with his disciples to teach them how to give generously.
Luke 6:38: "Give, and you will receive. Your gift
will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more,
running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the
amount you get back." It is like the investment principle.
Fourth, when it comes to giving, our attitude matters
more than the amount. You can write a check for $1000 with a grumpy attitude or
give $10 with gratitude and joy in your heart. Fifth, giving should never be
forced but is voluntary, and each one should give as they have decided in their
heart but give it cheerfully. For God loves a cheerful giver. Sixth, remember
that God provides us with everything generously so we can become generous. We
can only give back to God and others what we have received from God in the
first place.
What are the benefits of the ministry of giving?
First, the needs of the struggling believers are met, and they joyfully thank
God. Second, through our ministry of giving, people will glorify God. Third,
our generosity proves to other believers that we are obedient to the Good News
of Christ. Fourth, believers will pray for us when we help them through our
giving.
How do we start this beautiful ministry of giving?
Begin with our tithes and offerings. In the OT, God set a standard of 10% of
all the produce to be brought into the temple of God for its upkeep and the welfare
of the Levites, the poor, and the needy. I close with a quote from a wealthy
Christian businessman, R.G Letourneau, who gave 90% to God and lived by 10% of
his wealth. "It is not a question of how much money I give to God, but how
much of God's money I keep for myself."
All we have is His! May God help us all to excel in the ministry of
giving.
