2 Corinthians 9
September Memory Verse: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
Read: 2 Corinthians 9
In chapter nine, Paul is calling the church at Corinth to a lifestyle of generosity and sacrificial giving. Giving is always a sensitive topic in churches, but can you imagine being the Corinthian church and receiving this letter from Paul? “I’m sending these guys to make sure your gift is what I talked it up to be - so you’re not humiliated” (my paraphrase). Paul is pretty bold with them, but in doing so he helps us understand why generosity is necessary and how we are to be generous.
Why should we be generous? Because Christ is “a gift too wonderful for words.” The King of Kings was beaten, mocked, and crucified for our sins. He gave his life so that we would receive his righteousness, love, freedom, and acceptance from the Father. The gospel has to be the source of our generosity. Secondly, Paul states that two things happen when we give. Needs are being met, and God is praised (9:12-14). Not only is our generosity meeting the physical needs that people might have - it is a gospel witness that produces thanksgiving to God.
Do others know you are a follower of Jesus by the way you give?
How are we to be generous? Or to what degree? Halfway through this chapter Paul makes a particular statement, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (9:6). I don’t think Paul is teaching us that if we give more presents we will get more presents. He’s telling us that generosity is gospel ministry! If we give because Jesus gave us life and our giving points others to Christ, then how much should we give? How generous should we be? If we seek to see our city consumed with the gospel then generosity has to move from a budget line to a lifestyle. It should resemble Christ.
Let me clarify one thing - generosity is not simply money given to the church or to someone in need. We can give with our time, our skills, serving in a ministry, or a number of different ways. Find where there is a need at church, at home, at work and give so that Christ is known because you have been given “a gift too wonderful for words.”
By: Joe Weaver
Read: 2 Corinthians 9
“Thank God for his Son — A gift too wonderful for words.” 2 Corinthians 9:15
In chapter nine, Paul is calling the church at Corinth to a lifestyle of generosity and sacrificial giving. Giving is always a sensitive topic in churches, but can you imagine being the Corinthian church and receiving this letter from Paul? “I’m sending these guys to make sure your gift is what I talked it up to be - so you’re not humiliated” (my paraphrase). Paul is pretty bold with them, but in doing so he helps us understand why generosity is necessary and how we are to be generous.
Why should we be generous? Because Christ is “a gift too wonderful for words.” The King of Kings was beaten, mocked, and crucified for our sins. He gave his life so that we would receive his righteousness, love, freedom, and acceptance from the Father. The gospel has to be the source of our generosity. Secondly, Paul states that two things happen when we give. Needs are being met, and God is praised (9:12-14). Not only is our generosity meeting the physical needs that people might have - it is a gospel witness that produces thanksgiving to God.
Do others know you are a follower of Jesus by the way you give?
How are we to be generous? Or to what degree? Halfway through this chapter Paul makes a particular statement, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (9:6). I don’t think Paul is teaching us that if we give more presents we will get more presents. He’s telling us that generosity is gospel ministry! If we give because Jesus gave us life and our giving points others to Christ, then how much should we give? How generous should we be? If we seek to see our city consumed with the gospel then generosity has to move from a budget line to a lifestyle. It should resemble Christ.
Let me clarify one thing - generosity is not simply money given to the church or to someone in need. We can give with our time, our skills, serving in a ministry, or a number of different ways. Find where there is a need at church, at home, at work and give so that Christ is known because you have been given “a gift too wonderful for words.”
By: Joe Weaver
7 Comments
What wonderful scripture, and your commentary Joe, to remind us how the overflow of love and thankfulness in our great gift of salvation, should COMPEL us to give of ourselves and the resources with which God has given us. We are not our own, nor are the resources with which we have been blessed, they are all the Lords! They never were ours.......they are on loan from God! How blessed we are that he chooses to share that we might also share!
Thank you for this encouragement today Joe! Great job.
October has always been my favorite month of the year. I love the cooler fall weather, college football, time spent with family at fall festivals, etc. However the best thing about October is missions giving month at Center Point Church. Every time I pass by the wall in our gathering point and see pictures of 50 plus churches we have built around the world I am inspired to cheerfully give to advance the gospel. I love the heart of CPC that would rather build churches across the world than spend money building our own facility in Lexington. I'm sure it would thrill Tim Parsons to know that money will be given in his memory to build churches in places with a desperate need for the gospel. Thank you Joe for reminding us that generosity should be a lifestyle for those redeemed by the blood of Christ. God wants our time, talents, and resources to proclaim the name of Jesus everywhere.
Thanks for sharing Joe! We witness CPC's generosity yearly during our missions month as we raise money for the missions offering. The missions team is very excited about our missions month this year and are praying God uses it to do great things in our church and the world.
Coincidentally (and oddly!) my first conscious thought upon waking up this morning was, "God turns lack into abundance for His glory."
A little boy's lunch feeds 5000. Faith like a mustard seed moves mountains. A little oil provides for a widow (1 Kings 4) and on it goes. On the mission field, we regularly saw how $1 stretched beyond reason in God's economy.
Freely we receive, freely we give. It's beautiful to be part of God's supply chain, on both ends!
Good word, Joe. :) Thanks.
What we have is actually not our own. We are simply stewards of what God has entrusted to us. How can we not give back to God that which is already his!?
Let it be a joy to give. Don't give because you HAVE TO. Give because you GET to. It is an honor and a privilege to worship God in this way.
Thankful for CPC, a church that understands that, and generously gives to support God's mission. And thanks for encouraging us this morning Joe!
I grew up with my Dad always saying, "you can never out give God"! It's sooo true, not just money, but time, serving, caring, listening, etc! Thanks Joe!!!
You always regret what you spend... You never regret what you give.