Giving According to Your Ability

Transcript

GRM 1079
04/15/2012
Giving in the Context of Grace
2 Corinthians 8:10-9:5
Gil Rugh

We’re looking into 2 Corinthians 8 in your Bibles. We are talking about the matter of giving. This is not necessarily so everyone will give more than they would otherwise give. The purpose of looking into the scripture, is so that we’re careful to give as God would have us give. That’s what He desires from us. That’s what our desire is, to be pleasing to Him.

2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 are dealing with a specific situation that is not repeatable. It’s important we understand that. Paul is making a collection among Gentile churches for the church at Jerusalem, which is Jewish in makeup, of course. That was where the church began in Acts 2. Paul told the Romans in Romans 15, concerning this collection among Gentile churches, that it was fitting for them to give to help the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Because the Gentiles have benefitted greatly from the Jews and we have, and our Savior, who is the Jewish Messiah. I say this because Paul’s focus here is specific and unique. He’s not laying a principle here, that we ought to help the poor wherever they are, or even to help all believing poor. There may be other passages of scripture that direct that. But we noted the example of the Macedonians at the beginning of chapter 8. Paul is writing to the Corinthians there in the southern part of Greece and the province of Achaia. Macedonia is the northern part of Greece. The churches and the area of Macedonia where the churches are, there was a poorer region. Achaia, where Corinth is, was a prosperous area. That affects the church. The church is prosperous as well. Paul had referred to the Macedonian churches and believers there, in chapter 8:2, as characterized as having deep poverty. We note that expression denotes total poverty. Being destitute. But Paul never tells the Corinthians they ought to help their near neighbors in Greece. He never takes an offering from the Corinthians, the help the Macedonians. Other churches that are characterized by having poverty or physical needs, Paul never takes offerings for them. So, this is a unique situation. Pau’s concern that the Gentiles express their unity, these Gentile believers, with the Jewish believers. I’m talking about believers in this whole context. Jews, who have become believers, and are a part of the church in Jerusalem, and Gentiles who have become believers, who are a part of churches in Gentile parts of the world. Here, particularly in Greece. He wants the Gentiles to express their love and appreciation of the Jewish believers. Have the Jewish believers recognize that the Gentiles see themselves in a relationship with these Jewish believers. Because you don’t want to have a Jewish church and a Gentile church, and a split. So, Paul has a theological reason for this offering, as well as helping meet a physical need.

This is not the first time he’s taken an offering and taken it to Jerusalem from Gentile churches. He did that back in Acts 11. That would have been about 10 years before the offering that he is now collecting that we’re talking about in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9.

Now, even though this is directed to a specific situation, the Spirit of God has guided Paul in the writing of this portion of the letter. Because what Paul says here, about giving, is applicable to all of us, as believers. The Spirit of God has taken these two chapters, which deal more fully with the subject of our giving, than any other portion of the New Testament. We’ll see in our next study that some of these principles are drawn from the Old Testament. But you will note, in these two chapters, nothing is said about tithing. Giving a tenth. That is not one of the guidelines for giving in the church age. This age of grace, as we would refer to it. Not mentioned. We might say, well, don’t you think it’s a good idea these people begin with 10%? No! I think they ought to begin with 25%. Why not 30%? The principles set down here, have to do with your responding to the work of God’s grace in your heart and your life. Maybe He wants you to give 5%, 2%. Percentages are not dealt with. But it’s functioning in light of God’s grace, and we’ve noted, these two chapters use the word “grace” more often than any other two chapters in our Bible.

When talking about God’s grace, what it’s done for His glory, God doesn’t need our money. We don’t give to help Him out. I refer to the verse where God says, ‘If I had a need, I wouldn’t tell you.’ How are we going to help God? So, we put our giving in proper perspective. But it is part of our service. It is part of our manifesting God’s grace. God’s love. Being pleasing to Him, bringing glory to Him.

We looked through the first portion of chapter 8. Really, verses 1-15 are a unit. We didn’t get through the closing verses of that. In the first part of the chapter, the first 6 verses, he talked about Macedonia, and their giving and that Titus will be coming to Corinth, to help the Corinthians complete what they have promised to give. The Macedonia’s were an example, they gave out of their poverty. They gave, verse 3, “according to their ability, and beyond their ability . . . of their own accord.” That becomes crucial. Paul says they didn’t give because I pressured them. They didn’t give because I made them feel guilty. They gave of their own accord. That becomes a crucial principle in our giving, as God’s people. Why it becomes a personal matter. I can’t tell you what you should give. You have to give out of your heart, as you have submitted yourself to the Lord. “They gave according to their ability”, that’s another principle going to come up again, “and beyond their ability.” The Macedonian’s went beyond what would be their normal ability to give. That’s not what’s required of everyone. But it will be required that we all give according to our ability. Some may go beyond that, as the Macedonian’s. But Paul does not require that, or expect that of the Corinthians, as we’ll see.

So, the Macedonian’s were the first example of an unreserved commitment to the Lord. “First, they gave themselves to the Lord [then] and to us”, in the giving of this offering. Then, he used the ultimate example, in verse 9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” The Macedonian’s had nothing and gave abundantly. Christ had everything, and He sacrificed it all. Of course, He would be the ultimate example for us. We think of the spiritual riches and the eternal riches that will be ours. Even as we’ve sung about streets of gold, all that God has prepared for those who love Him, that are given to us, because of the sacrifice of Christ.

So then, Paul says in verse 10, “I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.” You see, Paul is not writing to the Corinthians for the first time, about this offering. Over a year ago, he’d made them aware of this offering. Talked to them about it, and they were enthused. They had a strong desire in their hearts to be part of it, and to give. So, he says, this is my opinion. He doesn’t say, this is my command as an apostle. It’s “to your advantage”, you were the first. This was before the Macedonian’s got involved. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 16, we looked at that in the previous study, and wrote to them about this offering. Gathering it on the first day of the week, setting it aside, having it ready, for when Paul came, and he would collect it.

Well, what you were committed to do, what you began to do, what your desire was to do, verse 11, “But now finish doing it also.” So, he’s putting pressure on them, to do what they’ve committed themselves to do. But he’s not trying to talk them into doing something that they may not want to do. This, you expressed, was the desire of your heart. What you believed God would have you do. This is the commitment you made. I’m just telling you, my opinion is, it would be good for you to finish. You know, over a year goes by, you know how it goes. Well, you know, other things come in, and I decided, maybe I, you know, there are some other things we want to do. Their offering would shrink. So, Paul is encouraging them to go on. Note verse 11, “finish doing [this] it also; that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.” That’s the standard, “by your ability.” It becomes a matter, personally. I tell someone how much to give, I don’t know? You give according to your ability. I have to give according to my ability. Hard to give a percentage, an amount, what would sound like a little amount, would be a lot. The Macedonians, they had little but they gave abundantly. Doesn’t mean it was huge amount because they didn’t have the resources to give a huge amount. But they gave beyond their ability. According to their ability, but far beyond. All Paul is telling the Corinthians, you’re giving out of according to your ability, personally and then for the church corporately.

“For if the readiness is present [verse 12] it is acceptable according to what a [person] man has, not according to what he does not have.” You see these principles here, it’s according to ability. It’s according to your readiness and the desire to do it. It comes from the heart. “For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a [person] man has.” You see, it starts in the heart. ‘Well, I should give. My hearts not in it, but I should do it.’ First decide before the Lord, and this is by heart. Lord, deal with my heart. If that’s not what You’d move me to, then I function accordingly. It’s acceptable “according to what a [person] man has, not according to what he does not have.” The Lord has given me what I have. He’s given you what you have. He doesn’t move me to give what He hasn’t given me. He doesn’t move me to give a million dollars, if I don’t have a million dollars. I mean, it’s acceptable according to what a person has. You see that, acceptable before God. He knows what He has given to me. He knows what is giving according to my ability. What is acceptable to Him, is what I have, not what I don’t have. So, you see the balance in the instruction here.

“For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, by way of equality.” I’m not saying this so that other people can have it easier. Because you gave what you have, and then it will be more difficult for you, not at all. But for “equality at this present time” you have more than enough, you can give here. Those that you’re giving to, may at some time in the future, have more, and you’ll have less, and they may help you. The principle established in verse 15, drawn from Exodus 16, with the manna. “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

Isn’t it interesting, Paul is writing to a church in the Greek world, not with a Jewish background, but he throws in a verse like this, and assumes they understand the context. The Corinthians have already been taught and become familiar, coming out of their pagan background with the Jewish Old Testament, so Paul can just throw out a verse. “He who gathered much did not have too much, [and] he who gathered little had no lack.” What about the context of that? Well, you ought to know that that’s the manna in the wilderness. Those who gathered little, God made that enough. Those who gathered too much, ended up rotting, if they kept it. There was equality, balance. In other words, God provides for the needs. There ought to be an awareness of that.

Now, with verse 16, you have a second section here. What he did, was give the example of the Macedonians. Then the example of Christ. Then tells the Corinthians, respond accordingly to what you’ve promised to do. The desire of your heart in giving according to your ability. Now in verse 16 of chapter 8, down through verse 5 of chapter 9, Paul is going to talk about how this offering will be collected. Done in such a way, that there can be no shadow of doubt, in other words, did he, as Paul, dip his hand into the till. Here he is, traveling through the Gentile world, collecting offerings from the churches. Maybe he put some of this aside for himself. Maybe he used some of it for personal purposes. Paul constantly coming into attack. He’s very careful that this offering be handled in a way that will be pleasing to the Lord. So, he’s going to start out with the first person. What he’s going to do, is send three individuals to Greece. Paul is in Macedonia where he writes this letter to the Corinthians. In Macedonia, remember churches up there, they are like Philippi, Thessalonica, churches that Paul would write letters to. He’s there in Macedonia visiting those churches. The offering being taken there, gathered. He’s going to send three advance men to Corinth. He plans to leave Macedonia, travel south and come to Greece, and then to Corinth. What he wants is, for these three men to help the Corinthians finish up what they have promised. So, that when Paul comes, they will already have the offering that’s been taken. He’ll just pick it up and travel on to Jerusalem. He’ll have traveling companions. Here, he’s going to mention Titus. Verse 16, “But thanks be to God.” You may have that marked, when we went through and noted all the uses of the word, “grace”, Charis, in chapters 8 and 9. Here, it’s translated “thanks”. It’s one of the meanings of the word translated “grace.” Then it’s the natural flow of the meaning. Because when you’re given underserved, unearned, your response is, thanks. So, “thanks be to God”, but as the Corinthians read this, they are constantly reminded of God’s grace in all of this and “thanks be to God, who put the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.”

Now, Titus has just recently come back from Corinth. We noted that in chapter 7. He had gone on Paul’s behalf, to see how the Corinthians had responded to his previous letter. Because, if they had responded negatively, that would have meant real trouble and turmoil in the church; Paul would have to go personally, to resolve that. But Titus came back with a great report, the Corinthians responded in repentance to Paul’s letter, had made corrections, they loved Paul, and they were responsive.

Now, Paul is going to send Titus back. So, he’s going to give Titus, Titus will be the carrier of this letter, along with the two men traveling with him. So, this letter will be, also a recommendation of these men to the church at Corinth. “Thanks be to God, who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.” Titus has the same zeal and enthusiasm for the Corinthians that Paul does. God has put that earnestness, that zeal in his heart. Just like he put it in mine. You know, we always think about the negatives about the church in Corinth. The fleshly church and all the problems. It is a church with great qualities. Commendable things are going to come out. This is a church that Titus is enthusiastic about. Not just, ‘Oh I’ve got to go back to Corinth. More difficulty, more trouble.’ Titus has a zeal in his heart for the Corinthians. So, the Corinthians understand this, as Titus comes back, he comes back because he has a heart for you. He’s enthusiastic about what God is doing in your lives. He’s zealous to be part of that. The same zeal I have. God puts it there. “For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.” I encouraged him to go, but he had the desire already to go back and see you. So, the two go together. “. . . . He not only accepted our appeal [to go], but [he himself being] very earnest . . has gone to you of his own accord.” When Paul appealed, I need you to go back, Titus’s response is, ‘no, I want to go back. I’m excited to go back. This is the desire I have, to go back.’ So, what Paul is saying is, this is what I wanted Titus to do, and this is what Titus wanted to do. You see the unity here. It’s important they go back.

Let’s face it, any time you talk to people about money, it becomes touchy. And Paul is aware of that; so, he wants to be sure that it’s handled properly. ‘I have a zeal for you, and Titus has a zeal for you.’ It’s a coming with that in mind.

“We have sent along with him.” Now, Titus is not traveling alone here. “We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches.” Interestingly, Paul is going to talk about two traveling companions with Titus. Speak highly of them, but never names them. We don’t know why he doesn’t name them. If you want to look at all the guesses, you can get one of the better commentaries, and they’ll tell you what their guess is. The point is, we don’t have any idea. This is a man who has fame in the things of the gospel. That means he’s well known. He has a good reputation in the things of the gospel. His preaching of the truth is promoting the truth and being a help in the preaching of the truth, whatever. To all the churches. I take it, this would be true in Macedonia, we don’t know. Maybe he’s known also in Corinth. We don’t know. He’s not as well-known obviously as Titus; he may not have been to Corinth. Paul is telling them though, the churches where he’s been and known, he has a great reputation in the gospel, for his ministry.

Not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work.” So, two things commending him. One, he is a man of impeccable credentials spiritually. He has a strong reputation. He’s widely known in the churches for his ministry with the gospel. Secondly, the churches have appointed him. What churches? We’re not told. Perhaps Philippi, Thessalonica, churches like that have selected him because of his good reputation in the gospel. You see, for Paul, he doesn’t sort things out, well this is material, well this is spiritual, this is something, you know, lower-level people ought to handle. It’s money, it’s going to deal with physical things. Paul himself has devoted his life to this offering for this portion of his life. Titus is involved in it. The man that Paul will write a letter to, the letter to Titus. Now, here’s a man of outstanding reputation in the ministry of the gospel, and he’s been appointed by the churches to be part of this. So, Paul sees the material and the spiritual as an inseparably linked ministry. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be pouring himself into it as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

So, what we have now, this brother, “he has been appointed by the churches [in verse 19] to travel with us in this grace[ious] work. There’s our word “gracious” we have it translated in this grace work. Paul is talking about in this job of raising money, in this financial project, in this grace work. That’s the sphere in which we live as believers – God’s grace. Not, well this has to do with material things, we’ve moved outside of true grace here. No, you’ve got Paul, Titus and an unknown man who’s famous for his ministry in the gospel, all tied into this physical ministry, colleting of money; it’s a grace work. It’s “being administered by us” is the way it’s put. This is God’s work, it’s a grace work. We’re simply administering it, the word connected to the word “service.” We’re carrying it out. We get the idea this is no different than the way Paul talks about going and preaching the gospel someplace. It is carrying the grace of God, carrying out his role in serving God. This is “being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself.” See these things in perspective, this is a result of the work of God’s grace in our lives. It is for the glory of God. Otherwise, we don’t want to do it. We’re not to be part of that, we are the church. We’re the people of God. We function under the headship of Jesus Christ. We’re not about our business, we’re about His business. All we do in the work of the Lord, is done in the sphere of His grace, that enables and empowers us in our service for Him; so that He would be glorified, and to show our readiness. We are ready to be used by the Lord. We’re excited about it. You know, it’s amazing to me, some of you have been in our study of Acts. Paul goes through all of this, carries the offering to Jerusalem; brings it in and gives it to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, and nothing is said about it. We hear no more about it. You say, but Paul has devoted a large portion of his life to this work of grace. Other key godly individuals have been part of it. You think when it was brought to Jerusalem we’d hear the great response of the believers in the church at Jerusalem, and how this encouraged the church, and they were blessed to even reach out more with the gospel. Nothing! Back when he presents it to James and the leadership, you know what they tell him? You know there are bad rumors going around about you, Paul. Some have been saying, you require Jews to stop being Jews, so that they can be Christians. Paul says, that’s not true, I don’t teach that. We know, so here’s what you can do to correct that image. Paul does, and he gets arrested, and he begins a five-year imprisonment, which we are following in our study of the book of Acts. It’s God’s work, it’s for His glory. I assume that the believers in Jerusalem were encouraged by the offering. The Jewish believers appreciated the response. The point is, God never unfolds the end of it. He just lays out the importance of it. We sometimes decide, well I look and see what the end will be, that’s what’s important. No, what is important, is my service for the Lord today, now. Some of it seems to turn out the way I wanted, some don’t. It’s measured by my faithfulness in service in response to the grace of God in my life. Otherwise, I bypass the blessing.

We are “taking precaution” verse 20, “that no one should discredit us in our administration of this generous gift.” You know, Paul just never talks about this as “money”. He talks about it as grace. He’s talked about it as “koinonia”, fellowship. He’s talked about it as service, administration. He talks about it here, as a “generous gift”, hadrotes, it means something lavish, over the top. Not just a gift, but a bountiful, generous, lavish gift. Great liberality. We’re taking precaution, why are we having this man come with Titus? We’re “taking precaution that no one should discredit us in our administration.” Again, basic of that word is “service.” The word service, we’re familiar with the word “deacon”, a basic of that word family. Administration here, but the idea of servicing and administering. This bountiful gift, this lavish gift, we don’t know how much. I don’t think monetarily what the Macedonian’s gave would have been viewed in the context of what the Corinthians have, as you know, riches; but the gift overall, Paul talks about it, this is something done in light of the grace of God. It’s a work of grace. It’s for the Lord Himself. What the Macedonian’s did do, was a lavish gift in light of what they had. It was beyond their ability.

So, he reminds them of what this is. We’re not talking about your money in that sense. We’re not talking about a physical project to meet a physical need. Not talking about, here, I’m just a go-between the rich and the poor. I’m administering a grace work for the glory of God. That’s what I’m doing. I don’t want anything that could be done, that would cast a shadow, discredit this lavish gift. A subtle pressure here, for the well to do, wealthy Corinthian church. I mean, talking about done to the glory of God. Done as a grace work. Talk about whatever, I mean, Paul never refers to, well, I know a year has gone by, and maybe you’re thinking of giving, and this has changed, and that’s alright, whatever you think you want to do or don’t want to do, that’s just fine. No, it’s not! We’re talking about God’s work of grace in your life. We’re talking about something done to the Glory of God! Paul could only talk about a financial collection in that kind of context; something that is lavish! A generous gift.

“For we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” That’s why I’m sending these representatives. There will be three of them. He’s going to talk about the third one in a moment. Important verse here, drawn from Proverbs 3:4, “we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” Sometimes we as Christians get confused. The condition of my heart is what is important before the Lord. We sometimes fall back on that and say, well, I don’t care what people think, it’s only what is in my heart. That’s not true. We are to have regard for what is honorable in the sight of the men as well as the sight of the Lord. The reputation, the testimony of the gospel is at stake. We had this past week, about some pastors who are going to be going to prison because they were promoting Ponzi schemes in their churches. I mean, talking about how widespread this has become. Well, that casts disrepute on the gospel, does it not? Reveals what their heart was. We have to have regard. My conduct is important. What do you think here, if for the last 40 years the offerings that have been taken at Indian Hills, and they have been taken here, and taken to my office. Then I count them and deposit them and disperse them according to my thinking. I mean, there’s enough rumors that go around. What would that do? Every time I got a new car, you know where that came from? Every time I got a new tie, we know who bought that. People would think, yeah, he helps himself. So what? You build barriers, so that there is not opportunities. There are certain things you don’t do, places you don’t go, people you don’t associate with. Why? Because you have to be careful. If you see me with a single woman, having lunch together, you say, I wonder why they’re having lunch? Then you tell Marilyn, and its all over. No, I have to think, what would people think? Maybe it is harmless, but we are to have concern. “We have regard for what is honorable.” That ought to characterize us in our life. There are people who have questions about what we’re doing, we ought to re-think it. I realize some people are just looking for things to pick at. They will never be satisfied. But generally speaking, we ought to regard what is honorable. I am concerned about what you think. If you think this is improper, not fitting. Paul says, “I don’t want to open the door. “We have sent them with our brother.” Here’s another one. “We have sent them with them”, Titus and this man of fame. “We sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more, because of his great confidence in you.” You see how Paul ties him together and recommends him here? This man is put to the test. He’s a brother. Not only spiritually, but he’s been involved with me in ministry. He’s been often tested and passed the test. Difficult situations, pressure, been faithful. He’s been diligent in many things. “And even more diligent, because he has confidence in you.” I’ve selected him, not only because of his proven Godly character and service for the Lord, but because he has a heart for you. So, you see how he’s prepared the way for acceptance with these Corinthians, their confidence in him. Titus, this man of fame, this other brother, men that have a love for you, a zeal for you, a confidence in you. So, they’re not coming because they are negative toward you and want to beat it out of you. Or have a negative view of you. They are here positively; and just want to be used of the Lord, to help you do what you’ve already said you believed the Lord wants you to do.

Back to Titus, because Titus is the leader in this threesome, obviously. He’s the prominent person, he’s the man whose been most involved with the Corinthians. “As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you.” What more can I say? We have shared in the ministry to you at Corinth. This is a partnership in ministry to you. “As for our brethren, [these other two men] they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.” Paul, I think it is important to appreciate, you know, our lives belong to the Lord. What a privilege to belong to Him. Here, in this physical service, they are a glory to Christ. They are messengers of the churches. They are sent by the churches. So, it’s not just me, so, note here, Paul picked a couple of his close friends. They are probably in cahoots together. No, these are men of good reputation, among believers in the churches. I have full confidence in them. They are a glory to Christ.

“Therefore, openly before the churches show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.” You know, the Spirit of God directs Paul to put the pressure on. But in a proper sense, of course. “Openly before the churches.” Literally, in the face of the churches. The other churches watching, like the churches in Macedonia, “show them the proof of your love.” One thing to talk about love, James writes about this. John does in his first epistle. You have the opportunity to give, and the need is there, and you just say, I’ll pray for you. Be warmed, be filled. That’s no demonstration of love. So, love can be proved. We love the Lord, oh yes. What time is the service? Does it interfere with, let’s see, I want to be golfing by this time. Don’t like to take too much of the day, but I love You, Lord. When can I get on to other things? The same way with our financial things. Well, you know, I have things I want to do with my money. How much do I have to give? Well, I have to give something, if I pass the offering bag, people will think I didn’t give anything. No, some people give, put it in the offering slot, so the person next to you didn’t put it in the offering bag, maybe they mail in a check. Maybe they put it in the slot. We don’t know. We don’t want to know. I don’t know who gives what. I never see the checks. I never see a record of who gave what. It’s between them and the Lord. But it is a proof of their love, it is concrete.

I’m excited to tell you; one thing I’m never told I ought to preach about giving more. Sometimes people do say to me though, you know, you ought to speak about giving more. I appreciate that. But we don’t, why? I figure we preach the Word, people are growing in the Word, the grace of God is working in their lives, and you give. Praise the Lord for that. That is a testimony of our church, and I share that testimony with others, other pastors. It’s the work of God in our lives.

“Show them the proof of you love.” This will be concrete evidence. I mean, if we weren’t giving, I would be concerned about the spiritual condition of our church. That would be a manifestation, what’s wrong? We love the Lord; we love His Word. “And our reason for boasting about you.” I mean, Paul has been telling others. We get into this in chapter 9, the Macedonian’s. Chapter 9 continues, “For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints.” See, he doesn’t call it about giving money to other saints. It’s a ministry to the saints. “For I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians.” I’m boasting, I’m up here in Macedonia bragging about you. A good sense of boasting, about the commitment of the Corinthians. The zeal of their heart to be used of the Lord in this offering they initiated, with their commitments, that’s been exciting for the Macedonians. Tell them that Achia has been prepared since last year. Your zeal has stirred up most of them. When the poor Macedonians heard this, it wasn’t, well the Corinthians are rich, they can do it. Boy, we can be part of this too! This work of grace. This opportunity to honor and bring glory to the Lord in this way. We want to be a part of it too. So, I’ve used you, like you do when you share about somebody the way the Lord used somebody, they talk to somebody else. The Lord uses that.

“I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that as I was saying, you may be prepared.” In other words, to say it nicely, I realize it’s been over a year. You may have lost steam, got caught up in other things, distracted, and you’re not ready. But I am going to be visiting soon. All my boasting about your spiritual readiness, would be shown to be empty. Paul was a fool. You know how it is when you share the testimony of someone, then that someone stumbles significantly, you’re embarrassed. Oh, I almost wish I hadn’t used that testimony. I did that on an airplane one time, sharing with a person, and in the conversation realized this person, I think, knew another person, so I mentioned this prominent person to the person. He says, yes, I know them, they share this gospel too, yes, I know them too, they just left their wife, she’s a good friend of mine. Oh, wish I hadn’t brought them up. Why, it’s embarrassing. That boast was empty. It set you back. Paul’s concern of boasting here, will be empty.

Otherwise, verse 4, if you’re not prepared, “If any Macedonians come with me” not only these three men that are before me, but some of the Macedonians in the churches, they may travel with me also. “If any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we not to speak of you) should be put to shame by this confidence.” Let’s face it, it would be embarrassing for us both. For me, because I’ve been talking about your commitment and your zeal and readiness to be used of the Lord in this. Secondly, it will be embarrassing for you. Because it was your commitment. It was your zeal. Paul’s not taking the blame, I didn’t make you do this. I simply shared with you, and you make the commitments.

“So, I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, that the same might be ready as a bountiful gift. Bountiful gift, eulogia, we us it in English, at a funeral, they do a eulogy, they give a blessing. Tell all the good things about a person’s life. Well, this word translated “bountiful gift” comes from that word. A blessing, this bountiful gift will be a blessing. So that I want “your previously promised [blessing] bountiful gift . . . be ready as a bountiful gift.” Then the stinger, “Not affected by covetousness.” You know, Paul doesn’t let them off the hook. He thinks what they had committed to do, was reasonable. He doesn’t see them carried away with the emotion of the moment. But what they evaluated according to their ability, they could reasonably do, when they committed themselves to. He said, I’m concerned, if it’s not the bountiful gift that you had committed to do, it would be a reflection that you were covetous. Covetous, ugly word, desiring it for yourself. Colossians 3 says that’s idolatry. You know how it is, the Corinthians lived in a prosperous society; much like we live in a prosperous society. You know what prosperity does to us? It’s never enough. You turn on your TV, you’re always told that, right? You ought to be healthier. Buy this, it will make you healthier. You ought to take this vacation, it will make you happier. You ought to buy this product, it will do this for you and we are never done. We move up. We see it in our kids. They don’t want to start out where we started out. They want to start out where we finished, and so on. It’s true of my kids, it wasn’t true of me, of course it was. You know, we all move along, we move along. Prosperity, nothing wrong, God has blessed us in a prosperous country, and we benefit from the joy of the blessing. But we have to be careful, we get so absorbed that we never have enough. We are thankful for what the Lord’s given, but if He’d only given more, we could have, what? The Corinthians faced that. They are the prosperous people. The Macedonians were the poverty people. Doesn’t mean every person, every individual was destitute in Macedonia, nor was every person prosperous, but generally, Achaia is a prosperous province.

What’s the principle? What are we doing? Paul now, I’ve committed the men, we’re going to handle the money above board with godly men who can be trusted. Now, he’s going to draw it together in verses 6-16. Here are the principles to guide you in your giving. They sprinkled some of those through this. He’s just going to remind them, as he pulls it together, this is an operation of the grace of God. Let’s handle it that way. That’s what we want it to be. Whether we’re talking about the special project we face as a church, or our weekly giving. Let’s handle it individually and personally in light of God’s grace working in our lives, as He has blessed us. Then we come together, as a church in our giving, week by week. In His grace, He provides, and He receives the glory, and we receive blessing in being used by Him.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord, for the blessing of our salvation. Indeed, for us it all begins here. The recognition that the One who was rich became poor for our sakes, that we might become rich in Him, the Savior, the Son of God who loved us and died for us. Who purchased at the cost of His own life, our salvation. Made possible, forgiveness and cleansing and newness of life and eternal glory. Your grace has been bestowed upon us, and now we are privileged to live in that grace. Thank You Lord, that includes all of our lives. We don’t have to segment our lives out into the spiritual and the physical and material. Lord, we live lives in serving You. All that we are, all that we have, is a testimony of Your grace, Your saving grace. Your on-going grace, working in our lives. How blessed we are to give of our material things, for Your honor and glory. That is the only giving that will be pleasing to You. May all of our lives be a testimony to Your grace. We pray in Christ’s name, Amen.