Paul’s Purpose In Fundraising

Transcript

GR 1816
10/11/2015
Paul's Purpose in Fundraising
2 Corinthians 8:1-6
Gil Rugh

I invite you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 8, Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. He wrote more than just two letters to the Corinthians, but we have only two of them recorded in our Bibles as 1 and 2 Corinthians. We've looked through the first seven chapters and in that section of this letter Paul focused primarily on his ministry as an apostle, both defending it and explaining it. He was called and appointed by God to be a servant of the new covenant, proclaiming the message of redemption in Christ, the salvation provided by Him.

We come to chapter 2 and chapters 8 and 9 fit together also as a unit, but they seem to be out of step. In fact some commentators have suggested they weren't part of the letter as Paul wrote it because in chapters 8 and 9 he is going to talk about money. And he's going to talk about a collection that he is making among some of the Gentile churches, including Corinth, for believing Jews in Jerusalem. And it seems maybe he is out of step with what he has been talking about to this point.

I think it's important for us to appreciate the historical setting and what Paul is doing when he is making a collection for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. This is a very essential part of his ministry as an apostle. As an apostle he was proclaiming the message of God's grace that brought redemption and forgiveness to all who would place their faith in Christ. Now this ministry of the message of Christ began before Paul was converted. We had the death and resurrection of Christ recorded in the gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—and then the book of Acts opens up with Christ meeting with His disciples and then ascending to heaven where He is seated at the right hand of His Father. In Acts 2 Peter preaches the message of the finished work of Christ to a large Jewish audience, thousands of people in attendance. We know that because there were over 3,000 people that responded in faith to his message. But it is an entirely Jewish audience. And it seems a logical flow from what was promised and prophesied in the Old Testament regarding the coming of the Jewish Messiah and the fact that He would have to suffer and die to pay the penalty for sins, be raised from the dead and then come again. And many Jews are converted, the Holy Spirit comes in a new and special way as Jesus promised and the church has its beginning in Acts 2.

Now the ministry goes on but all the way through the coming chapters of Acts the Apostle Paul gets converted in Acts 9 but his ministry doesn't really become the focal point until we pick him up in Acts 13, but in Acts 10 something unique happens. Turn over to Acts 10 if you would. In Acts 10 Peter is getting ready for a meal and he falls asleep, really into a trance while he is waiting for dinner to be served. And in a trance he has a vision of a sheet being lowered from heaven and in that sheet are all kinds of animals that were unclean to the Jews, they were not to eat of these animals. And he hears a voice from heaven that says, all right, Peter, get up and have dinner. And Peter's response is, “I can't do that, Lord, I've never eaten anything unclean.” And the end result of that is Acts 10:15, “A voice came to him a second time, what God has cleansed no longer consider unholy.” And then men come knocking on the door, and they've been sent from the house of a Gentile man named Cornelius, asking Peter to come and explain to them the way of salvation through the Jewish Messiah. So Peter went and accompanied them. And he said in Acts 10:28, “He said to them, you yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him. God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.”

What I want you to know is how strong the division was between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews did not have anything to do with the Gentiles, they were unclean. They wouldn't even go to the home of a Gentile. They wouldn't have a meal with a Gentile. And of course the Gentiles did not think very highly of the Jews, they were those strange people with a strange law and they cut themselves off from everybody else, had strange eating habits and on it goes. And even after Peter was used to bring the Gospel to start the church in Acts 2, and the Gospel has reached out to Samaritans (Samaritans were mixed blood Jews) when it came time to go to full-fledged Gentiles, it's a shock to Peter. And he sits down and explains the Gospel to the Gentiles and the life of Christ in summary fashion, His death on the cross, verse 39; “He was raised on the third day,” verse 40; “He appeared to witnesses,” Peter is one of those witnesses; “He has been appointed the judge of the living and the dead.” And verse 43, “Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” And those Gentiles believe and the Holy Spirit comes upon them.

It's a marvelous event—Gentiles have been incorporated into the church, Gentiles have been saved as Gentiles. You understand before this a Gentile who wanted to be saved would convert to Judaism. There is no evangelism program in the Old Testament. The nation Israel was God's chosen nation, they were to be a light of His work, but if you wanted to trust in the God of Israel you would become a convert to Judaism. The whole worship system—the priests, the sacrifices—are all incorporated within Judaism. Now Gentiles have been reached.

In fact in Romans 11:1 it says, “Now the apostles and brethren who were throughout Judea,” that's the region where Jerusalem is, “heard that Gentiles had received the Word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem those who were circumcised took issue with him and said, you went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” This is a great offense, this is not a time of celebration. What in the world were you doing in a Gentile's house, having dinner? These are uncircumcised. They are not part of the covenant relationship we have with God. So Peter explains the vision God had given him, the instruction He had given them. Verse 9, “The word from heaven, what God has cleansed no longer consider it unholy. This happened three times. The Spirit told me to go to the house of Cornelius,” verse 12. And then he said how he preached the Gospel and the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles. The apostles and the believers in Judea, verse 18, Jerusalem say, “Well, then, God has granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” Wonderful. But you know we have carryovers. The Jews recognized Gentiles could be saved, they are going to be part of the church, but we have to deal with the issue—is their salvation really complete?

So you come over to Acts 15 and you note again verse 1, “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren. Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” They weren't denying that Jesus is the Messiah, they weren't denying that He died on the cross, they weren't denying that He was raised from the dead, they weren't denying you have to believe in Him. But that is not enough. Verse 5, “Some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up saying, it is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Law of Moses.” So now you have this mixture going on, Jews who have turned in faith to Christ as the Messiah but of the opinion that the church is going to be Jewish. It will be comprised of people who believe in Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior and Gentiles believe that who will adopt the Mosaic Law. That's what this Council is about. Is the church going to become Jewish? And you are aware the end of it was no. We don't want the Gentiles to just go out of their way to be offensive to the Jews, but keeping the Mosaic Law, circumcision and other things are not a requirement. And Paul has to battle this. Remember in the letter to the Galatian churches, there were still teachers that came in and tried to wed the Law to the message of Christ, to the Gospel. It's a battle. The church cannot be made Jewish.

But Paul also had to deal with the other side. Gentiles get saved, with the passing of time the church becomes more and more Gentile. I mean, for these first nine chapters of the book of Acts it's just Jewish. Now as more and more Gentiles are saved, Paul was saved in Acts 9, he becomes the apostle to the Gentiles and he begins to carry the message of Christ to the Gentile world. Now it becomes a concern that the Gentiles who have become believers don't develop an attitude toward the Jews that they are really not savable people. You understand, this carries on. The Reformers like Martin Luther were very anti-Semitic. The Jews deserve to be persecuted, deserve to suffer. They killed the Christ. Paul is dealing with this early. The Gentiles are going to have an attitude toward the Jews, they have sinned, they have been rejected by God. God is done with Israel.

So you say, “what does all this have to do with Corinthians?” The very collection that Paul is making among Gentile churches is not just for poor people. We're going to see he took part of that collection from churches you couldn't get any poorer than they were. They were rock bottom poverty stricken people. But he is taking a collection from them for the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. He is concerned to establish a connection between the Gentiles as showing their appreciation and understanding of God's work among the Jews. And that they are beneficiaries of the promises given to the Jews.

Turn over to Romans 15. Paul writes a letter to the Romans. This is later than his second letter to the Corinthians, and he is telling the Romans he plans to visit them. He plans to go to Spain and stop on the way and visit in Rome. He didn't have Rome as his prime place because there is already a church in Rome. Remember Paul said his driving passion was to carry the Gospel to people who had never heard it. He appreciates the church in Rome, we have a large 16-chapter letter as we have it. Toward the end of this letter in Romans 15:24, “Whenever I go to Spain, for I hope to see you in passing and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while. But now I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints.” And he says, “For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” That's what he is talking about in Romans 8-9.

He is in Macedonia. Put up the map if you would. Remember here, this is Ephesus. This is Asia Minor over here. Paul travels up and he is over in Macedonia when he writes 2 Corinthians. So he wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus, then he writes 2 Corinthians from up here in Macedonia, which is in the northern part of Greece. You can see it up there, you see the white letters Macedonia. The southern part of Greece is the province of Achaia. Athens and the city of Corinth and the church at Corinth are down here. Up here you have Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea, three places where Paul preached and established churches. He is up there among those churches.

That's what he refers to when he says, “For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor.” If you just stop there, you don't have the complete picture. It's the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. We're going to see Paul is going to say, you can't get any poorer than these believers in the churches up here in Macedonia. But they give to this collection as well. Now he has already finished up here in Corinth, but he's not going to go over to Rome on his way to Spain. He is going to come back here to Jerusalem, over here in Palestine. Here is Antioch where his home base is, and you have down here where he'll come in and come to Jerusalem, but he comes into the port here and comes down to Jerusalem. Antioch was his home base. These are the `churches of Galatia, when he refers to those. They were part of this collection as well, then he takes collections here. So you see he is taking this from Gentile areas to bring it back here, down to Jerusalem.

Note what he says in verse 27, “They were pleased to do so and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.” It's important to Paul that we not have a split, a Jewish church and a Gentile church; it's important to Paul that the church not be made Jewish; it's important to Paul that the church not be Gentiles excluding Jews. If you as Gentiles don’t appreciate the heritage you have in Judaism, I mean you have a Jewish Messiah as your Savior.

Come back to Romans 11, you'll see he brings this up further. Romans 11, he starts out chapter 11 with a question, “I say then, God has not rejected His people,” referring to Israel, “has He? May it never be.” The King James says God forbid, to give you the force of it but the word God does not appear there. May it never be gives the idea, this is a strong negative, such a thought is inconceivable. So he wants these Gentiles in this Gentile church at Rome to understand God is not done with Israel. “He has not rejected His people whom He foreknew,” verse 2. And even in Old Testament times in the dark days of Elijah there was a remnant of true believers in Israel, and there was a remnant even as Paul wrote because he said at the end of verse 1, “I, too, am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” God hasn't excluded the Jews from the salvation He has provided. It's part of that ongoing plan.

So verse 5, “In the same way, then, there has come to be at the present time a remnant.” So there are not large numbers of Jews comprising the church at this time, it is primarily Gentile. Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, the churches of Galatia, Rome. The church has become largely Gentile but He has not rejected His people. There is a remnant according to God's election of grace. Paul is an example of that remnant. He goes on to explain down in verse 11, “I say, then, they did not stumble so as to fall,” Israel had stumbled, the point wasn't that they had fallen on their faces and they are out of it, God is done with them. Not at all. “May it never be!” Again, such a thought is inconceivable.

Just an aside, I don't know how people today can say God is done with Israel. How clear can God be? He has not rejected His people. Magnoito, may it never be, such a thought is inconceivable. And some people say the church has replaced Israel. Well, let's just tear this out. I had a professor one time who actually did it with an old Bible, I think.

“I'm speaking to you,” verse 13, “who are Gentiles.” And I'm the apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry but you understand God's salvation to the Gentiles has a purpose in His plan for Israel. And he goes on. We'll pick up verses 16, “If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; if the root is holy, the branches are, too.” He is talking about Gentile salvation has come out of a Jewish context. “If some of the branches were broken off,” he's picking up the root is holy, the branches are. “Some of the branches are broken off you being a wild olive,” you Gentiles didn't belong in that. The root is the Abrahamic Covenant in which are contained all the covenantal promises, including the new covenant. In the provision for the salvation of Gentiles, as Paul makes clear in his letter to the Galatians, “in you,” Abraham, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” You Gentiles have entered into the beneficial blessings provided in the covenant with the father of Israel, the Jews, Abraham. “You have become a partaker with them in the rich root of the olive tree.” Verse 18, “Do not be arrogant toward the branches.” You see he is trying to make sure that the Gentiles maintain a proper appreciation of the Jews. You don't get the idea that the Jews are un-savable, they are Christ-killers. Terrible things promoted and encouraged by men we call the Reformers because of a failure to understand. Paul is dealing with this early. We're not going to have a Jewish church and a Gentile church, two separate churches. We're not going to have a church that is Jewish in nature. We're not going to have a church that excludes Gentiles.

So down in verse 25, “I don't want you to be uninformed of this mystery, that you won't be wise in your own estimation. A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. Then all Israel will be saved.” Verse 28, “From the standpoint of the Gospel they are enemies for your sake,” so that we Gentiles get a chance to hear and respond to the Gospel. This is the time of the fullness of the Gentiles, the end of verse 25. “From the standpoint of God's election,” choice, “they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” God can't go back on His word, His promises, His covenants with Israel. So we Gentiles need to have an appreciation. Now in these early days of the church where you have this tension going on, the Jews trying to push for Jewishness of the church, the Gentiles trying to push that the Jews really aren't going to be part of the church. Paul sees his role is to see there is one church comprised of Jew and Gentile and they have an appreciation and understanding of God's work.

So come back to 2 Corinthians 8. All of this to say this is the context. Why is Paul the Apostle taking time to raise money for poor people? We say, well, God is concerned about the poor. That's not what it is about, that's why it's important to see the context. This is a collection with a specific purpose—the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. It's not taking money from the Corinthians for the poor, destitute believers in the churches of Macedonia. Not that that would be wrong, but that's not what the focus of this is. Important to understand, people develop ideas of God's plan for the poor and alleviating poverty because Paul was concerned about it. Paul only has concern in one place—we don't have any record of his collecting money for any other poor churches. We're telling them they should be. I'm not saying it's wrong, and the principles that are here, we can compare and use in all our giving as believers. Part of the reason God put it here, the principles of giving will remain the same. But you understand the context and why Paul is involved here and why this fits perfectly with his discussion of his role as an apostle. Part of it is to be sure the Jews don't take over the church and make it Jewish, and that the Gentiles don't close the Jews out and have an attitude of arrogance. We're all on the same page, right?

We're going to one more passage, Galatians 2. And you see how this problem continues on. Even Peter and Barnabas struggled with it. So here Paul gives an example of what he is talking about in verse 11, and he is dealing here with Jews coming in trying to make the church Jewish. Verse 11, “But when Cephas,” that's the other name for Peter, “came to Antioch I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James,” and James is a key figure in the church at Jerusalem, “he used to eat with Gentiles. But when they came he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision,” the Jews, the Jewish element in the church. “The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.” So you see you have this tension, it's a serious matter. Paul says in verse 14, “When I saw they were not straightforward about the truth of the Gospel,” he rebuked Peter and so on.

This tension, even though Peter had experienced the vision from heaven, even though we had the Jerusalem Conference, they still struggle with it. You know how it is. Some of you have been raised in maybe liturgical backgrounds. You've mentioned that, some of you from Lutheran background have said, you know how hard it was when we came here and were part of the worship service and we didn't say the Lord's Prayer. For a while I went away and said, we really didn't worship, we didn't say the Lord's Prayer. I mean, those things get ingrained in us. For these Jews, this was from birth and this was their history for 2,000 years. So the tension.

All right, now we're ready for 2 Corinthians 8. “Now brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia.” You have the word grace in the first verse, the closing verses of 2 Corinthians 9 will mention grace. It is customary for Paul to begin his letters and end them with an emphasis on grace. And as I've shared with you, the chapters that we are looking at, 2 Corinthians 8 has the word grace mentioned more times than any other chapter in the Bible. You think of grace maybe in one of the chapters in Romans, Romans 5 I think uses it five times; 2 Corinthians 8 uses it seven times, and then three more times in chapter 9. Let me just make note of it because it's not always translated grace. And the word grace has a variety of meanings, but there is always that point of connection. Grace is used in verse 1; it's used in verse 4 where it is translated favor; it's used in verse 6 where it's translated gracious; it's used in verse 7 where it is translated gracious at the end of the verse; it's used in verse 9, “you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It's used in verse 16 where it's translated thanks, which is a valid translation of it. But you understand if you were reading this in Greek you would make the adjustments, but it's the same basic word. Thanks be to God. And then verse 19, second line there, “this gracious work,” gracious, the word grace. And if you want the rest of them there is a use of it in 2 Corinthians 9:8, grace; then it's used is verse 14; and then the word thanks in verse 15 is the word grace. So those are the ten uses.

The word grace is a key word. Everything that Paul is going to say about money is in the context of grace. We sang about it, we are enveloped in this grace. This is the realm in which we live and all of our motivation and all of our activity and all of our actions and all of our words come out of the work of God's grace in our lives. So “we want to make known to you Corinthians the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia.” Well Paul is in Macedonia when he writes. They have given money, that's what he talks about when he says, “I want you to know the grace of God which has been given,” he's referring to the collection. And he sees this money that has been given was a result of the work of God's grace in the hearts and lives of these Macedonians. They gave as a result of God's work of grace in their lives. It's a manifestation of His grace. So he refers to this offering as the grace of God which has been given, which is a way of saying the offering which was given is a result of God's work of grace in their hearts and lives, in the churches of Macedonia.

Now this offering is not new to the Corinthians. Come back to 1 Corinthians 16, the last chapter of his earlier letter. 1 Corinthians 16:1, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed in the churches of Macedonia so do you also. On the first day of the week, every week, each of you put aside and save as he may prosper.” The same comparative kind of thing is going to come up in a moment in our section in 2 Corinthians. “So that no collections be made when I come. When I arrive, whoever you may approve, I'll send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem. And if it's appropriate, I'll go along.” So you see Paul intends this offering be collected before he comes. He's not coming to put the screws on them, to put pressure on them. He wants God's grace to operate in their lives. This is a collection they are already familiar with in his first letter. Perhaps it came from a previous visit with him, Titus. In 1 Corinthians 5 he said he wrote an earlier letter that has not been preserved by the Spirit of God for us in our Bibles, could have been mentioned there. However, they had made a commitment, they wanted to be part of this offering for the believers in Jerusalem. He tells them how it is to be done and it should be completed. They had committed, evidently, what they thought they would do.

Come over to 2 Corinthians 8:10, “I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage who were the first to begin a year ago.” So it's been a year since they made their commitment. “Not only to do this but to desire to do it.” They were among the first when Paul let it be known by letter or whatever, what a good thing. Just think, if the Gentile churches make a collection for Jewish believers in the church at Jerusalem, what a statement that will be, that you Gentiles recognize and appreciate the benefits you have received from the Jews and God's promises to them. And you have gotten to become a partaker of what God has promised in the covenants He made with Israel, including the New Covenant, which is said to be made with Israel, Judah. The benefit of being blessed in Abraham.

Now you've made the commitment, Paul's concern, verse 11, “Now finish doing it, just as the readiness to desire it was there, so you may complete it.” You made a commitment, follow through. I'm concerned that maybe time and distractions. Look over in 2 Corinthians 9:2, “I know your readiness of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely that Achaia has been prepared since last year and your zeal stirred them up.” When Paul was in the churches of Macedonia up north in Greece, he told them the Corinthians were so excited about this and wanted to be part of it and have committed to do it. That stirred the Macedonians. So when he talks about it's the grace of God, that doesn't mean that God doesn't use the human instruments like Paul, like the Macedonians. Well, if God stirs me in my sleep some night, I'll be part of it. No. It is seeing God's work in another life, that is a motivation.

So it's been a year, are you still on board. The churches of Macedonia have done it. What's remarkable about the Macedonians? Verse 2, they are rock bottom dirt poor and yet they gave. So he says, verse 2, “that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy, their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.” Now what you have here is these contrasting comparisons that are stressed so strongly. They have a great ordeal of affliction and out of that comes abundance of joy; they have deep poverty which overflows in the riches of their liberality. You are getting just the opposite that you would expect because the grace of God is working. We don't have normal human response here, we have divine operation in the lives of those who are experiencing the grace of God at work in their lives.

Look at verse 2, “in a great ordeal of affliction,” in great testing of affliction. You know the ministry in the Macedonian churches—Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea—was difficult from the beginning. We're not going to turn back there, Acts 16-17, you might take time to read it. Remember in Acts 16 Paul and Silas were beaten, severely beaten, a punishment not allowed to Roman citizens. Paul being a Roman citizen put the fear in the Philippians when they realized they had inflicted such a severe punishment on a Roman citizen. That could draw the Roman wrath on them, consequences. Then they are put into the inner prison in stocks. They go on to Thessalonica—turmoil, affliction, opposition. They go on to Berea—turmoil, affliction, opposition. This is a difficult place to minister. It hadn't changed. Paul writes later to the Philippians during his first Roman imprisonment. What does he say to them? Philippians 1:28-30, “To you it has been given not only to believe in Christ, but to also suffer for His name.” I mean, you have gotten two blessings from God—not only do you get to believe in Him, you get to suffer for Him. This could get old, wearisome. He says the same with the Thessalonians when he writes to them, both in his first letter and his second letter. They received the word in affliction and affliction goes on. But in their great ordeal of affliction, their abundance of joy, the overflowing joy in contrast to affliction. You know the normal thing is when you are suffering greatly, that tempers your joy. There is something about these Macedonians and their great testing of affliction, they are experiencing overflowing joy. It's God's grace at work in their lives. It is not just human action.

He goes on in the next statement, “their deep poverty.” Now the word for poverty here, it means great poverty, just the word itself, great poverty. And then he adds a phrase here that means down to the depths. Their down-to-the-depths great poverty. So some of the translations were poverty at its deepest, rock bottom poverty, extreme profound poverty. I mean, when you are experiencing this kind of affliction, this kind of opposition, this kind of suffering, you know the results. You lose your job, you are cut off from family and friends, you are in that bottomless pit of poverty and how do you get out? This is where they are. You would think Paul would be encouraging the Corinthians to send some money north to these poverty-stricken Macedonians. He never does. I'm only collecting money for one church, the Jewish church in Jerusalem as a testimony that the Gentile believers appreciate and understand the debt of gratitude they owe to the Jews and the promises. Their deep grinding poverty overflowed in the riches of their liberality. Do you get the idea that Paul is overwhelmed here? It overflows in the riches of their liberality. Overflowed, riches, liberality. Those who are in grinding deep poverty, down-to-the-depths great poverty, they are giving. It's God's grace. You get the sense that Paul has been impacted by this.

He says in verse 3, “I testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord.” Now if we looked at the amount that was gathered, we might say that's not so much. But you look at what they gave compared to what they have, it's like the proverbial account of the widow's mite we're familiar with in Mark 12 where all these well-to-do Jews are throwing money into the collection point in the temple and are proud to do it. Want people to see that was quite a bit they put in there. And a widow comes, gives what is called in the English, two copper coins. And really what it amounts to, if I remember correctly, is 1/64th of a denarius. Now a denarius was a working day's pay for a laborer. So we're not talking about the rich, we're talking about a working day's pay for a laborer. And she gives 1/64th of that. Well if it was $64 a day, I have to do the math I can work with, that would mean she gave a $1 out of what you got for a day. But when she gave that, she gave everything. Jesus said she gave more than everyone. Why? God doesn't need our money, you turn God into a beggar. Remember the Old Testament God says, if I needed something, would I ask you? As though we have something to give to God? I created everything, I own everything, it all belongs to Me. Why would I ask you for something? But this widow gave everything. That was the greatest riches, and that's the picture here that Paul has.

“I testify to their ability,” that they went beyond their ability. I couldn't believe what they gave. How could they do this. And it was of their own accord. Paul wasn't here saying if you work at it, if you are really spiritual you can do a little more. No. In fact look at verse 4, “begging us with much urging for the favor,” that's our word grace, “of participation, fellowship in the support of the saints.” Paul wasn't begging them, they were begging him. Paul evidently expressed reluctance, the fact that you have the desire means a lot. And I can convey to the church at Jerusalem that the Macedonian church has really wanted to but just were not in a position. They are in a state of poverty like you are in Jerusalem. No, no. The Macedonians will hear none of that. I've been in the ministry a while, haven't had too many people begging to give. You appreciate what is going on here. “Begging us for the privilege, the grace of fellowshipping in the support of the saints.” You see their attention is not on themselves, not thinking here it would be nice if the Corinthians cared enough about fellow Greek believers to send some of their prosperity up here, wouldn't it? No. God's grace turns us out and we want to be part of it. We want those Jews to know our appreciation, our gratitude and how thrilled we are that God's grace has saved them. And that same grace has reached us Gentiles. Key words—the grace, the fellowship and the support or service of the saints.

And they didn't do this as we had expected. They keep going beyond what Paul would have thought. “They first gave themselves to the Lord.” You know we are not our own, we've been bought with a price. We belong to Him. That means everything we have belongs to Him. We've given ourselves to the Lord without restraint. No wonder Paul could write to them in Philippians 1:28ff and say “to you it has been given,” it's a privilege, an honor not only to believe in Christ but to suffer for Him. We say suffering, Lord, what is wrong? I try to be a good, faithful servant. I'm giving you a privilege—if you are suffering because you are a testimony for Me, that's a blessing I've given to you, an added blessing. If we are honest in our hearts we say there are some blessings I'll pass on, maybe the tribulation one. It's not Paul's perspective, it wasn't the Macedonians' perspective. “They gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God” because when they gave themselves to the Lord, who is there in their midst as God's servant, God's representative. “They gave themselves to us by the will of God.” They are operating out of the grace of God and God's will is that I be here ministering and collecting this collection. We've given ourselves to the Lord, we want to be part of the ministry that He is doing in and through you. Amazing how it works. You know, God's grace at work.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't have any then, we just leave it personally. Remember Paul is telling the Corinthians what the Macedonians have done. That's putting a little bit of pressure on the Corinthians, don't you think? And that's what he is going to tell them later, I hope I won't be embarrassed and you won't be embarrassed if some from the Macedonian church join me, coming down to find out you haven't followed through or what you have given really is not a reflection of grace in your lives. That kind of pressure is good for us. It is not bad. It's healthy. I'm challenged by that when I see God working in someone else's life. It reminds me of what God in His grace can do when I allow His grace to overwhelm me as well. And I am challenged. God hasn't put us in a little box and said it's just between you and me. It is His work that does it, but He is using His people together for the accomplishing of His purposes.

So “we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning,” so he was there at the initial time when this was presented evidently, perhaps he brought the first letter that we don't have to the Corinthians, was part of those initial commitments. “So he would also complete in you this gracious work as well,” this work of grace, gracious work. That's all I want, God's grace to work in you. He didn't tell them what the Macedonians did, he doesn't tell them what they ought to do, that it ought to be a manifestation and reflection of God's grace. That takes it outside the realm of human comparison as far as well, if they did this much, I'll do this much. No, when God's grace was operating in the Macedonians, it was far beyond what they could do humanly speaking. So don't compare yourself to them, what will God's grace do in your life if you give according to your ability and beyond your ability? That's the pressure that is on the Corinthians.

Turn over to Ephesians as we wrap up. You see the connection of the money and the ministry. In Ephesians 2:11, Paul exhorting Gentiles, “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by the circumcision.” That's the Jews, you are outside the covenant relationship of God, circumcision being the sign of the Mosaic covenant. “Performed in the flesh by human hands, remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenant of promise, having no hope, without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. He who is our peace brought both into one, Jew and Gentile so that He might make the two into one new man, He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross.” The uniqueness of the church, it's comprised of Jews and Gentiles, it's a work that God is doing. That doesn't mean there will never be a completion of the promises to Israel.

So that's all involved. So our money, it's tied into our spiritual life, of God's grace at work in our lives. Do you know what? These Philippians don't quit. Look at Philippians 4. Paul is in his first Roman imprisonment, he is in jail. Do you know who sends him material help? The Philippians. These people are crazy. God's grace can make you crazy. Verse 15, “You yourselves know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the Gospel after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone.” And you can read in Acts 18, Paul went to tent-making when he got to Corinth because he wouldn't take money from unbelievers. But then money was sent down from Macedonia and it was enough that he could quit making tents and devote himself full time to the ministry. “Even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once.” Then verse 18, “But I have received everything in full and have abundance, I am amply supplied having received from Epaphroditus what you sent.” These people, God's grace is so overflowing in riches of liberality that out of their poverty they are looking for opportunities. And “what you have given is a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs.” You are not without resources, the God of all resources will take care of you.

So a challenge to us to keep our perspective, we want to function in God's grace in every area. And we want to be used to be an encouragement and challenge to others in that grace.

Let's pray together. Father, we do have a wonderful, marvelous salvation. Your grace has transformed us, but that grace is at work day after day after day. We continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lord, we desire that grace to take hold of every area of our lives, that we are given over to You completely, that our greatest privilege and honor and joy is serving You, being used of You. We are not overwhelmed with our afflictions because Your grace brings Your joy to us in the greatest afflictions. We count it our greatest honor to belong to You, to serve You, to be a testimony of Your grace. May that be true of our church in this place and our testimony as it goes out. We pray in Christ's name, amen.