Principles for Giving Support in the Church

Transcript

GR 1478
07/10/11
Principles for Giving Support in the Church
Romans 15:22-29
Gil Rugh

We're going to Romans 15. Paul has come to the concluding section of the letter. As we noted, Romans 1:1-15 formed an introduction to the book. And then from Romans 15:14 through Romans 16 is the conclusion, and in the conclusion he ties back to some of the things he mentioned in the introduction, and clarifies and elaborates. And then in Romans 16 he'll also have an extensive list of greetings to people that he knows, associated with the church at Rome. Remember this is a church he has never visited. He has not had the opportunity to come to Rome, visit the church since it has been established there and he is looking forward to that.

In Romans 15:14-21 which we have looked at, Paul talked about the fact that his life and ministry was focused around fulfilling the responsibility God had given him when He gifted him to be an apostle to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. That is unique. Here now the gospel is going to be carried in a focused way to non-Jewish people. And that is the focus of the Apostle Paul's ministry. In verses 15-16 Paul says, I have written to you very boldly on some points so as to remind you again because of the grace that was given to me from God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Now while Paul primarily concerns himself with carrying the gospel to new areas in the Gentiles world, also part of that is the follow-up in building and nurturing those new believers. And Paul includes the church at Rome within his sphere of ministry. He is the apostle to the Gentiles. And while he was not the instrument used to establish the church at Rome, and he has never been there to minister personally, his letter to the Romans has been part of his ministry to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel. And what he has done in the masterful letter to the Romans is unfolded in detail so they can understand and appreciate and grow in the beauty of the gospel, God's provision of His salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Paul says he has occupied himself in carrying the gospel primarily to new regions of the world so that Gentiles could hear the gospel and experience the saving work of God. That's why he hasn't been able to come to Rome before this. His desire had been to visit Rome but that opportunity had not presented itself, not because he couldn't have made plans and come to Rome, but because he had other places that provided opportunity for new people to hear the gospel. So in Romans 15:22 he'll say, for this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you. What reason? Well verse 20, thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named so that I would not build on another man's foundation. And he supported that by applying the reference from Isaiah to himself. As it is written, they who had no news of Him shall see and they who have not heard shall understand. Part of God's gracious provision in that great section at the end of Isaiah 52 and then all of Isaiah 53 on the provision of the Messiah who through His suffering and death and resurrection would bring God's blessings of salvation even to Gentile peoples.

Come back to Romans 1. In his introduction Paul made reference to this desire of his to come to Rome and the fact he had been unable to come. Verse 13, I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you and have been prevented so far so that I may obtain some fruit among you, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. So Paul said, often I made plans but then something came up to prevent me from coming.

Now when you come to Romans 15 he tells us what prevented him—the fact that another opportunity opened up to carry the message of the gospel to another part of the Gentile world who hadn't had the gospel presented to them. So that has made constant readjustment of his plans to conform to what God set before him. But now even though I have often been prevented from coming to you, verse 23, but now with no further place for me in these regions, meaning he has basically fulfilled his responsibility in carrying the gospel to the places God has given him the opportunity. Back in verse 19, from Jerusalem round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. I have fulfilled, literally, the gospel of Christ. So going from Jerusalem and all the way up as far as the region of Illyricum, northwest of Greece there and that whole region he has preached the gospel. Doesn't mean he has saturated the area, but you know the Apostle Paul's pattern, we're moving through that in our study of the book of Acts. He goes into a region that has not heard, he preaches the gospel in the synagogue to Jews. Then he spends the rest of his ministry in that town or city preaching to Gentiles. Then he moves on to the next area and the next area. For Paul to spend three years, that's the longest we have record of him spending in one place, it was a long time because once there was a group of believers established, making up a church, they became the light and center of activity in that region and the Apostle Paul moved on. Constantly breaking new ground, reaching new people. And now he says, I fulfilled my responsibility before God in preaching the gospel in these regions that were open to me.

So now he can talk about coming to Rome in verse 23. But now with no further place for me in these regions, in light of what we have just noted, that I have carried the gospel and established churches in these regions. And since I have for many years had a longing to come to you. We referred to that when we went back to Romans 1. Whenever I go to Spain, and things get broken up here in Paul's sentence, it doesn't all tie together. You notice the hyphenated sections after Spain and then at the end of verse 24. He keeps explaining himself. I have had for many years a longing to come to you 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 awhile. But now I'm going to Jerusalem. You get the idea Paul bringing in everything that is going on here in his thinking and his planning. I have longed to come and see you for many years, as I have already told you as I began the letter, whenever I go to Spain. So he's not coming to Rome as a destination. Even his visit in Rome, as important as that city is, it's a passing through that will take place. I'm on my way to Spain because there are people there who haven't heard the gospel. It's part of the Gentile world that has yet to be evangelized. So whenever I go to Spain. For I hope to see you in passing. So this is not going to be a long stay, I'm not coming to settle down and have an extended ministry there, I'm going to be passing through on my way. So it's working out now in my more long term plans. My focal ministry is to carry the gospel where Christ has not been preached. Now I have opportunity to go to Spain. That means I can come to Rome on my way. And also as I stop and see you and minister, I can be helped on my way there by you. He'll be encouraged by Christian fellowship, as he says, having first enjoyed your company for awhile. But what he's referring to when I can be helped on my way is you'll be able to contribute, perhaps you'll want to contribute my ministry in carrying the gospel to Spain.

You know how Paul worked. When he went to a new area, he did not take money from the people that he was presenting the gospel to. You can appreciate the wisdom of that. He told the Corinthians when he came there, he didn't accept any money from them. Why? That prevented him from being accused of being there for the money. So no one could accuse Paul of going and ministering in Corinth, for example, where he talks about this, being in it for the money because he didn't take any money for his ministry there. How did he get supported? We know Paul's practice. Either churches he had already established supported him when he went someplace else, like the Philippians, or he worked at a trade as a tent maker to support himself so that he would have the means to pay his bills, to buy food, to pay for lodging if he needed and not be in any way accused of in it for the money.

But the church at Rome is an established church, it's a mature church. Look at the letter to the Romans, it's a theological treatise. This is a church given this masterful letter, so they are a well-established church that has been in existence for awhile. Paul has no reservations about telling them that they will want to support him and help him carry the gospel to other people.

It would be a blessing to Paul, as he mentions at the end of verse 24, when I have first enjoyed your company for awhile. So it will be in passing, it will be for awhile, just a part of time, briefly relatively speaking. So he's not telling them he's coming, and this keeps it in perspective. That accounts for the long letter. Paul is not planning and coming and taking over the church at Rome, but he would enjoy fellowship with them. And that would be a rich blessing. Paul went to some difficult places. I mean, when you're going to new areas that haven't been evangelized, that's difficult. You go in to share the gospel, you don't know what the response is going to be. Any Jews there that don't believe will become active in their opposition. Some of the pagan Gentiles will join the Jews in opposition. Paul knew what it's like. We have a record of it in 2 Corinthians 11. He couldn't even keep track of the times he had been beaten, he says, beaten times without number. It was just constant—in danger, in trials, in hunger, constant difficulty. So to go to Rome with an established church that gives evidence of having grown in the Lord, that would be refreshing. Paul could enjoy their company, he could go and talk about the gospel with them, further explain it, be encouraged by their response to the Word, be refreshed for the ministry in Spain which as he anticipated, he wouldn't know what to expect. He said on other occasions that he knew trouble and problems come to him wherever he went. He just expected that was what lay before him. So he is being sincere when he says, after having first enjoyed your company for awhile.

Come back to Romans 1:9 where Paul told them how he had regularly prayed for them. Verse 10, always in my prayers making request if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established, that is that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. So you see Paul anticipated coming and having a ministry to them because he has a ministry to Gentiles. We have just worked through the letter to the Romans. What a blessing Paul's ministry would be to them. But he said there would be also a mutual blessing enjoyed because I would be encouraged and blessed by your ministry to me. And there always is a give and take in ministry. And as you well know, when you are ministering there is a blessing that comes to you from the ministry of the people you are ministering to. And it goes both ways. That's part of the blessings we have as we minister and serve together.

So come back to Romans 15. Now we see two things about Paul, he has desired to come to Rome for a long time. Many times he has had it in his plan but something else came up that took him away for ministry. Now he plans to go because he anticipates a ministry in Spain. But there is something that takes precedent at this point in Paul's life and ministry above all these others, his ministry in Spain, his opportunity for ministry in Rome—it's to take money that he has collected to help poor Jews or believers in Jerusalem. Interesting. We see a part of the Apostle Paul here and the balance in his life. We say, couldn't anybody take the offering? The offering is important, we're glad you have collected it but Paul, anybody can carry the offering to Jerusalem to give to those impoverished Jewish believers. Isn't it more important that you go to Rome and have a ministry at the center of the world in those days, the capital of the Empire? Isn't it more important that you get on to Spain than you take money? Not at this point in Paul's life.

So he says in verse 25, but now. We had that in verse 23, but now. I think finally I'm going to be able to come to Rome. But now, as he has given all his further breaks there, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. So don't misunderstand, I'm not on my way yet. In fact Paul will be years away. And when he finally does get to Rome, it won't be because he is on his way to Spain, it's because he's been arrested and imprisoned and he's taken to Rome as a prisoner of Rome. So he's going to end up in Rome but the plan God has for him is different than he is laying out at this point.

But I am going to Jerusalem. Why? He is serving the saints. Paul's ministry and all he does is seen as service. We've seen that earlier in verses 14-21 when he talked about the ministry God had given him. Part of the what made him so effective is he always saw himself in the realm of a servant, a slave of Christ and of other believers. And the exercising of his spiritual gift, he's functioning as their servant, doing what he can for them and their benefit. So he can take all kinds of personal inconveniences, personal afflictions, personal trials because it's not about me, Paul is saying. It's about how I can serve others in carrying out the ministry God has given me. And right now what I can do is carry out my ministry, my service to the saints in Jerusalem. So it's not because I'm going to the Mediterranean for some R and R. No, you understand, I'm still carrying out my service. This is to the saints in Jerusalem.

Why? For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. What has happened? This is a burden of the Apostle Paul. He devotes this portion of this letter to it, he talks about this contribution in 1 Corinthians, he devotes two chapters as we have it in 2 Corinthians about this offering. Paul's concern about the importance of this. When he says Macedonia and Achaia, he's talking about Greece, most of you are aware. Macedonia was the northern province of Greece, it included the cities that we're familiar with where Paul established churches like Thessalonica, which he wrote the letter to the Thessalonians. And Philippi, to whom he wrote the letter to the Philippians. That's the northern part, that's Macedonia. The southern province of Greece was Achaia. That's where the city of Corinth is, we have the letters to the Corinthians. Now they he mentions particularly, there are other Gentile churches involved we'll see in a little bit, Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased. Denotes it was a voluntary action. This is what pleased them to do, what they wanted to do—to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Remember Jerusalem was where it started, the church started. Acts 2, the beginning of the church when Peter preached the gospel on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. That's the center, the foundation point in that sense. The apostles were focused in Jerusalem, even after persecution took place, the apostles remained there and that church becomes the center. In our study of the book of Acts we're going to be doing Acts 14 and then we'll come to Acts 15 with the Jerusalem Conference where a theological issue has to be resolved by believers coming to Jerusalem and having the issue settled.

But being in Jerusalem as a Jew and becoming a believer in Jesus Christ put tremendous pressure on you because this is a Jewish city, it's under Roman authority, it has a Roman governor. But the Romans allowed the Jewish leadership to assert much control over the city because all the Romans are interested in is peace in this part of their empire. As long as there is not any trouble being caused and the taxes are being paid, things are good. So the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leadership had a lot of authority here. When you were a Jew and became a believer, life could become very, very difficult. You remember before Paul's conversion, he had the authority to arrest, imprison and execute people because they had become believers in Jesus Christ. If you became a believer in Jesus Christ and you give testimony through water baptism, you didn't have a job tomorrow. Your family had nothing to do with you. What will I do? How will I provide? You are immediately impoverished, you are subject to abuse and so on.

So what Paul is doing is taking an offering from among Gentile churches that he has established for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Not every saint in Jerusalem, this isn't an offering for the church in Jerusalem. This is not an offering for everybody in the church in Jerusalem. But at the end of verse 26, for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. He says it is a contribution that he has gathered. Important word here. Remember years ago it was popular to talk about koinonia and koinonia groups and churches had koinonia groups. They took the Greek word that means fellowship, to share in common, to have in common and used it to describe small groups that were meeting and so on. Well when Paul says they were pleased to make a contribution, the Greek word he uses is basically the word koinonia, a fellowship for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. He's talking about a contribution of money, but it's more than money. It's an indication that they see themselves as tied together with these poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem, which is very important in these days. There is tremendous pressure in the early days of the church because you are bringing together Jews and Gentiles and they don't mix very well. Paul has had to talk about Jews and Gentiles in this letter to the Romans. The conflict took place among the churches that he established on his first missionary journey in Acts 13-14, which we are studying. He had to write the letter to the Galatians churches because of the Jew/Gentile conflict and Judaizers trying to impose the Law on Gentile believers as well as Jewish believers. And confusion coming up. The danger was that the church in its early history would divide into a Jewish church and a Gentile church. The way we'll resolve this, we can have a church for Jews who are believers in Christ and a church for Gentiles who are believers. But that wouldn't resolve it because God has brought them together, Ephesians 2 says, into one. That's His intention for the church. So this contribution Paul sees as important in part of that recognition on the part of Gentile believers of the importance of the Jews and the role they have played.

We're going to come to 2 Corinthians in a moment, but come there now as well to see this word contribution, fellowship. 2 Corinthians 8. All of 2 Corinthians 8-9 are about this very contribution that Paul is telling he is now going to take to Jerusalem. And in verse 4 he says, these Greeks in Macedonia were begging us with much urging for the favor of participation, fellowship in the support of the saints. See that word again. Fellowship, acknowledging the bond we have. We're not Gentiles out here and the fact that these Jewish believers in Jerusalem where the church began are having trouble. That's all right, we have our . . . No, it's a time of fellowship.

Come over to 2 Corinthians 9:13, because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution, your fellowship to them and to all. It's more than just money, it represents the bond that we have together as Gentiles and Jews and we Gentiles are acknowledging our appreciation of you Jews.

Come over to 1 John 1. John says he is writing about what he saw and heard and touched. He lived with the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus Christ. And he says in verse 3, what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also so that you, too, may have fellowship with us. And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. So you see the aspects of fellowship. We have fellowship with God the Father and God the Son and when you become believers we have fellowship together with one another. We are bound together. That word koinonia again in 1 John 1 here. Our fellowship we have with one another because we have fellowship with the Father. Partakers together and now are His children in the family of God.

Come back to Romans 15. That's what binds us together as believers. That's what Paul is concerned be expressed here that will keep the church joined together. He explains, this offering they are giving is voluntary. Voluntary, verse 28, Macedonia and Achaia. When he says Macedonia and Achaia, he's talking about the churches in Macedonia and Achai like Philippi, Thessalonica. Have been pleased. It was voluntary but it's also obligatory. You have that contrast. They voluntarily did it, but you know they were obligated to do it.

And that's what he says in verse 27. Yes, they were pleased to do so. He emphasizes the fact this was their own voluntary gift. And they are indebted to them. So they voluntarily did it, but in doing it they are paying a debt that they had to the Jews. For if the Gentiles had shared in their spiritual things, referring to the Jews' spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them in material things. So you see how Paul is using this to join the Jew and the Gentile together and be sure the church is joined together as a fellowship of believers, Jew and Gentile alike. The Greeks have voluntarily given a gift of money to help the poor Jews in the church in Jerusalem. But they were indebted to them because the Gentiles have already shared. See that word, middle of verse 27, if the Gentiles have shared? You ought to circle that and connect it back to the word contribution in verse 26 because they both come from the word koinonia. Koinoneo, the same basic word. And you see the connection is they read this in Greek, the end of verse 26, these Greeks have been pleased to make a fellowship, a sharing for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. And then the middle of verse 27, for if the Gentiles have shared, fellowshipped in their spiritual things, the Jews' spiritual things. So he makes the connection between the giving of this material gift, the money, for the Jews in Jerusalem with the spiritual things the Gentiles have shared. So this has gone both ways. The Gentiles now have opportunity to share with these Jewish believers, and these Jewish believers have already shared with the Gentile believers. The Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things. Well of course they have. The Messiah that is the Savior of these Greek believers is a Jew.

Furthermore this Messiah who has provided salvation for Gentiles as well as Jews is a descendant and fulfillment of Abraham, to whom these salvation promises were covenanted. So it is remarkable. They are indebted to minister to them also in material things. That's why I say this offering was voluntary but it was obligatory. To have not done it, not given, these Gentiles would have failed in acknowledging their responsibility. Paul has already talked about the background that the Gentiles have in the letter to the Romans.

Come back to Romans 4. The example of being saved by faith for the Gentiles here, and Paul started this letter by saying he is writing to Gentiles. Romans 4, what shall we say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh has found? And he talks about Abraham, the founder of the Jewish race. And how did he become righteous? He believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness. Remember this chapter is all about you can't become righteous by being circumcised, by being baptized, by doing good works. Abraham is the example of that.

Then he comes on down to talk about the fact that this blessing was promised to Abraham in fulfillment of what God had promised to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant. We'll come down to verse 16. For this reason it is by faith in order that it may be in accordance with grace so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, all the seed. Not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all. The Abrahamic Covenant included promises to physical descendants of Abraham who become believers. Those would be Jews, physical Jews, physical descendants of Abraham. It also included promises to those who were not the physical descendants of Abraham but who would have the faith of Abraham. Verse 17 he explains. As it is written, a father of many nations I have made you. So included in the Abrahamic Covenant, Abraham being the father of the Jewish nation, there are promises made to his physical descendants who will experience the salvation of God. There are also promises that relate to the fact, in you all nations will be blessed. You will be the spiritual father of many nations. So the Gentiles partake of the blessings promised in the Abrahamic Covenant. They do not replace the Jews in the Abrahamic Covenant. That has always been a distinct area of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Come over to Romans 11. Same issue. We'll pick up verse 17, if some of the branches were broken off. And you'll remember when we studied this, the branches broken off are Jews. And you being a wild olive, referring to Gentiles, were grafted in among them and became partaker of them of the rich root of the olive tree. What is the rich root of the olive tree? Remember? It's the promises made to Abraham. That's where he takes this back to—the promises made to Abraham. So don't be arrogant toward the branches, verse 18. If you are arrogant remember it's not you who supports you, but the root supports you. In other words we Gentiles are getting benefit for the promises God made to the father of Judaism because in His grace God made a provision in those promises to Abraham that would include Gentiles. And now during this time when the Jews, the physical descendants of Abraham were under the judgment of God for unbelief, the salvation blessings are coming to us Gentiles. We have been grafted in to the place of blessing to be the recipients of the salvation that the Jews had rejected. But be careful, don't become arrogant. You haven't replaced the Jews. When all is said and done, God will complete His program with the Gentiles and then move to complete His program with the Jews. So all that the Abrahamic Covenant has promised will be fulfilled.

So you see the Abrahamic Covenant, we Gentiles are indebted to the Jews. That's what Paul is talking about when you come to Roman 15. We could go to Galatians, chapter 3 particularly. Paul uses the same argument with the Galatians to explain the connection between Jews and Gentiles and the fact it's not by the Mosaic Law that Jews are saved, so it's not by the Mosaic Law that Gentiles are saved. It's by grace through faith and Abraham will be the example again in the provision for Jews and the provision for Gentiles.

So back in Romans 15:27 when it says if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, in the spiritual blessings promised to Abraham, and then in the Jewish Messiah who is the descendant of Abraham through David. Of all people who cannot be anti-Semitic it is true believers in Jesus Christ. We appreciate and realized the spiritual blessings we have received from the Jews. But we realize they are the people who ultimately will receive the fullness of these blessings. And we have sort of jumped on the wagon, we've been grafted in. What arrogance to think we've replaced them. Keep in mind, you still are a wild olive branch, you haven't replaced the natural branches. They still are the natural branches, we still are the wild olive branches in Romans 11. But God in His grace had made provision for us wild olive branches in that original Abrahamic Covenant. So the Jews, yes, we are pro-Jewish, we have a love for the Jews even as Paul reflected in Romans 9-11.

So how fitting it is, he says, that the Gentiles acknowledge this indebtedness. You see how he sees this offering as a reflection, the Gentiles acknowledging the relationship they have with the Jews and the Jews seeing that the Gentiles appreciate the connection. These just aren't Gentile churches out here that see themselves as their own, but they see their connection to the Jews and the promises given to the Jews and appreciate that. And appreciate these Jewish believers. This isn't a general offering to help poor Jews, period, in Jerusalem, this is for poor Jewish believers in the church at Jerusalem. And that's the connection. So important connection to be made.

Now Paul says that's what I'm going to do, I'm going to take this offering to them because they are indebted. Then when I finish this, put my seal on it, I will go by way of you to Spain. So you can see things are getting put off here because I'm going to Jerusalem first. These are my travel plans. Then from Jerusalem I'll come to Rome. Well that's basically how it's going to happen, except in Jerusalem there is going to be some trouble and ultimately Paul will be arrested in Jerusalem and imprisoned. It will be several years before he gets to Rome and then he'll remain a prisoner in Rome for a period of a couple of years. So his plans are tentative.

Let me say something about this offering. You know the principles established here are important. And while it is particularly focused on this significant theological issue of the relationship of Jews and Gentiles and the Gentiles acknowledging the spiritual blessings they get from the Jews and the Jews recognizing the Gentiles joining with them and acknowledging their relationship with them, the principles established here are important. And they govern all of our giving. But particularly this offering. How Paul would do it of putting great pressure on the Gentiles while telling them it has to be totally voluntary.

Come over to 1 Corinthians 16, I'll just run through these principles with you. Verse 1, and you get an idea how Paul addresses this, which can be a delicate issue when you talk about people's money and giving money. Now concerning the collection for the saints. As I directed the churches of Galatia. So see Paul sees this as important enough, this is something he has also directed to the churches in Galatia that he established on his first missionary journey. On the first day of every week each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper so that no collections be made when I come. So the first thing they are told, this is to be done regularly. You decide and on the first day of the week you set aside what you give. I am not going to be there collecting money. So this is to be done in a planned, regular way. He writes to them because he wants them to do it with forethought and planning. No collections when he comes, I'll just pick up what you have collected. It is to be done regularly, on the first day of the week you set that amount aside for this particular thing. This is for the needy Jewish believers in the church in Jerusalem. So regularly.

The second thing to note in verse 2. On the first day of the week each of you is to set aside and save as he may prosper. It is to be done proportionately. This is not a matter of comparing one person's gift with another person's gift. You do it proportionately. Those who have very little will have very little to give, those who have very much will have very much to give. So it's a matter of what you have.

Look over in 2 Corinthians 8. As many of you are aware, a point of interest, in 2 Corinthians 8-9 the word grace is used more often than any other chapters in the Bible. Interesting that he would use the word grace most often in the context when he is talking about money. Both chapter are about money. 2 Corinthians 8:12, if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. So you see the giving is proportionate, as he has prospered, according to what he has. You don't sit and think, if only I had more, I could give more. God has given you what you have, you give accordingly. That's the measure. It's acceptable before God according to what you have. God knows what you have. If only I had more, I'd give more. I wish I had millions to give to the work of the Lord. Oh really? The question is, why don't you give out of what you do have? We're always reminded, we're not beggars for God so we give proportionately. It's acceptable according to what a person has. So no one has to feel like, my gift doesn't count because I don't have much to give. It's acceptable according to what you have. So we give proportionately.

We give knowledgeably with understanding. It's amazing the level Paul puts this on. Look at 2 Corinthians 8:9, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor so that you through His poverty might become rich. You give knowledgeably with understanding, knowing what Christ gave for you. He gave everything. He left the riches of the splendor that was His, enthroned in glory, and became poor so that we could experience the spiritual riches that God provides for those who come to salvation in Him. I mean, you can see where Paul, he doesn't parcel out his life. Well this is my money, these are the material things, that's not really spiritual. For Paul everything is and he wants these Corinthians to give on the basis of what Christ has given for them. I mean, this doesn't mean they have to give every penny they have. He's already said it is to be proportionate. But let that proportion be governed by an understanding of what Christ gave to bring you spiritual riches, so that we through His poverty might become rich.

Look in 2 Corinthians 9:8. Knowledgeably with understanding of what Christ has done and also of what God can do. Verse 8, and God is able to make all grace abound to you so that always having all sufficiency in everything you may have an abundance for every good deed. You give knowledgeably, knowing what Christ gave for you and knowing that God is able to give everything you need. Again, that doesn't mean we can't plan for the future and so on, the Bible addresses that. But you know, it's never enough. I'm retirement age so I always get literature and they want to tell me, if you have this much saved up you'll be able to have this kind of retirement. If you have this much saved up, you know you can only use a beat up RV if you have this much, but you can have a condo here if you have this much. And you can really be living the life if you have this much. And you read that and you think, what is enough? I'm always being stretched. If I have more, if I have more. Well wait a minute, I understand God is able to make all grace abound to you. And you know that grace is to provide everything I need for life. I don't have to worry about the future. That doesn't mean I shouldn't be wise and plan, the Bible addresses that. The Bible uses in the book of Proverbs the ant as an example, who stores up and so on. But there is a balance. I sometimes forget and the world gets so worried there won't be enough, and what's going to happen, and then I'll be in poverty and I don't want to be in poverty. I'll never be in poverty. I may have nothing materially, but I'll never be in poverty. Will you as a believer? With the riches of the inheritance that moth and rust can't touch? That inflation can't deflate? That I have the God who is able to make all grace abound to me so that always having all sufficiency in everything? I will never be in poverty. I may be poor in material things, but I'll never be in poverty. Neither will you. I can't forget that, I have to live like that. I don't understand God's grace if I don't. He's talking about God making all grace abound to me in His material provision for me. So I want to function knowledgeably in the giving, and Paul wants these Corinthians to.

Willingly. We saw this back in 2 Corinthians 8:12, we saw it in Romans but we limit ourselves here where they were pleased to give. Here in verse 12, if the readiness is present, the readiness is present, 2 Corinthians 8:12. If the readiness is present, that desire, then it's acceptable to what you have. See what God is looking at is the heart. I don't have very much to give, even giving sacrificially it doesn't amount to anything, it doesn't make any difference. It does because if the readiness is there, that's what pleases God. He doesn't need what I have, He has given me what I have. He could have given me $100 million so I could give $1000 more. That's probably what happens. No, He gives me what He gives me. So if the readiness is present.

Look in 2 Corinthians 9:7, each one must do as he has purposed in his heart. Not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. So you see He wants us to give willingly. It's as we have purposed in our own heart. And I don't do it grudgingly, under compulsion. Well, I guess I'd better give, the pressure is on. I'd rather not, but I'll do it. No, don't do it, you get no credit. It's not pleasing to God. God loves a cheerful giver, one who is joyful over the privilege of being able to do it, one who is so happy that God has given him the privilege of giving this. So we give willingly as we have purposed in our heart, this is what I want to do. Not grudgingly, not under compulsion. There is pressure applied, Paul has applied pressure here. We saw this. He is going to use the example of the Macedonians, we'll see that in a moment. He'll apply pressure, but don't give under compulsion. Just like he said to the Romans, they were indebted, but they gave willingly. It pleased them to. That's why I say it's obligatory, but it has to be voluntarily.

One more point and we're done—bountifully. Paul has a way of conditioning it. It would be like my saying, we're going to take an offering for this and we're ready to take your generous, overflowing, abundant gifts. You say, wait a minute. That's what it ought to be. Look at 2 Corinthians 8:7, but just as you abound in everything—in faith, in love, in knowledge and all earnestness. These spiritual qualities or virtues, you abound in them. See that you abound in this work of grace also, this gracious work. I mean, he puts it at that same level. Giving our money is having these spiritual qualities in the life, and they ought to be there in abundance. So this offering ought to be abundant.

It ought to be sacrificial. The Macedonians in the first part of this chapter, Achaia is in Greece, the southern part of Greece. He has already collected the money from Macedonian churches. They are poor. Verse 2, they have a great ordeal of affliction, their deep poverty. Verse 3, I testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints. I mean, Paul was reluctant to take it from them, they needed it so badly themselves. That's the way to give. But they begged me for the privilege of being part of this work of grace, this fellowship. So the giving ought to be bountiful. 2 Corinthians 8:7, the end of the verse, see that you abound in this gracious work also.

So Paul then is going to say in Romans, I will deliver this personally. It's his seal on it and he has decided it will be better that he's there. He wants the Jews in Jerusalem to appreciate not just the money but the spiritual significance of the money and the fellowship that is there between Jewish believers and Gentile believers. And these Gentile believers appreciate what they have received from you. And that the church itself began in Jerusalem with you, and you have paid a great price. And we are the beneficiaries of the promises given to you Jews. And your sacrifices now as Jewish believers are a blessing to us and we are joined with you in that.

So the money, just like we give. What does that indicate? That indicates something of what binds us together. Right? Operates that same way even though the theological context is a little different, but we are in fellowship together. We don't beg for money, we don't talk a lot about it. That will come out of what we do. We want to keep the pressure on in every area of our lives so that our fellowship is as strong as it can be.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your work of grace in our lives. Thank you, Lord, that you have brought Jew and Gentile alike in one body. Thank you for the testimony of these Gentile churches as they acknowledge their appreciation that they were the beneficiaries of the promises given to Abraham, the glorious salvation provided by the Messiah of Israel. Lord, we would acknowledge that even today, the benefits that have come to us as Gentile believers and the appreciation we have for the Jewish people, the people you have chosen for yourself to belong to you as a nation. The spiritual blessings that have come to us through them. Thank you, Lord, the days of the early church when Jew and Gentile were bound together to make one church. Lord, thank you for the way that you use your Word in our lives. We desire to continue this glorious history of the church in functioning biblically in every area of our lives, including the use of our material possessions as well. May we be a church that testifies to your grace in all that we do. We pray in Christ's name, amen.