God’s Inexpressible Gift (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

In Sermons, The Whole Story, Year 2024 by harvest.admin

Resource by Peter Park

Today, we’re going to talk about one of the topics that make people the most upset when they come to church: Money. If you knew, this may have been a weekend you slept in and skipped. Some of you are planning your move to slip out…we’ve locked the doors. JK.

People ask – Why do you have to talk about money at church? It feels dirty and manipulative. Well, we talk about money and we’re not going to be apologetic about it because the bible talks about money quite a bit. We will preach everything the bible talks about regardless of how anyone feels or what they think. The Word is our ultimate authority at this church.

Bibles. Turn. 2 Cor. 9. (Screen)

Text: 2 Cor. 9 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.

(Context:) So here’s what’s going on: In chps. 8-9 leading up to these verses, Paul is encouraging the church in Corinth to be ready to give to churches/believers in need as an outworking of their faith. And in the verses we just read, Paul is summarizing the why, the reasoning, behind the ask. So let’s go over the points Paul makes.

Principles of Generosity (All work together. Not alone. +Scripture.)

1. The more you sow, the more you reap. (v. 6) This makes sense right? If you’re trying to grow a durian business, and you want it to become big, could you do that if you only plant one durian tree? Maybe, if you had a thousand years. But if you plant a million, then your return is a lot greater. (Bitcoin. $? 2010. RM22.5 or lunch. =RM7.25mil. Fasted. Imagine if I had invested RM10k. =RMbils) Point: You reap what you sow, and the more you sow, the more you reap. You can apply this to multiple areas of your life. Good and bad. Time in the word and prayer that produces Christlikeness in you OR sin that starts small but grows over time and consumes you. Generosity – the more we give generously, the more we grow in it, the more joy we find it in, and the more fruit is produced.

2. The more you give, the more you’re given. (v. 9-11) V. 9 – Quoting Ps. 112. Talking about the righteous man who gives generously. V. 10, 11 – “He (God) will supply and multiply your seed, You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way.” If you are faithful with what you are entrusted with by being generous, God entrusts you with more. He gives you more so you can continue to give generously. (Matt. 25 – Parable of the Talents.) 

Clear – This is NOT, you give money to God so that you get more back from him. There are other religions where they believe something like this – You give to God to get something back – a better life, good luck, good grades, health, even salvation. But that’s not generosity at all, it’s making a deal. And that’s not how it works in Christianity. God’s generosity to us and our generosity to him is not a means to personal gain. So then why does God give to us?

3. God gives to us so that we can give and engage in good works. (v. 8, 11) Now, that’s not to say that everything God gives us, he wants us to give it all away. There are some that will take it to the extreme to the point where it’s probably unhealthy. Where do you draw the line? Because there are hungry, starving people all around the world, does that mean I should give the resources I have to eat and starve myself and my family so I can give it to others? That doesn’t seem right.

James – God as a perfect Father gives us good gifts for us to enjoy. So it’s ok for people to enjoy a nice meal, a nice house or car, or holiday and they don’t need to feel bad about it. The problem comes on this extreme when they use all their resources on themselves without any consideration for what God desires and is doing in the world.

The truth that God has given us good gifts to enjoy must also be balanced with the truth that God gives to us so that we – v. 8 will abound in every good work and v. 11 be generous in every way. (Keep going.)

4. The motivation and return for generosity is spiritual. (v. 10-13) Again, we don’t give to God to get back from God. But when we do give, there are some things that inevitably happen. Practically speaking, when we give, what happens? The needs of believers are met, ministries happen, the gospel is preached, people are saved, and Christ’s kingdom is advanced. Simplified, but that’s what happens. So generosity then, as Paul puts it here, produces joy and righteousness in us, it leads to others giving thanks to God for their needs being met, it propels the gospel forward, and it brings glory to God. 

So the motivation from which we give and the return that we’re seeking on our giving is and should be spiritual. The question then, so far is, whether we will honor why God gives to us and whether we will see the spiritual fruit/return as worth it vs. our personal use for our comfort and pleasure. Which leads me to…

5. Everything belongs to God and we are his stewards. Think – Well, I worked hard for my money. I came from nothing and made something of myself. Other people should do the same and they wouldn’t be in the position they’re in. Well, it may be true that you worked really hard. But who made you? Who gave you your life and the gifts you leveraged to get to where you are today? God did. Again, I’m not saying you didn’t work hard or overcome significant barriers. But can you honestly say that if you were born into poverty in a war torn country, you didn’t have parents around, even kidnapped and sold into slavery or trafficked that you’d be where you are today?

God gave us everything we have, our very lives, for us to steward and leverage for his purposes. To some he gives more and to others less according to his wisdom. And we all wish we were the ones entrusted with more. Because we want to give more right??? 

Lot of people will ask – There are so many needs, so many places to give, how do I decide where and how much to give? You are not responsible for doing or giving to everything. PJD – Not everything from heaven has your name on it. But we are responsible for whatever he has given us to be about his work. 

And the primary way God’s work happens is through his church. So my counsel is to give first to the church. The church is the one institution that Jesus established and is the primary way in which ministries happen, disciples are made, and the Great Commission is fulfilled. That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of other good places to give. My family gives the largest portion of our giving to the church. It’s not even close. Because I know when I give to this church, I know I’m giving to the mission of God and what he cares about. But there are other good things we give to outside of the church too. So start with the church and then go from there.

6. Generosity is for everyone, not just for the rich. The clearest example of this is when Jesus praises the widow who gave two mites in Lk. 21. Mites were the smallest denomination of coin there was. Like a 5sen coin here. You can’t even use the bathroom at the mall for 5sen. Monetarily, it was worth about a day’s labor. And Jesus honors her because she gave out of her poverty everything she had. Now I’m not saying you’re not a good Christian if you don’t completely empty out your pockets or bank accounts and put it in the offering. But what scripture is clear on is that generosity is something we are all called to regardless of how much or little we have.

BTW, being rich does not mean that someone is inherently selfish, evil, or in sin. They could be, but not necessarily. There are plenty of rich Christians who give generously and honor God with their resources. And it’s not for us to judge people’s hearts from a distance.

7. God’s desire towards us is generosity. (v. 8, 10-11, 13) God is not a God of lack or stinginess. And he’s not trying to get something from us to deprive us, he wants something better for us. Look how the verses talk about God, how rich he is: v. 8 God is able to make all grace abound to you, v. 10 He will supply and multiply, v. 11 you will be enriched in every way, v. 13 God’s surpassing grace upon you. God desires to be generous towards us in every way. He’s not worried that he’s going to run out. He’s not rationing out limited resources. 

So when you give, you can never outgive God. It’s impossible. Even if you give generously, he’s got unlimited resources that he can make flow to you nonstop. If you don’t think so, try him.

I remember when my family first decided to take God at his word on this…Grace and I decided to give what we thought didn’t make sense for our budget. It was too much to make ends meet. But we felt like God was calling us to trust him, and ever since then, God has been so generous to us. We keep increasing our giving and he’s kept being even more generous to us. God’s generosity will always outpace ours.

8. Generosity is a ministry and grace given to us. V. 12-13 (cf chp. 8) You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s more blessed to give than receive.” (Acts 20:35) Nonchristians. It’s true, because Jesus said it. You need to know that God intentionally sets up things in our lives so that he can be generous to us so that we can in turn be generous to others. 

And when the opportunity for us to give comes up, Paul says in chp 8 v. 4, that it is a favor/grace given to us. Now most of us think that when we receive something that we don’t deserve, that’s grace. And you’re right. If someone gave you a lavish gift – How would you respond? Thank you so much! That’s so generous and too gracious of you.

But it is also a grace from God that he gives us opportunities to be generous to others. And why would it be considered grace? Because when we give, God is giving us the opportunity to imitate his character, his generosity, to become like him. It’s the grace of generosity.

9. God deserves our first and our best. Our giving is a statement about who we think God is and what we truly value. What do we do when we get our paycheck – We make sure we have what we need to take care of the most important things first – water/food/lodging – The things we need to survive. What would you say if I vacationed or bought a new car – I’ve worked so hard –  when I couldn’t afford to feed my kids or clothe them. (Hypothetical – Judgment) You’d say I’m irresponsible and that I have my priorities mixed up. You’d be right.

The same applies to our giving. God should get our first and best as an act of worship that puts on display his worthiness, his place, in our lives. And when we do it in that order, somehow it all works out. There’s enough for everything else in the budget. Example: Bowl, rice and ping pong balls. (Cereal first, then milk.)

10. God has no needs. (Generosity is not about the money.) God says in Psalm 50 – He has no needs. The world and its fullness are his. And if he had a need, he wouldn’t come to us.

How much do I have to give so God is satisfied? Usually, to check the box and get on with things. Wrong question. A rich person, could give RM1mil, and that’s a lot of money, but it may not represent generosity for them. On the other hand, you can give RM2, if that’s all you have, and you’ve given generously because you’ve given everything. You’ve withheld nothing.

The right way to approach giving is holding your hands open to God and saying, God, how do you want me to leverage all that you’ve given me? And then follow through. That’s what God is after.

Practical – Pastor, help me out. Where do I start? Tithe/10% – Good place to start. It’s not a law we are bound to – You have to give at least 10% or you’re sinning. And it’s also not the cap/limit. – I’m giving 10% so I’m done giving and the rest is for me. It’s a good place to start because it’s starting to get significant in terms of percentage of income. My family gives before we pay any taxes or fees. Right off the top, our first and best goes to God. And then the government takes their part, the wife takes her part, my four kids take their part, and then our dog gets its part, fish, and finally, maybe there’s something left for me.

I want to, throughout my life, give more and more to the church and God’s mission. I want to grow in my generosity. Not out of duty or because God has needs. But the church does and people do. And the way God has chosen to supply for the church’s needs is through his people. So when we give to the church and to others, they benefit, of course. But ultimately we are giving to God and honoring him.

If God was just after money, he wouldn’t care if you gave it begrudgingly or not as long as he got it. The government doesn’t care whether you like to pay taxes or not. They don’t give me an option. That’s not their concern at all. They only care about getting the money.

11. Generosity is about the heart. (v. 7) God loves a cheerful giver, the person who isn’t forced or guilted into it but finds joy in giving because they get to love God and others. It’s always about the heart. What kind of heart posture do you have towards God? And is he what you love most in this world?

Matt. 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Notice the order of how Jesus says this works. Your heart will always be with what you treasure, not what you say you treasure or what you wish you treasure, but with what you actually treasure right here right now. So your budget and your possessions will tell you a lot about what you treasure. 

Do you love the things of this world that are all fading away? Money and possessions have a way of entangling our hearts to this world. Matt. 6:19, 24 – 19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth. 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

1 John 2:15-17 – 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

In both of these passages, Jesus doesn’t warn or condemn having possessions, he says that it’s the love of things and money (1Tim.6:10) that’s the problem.

Mark 10:17-27. Rich Young Ruler – What do I have to do for eternal life? Jesus – Keep the law. RYR – I have. Jesus – One more thing – Give away all your possessions to the poor and follow me. RYR – Went away grieving because he had so much. Unwilling to give away what he had for eternal life. His heart was with all his stuff, not with God.

Jesus doesn’t call everyone to do this…But let me ask you. If he did, would you be willing to do it? Give away all that you have so you can have Jesus? How you answer that will tell you a lot about where your treasure is and whether you understand that if you have Jesus, you have everything. God desires generosity for us, not from us, because he wants our hearts.

Why people usually don’t give. The first is that people simply have needs and resources are tight. And I understand that it can be hard. But as I’ve said before, we’re all called to generosity. And when we say that we can’t be generous even with what little we have, what we are saying is that our needs and/or wants are greater than our trust in God’s provision and generosity. Again, I’m not saying this to minimize how hard things are for some of you in this room who have real needs. Needs – Not – I can’t take the kind of holiday I want. I can’t fly first class. Is – Food/Shelter/Essential Medical Care.

What if I said to you, I know things are tight. Why don’t you let me hold on to your giving and I’ll put it in a safe for you. And at the end of the month if things really get bad, then I’ll give it back. What would you say? Well, it probably depends on how trustworthy you think I am first of all. But maybe you’d take me up on it. And I would tell you, as much as I appreciate your trust in me, you can trust God so much more. 

Secondly, for many, money is their idol because they think it gives them freedom, security, stability, ability. (Story: Closing Savings Acct. Fool.) You can tell if this is you if you think, if I just had a little more money…I would be good/happy. Think – Money is your greatest need. But money ultimately can’t deliver. It can’t fix cancer, it can’t fix your broken marriage, it can’t heal your broken heart. 

I know it’s hard to believe – “I can think of lots of ways to spend money that would make me happy. It’d take a lot of stress out of my life and relationships. And I would even give to a lot of good things.” Money is not the ultimate solution or what God needs from us. (Story: Lottery. Think about how much good I could do in the world! God – I don’t need your money to do what I want in this world. I can speak a simple word and do what I want. I just want your obedience and watch what I do with what little you have. How I multiply it in your life and the world.)

Here’s what I’ve come to find out over the years – If you’re one of the people upset that I’m talking about money and generosity, then you’re exactly the person who needs to hear this. Because the people who are already living a life of generosity are shaking their heads in agreement wishing others would give generously as they do. Find joy in it.

Listen, I am not trying to get your money out of your pockets and into mine. If you transfer RM10mil, that goes straight to the church and its ministries. I don’t know if this is sustainable or not, if it is, awesome…I want to do it as long as possible – My family gives to the church more than we get paid by the church. The main reason right now is because we are support-raised. But I share that not to brag on our family, but to say that when we talk about generosity and advancing Christ kingdom, we’re all in. We’re all in with our money, our time, our family moving here. And I want us to be a church full of people who are all in on the mission together and willing to do whatever it takes, including giving generously to the church.

(Believer/Missional:) Your giving is an investment in the eternal. All your giving here goes to support all we do to advance Christ’s kingdom and spread the gospel through our city and to the ends of the world. There is no better return on investment than giving to the church for the sake of Christ’s mission to save all nations.

And if for whatever reason you can’t trust giving to this church, then I want you to start giving generously somewhere. That’s what God cares about. And after 6 months or a year, if this church has not gained your trust to give generously, then we want to help you find and get engaged in a different church where you can. 

Because I don’t care about just the number of how many people come to this church or how much offering we can take up, that’s not the most important thing to me. The most important thing is that you grow in your love for Jesus, you’re discipled into maturity in every way, and you’re engaging in the mission.

12. Generosity is a fruit produced by the gospel. (v. 13-15) Generosity is not something that is natural to us. And it doesn’t make any worldly sense that you and  I would give at our loss to the benefit of others. V. 13 says the generosity flows from our confession of the gospel of Christ. So God not only gives us the resources for us to give, he also gives us the spirit to give as we understand what he’s done for us…

15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! What gift is Paul talking about here? The gift of Jesus Christ for us! While we were still sinners, enemies of God, and under his wrath, out of his love and compassion for us he sent his Son Jesus to die the death we deserved so he could give us the righteousness of Christ and have eternal life with him. As a free gift! 2 Cor. 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 by his poverty might become rich.

So now understanding the generosity of God to us in Jesus, our response is, I’m yours! Everything I have is yours! Whatever you wish, I’ll do it! How can I give? What do I get to give to honor you? That’s the heart God wants to create in us, a heart that is like his.

God has been generous to you far beyond what you deserve. You deserved to die for your sin, but he offers you forgiveness and life through Jesus. But you have to receive it.

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