Supplying The Need

Introduction

It is often the case that the more people have the less they give away proportionately. Generally the majority of people in this country have never been better off and yet what do you think is the average amount given to charity per year per person? Well, according to ‘The Times’ newspaper, it is £10!

It can also be true in the church. In North America the number of church members who are tithing has decreased dramatically in recent years. Yet those who are in work have never been wealthier. According to the Barna Research Group only 6% of born again Christians gave 10% or more of their income to gospel ministry in 2002. When I was working with a Christian ministry in the USA a number of years ago my colleagues said that the most generous givers to their support were other Christian workers despite their relatively low level of income.

We see a similar situation in 2 Corinthians 8. The relatively well off Corinthian church along with other Gentile churches had heard of the needs of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, who were experiencing famine, loss of jobs and homes for the faith. At first the Corinthians had responded to the need generously and speedily (v10) but since then their promises of support had not materialised (v11). They were denying the believers in Jerusalem of much needed funds and denying themselves the joy of ‘this grace of giving’ (v7). Whereas the Macedonians, who were extremely poor, actually pleaded with Paul to contribute, and then did so very generously indeed. (v 2-5) So Paul challenges the Corinthians and us today with the example of the Macedonians and by reminding them of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (v9) and says (v10): ‘Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.’

Now praise God for the generous giving here last year for the ongoing work, for 3 Osborne Rd and for God’s work overseas. So again the first half of v10: ‘Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.’

The challenge is will we go on giving generously and even beyond our ability to give so that God’s work here at JPC and overseas can go forward?

If recent years are anything to go by around 10,000 Tynesiders will die this year? Many of them are heading for a Christ less eternity. The need is great and immediate to reach people with the gospel. Of the one million people living on Tyneside only 7% regularly go to church. Of the 36,000 0-11 year olds living in Newcastle only 6% go to church. Of the 25,000 12-18 year olds living in Newcastle only 2% go to church. Of the tens of thousands of students in Newcastle only 1-2% go to church. Of the 82,000 people in the 20’s & 30’s age group living in Newcastle only 4% go to church. Of the 78,000 over 50’s living in Newcastle under 10% go to church. Overseas there is a need to care for our brothers and sisters in our link parish in Kenya where there is the possibility of famine again and to support the preaching of the gospel and the growth of the church. Yes the need is great to reach out with the good news of Jesus Christ, to keep on growing as a church and to establish other growing churches both here and overseas. Will we excel in this grace of giving, so that the need may be supplied, whether our income is small or large, whether we’re a student or a well paid professional? Look again at the second half of v10: ‘Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.’ We can’t all give large sums but we can all give generously according to our means.

Last Sunday we learnt from Abraham that we are not to put material things first. No, we are to give ourselves first to the Lord and then to his people and his work (v5). So as many of us earn more or are loaned more as students how are we going to steward what God has given us? Psalm 62:10 says: “though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” Here in 2 Corinthians Paul encourages us to follow the example of the Macedonians and of Jesus Christ and be willing, generous and cheerful givers; so that at the present time our plenty will supply the need (v14). So let’s first look at the example of the Macedonians under my first heading:

1. AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW

Have a look at v1-5. Paul writes:

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.

The Macedonian Christians faced severe persecution for their faith and they were extremely poor. But did they use that as an excuse not to give? Did they say ‘When the whole collection for the church in Jerusalem is counted up our donation is hardly going to be noticed! Surely we can leave it to some of the bigger, richer churches. And, anyway, we’ve got needs ourselves - charity begins at home, doesn’t it?’ That attitude would have been entirely understandable, but look at v2, ‘Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.’ These persecuted, poor yet joyful Christians were amazingly rich in generosity! Some gave as much as they were able (v3), and others gave beyond their ability to do so. And there’s more. They were poor and yet they did not beg for themselves, no they begged to give - it was a real privilege, (v4). Last year there was a great sense that it was a real privilege to share in the 3 Osborne Rd project but when was the last time we begged to give, when we pleaded to give? What an example to follow of rich generosity! What a contrast to the world around us!

The world’s motto is ‘Get as much as you can, whenever you can!’ I’ve said before that I’m a Leeds United supporter! And it was sad to hear this week that the players were not willing to take a 30% pay cut to help the club out in its time of desperate need. For most of the players that would mean living on £17,000 a week rather than £25,000! What a sacrifice! When Manchester United bought Louis Saha this week for £12.8m the agents involved took a million pounds for themselves! Last year I was in Hollywood – not for an audition – but for a very brief stop. In one of the shopping areas a billboard says this: ‘There are only 476 billionaires in the world. Want to be number 477?’ Yes it’s a world of ‘Get as much as you can’.

Now there is a need for some Christians to generate millions and billions in a godly way for the financial support of Christian ministry. Our motto as Christians should be the words of John Wesley: ‘Earn all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can.’ Yet like the Corinthians we can be influenced by the world. But in the world of get as much as you can whenever, don’t you long to be like the Macedonian Christians, to give as much as you can whenever you can? But how? What motivates a Christian to give? Someone commanding us to give? Mark Twain, apparently, was so sickened after a particularly long appeal in one church service he attended, that he took a note out of the offertory plate at it passed him by! [I don’t suggest you do that.] The answer the Bible gives to the question is - if you want to be rich in generosity, there’s ...

2. A GIFT TO RECEIVE ... (v1&9)

The Macedonians rich generosity wasn’t something they mustered up in themselves. It was a gift given to them by God! Look at v1:

And now brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.

There is a gift of giving. Romans 12:8 says: ‘If a man’s gift is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously.’ I wonder how many Christians pray to receive this gift? The gift of giving wasn’t uniquely the Macedonians. The Corinthian Christians had it too. Look again at the second half of verse 10. The Corinthians were the first church not only to give to the collection for the Jerusalem Christians, but also the first church to have the desire to give. Chapter 9:2 says:

For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give, and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.

So the Corinthians are encouraging people themselves, when it comes to generosity. Rich generosity is a gift but it’s not limited to particular Christians - both the poor Macedonians and the much richer Corinthians had it. So how do we receive this gift? What motivates us to be generous? The answer is in v9. The way to begin to be rich in generosity is to receive another gift, namely, God’s grace in Jesus Christ! For you know the grace, literally the generosity, of our Lord Jesus Christ: He’s the gracious and generous one who can change us. He’s the one who’ll motivate our generosity. ‘That though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor.’ Jesus Christ existed in eternal glory before he lived on earth, and yet laid aside his life of riches, and left heaven and became a man so that through his poverty you might become rich. The Rich One, (and his wealth is indescribable) was born in a stable, but there’s more to his poverty - he died on a cross! He accepted the punishment for spiritual paupers like us, who’ve lived for ourselves and our money, who’ve been tight fisted and greedy. And as a result we are made rich, given a life that not even death can rob us of; a quality life for eternity that money can’t buy! And we are called to be imitators of God, like him, rich in generosity, as the Macedonians were.

Want to be rich in generosity? Well, firstly become a Christian! And if we are Christians then lets remember there’s no such thing as a stingy Christian, or at least there ought not to be. Some say that the last thing about anyone to be converted is their wallet. Well, it really ought not to be the case. Just think of Zacchaeus. When he came to know Christ his wallet was opened straight away, paying back all he’d stolen and more. Generous, like the Lord Jesus Christ! Do we want to be rich in generosity? Well, first we must receive the ultimate gift ourselves – God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ. Once we’ve realised what riches we’ve been given - sins forgiven and eternal life in heaven, given to us by God’s grace and generosity, then we’re able to begin to let go and give away from the wealth we’ve been given materially by God. And so if giving ever begins to become a stale duty, we need to come back to v9 and remind ourselves of what riches we’ve been given. And when we’re tempted to be greedy we come back to the same verse and remind ourselves of how rich we already are if we’ve accepted Christ - and realise that giving rather than getting is what makes us happy. Church growth is costly but ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35). What sacrifices are we willing to make for the sake of the extension of God’s Kingdom? Less mobile phone calls? Less clothes? Less meals out? Yet in the end they’re no sacrifices at all for as the Bible says:

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Genuine generous giving can’t be commanded. In v8 Paul says ‘I am not commanding you…’ But it is a test of the sincerity of our love for Jesus and those he died for. Is our love sincere? Have we given ourselves first to the Lord and then to his followers? Do you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? If so then our giving should be willing, generous and sacrificial in response to what Jesus has done for us whatever our income. Our plenty will supply what is needed at the present time (v14). The money is in our pockets. How are we going to use it? Thirdly and finally if our giving is to actually happen then there’s…

3. SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE TO TAKE ... (v10-15)

As we were hearing this morning from 1 Corinthians 16, Paul gave the Corinthians some practical advice on giving:

Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

Their giving was to be regular, carefully thought through and planned. But here in 2 Corinthians they were in danger of not following through on their promise to give. So v10-11:

And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. .

And on to chapter 9:4:

For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we - not to say anything about you - would be ashamed of having been so confident.

Paul’s advice is disciplined giving. One off gifts can be great. But unless we establish regular habits in giving, then, like the Corinthians, we too will be in danger of failing to give. Giving isn’t something that we drift into, is it? It needs to be carefully thought about. We need to think of Christ and the treasures we have in him first. Then we need to think through our budget and our income and our expenditure and carefully work out how much to give, all the way through being marked by a generous spirit. Unless we’re disciplined, the temptation to get what we can whenever we can will cramp our giving and begin to close our hearts and our hands! I read this recently: ‘A careless budget leads to careless spending that leads to careless giving!’

When are we going to review our current habits and begin new ones? I’m going to take time to do that this week with Anna my wife. Will you set aside some time to do that soon as well? Take time to pray and fill in the form that comes with the giving literature. It is given out to help you with the discipline of regular, planned giving. In the words of Paul: ‘Let’s see to it that we excel in the grace of giving.’