The Spiritual Gift of Giving

When you go out to eat…who picks up the check? And age old questions and sometimes a humorous battle.

Have you seen the credit card commercial…I think it is capital one…but you have someone who is so excited to purchase the lunch, or renting bikes or ice cream because they earn cash back. Sometimes I want to scream at the TV…This is terrible justification…there is no way you are getting enough points!!! But Take motivation and rewards aside for a moment…there is something about a person excited to give and bless another person and pay for something because they see a benefit to doing so…There is fruit, there is value, there is a return on an investment that we want to have an excitement for as we serve and represent the Lord with the gifts he has entrusted to us.

We are continuing our annual focus on Hope for Everyday Life and also continuing our summer series, Hope for Fruitful Service,

We have been focusing our time on the spiritual gifts and how we can have hope because of How God has gifted us…and we can be fruitful in using our gifts for His glory.

The gifts we have are so wonderful because they are impartations of the Holy Spirit to all who are in Christ…all Christians get at least one gift the moment they surrender to the Lordship of Jesus and receive forgiveness for their sins…and the coolest part about these gifts, is they are not primarily for our selves…not to be used to serve and glorify ourselves…but the spiritual gifts are to be used for the building of Christ’s body—the church

Today we are going to focus on The Spiritual Gift of Giving

I think when we focus on the spiritual gift of giving…there is a much greater return on that investment, better than double points, double miles, or double anything….because it brings glory and honor to the one who gave to us first and give to us most.

Today we are going to take a look at a wonderful passage that addresses the heart of giving – 2 Corinthians 9 (turn there)…if you need a bible there is one under the seat…turn to back section, the NT…page _____

As you’re getting there, let me provide some context into the passage before we narrow in on verses 5-8… (*first, neat gift to study in the context of spiritual gifts)

*context of 2 Cor

With that, please follow along with me as I read the passage

⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. ⁶ Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 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;

With the time we have remaining, let’s consider 4 essential attributes of giving as we investigate this spiritual gift

The first point provides context into the spiritual gift of giving – the remaining three give us action steps to walk out the gift

The first aspect of giving is that…

I. Generosity is Presumed for Christians (9:5)

A. It is an expectation of all Christians

One marker of genuine Christians is they are recipients of grace, they have received more than they deserve, and they are to be generous… giving to others more than they deserve…this covers a wide range of things…but the heart of generosity, the heart of grace is one of the ways we show that we have received the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:16-18 - We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

One of the signs of being a Christian is generosity… it is not just lip service. It is often shown in the stewardship of the worlds good, the worldly resources we have and how we use them to help others, especially followers of Christ.

Christ’s work is necessary in two respects here:

1. Christ functions as the model of generosity

1. We know what giving is, because God so loved the world that He… GAVE

1. Specifically, He gave Christ that we may have salvation in Him

1. There is nothing more precious or generous God could have given them His son…

1. Not only do we know love by what Jesus did (as this passage states it), we know generosity because of Christ’s life

But secondly,

1. Christ functions as the agent of generosity

Jesus gave Himself, it cost Jesus His life…he suffered in our place…took the wrath of God in our place…He gave His life for ours…We need to revie Jesus if we are able to give with genuine generosity that honors the Lord.

Truly there are wealthy philanthropic people all over the world…but to truly give in a way that Honors God…one must first humbly receive the gift of salvation in Christ.

Because the greatest gift you can give someone is the Gospel, the good news of eternal life available as a free gift through trusting in Christ…

When we give of our earthy resources that point to the heavenly resources we have received…we point to Christ…the one who showed us a depth of generosity that even the wealthiest person on the planet cant match.

So before you think about growing in this area if giving...make sure you have received the gift of eternal life in Christ…so you can generously share it with others…and use your resources to reinforce the good news of Christ.

So we see that giving is an expectation of all who are in Christ – but we also see that it is a gift…and so all Christians are called to be giving and generous there are some that are especially gifted in this way as…

B. It is an imparted gift of the Spirit

We see it specifically listed among several others in Romans 12:

Romans 12:6-8 - Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

• Someone who has a spiritual gift of giving will display a unique level of liberality – a word that (in the Greek) holds a great deal of meaning

• It’s primarily used to convey sincerity or genuineness of heart, but also includes generosity

• You’ve likely seen what this person is like

• They’re the first to pull out their billfolds when the check comes by, the most eager to offer up their God-given abilities when given the chance, and so on

• They initiate giving opportunities…they ask how they can help, what are the needs…and then they often ask…is that enough to address the issue or is this just a band aid,…I think I need to add some resources to make sure you have enough…

The gift of giving is a really good thing that often impacts the whole body of Christ not just the one receiving, but others who hear about it or observe it as they are challenged to be generous in their own life as well…however the test has a warning…the warning is the heart of giving….

C. It is spoiled through covetousness

2 Corinthians 9:5 - So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.

• What is coveting?

• We know that it made the list of ten commandments in Exodus 20 – “you shall not covet … anything that belongs to your neighbor”

• We know that Paul used it as an example of the efficacy of the law in Romans 7

• And we also know, according to James 4, that it’s something that each of us struggles with!

• You’re discontent with your life and are jealous of someone else’s

• You’re fed up with your car and would finally be happy if you had that brand new Honda Civic that you torturously drive by every day on your way back from work…you know the one…the beige one with the 10 inch tires and the all weather treads and great gas mileage…

• You want her looks, his talent, her kids, his physique – on and on and on

• It’s little wonder that the two are pitted against one another

• If you want more…why would you generously give what you have…

• And after that, we need to walk in generosity

• One of the first steps towards this end is…

II. Embrace the Logic of Giving (9:6)

2 Corinthians 9:6 - Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

So I asked a farmer friend of mine a bit about this so I wouldn’t mess it up…but when you harvest your grain, your corn… you sell some of it, you store and eat some of it…but back in the day, you kept some of your grain/corn to plant or sow it so it will grow more…so you take a kernel of corn you plant it and you get more than one ear of corn from that kernel…now if you have a whole bunch of corn…you sell some, you keep some for your animals, and if you have a nice patch of sweet corn, well you eat some of that and sell some of that….well it is tempting to just eat all your corn, or sell all your corn… Think about it…Corn bread, creamy corn, corn on the cob, Texas caviar, corn chowder, corn dip, corn chips; you just use it all up…and then you won’t have much to sow for the next planting season…and the idea is yeah you ate now….but you are not going to eat much later.

So a person who uses their seeds wisely and plants them they will get an abundant harvest…but if you get lazy and only think in the short term…you will only sow a bit and not have much at the harvest.

So the overall point is…

View your resources as a means, not an end

1. 1. Invest what you have in God’s kingdom by being generous rather than consuming everything yourself.
   2. You can’t eat your dollars, or as my kids like to say your dollar bucks, you can’t eat your debit card…but you can use it with a primary focus on yourself instead of others.
   3. I think it is really good to make sure we point out this is not a health, wealth and prosperity gospel where so many messages about giving are that you will get back an exponential amount if you help buy a TV preacher an airplane…
   4. When people view their resources as a tool rather than the destination…it really guards you from viewing money as your god and your refuge, but that requires you to…

Trust God with all you have

All of this requires trust…because you do not know how or when the return will come…but it requires trust that God will work in the absolute best way and best timing. Consider these verses about giving and how they require us to trust God…

Proverbs 11:24f -²⁴ There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. ²⁵ The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.

He who waters will be watered…but we don’t know when or in what way…

Proverbs 22:9 -⁹ He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor.

In what way might you be blessed…we don’t know…it may not be a direct financial correlation…it may be blessed with righteous that has greater earthly and eternal value.

Galatians 6:7 -⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

This sowing principle goes way beyond giving and this reveals that A lack of trust in God, ultimately is to mock God…basically saying God, you are not who you say you are… you can’t provide for me…I must take care of myself and be my own god…

Pursuing a generous heart that gives can be really hard when you don’t get an immediate return on living for the Lord, and living generously with others…but we are called to not lose heart….

Galatians 6:9 -⁹ Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

In due time…we don’t know when that time is…but the Lord does…He simply calls us to be faithful in putting on a generous heart of giving…and appreciating those around us who especially personify this gift for the edification of the body of Christ.

David Garland summarized it like this…

“Reluctance to sow generously, then, reflects a refusal to trust that God is all sufficient and all gracious. It also assumes that we can only give when we are prospering and have something extra that we will not need for ourselves. Paul says that at all times God provides us with all that we need so there is never any time when we cannot be generous.” (David E. Garland, NAC: 2 Corinthians, 407-408)

So we want to trust God in our giving…we want to make sure we are looking at our heart, what we are trusting in…at our motivation…the 3^rd essential attribute of giving is to …

III. Strive for Proper Giving Motivations (9:7)

A. Act upon conviction

2 Corinthians 9:7a - Each on must do just as he has purposed in his heart…

• Since generosity is an overflow of a Christian’s life, the Spirit will convict him or her when a need is presented

• And though that may be the case experientially, it’s not necessarily what Paul’s talking about here

• This “purposing in [one’s] heart” has more to do with a standing conviction—a predetermination attitude towards generosity that serves as a key part of a Christian’s life

• This standing conviction is…“Christ has been generous with me – I will be generous with others”

• SO some might be incredibly predisposed to do that, and it may come very naturally to them since they are gifted in this area…and then for others, it is something they have to really commit to in their heart and apply to the practical areas of life.

• But it is not something a person is forced or guilted to do…but something they purpose in their heart to do for the glory of God.

• Pastor Viars regularly leads us as a staff to not take for granted the generosity of this body of believers…and in intro to faith after intro to faith I have heard him explain to people that we rarely talk about money, usually once a year around stewardship month, or whenever you are planning to invite your neighbor, it just always happen on that Sunday….or in this case when it is in the text of scripture, we don’t shirk away from it.

• But we really don’t have to talk about it a lot, because so many people purpose in their heart to be faithful, sacrificial and generous in their giving, both in the normal giving of ones tithe, and the offerings to support extra ministries we have been entrusted with and on top of that even and especially in capital campaigns……so many people in this church are not flashy, but they are faithful…each person and family had to work hard to earn that money, and then trust God in their heart to give it…and as a pastor who has been on staff for 13 years now I can attest that I have been trained well to never take that for granted.

That is our story, but the text still gives a warning…that people need to wrestle with this in their heart and…

B. Repent of improper giving motivations

2 Corinthians 9:7b ­- …not grudgingly or under compulsion…

It is kind a like if you dad asks you to mow, or your mom asks for your help prepare for people coming over, or your neighbor ask for help with a project…and you do it out of guilt and you grumble and complain rather than see it as an opportunity to show how much you are thankful for what God has given you, that you want to give of your time, and your resources to help others as a testimony to who your God is.

So we are looking at our hearts…and where our treasure lies there our heart will be, we used to say where our check book is shows our heart, but now, maybe our PayPal or Venmo account …but our face, our demeanor also shows our heart, b the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart…and so when we give we are to …

C. Be a cheerful giver

2 Corinthians 9:7c - …God loves a cheerful giver.

It is kind like if you do something good and then boast about it, that is your reward, people hearing you boast…if we give begrudgingly there really is not an investment…because the attitude in which we give can corrupt the gift.

“In the Old Testament, giving reluctantly or under compulsion is portrayed as cancelling out any benefit that could be received from the gift while giving with a glad heart promises reward from God: ‘Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to’ (Deut. 15:10). Scripture assumes that what is crucial is the attitude of the one who gives, not the amount. God, who knows and appraises our hearts, values only those gifts that come as a free expression of the deepest part of our souls.” (David E. Garland, NAC: 2 Corinthians, 406)

So guard your heart, keep watch on your soul when you think about giving…but don’t get too introspective…evaluate where you are, seek to repent of any wrong motivations and change practically…and to do that faithfully over time….

IV. Look to the Source and Example of Giving (9:8)

• We saw earlier that Christ is both the model and agent of our generosity

• In other words, we know what giving is because of His gift of Himself, and we’re able to display generosity by His Spirit at work in us

• The final verse in our passage drives these points home…

2 Corinthians 9:8 - 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…

Draw from the source of all giving through His abounding grace

We are only able to be generous with others because God has been generous with us

And the specific attribute that’s listed in verse 8 is the abundance of grace that God’s lavished upon us

Men and women who have the spiritual gift of giving seem to inexplicably abound in grace…

Conversely, those who struggle with giving can lack in dispensing grace to others

Which goes to show – you can only draw water from a well that’s filled…

In other words, those who are overwhelmed by the grace that Christ imparted to us – especially on the cross – will have and over-abundance of grace to share will others

For those who are underwhelmed or unaffected by God’s grace, gracelessness will be their obvious byproduct

And Christ’s generosity is, of itself, a well that will never run dry – our passage literally says, “so that ALWAYS having ALL SUFFICIENCY in EVERYTHING, you may have an ABUNDANCE for EVERY good deed…”

So whether you have the gift of giving or not…be sure you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and His amazing grace toward you… That amazement and awe must not result in being frozen…but in purposeful action and investment

As we look to the source and the example of generous giving…, we also need to be the example…

B. Model the ultimate example of giving

2 Corinthians 9:8b - [so that] you may have an abundance for every good deed…

• There’s action required…

• Jesus, for His part, didn’t simply will our salvation – He accomplished it

• Not only does He call us to walk in a manner pleasing to God, He exemplified perfect obedience to the Father during His earthly ministry

• We want to revie and then give…we want to receive grace and be a conduit of grace…

• What is the benefit to this…what is the investment…what will we reap….

John 3:35-36 - Do you not say, “There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest”? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

Use your earthy resources to invest in heavenly resources…in other words we generously give and work together to meet people’s physical needs so we have can more effectively address their spiritual needs through the good news of Jesus Christ.