BIBLICAL GIVINGBIBLICAL GIVING

I. I. INTROINTRO

II. II. TWO DEFINING STATEMENTSTWO DEFINING STATEMENTSRead Read Lk 6:38Lk 6:38 & & Acts 20:35Acts 20:35..

III. III. THE “LOAF OF BREAD” PROMISETHE “LOAF OF BREAD” PROMISEPhil 4:19Phil 4:19

IV. IV. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BIBLICAL GIVING IN 2Cor 8:1-8BIBLICAL GIVING IN 2Cor 8:1-81. GIVING MOTIVATED BY GOD’S 1. GIVING MOTIVATED BY GOD’S GRACE – GRACE – 2Cor 8:12Cor 8:12. GIVING IN DIFFICULT 2. GIVING IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES – CIRCUMSTANCES – 2Cor 8:22Cor 8:23. GIVING WITH JOY3. GIVING WITH JOYGiving is not righteous unless it’s Giving is not righteous unless it’s accompanied by sincere, heartfelt joy.accompanied by sincere, heartfelt joy.

~ Read ~ Read 2Cor 8:22Cor 8:2..~ 2Cor 9:7~ 2Cor 9:7

R. C. H. LenskiR. C. H. Lenski: “They made a joy of : “They made a joy of robbing themselves.” robbing themselves.”

~ Their devotion to God’s kingdom, His ~ Their devotion to God’s kingdom, His local church, and to fellow local church, and to fellow

believers believers they had never met they had never met was profound. was profound.

~ Their joy rose above the pain, ~ Their joy rose above the pain, sorrow, and struggle of difficult sorrow, and struggle of difficult

circumstances as, for the circumstances as, for the sake of sake of others, they were others, they were happy to divest happy to divest themselves themselves of what little they had.of what little they had.

The Macedonians had the attitude The Macedonians had the attitude toward giving that God wants you to toward giving that God wants you to have — AN UNHINDERED JOY THAT have — AN UNHINDERED JOY THAT REMEMBERS THE BLESSING OF REMEMBERS THE BLESSING OF LAYING UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN, LAYING UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN, OF GIVING RATHER THAN OF GIVING RATHER THAN RECEIVING, AND OF KNOWING RECEIVING, AND OF KNOWING THAT GOD GIVES BACK TO YOU IN THAT GOD GIVES BACK TO YOU IN GREATER MEASURE THAN WHAT GREATER MEASURE THAN WHAT YOU GIVE TO HIM.YOU GIVE TO HIM.

4. GIVING WITH GENEROSITY4. GIVING WITH GENEROSITY~ Read ~ Read 2Cor 8:22Cor 8:2..

That indicates two important aspects of That indicates two important aspects of the Macedonians’ generosity.the Macedonians’ generosity.First, it was First, it was notnot based on money or based on money or possessions. possessions. Second, their generosity stemmed from Second, their generosity stemmed from an attitude of single-mindednessan attitude of single-mindedness.

~ ~ “Liberality”“Liberality” is also translated is also translated “sincerity,” but more precisely the “sincerity,” but more precisely the term conveys the idea of being term conveys the idea of being single-minded.single-minded.

IF YOU’RE DOUBLE-MINDED ABOUT IF YOU’RE DOUBLE-MINDED ABOUT GIVING, THEN YOU’RE WORRIED GIVING, THEN YOU’RE WORRIED TOO MUCH ABOUT YOUR OWN TOO MUCH ABOUT YOUR OWN NEEDS.NEEDS.

~ Phil 2:3-4~ Phil 2:3-4

~ You may not be rich in money or ~ You may not be rich in money or possessions, but with the Spirit’s possessions, but with the Spirit’s

help help you can be rich in single-you can be rich in single-minded, minded, selfless, humble selfless, humble devotion to God and devotion to God and the needs of the needs of others. others.

5. GIVING WITH PROPORTIONATE 5. GIVING WITH PROPORTIONATE SACRIFICE. SACRIFICE. Read Read 2Cor 8:32Cor 8:3..The Macedonians’ individual capability The Macedonians’ individual capability was the starting point for the amount they was the starting point for the amount they gave.gave.

~ And that should be your starting ~ And that should be your starting point, too. point, too.

~ See 2Cor 8:12.~ See 2Cor 8:12.

~ GOD DOES NOT EXPECT YOU TO ~ GOD DOES NOT EXPECT YOU TO GIVE WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE. GIVE WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE. ALL HE ASKS IS THAT YOU GIVE ALL HE ASKS IS THAT YOU GIVE

PROPORTIONATELY, ACCORDING PROPORTIONATELY, ACCORDING TO YOUR ABILITY. TO YOUR ABILITY.

As the Macedonians gave according to As the Macedonians gave according to their ability, they also made sure they were their ability, they also made sure they were doing so doing so in proportions that were in proportions that were sacrificial.sacrificial.

~ Matt 6:25-34~ Matt 6:25-34

David’s conviction: Sacrificial giving is David’s conviction: Sacrificial giving is really the only kind of giving, really the only kind of giving, “... I will “... I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing”my God which cost me nothing” (2Sam (2Sam 24:24).24:24).

6. GIVING VOLUNTARILY6. GIVING VOLUNTARILY Read Read 2Cor 8:32Cor 8:3..

~ They were self-motivated and ~ They were self-motivated and spontaneous in giving what spontaneous in giving what

they they believed the Lord believed the Lord wanted them to wanted them to give. give.

Macedonians’ giving is the encouraging Macedonians’ giving is the encouraging reality that they viewed the entire reality that they viewed the entire ministry of giving as ministry of giving as a privilege, not a privilege, not simply an obligation. simply an obligation.

~ Read ~ Read 2Cor 8:42Cor 8:4.. First, they were First, they were “begging,”“begging,” a word that a word that

is always used in the New Testament to is always used in the New Testament to denote a very strong pleading.denote a very strong pleading.

~ Second, they were asking for the ~ Second, they were asking for the privilege of giving privilege of giving “with much urging,”“with much urging,” which means they were making their which means they were making their case aggressively, with a lot of case aggressively, with a lot of exhortation and importunity.exhortation and importunity.

~ And last, they were entreating Paul ~ And last, they were entreating Paul “for the favor of participation in the “for the favor of participation in the

support of the saints.”support of the saints.”~ The churches of Macedonia were ~ The churches of Macedonia were

begging for the grace of having a begging for the grace of having a fellowship or partnership in the fellowship or partnership in the

support of other believers. support of other believers.

7. GIVING WITH WORSHIP AND 7. GIVING WITH WORSHIP AND SUBMISSIONSUBMISSIONWhen you follow the Macedonians’ When you follow the Macedonians’ example, it actually rises to the level of example, it actually rises to the level of spiritual worship. spiritual worship.

~ Read ~ Read 2Cor 8:52Cor 8:5..~ This demonstrated that their first ~ This demonstrated that their first priority was to make all they owned priority was to make all they owned completely available and dispensable completely available and dispensable to the Lord.to the Lord.~ Rom 12:1-2~ Rom 12:1-2

When we praise God and honor His When we praise God and honor His name we are worshiping Him, but the name we are worshiping Him, but the Lord is most pleased when we worship Lord is most pleased when we worship Him by unreservedly offering ourselves. Him by unreservedly offering ourselves.

~ That’s the beginning of genuine ~ That’s the beginning of genuine worship. worship.

~ All that happens only as you ~ All that happens only as you allow allow the Spirit to renew your the Spirit to renew your

mindmind, and , and as you become as you become obedient to God in obedient to God in every area every area of life, including giving.of life, including giving.

The Macedonian believers were The Macedonian believers were examples of those examples of those whose giving was whose giving was worship.worship.

~ 1Pet 2:5~ 1Pet 2:5

~ We are simply stewards who ~ We are simply stewards who generously and sacrificially offer generously and sacrificially offer

our our resources back to Him.resources back to Him. If biblical giving is worship, it will also If biblical giving is worship, it will also

be an act of true submission to one’s be an act of true submission to one’s spiritual leaders. spiritual leaders.

~ They realized that those men were ~ They realized that those men were undershepherds of Christ who stood undershepherds of Christ who stood in His place giving direction and in His place giving direction and leadership to the church in all matters leadership to the church in all matters — including giving — and they — including giving — and they responded to that godly leadership.responded to that godly leadership.

~ Read ~ Read 2Cor 8:62Cor 8:6..

8. GIVING IN LOVE8. GIVING IN LOVE

~ For your giving to be biblical, it ~ For your giving to be biblical, it should occur in perfect harmony with should occur in perfect harmony with all the other positive traits of your all the other positive traits of your regenerate nature. regenerate nature.

~ Read ~ Read 2Cor 8:72Cor 8:7..IF YOUR GIVING IS OPERATING IF YOUR GIVING IS OPERATING RIGHT ALONG WITH OTHER RIGHT ALONG WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN VIRTUES, YOU’RE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES, YOU’RE MOTIVATED BY THE GREATEST MOTIVATED BY THE GREATEST VIRTUE OF ALL, LOVE. (VIRTUE OF ALL, LOVE. (1Cor 13:31Cor 13:3))

~ YOU CAN GIVE WITHOUT LOVING, ~ YOU CAN GIVE WITHOUT LOVING, BUT YOU CAN’T LOVE WITHOUT BUT YOU CAN’T LOVE WITHOUT GIVING.GIVING.

Biblical giving is perhaps the surest way Biblical giving is perhaps the surest way to demonstrate genuine love for others. to demonstrate genuine love for others.

~ Paul asks us again to measure ~ Paul asks us again to measure ourselves against the example of the ourselves against the example of the Macedonians to verify the quality of Macedonians to verify the quality of our own love: our own love: 2Cor 8:82Cor 8:8..

~ ~ The true test of sincere love is not The true test of sincere love is not positive emotions and good positive emotions and good intentions, but tangible actions intentions, but tangible actions (Jas 2:14-18). (Jas 2:14-18).

~ IT IS THE PATH TO GOD’S ~ IT IS THE PATH TO GOD’S ABUNDANT ABUNDANT BLESSING.BLESSING.