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Introduction
It was September 20, 1977. It was the fifth season premiere show of the
classic favorite Happy Days. This was the episode when everything
changed for the show: Fonzi, the coolest of the cool, the dreamboat
mechanic, the chick magnet with the perfectly combed hair, the guy who
could do everything and do it with style, went water-skiing dressed in
his leather jacket and jumped a shark on skis.
It was a defining
moment. It was the moment when you knew that your favorite TV show had
reached its peak. From that climactic scene forward, you knew the show
would never be the same, because nothing could top that episode. That’s
the moment when a new idiom was born—an expression that would enter the
vocabulary of Americans: “Jumping the Shark.” That expression came to
represent any event that marked the shift into a whole new level of
excellence.
When the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at
Corinth, answering a series of their questions about theology and
practical Christian living, he also had in mind another goal. He wanted
to challenge those believers to jump the shark in regard to their
Christian growth. His desire, under the leading of the Holy Spirit and
in keeping with God’s will, was to see them grow into a new level of
spiritual maturity.
And he knew that the one issue that would
spark that growth among them, the thing that would catapult them to new
heights in their walk of love and ministry was finances. God knows that
the single most stubborn area of growth for any Christ-follower is the
subject of money. It was true of those Corinthian Christians, and it is
true yet today. Most of us are willing to stretch ourselves into new
growth in almost any area of piety, but when it comes to
giving—financial stewardship—we too easily clamp down, get stingy and
stop growing.
The story is told of the Pentecostal preacher who
was waxing powerful one Sunday morning and his congregation was right
there with him. At the high point of his sermon he said, “Brothers and
sisters, it is the Lord’s will that His church should be obedient and
walk in His ways!” At that, the people shouted, “That’s right! Let her
walk, preacher!”
He went on: “Brothers and sisters, it is the
Lord’s will that the church should serve Him in such a way that it will
run and not grow weary!” The whole church shouted, “That’s right,
preacher, let her run!”
Primed for the big one, the preacher
said, “Brothers and sisters, it is the Lord’s will that we should give
our money generously so the church can fly!” “Let her walk, preacher!
Let her walk!”
In the eighth and ninth chapters of 2 Corinthians,
Paul used the occasion of an offering that was being raised to help the
poor believers in Judea to teach some principles of giving. Those
principles are magnificent, and when a Christian learns to live in
agreement with them, he will grow to dynamic new levels of love and
service to Christ and to the people they are called to serve.
In
2 Corinthians 8:7 Paul congratulates the Corinthians church
because they excel in everything—well, almost everything. You
excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete
earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this
grace of giving. Consider Paul’s four principles this morning with
me—principles of Excellence in Giving—and let’s grow in this grace.
Excellent Giving is Sacrificial
The first principle is that excellent giving is SACRIFICIAL giving. In
verses 1-5 Paul brags about a church in another state in Greece. As
we read these verses, see if you can pick out three marks of sacrificial
giving. 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.
Rich Generosity - In
verse 2 it says these Macedonian Christians gave with rich
generosity. I always think of Mr. Feeney in this regard. Charles Feeney
made a lot of money owning and operating hundreds of those “duty-free”
shops you see in airports.
But he is actually more famous
for what he gave away than what he earned. In the late 20th century he
gave away over $600 million in a 15-year period. He also spent $3.5
million setting up the charities that would expedite his philanthropy.
The records show that in those 15 years he also kept $5 million for
himself and his family. You might say he was a “reverse tither,” because
inverse to regular tithing, he kept less than 10% for himself and gave
away 90%! Like the Macedonians, Feeney gave lavishly, proving that true,
sacrificial giving is marked by rich generosity.
In Extreme
Poverty - But, he was unlike the Macedonians in another respect,
because those first century believers were people who lived in abject
poverty. It is remarkable that these very poor people were so generous.
You know, God has a way of providing more through a generous, poor
person than through a stingy rich one? Last year Americans gave a little
over 2.5% to their favorite charities. During the great Depression they
gave 2.9%. In the current economic downturn Americans gave 3.5% more
than in 2009.
Poorer Americans give a greater percentage of their
incomes to charity. Why? Are they stupid? Or are they generous? Are they
idiots, or do they not so greedy? Those who earn within $5,000 a year of
the poverty level give twice as much as those earning $100-120,000
incomes. (3.3% vs. 1.6%).
Generosity does not run along lines of
wealth. The Macedonians proved that, and Paul suggests that they are a
good example for giving with rich generosity in spite of low income. In
fact, in
verse 4 Paul bragged that they even pleaded with him to let them
give more!
Overflowing Joy – The third mark of sacrificial giving
is “overflowing joy,” according to this passage. There is a deep
pleasure—an undefinable joy—that comes to those who give sacrificially.
It is a thrill that stingier people can never know. The comedian Bob
Hope once said: “Laughter is an instant vacation. Giving is a two-week
cruise—with pay.”
In the famous story, The Gift of the Magi, the
poor husband sells his watch so he can give a gift of love to his wife—a
set of combs she had wanted but they could not afford. In her love for
him, she cut off her hair and sold it in order to buy him, of all
things, a new watch. When you love with godly love you do not hesitate
to give lavishly. We, like the Macedonians can know deep joy when we
excel in the grace of giving sacrificially.
Excellent Giving is Strategic
But more than sacrificial, excellent giving is STRATEGIC.
Verses 5-6: they did not do as we expected,
but they gave themselves first to the Lord. The Macedonians’
giving was not knee-jerk reaction to a need that pulled on their
heartstrings. They prayed to God about whether they should give to this
offering and how much. They didn’t want to give with a wrong motive or
attitude.
Have you ever received a gift from someone whose heart
wasn’t in it, and you could tell? You know, the situation when the
person felt obligated to give? You just want to say, “Hey, don’t
bother!” If it is obligatory, it’s not really a gift. If you want to
give with proper strategy, make sure you give yourself to the Lord
first, then give to the need. Paul said, after they had committed
themselves to the Lord then they gave to us.
Who is “us”? The
leaders who were prayerfully conducting the offering. But, weren’t they
really giving to the poor in Palestine? Why would Paul say they gave to
them? It doesn’t matter what you give to you have to have confidence in
those who are handling the funds you give. That’s why it is a good idea
to check with BBB or an organization like the Evangelical Council for
Financial Accountability before you give to a cause.
When you
give to a church—this church, any church—you should first be certain you
trust the leadership of that church. I will say the same thing I have
said for years—I am thrilled that from the beginning of this
congregation we have had dedicated, prayerful people in leadership who
have handled the funds given through MECF with impeccable care,
disbursing those funds in ways that please God.
I find it easy
and gratifying to give to the Lord’s work through this church, because
of reliable, godly leadership. And that’s good strategy, because it’s
God’s strategy. Excellent giving should always be strategic—giving
ourselves first to the Lord, then to the cause.
Excellent Giving is Steadfast
In
verse 7, Paul lists the disciplines in which the Christians are
already excelling and he adds, but, you need to
excel in this grace also—this grace of giving. In other words,
you cannot keep growing as a disciple of the Lord if you don’t improve
in your generosity. Christian giving is a discipline, and it is a
fundamental building block of your faith. Too often, out of selfishness
and greed, believers can talk themselves into thinking, “Well, I’m
pretty good in a lot of other areas, but I don’t think I want to give,
let alone generously.”
Steadfast Giving is disciplined -
Discipline is not usually our favorite word, but we know that through
discipline we grow. Paul is urging the first century—and twenty-first
century—Christ-followers to give in a steadfast manner. Christian giving
that is excellent is not impulsive, short-term, once-in-a-while giving,
but it is steadfast.
Less mature people like to give when
they feel “moved” or enticed by rewards. But steadfast giving is
responsible and mature giving, unlike flash-in-the-pan, periodic giving
that fizzles and burns out when external motivations fade; it is rather
like a steady simmer, marked by longevity, consistency and a long-term
commitment.
Steadfast Giving is Responsible - No
organization—not even the church—can run on fits and starts of income.
Erratic income for the church results in erratic ministry. If you give
only when you have a little left over, or only when you’re not gone on
vacation, or only when there is some sort of stewardship drive, or only
when you feel challenged by the preacher, your giving will never
approach the excellence that the Bible calls for.
Missionaries
depend on regular and consistent gifts to fund them and their work. The
power and water at this facility, the furnaces and sound equipment don’t
stop running when you and I are on vacation.
We cannot tell the
bank, “We won’t be making our mortgage payment this month. You see, a
lot of our folks have just made some significant purchases and they just
don’t have any left over for the offerings.” And I can tell you
firsthand that those who are salaried by churches rely just as much on
their regular paycheck as anyone else.
The call of the apostle
for steadfast giving comes because God desires those who support His
work to be more like the “Ever-Ready Bunny” and less like Freddy the
Freeloader. In
1 Corinthians 16:1 Paul reminded the believers:
On the first day of every week each one of you
should set aside a sum of money, in keeping with his income… I
urge you, brothers and sisters to acknowledge your responsibility as
part of this congregation’s unified purpose in the Lord to be a
steadfast giver.
Steadfast Giving is Planned, budgeted giving
- Here’s apostolic advice as to how to do that and do it better. See it
as a spiritual discipline to set aside funds in your budget, and when
you get paid, write your check for the church first.
Otherwise,
you are just going to wait and see if there is anything left after your
other spending, and you are leaving God standing in a welfare line.
And I guarantee you, that what you end up giving Him will not be
excellent, steadfast giving that honors Him. It will be just a “tip.”
When other things come first and we wait to give to God’s work last,
there is rarely anything left—at least not anything resembling
generosity or sacrifice. Because it is honorable before God, and because
it is best for you, give in a steadfast way to the Lord.
Let me
add this word. Most of us here don’t have fat wallets and exorbitant
incomes. Most of the Corinthians didn’t either. And neither did the
Macedonians, but they gave out of their poverty, all that they could.
And Paul added, they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond
their ability. What does that mean? It does not mean they gave
irresponsibly to the Lord and then didn’t have money for groceries and
clothes. It means that when they gave sacrificially the Lord honored
them and provided more for them to give. They tapped into the law of
sowing and reaping and discovered that when they gave excellently, the
Lord increased their provisions.
Excellent Giving is Sincere
We’re going to wrap this study up with a look at the last quality of
excellent giving by looking again at
verse 8, where Paul says he wants to test the SINCERITY of the
Corinthians love through their giving. I think it is a good idea for us
to test ourselves as well in terms of the sincerity of our giving.
Sincere Giving is Voluntary Giving – Do you ever give into God’s
work or give to God’s people only because you feel commanded to give, or
worse yet, coerced into giving? If you do, you need to take a couple
steps back and assess where you are spiritually.
Verse 12 says, For if the willingness is there, the gift is
acceptable. Pastor are you saying that my giving is unacceptable? No,
God is saying it.
In the
7th verse of the next chapter you can read these words about
voluntary giving: Each man should give what he
has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver. The Greek word used there for
“cheerful” is
HILARION from which we derive our word “hilarious.” If the joy, the
hilarity, has drained out of your giving, it’s time for an attitude
adjustment, which is the same as saying a faith adjustment. Paul says
that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. (That’s not to say He won’t accept
gifts from a sourpuss.) But seriously, giving is the most pleasant thing
we can ever do.
If your giving is marked by a feeling of
coercion, and you check your attitude and feel that it is healthy, then
maybe you’re being pushed in an unhealthy way toward giving. Ask the
Lord about those who are teaching you. If there is any suspicion at all
that your spiritual leaders are compelling or coercing you beyond the
truth of scripture, you need to find a different church. The Word of God
has some stern things to say about Christian teachers who inordinately
pressure people to give, through manipulation or guilt. Avoid such
teachers.
That’s not to say that I as your pastor will not be
exhorting you to bold and sacrificial giving. I will. I must. It is the
Word of God. But it is my responsibility to make sure that when you feel
convicted about giving, it’s coming from God and not from me. I want you
to know that your leaders here take that responsibility very seriously.
So I do as I should and direct you to the truths of God’s Word.
When you give, it does not honor God if it is not voluntary. In his book
Run With the Horses, Eugene Peterson tells how he saw a family of
birds teaching their young to fly. Three young swallows were perched on
a dead branch that stretched out over a lake. “One adult swallow got
alongside the chicks and started shoving them out toward the end of the
branch—pushing, pushing, pushing. The end one fell off. Somewhere
between the branch and the water four feet below, the wings stated
working, and the fledgling was off on his own. Then the second one.
The third was not to be bulled. At the last possible moment his grip
on the branch loosened just enough so that he swung downward, and he
tightened again, tenaciously hanging on, upside down. The parent was
without sentiment. He pecked at the claws of the desperately clinging
talons until it was more painful for the poor chick to hang on than risk
the insecurities of flying. The grip was released, and the inexperienced
wings began pumping. The mature swallow knew what the chick did not—that
it would fly—that there was no danger in making it do what it was
perfectly designed to do.
Birds have feet and they can walk.
Birds have talons and can grasp a branch securely. The can walk; they
can cling. But flying is their characteristic action, and not until they
fly are they living at their best, gracefully and beautifully.
Giving is what we human beings do best. It is the air into which we were
born. It is the action that was designed into us before our birth. Some
of us try desperately to hold on to ourselves, to live for ourselves. We
look so bedraggled and pathetic doing it, hanging on to the dead branch
of a back account for dear life, afraid to risk ourselves on the untried
wings of giving.
We don’t think we can live generously because
we have never tried living generously. But the sooner we start, the
better, for we are going to have to give up our lives finally, and the
longer we wait, the less time we have for the soaring and swooping life
of grace. Sincere giving is voluntary, but it is also important.”
Sincere Giving is Important –
Verses 10-11: 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.
I want to pose
two questions to every believer who identifies with this church: first,
if every Christian here gave as you do, percentage-wise, would we keep
the doors open and continue to serve in Jesus’ name?
Each of us
should really strive to give back to the Lord at least 10% of what the
Lord gives you. Not because it is a law, or some kind of a church rule,
but because the “tithe” is the only figure God ever used in His Word
when discussing giving. Ten out of every ten people I know who tithe
testify that they are blessed awesomely by God. They also happen to be
happy, joyous and contented Christians.
The second question I
suggest you ask yourself is: Have I been faithful to follow through on
the commitments I have already made to the Lord in terms of giving. Paul
said, …finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be
matched by your completion of it. Sincere giving is voluntary, it is
important to God and to you, not to mention to your church family and
our ministries.
I am glad that in the matter of giving we are
each free and responsible to follow the voice and leading of God’s
Spirit and His Word. I am glad there are no rules, no minimum payment
required. I am glad that God calls not for equal amounts from everyone,
but equal sacrifice.
Sincere giving is abundant giving—by that I
mean giving that stretches you into deeper levels of maturity. God is
glorified when His children stretch themselves in obedience to Him. If
you are tithing, ask God if He is calling you further. If you are not
giving at the level of 10%, try it. If your heart is right, or as Paul
put it, if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable.
In
any case, God promises to bless those who obey Him with sacrificial,
strategic, steadfast and sincere giving.
2 Cor. 9:6-8 says, Remember this: Whoever
sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously
will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in
his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that
in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in
every good work.
Take the leap. Jump the shark. Start
excellent giving! PRAYER
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