All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn back to 1 Corinthians 16. The Apostle Paul, last couple
of weeks, we looked at Paul's answer to the surety of the resurrection
and then the nature of the resurrected body. And now the Spirit of God
has moved upon Paul to deal with a subject that we don't deal
with a lot here. Unless I come to it in the Scriptures,
I just don't deal with giving, but this is a subject that Paul
the Apostle is dealing with. I'm going to deal with it, God
dealt with it, and we will too. But now, before I get into the
verses that we're going to look at for a few minutes, I want
us to think for just a moment. We're going to be dealing with
giving, what God has to say concerning giving. But as I was making preparation
on this message, I began to think about the foundation of giving. I know this, the Lord is able,
He could do if He was so pleased, He could just make it to where
there was no need whatsoever for us to do anything. I mean,
He would just provide and we would just have it and that would
be the end of it. He's able to do that, but there's
been a way in which the Lord has decreed, has ordained, that
Almighty God is going to provide for His own through the means
of Giving. Giving. And I started thinking,
what is the foundation of giving? Is it faith? I know that we trust
the Lord in our giving, and I know that the scripture says concerning
faith whatsoever, Romans 14.23, is not a faith. Whatsoever is
not a faith. No matter what we're doing. Whatsoever
is not of faith is sin. So is the heart of giving, is
it to teach us faith? Well yes, I'd say that probably
right. How about joy? Is it to teach
us? to be joyful in what we're doing. Scripture says, Acts 20.35, I
have showed you all things, how that so laboring, ye ought to
support the weak, and to remember the word of the Lord Jesus, how
He said, it's more blessed to give than to receive. Now isn't
that so? Don't you rejoice when you're
able to help somebody? I mean, it is. You'd rather help
somebody than be the recipient of being the one helped. You'd rather help them. It's
joyful. But when Almighty God was said
to give, when the Lord God of heaven gave, what was the foundation
of His giving. What was the basis? What does the scripture say?
Here's what it is. Love. Love. For God so loved the world. He loved Jews and Gentiles. He loved His people, the world,
the arrangement, the order of man. And what did He do? He gave. God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth
on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The Scripture declares that God
the Father loved His people, loved them everlastingly, and
His love for His own in Christ was that He would not spare anything,
not even His Son, for their redemption and salvation. God Almighty loved
His people. Romans 8.32, He that spared not
His own Son. but delivered him up for us all.
How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? So the foundation of giving by
faith, yes. Joy, yes. Love, that's the heart
of giving. When the Lord Jesus Christ laid
down his life laid down for his sheep, he declared love to be
the heart of his action. The scripture says, greater love,
this is John 15, 13, 14, hath no man than this, greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. He said there's no greater exhibition
of love then a man lay down his life for his friends. And he
said, you're my friends if you do whatsoever, I command you. Every time, almost every time,
I'll say it many times when I read that scripture right there, I
think so often of these military men that have been in combat
and would fall on a grenade. That's what comes to my mind. Men would lay and take the full
force. of that grenade for his buddies. They're his brothers. That's who they are. Greater
love. No greater exhibition of love
than a man would die that another one might live. So the foundation,
the strength of God's giving to His people is love. Love for them, love for their
good, because God is love. And therefore, Love, praise,
thanksgiving is unto Him. Given unto Him. That's the foundation
of our attitude. If that's God's attitude, then
in regenerating grace, that's the foundation of our giving. The scripture says, Psalms 18.49,
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the
heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. So, the Lord has created
Life within us. His life shed abroad in our hearts. Love is that exhibition that's
given unto the Lord and unto His people. It's made evident. in giving. Believers give. Now I'm not talking about just
money, I'm talking about give. They give of themselves, they
give of their labor, they give of their time, they give. Now this evening I'd like for
us to take up, just where we left off last time, but when
we begin this new chapter I want us to recognize that this subject
of giving is actually the grace of God that has been imparted
to us. Giving is a grace. It's a gift. When we give, we
give because God has graced us. I want you to hold your place
in 1 Corinthians 16. Turn over to 2 Corinthians 8
for a second. Listen to this. Now this is, I'm telling you,
2 Corinthians chapter 8 Verses 1-7, 2 Corinthians 8. This is
a grace. Giving is a grace. 2 Corinthians
8, 1. Moreover, brethren, we do you
to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. I want you to know, Paul says,
I want you to know concerning the grace of God, what God did
for the churches in Macedonia. How that in great trial of affliction,
the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto
the riches of their liberality. For to their power, to their
ability, that's why when he says power he's talking about their
ability. I bear record, I'm going to tell you something I know
Yea, and beyond their ability, their power, they were willing
of themselves, praying us with much entreaty that we would receive
the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering
to the saints. And this they did, not as we
hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us
by the will of God, insomuch that we desired Titus, that as
He had begun, so He would also finish in you the same grace
also. Therefore, as you abound in everything,
in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all diligence, in your love
to us, see that you abound in this grace also." What did Paul
say? He shared with the church at
Corinth about the grace of God that had become evident in the
churches of Macedonia and their desires to give, to be able to
help. And Paul said, I'm going to share
with you what they did in the midst of great need and poverty. He said they weren't a rich congregation
in the midst of their tribulation. The abundance of their joy overflowed
in their lavish generosity. He said they gave not only according
to their ability, but really beyond what you normally would
have thought that they would have given. And they did it,
Paul says, voluntarily. He said, begging us insistently
for the privilege to be able to give for the relief and support
of the saints. that were in Jerusalem. Disregarding
their own personal interests, they did according to the will
of God so much that we urged Titus. He said that he should
go to the church at Corinth to receive assistance also for those
that were also in need, the church there in Jerusalem. Now, he said,
as you here at Corinth have excelled in faith and in knowledge and
in love for us, he said, I pray that you'll also abound in this
grace also, in the grace of giving. It just, when I read that scripture,
it reminded me, it took me a while, I had to look this morning, I
couldn't remember where, it's Exodus 36, I want you to hold
your place still, I want you to turn to Exodus 36, I want
to read an amazing passage of scripture. Exodus 36, what was
happening is, material had been given, had been, you know, had
there for the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness.
And they were going to construct, you know, the sanctuary for that
tabernacle. And so what they were doing,
they hired some craftsmen, is what they did, to be able to
work on building the tabernacle. Somebody was going to have to
build it. It was according to the Lord's direction. But somebody was going to have
to construct it, you know, and they were going to have to be
paid. We're going to pay them, you know, a laborer is worthy
of his hire, you know. So here's what, Exodus 36, look
at verses 3 to 7. Now here's what, now there's
the scenario. The material is there. I say donated. They got
it. They got it. But they got to
hire these guys to build it. And the people were going to
give. They were going to give to pay the workmen is what they
were going to do. So they would take up an offering.
So look at this. Exodus 36 verse 3. And they received of Moses all
the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the
work of the service of the sanctuary to make it with all, and they
brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. They took an offering
every day. And all the wise men that wrought
all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work
which they made, and they spake unto Moses, saying, The people
bring much more than enough for the service of the work which
the Lord commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and
they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying,
let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering
of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained
from bringing, for the stuff they had was sufficient for all
the work to make it, and too much. Can you imagine? They had these workers and they
were going to hire them. They were bringing an offering
every morning to Moses and Moses was bringing it over there to
pay these guys and they said, You got more here than we, we
can't do all, we can't do enough to justify what you're doing.
You're going to have to tell people to stop giving. So Moses
told them, he said, we got enough, don't give anymore. Have you
ever heard of such a thing? I mean, who would ever think? But God's people are generous
people. Generous. It just, it never ceases
to amaze me. I remember when Brother Cody
and Brother Walter Groover down, remember that a few years ago?
I mean, this was probably 15 years ago now. They each needed
a vehicle, a Suburban. And just the churches just got
together. Well, I mean, even, I don't know,
15 years ago, I guarantee you, even then, it was probably $35,000,
$40,000. Now they're about $60,000, $65,000. And they bought two of them. They just took up an offer and,
you know, got about $70,000, $80,000. You say, how do you
do that? God's people, they give. So knowing
that the heart of giving is love. Love, thankfulness, appreciation,
thanksgiving, love for the Lord, love for the work of the ministry,
love for His people. Let's look at what God has to
say concerning this blessed Grace. Now, 1 Corinthians, back to 1
Corinthians 16, verse 1. Now, concerning the collection
for the saints, as I've given order to the churches of Galatia,
even so do ye. Now, the saints that were spoken
of here were well known to the church at Corinth. It was the
saints, it was the church at Jerusalem. They were poor. And Romans, I'll just read this. It's Romans 15 verses 25 and
27. I'll show you. Here's the church
now at Jerusalem. And it says, verse 25, But now
I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints, for it has pleased
them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution
for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased
them verily, and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles
have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty
is also to minister unto them in carnal things." So the church
at Jerusalem was in dire straits. They were in trouble. And so
Paul, according to the will of the Lord according to His apostolic
authority, He gave the church at Corinth, not only them, us,
some instruction concerning the distributing of financial help
to the brethren that the Lord had providentially placed in
that situation. I know this, we remember that
the Lord is the one that worketh all things after the counsel
of His own will. He may be pleased to prosper
one assembly financially, that they might be the means through
which another assembly's need is met, and so for reasons that's
only known to Him. Why does the Lord put one group
in one situation and another group in another situation? Because
it pleased Him to do so. He gives no account of His dealings
to any man. He's the Lord. He does as He
will. So here at Katie, I have always, from the time
I got here, I've been so amazingly blessed to behold the Lord's
blessing in this place. First of all, spiritually. how Almighty God raised up. And I'm telling you, Katie, I've
told you this before, and Brother Henry was the one who first said
this. He said, Katie is an exception to the rule. As a general rule,
as a general rule, it would have ended with Brother Scott. That's
normally what the Lord's pleased to do. Many, many places have
been, there were churches at one time there. And after that
first long pastorate, the Lord's not pleased. To raise up, He
moves the candlestick. He'll move it and put it somewhere
else. And that the Lord has allowed us to still be here is by the
grace of God. So spiritually, this assembly
right here has been greatly blessed of God. The Lord has blessed
the Word, He's called out His people, He's called out Vessels
of His mercy, we've had baptisms, we've had, and I think, what
a blessing to be able to behold that. But not only the blessing
of God's Word, the blessing of fellowship that we enjoy here. I mean, it's just so wonderful
just to be able to be together with God's people that you want
to be here. I mean, that we have each other,
that we can assemble it, and you know, like Abraham was telling
Lot, he said, Lot, we're brethren, we're brethren. And so here we
are, so we've got God's blessing on the gospel, we've got God's
blessing in the fellowship, but then financially. The Lord has
blessed this assembly and this church right here. I mean I could
go on and on and on and tell you about this church monthly. If you want to know what this
church does with the money, look on the bulletin board. I know
it's real easy just to walk past it, but Brother Mark will send
me a financial statement every month. 90% of the time, Mark, I remember
to print it off, don't I? And put it up there. About 90%
of the time. And I'll get it up and put it
up there. But if you want to know where every penny of money
that's taken in at this assembly. Look on that piece of paper out
there. It's posted on what it is. You want to know what I make?
Go look. It's all on there. Everything's disclosed. And the
Lord has blessed, and time and time, time again, this church
as many others have stepped up and met the needs of those that
were in need. And as the Lord has provided
a need, He's provided the means. And I think about Luke 6.38,
Give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over, shall men give unto your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye meet withal, it shall be measured
to you again. Now obviously we don't give just
to, you know, let's just see if we'll get it. No, you just
give because you give. You give because there's a need.
You give because you want to. You give because you love. You
love God's people. You love the Lord. You love what
God's raised up. And you give. And the Lord said,
you give. He said, I'll make sure you won't run out. Don't
worry. The meal will always be there.
The oil will always be in the cruise. It'll be fine. And if the Lord were to put this
church right here underwater financially, and this church
needed assistance, Let me tell you who would come to the aid
by the grace of God? All the other churches. That's
exactly what would happen. I'll guarantee it. It'll happen.
So if there was a need in Jerusalem, so the Lord gave Paul instruction
on meeting that need. It was a need that the Lord had
sent A need that the Lord was gonna provide through his people. And this is the Lord's instruction. Back in 1 Corinthians. Let me
get back where I'm supposed to be here. 1 Corinthians 16, one.
It says now, verse two, upon the first day of the week. Here we are on a Wednesday night.
And we meet here like others during the week also, but there's
one day during the week that consistently all God's people
meet on a day that has special significance. It's a day that's
especially set aside for believers to assemble and worship on the
first day of the week. Some of Don, Brother Don, they
meet on Tuesday night. We, like a lot of others, meet
on Wednesday. Brother Clay Curtis, they meet
on Thursday. Some of them, you know, it's a different time. But all of us meet on Sunday.
All of us meet on the Lord's Day. It was the day that the
Lord was raised from the dead. It was the day that the Lord
met for the first time, that day with His disciples. So Paul
says, upon the first day of the week. He said, that's the first
one on giving. He said, give when God's people
come together. He said, now, on the first day
of the week, let every one of you, every one of you. Now here
we're told who should give. Who should give? Every one of
us. Every one. Every believer is
instructed to give. Not just a few, not just those
who think others are more prosperous. Well, there's some others and
they've got the money. No, no. Let every one of you
remember, giving is a grace. that has been imparted to God's
people. It's a grace that manifests itself,
all God's people give. We all give. Don't leave it up
to someone else to do it. The scripture declares, let every
one of you, listen to this scripture in 2 Corinthians 9-7, every man according as he purposeth in
his heart, so let him give." How do you give? Not grudgingly
or of necessity. We don't do anything out of obligation. If it's an obligation, then it's
not out of love. I can tell you that right now.
Paul says, don't give it. Well, I guess I've got to give.
I don't really want to. Well, then keep it. Just keep
it. God's people have been given the grace to
give. Paul says, let him give not grudgingly
or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. Does that mean
he starts loving them because they gave? No. It means he loved
them, gave them the grace to give, and they give. God loveth
a cheerful giver. So giving is actually worship. because it is in obedience unto
the Lord. It's an act of fellowship with
God's people. It's a work of faith. You know,
when we come together here, as I've said, there's many needs
that every month are met. In other places I'm talking about,
other works that are supplied. by the grace of God through this
church right here. If you want to know, they're
on that bulletin board there if you want to know where they are. But there's
many things, but just the upkeep of this building, just the lights,
the insurance, just the stuff that keeps this place right here. And this is a fellowship. When we give together, we give
as brethren. So here the Lord meets the needs
of His people from among their own ranks. So he sends the need
that we all might cry unto the Lord for help, and it's a calling
forth of gratitude unto the Lord that he's done for us. And so
giving is that blessed grace whereby we trust the Lord to
meet our need too. So when do you give? Paul says when you come together,
first day of the week, let every man And then thirdly, it deals
with this. How much should I give? Years ago, I was in a little
old bitty free will church there in Louisiana. And I remember,
as a kid, I mean I was old enough to understand what they were
saying, but even then I thought, that just doesn't even sound
right. Someone I think they asked my
dad or either I heard my dad say it, but anyway, but this
was the question. Should we give, you know, on
gross or net? Do you give on gross or net?
Well, let me tell you what the scripture has to say about it.
When we give the first day of the week, who gives? Everyone.
Let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered
him. Now there's how much are to be
given. How much do we give? Lay aside
in store as the Lord, as God has prospered him. Let him lay
aside in store. What does that mean? Designate.
Purpose. commit prayerfully a portion
of your means. You know, not for the sake of
display, let the left hand see what the right hand is doing,
or as I've told you before, don't let him on your left hand know
what your right hand is doing. It's not anybody's business.
Don't tell me. I don't want to know. I told
Brother Mark, I said, whatever you do, whenever he, after he
took from Brother Glenn, did it for years and years and years,
and I told Mark, I said, don't ever tell me anything. Give me the totals over here
and I'll put it on the bulletin board, but don't tell me anything
about any dealings, any money. I don't want to know anything
about anything. Just keep that to yourself. It's a burden, I
can tell you this, it's a burden, I'm sure, for him to have to
know what goes on. I know it is, Mark, I appreciate
you. I know it is, it is, because it's just, but I told him, I
said, don't tell me, whatever you do, don't tell me. But here's
what the scriptures have said. Let every man set aside as prayerfully
considering this is what I believe the Lord wants me to give. This
is what I believe. And Paul said, let him lay by
him in store. First. Seek ye first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness. First. Not after everything else
is done. Say, well, I just, you know,
first. First. Let him lay in store as
God has prospered him. That is, as the Lord has prospered
you in your endeavors, in your business, in your job, as God
prospers you. Give accordingly. If the Lord
increases your income or something, as the Lord has prospered you. Give that way. Believers give
according to God's prosperity to them in proportion to your
means. That's exactly what it says.
One may not be able to give as much as another. But everybody
can give. Everybody. No one. There was
a woman that the Lord was watching. I'll read. You know what I'm
going to read. The woman with the two mites. Mark chapter 12. Here's what the Lord said. Mark
chapter 12 verse 41 to 44. The scripture says, and Jesus
sat over against the treasury and beheld how the people cast
money into the treasury, and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor
widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he
called unto him his disciples and said unto them, verily I
say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than
all they which have cast into the treasury For all they did
cast in of their abundance, but she of her want did cast in all
that she had, even all her living." Now, you know, I'm sure that
if attention would have been given to that woman, it would
have embarrassed her to death. But the Lord saw her. The Lord
knew. He knew that what she had was
two mites. That's all she had. And she gave
every bit of it. Believe God. You talk about giving
by faith, trusting the Lord. So we give consistently as we
meet together in worship. We purpose in our hearts seeking
the Lord's direction and give as the Lord prospers us. And
in our passage, Paul then gave instruction to the church at
Corinth concerning the Lord's instructions. He said in verses
3 and 4, and I'll end with these two verses. And when I come,
whomsoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I
send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it be
meet, if it's fit that I go also, They shall go with me." Now I'm
going to tell you exactly, verse 3, the literal of that is this. You approve men and I will send
them with letters concerning your liberality unto Jerusalem. Paul said, you set apart men
that you approve of, that you trust, that you know. And I'll
give them, I'll send a letter of recommendation. to the church
at Jerusalem telling them what this gift is all about. And as the Apostle Paul deemed
wise concerning those letters to give all the details of the
gift to avoid any malicious opportunity of others to call his integrity
into question. A large amount of money obviously
was collected from the churches in Macedonia and it was to be
sent to meet the needs of the poor congregations. And when
it was sent, Paul requested Titus, who was willing to accept the
charge, to travel with another brother to deliver the money
to avoid suspicion. Now listen to this. This will
be next to the last 2 Corinthians chapter 8. 2 Corinthians 8. Paul said, we're going to send
some money, but I'm going to send a couple of men. Oh, that's
wise. That's really, really wise. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 16, But
thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart
of Titus for you. For indeed he accepted the exhortation,
but being more forward of his own accord, he went unto you,
And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the
gospel throughout all the churches, and not only that, but who was
also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace,
which is administered to us to the glory of the same Lord, in
declaration of your ready mind, avoiding this, that no man should
blame us in this abundance, which is administered by us. Providing
for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also
in the sight of men. That's why, right there, that
I think it's so important to have a financial report. Put
it on the bulletin board right there. Why? I want everybody
to see it. I want to put everything out
in front. They say, oh, well they're not
going to think anything about it. Good. I'm glad for that.
But there it is right there. I want everybody to look at it.
Because it's just good, it's just wise. It's wise. Don't give
any opportunity. 2 Corinthians 6.3 says, giving
no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed. Isn't that wise? Don't do anything
that would cause any possibility of doubt. Don't give anybody
any reason to say, I don't know, things just don't seem right
here. Put everything out in the open. Let everybody see what's
going on. 1 Corinthians 10.31, whether
therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do it all
to the glory of God. Paul says, here's God's rules,
here's God's advice, here's God's word on giving. When you come
together, first day of the week, let every man, every one of you,
everyone, let him lay aside in store as the Lord has prospered
him. Let him give. Give it as unto
the Lord, give it for the glory of God, that Almighty God might
be blessed blessing us. We might bless him in meeting
the needs of those who the Lord has raised up with the need for
his glory and our good. Amen.