All right. Can everybody hear
me okay? Because we don't have auditorium speakers today. I
unhooked them and hooked the nursery speakers up in the kitchen
so they could have until I work out. I think we got a bad amplifier
and I can't have both. And generally I speak loud enough
so everybody can hear me anyway. So I'll try not to mumble this
morning. All right, if you will, take
your Bibles and turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 8. Our
lesson begins in verse 12 of 2 Corinthians chapter 8. And
if we have enough time, it will extend through the end of the
chapter. I titled the lesson, Knowing Why. Knowing Why. And our lesson last week as well
as this week and probably through the next chapter is about giving. It's about giving. It's about
offerings collected. And though it has to do in this
particular place with a public offering for the relief of the
poor, and the poor and needy, and also for the support of those
who preach the gospel in these places. Yet the principle is
the same even in the broad sense when it comes to giving. As a
child, I recall going to church, and I was taught to give. I got
a little allowance, and out of that allowance, I was taught
to give. But it was out of a duty, and
not as it is in truth, a privilege and blessing of God. Now I want
you to just listen to me a minute. Let me give you a foundation
for what I'm going to teach you this morning. Under the direction
of the Lord, back in Exodus chapter 35 and 36, you don't have to
turn there now, but if you're taking notes, you can jot those
things down. There was a willing offering
to be collected. And it was collected for the
building of the tabernacle. You remember the old tabernacles?
We went through Exodus and studied all of the types in the courtyard
and the linen and the sockets and all those things that were
built. And it was collected not only
for the building of the tabernacle, but for all it took concerning
the ministry of the tabernacle. And there was no certain amount
stressed by Moses. Now this was under God's direction,
not Moses. Moses was his messenger. But
there was no specific amount mentioned except those of a willing
heart, is what he said. Those of a willing heart and
of all who would benefit by its presence and who were willing
to give. Now, we as they are fellow labors
in the building of God's spiritual temple, just like they built
that tabernacle according to God's direction. We as fellow
labors, that's what Paul calls us back in 1 Corinthians chapter
3, fellow labors with God, in the building of God's spiritual
temple. There's a temple being built.
It's being built. Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter
2, down toward the end of the chapter, he said, we're built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief cornerstone. in whom all the building fitly
framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in
whom ye are also built together for inhabitation of God through
the Spirit." That's Ephesians 2, 20 through 22. And then Peter
said this, he said, we as living stones are built up a spiritual
house. and a holy priesthood to offer
up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. So we
as they are engaged in the building of a spiritual house and we continually
give until the house is built. They just kept on bringing linen,
and they brought pieces of gold, and they brought silver, and
they brought bronze. And some of the wise-hearted
men and women who were very talented in certain arts, they came and
they gave their gifts unto the Lord, and they did things, all
of this stuff that they were instructed to do. And so I wanted
to say that because I want you to get a picture of what this
giving is all about, thus the title, Knowing Why. Knowing Why. We don't just take,
you know, some people pass plates, some people don't. I personally like to pass a plate
around because we get visitors from other churches and other
places and they don't know what to do, you know. Around here, we're such a small
group, we just have somebody designated, and everybody knows
to do it, and they just hand him their gifts. But when we
have visitors and when we have Bible conferences and stuff,
I'd rather pass a plate. And that way everybody knows
what to do and when to do it. But I wanted you to know why
we do it. We don't just, uh-oh, here's
an offering plate, I have to put something in it. No, no you
don't. No, you don't have to put anything in it. But we who
understand why to give are to give. And so we give with the
understanding. Now, this is what Paul is stressing
all through these teachings. Now, look at 2 Corinthians 8
verse 12. For if there first be a willing
mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according
to that he hath not. In this matter of giving, the
motive and spirit in which we give are more important than
how much. Now, lots of people, myself included
in days gone by, would not give because I was ashamed of what
I had to give. I had so little to give, I wouldn't
give. I just wouldn't give at all.
If our gifts come forth from a cheerful, willing heart, it's
accepted of God, be it a little or a lot. You know, when the
Lord stood, He stood by in the temple, and He watched people
bring in their gifts. They brought them in. And some
of these men, you remember the rich young ruler that came to
Christ, I imagine men like him brought in great amounts. They
brought in their tithes and offerings, and they gave it, and it was
a large amount, and it was noticed by all. But the Lord stood there,
and He watched a woman drop in a mite. That's just nothing in
a mite. She dropped in a mite and he
said she gave more than all the rest of them because she gave
everything she had. That's all she had. You know,
the Lord don't need our money. He's God. Think about it. Think about who we came here
to worship and who it is that we serve. This is God. This is
God Almighty. He created the world out of nothing. Isn't that what it says over
in Hebrews chapter 11? One of the very first statements
that's made there is he said, and we know, we know these things. Faith understands these things.
that the things which we see are not made from things which
do appear. God made these things out of
nothing. He don't need our money. He don't need our gifts. He's more concerned with His
children than He is with the gifts. And we're taught to give
because He cares for us. As believers, mature in their
knowledge and mature in their experience of grace, their giving
will increase. It will increase. Now, I want
you to understand something. This world, we live in it every
day. We listen to the news, we see
the wars and rumors of wars, and we see all these things going
on all around us. This world is being preserved
for one reason. It's being preserved for the
manifestation of the sons of God. That's it. I'm telling you,
when that's done, when God has called in the last of His saints,
when He's converted the last one of His saints, when He's
manifested His grace one last time in the conversion of the
last sinner, that's it. That's it. Turn with me to Romans
chapter 8. I'm telling you these things
because if we're to give, we need to understand why we give.
And why we give is for the ministry of the gospel and the calling
out of God's elect. That's why we give. Now the context of these verses
here in Romans chapter 8 that I want you to see is the manifestation
of the sons of God, those called by His grace and gospel, who
are born of His Spirit and led of the Spirit, and have been
given spiritual minds. Now look here in Romans 8, verse
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children,
then heirs. heirs of God and join heirs with
Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him that we may be also
glorified together. Now, as the Son of God was manifested
as the Christ and as the Son of God, He suffered. He suffered. He suffered reproach. He suffered
persecution. He suffered divisions. He was
surrounded by sufferings. He suffered in his work to redeem. He suffered in his work to reconcile
all sinners. So if so be we suffer together,
that's what he's talking about. If Christ suffered in this world
as the Son of God, as sons of God, we also suffer. We suffer
with him. It's just his way of identifying
ourselves with these children that he's talking about. All
right, verse 18, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. Now that may be talking about
the glory that, and most of the writers think so, that glory
that's going to be revealed in us in that day, in that last
time. But there's a glory revealed
in us at our calling. Paul was a, he was the chief
of sinners. And he said, God who separated
me from my mother's womb called me by his grace. And when he
called him by his grace, he manifested him as his son. And Paul never
got over it. He never got over it. When we look at earth's sorrows
and sufferings and trials in the light of the eternal purpose
of grace and glory, then it's just a light affliction, isn't
it? It's just suffering for a moment. Now watch this, Romans 8, 19. For the earnest expectation of
the creature, that word is creation. The earnest expectation of the
creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. That's what
it's waiting on. That's why it's being preserved.
That's why it's still here. knowing what is going on and
why we are here, knowing that this whole creation is being
preserved for the manifestation of the sons of God. And then
according to 2 Peter 3, verse 9, Peter said, The Lord is not
slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness,
but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance. And knowing these things, Peter
says, what manner of persons ought we to be? You see the connection
between what I'm saying here about creation and the manifestation
of the sons of God? You see its connection to giving?
If we understand, fully understand why we're here, why am I still
here? Why do I still walk on this earth?
I have a perfect righteousness before God. My sins have been
put away in Christ. I'm as close to God as I can
get in Christ. I'm not being made any better.
I'm not getting any better. In my mind, I get worse and worse. Because the greater the light
of your understanding, the more of your sin you see. growing upward to some kind of
a plateau of righteousness, you grow the other direction. And
finally, at the end of his life, Paul said, oh, that I might win
Christ and be found in Him not having my own righteousness.
Oh, wretched man that I am. This is a mature believer saying
this, not a young one. And knowing these things, what
manner of persons ought we to be. The maturing believer sees
his part with Christ in the scope of all things. And in seeing
this, he's thankful to God for his grace. He's a child. He's not just a servant being
used of God until his purpose is over and cast into hell. That's what God does with the
majority of this world. They're fallen. They're sinners.
They have no interest. They've heard the gospel. They've
cast it aside. They have no interest in it whatsoever.
Well, rather than open up the earth and swallow them up, God
uses them, just like He used Pharaoh. He uses them. All right. Let's go back to 2
Corinthians 8, verse 13. Now here's something else he
has to say about you. For I mean not that other men
be eased and you be burdened, but by an equality that now at
this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that
their abundance also may be a supply for your want, that there may
be equality. There might be two applications
to this verse. The first one is that the burden
of giving or offering should not just be carried by a few
while others don't give you anything at all. The tendency of some
is to think that because they cannot give as much as others
that their gifts are insignificant. But while men are impressed with
amounts, God's not. Giving is a gift. It's a blessing. It's a privilege. And it's given
to His people alone. And all of His people are to
give. They're to give willingly and
give as He's blessed us. And then the second meaning of
this verse is that there should be an equality among givers and
receivers. Maybe now, at this present time,
your brethren are in need. You remember the little church
in Pikeville, Kentucky? They got caught in a flash flood
and it took everything away, just destroyed the building,
the basement was gone, they had to tear it all out and redo it
and put new air conditioners and all that stuff in. It was
a costly thing and we sent them money for it the very next year. Now this was I think they called
it the thousand-year storm or whatever it is that people get.
The next year, they got another one. And this time, it chased
the pasture clear into the upstairs of a two-story house before the
floodwaters went down. And then after that, he moved.
But what I'm saying is this. Sometimes our brethren are in
need. And our abundance at that time
supplies their need. And then you turn that boat around
and then we're building here and have a need. And we're short. And they send gifts to us so
that we can continue to. You see the equality in it between
givers and receivers. We benefit from giving and receiving. To give is an expression of love. It's an expression of gratitude.
Nothing more satisfies a loving heart than to give. Now, we ought
to know that this time of year, shouldn't we? We ought to know
that. Receiving is an expression of
humility and lowliness and a willing submission to God. That's the
receiver. The receiver. And every son of
God benefits from offerings. Now let me say this. These are
the means used to maintain the ministry of the gospel and establish
new works in other places. We don't have bake sales. We
don't have yard sales or fundraisers of any kind. God's kingdom is
supported solely, solely by free will offerings. If you're ever
going to use that word free will, that's the place to use it because
that's how it's used in the Scriptures. Willing, cheerful givers. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 15. As it is written, he that had
gathered much had nothing over, and he that had gathered little
had no lack. Now this verse is a quotation
from Exodus chapter 16. And it's in reference to the
manner that they went out and gathered. Some gathered a lot. They gathered a lot. They were
healthy. They were young. They could get out there. They
were strong. They got out there, and they weren't impeded by anything. They had their youth and had
their strength. And they got out there, and they
gathered a lot. And some were old and feeble, like me. and had limp out there, and they
gathered a little. They didn't get a lot. They just
gathered in a little. Some gathered a lot and some
gathered a little, but all after it had been measured. After it
had been measured. You remember, they were to come
back and measure what they gathered. Everybody had their omer after
it was measured. And that's the way it is with
giving. Our giving is measured by God, not by us. We don't measure anything, but
he does. And when it's measured, we all
have our owner, every one of us. Those who are blessed with
God with an abundance of material blessings are surely meant of
God to supply those who have little. And offerings without
set amounts are not mean to justify laziness or unwillingness of
men and women to work. He deals with that in other places
in the Scriptures. But let me repeat this. The believer
does not look upon giving for the work of the ministry and
the relief of needy saints as a duty, but he looks on it as
a privilege and as a blessing, and he looks for opportunities. He looks for opportunities to
give. And then let me say this, and
this is probably the most important thing that I have to say to you
this morning on this subject. What we give is not really ours. You ever think about that? It's
not really ours. It belongs to the Lord. And we're
stewards of these gifts. I want you to turn with me to
1 Chronicles chapter 29. 1 Chronicles 29. This is another
place, and this time they're going to build the temple. And
this is just as they received those willing offerings at the
building of the tabernacle, they received these offerings for
the building of the temple, the more permanent of the dwelling.
Now I want you to listen to this prayer of praise that David gives
to the Lord concerning these gifts. 1 Chronicles 29 beginning
with verse 11. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness
and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for
all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine, belongs
to him. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord,
and thou art exalted as the head of it. He's the head of all. Both riches and honor come of
thee, and thou reignest over all, and in thy hand is power
and might, and in thy hand it is to make great and to give
strength. unto all. Now therefore, our
God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name. But who am
I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so
willingly after this sword? For all things come of thee and
of thine own have we given thee. For we're strangers before thee,
and sojourners as were our fathers. Our days on the earth are as
a shadow, and there's none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store
that we have prepared to build thee in house for thine holy
name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. We're just giving back to him
what he give to us. And just a small portion, just
a small portion. All right, go back to 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. Now what Paul is saying here
in the Old English is that he requested of Titus that he go
to Corinth and receive an offering to assist for the needy saints
and for the work of the ministry, but mostly for the good of that
church there to learn how to give, to learn what it is to
give with a willing heart and a cheerful heart to God. Because
that giving is a part of worship. That's why we incorporate it
in the worship of God. Now, God had already laid it
on the heart of this young preacher before Paul ever asked him. That's
what he's saying in this verse. I asked you to go, and then when
I asked you, I found out you'd already planned on going. You'd
already planned on doing it. You'd already started a year
ago to teach them how to give. And I thought as I read this
verse, how peaceful and blessed is the service of the Lord when
it's done with the proper motivation and knowledge of God. What a
peaceful thing it is. Everything just goes smooth as
silk when God's in it, when He's in it. Because He prepares the
hearts of the helpers. He prepares the hearts of the
people. I can't make anybody willing to do anything. But I
tell you, if God's in it, they're willing. Even when they can't
do it, they're still willing. All right, verses 18 and 19.
For we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the
gospel throughout all the churches. And not that only, but who was
also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace
which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord in
decoration of your ready minds. never said who this blessed brother
is, but he was one known throughout all the churches. He was a blessed
pastor. And one thing's clear, he was
a brother who faithfully preached the gospel and one approved of
all the churches to travel with Paul and see to the distribution
of these funds and collections. He was a faithful man. He was
a faithful man, and his love and generosity and kindness was
known throughout those churches. All preachers and pastors are
faithful men who can be trusted to distribute these offerings
that are gathered by the church, but some are better at it than
others, and some are more well-known than others. Verses 20 and 21. 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. Paul exercised great wisdom in
having a man approved of the church with him when he was entrusted
with these gifts and entrusted with this money for distribution. In doing this, all things are
shown to be honest, both in the sight of the Lord and in the
sight of the churches. It's important that we eliminate
even the idea of dishonesty in the collection and distribution
of our offerings. That's why I don't have anything
to do with it. I appointed two men to that task, and though
I oversee the affairs of the church, I don't have a thing
to do with collecting those funds or any of those things. Verse
22, and we have sent with them our brother whom we have oftentimes
proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent upon
the great confidence which I have in you. Now, this is the third
person mentioned concerning the collection and distribution of
these gifts. John Gill mentioned that the
traditions in which Paul was taught and raised, it was required
for three to handle money for the giving of alms. And perhaps
this, Paul saw that not as a bad idea. That might be a good thing. Might be a good thing. And so
whether he did it for that reason or he did it for the wisdom that
I've already mentioned, it was a good thing. And as we see just
a little later, every word is to be established by two or three
witnesses. Verse 23, whether any do inquire
of Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you.
Or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the
churches and the glory of Christ. And this verse Paul gives his
recommendation concerning these three men. He begins with Titus. Titus was his companion. He went
with Paul on his missionary journeys. He was a fellow preacher of the
gospel and he proved his loyalty through the troubles and persecutions
that they suffered as they preached the gospel. And he was also one,
like some of you, that experienced the sweet communion of Christ
with Paul as they went on those journeys. And then of the other
two, he said, they are the messengers of the churches and the glory
of Christ. These were men highly esteemed
in the churches and preachers of the gospel of God's sovereign
grace. Verse 24. Wherefore, show ye
to them and before the churches the proof of your love and of
our boasting on your behalf. boasted on that work of grace
that God had done in their heart. And he was just sure and boasted
of it, of their willingness to do this thing of giving. These men were representatives
of these churches in Judea. It was important to Paul for
them to show the work of grace that he boasted of in them by
good and cheerful offering from them. And I'll tell you this,
as your pastor, I'm very proud of your willingness to minister
to others in need. I've seen it, and I've boasted
on it to the other churches. Several times in these chapters,
Paul mentions their gifts to be evidences and proof of their
love. This is how man proves his love
when he gives. You know what he told to the
husbands? We're all the time hearing about wives and their
duties to their husband, but he's had some things to say to
the husbands, and here's what he tells them. And when you husbands
have difficulties with your wives, I want you to think about this.
I want you to think about how far short of this that you fall.
Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church, now
listen, and gave himself for Huh? Have you done that? Have you gave yourself? When
you do, then you can grumble about how far short your wife
falls when you fall short of that. God help us to understand
and learn and know the why of it. Why do we give? Why do we
serve? Why do we do the things that
we do? Thank you.