Open our Bibles this evening
to 2 Corinthians chapter 9. 2 Corinthians chapter 9. I mentioned
last Wednesday when we looked at chapter 8 that the importance
and relevance of these two chapters for us is that in these chapters
we have the New Testament teaching on Christian giving. And we saw
that in chapter eight, Christian giving is a grace. And while
the Corinthians abounded in many graces, Paul would have them
abound in this grace as well. To be complete, to be mature,
they should abound in this grace as well as the other graces in
which they abounded. The churches of Macedonia. Now,
this would include the church at Philippi, the church at Thessalonica,
the church at Berea, and maybe other churches that were in that
area of Macedonia. But the churches of Macedonia
abounded in this grace of giving. And we saw how it was manifested
in the fact that they gave beyond their power. The only thing that
kept them from giving more, they had no more to give. They gave,
Paul says, giving beyond their power. And Paul had told the
churches of Macedonia that this church at Corinth had begun to
receive an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem. And when
Paul told the churches of Macedonia about the church in Corinth receiving
an offering, then immediately the churches of Macedonia, they
began to do the same. And all believers, every child
of God, we have the greatest The greatest, the greatest of
all possible motives to give, given to us in these two chapters. If you notice back in chapter
8 and verse 9, there's no greater motive than this. To cause us
to abound in the grace of giving, for you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, that you, through his poverty, might be made rich. This refers, of course, to the
incarnation, that the eternal Son of God, who had always, from
all eternity, enjoyed all the glory of deity, that he laid
that aside and took upon himself the body, the flesh, he was made
man and dwelt among us. We saw that scripture in Romans
8, for what the law cannot do in that it was weak through the
flesh. What the law cannot do because of the weakness of our
flesh, it can never make a person acceptable with God. But God
accomplished that. by sending His Son into this
world as a man, and imputing the sins of His people unto Him,
and Christ paid that sin debt. So, the greatest of motives to
abound in the grace of giving, first of all in chapter 8, verse
9, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now think
about this. For your sake, for my sake, He
became poor. That we, through His poverty,
might be made rich. That is, we might become sons
of God, daughters of God. Heirs and joint heirs with the
Lord Jesus Christ. You can't get any richer than
that. There's just no possibility.
Then the second verse of Scripture we find at the very end of chapter
9 tonight. Thanks be unto God. for his unspeakable
gift. Of course, this also refers to
the Lord Jesus Christ. And as I said, these are the
greatest of all possible motives that believers could have to
abound in the grace of giving. The love of God in Christ constrains,
constrains believers to give liberally. Chapter 8 ended with
Paul mentioning three men who would be coming to Corinth, and
they would be coming to Corinth in relation to this offering,
the offering that they were collecting for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Now, of these three men, Titus
is the only one named. If you notice in chapter 8, verses
16 through 19, Titus is the only one of these three men that Paul
tells the church at Corinth was coming to visit them. 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. Now this is Titus' name. This brother, he's not named.
And so men have tried to surmise who it is from other assistants
and co-workers with the Apostle Paul. But we don't know who he
was or what his name was, rather. But we do know this. It says,
the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the
churches. That is, all the churches of
Macedonia. This man was known And he had
a good reputation. He had a good testimony among
them all. And not only was he well known,
but verse 19, Paul says, and not that only, but who was also
chosen of the churches. The churches, they chose him
to travel with us with this grace. That is, with the offering that
they were going to carry to the poor saints in the church at
Jerusalem. which is administered by us to
the glory of the same Lord in declaration of your ready mind.
And then notice in verse 22 of chapter 8, here's this other
unnamed brother that Paul sends with Titus and the one who was
chosen from the churches. 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, looking tonight in chapter 9, I'm going to divide
this chapter into three parts. First, in the first five verses,
Paul gives his reason for sending these three men. is reason for
sending these three men, Titus and the two that are unnamed.
For as touching the ministry, let's read chapter 9, verses
1 through 5. For as touching the ministry
to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you. For I
know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you
to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago. and your
zeal hath provoked very many. Yet have I sent the brethren,
lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf, that,
as I said, you may be ready. Lest happily, if they of Macedonia
come with me and find you unprepared, we, that we say, not you, should
be ashamed in this same confident boasting. Therefore, I thought
it necessary to exhort the brethren that they would go before unto
you and make up beforehand your bounty or your offering, your
grace, whereof you had noticed before that the same might be
ready as a matter of bounty and not as of covetousness. Notice in verse 1, Paul states
that it was unnecessary. It was unnecessary for him to
say any more, to write any more about this offering. He saw that
it was unnecessary because they had showed their willingness,
a willing mind to collect this offering in the year before. And he had mentioned their zeal
in this matter to the churches in Macedonia. As I've already
said, Paul told those people in Macedonia and those churches,
the people in the church at Corinth, they've already begun to take
up an offering for the poor in Jerusalem. And when he told the
churches of Macedonia that, they immediately said, we won't end
on this also. We want to be involved in this
offering. And so they began to take up
an offering. Paul said, I know it's superfluous.
It's unnecessary for me to write any more than what I've already
written and what we have here in chapter eight. It's superfluous,
unnecessary to write more, but he did write more, didn't he?
He says, it's unnecessary. I understand that. I realize
that. But that did not stop him from
continuing to write a little more about this offering. Paul, I believe, there's no doubt
about this, he knew what is true of all men. It's easy when you hear of a
need or you see of a need, it's easy on the spur of the moment. to, in your heart, say, I want
to be involved in that, I want to give to that. But over the
passing of time, that initial desire sometimes may pass away
also. Not only that, but with the passing
of time, hearts grow cold. Men grow weary in the work of
the Lord. And so from that initial desire
to give, there can be a putting it off. The spirit, as we would
say, the spirit is willing, but the flesh, the flesh begins to
reason. Is this not right? Haven't you
had this experience? When you first see something
or hear something, there's a need and you think, I'm going to give
to that, I'm going to contribute to that, I'm going to be involved
in that. But then, as the time passes,
the old flesh begins to reason with you and give reasons why
maybe you ought to consider that a little more. Maybe you were
a little too quick to commit to do that. Now Paul tells these
folks in Corinth, the believers, that he did not want to come
to Corinth accompanied by some from the churches in Macedonia,
to which he had already boasted, those in Achaia, that is in Corinth,
they're already taking up an offering. Paul says he did not
want to come, and some of those believers from Macedonia come
with him, and they get to Corinth and find out that they had not
followed through on this offering. They had reneged. And you notice
Paul is quick to point out that if that did happen, he said it
wouldn't be you, but it would be us who would be embarrassed. We would be embarrassed if we
come with these brothers from Macedonia and we get there and
we've boasted to them about your willingness to give and already
giving, and then we come to Corinth and you haven't followed through
on this offering. We would be ashamed, Paul says,
not you. Now, that's Paul's reason. That's Paul's reason for sending
these three men. But secondly, I want us to see
in these next verses, verses six through 11, that Paul gives
the truth about God and giving. And it's all comprehended, I
believe, in these three words. God is able. God is able. Let's read verses
6 through 11. But this I say, he which soweth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly. And he which soweth bountifully
shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposes
in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity,
for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able, God is able
to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having
all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. As it is written, he hath dispersed
abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth
forever. Now he that ministers seed to
the sore, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your
seed sown, and increase the fruit of your righteousness, being
enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth
through us thanksgiving to God. When we see those words, God
is able, I think about one of the first times, I believe, that
we have that in the Scripture. You remember Daniel. Daniel. And King Darius. Darius loved Daniel. But Darius
was deceived. Even though he was a king, he
wasn't the king of kings. He wasn't infinite in wisdom.
And he was deceived in passing a law according to the Meeks
and the Persians that could not be altered. Once the law was
passed, you couldn't change it. He couldn't do it. And the law
was that if anyone for so many days made supplication to anyone
other than Darius, the king, that that person would be put
into a den of lions. And of course, Daniel, the scriptures
tell us, he just continued with the window open, praying toward
Jerusalem. And those accusers brought word
to Darius that, Daniel, he's not obeying your law. Well, the
law could not be changed. And so Darius had Daniel thrown
into the den of lions. But I don't know about Daniel,
but I do know this about Darius. Darius spent a sleepless night.
I don't know about Daniel. But I know this, the next morning,
as soon as he could, first light of day, I suppose, Darius was
there at the den of lions, and he asked this question. He hollered
down into the den of lions, O Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living
God, is thy God whom thou service continually able? to deliver thee from the lions? Is He able? That's a good question, isn't
it? God's law cannot be changed. God's holy, and He said the soul
that sinneth shall surely die. Is Christ able? Is He able to
save a sinner like you and like me? when Abraham was commanded to
offer up his son Isaac. Isaac, the son in whom his seed
would be called. That is Abraham's seed would
be called in Isaac. He did so, and we read this in
Hebrews chapter 11, that when Abraham took his son Isaac up
on that mountain, had him on the altar with the with the knife
ready to sacrifice his son and in his heart he did sacrifice
him. But listen to what the writer
of Hebrews tells us, Abraham accounting that God was able
to raise him up even from the dead from whence he received
him in a figure. That's a picture of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? Abraham taking Isaac, remember
it was a three-day journey up to that mountain. He received
him back in a figure, a type, a picture. Is he able? We know that God is able. He
did raise up his son. And then in Hebrews we see that
the Lord Jesus Christ has an unchangeable priesthood. We read
that verse In Psalm 110, at the beginning of the service, thou
art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. And because,
the writer of Hebrews tells us, because his priesthood is unchangeable,
that means that he, Christ, is able to save all them that come
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for
them. He is able. There's nothing impossible
with God. So the Apostle Paul declares
that, yes, even in this grace of giving, recognize this, God
is able. How many times do young believers,
when they hear about giving, they say, well, there's just
no way I could do that. There's just no way I can do
that. Well, don't forget, God is able. That's the point the
apostle is making. Paul first shows what we read
in Proverbs and then he shows what we see in nature. In this
matter of giving, he shows first of all from the book of Proverbs
what is stated there and then from nature what we all see.
We read in Proverbs, there is that scattereth yet increaseth."
Now, that just, to reason, that just can't be so. You mean a
person out here scattering, and all the time he's scattering,
he's increasing? He's giving, he's giving, and
yet all the time he's increasing. That's just against reason. God is able. See, that's the
point. God is able. And then that proverb
goes on to say, there is that withholdeth more than is meet. He doesn't give. He doesn't scatter.
He hoards it and it tends to poverty. That's what the word of God says.
Paul quotes that. And then Paul shows that we see
the same thing in nature. Here's a farmer, and he goes
out, and he's got a bag of seed, and he gets to thinking, now,
I better not plant too much of this seed. I'm gonna need some
for bread. And so he sows sparingly. He just sows a few seeds. Well, what's going to happen?
Well, at best, he's just going to reap a few grains of wheat. He sows sparingly, he's going
to reap sparingly. But here's this other farmer.
He goes out and he just broadcasts the seed. He sows bountifully. And what happens? He reaps a
bountiful harvest. Every believer... Now that appears
to be a contradiction to the natural man. It really does. That just cannot be possible.
And probably that's right, it would not be possible, but God
is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or even
think. He's able. Now every believer,
notice this passage of scripture, every believer should purpose
in his heart, what kind of a giver am I going to be? What kind of
a giver am I going to be? Paul says in verse seven, every
man according as he purposeth in his heart. Now in his heart,
he should purpose what kind of a giver am I going to be? Am
I going to be a giver who gives grudgingly withholding more than
his meat? Or will I be a giver who gives
abundantly. And then Paul says, God loves
a cheerful giver. And God is able and will so work,
Paul says here, God is able and will so work that the person
who gives liberally, bountifully, will always have a sufficiency,
always. In other words, what we commonly
say, you cannot out give God. You just can't do it. It's impossible. You cannot out give God. Paul quotes from a psalm. Let's
go back to this psalm, Psalm 112. Psalm 112. Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth
the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed
shall be mighty upon earth, the generation of the upright shall
be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in
his house, and his righteousness endureth forever. Unto the upright
there ariseth light in the darkness, He is gracious and full of compassion
and righteous. A good man showeth favor and
lendeth. He will guide his affairs with
discretion. Surely he shall not be moved
forever. The righteous shall be in everlasting
remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil
tidings. His heart is fixed trusting in
the Lord. His heart is established. He
shall not be afraid until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given
to the poor, his righteousness endureth forever, his horn shall
be exalted with honor. The wicked shall see it and be
grieved. He shall gnash with his teeth
and melt away. The desire of the wicked shall
perish. That's the passage of scripture
that the apostle is quoting from in verse nine when he says, as
it is written, he hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the
poor, his righteousness remaineth forever. Charles Hodge, in his
commentary on 2 Corinthians, wrote that what we read in this
psalm is designed to teach us three things. First, the tendency
of righteousness to produce blessedness, as it is the tendency of evil
to produce misery. That's just a truth. A person who lives an evil life
normally reaps misery. And his family too, many times. Where the tendency of righteousness
is to produce blessedness. Secondly, the general course
of divine providence does, as a general rule, prosper the diligent,
and bless the righteous. And third, a righteous man is
a hundredfold happier than a wicked man, other things being equal. A righteous man is a hundredfold
happier in sickness, in poverty, in bereavement, than a wicked
man in the same circumstances. And we know that is true. Now Paul says, God who blesses
the seed sown in the ground so that it brings forth abundance
for bread and enough seed for the next year to sow, so he is
able, God is able to enrich you to practice this grace of giving. I want you in that church at
Carth, I want you to abound in this grace and realize that you
are able Because God is able. God is able. He's able to bless
you in such a way that though you sow bountifully, you will
reap bountifully. And there will always be sufficient
for you and to continue to give. Now here's the third part of
the message, the chapter. Paul gives three things. that
would result from their gift, in verses 12 through 15. He tells
the church at Carthage, now, you're going to give, and here's
three things which will result from you giving. For the administration
of this service not only supplies the one of the saints, now it's
going to do that. You're going to give a gift,
it's going to be taken to Jerusalem, there's four saints there in
Jerusalem, and it's going to supply the want of those saints,
but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God." That's
the first thing your gift is going to accomplish. It's going to supply the needs
of the poor, and in turn, they're going to give thanks to God.
That's the first thing. They're going to thank God that
their needs, their wants, have been met. Number two, verse 13,
whilst by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God
for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ and
for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men. The
second thing Paul says that's going to take place is the needs
of the saints would be met. First they would give thanksgiving
unto God And secondly, they would glorify God for your subjection
to the gospel. And as I looked at that verse
of scripture, I could not help but remember that the churches
of Macedonia were basically made up of Gentile believers, while
the poor saints in the church at Jerusalem were mostly Jews. And when this offering, this
collection came to these poor saints, Jews by by a birth, and
yet believers, here this collection comes from Gentile believers. They would surely see and know,
yes, God had granted repentance unto the Gentiles. That middle
wall of partition that separated the Jew and Gentile was ended. There was one body, and there
was love in the body of Christ for believers. for other saints,
whether they be Jew or Gentile. And number three, Paul says,
the needs of the saints would be met. And what this is going
to result in is they're going to be praying for you. I like
that, don't you? People tell me sometimes, I'm
praying for you. I say, thank you. Please, please
pray for me. If there's anyone who needs God's
help, it's me. It's every preacher. Our Lord
said, without me you can do nothing. And if you don't believe that,
you just try to preach. If you don't believe that without
Christ you can do nothing, you just try to preach for 40 or
50 years. And you'll believe it. You'll
know it's true without Him. That's the third thing Paul says
is going to happen You're going to meet the needs of those believers
in Jerusalem. They're going to thank God. They're
going to glorify God for you, and they're going to pray for
you. Amen. Well, I pray that the Lord would
bless this word to all of us. You know, after the message last
Wednesday night, message on giving,