The Ministry of Giving

Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 9

We will see a lot of what we saw in Chapter 8 in this chapter on giving.

We should understand that every church is a little different.

The people in every church are different.

Every situation is different for them, so no one can say that God expects the same amount from every church and every church member.

There is what is called “The Word of Faith” movement going on in our world, and its emphasis is on a prosperity Gospel theology; it is a movement of greed, and it is heresy.

Other movements teach a prosperity Gospel, and all of them are heresy!

The background of every prosperity Gospel is the lie that God wants us all to be rich and enjoy perfect health.

That poverty and sickness are caused by a lack of faith, and this is a big fat devilish lie.

Giving to the church, giving to the ministries of the church, and giving to individuals who have a need certainly pleases God.

This is God’s greatest trait!

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, “that he gave” his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Giving pleases God, but not every giver pleases God!

Again, giving is referred to as stewardship.

We will one day give an account of our stewardship, but it will never be about the amount we give.

Givers who please God are those believers who have a readiness and an eagerness to give.

If there is a need that is in the will of God, Christians should be giving toward that need. As we are able.

The greatest need of this world is salvation!

*****2Co 9:6  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

There is an old proverb that says those who try to hold on to what they own can end up in poverty.

Pro 11:24  There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

Another old Proverb says: Pro 19:17  He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Some people are poor in Spirit, and there are people so financially poor they will not survive without some help.

1Jn_3:17  But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

This is called love: 1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Our giving does not earn a reward because of the amount we give.

Our reward depends on the ratio of what we give in accordance with what we have to give.

Mrk_12:42  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

Mrk_12:43  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

Mar 12:44  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.

This is why giving in the New Covenant is not based on the tithe; it is based on “grace”, our grace toward each other.

*****2Co 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Giving should be according to God’s mercy.

The Lord Jesus is the mercy of God, and God gave it all for us.

1Jn 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1Jn 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

When we give, we will give according to the will of God if we put our heart in our hand along with our pocketbook.

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

God does not promise prosperity upon this earth; God promises prosperity in Heaven.

1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

It should be very clear that God does not accept the gift of a person who does not want to give it!

We are to think about the need and compare that to our own needs and then give sacrificially.

There is usually always something we can give up to help someone who truly has a need, or some ministry that has a great need.

The Holy Spirit is always willing to help us in this decision.

When we fail to see the desperate needs of others, then we are failing to see what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.

*****2Co 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

2Co 9:9  (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

The prosperity preacher will tell you that the more you give to him, the more God will give to you, but God never says such things.

Giving is not about moneymaking. Giving is about the privilege to give back some of God’s blessings to which special blessings from Him are attached.

There is a right way to give. Giving must be seen in the fact that all we have already belongs to God and He lets us use most all of it, but He may call on us to give sacrificially on some occasions.

We talk about the “Grace” of God a lot, but sometimes we just do not understand the true meaning of God’s Grace.

Yes, “Grace” is the unmerited favor of God. We have done nothing to deserve God’s Grace!

1) Common Grace is God’s general blessings to all mankind.

The Lord Jesus Christ paid the sin debt of everyone who has ever lived from the time of Adam to the day of the last sinner.

Common grace also includes general blessings to all mankind!

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God allows rain and sunshine on the atheist as well as the believer.

Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

God knows those who will eventually come to Him and those who will never come to Him, but He does not judge that person before it is time and still provides for them.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

God’s restraining of sin in this world is also a part of His common grace.

Think about Job. When Satan challenged God about Job’s loyalty, God allowed Satan to go only so far. God restrained Satan.

God said the Holy Spirit would not always strive with man, which means the Holy Spirit is actively restraining sin in this world.

Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

The ministry of the prophets and true preachers is to restrain sin.

Human governments are put in place to restrain sin; some do better than others, but those governments will answer to God for their negligence.

Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

Rom 13:4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

It is a fact that God will not allow the Antichrist to show up in this world until God is ready!

2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

As Christians, we believe God will remove this restraining force at the Rapture of the Church, but we are not certain.

We know He will do it, but we are not certain as to the time.

“Common grace” is necessary because before a person can be saved, there must be a witness from God.

Most people know they will be held accountable for their actions.

2) Then there is “efficacious grace”. All those who receive “efficacious grace” will be saved.

This is the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation.

This is a person who answers to the will of God!

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

This is the grace of God that is never rejected, as many will reject “Common Grace” and do not agree that God provides for them as He does for all.

Many of these believe they provide for themselves through their own power, and most of them will refuse to share with those who may need some help.

Even this will not stop God from providing the many things that He provides to the unbeliever.

Grace still refers to the favor and the blessings of God.

*****2Co 9:10  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

To those who give willingly, God will give more and more.

Not to hoard and keep for themselves, but so they can continue to give more and more.

We all know that if we do not sow much seed, then there will not be much of a harvest.

Here we see something different.

Here we see that God will give the sower earthly possessions that might be distributed to the poor, and after this God still provides what we need for a living.

God says, give first and then take for yourselves!

We do this when we lay aside part of our income for giving and then compare that to what we actually need for our own needs.

This is why God does not ask for a tithe from each believer in the New Testament Church.

Some can give more than others because their needs are fewer.

In most cases, God will multiply.

We get back the seed that we scatter, but we get a lot more seed in turn.

The fruits of righteousness always, always increase!

Isa 55:10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

*****2Co 9:11  Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

To those who are willing givers, God will prove that they will receive what they are to give while retaining what they already have.

This is not for a savings account but is a gift to meet the desperate needs of the world.

Every believer is to be a channel through which God sends His blessings to the world.

To keep more than we need is, in a sense, robbing God!

Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Sacrificial giving depends on one thing: trusting and believing God!

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

As in helping, giving all boils down to stewardship.

*****2Co 9:12  For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

Giving to the church is the Christian way of meeting the needs of the world.

The most important need of this world is to hear the “Good News” of the Bible, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The greatest benefit of good stewardship is that it brings praise to God!

Does God get mad at us if we put back something for hard times? No!

Even the world tells us we may need to have enough to last six months in an emergency.

God does remind us that if we have more than the necessities of life, we will be held accountable if we refuse to share.

God expects us to be good stewards with all the benefits He shares with us.

God does not like to see selfishness in His children.

When we truly act like the children of God, then other people will see it, and they will praise God.

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

God will also use our act of giving or our lack of giving to prove our loyalty to the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ.

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

We have no work to do to get saved; the Lord Jesus Christ has completed all the work for our salvation.

All we need to do is accept His gift.

After our salvation, God expects us to be busy as a servant and as a steward.

*****2Co 9:13  Whiles 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;

2Co 9:14  And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ tells the world about the greatest gift that has ever been given to people.

Salvation may be looked at as the greatest gift of God, but it would not have happened without His great love for us.

God sacrificed His Son just so we could have life and life eternal.

We can only prove our loyalty to our Savior by being involved in the ministries of His Church.

It is His Church, and Jesus has only one Church!

Giving is one of the greatest ministries of the Church and ranks right up there with praying.

The doors of many places of worship today are closed because the people of that house of God will not give enough to keep those doors open.

If that place of worship was sharing the “Gospel,” then it has stopped.

If that place of worship was not sharing the “Gospel,” then those doors should be closed.

We say all the time that the Lord Jesus would have died on that cross if only one person was saved. If this is true, and it is, maybe we should help keep the doors open in some places of worship or at least look into it.

I’m not talking about our presence, for I would not leave my church unless the Lord wanted me to.

I’m talking about a giving ministry without taking from the ministries of our own church.

I’m talking about helping some church that has that true man of God who preaches the truth, but that church is so poor.

Maybe this could be another mission.

It’s just a thought.

Surely, we can pray for other places of worship to continue to serve the Lord.

Giving stirs up great prayers.

When you have a financial investment in the ministries of God, you will pray for the success of that ministry.

God’s people are supposed to be filled with love, and we are all in the same family because we all have the same “Father”, God the Father.

We are all filled with the same “Spirit”, God the Holy Spirit.

We are all saved by the same work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son.

Let us never make the death of the Lord Jesus Christ be for nothing!

1Th 1:2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

1Th 1:4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

We sometimes forget the great cost that the Lord Jesus paid to reconcile us back to God the Father.

*****2Co 9:15  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

God the Father knew exactly what would happen to His Son when He sent Him to pay our sin debt.

God knew He would be beaten and mistreated and then murdered, because this is what our world has become. We see it every day.

1Jn_4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The death of Jesus Christ was truly a sacrifice when we understand the truth of the Triune God!

God the Father could not, because of His character, forgive sin without a bloody sacrifice!

But God could give, and He gave sacrificially!

If we cannot find it in our hearts to give toward the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then what does this say about us?

God gave the supreme gift; what should we give?

Amen