From church to church, congregation to congregation,
fellowship to fellowship, there are confusions, misunderstandings and in some
cases, wrong teaching on giving. Or no teaching whatsoever. It is my hope that today--
we will come to a deepening understanding of how we can receive more Grace in
Giving.
The BIG IDEA here this morning is that Giving
is a matter of Grace from the start. We
hope to answer the question: What is my response to Grace in Giving?
INTRO: The passage
this morning is one we looked last last week but we will find new treasures.
2 Corinthians 8:1-15 / 第２コリント 8:1-15
2 Corinthians 8:1-15 / 第２コリント 8:1-15
Paul is writing to the Corinthian Church about the topic of
giving. He is encouraging them by having
them look at the example from the Believers in Macedonia. The passage is controlled by one word that is
repeated at least four times in the first 9 verses: the word “GRACE”.
恵み We have sung about GRACE, named our children GRACE (Megumi) and we may have use
the word way out of context at times.
Today, we’d like to see how GRACE in Giving is used with the people of old; the
Israelites, God’s Grace in giving among the Macedonians; and then,
what its implications were to the Corinthian Church; and then, to us.
1. God's GRACE in
giving
among the Israelites /イスラエル人へ与える神の恵み
From the Old Testament, there are foundational teachings of
giving—some are mandatory while others are to be giving in a free will sort of
way. In the mandatory level, are rules—or laws, if you allow that word—for
those who want to be faithful to the Covenant they had with God.
First, there is the “Lord’s
Tithe” or the “Levite’s Tithe”,
主の十分の１献金which
required ten percent of ALL of their produce and of their animals for the
Lord’s service. It was used to support
the priests and the ministry at large.
The second
tithe was called the “Festival Tithe”, 祭りの十分の１献金ten percent to be used for religious
celebration. (Deuteronomy 12:10-11)
Third, there was the “Poor Tithe”, 貧しき十分の１献金which was about 3% a year towards
helping people who were living in poverty.
(Deuteronomy 14:28-29)
All totaled so far, these mandatory tithes add up to somewhere
between 27-40% of their annual income.
BUT there was also a giving system called “Freewill giving” 自由意志の十分の１献金—first fruits and special
projects—which meant that the people were giving between 27-40% of their
income!
As we look at this, we need to realize that this Nation was
a nation of farming and agriculture.
Flocks, and grain and wine presses.
We don’t live that way but the needs are still there. So is the work of God. If we can’t give a lamb, what do we have to
give? Our money.
It really is a matter of Lordship. 主の権威に関すること What or who is at the center of
your life? For the farmer in Israel, the
condition of the flock was of deep concern.
Where are our concerns today?
Family needs? Finances?
Food? Fun? OK, so it is there we find the avenue of our
giving. From what we earn, we make an offering like they did. Starting at 10% and going up from there. Free will giving. Sounds good, but …
2.
God's grace in giving among the Macedonians. / マケドニア人へ与える神の恵み
Those in the Macedonian Church were really poor. Much like the people found there today, a
group of the poorest of Europe. Yet, in their poverty, they were the richest of
all the Churches of Christendom. They
were people who knew how to endure great trials from the culture around
them. That culture was squeezing,
crushing them harder and harder because of their devotion to Christ. Their
neighbors were grossly unkind to them. They ridiculed their Faith and their
Christian practices. Persecution that
was deep and personal. Ridicule and mockery filled their ears.
Yet, in their parched existence, though squalid in looks and
life style, these little churches gushed forth with the joy of giving. It was the Grace of God in their lives that
such was the case. They could have felt beaten down and weak, but their hearts
were filled with the knowledge of the true and living God—which made the
difference in how they looked at life and what life could afford them. Apart of Christ’ love for them, life was
simply too shallow. But the Christ life
was one that brought joy and meaning.
An preacher of the early church, named Chrysostom, once said
in marveling at their conduct, “They did the
begging, not Paul.”
8:3b Entirely on their own, 4 they
urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the
Lord’s people. 聖徒たちへの奉仕に加わる恵みにあずかりたいと、わたしたちに熱心に願い出て、
The wonderful Grace of God had
filled their lives with Hope and His Plans for living, and then they in turn gave
their very lives back to God. Isn’t that
the way it is supposed to be? They proved that it would be useless to give our
possessions to God unless we first gave ourselves. We need to be careful as external giving can
build or develop religious pride: I gave this much! Giving things instead of giving ourselves.
That could lead to giving is our religion and not serving and loving Christ
Jesus.
3. Implications of God's grace in giving for the
Corinthians / マケドニア人へ与える神の恵みの意味するところ
In looking at the Corinthian
Church, we can see that they were not poor…not in physical things anyway. They had a few major problems—pride, gluttony,
sexual sin…the Church itself was marvelously gifted in many ways. But in their richness, they remained poor, as
they did not grow in the Grace of giving.
Paul told them that therefore they were incomplete and immature. He really wanted to see them grow in Grace of
giving---from the heart!
FACT: There is no way someone can grow
in the spiritual life if their finances are not committed to the Lord. Can’t be done. A matter of Lordship. If we do not take care
for this area of our lives, we will sink from growing in the spiritual
life. We would remain immature and
incomplete.
How can that be? Are we complete in Christ? Yes, but the heart that is split in this area
of money, is a heart that is not sold out to God.
Paul uses a cleaver way of
teaching them this lesson. Look at verse
8. He does not MAKE this a command, but
is trying to encourage them by showing them the Macedonian’s example. They (in
their poverty) can do this, so can you (in
your financial confidence.)
4. Implications of God's grace in giving for believers today / 今日の信仰者へ与える神の恵みの意味するところ
It would be really easy if the New
Testament writers had said: “Give this % to the Lord—and do it with special joy!” But that is not the way. It is the Way of Faith and that means we
can’t see it but it is there. Ten % is a
good place to start. If you are giving regularly to the Lord, the Church should
be the first place it is shared.
Giving must be regular. We can’t allow it to run hot and cold.
There is no better time than right
now. Obedience to what the Lord requires
of you…To love the Lord your God will all your soul, with all your might, with
all your purse… Regular, consistent, wholehearted, joyful giving.
"If you had two cows, Homer, would you give one to the Lord?"
"Yep, I sure would, Pastor."
"If you had two bushels of corn, would you give one of them bushels
to the Lord?"
"Yes, sire, I sure would!"
"Homer, if you had two hunting dogs, would you give one of them
dogs to the Lord?"
"... Blast it, Pastor, you KNOW I got two dogs!"
Give from what you have. Giving regularly is a source of great
blessing---not only to the Church but also to yourself.
Conclusion
Please turn to Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given
to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be
poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to
you.”
He’s the Creator of all there is,
but He emptied Himself of His riches and became a servant for me. That is the Grace of Giving that really
counts in Eternity.
Taken from: http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/ Thanks to Rev Kent Hughes for much of the content.
