There is Grace in Giving. 捧げることには恵みが伴う

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

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.

Notes from last Sunday's message-

Thank you Wendy Wong!

How Much Oh, Lord?

   How many of you are like me? We’ve had it on our minds for some time to review our giving to the work of God, we do not quite got round to it.
   Here are two very different situations in our scriptures today. In the first, King David, right at the end of his earthly life, is passing on the responsibility for building the temple to Solomon, and he is holding a fund-raising event.
   In the second, the Apostle Paul, concerned about the relief of famine that had afflicted Jewish Christians in Judea, is encouraging his readers in Corinth to follow the example of the believers in Macedonia who had made a wonderful contribution towards this Project of Need.
   What we are concerned with today is what are the characteristics of consecrated or holy giving that emerges from these two passages? How can we become better givers.  Back in March, during our Chapel meeting, I was asked to give some teaching on giving.  In the talks being done this month, we will be doing just that. To start with, let me invite you to look at these verses found in the Old Testament book of 1 Chronicles 29. 
   First a background.  David, the king is old and dying. He had wanted to build a Temple for God but the Lord told him he had blood on his hands. His son, Solomon would be the one to do it. David realizes that his son was too young to really know what to do so he digs deeply into his own money and comes up with a HUGE sum.  The leaders see his open and generous heart and THEY give freely.  The people see that their leaders are giving ever so freely, so seeing that example, they too give very generously.  The Temple is funded out of free will offerings and there is an overflow of gold, silver and such that is well beyond what was needed.  God was very well blessed and very happy with His People.
   From the New Testament, we see Paul writing to the church in Corinth with instructions as to how they were to give—using for an example, the giving methods of fellow Believers near them. (2 Cor 8:1-15)  Here are seven ways they gave and with them, seven questions.

1. They gave generously. 惜気も無く与えた See vv2-5. David gives beyond his obligations. So do the others. Over and beyond what was expected—because of his love of the Father. “over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:  113 tons of gold … and 214 tons of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings” The amount David and the others gave was very generous---almost beyond being lavish. 
   2 Cor 8:2f, ‘Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity… that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.’ We can see from Paul’s writing, this group of Believers had the right understanding.  It was not a question of how much do we have to give but how much more can we give.
   For the past year, the giving here at ICCS has been going down. Even after the meeting in March, when a number of you asked me to preach on giving, the weekly offerings have been steadily declining.  We need to ask ourselves a Question: am I giving as little as I can get away with, or as much as I am able? 最善を尽くして捧げていますか、それとも必要最小限だけ捧げていますか  In light of that, more questions come up…

2. They gave devotedly, 献身的に与えたv3 – ‘in my devotion to the temple of my God.’ •Ps 26:8– ‘I love the house where You live, O LORD, the place where Your glory dwells.’• 詩編 26:8 主よ、あなたのいます家／あなたの栄光の宿るところをわたしは慕います. There is no special Holy Place here as in the time of David. This worship hall is just a room that we have dedicated to the use for worship. But, the Hebrew people saw a real need to be aware of the Holiness of the place of worship. Their giving to the Temple was in direct proportion to their love of the Place of worship and to the love they had for God.  Their devotion was seen in how they gave.
   As for Paul’s situation, he saw that their giving was in line with how their devotion was toward the Lord.  They had it in the right sequence-the right order. 2 Cor 8:5, ‘They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.’ or 2 Cor 6:12, ‘We are the temple of the living God.’ One of you recently shared with me this: I quote: “I really hope that the members of ICCS will come to realize how abundantly God has been blessing us in many ways and out of our gratitude, we will be bringing our thanksgiving tithe and offerings in multiple and various forms; giving ourselves as living sacrifices, (our) time, talent, volunteering, money, etc.”   Question: is my giving motivated by devotion to God, His people and His work? 神様、神様の民、そして神様の仕事に尽くそうと思って捧げていますか。

3. They gave willingly, 進んで与えたv6. Also verse 17 – ‘All these things have I given willingly.’ What more needs to be said on this point? It was not out of any pressure from the King nor from the leaders…it came from the heart of people who were blessed.
   2 Cor 8:3f– ‘Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.’ Question: is my giving reluctant, or is it willing? ためらって捧げていますか、または意思を固めて捧げていますか。

4. They gave gratefully, 感謝をもって与えた v14 – ‘Who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.’ Out of a very thankful heart.
   2 Cor 8:9,– ‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.’ All that I have, and am, is from God. Therefore, it is no pain to give it back. Unless, we are indeed ungrateful. Question: am I mindful, when I give, that I am merely giving back what God has so bounteously given to me? 捧げるときには、神様が恵み豊かに下さったものをお返ししているということに
気づいていますか。

5. They gave joyfully, 喜んで与えたv9, ‘the people rejoiced’. V20 – ‘Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So the people praised the Lord.” It was in THIS joyful attitude that they gave!
   2 Cor 8:2– ‘Their overflowing joy…welled up in rich generosity’. It became a mark of ownership with that Body of Believers.  Question: Am I a cheerful giver? (2 Cor 9:7) 喜んで捧げていますか

6. They gave contagiously. つられるように与えた  David gives, v1, he encourages the leaders, v6, who encourages the people, v10. The Chronicler now encourages a new generation. A generation that builds together…who gives together—a sign of real unity.
   2 Cor 8:7, ‘See that you also excel in this grace of giving.’ Question: in what ways are we encouraging one another in our giving? 捧げるときにお互いにどのように励ましあっていますか Not trying to out-give each other as in a contest, but looking for ways to support the work.

7. They gave graciously. 恵み深く与えた This comes from the closing days of David’s life. It was not for David the bitter despair of old age. The Lord had formed in David in godly character: he was a man after God’s own heart.
   2 Cor 8:2 ‘the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches’. Also v8. Grace upon grace. Undeserved favor from God poured out on us!

   The LAST Question: have we received the Grace of God that alone will create in us a generous, devoted, willing, grateful, joyful heart, one that flows over in contagious giving? 神様の恵みを賜り、他の人に広がるような捧げ方をしていますか  Or does it die here?!

   Lord, I want, by Your grace, to ascend (climb) the ladder of consecrated, sanctified giving: out of a Godly duty, with a devoted necessity, a deepening understanding of our privilege to give, and with greater joy.