WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.720 Well, again, I say welcome to you. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:06.740 We are in a series right now. 00:00:06.860 --> 00:00:11.380 We are looking at the book of 2 Corinthians, which is fantastic. 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:18.059 The title of the series is called Power Through Weakness, and so we've been looking at how 00:00:18.059 --> 00:00:24.580 the gospel transforms power, how the gospel turns power upside down. 00:00:24.579 --> 00:00:30.439 And what that means is that there are a lot of things that look like weakness, that look 00:00:30.439 --> 00:00:36.140 like foolishness in the eyes of the world that are, in fact, sources of tremendous spiritual 00:00:36.140 --> 00:00:36.659 power. 00:00:36.780 --> 00:00:39.599 So we've been looking at some examples of that over the weeks. 00:00:39.700 --> 00:00:47.539 We looked at examples like humility or suffering and how we respond to suffering or forgiveness, 00:00:48.820 --> 00:00:49.320 reconciliation. 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:52.820 These are things that in the eyes of many in the world look like foolishness. 00:00:52.820 --> 00:00:57.600 They look weak, and yet they have tremendous spiritual power. 00:00:57.740 --> 00:01:01.320 They have the power not only to transform individuals but also entire societies. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:05.960 So in our series this week, we come to chapters 8 and 9. 00:01:06.060 --> 00:01:11.960 We're going to look at them as one big chunk because they all hold together around this 00:01:11.960 --> 00:01:16.480 same theme, yet another example of something that looks like weakness or foolishness and 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.879 yet contains tremendous power, the example of generosity. 00:01:21.379 --> 00:01:21.859 Generosity. 00:01:22.819 --> 00:01:26.779 Christian generosity is uniquely powerful. 00:01:27.739 --> 00:01:28.079 Right? 00:01:28.119 --> 00:01:32.919 There's a lot of generosity in the world, a lot of reasons that people want to be generous, 00:01:33.039 --> 00:01:37.319 but Christian generosity is unique, and it's uniquely powerful as a result in at least 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:43.219 three ways, because of its motivation, because of its posture, and because of its purpose, 00:01:43.459 --> 00:01:44.399 its ultimate purpose. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:50.160 So let's pray, and then we're going to look at Paul's letter, 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9. 00:01:51.580 --> 00:01:56.219 Lord, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You for being the kind of God who doesn't just 00:01:56.219 --> 00:02:00.340 leave us to figure it out, but You're the kind of God who's a living God, and You're here, 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:04.260 and You're active, and Your Holy Spirit is with us and in us. 00:02:04.260 --> 00:02:11.360 So we pray now, just as we sang a moment ago, that You would open our eyes and open our ears and open 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:17.219 our hearts, that Your Word would come alive and that we would come face to face with the living Word, 00:02:17.920 --> 00:02:18.620 Jesus Christ. 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:21.280 That's why we're here, and it's in His name that we pray. 00:02:22.259 --> 00:02:22.599 Amen. 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:27.620 So first of all, let's look at the motivation for Christian generosity. 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:34.280 Just to give you a little context, Paul is raising money to send aid to the church in Jerusalem. 00:02:34.539 --> 00:02:36.039 The people are very poor there. 00:02:36.099 --> 00:02:37.479 The Christians are very poor there. 00:02:37.579 --> 00:02:39.039 There's a lot of reasons for that. 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:43.479 People would come there on pilgrimage and wouldn't have a job or a place to live, 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:44.840 and they would convert to Christianity. 00:02:45.019 --> 00:02:45.879 They would end up staying. 00:02:47.180 --> 00:02:49.539 There were people who wanted to work or do a trade, 00:02:49.539 --> 00:02:54.479 but they wouldn't sacrifice to the gods that they needed to worship in order to be part of the guild, 00:02:54.620 --> 00:02:55.840 and so their business suffered. 00:02:55.939 --> 00:02:59.539 There are lots of reasons why the Jerusalem Christians were poor. 00:02:59.799 --> 00:03:06.419 So Paul's trying to send aid, and Paul had reached out to the Corinthians to help be a part of this relief effort. 00:03:07.560 --> 00:03:11.379 And a year earlier, the Corinthians had started a giving plan, 00:03:11.579 --> 00:03:15.780 setting money aside every week during worship so that when Paul came back, 00:03:16.099 --> 00:03:17.840 he could take it all to Jerusalem. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:19.960 We read about that in 1 Corinthians 16. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:26.500 So they had started out giving, and they had started out doing it with a lot of enthusiasm. 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:31.099 But in verse 10, we learned that the giving had sort of petered out. 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:32.060 It had stopped. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.560 And Paul's very concerned about that. 00:03:35.879 --> 00:03:39.900 And so he's writing in this section to try to encourage them to make good on their commitment. 00:03:40.020 --> 00:03:41.000 He says, you made a pledge. 00:03:41.259 --> 00:03:43.580 Now please fulfill that pledge. 00:03:43.580 --> 00:03:48.040 And what I want you to notice is his concern is not primarily the money itself. 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:52.720 His concern is really the hearts of the Corinthians. 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:56.980 His concern is their spiritual health. 00:03:57.060 --> 00:03:59.380 And so he's trying to motivate them to continue giving. 00:03:59.600 --> 00:04:01.460 Now notice what he does not say here. 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:06.200 He does not say, now's a great time to give because of the tax benefits. 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:10.899 He does not say, you should give because it's going to build your character. 00:04:11.019 --> 00:04:11.959 It's going to be good for you. 00:04:12.399 --> 00:04:15.659 He doesn't say, you should give because it's going to make you feel good. 00:04:15.839 --> 00:04:19.839 He doesn't say, you should give because if you don't give, these people have no hope. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:24.939 He doesn't say any of those things that we very often hear during charitable giving campaigns. 00:04:25.099 --> 00:04:26.099 Look at what he says. 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:27.980 He says in chapter 8, verse 8, 00:04:27.980 --> 00:04:37.740 I say this, complete your gift, not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love is also genuine. 00:04:37.939 --> 00:04:40.580 He connects their giving to their love. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:49.240 Spiritually mature Christians are motivated to give not because anyone convinces them to give. 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:58.680 The reasons that I suggested earlier, they're decent reasons, they're valid reasons, but that's not the motivation behind Christian giving. 00:04:59.620 --> 00:05:02.740 Spiritually mature Christians give because they're filled with love. 00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:07.120 Because that's what love naturally does. 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:08.460 It just gives. 00:05:09.960 --> 00:05:11.720 And so they can't help it. 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:16.379 And it sounds as though the Corinthians used to be that way and something has changed. 00:05:16.379 --> 00:05:22.120 Paul is worried that they are in fact becoming more and more and more like the culture around them. 00:05:22.439 --> 00:05:28.480 Spiritually mature Christians tend to be more promiscuous with their money and stingy with their bodies. 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:30.560 The Corinthian culture was the opposite. 00:05:31.579 --> 00:05:34.959 They were very promiscuous with their bodies and very stingy with their money. 00:05:35.060 --> 00:05:38.639 And Paul says you're becoming more and more like the culture around you. 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:44.620 But Christian generosity is motivated by an overflow of love and joy. 00:05:44.620 --> 00:05:46.620 So he's saying where is that love that I knew? 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:48.720 Where is that joy that I saw in you? 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:54.840 And this is why he points them to the example of the Macedonians in verses 1 through 5 of chapter 8. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:55.759 Let me just read this. 00:05:55.840 --> 00:05:56.019 He says, 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:00.620 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. 00:06:02.019 --> 00:06:08.040 For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:09.300 That's a play on words. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:10.040 Just listen to that. 00:06:10.420 --> 00:06:13.620 Their abundance of joy and extreme poverty have overflowed. 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:19.560 They're overflowing out of extreme poverty in a wealth of generosity on their part. 00:06:20.980 --> 00:06:30.379 The most amazing thing about the Macedonians and their generosity is not that they were willing to give money in the midst of their own crisis, which they were. 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:37.160 Nor is it the fact that they gave far beyond what they could afford to give, which they did. 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:42.300 The most amazing thing about the Macedonians is what Paul says in verse 4. 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:45.500 Paul didn't even have to ask them to give. 00:06:46.400 --> 00:06:55.820 They came to Paul and it says they begged Paul for the favor of being able to take part in the relief of the saints. 00:06:56.140 --> 00:06:58.440 They asked Paul if they could give. 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:04.160 It may very well have been that Paul thought, you know, the Macedonians, they're facing their own turmoil and upheaval. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:05.600 They don't have any money to give. 00:07:05.660 --> 00:07:07.399 I'm not even going to bother asking them. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:10.160 They'd probably be offended if I asked them. 00:07:10.420 --> 00:07:13.120 But then they came to him and said, we would love to be a part of this. 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:14.519 Please, can we help? 00:07:15.579 --> 00:07:16.319 Here you go. 00:07:16.540 --> 00:07:17.500 Here's everything we have. 00:07:17.500 --> 00:07:21.139 And Paul saw this for what it was. 00:07:22.019 --> 00:07:25.399 He didn't see this and say, wow, those Macedonians, they're great people. 00:07:26.819 --> 00:07:31.660 He said, this is clearly the grace of God being poured into their lives. 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:40.000 So true generosity is motivated by love overflowing out of our lives into the lives of others. 00:07:40.139 --> 00:07:41.279 That's the motivation. 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:45.000 And that has implications for us. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:48.279 When it comes to generosity, motivation matters. 00:07:49.420 --> 00:07:54.879 The reasons we give, the reason behind our generosity is extremely important. 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:56.639 I'll give you a couple of examples of why. 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:01.019 When it comes to generosity, when it comes to care for the poor, 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:08.420 I think some of us in Christian circles are tempted to emphasize the importance of the giving, 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:13.079 the importance of the social activism, the importance of the relief effort, 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:15.300 regardless of the motivation. 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:19.719 It's sort of an approach that says the ends matter. 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:22.240 The means don't really matter nearly as much. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:28.539 As Alistair Roberts writes, for some, the Christian message that summons people to the works of mercy 00:08:28.539 --> 00:08:35.539 can be reduced to a vanishing mediator for a generic message of social justice and welfare. 00:08:35.539 --> 00:08:41.459 In other words, for some in the church, the focus is really on the social justice and welfare. 00:08:41.860 --> 00:08:43.439 The theology is very secondary. 00:08:43.959 --> 00:08:45.500 The motivation is very secondary. 00:08:46.839 --> 00:08:48.519 What we need is social reform. 00:08:48.860 --> 00:08:51.240 The theology, believe what you want. 00:08:51.740 --> 00:08:53.219 It's the end that really matters. 00:08:53.339 --> 00:08:55.699 This is the thinking behind the social gospel movement. 00:08:56.819 --> 00:08:58.579 But Paul would actually say the opposite. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:02.599 He would say the most important thing actually is your relationship with God. 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:08.399 Generosity is merely an overflow of the life of God in us. 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:09.620 Generosity is a symptom. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:13.460 And if you over-focus on the generosity, 00:09:14.560 --> 00:09:19.399 over and above the relationship with God from which it flows, 00:09:19.879 --> 00:09:21.639 you do so at your own peril. 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:26.220 A friend of mine, Peter Greer, is the president and CEO of Hope International. 00:09:26.580 --> 00:09:27.700 You're probably familiar with their work. 00:09:27.700 --> 00:09:32.560 They do amazing work combating extreme poverty through microenterprise development. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:37.520 But all that good work nearly destroyed him and nearly destroyed his family. 00:09:37.640 --> 00:09:42.800 He wrote a book about it a few years back called The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good. 00:09:44.020 --> 00:09:47.120 That's one of those books that I read it and I just think, you know, 00:09:47.460 --> 00:09:50.379 I think everybody I know in D.C. probably should read this book. 00:09:50.700 --> 00:09:53.820 The Spiritual Danger, because we have a lot of very good people. 00:09:54.520 --> 00:09:56.020 Very good people in this room. 00:09:56.019 --> 00:09:59.480 And what he says, he essentially, this book says, 00:09:59.899 --> 00:10:02.939 he talks about seeing numerous friends and mentors 00:10:02.939 --> 00:10:05.720 who are doing all kinds of good in the world, 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:09.100 but ultimately he says one after another he sees these people in his life 00:10:09.100 --> 00:10:11.840 being overtaken by self-righteousness, 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:14.399 by burnout, by infidelity, 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:17.319 losing their faith, financial misconduct, 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:19.000 personal meltdowns. 00:10:19.939 --> 00:10:22.000 And the same thing almost happened to him. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:24.620 And the whole point of the book is this. 00:10:24.620 --> 00:10:27.320 Doing good works apart from Christ, 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:33.179 doing good while allowing ourselves to become disconnected from Christ, 00:10:33.259 --> 00:10:36.820 where our focus is on the good but not on the source of the good, 00:10:37.659 --> 00:10:40.580 that is spiritually dangerous. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:42.799 It's either going to lead us one of two directions. 00:10:42.940 --> 00:10:46.740 We're either going to be led down a road of pride and self-righteousness, 00:10:47.019 --> 00:10:51.220 a kind of smug sense of superiority over other people who don't do as much good, 00:10:51.220 --> 00:10:56.879 or it's going to lead us down the road of exhaustion, cynicism, burnout, or worse. 00:10:56.980 --> 00:11:00.320 And many of us work in fields where we are doing a lot of good, 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:02.139 and you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:06.399 We're not meant to be sources of generosity. 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:08.379 We're meant to be conduits of grace. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:10.980 It has to come from somewhere else. 00:11:11.580 --> 00:11:13.279 God pours his life into us, 00:11:13.300 --> 00:11:15.399 and we overflow into the lives of others. 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:18.679 So, that's the first reason why motivation really matters. 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:20.799 I'm glad you're doing good, but why? 00:11:22.959 --> 00:11:25.939 What's the impact of that good on you and on your soul? 00:11:27.620 --> 00:11:32.000 And then other people tend to go in the opposite direction, right? 00:11:32.139 --> 00:11:35.539 Other people tend to react against the social gospel movement, 00:11:35.539 --> 00:11:39.000 and they see any emphasis on social action in the church 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:41.399 as evidence of theological decline. 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:46.079 You're on a slippery slope when you begin to talk about justice. 00:11:47.059 --> 00:11:49.899 And this passage would challenge us as well. 00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:51.819 I mean, Paul says in verse 7, 00:11:52.220 --> 00:11:56.860 as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, 00:11:57.379 --> 00:12:02.120 in our love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace also. 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:06.759 The Corinthians prided themselves on being filled with the Holy Spirit 00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:08.939 and having all manner of spiritual gifts. 00:12:08.940 --> 00:12:14.320 They thought of themselves as very spiritually mature, impressive people. 00:12:14.940 --> 00:12:17.300 And so, Paul's point is, he's basically saying, 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:19.500 if you're truly filled with the Holy Spirit, 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:24.160 you should overflow not only with gifts like faith or speech or knowledge, 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:25.780 but also in care for the poor. 00:12:27.280 --> 00:12:34.540 Also in tremendous love-generated generosity for people who lack. 00:12:35.460 --> 00:12:36.780 And so, the point is pretty clear. 00:12:36.779 --> 00:12:41.079 For those of us who think of ourselves as spiritually mature Christians, 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:43.299 Holy Spirit-filled Christians, 00:12:43.459 --> 00:12:46.379 it is all well and good for us to be theologically sound. 00:12:46.459 --> 00:12:48.019 That's incredibly important, and if you know me, 00:12:48.059 --> 00:12:50.159 you know that matters a great deal to me. 00:12:50.379 --> 00:12:52.559 But the question we also need to ask is, 00:12:52.679 --> 00:12:53.500 am I generous? 00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:57.379 Am I generous? 00:12:58.779 --> 00:13:00.459 Am I generous to those in need? 00:13:01.299 --> 00:13:02.519 Do I care about the poor? 00:13:02.519 --> 00:13:03.960 Do I care about justice? 00:13:05.319 --> 00:13:07.399 So, motivation matters a great deal. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:11.879 And so, this is the countercultural motivation for Christian generosity. 00:13:12.079 --> 00:13:17.039 It's one of the things that sets it apart from other forms of generosity we see in the world, 00:13:17.139 --> 00:13:20.439 God's overflowing love and joy in our lives. 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:25.240 The next thing we see about Christian generosity is it has a very distinct posture 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:27.860 that also matters a great deal. 00:13:28.500 --> 00:13:30.040 The posture of Christian generosity. 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:32.080 If you've ever read the book, 00:13:32.160 --> 00:13:33.160 When Helping Hurts, 00:13:33.820 --> 00:13:35.440 by Steve Corbett and Brian Fickert, 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:36.900 they make a very crucial observation. 00:13:37.160 --> 00:13:38.720 I remember reading this book for the first time, 00:13:38.820 --> 00:13:39.260 and this really, 00:13:39.520 --> 00:13:41.420 this part really struck home with me. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:43.240 They say, 00:13:43.240 --> 00:14:01.019 They say, 00:14:01.019 --> 00:14:04.000 For those of us who want to love and serve the economically poor, 00:14:04.259 --> 00:14:05.539 we can have the best intentions, 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:08.299 but the way that we act can often communicate, 00:14:08.419 --> 00:14:09.620 albeit unintentionally, 00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:13.779 that we are superior and they are inferior. 00:14:14.899 --> 00:14:15.340 Right? 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.500 Even with the best intentions. 00:14:17.340 --> 00:14:19.360 That can be the message that comes across, 00:14:19.460 --> 00:14:24.740 and that's why Paul's words in verses 13 to 15 are so important. 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:26.240 In chapter 8, he says this, 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:28.000 As a matter of fairness, 00:14:28.740 --> 00:14:32.139 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:35.639 so that their abundance may supply your need, 00:14:35.680 --> 00:14:37.120 and there may be fairness. 00:14:37.220 --> 00:14:37.919 Now, we read that, 00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:38.820 and if you know the context, 00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:39.159 you think, 00:14:39.379 --> 00:14:40.399 what abundance? 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:43.560 What does he mean by their abundance? 00:14:43.700 --> 00:14:45.639 Aren't the Jerusalem Christians dirt poor? 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:46.639 Isn't there a crisis? 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:49.000 They don't have any abundance. 00:14:50.379 --> 00:14:54.100 Paul actually says more about this situation in Romans 15 verse 27. 00:14:54.100 --> 00:14:58.860 What we learn is that the Corinthian Christians were economically rich, 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:00.320 but they were spiritually poor. 00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:02.420 They're economically rich, 00:15:02.500 --> 00:15:03.279 but they're spiritually poor. 00:15:03.540 --> 00:15:07.440 The Jerusalem Christians are economically poor, 00:15:07.659 --> 00:15:10.080 but they are spiritually wealthy. 00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:12.740 They're spiritually rich. 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:15.139 And so, Paul's point there is, 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:17.220 listen, as Gentile Christians, 00:15:17.379 --> 00:15:19.060 you owe your entire faith, 00:15:19.160 --> 00:15:20.340 your entire spirituality, 00:15:20.340 --> 00:15:22.220 to the Jewish tradition, 00:15:22.820 --> 00:15:24.360 to the Jewish faith, 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:27.259 that ultimately produced the Messiah. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:28.500 Right? 00:15:28.540 --> 00:15:31.660 The least you can do is give out of your material abundance 00:15:31.660 --> 00:15:36.320 to help these believers who are so spiritually wealthy, 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:38.759 and yet materially lacking. 00:15:39.680 --> 00:15:40.540 And what we learn is, 00:15:40.620 --> 00:15:42.240 there are different kinds of poverty, 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:45.160 and different kinds of abundance. 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:50.459 And so, what Paul is doing is giving them a principle to guide their generosity. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.839 It's a principle that we might call the principle of reciprocity. 00:15:54.779 --> 00:15:57.339 That's really what Paul means by fairness. 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:00.519 Reciprocity, as we're using it here, 00:16:00.579 --> 00:16:01.379 means essentially this. 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:04.579 We are all equal before the Lord. 00:16:04.659 --> 00:16:05.519 We are all equal. 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:09.539 And we all need each other. 00:16:10.860 --> 00:16:14.199 And we all have certain ways in which we're impoverished, 00:16:14.360 --> 00:16:17.899 and we all have certain ways in which we enjoy abundance. 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:21.639 And God's desire for us is reciprocity. 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:25.100 That out of my abundance, I would supply your need, 00:16:25.139 --> 00:16:27.299 and out of your abundance, you would supply my need. 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:28.919 We need each other. 00:16:29.299 --> 00:16:31.039 And then Paul takes this even further. 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:32.199 He says in verse 15, 00:16:32.199 --> 00:16:34.199 he quotes from the book of Exodus, 00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:35.740 from chapter 16, he says, 00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:36.840 As it is written, 00:16:37.220 --> 00:16:39.740 whoever gathered much had nothing left over, 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:42.560 and whoever gathered little had no lack. 00:16:43.060 --> 00:16:46.360 Now, he's referencing a very specific time in Israel's history 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:49.280 when they had been set free from slavery in Egypt. 00:16:49.879 --> 00:16:52.480 They were wandering in the wilderness, 00:16:52.620 --> 00:16:55.900 and God was leading them and providing for them in the form of manna, 00:16:56.300 --> 00:16:57.080 bread from heaven. 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:01.120 And so, what Paul is saying to the Corinthians is pretty amazing. 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:06.859 He's saying, listen, you need to stop seeing yourselves in terms of Gentile and Jew. 00:17:07.059 --> 00:17:10.519 You need to stop seeing yourselves in terms of rich and poor. 00:17:11.420 --> 00:17:12.720 You are one people. 00:17:13.819 --> 00:17:15.200 You are one people. 00:17:16.700 --> 00:17:18.839 God has made us into one people. 00:17:20.259 --> 00:17:23.619 And don't think the Exodus is just some story from back in the day 00:17:23.619 --> 00:17:27.059 that applied to some other people, but not you. 00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:28.319 He's saying, 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:32.480 Just as God once led His people, Israel, 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:36.919 out of slavery in Egypt and provided for them in the wilderness in the form of manna, 00:17:37.179 --> 00:17:40.700 so God is now leading all of us, His church, 00:17:41.099 --> 00:17:43.179 out of slavery to sin and death. 00:17:43.819 --> 00:17:46.299 We are in the midst of our own Exodus, 00:17:47.259 --> 00:17:51.139 and this Exodus is going to last until the new creation, 00:17:51.140 --> 00:17:55.440 and God is providing for us in the form of His Son, 00:17:55.800 --> 00:17:57.920 the true bread from heaven, 00:17:58.259 --> 00:17:59.860 the true manna. 00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:02.740 And so, what He's saying is we are all one people. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:04.720 We are all in this Exodus together, 00:18:04.980 --> 00:18:06.240 and all that we have, 00:18:06.320 --> 00:18:09.340 your gifts and your privileges and your connections 00:18:09.340 --> 00:18:12.100 and your networks and your wealth and your talents 00:18:12.100 --> 00:18:12.980 and all of those things, 00:18:13.040 --> 00:18:14.160 this is all manna. 00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:16.780 It all came from God. 00:18:17.520 --> 00:18:18.740 It didn't come from you. 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:23.620 It's all God's provision for everyone in the community. 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:27.400 And so, what this does is it creates a profound unity and solidarity. 00:18:28.859 --> 00:18:32.099 Don't think of those Jewish Christians as people over there different from you. 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:34.420 They're part of your group. 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:36.700 You're in the same people group. 00:18:37.740 --> 00:18:42.539 And so, this is the way the gospel transforms the posture of Christian generosity. 00:18:42.539 --> 00:18:46.299 It infuses the relationship between rich and poor 00:18:46.299 --> 00:18:50.000 with equality and solidarity and reciprocity. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:54.940 So, instead of exacerbating the God complexes of the rich, 00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:58.759 lest we think of ourselves as saviors, 00:18:59.619 --> 00:19:02.220 the gospel says, listen, you are just as broken, 00:19:03.159 --> 00:19:06.659 you are just as spiritually needy as anyone else, 00:19:06.879 --> 00:19:10.159 and don't let your bank account lead you to think otherwise. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:17.900 Instead of exacerbating the feelings of shame or inferiority felt by the economically poor, 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:22.060 it restores dignity and it restores self-worth. 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:24.640 It affirms that money is not the measure of a man. 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:31.019 It affirms that every single one of God's people has gifts and abilities 00:19:31.019 --> 00:19:35.880 that are unique and necessary for the welfare of the whole community. 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:40.940 That everyone has something to offer that others in the community need. 00:19:41.620 --> 00:19:42.900 Everyone has abundance, 00:19:43.420 --> 00:19:47.880 and God can use that abundance to meet needs in others' lives. 00:19:48.020 --> 00:19:50.240 So, the posture of Christian generosity is not, 00:19:50.600 --> 00:19:53.140 good news, I'm here to meet your needs. 00:19:53.140 --> 00:19:57.759 The posture of Christian generosity says, 00:19:58.200 --> 00:19:59.300 I'm broken. 00:20:00.340 --> 00:20:01.160 You're broken. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:06.780 But the good news is that God has sent the true manna from heaven, Jesus Christ, 00:20:07.020 --> 00:20:08.380 and we both need Him. 00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:10.460 We both need Him. 00:20:12.360 --> 00:20:14.759 So, we've talked about the countercultural motivation. 00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:16.420 It's an overflow of love. 00:20:16.420 --> 00:20:24.360 We've talked about the countercultural posture, reciprocity, equality, fairness, solidarity, right? 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:28.360 But what is all of this for? 00:20:28.460 --> 00:20:30.779 What's the point of Christian generosity? 00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:32.779 This is the third thing that really sets it apart. 00:20:34.140 --> 00:20:38.720 Why is it so important that we are motivated to give as an overflow of love and joy? 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:47.400 Why is it so important that our posture be one of equality and solidarity and reciprocity toward those we seek to aid? 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.160 And the answer is, according to this text, 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:55.539 because this kind of generosity is the kind of generosity that doesn't bring glory to us. 00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:58.380 All right, if I'm the source of generosity, 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:02.680 then when you see me being generous, you say, 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:04.279 wow, that guy is such a generous person. 00:21:04.279 --> 00:21:09.859 But the intention behind Christian generosity is not that people would say, 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:11.639 wow, look at those people and how generous they are. 00:21:12.099 --> 00:21:14.639 It's that they would say, look how generous God is. 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:17.359 Look how generous God is. 00:21:18.500 --> 00:21:20.559 The goal is to bring glory to God. 00:21:20.700 --> 00:21:22.579 As he says in chapter 9, verse 13, 00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:24.879 when you give generously to those in need, 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:26.279 they will glorify God. 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:28.259 Not they will glorify you. 00:21:28.399 --> 00:21:29.519 Those Corinthians are amazing. 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:32.160 They will glorify God because of your submission 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:35.200 that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ. 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:38.060 They'll say, that kind of generosity doesn't make sense. 00:21:38.840 --> 00:21:41.300 People asking to give in the midst of their own crisis, 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:43.080 out of money they don't even have, 00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:45.019 they'll say, that doesn't make any sense. 00:21:45.060 --> 00:21:46.840 And the only way to make sense of it is the gospel. 00:21:48.840 --> 00:21:49.080 Right? 00:21:49.120 --> 00:21:52.640 The purpose of Christian generosity is not just to meet material needs. 00:21:52.820 --> 00:21:57.779 It's to point people to the only one who can meet our deepest spiritual needs. 00:21:57.779 --> 00:22:01.319 That's why we read in chapter 9, verses 6 to 15, 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:04.940 the emphasis is not on the amount we give, but on our hearts. 00:22:06.399 --> 00:22:06.799 Right? 00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:07.960 Paul actually says, listen, 00:22:08.899 --> 00:22:11.920 we should give what we've decided in our hearts beforehand to give. 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:15.740 And he makes it very clear, you should give what you're able to give. 00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:17.099 Don't give out of what you don't have. 00:22:17.139 --> 00:22:19.599 The Macedonians, that's a miracle. 00:22:19.700 --> 00:22:20.240 That's amazing. 00:22:20.339 --> 00:22:22.700 He says, as a general principle, don't give out of what you don't have. 00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:24.500 Give what you've decided to give. 00:22:24.619 --> 00:22:25.779 Give out of what you do have. 00:22:25.779 --> 00:22:25.859 Give. 00:22:26.940 --> 00:22:28.460 The main point he's trying to make is, 00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:29.759 it's not about how much you give, 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:33.759 it's about the purpose behind your giving. 00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:37.660 God desires it to be something that we do cheerfully and joyfully. 00:22:39.299 --> 00:22:40.339 And so we need to ask, okay, 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:42.980 well, if it's meant to be an abundance of love and joy, 00:22:43.039 --> 00:22:45.480 and we're called to give cheerfully and joyfully, 00:22:45.579 --> 00:22:47.480 where does all of that joy come from? 00:22:47.539 --> 00:22:48.399 How do we get it? 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:50.940 You know, because as I listen to myself saying this, 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:53.819 I'm thinking, I'm a pretty stingy person, honestly. 00:22:53.819 --> 00:22:58.759 And I'm thinking, I'm not sure I can, how can I get this in me? 00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:01.639 How can I manufacture this in me? 00:23:01.700 --> 00:23:02.740 And the answer is, you can't. 00:23:03.899 --> 00:23:07.779 We have to ask, what's the secret behind the Macedonians' generosity? 00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:10.939 And Paul says it at the beginning of chapter 8. 00:23:11.220 --> 00:23:13.439 He says, they gave beyond their means, 00:23:13.980 --> 00:23:15.960 and they begged us to be able to give more. 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:18.919 Verse 5, and this, not as we expected, 00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:21.840 but they gave themselves first to the Lord, 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:25.220 and then by the will of God to us. 00:23:26.840 --> 00:23:31.279 The reason that they were able to give so freely to others 00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:35.960 is because they had already given themselves to Jesus. 00:23:36.100 --> 00:23:37.960 And we ask, well, why would they do that? 00:23:38.039 --> 00:23:39.440 What motivated them to do that? 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:41.220 And the answer is grace. 00:23:41.220 --> 00:23:46.079 And if you read these passages, the word grace just shows up again and again and again 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:48.440 throughout these chapters. 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:52.200 Paul says this, the most important verse in the text, 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:54.860 for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:23:55.420 --> 00:23:59.980 that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:05.339 so that you by His poverty might become rich. 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:12.039 I think it's very hard to find a better summation of the gospel in all the New Testament. 00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:15.359 Everything that exists, he's saying, belongs to Jesus. 00:24:16.699 --> 00:24:17.839 It's not ours. 00:24:18.500 --> 00:24:19.959 All of this belongs to Him. 00:24:20.619 --> 00:24:22.939 All power and glory are His. 00:24:23.639 --> 00:24:27.459 And yet Paul is saying that when Jesus, having everything, looked at us, 00:24:28.399 --> 00:24:31.379 and when He saw us in our spiritual poverty, 00:24:31.380 --> 00:24:36.560 and when He saw how hopeless our plight was, how lost we were, 00:24:37.580 --> 00:24:39.520 it says His heart was broken for us, 00:24:40.260 --> 00:24:45.760 that it was love and compassion that moved Him to act. 00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:50.400 You know, in the world's eyes, you can be a very successful person. 00:24:50.520 --> 00:24:55.140 In the world's eyes, you can have a successful job and a nice house and a retirement account. 00:24:55.460 --> 00:24:59.500 But Jesus sees the truth about us, right? 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:02.660 Jesus sees that we are spiritually destitute. 00:25:02.819 --> 00:25:05.579 He sees that we are spiritually homeless. 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:10.019 He sees that we are starving to death because of sin, 00:25:10.339 --> 00:25:15.420 because we are trying to nourish ourselves with things that aren't meant to be spiritual food. 00:25:16.359 --> 00:25:17.819 And we're wasting away. 00:25:18.940 --> 00:25:22.640 And so the gospel says that Jesus, seeing us in our destitution, 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:24.299 gave up everything. 00:25:24.500 --> 00:25:26.980 That He became human, that He became homeless, 00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:28.660 that He became destitute, 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:32.500 that He allowed Himself to be humiliated and tortured and killed, 00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:37.880 all to give us the chance to become spiritually rich through Him, 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:39.720 through His abundance. 00:25:40.779 --> 00:25:43.279 Now listen, here's the biggest difference you're going to find. 00:25:43.720 --> 00:25:47.039 There are many religions that say that God cares for the poor. 00:25:47.380 --> 00:25:50.079 Many religions out there, almost every religion that I've looked at, 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:53.559 says somewhere that we should care for the poor. 00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:56.119 Only one religion says God became poor. 00:25:58.079 --> 00:25:59.919 There's only one religion that says that. 00:26:01.079 --> 00:26:04.480 God became poor for us. 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:08.539 So as we think about our own generosity, 00:26:08.740 --> 00:26:10.799 as we think about how we think about giving to church, 00:26:10.879 --> 00:26:12.099 to other things that we support, 00:26:12.519 --> 00:26:14.099 as we think about how we make our budgets 00:26:14.099 --> 00:26:17.059 and how we plan our spending and where the priorities fall, 00:26:17.139 --> 00:26:18.159 as we think about all of that stuff, 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:19.319 as we think about our motivation, 00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:24.319 as we think about the posture we take toward those we seek to help, 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:26.879 if we are in the position to do that, 00:26:26.919 --> 00:26:29.559 as we think about the purpose behind all of this, 00:26:30.539 --> 00:26:31.359 we remember this. 00:26:31.419 --> 00:26:34.720 Christian generosity is not ultimately about giving your stuff away. 00:26:36.399 --> 00:26:38.599 It's about giving yourself away 00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:42.099 to the one who gave Himself away for you. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:43.859 Let's pray. 00:26:43.859 --> 00:26:49.559 Lord, we thank You and recognize right away 00:26:49.559 --> 00:26:56.119 that this is not something we can manufacture or produce through willpower. 00:26:56.579 --> 00:26:59.019 It's something that has to come through Your Holy Spirit, 00:26:59.159 --> 00:27:02.919 that Paul again and again refers this as a grace received from You 00:27:02.919 --> 00:27:06.419 and a grace that flows out from us into the lives of others. 00:27:06.519 --> 00:27:07.339 And so I pray, Lord, 00:27:07.579 --> 00:27:10.659 as this entire service is a celebration of Your generosity, 00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:15.880 as this entire service is just an opportunity for us to receive Your gifts and blessings, 00:27:16.660 --> 00:27:18.640 Lord, Your nourishment, Your body and blood. 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:24.340 Lord, I pray that You would engender in us what we cannot do in our own strength, 00:27:25.019 --> 00:27:29.480 that kind of countercultural, otherworldly, God-glorifying generosity 00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:31.640 that has always been a mark of Your people. 00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:34.060 We pray this in Your Son's holy name. 00:27:34.600 --> 00:27:34.860 Amen. 00:27:34.860 --> 00:27:34.980 Amen. 00:27:36.080 --> 00:27:36.820 Check this.