Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning, Gateway Chapel!

Scripture

Prayer

Find places to give caveats and empathy.

It’s been said that the two hardest things to talk about in church are sex and money.

And sex is way easier.

So today we’re talking about money!

Why is that?

Why is it so hard to talk about money?

Money is powerful.

Here at Gateway we say we want to make disciples who hear, love, and obey Jesus.

Money is also a powerful disciple maker.

It’s not hard to become someone who hears, loves, and obeys money.

I learned about that in my previous life in the sales world.

My old boss was really successful in sales.

If you don’t know I used to sell TV ads for the Mariners, and my boss started working in TV for the Mariners waaaaaay back when they were good, and he was on the front end of a lot of success which made him a lot of money.

And one day he told me, “You know what’s crazy, is now matter how much I’ve made, I’ve found a way to spend it.

It’s crazy how that works.

I did well my first year, then I had another good year, so we bought a house.

Then I had another good year, and bought a nicer house in a nicer neighborhood.

Then we made friends with those people and they went on nice vacations.

So then we went on nice vacations and spent more and then we had kids who came on nice vacations.

Why do I tell that story?

Money can shape who we become.

Maybe you experienced this kind of journey as your income grew as you got older.

You started a paper route and now you have a pension.

Maybe you’ve seen the opposite and now you’re retired and wondering if you’ll have enough money to live to be 105 because you’re healthy and going to be here a while!

Maybe you’re like, “I only wish I had the problem of spending money from my lucrative sales job!”

Regardless of how much money you pull in, money pulls us all, doesn’t it?

And I’m not living under a rock, things are expensive right now.

The pull of money is sneaky, too.

Guys, I don’t consider myself a greedy person, and yet if I just had a little more, I’d be happier.

I don’t want to win the lottery, but if I could just win enough to pay off our house, I wouldn’t say no! Or what if I found $1,500 on the ground next to my car, no one claims it, then I could buy new golf clubs without dipping into savings and I’d take 2 strokes off my game and be a happier pastor.

As Christians, what do we do with our money?

Because of Jesus, be generous.

Because of Jesus, be generous.

I think that is exactly what Paul is saying in 2 Cor 8:1-9 where we’ll be today.

We’re wrapping up our “Because of Jesus” sermon series this morning, and in 2 Cor 8:1-9 Paul is inviting us to be generous because of Jesus.

Prayer

Why is Paul telling a story about the Macedonian churches?

Is he trying to shame the Corinthians into giving more because look at what the church up the street did!!

Some back story here…as you know Paul is a traveling church planter.

As Gene preached last week, Paul is listening to Jesus and making disciples in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the ends of the earth.

Macedonia is at the ends of of the earth in those days!

Paul, a Jew, is gathering a financial gift on behalf of churches around the ANE to bring to Christians in Jerusalem.

He’s gone to the Macedonian churches - which includes the Philippians and Thessalonians - whom we have letters to in our Bibles, and Paul says these guys have given abundantly.

I think Paul is redefining financial success.

What does it mean to be financial successful?

You’ve seen the ads before.

Ads for financial services companies…there’s an older couple who appear to be retired models, sitting down with a middle aged model around well-lit modern kitchen.

Perfectly situated single origin coffee cups nearby.

And the couple is asked, “What are your financial goals?”

Or something like that.

And then it cuts to them going on vacations, playing golf, spending time with their equally gorgeous friends and family.

You’ve seen these ads right?

And don’t get me wrong, it’s good to plan.

But the point of the commercial is to say, this couple with a ton of money, money to plan for retirement, they’re both really attractive, newly remodeled kitchen, THAT is financial success.

Why does Paul tell us this story about the Macedonian churches?

I think he is bragging on these guys because THEY are the true definition of financial success.

Where does that generosity come from?

Is it because they’re just better people up there in the north?

No, verse 1 says it was grace given from God.

The Macedonian churches were generous BECAUSE OF JESUS.

Imagine you’re the Macedonian’s financial advisor…what would you say?

“You gave how much?

To a church?

Isn’t that the tiny group of religious extremists who’s leader was a criminal?

Where was the church?

Jerusalem…isn’t that on the moon?”

And they weren’t generous because they got a big windfall of cash, it was in the extremes of poverty.

That word extreme is the same word as ‘depth’ like when Paul says I hope you know the heighth and breadth and Depth or EXTREMES of God’s love.

In DEEP, EXTREME poverty, they were generous.

Why?

Because of the grace of God given to them.

They were generous because of Jesus.

These women of the Macedonian churches, these men of the Macedonian churches, they’re our financial heroes, not Elon Musk.

Jesus told a story about redefining financial success...

Analyze a little bit...

The goal of life is not more money, it’s more of Jesus, and that means because of Jesus, being generous.

Randy Alcorn, a famous pastor and author came and spoke at our church in college, and he said, “If you’re not being generous today, you won’t start when you make more money tomorrow.”

The beauty of the gospel is financial success is not retirement, it’s being generous because of Jesus, and that doesn’t have to wait until you’re 65.

Or 67.

Paul redefines financial success by telling the story of the Macedonian church.

So what does that mean for the Corinthian church?

Paul is inviting the Corinthians into the grace of God.

Titus has been sent by Paul to retrieve this promised gift from the Corinthians to Christians in Jerusalem.

Paul is saying this grace given to the Macedonian church was given to you, also!

So because you guys excel in everything - faith, speech, knowledge, zeal, love - excel in generosity, too.

I had an old coworker who would praise others often, “John you are a handsome and powerful man.”

He’d say on the phone.

And then he’d ask people for money.

So you’re like, “Dennis, do you really like me or do you just want something?”

Is that what’s going on here?

Well, I’m struck by verse 8…look how it reads in the NIV.

Comparing it with others?

That can’t be right.

We don’t want to compare with others.But look what Paul says later in chapter 9.

The Corinthians have promised, “We’re ready to give! We’re going to give!”

And Paul is saying, “Okay, you said it, so I’m coming to collect on that generosity.”

I think this is a biblical way of saying, “Okay folks, time to put your money where your mouth is!”