Pattern of Riches
2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Now we are talking again about being Generous again in our text today, so likely we should, after all Jesus spoke a great deal on the subject. Its a sensitive one.
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Giving, Selfishness In
During a sermon, the country preacher said to his congregation, “Now let the church walk.” Deacon Jones said, “Amen, let it walk.”
“Let the church run,” said the preacher. “Let it run,” echoed Deacon Jones.
“Let it fly,” said the preacher. “Amen, brother, let the church fly,” said Deacon Jones.
“Now it’s going to take money to let it fly, brother,” said the preacher. “Let it walk,” said Deacon Jones. “Let it walk.”
Now, if Deacon Jones doesn’t mind, Paul said something to the church of Corinth, that was kind of mind-boggling. He said, 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” now for us to do that, Paul has to tell us what that looks like and we need to know what Christ did/would do. Its mostly realizing we aren't trying to make people moral, thats Jesus’s job, we are just trying get them saved. But imitating Christ, emulating Him, is daunting but today Paul reminds us, it really is about sacrificial love.
Message: Pattern of Riches 2 Corinthians 8:8-15
8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
This is by Gods amazing grace. Really it is. Look, FF bruce said
Christian holiness is not a matter of painstaking conformity to the individual precepts of an external law code; it is rather a question of the Holy Spirit’s producing His fruit in the life, reproducing those graces which were seen in perfection in the life of Christ.
F. F. Bruce
Though we are supposed to follow patterns or blueprints exactly , I want to be sure that today, we don’t fall too much into the trap of thinking that we have to copy this, or be exact duplicates of Jesus. We want to have the Spirit of these things, but not to fall into legalism to get what we want. Look at how Paul begins.
The example of the Macedonian church.
8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.
When someone like Paul speaks, its difficult to for many to not want to do exactly what he says. And there are some things that we should, because they are commands. Here though he specifically states that what he is about to say isn't for us to exactly “do” but emulate the behavior of.
Notice, he doesn't say them giving to the famine in Jerusalem is mandatory, he is getting Titus in v6 to encourage the church to trust the Lord for their provision toward the famine.
And he isn't about forcing them keeping their word or oath in this instance. Though Jesus did say, as James quotes Jesus in James 5:12 “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.” so keeping your word is important but
Paul is saying genuine care, helps. Does. The love here is agape: a love that gives because it is. If you have gotten/have agape, you give agape. Turn to Galatians 5, Paul told the church there to Galatians 5:13–14 “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”” The churches in Macedonia did it, you can too!
Titus is my rep, just reminding you, to truly love your neighbor, even if its with your riches. And he shows us this using Jesus as our pattern of riches.
The example of Jesus Christ
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
Where was Jesus before this? Heaven. He had everything.
yet here on this earth, Matthew 8:20 “And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.””
jesus, left the eternal and put humanity on for our sake. Jesus wasn't diving into bank vaults of money like scrooge McDuck. He lived in the presence and perfection of the divine. He always did. And He left that, to save you. You.
our riches aren't in what we have, but where he was and we are going. When you receive the sacrifice that Jesus made for you, you enter in at that moment, into the riches of the Lord.
This was as he encouraged in vv1-7, part of that grace. Gods outreaching love and enabling to accomplish His purpose in us, and what we would do in Him. This unmerited undeserved favor from one so great. Why would he not give us grace for these things when He has given us the greatest of them?
Ok you Elon Muskies of grace, hows that feel? You spoiled rich kids you.
The example Corinth gives.
10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago;
so, you have this grace, you wanted to then, finish now. What patience Paul shows. A year past they have dedicated this to Gods work. And now.
11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.
out of what you have. sometimes we don’t want to help because we can do it like we want. They don’t want my weakness, they want be helped by my 5 bucks, etc. We can sometimes desire to give more and end up giving nothing. Not time, no heart, no service, no love.
Jump ahead a few verses, 2 Corinthians 8:16–21 “But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. 17For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. 18And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, 19and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, 20avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—21providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”
what difference did it make? Even if it was just a bag of wheat that was a family that it made a difference to. Perhaps it was guilt or a desire to not lose such a large part of their finances if they over promised, etc.
the point is…We need to trust Jesus
12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
whether little or much, God will make due and accomplish his means with what is given, he even adds:
its a common sense thing here - if you have to pay rent, pay the rent. If you have left-over, ask the Lord what He would have you do with the excess. He told the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 4:28 “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” We work to pay the bills, we also work to help others.
The collection, Paul continues, has a purpose
13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
Paul isn't telling them to give till it hurts. But he is encouraging sacrifice. And it seems they are doing pretty good in Corinth because he says, your super-abundance, their lack it all equals out. In this he isn't insulting the Macedonian churches that have given. He is simply says we are one body and we minister to, through and with each other.
Paul just says, we make up for what our brothers or sisters have or don’t but we wont know if we don't give. He isn't trying to squeeze or fleece the Corinthians out of their finances, he is trying to get them to see that there is a purpose in their increase.
The Holy Spirit simply reminds us that its a matter of trust and love, love and trust. If we seek to love others, we will remember like Israel when they took up the manna, it was always just enough. When one took to much, they could either give it to others or see it go to waste. What we have here is a reminder that if Jesus was willing to leave being the king of the universe to save us, gave up everything for us, perhaps we can not hold on so much ourselves that how we can help the body of Christ and many by simply serving others.
Also that we be people of our word. That we do everything to see that we do what we say and say what we do. That we be living examples of our confession of Jesus Christ.