Sermon Tone Analysis

5. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up before hand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a manner of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

6.

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

*Is My Giving in Vain*

*2 Corinthians 9:5-7*

 

 

 

Today, can we take inventory, can we investigate, can we evaluate our churches today, and come to the conclusion that what we are doing is of real value.

Can we look at our method of worship and say that our worship is real?

Can we showcase our song service, or can we scroll through our prayer service and declare that those words that we are saying are coming from our hearts.

Can we shine light on the pulpit,

Can we search the corridors and confines of each auxiliary,

Can we summons the works of the entire congregation and make a bold statement that our methods and our manners are real.

Today, can we sit around the offering table, and watch those that come and give in the offering.

Can we make a bold declaration to God that we, as a church, is real in our giving.

Our churches today have been so mislead, we’ve been so mis-guided, we have been so misunderstood about God’s words that it has caused us to drift into left field, and we are like sheep who has gone astray from the fold, we can’t see far enough to get back to where we need to be.

Deception is the number one tactic of the devil and he is using it wisely within the church.

As I look through out the bible, I see that the Bible only recognizes the devil three times.

1) when he spoke to Eve. 2) when he spoke to Job, and 3) when he spoke to Jesus.

In all three instances he tried to deceive.

He was only successful with Eve.

Out of that deception of Eve, came a curse from God, but out of the times when Job and Jesus held on to their integrity, God blessed them.

Today, we’ve got to learn how to stop allowing the devil to deceive us in our giving, and learn how to hold on to our integrity.

Let look today at the church at Corinth, and let’s compare our giving to how God commanded them to give, and we will indeed find out if our giving is in vain.

You know the story.

Paul felt like he was responsible for what had happened to the church at Jerusalem.

The saints had scattered abroad, and now the church was suffering financially.

So, the sister churches was taking up an offering and sending to the Mother church at Jerusalem, which was to be delivered by Paul himself.

Paul says to them in the first verse, “it is superfluous that I write to you” meaning that “it is very important that I say these things to you”.

See, the devil have deceived many people, many church through their giving.

He knows that if he can cripple our giving, he can cripple our worship and praise.

Watch this, if you can’t give, God can’t bless.

And we only worship and praise God for what He has done for us.

You might as well get real this morning.

I know many of you talk about God blessed me to get up this morning and that’s enough for me.

If any man sit here this morning and say that he doesn’t want God to bless him financially, he is a lie and the truth is not in him.

Why do we love God?

The Bible says, we love Him, because He first loved us!

Why should we give to God.

We give to Him, because He first gave to us.

*/John 3:16/*.

I need to put a pin here, so many people won’t give today because they feel like they are giving to the preacher, you are not giving to me.

Even when you put money directly in the Pastor’s support tray, you are not giving to me, you are giving to God.

What you are doing in your giving is helping the Word of God go forth.

Why is it that you don’t complain when you go to Wal-mart, Sears, Belk, JCPenney, Cato, all they really want is your money.

But the preacher is trying to give you the Word of God, something that will save your soul.

But you don’t want to support that.

You don’t mind giving to the department stores.

You don’t mind dressing up the part that is destine to died, but you don’t want to put nothing on the part that is directed toward eternal life.

That’s what we suppose to be doing as a church any way, is getting out the Word.

Now, if I don’t use that money in the right way, God is going to punish me, not you.

You will still get your blessing.

That’s is the biggest way that devil deceives us through our giving, we want to know what is happening to the money we give, you just give, and God will multiply your seed.

Paul said to them, now I’ve been bragging on y’all to other churches.

I’ve been telling them how that you got your offering ready a year ago, and that has inspired many others to give.

So, Paul said, I sent some brethren to make sure you’ve got your offering ready.

Because I don’t want to get down there and especially if some of these brethren from Macedonia come with me, we get down there and y’all ain’t ready like I’ve been bragging on you, y’all will make me look like a fool.

Because of that, I though it was necessary to send these brethren before hand, so that they can collect your offering and have it ready when I get there.

*The Manner *

The first thing we need to look at is the manner.

I want you to remember this, if you will give God all that you’ve got, God will make sure you’ve got enough of what you need.

And it’s strange to me that we can go anywhere or invest in anything and we won’t complain about the cost of it.

But when it comes to the church, we feel like we are giving too much.

The Lord promised us in */Luke 6:38/*, “Give, and it shall be given unto you”.

Now, the Lord said, I’m going to give you a “good measure”.

Which means that it doesn’t matter what you give, what God is going to give back to you, will be worth more than what you gave.

It might not be money, or any material thing, but it will be worth more than what you gave.

That’s why Grandmomma them use to say, “You can’t beat God giving”.

I believe that Paul had heard somebody say, “you can’t beat God giving”, so he said to them in verse 6, “But this I say: He who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”.

I wished y’all could see this principle.

The farmer which sows a big garden has a better chance at a bigger harvest, than the farmer which sows or plants a little garden.

The investor which deposits a large amount of money in the bank will have a better dividend than the one who deposits little.

The more gas you put in a car, the further you can go.

You can go further off of a full tank, than you can if you just had a ¼ of tank.

It works the same way in church, the more you give God, the more God will give back to you.

Now, before you get to wondering should I give more to God, you need to look at and remember */Romans 8:32/* “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

God didn’t waste any time thinking about giving His only Son for you, yet you’ve got to sit here and wonder if you should give more to God.

If we are going to “be Holy as God is Holy, we must follow God’s Holy example”.

God is only asking us for some, but He gave us all.

*The Method*

The next thing is the method.

Verse 7a.

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give”.

I know that all of your life you’ve have heard that we are suppose to give God ten percent of all of our earning.

Some folks have even watched the financial report to see if others in the church is giving what they suppose to be giving.

But tithing was commanded in the Old Testament, not in the New Testament.

What you need to understand first is that in the Old Testament they were under the Law, today we are under Grace.

With God, Grace ALWAYS makes up the difference.

Under Grace giving, there is no certain amount as to what you must give.

Let me tell you this, God doesn’t take pride in the size of your gift.

Remember the little ole Lady with just the two little mites.

She put in less when it comes to how we value things, but in God’s eyes, she gave more than any one.

God know some of us can do better than others can.

But He also knows that some of us can do better too.

Look at */Acts 11:29/*, “Then the disciples, each according to his ability, detemined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea”.

It is not the size of your offering that pleases God, but your sincerity in giving.

What you feel is right down in your heart, that is what you ought to give.

Under Grace, not only does God lives in the heart, He observes or He searches the heart.

Now, you’ve got to watch yourself.

Because the Devil will try to deceive you and get you to pay let than what your ability is.

When it comes to Grace giving, Ability and Sincerity goes hand in hand.

Remember this, it is according to your ability and what you feel is right.