From Obligation to Overflow

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Here we are again this week talking about generosity. As I have said, the Bible seems to have plenty to say about the subject. And it shows. Research shows that in America the vast majority of charitable donations made to nonprofit organizations come from people who identify themselves as Christians. This same research showed that this was true not only of Christian nonprofit ministries, but also nonprofit organizations which hold no explicate faith association at all. The Bible has quite a bit to say about generosity. And it appears from research that it makes a difference; those who claim to be Christian are shown to be more generous.

stewardship - it is not that we give; it is the way in which we give

Today we see a passage written by the apostle Paul that digs us a little deeper into generosity and stewardship. The focus of our stewardship is not just on the act of generosity itself, but the heart of the giver. It is not that we give; it is the way in which we give. Today we discover that stewardship is an expression of faith; it is an outward act of what we inwardly believe.

Generosity Meets Faith

We are looking at words today coming from the letter of 2 Corinthians. This is a group of people he knew well. It is not the first correspondence he has had with this church in Corinth. It is not a letter of vague acquaintance or a mere pleasant cordial exchange. No, Paul has earned the right with this group of people to speak openly. Here, he writes an instruction to the church about generosity. It is a lesson in stewardship.

generosity - past, present, future

We have seen in the last few weeks in this series the ways in which stewardship looks in various directions. Two weeks ago we began the series in Psalm 24 by remembering that the earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. It is a stewardship which looks behind and remembers from our past what everything we have is not only given by God, but still belongs to God. last week we saw in a parable of Jesus the way in which stewardship looks forward. It is a way of generosity that anticipates what God is bringing ahead. So, we have seen an angle of stewardship which looks to the past; we have seen an angle of stewardship which looks to the future.

when we only look at past and future, generosity becomes an obligation

This word on stewardship today from Paul looks at the present. It is an angle on generosity which focuses on the here and now. Look at the way Paul states it. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. The focus is here and now in the present. And this is necessary for what Paul says next. Do not give reluctantly or under compulsion. In other words, do not be generous out of obligation.

As we get closer to that time of year when many of us send out Christmas cards to friends and family, there always seems to be a moment in that preparation when we make or pull up a list of everyone who sent us cards last year. Because if I got a card from them last year, then it feels like I ought to make sure they are on my list to send a card this year. I give Christmas cards based what feels like obligations from the past. They did this for me; they gave this to me; I now feel like I have to do this for them; I feel obligated to give this in return for what they have done for me. We all do this.

But we saw two weeks ago that the only way our generosity looks to the past is to remember that the earth and everything in it belongs to the LORD. If we ever start counting a scorecard of past generosity, then our stewardship becomes an obligation rather than a gift.

And here is where Paul is going with this. Once our giving is done by compulsion or obligation, it is no longer an expression of our faith. Our faith is built upon this: that Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice for us as an act of grace. Grace. A gift that cannot ever be earned or deserved, but is freely given. As those who have received this amazing gift from God, we live in a faith which is saturated with grace. Our faith takes shape and has expression in our lives whenever grace shows up in the way we live. Grace. That unearned and undeserved gift we have all received from God to be part of his eternal family.

present realization that my life is continually covered in God’s grace

present generosity is an act of faith

Whenever our generosity feels compelled as an obligation, it ceases pointing to grace and instead becomes an act that is earned or deserved. But when our giving is entirely an act of grace—something completely free from what is earned or deserved or owed—then it becomes for us an expression of our faith. Listen again to how Paul says this.

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Generosity Meets Blessing

Now let’s look at the ways in which our generosity moves from faith to blessing. In order to understand Paul’s message about stewardship in this section of his letter, we should note that this section if filled with references to Old Testament passages of scripture. So, all the language that Paul uses in this writing about sowing and reaping and seeds and bread are metaphors that come from other places in scripture. Paul is drawing upon Proverbs 11 and Psalm 112 and Deuteronomy 15 and Isaiah 55 and Hosea 10.

OT references - Prov 11, Ps 112, Deut 15, Isaiah 55, Hos 10

These are all places of Old Testament that draw upon poetic language to talk about the blessing of God. It comes right from the start. But we miss that in English. The very first words we read in verse six pulls a variation of Proverbs 11. Paul says, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Those who promote a health and wealth gospel like to point at this verse as proof that God somehow reveals a path here for self-enrichment. TV preachers like to pull on this verse as a way to trick viewers into sending them money with a false claim that God promises to return even more wealth back to them. Let me be clear; that is not what Paul is saying in this verse.

generosity - Greek eulogia = “favorable words” (blessing!)

The Greek word Paul uses in this verse is eulogia. It is where we get our word eulogy—the kind words often spoken at a funeral to honor the memory of one who has passed away. It literally means favorable words. It is the Greek equivalent of what in the Old Testament would be called a blessing. Old Testament scriptures often referred to blessing as something that was spoken. Over time it also came to be an extension of spoken favorable words which would include the bestowing of material property. We read in Genesis how the patriarchs pronounced a blessing upon the firstborn son—and how Jacob tricked his father Isaac into giving the blessing to him instead of Esau. In this verse today, it is that word which is translated in your English Bible as generosity. It means a spoken blessing.

whoever sows withholdingly will also reap withholdingly, and whoever sows blessingly will also reap blessingly

Follow me, then, as we look at verse six. Sparingly comes from a Greek word that means to withhold. If you follow the reference back to Proverbs 11, that’s what our English Bibles say. Here is how we should understand Paul’s message about stewardship in chapter 9:6. And I have to make up a few English words so that we catch the Greek. Whoever sows withholdingly will also reap withholdingly, and whoever sows blessingly will also reap blessingly.

Here’s the point. The reference in this verse is not about the amount of generosity given. It is about the attitude of the giver. Even if the amount given is exactly the same, all the difference in the world rests upon the attitude with which the gift if given.

I have to admit. When it comes time to do my income taxes every year, and I see the bottom line of how much I end up sending to the IRS, that is a check I write somewhat begrudgingly. It’s not a party when I write out a check for IRS. I don’t send that one off very blessingly. In fact, I’d rather not be sending that one off at all. But we don’t really have much choice about taxes. It’s sort of an obligation. This is exactly what Paul is saying. If it is given reluctantly or under compulsion, then it is not a blessing.

acts of generosity with an attitude of blessing

The goal that Paul sets out for his brothers and sisters in Corinth—and for all of us in the church today—is to be givers who perform our acts of generosity with an attitude of blessing. I give what I give because it is given with blessing. Remember, blessing originally means kind or favorable words. Are we the kind of people who can accompany our actions of generosity with a heart that truly blesses the offering we give?

Generosity Meets Joy

There is a key here to finding stewardship that produces joy. When we realize that God has given us the absolute privilege of bestowing blessing upon others, it should bring us joy. Maybe it doesn’t always feel that way. Perhaps there are times when we face opportunities to be generous and to help out the needs of others, and it is something we do freely and willingly, but is not always met with joy. Sometimes we need to be intentional about that part—about the joy.

intentional joy as part of stewardship

I appreciate that our fundraising committee has been working diligently for several months to help lead our effort here to eliminate this church’s building debt. And way back when the committee began its work, one of the items they identified as part of their task would be to put together some kind of celebration event for this congregation when the campaign concluded. Promoting generosity was an important priority for this committee. But just as important was a priority to promote joy along with our opportunity to be generous.

“God loves a cheerful giver” - approves, delights

Paul says that God loves a cheerful giver. Let’s be clear. It is not as though the opposite is also true. God does not hate a reluctant giver. It is not in God’s nature to hate the people he has created in his own image. We should understand Paul’s use of the word love in this verse to be one of approval or delight. God approves a cheerful giver. God delights in a cheerful giver.

generosity shares joy along with God - act of stewardship becomes act of worship

Or can we think of it this way? God takes joy in the cheerful blessings of his people. And here is where Paul is going with it. When we give with a heart of blessing, we are able to share that joy along with God. We and God are joyful together. At this point our stewardship crosses a line from being an act of generosity to being, in fact, an act of holiness. It is an act of generosity that connects our joy together with the joy of our Lord.

This is why we set aside time in the middle of our Sunday worship service for deacons to send plates down the rows. Our offering is part of our worship. Our generosity is itself an act of worship right up alongside of singing praises and hearing God’s word. Perhaps that is a reminder we all need to hear today. our regular practiced habit and routine of offering in worship is not just a space filler for us to whip through the announcements in the bulletin. It is not just a space to hear Andrew or someone else present a wonderful piece of music for us to hear. It is the place we set aside each week for our generosity to be continually reconnected with the joy of God in an act of worship.

I know we all have different ways of presenting our offering. Some of us here use these envelopes and give something every single week. Some of us give our offering in bigger chunks at other set times—once a month, or quarterly. Some of us give online or through an estate planning provider. That’s all okay. There is no one right form in which we should be generous. But there is a right heart and attitude in which we should be generous.

find ways to say prayer of blessing as part of my generosity

So, here is my challenge. Here is something new to try if you do not do this already. Bless your offering as it is given. Every week when that plate is passed, say a silent prayer of blessing giving thanks to God for the joy in which we participate through these gifts. Even if you are one of those people who give online, so when the plate passes by you do not have anything physical to place into it, that is still your opportunity to say a silent prayer of blessing for whatever it is you have been able to give. There is a reason that our deacons here to not just pass one plate and just throw it all in one basket all at once. The community offering collects separately so that we have an opportunity to pray a blessing upon just that act of generosity. The Christian Education assistance offering is separate so that we have an opportunity to pray a blessing upon just that offering and the children and families who are blessed by it.

And consider this. Coming up in the next month the Council will be distributing a spreadsheet with our church’s proposed 2020 general fund budget. Now, first of all, we do this so that every member of this church has an opportunity to participate in sharing the vision of how we allocate material resources in this church. But also consider this. We share a detailed projection of how we intend to spend the money you give so that as you present your offering, you may have the opportunity to participate in the joy of God by being able to bless the gift you give knowing exactly where we intend for it to go and how it gets used. I want this church to give you every opportunity to delight in our regular practice of stewardship so that we may also share in the delight of our God in the sharing of blessings.

God’s grace in my life is not an obligation, but an overflow of his blessing

my generosity is not an obligation, but an overflow of God’s blessing

You see, stewardship is not an obligation that is placed upon us as a reluctant expectation. It is an overflow of the blessing which God provides upon each one of us. His love and his grace and his mercy were not obligations provided by God. His love and his grace and his mercy are an overflow of his love provided freely as the blessing of our savior and Lord for the world he loves so much. It is our act of faith and our joy to participate in the blessing of God as our action of stewardship generosity.

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