Sermon Tone Analysis

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.