Finish the Task

Jeremy Franklin

NA • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Paul appeals to the Corinthians to complete the collection they had promised.

Notes

Transcript

You know that person who, when you see them coming, you already know what they’re going to say before they say it? Before they even get to you, you know what they’re going to talk about, so you ignore what they say. Well, I am that guy and you guessed it- I’m going to talk about giving.

I’ve been reading through 2 Corinthians with my discipleship group, and we journal about what we read, and we respond to it with some kind of change in our attitudes, actions, convictions, etc… When I read 2 Corinthians 8 I was convicted on two levels- one was personal, it had to do with me and my family and reassessing our level of giving to the church. Not that we don’t give, we do give.

It is a discipline that Becky & I established very early in our marriage. I was the only one working, at rural church, my first full-time vocational ministry, Will was just a baby, and because I worked at the church, I got paid on Sundays. So, I’d write our tithe check on Sunday and try to beat the treasurer to the bank on Monday morning so that our check didn’t bounce. That was over 20 years ago, but we learned something: you can’t out-give God. When you’re faithful to Him, He will be faithful to you.

When I read 2 Corinthians 8, I felt like God was convicting me that we need to reevaluate our level of giving. But I also felt like the Lord was showing me something that I needed to share with you. I can’t do anything but share the Scriptures and try to apply it to our church’s situation, but that’s all I can do. I can only inform you, but only God can inspire you, and only you can enlist in the work.

2 Corinthians 8:7–11, But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. 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.

Context: This was written to the Corinthians to appeal to them to complete the collection they had promised to support the ministry to the saints (4). In chapter 7, where Paul talks about the joy they had brought him, that he had bragged about them to Titus, and they had not disappointed him. Now in this chapter, he is hopeful that they will not disappoint him in regard to the collection but will keep their promise. Vs. 11, complete the doing of it; KJV- perform the doing of it; NIV- finish the work; CSB- Finish the Task. There are at least four reasons we need to finish the task we’ve promised to complete. I will give you all the points and fill in the gaps as we go.

1. The Grace of God

2. The Generosity of Others

3. The Genuineness of your Love

4. The Glory of Christ

Paul begins this chapter telling them about the grace of God that had been given to the Macedonian churches- this includes the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. If you have maps in the back of your Bible with Paul’s missionary journeys, you will see the big body of water is the Mediterranean Sea, and in the center of it, to the north is the Aegean Sea, Northwest of that is Macedonia, where these churches were, to the south of Macedonia, the west of the Aegean, is Achaia, and that is where Corinth is, the people of the church we are reading about today.

So, his first appeal to the Corinthian church is the grace that God had shown the Macedonian churches, and it was by the example of the Macedonian churches that Paul now urged the church at Corinth to finish the task they promised they would do.

Not only does he urge them on the basis of God’s grace towards the Macedonians, but he also appeals to them by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (9). He is referring to Christ’s grace towards us in his incarnation and death. The Eternal Son of God humbled himself and became a man.

Philippians 2:6–8, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

The Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, died a righteous death, and rose from the dead. The life he lived fulfilled all righteousness, the death he died was the sacrifice for sin and a substitute for sinners, his resurrection vindicated His Lordship. If you are lost, you need only to repent of your sins and to receive Christ by trusting in Him as your Lord and Savior.

So, Paul’s appeal to them to give was on the basis of God’s Grace to the Macedonians and through the Lord Jesus (1, 9). He even urges them to complete this grace of giving (6) and abound in it (7). All Giving Has its Root in God’s Grace. You just cannot out-give God.

Paul again points to the Macedonian churches, not just God’s grace but how it overflowed in their generosity. The Macedonians didn’t have it to give, but out of severe trials and extreme poverty, they still begged Paul for the opportunity to give. vs. 2- NKJV/KJV- riches of their liberality, to be understood as wealth of generosity. They gave freely according to their ability and even beyond it.

No one became a Christian in a vacuum. Someone, somewhere, somehow, invested in us and through the grace of God provided for us that someone who met our deepest need by introducing us to Jesus Christ.

E.g. My dad told me the story of how he came to Jesus. My Granny was a little older than usual when he was born, my aunt Betty was 12 years older than my daddy, and my Papaw was disabled. They were really poor. The North Oxford Baptist Church would bring them groceries at Christmas time, and one Sunday afternoon, the pastor at that church, Jim May, came down the old gravel road where their house was and talked to my dad about Jesus and led him to the Lord. That church that invested in my daddy when he was just a boy and was instrumental in his early Christian life, has now impacted my life, because my parents raised me in church, and I was called into the ministry and my son’s life, because he was raised in church and has been called into the ministry.

You cannot tell how far God will take your gift and use it to reach someone you don’t even know.

God tests us in this. By His Grace and through the Generosity of others, the authenticity of our love is being tested. The word sincerity (8) means what is true or genuine. Finishing the task tests the genuineness of our love.

IMO, Farley Street is the best church I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of. As I’ve said, my dad’s a pastor and I was raised in church. I surrendered to the ministry and started serving in churches when I was 19, so for 25 years I’ve been able to serve in various roles and in various churches. This one has been my favorite, and Lord willing, Farley Street will be my last.

You excel at so much! Friendliness, welcoming spirit, faithfulness, encouragement, service… On the basis that the Corinthians abounded in faith, speech, knowledge, diligence, and love, Paul says he is using the diligence of others (i.e. Macedonians) to test the sincerity or genuineness of their love (8). Understand, this is not something they HAVE to do, it’s not something he is commanding them to do, there is no compulsion other than the fact they said they would do it and now he is saying, finish what you said you would do.

When we give, it tests the authenticity and sincerity of our love for the Lord, for the church, for our leaders, for others. He tests our love in what we’re willing to do for the sake of others.

We finish the task for the Glory of Christ. vss. 23-24

I’m skipping ahead a lot because we don’t have time to cover the whole chapter. I encourage you to go back and read it, along with chapter 9. In vss. 16-22, Paul gives them instructions for the how to take up and send the collection. He sent Titus and another unnamed brother to them, who is well-known for his Gospel ministry. It’s in this section that we really get to the heart of our giving, our serving, etc… what we do and why we do it- it’s for the sake of the Gospel. This same brother was appointed by the churches to accompany Paul as he delivered the gift. This was to protect them so that no one would think they had been dishonest in the delivery or distribution of the gift. Here’s what I want you to see, two things- the administration of the gift is for the glory of the Lord (19) for the glory of Christ (24). If our giving has its root in the grace of God the heart of it is the Glory of Christ.

So what begins with grace ends in glory. In between there is the generosity of others and the genuineness of our love. Let me show you how this applies to us.

If ever there was a church that could say God has been gracious to it, it’s us! God has been gracious to Farley Street! Let me give you a few Fast Facts about God’s grace towards us.

We began in 1912, when a small group of people met under a tent on the grounds of the Texas Baptist Home for Children.

By God’s grace, the church organized in 1913 as Marvin Street Baptist Church with six charter members. Two lots were bought on Farley Street, and a year later a building was moved there. The name changed to Farley Street Baptist Church.

In 1941 the church called L.H. Raney to be our pastor and and the Sunday School attendance was 69. In 1944 a brick auditorium was built and in 1946 an educational building was added. By God’s grace, during the next ten years the church grew and bought the lot at 600 E. Marvin. In 1962, the church dedicated a new 600-seat sanctuary and educational building.

In 1966 Jack McDaniel was called as pastor. In 1974 the church added a 12,000 sq. ft. education addition. In 1985 we started a new congregation four miles north of the city. By God’s grace, we provided the land & facility for Heritage B.C., & sent over 50 members to the new church.

In 1989 Kirk Shelton was called as pastor. During Kirk's ministry, the educational buildings were remodeled and the AWANA ministry began.

In March 1993, we called Richard Smith to be our pastor. He has been here 27 years! By God’s grace, the vision then was the same as it is now- to be the church where you have a friend!

In 1994 the church purchased ten acres on Brown Street with plans to relocate- for $90,000. The old building was landlocked, Waxahachie was growing, and the church had a vision to be ready for the influx of people coming to Ellis County. The population was 19,592, in 2020 it has doubled- 39,255!

In 2005 the church voted to sell the old building. By God’s grace, someone called the very next morning to buy the property! A 92 year old church had 30 days to move out.

By God’s grace, members of our church Michael & Susan Brown provided temporary facilities for the church and we met there 2.5 years. The hope was to just maintain, but by God’s grace we actually grew and began reaching people from all over the county.

By God’s grace, in November of 2008 we moved into Phase I of our new facilities (currently the Family Life Center, nursery, children’s & student ministry areas). We were in phase one for six years, running two services, on the verge of three, with limited space for classes and groups, and the staff had to move off site because their offices were needed to meet in.

By God’s grace, phase II was completed and dedicated in 2014 (the Worship center, offices, music suite, & classrooms). Since then we’ve seen even more growth, more salvations & baptisms, sent out missionaries, and are ready to receive new people moving to our growing community.

By God’s grace, hundreds of people have come to trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. By God’s grace a sister church was started. By God’s grace we’ve outgrown old facilities and built new ones. By God’s grace the church has relocated several times and expanded our reach each time. By God’s grace, we have ministered the Gospel for 107 years, and unless or until the Lord comes back, I hope we’ll be here for another 107 years.

I want us to see children, grandchildren, and great children, coming to the know the Lord; generations of families worshiping together, ministry being doing both inside the building and out in the community, people being sent on mission to make disciples among the nations. How great would it be to plant another church and send out more missionaries to make a real kingdom difference?

Let me tell you something else. We’ve gotten here on the generosity of others. Think of all those thousands of people over the last 107 years that invested in this church for you and I to be where we are, in this building right now. If you don’t know it, we’re still paying for this building. It is by the grace of God that we are here, and it’s on the generosity of others that we have this building.

For the most part, our building payment is made out of our general fund. Every year, we spend $544,000 on our loan payment, that’s a little over $45,000/month. We have a relatively small group of people in our church, about 80 or so, that help subsidize our loan. They give faithfully every month to the building fund, a little over $11,000/avg. Now, our interest is based on the unpaid balance, which is around $7,000,000. A debt is a promise to pay, and we have a pretty substantial vow to keep.

Paul told the Romans to Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law (Rom 13:8). David, in Psalm 37:21, The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.

Now, not all debt is bad debt. There’s some good debt too. The debt to love is good. The debt of gratitude we owe God is good. The debt that allows a church to grow, expand, and reach new people is good debt, but we still have to pay it. I’m grateful for those who already contribute to it, and I’m convicted that there are many who can and should join them. We have an incredible opportunity to continue growing in ministry and mission, but we need to finish the task.

So, we’re being tested. Will we continue to just make the payments as they come, getting by as best we can, or will we begin an active and aggressive campaign to pay down the debt so that we can expand our future reach? Every month, our payment is divided into about $29,000 interest, $16,000 in principle. We already have generous members giving $11,000 towards that payment, but what if we increased it to $16,000? That gives an extra $5,000/month to the general fund for ministry and mission. What if we went beyond it? What if we began to raise more than $16,000/month towards principle, we could really begin to pay down this debt and look towards expanding the ministry and mission of the church. The genuineness of our love is being tested.

Finally, what starts in grace ends in glory. I’m really convicted about this. I wasn’t here when the church voted to buy the property, sell the building, relocate, and build. But I’m here now, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for our church and this community. We have a great Gospel opportunity in front of us to give glory to Christ. He deserves what Paul says in vs. 5, for us to give ourselves to the Lord first, and by His grace and for His glory, then give what we promised.