What Gives?

What Gives?

Faith and Victory Church

2 Corinthians 8:1-7

February 19^th, 2025

Dan Alexander

2 Corinthians 8:1-7

“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints – and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you – see that you excel in this act of grace also.”

• Explain that the gift of grace is a collection to send to the saints in Jerusalem who were experiencing much persecution. Even the church in Macedonia who were very poor, gave generously.
• The church in Corinth was given the directive in Paul’s first letter to them, now he is encouraging them to finish strong.

1 Corinthians 16:1-3

“Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.”

Tithing and giving is a hot topic in today’s church.

• Evokes images of 70’s televangelists asking you to send in money to get healed
• Or fake prophet swindler’s from the movies
• Or even the “name it claim it” prosperity gospel crowd.
• This concern even existed in Paul’s day
• 1 Timothy 6:3-5 “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people wo are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.”

Some pastors don’t want to ever talk about it lest they offend someone. Or want to minimize talking about giving out of sensitivity to those who don’t have much.

Barna.com reports…

• Only 21% of “Christians” give at least 10% (the typical tithe/tenth standard)
• 25% of “Christians” do not give to their church at all
• 58% of “Practicing Christians” (those who go at least once a month) give less than 10%

The history of giving to God and the work of the Lord goes back to the beginning of human history.

• Giving offering to God beginning with Cain and Able

Genesis 4:3-4 “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering”

• Abram recognized God’s hand in victory and spoils and Melchizedek priest of God Most High

Genesis 14:14-16 “When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained me, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people”

(Then in verse 18)

Genesis 14:18-20 “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’ And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

• Construction a house for God
  • Exodus 25:1-2, 8 “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me’”, “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst”.
• Supplying those spreading the gospel
  • Philippians 4:14-19 “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of your according to his riches in glory in Crist Jesus.”

• But “WAIT” you say, “I worked hard to earn what I have”.
  • Deuteronomy 8:17-18 “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day”.

Now that we know we should give our first and best to the Lord, HOW do we give as Christians in 2025? By the same standard set 2000 years ago.

1. Verse 5 “…but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”
   1. The primary thing is that Christ came to same sinners.
   2. Without Christ in your life you are at risk of losing your soul
   3. Luke 12:16-21 “And he told them a parable, saying, the land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, what shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? And he said, I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
   4. Notice! Jesus did not condemn the man because he was greedy, or selfish, or that he did not give his money. He called him fool because he did not take care of his soul.
2. Verse 3 “For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,”
   1. Old testament standard was 10% which is what Abram gave Melchizedek
   2. Also in the Law of Moses,
      1. Leviticus 27:30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord”.
      2. Numbers 18:26

• Deuteronomy 14:24

1. 2 Chronicles 31:5

1. Commonly Christians have adopted 10% as a minimum “tithe”
2. Some Christians say that we no longer need to give 10% because the New Testament does not command it, it takes away from generosity, and does not take into account people’s circumstances.
3. 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
4. Story about Outback Steakhouse when that couple always came in and tipped 10% and would say that they gave God 10% so they were not going to tip more than that. I said, you could always give God 15%.
5. Christians often use this fact to excuse giving much less or not at all but Paul said they “gave beyond their means”.
6. Does Jesus advocate that if “you can’t afford it” you should not give 10%?
   1. Mark 12:41-44 “And He (Jesus) sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
7. How about the early Christians, did they feel 10% was too much?
   1. Acts 4:34-35 “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”
8. Lord promises provision and blessing when we give
   1. Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first-fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine”.
   2. How can giving more to the Lord leave you with more? We always called it God math. We saw it happen over and over again.
   3. Proverbs 11:24 “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want”.
   4. Malachi 3:7-10 “From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need”.
   5. Luke 6:38, Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
9. Your heart has to be in the right place, Verse 4 “of their own accord, begging earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints”
   1. Giving with the desire and expectation on getting more is not how it works. Beware of your heart!
   2. 1 Timothy 6:5-11 Speaks about false teachers who bring “constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
   3. Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
   4. Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
10. Now just give and be generous, Verse 7 “But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you – see that you excel in this act of grace also.”
    1. 2 Corinthians 9:6 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

What Gives