The Joy of Generosity: The Father’s Joy in Cheerful Givers (2 Cor. 9:6-11) | Pastor Mike Fabarez

Well, I'm really glad that we've reached this often chapter 9 in our series on generosity.

We're five weeks in. Congratulations.

You're almost done with this series.

But this particular section in verse six, this verse, uh, I'm I'm glad that we can quote it and teach it because it needs to be put in context because we

need to extract it from the mouth of the tea evangelist and put it here in its proper context because I know you've heard it quoted to you and if you're back in the cable days like the old

folks, uh, you couldn't avoid it. you

want to ser the channels, you had to pass, you know, certain channels. And

you're going to hear this quoted at you often. And you see it there printed on

often. And you see it there printed on your worksheet. Verse six was always

your worksheet. Verse six was always quoted. And that is if you sow

quoted. And that is if you sow sparingly, you're going to reap sparingly. But if you if you sow

sparingly. But if you if you sow bountifully, then you know what's going to happen. You're going to reap

to happen. You're going to reap bountifully. You're going to unleash

bountifully. You're going to unleash you're going to unleash the prosperity in your life. You're going to sew that that that vow of faith. Right? I see

someone in this room that is tied in poverty.

But this promise right here is going to free you from your poverty. Over time,

you've tried to budget your way out of this poverty. But here is the covenantal

this poverty. But here is the covenantal promise of God. If you would just send your money into my ministry,

operators are standing by.

You can have God bountifully provide you a harvest of financial prosperity.

It's right there. This is not my opinion. God's word. You sow

opinion. God's word. You sow

bountifully.

Maybe a $1,000. We don't need your pocket change. We don't want $10, $50

pocket change. We don't want $10, $50 from you right now. A $1,000 vow of faith. That's what you need to do. Some

faith. That's what you need to do. Some

of you can do $5,000.

There's high schoolers in this room right now that can give $5,000.

You know where to find that money.

$5,000. You send it in and God can multiply. What are you driving right

can multiply. What are you driving right now? You happy with what you're driving?

now? You happy with what you're driving?

God can change that and harden.

You okay living where you're living? One

house enough for you? I just don't want you living the way you're living hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck. You read

God's word right here. What does it say?

Prosperity. Bountiful prosperity. All

you got to do is sew your seed of faith.

Sew it. Not sparingly. Bountifully,

right? I mean, you've heard this, have you not?

I don't have to put on my, you know, impressions here. I just need to tell

impressions here. I just need to tell you, don't don't applaud that. That goes

against everything I'm trying to teach you this morning.

Here's what I'm trying to tell you is that if you've been with us the last five weeks, there's no possible way you can take that passage and and and try and think that someone on channel 40 is got the right perspective on this.

Channel 4, that means nothing to you.

You cut the cable a long time ago. But

you do understand that people that want to make this something that is about your prosperity and if you just give a little bit more to this ministry or that ministry or your church that you're going to go from, you know, middle class

to upper class. That is not what this passage is about. I mean, you know where where we've been. Every week we've reminded you this is about a famine in Jerusalem and this is about giving and

helping and sacrifice and selflessness.

It is not about a selfish tool about trying to move myself into upper mobility financially. That's not what

mobility financially. That's not what this is about. And this is certainly not about some preacher using a passage to try and twist your arm because the very next verse says in verse 7, not about

being uh compuls compulsory giving. This

is not about you being someone who's being forced to do something. This about

willingness. This is about cheerful giving. This is not about you being uh

giving. This is not about you being uh you know somehow threatened that you got to get this gift in and then if you just do that then then then you you'd get

this. I mean, there could be nothing in

this. I mean, there could be nothing in this text about you having some transactional relationship with God.

This is I mean, if there's anything about this that's been relational. I

mean, it's going to get to this particular passage about your relationship with God that God loves a cheerful giver. This is about

cheerful giver. This is about relationship not only with God, but with the people in Jerusalem that that we should be caring about. If we're in Corinthian sandals, we're going to know this is this is not about that. This is

such a distortion, such an abuse of God's word that I don't even need to to keep going and telling you what it doesn't mean. You should know what it

doesn't mean. You should know what it doesn't mean if you've been with us in this series. So, it it's helpful that we

this series. So, it it's helpful that we at least just address the fact that th though you will have heard this abused and and surely you'll hear it abused again at some point that we know now

that we've reached verse six in context that you know what it doesn't mean. But,

but we need to lean in to figure out what it does mean. And that's what we should spend our time doing this morning because there is something going on here. And some of it won't be easy, I

here. And some of it won't be easy, I think, on the surface to understand.

Even that phrase that seems to roll off the tongue and be so, you know, agreeable that that God loves a cheerful giver. That's a great line in verse 7.

giver. That's a great line in verse 7.

But, uh, even that kind of got some thorny problems to it. So, we need to figure this all out. So, let me read it for you first. Verses 6 through 11 in 2 Corinthians chapter 9. Follow along as I read it for you from the English

Standard Version and see if we can't make sense of all of this in its context.

What does this mean?

Very important we know what it doesn't mean, but it's even more important that we learn what it does mean.

The point is this. Now, something very important about this, which is not just the first couple lines in this agrarian illustration. It's about an agrarian

illustration. It's about an agrarian illustration for sure, which is used in a lot of ways in the New Testament, right? about sewing and reaping. We read

right? about sewing and reaping. We read

it in Galatians. We read it here. A lot

of different ways this is applied. The

gospel, you know, doing wrong things and catering to the flesh. Here it's about about generosity. And it says the point

about generosity. And it says the point is this. Whoever sows sparingly will

is this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. Whoever sws

bountifully will reap bountifully. What

is this about getting rich? Is that what this is about? Keep reading. Now, we're

going to deal first of all with how this is done. What does it mean to to sew?

is done. What does it mean to to sew?

What does it mean? One must give as he's decided in his heart. And that's a recapitulation, a re a summary of what we've already talked about, but it's put in a nice tur way, a nice compact way.

Each one must give as he's decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful

compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. That seems really sweet, but

giver. That seems really sweet, but that's some simple concepts that I think evangelicals really struggle with. And I think I'll

I'll I'll make that clear in just a second. Verse eight. And God is able to

second. Verse eight. And God is able to make all grace abound to you. I hope he means money by that. That's what that's what the tele evangelists are are hoping you if you read if you keep reading in

the context which they never make you turn to any of these passages. They just

quote them to you. But that's what if someone turns to this passage that that's what they hope that that's what it means. God is able to make all grace

it means. God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things you may abound in every good work. I'm not excluding the fact as you'll see from the quotation in Psalm 112 that's about to

show up here which I have already quoted part of Psalm 112 in this series and it is a great psalm and I'm going to tell you we're going to get there again this morning but he's going to quote verse 9

in Psalm 112 and certainly may include your finances but he's saying God is going to provide graciously provide things to you so that you'll have all sufficiency and all things that you can

abound in every good work. That's the

harvest that God wants to produce in you. Good things, good works, doing good

you. Good things, good works, doing good as it is written. Now, this is the point. The he here, the pronoun he is

point. The he here, the pronoun he is the one who's doing good works. That's

what Psalm 112 is all about. It's a

great psalm. And we'll see in a minute why this is the psalm that clearly, humanly speaking, comes to Paul's mind.

Clearly, the Holy Spirit's obviously guiding this whole thing. But it says he, right, the the generous one has distributed freely. That's what the

distributed freely. That's what the generous person does. He's given to the poor. If someone needs something, he's

poor. If someone needs something, he's he's ready to do it. His righteousness

endures forever. That's not God. This is

the generous person. His righteousness

keeps on flowing. It keeps on going. It

even lives beyond his life on this earth. Now, he, this is a different he.

earth. Now, he, this is a different he.

This is God, right? God who supplies seed to the sewer and bread for food.

Clearly in the context we know that God's the one who does that will supply and multiply your seed for sewing and increase the harvest of your

righteousness. Now again we see back up

righteousness. Now again we see back up in verse eight good works and now we see righteousness. If you really want to get

righteousness. If you really want to get technical about what we're talking about in terms of the bountiful harvest up there the the the reaping in verse six.

We know that the word that Paul wants to use here is righteousness. We want more righteousness, which again is always about others. It's always about good for

about others. It's always about good for God. It's always about the glory of God.

God. It's always about the glory of God.

It's always about greatness somehow out there as it relates to being a a godly person, holiness. It's very, you know,

person, holiness. It's very, you know, spiritual in terms of doing good as opposed to grubbing and and and greedy and selfish and materialistic. Clearly,

that's not the context. So, I want to increase in the harvest of my righteousness. I want to abound in every

righteousness. I want to abound in every good work to quote verse 8 and verse 10.

Verse 11, you will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way through which or which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. So every way

certainly can and does at times include your finances, but for what reason? So

you can buy a boat, get a bigger house, right? have a Rolls-Royce or get a, you

right? have a Rolls-Royce or get a, you know, a jet, a personal jet like the guys that are pitching this stuff on on on TV. That's not the point. It's not

on TV. That's not the point. It's not

about, you know, spending it on your pleasures to quote James 4, right? This

is about your righteousness. This is

about the quote from Psalm 112 that you would be someone who is doing righteous things and abounding in more good works and and and and reaping a harvest of righteousness.

Okay, we got to start with the last five words of verse 7. God loves a cheerful giver. I want to start there because

giver. I want to start there because this is really the carrot that is hung out in front of us. And it's not a carrot at all for a lot of evangelicals because they have no place to put this

in their theology. And it may sound like this whole first point is some kind of a parenthetical section, some kind of sidebar, but but please bear with me in this. indulge me in this little section

this. indulge me in this little section here because I think we need to think this through as Christians who are going to absolutely affirm the evangelical

gospel. We believe in the the the the

gospel. We believe in the the the the angelon, the good news. And the good news, as you know, is that we are sinners and that we because of God's grace can be declared righteous through

the imputation, the accredit the accrediting of God's uh uh righteousness in Christ. Christ's righteousness is

in Christ. Christ's righteousness is imputed to us. Right? This is Romans 4 that we are counted as righteous before God. Right? We don't have it and then we

God. Right? We don't have it and then we have it just to speak in terms of human time. Right? And now all of a sudden we

time. Right? And now all of a sudden we are declared righteous and that's based on God's grace through faith. That is

what we believe. And therefore the you have it or you don't have it that we agree. So the problem with this is when

agree. So the problem with this is when I start to give a a 7-week series on on generosity, you can read this and say, "Well, what carrot is this at all?" To

say God loves a cheerful giver, right?

If I'm going to take giving and say cheerful giver, just use that as a rubric or a title or an umbrella or a heading for the good giving that's described throughout chapters 8 and nine. Of course, this is horizontal

nine. Of course, this is horizontal giving to to people over here in Jerusalem that need it, which has become the paradigm for all the giving that we do horizontally. But we also have to

do horizontally. But we also have to talk about vertical giving, which clearly is the kind of giving that we give to God through our church in the New Covenant age, the New Testament age.

So we realize giving has to go on and we want to do that well. And if we're doing that well and we're saying this just in terms of this whole thing about generosity, yeah, God loves the good giver, the good giver that does it

right, with the right disposition, the right motives, the right way. Okay,

that's great. But some of us say, "Well, we're evangelical Christians. I I'm in Christ. God loves me as much as he's

Christ. God loves me as much as he's ever going to love me because I'm I'm a Christian. I'm accepted. I'm accepted

Christian. I'm accepted. I'm accepted

fully in Christ. He loves me in the beloved. And so I'm I'm loved. And so

beloved. And so I'm I'm loved. And so

what does that matter? I don't have to be a great giver to be loved by God. It

says right there, he loves a cheerful giver. And that's a great, but I have no

giver. And that's a great, but I have no place to put that. How is that a carrot for me? I don't have to stretch to be

for me? I don't have to stretch to be loved by God. Do you can you start to see where this is like a a no, this is this is nothing. How is this a motive for me? And and I want to say we got to

for me? And and I want to say we got to fix this problem because it needs to be a motive for you. And the word love here is part of the problem. So we need to

start with this. And and I'm going to take the word out in the point because you're going to look back at this and I don't want you to stumble at this if you find these notes six months from now. So

let's write it down this way. And we're

going to take the word cheerful giver.

We're going to kind of expand it to the whole concept of what we've been dealing with in chapters 8 and nine of 2 Corinthians. And let me just give me the

Corinthians. And let me just give me the latitude to word it this way. Okay.

Number one, no. God takes special joy in good givers. Right? I'm just using that

good givers. Right? I'm just using that to summarize these five words, right?

God loves a cheerful giver. God takes

special joy in good givers. Now, that's

not going to shock you when you read it six months from now. But the words are right, God loves a cheerful giver. Now,

you may be coming in here, right, five weeks into the series going, "Yeah, but he also loves a mediocre giver, too. I'm

I'm fine being a mediocre giver because I you know giving you I I'll I'll be an okay evangelist and I'll be a really good usher and maybe I'll you know I'll serve a wana. I'm just not going to I'm

not going to stretch on this giving thing because I I just I need I need all my money. So I'm just I'm never I'm not

my money. So I'm just I'm never I'm not going to let her in giving. So

and then I'm going to say, "Oh no, but God loves a cheerful giver." Yeah, but I'm an evangelical Christian. I'm loved

as much as I could ever be loved by God because I'm a Christian. God looks at me, he sees Christ. You know how much God loves Christ. He loves Christ to death, man. He loves Christ. So, I can't

death, man. He loves Christ. So, I can't be any more love than that. So, what

does that mean? I don't know what it means, but it doesn't mean I mean, it doesn't really mean anything to me.

Matter of fact, I could be a terrible giver and God would still love me. Do

you see the problem here? Okay, three

things. Let's just work through this. It

may sound completely like where is he going with this? Let's start with this number one. Yes. Letter A. Yes, God

number one. Yes. Letter A. Yes, God

loves all people. And by that I mean all our contemporary humans on the planet.

Yes, God loves all people. Okay, jot

that down. Be worth jotting down. This

will this is going somewhere. Trust me

with this, right? Yes, God loves all people. Sermon on the mount, Matthew uh

people. Sermon on the mount, Matthew uh chapter 5. Here's what Jesus says. You

chapter 5. Here's what Jesus says. You

should love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Why? Because

then you'll be sons of the most high who causes his son to rise on the evil and the good and sends his reigns right on the crops of the just and the unjust.

That word, by the way, same word translated the righteous and the unrighteous. Okay? I'm going to be a

unrighteous. Okay? I'm going to be a chip off the old block. I'm going to be just like God if I love right my enemies. So these are the enemies of

enemies. So these are the enemies of God. But he loves them. Let's start with

God. But he loves them. Let's start with this. Now there are two ways the concept

this. Now there are two ways the concept of love is communicated to us in the Bible. Okay. The first way is this way.

Bible. Okay. The first way is this way.

And this way is that God is looking after the good of his creatures in his human creatures. Let's put it this way.

human creatures. Let's put it this way.

His interest is for their good. He makes

sure right that the rain falls on their crops. He makes sure that the sun shines

crops. He makes sure that the sun shines on them. He is looking after them. He is

on them. He is looking after them. He is

a God that is the caretaker of his human beings in this generation. So that is his love. And in that sense, I'm going

his love. And in that sense, I'm going to say yes, God loves all people. And

that's one way we use the word love in the Bible. Now, if all you listen to is

the Bible. Now, if all you listen to is 70s love, you know, music on XM radio or whatever, you're going to just look on dimensionally at the word love, you're going to miss the point. Love in the

Bible can mean that kind of commitment to someone's well-being. And in that sense, we can say the Bible talks about God loving all people. Yes, God loves all people. But then, jot this down. If

all people. But then, jot this down. If

we also know there's another side that the Bible speaks of, another definition.

The word love is big enough to encompass something about the feeling of God. Now,

trust me, I believe in in the immutability of God. I believe in the impassibility of God. If you're if you're a theologian, no, I I believe all that. He's not driven and swayed by

that. He's not driven and swayed by emotions in that sense. But we're made in his image, right? And I know that he has feelings. I I can quote um Genesis

has feelings. I I can quote um Genesis 6:6, right? He regretted he made man. He

6:6, right? He regretted he made man. He

feels grief in his heart. Right? That

whole concept there in that passage because of their sin. He was grieved to his heart, his lab, his heart. So here's

the idea. That may be anthropomorphic to some sense, but it's giving us a sense in which God feels a particular way. Jot

this down. Psalm five. In Psalm five, here's what it says about the wicked.

Psalm five, right? Evil may not dwell with you. You do not delight in the

with you. You do not delight in the wicked. The boastful shall not stand

wicked. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes. You hate all evildoers. You destroy all who speak

evildoers. You destroy all who speak lies. The Lord uphores bloodthirsty men

lies. The Lord uphores bloodthirsty men and deceitful men. Okay, for you to say God loves all people, you're right to say that if love is defined as it is in

scripture sometimes as his intent, right, to look after people and and to intend good, to look after the well-being of people, and that is love.

Okay? But to say, you know, he feels peachy about everybody on the planet, right? That's that that's not to use

right? That's that that's not to use love in that sense. No, I can't say that. The Lord uphores, right? It says

that. The Lord uphores, right? It says

here, blood, thirsty, and deceitful. So,

someone that just got thrown into jail last night because they raped someone and is is sitting there in the in the Orange County jail. God's not going I love that guy. That's not that's not

God, right? He abhores bloodthirsty and

God, right? He abhores bloodthirsty and deceitful men. Someone that ripped you

deceitful men. Someone that ripped you off. Someone that got into your savings

off. Someone that got into your savings because they're out there a con man that called you up and ripped you off. No,

God God abhors that, right? He hates

evildoers. Now, this is not the Sunday school distinction that you learn when someone said God, right, loves the sinner and hates the sin. That's not

what I'm saying. I'm saying love is a word that we can talk about in terms of yes, he looks after the well-being of his creation, his creatures, right? But

when he looks at these people like like Psalm 2, he holds these people that hate him, God, and hate his anointed Christ, and he says he holds them in derision.

Now, does that mean he doesn't look after them? No. sends his son on the

after them? No. sends his son on the evil and the good. He calls them our enemies. Love your enemies. They're our

enemies. Love your enemies. They're our

enemies, right? But he's saying this like God, right? It's not like I'm out there trying to take my revenge on them.

And currently, God is not taking his revenge on them. They're storing up wrath to quote Romans 2 for the day of God's wrath. But right now, he's taking

God's wrath. But right now, he's taking care of them in the sense that he's he's looking out for them. He's at least maintaining their lives right now. So,

these can both be true at the same time.

God can hate the sinner. He can hate the sinner, right? He can have the the

sinner, right? He can have the the Genesis 66 response to them and also be the one who's causing his son to shine on them. And in that sense, you can say

on them. And in that sense, you can say that's a definition of of God's love for them. Okay. Second, letter B. Okay. Yes,

them. Okay. Second, letter B. Okay. Yes,

God has a special redemptive love for his people. That's a different kind of

his people. That's a different kind of love. Now, let's talk about it from an

love. Now, let's talk about it from an Old Testament perspective. Jot this down and if you're deaf in the scripture, you can get there quickly. Deuteronomy

chapter 10:es 14 and 15. Deuteronomy,

this is the the last book here of Moses and he's about to hand the baton off to Joshua. He's about to go into the

Joshua. He's about to go into the promised land. He's recapitulating the

promised land. He's recapitulating the law. Deuteronomy, that's what it means.

law. Deuteronomy, that's what it means.

Second giving of the law. He's going to talk about expand on it, commentate on it. And and here he's saying about God

it. And and here he's saying about God two things. Verse 14, listen. Behold, to

two things. Verse 14, listen. Behold, to

Yahweh, to to the Lord our God belong heaven and heaven of heavens, the earth and all that is in it. So, who owns the pink slip on the earth? God does. And

and all the things in it. All the read the last five chapters of Job. Even the

mountain goats that are birthing up in the mountains, right? These are God's animals, right? Everything in the earth,

animals, right? Everything in the earth, right? Everything. Read read Psalm 50.

right? Everything. Read read Psalm 50.

All of it. The cattle on a thousand hills. Everything out there to the flies

hills. Everything out there to the flies to the kangaroos to the giraffes to the cockroaches. All of it owned by God.

cockroaches. All of it owned by God.

including your neighbor, including the people in jail, including the people getting the, you know, the the the Nobel Peace Prize, everybody on the everybody owned by God. That's what it says. Okay,

next line. Yet the Lord set his heart of love on your fathers, right? That's the

patriarchs Abraham Isaac Jacob and chose their offspring after them, you above all the peoples as you are this day. Right? Here they are sitting there.

day. Right? Here they are sitting there.

Listen to Moses giving the second, you know, telling of the law as they're about to march in to the promised land under Joshua. You are a special group of

under Joshua. You are a special group of people. As he goes on to say in the

people. As he goes on to say in the book, not because you were greater than everybody else, not because you were smarter than everybody else, not because you were bigger in number than just because he chose to set his love on you.

So, he has a special covenant relationship with you people, this group of people, the offspring of of Abraham.

And I believe as Romans 11 says, right, that calling, right, and that covenant, it's irrevocable. And God has a plan for

it's irrevocable. And God has a plan for that group of people. New Testament. Now

God has right in this age an international organization where he's calling people into this relationship.

And now he has this relationship in the new covenant where he now calls people into an adoptive relationship. Doesn't

matter if you're from Israel. Doesn't

matter if you're barbarian, cyian, slave, free. Doesn't matter who you are,

slave, free. Doesn't matter who you are, right? You enter into this relationship

right? You enter into this relationship and God's covenant is set on you. He he

calls you to this. And then let me quote this one for you. Romans chapter 8. And

I quote this advisedly, and I picked this one. I could go to several

this one. I could go to several passages, verses 38 and 39. Here's what

Paul says. God says, "I am sure that neither here's a list now. Death nor

life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus

our Lord." Think that through. No, I

our Lord." Think that through. No, I

have a kind of love as a Christian in Christ. A love of God that's in Christ.

Christ. A love of God that's in Christ.

So God's love for Christ is different.

This adoptive love in Christ and I am now in Christ. And because I'm in Christ, I have this love from God on me.

And nothing will separate me from that.

And the first thing on the list is very big. It's called death. Now, there's

big. It's called death. Now, there's

something that's going to separate your neighbor if they're not a Christian from God's love. the sun rising and the rains

God's love. the sun rising and the rains falling and all his provision, right?

And it's it talked about Paul wrote the Thessalonians and talked about the fact they'll be separated from from God from the glory of his power, all the riches and all the things. It's called outer darkness where there's weeping, wailing, nash of teeth. God will, right, it's

appointed a man once to die and then comes the judgment. And so God will take his love, that provision of good, right, that interest in their good, that looking out for their well-being, and he will take it away. It's the passive

judgment of God. And so there will be a time when his love is not on them. And

he will say, "Okay, done.

But for us, never." That is the redemptive love of God placed upon every individual that is in Christ. And that

love will never go away. Now, that's

where a lot of evangelicals stop. We

read the book of Romans, we crescendo into chapter 8, and we go, "Fantastic."

And then we write best-selling Christian books about it, and we say this. We make

this categorical error. Everyone's got

an A+ in Christ. Everyone's got an A+.

Everyone's got Hey, I may be a really cruddy giver, but guess what I got in the giving department? I took the subject of giving with Christ. I got an A+. A+. You know why? Because Christ is

A+. A+. You know why? Because Christ is an A+ giver. You know what I got? A+.

You know, if you're a cruddy giver, guess what you're getting with God? A

cruddy grade.

Does that mean you don't go to heaven?

Doesn't mean that. Letter C. Those

things are true. Yes, God loves all people. Yes, God has a special

people. Yes, God has a special redemptive love for his people. But God

also has a special love for our obedience.

And it is contingent on our obedience.

This is the part evangelicals struggle with. You cannot conflate our adoptive

with. You cannot conflate our adoptive secure love that we have that is given to us in Christ and say that somehow

that means that when God looks at me all he sees is Christ and I can be terrible at all kinds of categories of my sanctification and it doesn't matter because if that's the case then God can say things like this to us in his word.

God loves a cheerful giver and you can say that's a that's a great platitude but doesn't mean anything to me because guess what? I get an A in that category

guess what? I get an A in that category anyway. Plus,

anyway. Plus, because you know this series, I can take it or leave it. If Pastor Mike preaches on this, he can preach a 55 part series on this. It doesn't matter. I don't have

on this. It doesn't matter. I don't have to take a single note. I don't have to give a dollar or more. Matter of fact, I don't have to give a I don't have to give a dime to this church. I don't have to give a dime to anybody in my small

group ever. I get an A.

group ever. I get an A.

And if I give something, I can I can give reluctantly and under compulsion.

It doesn't matter. God's going to love me as much as if I were a cheerful giver. That's a categorical error. God

giver. That's a categorical error. God

loves a cheerful giver. Or let's put it this way, the point that you wrote down.

God has a special joy when you give well. And you need to embrace that. That

well. And you need to embrace that. That

is the truth. It's a carrot hung out for you. And guess what God thinks of your

you. And guess what God thinks of your giving? If it's not good,

giving? If it's not good, that's what he thinks.

Some of you have adopted children. You

may have made the commitment to those kids, you're my kids. Give you my last name. You're in my family. And you may

name. You're in my family. And you may be saying to them when you bring them, I unconditionally love you. I love you unconditionally.

And you know what? I know what you mean.

And I believe you. Now, let me take all my little computing devices and all my thermometers of love and I'm going to come move into your house for the next

month and see how your love is toward your 5-year-old adopted child and I'm going to see that it's just A+

all month long.

Never ever does it just just a A+ A+ A plus A plus cuz those adoptive children never going to disappoint you cuz you

said to you said to them you told them unconditional.

Yeah, I get it. The ownership let's just put it that way as crass as that sounds.

Just like we are because it is crass if you want to put it that way. We are the slaves of Christ. We are owned by him redemptively. twice owned by Christ.

redemptively. twice owned by Christ.

Yeah, we're owned. We're his, right?

There there's no there's no there's no gift receipt here. I I'm I'm always going to be his. It doesn't mean I please him every John chapter 15 verse 10.

Jesus said if you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I've kept my father's commandments and I abide in his love. There was a kind of love that he's clinging to in his

relationship with the father because he perfectly kept his commandments. And

he's saying, "Hey, you'll abide in my love if you keep my commandments."

commandments." Now, think about that. What are you talking about? I know there's clarity

talking about? I know there's clarity because of the next verse. These things

I've spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.

Here's the thing about you and your loving relationship with God when you are obedient versus disobedient. First

John chapter 1 makes this clear. When

you're walking in the light as he is in the light, you have fellowship with one another, right? There's something about

another, right? There's something about that. And and and there's perfect

that. And and and there's perfect harmony there. You've noticed the title

harmony there. You've noticed the title of this seven-part series. I called it the joy of generosity.

And of course, I was looking forward to verse verse number u seven of of chapter nine. when everything is is firing on

nine. when everything is is firing on all cylinders and you are the generous Psalm 112 kind of giver. You are joyful in this, right? You are glad to do what

God asks us to do and you're you're even leaning into this sacrificially and and you find joy in and you're an obedient Christian. Some of you may say

obedient Christian. Some of you may say I'm not very good at this and you may say I'm not interested in moving further. Well, that's a foolish thing to

further. Well, that's a foolish thing to say because you should want right to abide in his love. You should want to have what comes with abiding in his

love, which is the joy that comes with a great fellowship with God.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4, Paul talks about the instructions that he gave them. We've urged you, we've asked you

them. We've urged you, we've asked you as you've received from us how you ought to walk to please God, just as you're doing, but that you do so more and more.

You keep the instructions that I'm giving you. The apostle Paul says with

giving you. The apostle Paul says with the authority of Christ that you'll do it more and more that you'll please God more and more. It's why I put that sanctification booklet on the back of the worksheet. I think I use the word

the worksheet. I think I use the word aggressive but that's the website the booklet. It's in our bookstore called

booklet. It's in our bookstore called just sanctification. Just a little

just sanctification. Just a little booklet.

I wrote that in response to a bestselling book that basically said the last chapter was I think entitled everybody gets an A+. You don't not everyone gets an A+ when it comes to your sanctification.

And and I talk about in one of those little chapters about the fact that we can please God or we can displease God.

He can take joy in us this week or he can have we can grieve him this week.

Until you get that, you will never have verse 7 mean anything to you. The last

five words of verse 7 will never be a motivation for you to be better at giving. Never. But they should. There's

giving. Never. But they should. There's

something here for you to have God say, "I love cheerful givers."

There has to be room in your theology for that to mean something. or a verse that I've quoted already in the series, Philippians 4:18.

He says, "The gifts that you sent are a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God." Well,

what if the Philippians said, "I don't want to send any of those." Well,

wouldn't I guess they it wouldn't have been a gift, an offering wouldn't be fragrant. It wouldn't be a sacrifice

fragrant. It wouldn't be a sacrifice acceptable to God. It wouldn't have pleased God.

Yes, that's the difference. You have an opportunity to do something that God would say, "Oh, that's a fragrant offering. Man, that's such an

offering. Man, that's such an acceptable, pleasing sacrifice to me.

You can make that difference. God loves a cheerful giver, which I think represents, right, all that's been dealt with here in these two chapters.

All right, let's get back to our passage, verse number eight.

If we can handle that truth, we'll get back to verses six and seven in a second, but let's just look at what this giving looks like.

Obviously, it's about, you know, what is the what is the reaping? I kind of tried to read this with some emphasis, verses 8 through 11, the what is the good, right?

What's the harvest? And I I pointed this out, good works and harvest of righteousness. But let me give you a

righteousness. But let me give you a heading and then we'll give you four quick sub points. Okay. Number two, you need to know that good giving produces real good. There's good that comes out

real good. There's good that comes out of you, right? doing some good giving which obviously is about proportion and it's about things that that we're going to deal with here but I want to deal

with all the things that in verses 8 through 11 are pointed out about the good that it produces if you start leaning in to gener generous giving with the right perspective that we're going

to read about in verses 6 and 7 then what's the good that can come out of so this is another carrot the carrot is it'll really please God and what's the good that can come from you being a more generous giver if after this seven-part

series you're a better generous person, right? What's some of the good that's

right? What's some of the good that's going to come? Well, let's start with verse eight. God is able to make all the

verse eight. God is able to make all the grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. So,

let's just deal with that. You're going

to abound in every good work. So much in the New Testament is about good works. I

think Colossians chapter 1, good works, doing good works. So, you got the second point there. There's the heading. Here's

point there. There's the heading. Here's

the first thing, right? It fulfills your purpose. You can put this in parenthesis

purpose. You can put this in parenthesis now. good works. That's one part of your

now. good works. That's one part of your purpose. And I'll just put down next to

purpose. And I'll just put down next to that Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10. And

that passage, I know you know it. It

says, "We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before him that you should walk in them." So, let's just picture it this

in them." So, let's just picture it this way. He's put a series of good works out

way. He's put a series of good works out there that he wants you to walk in. Now,

I don't mind watching YouTube as long as it's someone else's kid trying, right?

They're four or five years old. They

take a swipe at the T-ball. It dribbles

off the tea and they run in every direction. I don't mind if it's someone

direction. I don't mind if it's someone else's kid. They run to the car or they

else's kid. They run to the car or they run to the dugout. They run to the chase the ball down. That's fine. But I don't want my kid doing that. And if I'm the coach, I don't want any kid doing that

cuz there's some bases and even at 54, I want them to learn to go to first base and then second base and as long as they're still looking for the ball, go to third base. And if no one's looking, go home. Right? That's the whole point.

go home. Right? That's the whole point.

You got to touch all the bases. And

here's what I'm saying about this. God

has set out a set of good works for you to run in. And you're called to touch all the bases. And some of you are saying, because you have never even thought about the fact that you would really please God. God would just have a

special joy in you being a good, generous giver. And you're thinking,

generous giver. And you're thinking, well, can I do some other things because I I I don't want to part with any of my money or I'll just do a little bit here.

I'm just saying this. Do you understand that you cannot touch all the bases and the good works that God has purposed for you to do if it doesn't include some giving? It's got to include giving. If

giving? It's got to include giving. If

giving is not a part of the repertoire of what you intend to do in your Christian life, you're not touching all the bases. Because every Christian, it's

the bases. Because every Christian, it's going to involve giving. Well, if I had a bag of seed that was 300 pounds of of seed that I could afford to give some, it doesn't matter. Didn't the widow's

might prove something to us about this?

the two copper coins. You're you could have a a three ounce bag of seed. You

could have a three pound bag of seed.

You could have a a 13 pound bag of seed.

It's not about how much you start with, right? It's about you just having

right? It's about you just having something. And all of us have something.

something. And all of us have something.

And it's about you giving. And everyone

is supposed to give. And if you don't give, right, then you're not touching all the bases of good works. And that's

what chapter 8 and nine really are dealing with. And just jot this down.

dealing with. And just jot this down.

I've already touched on this in in previous sermons in this series, but Matthew 10:42, all of it is not just going to get the applaud of God, which I think we're touching on the last five words of verse 7, but it's going to be

rewarded eternally. I know everybody in

rewarded eternally. I know everybody in the the tele evangelist world wants to talk about the here and now rewards, but remember, even a cup of cold water, you will not lose your reward. And that

reward in that context is the eternal reward. God is going to eternally reward

reward. God is going to eternally reward you. There's something beyond in the

you. There's something beyond in the next life that God is saying, I'm not going to forget your good works.

Certainly, 1 Corinthians chapter 3 reminds us of that. All right? It's

going to fulfill your purpose. And your

purpose is to do good works, touching all the bases. And it's going to include giving. It has to. You can't cut that

giving. It has to. You can't cut that out of your your good works repertoire.

Second, verse 9 and the beginning of verse 10. Look at our passage. Do you

verse 10. Look at our passage. Do you

see it there? As it is written. Now,

he's going to quote Psalm 110, at least the ninth verse of it.

He says this, "He is distributed freely and he's given to the poor." Who's that?

The generous man. His righteousness

endures forever. Now, God, he who supplies seed for the sewer, seed to the sewer, and he supplied you some seed and bread for food, he's feeding you, will supply and multiply your seed for sewing. Okay, let's just stop there.

sewing. Okay, let's just stop there.

We'll read the end of verse 10 in a second. that is reminding us that God is

second. that is reminding us that God is going to supply for the person that is like the Psalm 112 person who is actually saying, "Yeah, I have no problem. I'm open-handed. I'm not

problem. I'm open-handed. I'm not

greedy. I I'm I'm ready to to be I'm ready to share. I'm ready to lend. I'm

ready to give." And you know what?

That's because he cares about righteousness. And righteousness is

righteousness. And righteousness is about saying, "Yeah, but there's a need.

I'm going to meet the need." Okay. Psalm

112. Did I say Psalm 110? I meant 112.

112. 112. Let's go to Psalm 112. and

just get this in context. Psalm 112.

Psalm 112. It's such a great text. We

need to read the the whole thing. I know

he's quoting uh I said verse 9. Not quoting verse 9.

He's vote quoting um Yeah, he is quoting verse 9. Sorry.

A lot of numbers in these sermons.

All right. Psalm 112. Are you there? I

was just killing time to get you there.

All right. It starts with the word hallelujah which is translated praise the lord right. Hallelu

you all ya the Lord. Praise the Lord.

What for? Well because of the blessing right that is upon the man who fears the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the

Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord. Right? What does that what does

Lord. Right? What does that what does that guy look like? He greatly delights in his commandments. Why do you think humanly speaking the apostle Paul thought of this passage? Well, he just

talked about right the Lord loves a cheerful giver. Giving, right, is the

cheerful giver. Giving, right, is the topic on the table. Godly people should give. That's what God wants. Generous

give. That's what God wants. Generous

Christians. Christ is the is the model.

We saw it in chapter 8. We're going to end in chapter nine with the inexpressable gift of Christ. Christ is

our model. Second chapter of of Philippians. That is our model. So, we

Philippians. That is our model. So, we

are called to do that. We should be happy. We should greatly delight in his

happy. We should greatly delight in his commandments. And so, it is that God

commandments. And so, it is that God loves when we're saying, "Hey, God wants us to be generous. I'm happy to be generous. I I'm I'm cheerful in my

generous. I I'm I'm cheerful in my generosity.

Well, what's that person like? Well, God

just blesses that person. That's the

whole point of this psalm. His offspring

will be mighty in the land. The

generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his

blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house and his righteousness endures forever. Oh, it is about being rich

forever. Oh, it is about being rich then, I guess. Well, that may be part of it. Why? Because righteousness, his

it. Why? Because righteousness, his righteousness endures forever.

Righteousness, you don't imagine a materialistic, greedy hoarder as a righteous man, do you? Do you ever see a righteous hoarder, greeder, greedy person? That's not that's that's not how

person? That's not that's that's not how you define righteousness. Righteousness

is is is the is going outward.

Righteousness is trying to do good. So

obviously, right, the wealth is not there so that he can build more silos, right? This is about someone whose

right? This is about someone whose righteousness continues on. The light

dawn in the darkness for the upright. He

is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

That's not to himself, right? He's

gracious. He's merciful. He's righteous.

Verse 5. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends. You need

something? Here it is. You got a need.

I'm generous. Who conducts his affairs with justice. He's not trying to get an

with justice. He's not trying to get an angle on this. He's not trying to get in your pocket. He's not trying to to rip

your pocket. He's not trying to to rip you off. For the righteous will never be

you off. For the righteous will never be moved. He'll be remembered forever.

moved. He'll be remembered forever.

That's what he means by his righteousness, right? It will endure

righteousness, right? It will endure forever. Keeps going. He's not afraid of

forever. Keeps going. He's not afraid of bad news. his heart is firm trusting in

bad news. his heart is firm trusting in the Lord in part because he's seen God continually providing just like you as a parent watching your kids be generous.

You want to continue to to to provide for that kid and God does too. Not so

that you can spend it on your pleasures but you can continually be supplied for more good works. And that's the picture.

You're not afraid of bad news. His heart

is firm trusting in the Lord. His heart

is steady. He won't be afraid until he looks on triumph on his adversaries. God

is is just plowing for this guy. And

why? Because verse 9, he's distributed freely. Here's the quotation. He's given

freely. Here's the quotation. He's given

to the poor. If there's a need, he meets it. His righteousness endures forever.

it. His righteousness endures forever.

Bottom of verse 9, his horn is exalted in honor. He is remembered. Right? The

in honor. He is remembered. Right? The

the the picture of this man's strength is is remembered. Now, the wicked can't handle it. Verse 10, they see it.

handle it. Verse 10, they see it.

They're angry. They nash their teeth.

They melt away. The desire of the wicked perish. But this guy, he greatly

perish. But this guy, he greatly delights in the commandments of God. And

the thing that is recapitulated throughout this text that's re re that's reprised over and over again. He's a

generous man. Generous man. Generous

man. And generous man who is not afraid.

You know the reason that you will not be as generous as you could be if you let it. And that is fear. You're afraid.

it. And that is fear. You're afraid.

And and and the righteous man who's ready to keep his commandments, who deals generously, who gives, who distributes freely, isn't afraid. That's

why if he has a three pound bag of seed or a 300 pound of seed, he is ready to give, right? And not worry, well, what

give, right? And not worry, well, what if I what if I give here and and I I I I won't have enough.

They trust in the Lord and they're not afraid.

First thing, it fulfills your purpose.

Number two, it supplies you. That's what

happens when you're a good giver. What's

the good that's produced? God then is just prompted to supply you for whatever good deeds are coming next. He will take care of you. He will meet your needs so

that you will be generous. Which, by the way, Philippians chapter 4, that great statement about the gifts that you send are a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. Here's

what Paul does here in that passage, just as a good pastor reminding them of that connection between not being afraid. The very next verse, do you know

afraid. The very next verse, do you know what? Verse 19, my God will supply every

what? Verse 19, my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in Christ Jesus. Wait a minute. You just

Christ Jesus. Wait a minute. You just

gave me a gift. I just want to remind you how pleasing that was to God. And

just remember this, God will take care of you. It's a Psalm 112 paradigm. Just

of you. It's a Psalm 112 paradigm. Just

remember that you have no need to be afraid. When you give, just know it's

afraid. When you give, just know it's okay. God will take care of you. Of

okay. God will take care of you. Of

course, you didn't give to get rich, right? You're not listening to the tele

right? You're not listening to the tele evangelists. You didn't give to get

evangelists. You didn't give to get rich, but you gave. And when you gave, just of course, you can trust God.

You're not afraid of bad news.

You're trusting in the Lord.

Thirdly, back to our passage, bottom of verse 10.

and he will increase the harvest of your righteousness. Beginning in verse 11,

righteousness. Beginning in verse 11, and you will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way. I just think the opening of this, right, to harvest of righteousness and enriched in every

way to be generous in every way. I just

think the the the broadening of this is helpful to say, okay, this kind of takes us back to where we were last time in terms of your reputation.

I mean, there is something about this when we often talk about spending the extra dollar. When I talk about going

extra dollar. When I talk about going the extra mile and staying the extra hour, we can talk and the series has been about spending the extra dollar, right? Lending or giving or when I'm

right? Lending or giving or when I'm meeting a need. But there are other things and the every way helps me enrich in every way. God does things to the

people that are generous in providing them not only with more to give but more to give, more time, efficiency, more

energy, more more everything. God loves

to supply and in that sense he strengthens the character, the generous character of people. I mean, he supplies a harvest of righteousness. You won't

just be known for the one facet of of generosity financially. Let's just put

generosity financially. Let's just put it that way. You're not going to be known just for that one thing. You're

not going to be just the benefactor of the money. You become a generous person

the money. You become a generous person with your finances. Trust me, he he will enrich you. The harvest of your

enrich you. The harvest of your righteousness going to be more than than than writing checks. You'll be enriched in every way to be generous in every way. I just think that's an expanding

way. I just think that's an expanding promise. It'll make you stronger, more

promise. It'll make you stronger, more spiritually mature, conditioned as a Christian to be useful. And then the last one, the fourth one, the very last line in verse 11, through which I'm

sorry, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. Now, I just want to tease you with that because that's where we're going to go in verses 12 through 15.

And so, we'll leave that for next week.

But the idea of thanksgiving, that should be obvious. I can state it obviously that when you give to meet needs, right? I mean, people are going

needs, right? I mean, people are going to say, "Ah, we're so grateful for that." Even corporately, right? When the

that." Even corporately, right? When the

church does well corporately, you give to God vertically, the end of the year, trust me, the church is like, "We got okay, we we did it. We ended the year well. We're able to move on and think

well. We're able to move on and think about more ministry and positive ministry and plus." And then when you give to someone individually and their needs are met, they get through that tough time or whatever the issue was or

their jobless. Trust me, everyone gives

their jobless. Trust me, everyone gives thanks to God. We'll unpack that much more next week. What a good thing that is.

Let's get to the beginning of this.

Let's end where this started, which I think is probably one of the most instructive things about what it means to be a good giver. Verses 6 and 7. The

point is this. Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly. Whoever sows

bountifully will reap bountifully. Each

one must give as he's decided in his heart, not reluctantly, not under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful

compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. in that section, those two verses

giver. in that section, those two verses is really about the the definition of good giving. We've seen what good giving

good giving. We've seen what good giving does. We've seen kind of the carrot

does. We've seen kind of the carrot that's hung out there for us in terms of the product of good giving and the God who says, "I love that. I have a special joy in that." But let's talk about three

things here in this third point that the kind of the the variable. It's like it's there's a spectrum here. So, I'll put it this way. Number three, know the amount

this way. Number three, know the amount of good depends on you. And there's

three sliders, if you will, like a like a soundboard. Three sliders that that

a soundboard. Three sliders that that that are all going to to be in various positions as you give. Okay, let's start with the first one. Whoever sws

sparingly will reap sparingly. Whoever

sws bountifully will reap bountifully.

When you think about how much you give, of course, has nothing to do with the actual number on the check or the push pay or however you give or however if you're going to give money to a friend

in your small group. is not about the money. It's always about the proportion

money. It's always about the proportion always, as we learned earlier in the series. But that proportion of how much

series. But that proportion of how much you're willing to part with really is connected to your love. And you need to realize that when we say Christ, no greater love is anyone than this that

Christ would lay down his life for his friends because there's nothing more you can give than your life. So let me give you two illustrations. One is vertical, one is horizontal. But I think both of these illustrations will help us to

recognize there needs to be some some sense of bountiful giving that that like sparingly or bountifully you need to decide you must you as you decide in your heart. So there's a slider there.

your heart. So there's a slider there.

Are you following this? What is good giving look like right? Know the amount depends on you. So the amount of good right how much what percentage am I going to give to my friend to the church

to the person in need to the church. So

that picture right going to God or going to my brother in Christ that picture is is going to be the slider of good which is based on love right the because love

is often measured by what it costs and so that's the proportion of what I have you got a three bag pound of seed you got a 300 lb bag of seed it's all about the proportion there okay let's think of

it this way um and the illustration may help and this is you know 0 to 60 but let let's let's look at is let's think about 2

Chronicles. It's also over there in 2

Chronicles. It's also over there in 2 Samuel, but David numbers the troop.

It's it's a fiasco. There's a plague.

You may know this story, but at the end of this, the plague stops and he's there on the threshing floor that would in eventually become the Temple Mount. And

Aruna owns this thing and there's oxen and a cart. And David wants to worship God because the plague stopped. And so

he's he wants to buy it. And he wants to buy the place. He want to buy the oxen and and and the cart and he's going to burn the cart and he's going to burn the oxen and the sacrifice to God. He wants

to worship God. So it's dramatic. People

have died all over and you know he's the king and this is your property. You can

picture all of this. And so David says, "Uh, hey, I want to buy this property.

Want to buy the cart. Want to buy the oxen." And Aruna goes,

oxen." And Aruna goes, "I mean, you're the king and this has been a really dramatic period of time.

Take it. It's yours. I I give it to you.

You remember what David said in that situation? Sunday school grads, you

situation? Sunday school grads, you remember here? I'll quote it for you. 2

remember here? I'll quote it for you. 2

Samuel, I'm sorry, uh 1st Chronicles chapter 21.

Here, here's the telling part. Verse 24.

I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing. Okay, that sounds very noble, but I hope you can connect with

this because if you're going to come to church, let's just picture we're in the old days when you didn't have all these electronic ways to give and only way you could give is when the bag was passed, you could either put cash or a check or

gold coins in the in the bag. Let's just

say it, right? Uh and uh so the bag's being passed during offering and uh as you're about to put a check in there, right? Because you've heard good sermons

right? Because you've heard good sermons on giving, so you know you need to give.

So you got a good job. You're about to put a check in the bag and uh as you pull out your check, there's some guy sitting next to you've never met before.

He's wearing a suit and a tie, so you know he's a visitor. And uh all of a sudden now as you pull out your check, the guy leans over and says, "Uh, how much are you putting in there?" And at first you think none of your business,

but for some reason you think, "Oh, the guy's dressed nice, whatever. I want to tell him." You say, "$ 250."

tell him." You say, "$ 250."

He said, "You know, just keep your check. Put it back in your pocket." and

check. Put it back in your pocket." and

he pulls out $250 in cash and gives it to you. Just put put that in. Okay, now

to you. Just put put that in. Okay, now

just think that through for a second.

You've come to church. You want to be obedient Christian. You're given a a

obedient Christian. You're given a a percentage of your income that week to God. You've written a check. You came

God. You've written a check. You came

prepared.

I just want to think there's going to be a little battle between the spirit and flesh in your life at that point. Am I

right? I hope you're going to feel just a little bit dirty.

If you're going to go, "All right, I'm Best Buy on the way home from church today. Got my offering check. Buy some

today. Got my offering check. Buy some

speakers for $250."

You're going to feel a little dirty. Am

I right? I hope you'd say, "No, sir.

This is my offering. I'm not going to give my offering to God with your money.

Why don't you just put it in there?

That's your money." "No, no, I would give mine, too, but I'll just cover your offering." You go, "No, my offering."

offering." You go, "No, my offering."

because you'd have to say it wouldn't really be an act of my devotion and love for God. It wouldn't be worship if if

for God. It wouldn't be worship if if I'm letting you pay for it. This is from my bag of seed, right? I'm I'm doing this. This is why it needs to cost you

this. This is why it needs to cost you something. This is why you need to feel

something. This is why you need to feel it. This is why it needs to be something

it. This is why it needs to be something from your bag of seed that God has supplied you.

And that's where it starts. And so, good giving starts with an expression of love. And it costs you. Okay. I think

love. And it costs you. Okay. I think

that's a good starting place. That's

vertical. What about horizontal? Genesis

23. Abraham dies. No, Abraham's alive.

His wife dies. Sarah dies. And and and of course, he's a nomad at this point going through the promised land, but didn't own Mia, 20,000 BC. And um he wants to bury his wife, of course. And

but he has he doesn't own any of the property. Comes to the cave of Mcpelith

property. Comes to the cave of Mcpelith and and he's like, I I want to buy a a burial plot for my wife. honor my wife in a barrier in a spot that I own. Well,

he goes to do that. He's got a good reputation at this point. And the guy says to him, "You don't have to buy it.

I'll give it to you." Same scenario, different though now. And Abraham says the same thing.

I'm going to let you give me this.

Buy a burial plot for my wife. I'm going

to pay the full price.

Well, that may be a little bit harder for you to refuse.

But if you are, I think in the right mind trying to honor your wife and you go down to El Toro Cemetery and you say, "Okay, you got your Kleenex and you go and you're buying a burial plot and you

say, "How much is this?" They go, "Eight grand." And you start writing out a

grand." And you start writing out a check and then here comes that guy from church, his suit.

You thought, "Let me take care of that."

I might be like, "All right, save eight grand."

grand." And then from that day forward, every time I go and visit my wife's grave, I want to think I don't even pay for that thing. Some dude I didn't even know

that thing. Some dude I didn't even know came up and paid for that.

I just think there's maybe I wouldn't feel quite as filthy, but I think I'd feel I'd feel bad about that.

I think there's something sweet about Abraham saying I'm not I'm not You may you may argue there's other other motives involved.

But I I think there's something to that.

So when you have love for your neighbor, your person in your small group, your sub congregation, even your next door neighbor, and you want to meet their need, you want to love as it says in 1

John chapter 3, and you have compassion for them, and you open your heart, and you give them, and you don't love just in words and in talk, but in deed and in

truth. It should cost you something.

truth. It should cost you something.

So love is proportional in that sense.

And I want you to think that way and think, "Okay, I should feel it."

And that would be good. That'd be a good place for us to start. Good giving is proportional and driven by love. Good

giving is proportional and driven by love. Verse 7,

love. Verse 7, look at this passage again. 2

Corinthians chapter 9. Each one is must give as he's decided, not reluctantly or under compulsion.

Okay, so let's put it this way. Good

giving comes in relationship to willingness. Now, how willing are you?

willingness. Now, how willing are you?

Well, you've been preached at now for six weeks on this. I can't be I can't be completely voluntary because I, you know, been barked at now for six weeks about it. So, guess I better do it.

about it. So, guess I better do it.

Okay. But the more we can be willing toward this, the better it is. The good

giving is is it's got to be driven by by willingness. Willingness with a heart

willingness. Willingness with a heart that's willing and deliberate. This is

my decision. I'm not reluctant. I'm I'm

I'm all in on this and not under compulsion. I'm fully resolved. This is

compulsion. I'm fully resolved. This is

my choice. Volionally my choice. Okay.

Two people going to the same wedding.

Person one heading there slaps his forehead goes, "I didn't get a present.

Didn't get a present." Now, let's just say this is in a day when there's no like gift registries.

And so this young couple, they're young, they have nothing. and and it's like, "Yeah, I I need to get him something. I

I got someone's going to see I can't show up without a So you pull into, you know, some store real quick and you run down the aisle and you grab something and then you run down the aisle where the bags are cuz you don't have time to

wrap anything and you have to grab the tissue paper and you hope it all matches and you throw it together in the car and with sweat dripping off your forehead you get it all together and you just

write on the bag and from Tom or whatever and then you show up and then there's person two, They've been praying about this wedding.

They've been praying for this couple.

They saved up some money for a gift.

They thought about what would be perfect for this young couple. They thought

through their lives, bought the present.

They wrapped it, carefully, wrote out a card. And just think about person two

card. And just think about person two shows up at the same time as person one.

They both walk up. They both at the same time drop their present on the gift table. Someone's observing that.

table. Someone's observing that.

And it looks the same. Person one,

person two, they they must love this couple. They're both bringing their

couple. They're both bringing their present. Clearly, one is under

present. Clearly, one is under compulsion and reluctant, right? He

didn't want to stop and get that. He

didn't have time for that. He was afraid what he what people would think if they didn't show up. The other one loved. The

other one willing, the other one deliberate, the other one thoughtful.

There needs to be willingness. That's

good giving, right? Willingness,

not reluctant, not under compulsion.

God sees that even when other people can't see that.

And then lastly, joy, cheerfulness. God

loves a cheerful giver. And maybe you've been around the block in the Christian life. You've heard people preach on this

life. You've heard people preach on this before. There is a hey lama here, a

before. There is a hey lama here, a vocabulary word in the New Testament only used once. And it's the word that if you were to transliterate it, we get the English word hilarious from it.

Hilaros. Caleros is the Greek word only used once in the New Testament and it's the word that's translated here cheerful. So, you know, you can make

cheerful. So, you know, you can make more of that than you should, but it certainly is a pretty strong word for like going back to Psalm 112, which humanly speaking, I think there's the

connection, greatly delights. You don't

just delight in keeping his you greatly delight, right? Go back to first John,

delight, right? Go back to first John, right? Keeping his command. His

right? Keeping his command. His

commandments are not burdensome. Not

only they not burdensome, but I greatly delight in keeping his commandments.

When it comes to generosity, I am happy to give. I I I I'm I'm happy to give. If

to give. I I I I'm I'm happy to give. If

we can get there, that's a slider. Like,

how happy can I give? How happy can I be to part with my income? That that's

going to be hard to do. But the slider of of like sacrifice of love, the willingness, and the happiness, and it those need to be pushed up like a soundboard tech pushing up all three of

those sliders as far as I can put them.

And it needs to be something that I think about which by the way in a future sermon I'm working on for you all I said that the word caris the word for faith

10 times in these two chapters there may be no lexical etmological connection to that caleros and uh caris but there's certainly a

definitional kinship and it's a tight one between that word caris and the wordos and as we'll see in the future sermon.

What a great word to end on here. It

ties back to the title, the joy of generosity. And in that sense, that's a

generosity. And in that sense, that's a great place to be. When our heart can be driven by love, it can be willing and it can start to find the joy in doing what God asks us to do, producing more

thanksgiving to God. Let me just say this. There are people in this church.

this. There are people in this church.

They sit right here in front of me.

They've quietly, generously, sacrificially swn into, let's just think first vertically, to this church. They've given

faithfully, and who knows, they may proportionately given sacrificially. May

not been the biggest checks, but they've given faithfully to the church, to the programming of this church. Some have

given the this the non-compulsory stuff that's not even required, the building projects or the school across the street or the scholarship funds, you know, or or they've worked to put, you know, the

radio ministry out across the country.

They they've given to things that have been promoted here. They've given to people in their sub congregation that that were out without a job or had medical bills they couldn't meet.

They've given to neighbors, right, that they had a slab leak. They they've done things with their money that have been generous. They haven't blown trumpets.

generous. They haven't blown trumpets.

They haven't sought any reputation.

They've just given. And it doesn't matter what the amount is, but they've given faithless year after year after year.

And here's the thing, the harvest of righteousness that they have really started to reap, they don't even know it. They can't even see it. They've seen

it. They can't even see it. They've seen

maybe a little bit of it, but God has seen every bit of it. And some of it won't even come in this lifetime. It

will follow them. And I know that because in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, we are always focused on the wood, hay, and straw and always worried about that. But

all of that getting blown out of the way produces the visibility of of the gold, silver, and precious stones. And that's

the stuff that the righteous act, the harvest of righteous reveals, and it shines.

And it reminds me that Hebrews chapter 6:10 verse. God is not unjust to

6:10 verse. God is not unjust to overlook your work and the the things that you've done, the service that you've given to the saints. God is just

keeping track of it all and he's providing that connection of the sewing and the reaping the good gifts

that are given are reaping a harvest of righteousness that we'll be able to see one day. I can't see the full extent of

one day. I can't see the full extent of it now, but I just want us all to try to lean into that as Paul said, not for the sake of the

budget, not for the sake of the provision, but for the sake of what is credited to the people that engage in it, which in this case is just the most attractive thing about this passage that

God loves when that happens in the hearts and lives of our people. May that

be true of all of us. Let's pray. God,

help us all to advance in this in a way that would please you. That we could see if not the harvest of the righteousness that comes from it, but at least in the

joy, the disposition, the fellowship, and just a place where needs are met, not just in the budget of the church, but in the lives of the people around us.

God, let us um just see your love here tangibly on display in this church and in our relationships in Jesus name. In

bed.