Scandalous Grace, Part 10: Grace-Filled Giving August 8, 2010

Scandalous Grace, Part 10

Grace-Filled Giving
2 Corinthians 8, 9 & Selected Scriptures
Sunday Morning
August 8, 2010
Church in the Boro
Rob Wilkerson

Introduction: 3,000 Graves and 3,000 Graces

 Moses on Mt. Sinai receiving the Law. Came down, saw Israel worshiping golden calf.
God judges the rebellion and 3,000 graves were dug that day for those who died.
o People deserving of judgment got it in full measure.
o God said to them afterward, “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I
will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-
necked people” (Exod. 33:3, ESV).
o The people’s response to this was fitting. “When the people heard this
disastrous word, they mourned…Therefore the people of Israel stripped
themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward” (vv. 4, 6).
o Afterward, Moses interceded for the people, and asked God to show His glory.
God replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim
before you my name, ‘The Lord’” (v. 19).

 Peter at Pentecost preaching the gospel. Came down from the upper room, and Israel
was gathered for the Feast of Tabernacles. Instead of judging those who’d killed the
Messiah, the Lord of Glory, 3,000 graces were poured out on those the Holy Spirit saved.
o People deserving of judgment got mercy and forgiveness in full measure.
o God, speaking through Peter, preached to the people, “Let all the house of Israel
therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this
Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36).
o The people’s response was fitting. “Now when they heard this they were cut to
the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we
do?” (v. 37).
o Afterward, Peter offered the intercession Jesus Christ had already made. “And
Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were
added that day about three thousand souls” (vv. 38, 41). In essence, the glory
God showed Moses was shown to a whole nation that day in the gift of grace
and the Holy Spirit.

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The Result of God’s Gifts of Grace and the Holy Spirit

The reason I tell these stories and compare them is found in the results that flowed through
these 3,120 grace-filled people. Follow along with me briefly in Acts 2 and look at what
happens to a group of people who hear the message of Jesus Christ, fear the consequences of
rejecting Him, and receive the gifts of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit.

1. Devotion to the ministry of God (v. 42).

2. Awe-filled gatherings with signs and wonders (v. 43).
3. Unity among the saints (v. 44).
4. Giving to one another (v. 45).
5. Daily gathering to worship, pray, and give thanks (vv. 46-47).

I’ve preached on the first three items in the past. This morning I want to focus on the third and
fourth items just mentioned, namely that of giving to one another. Here is what verses 44-45
say about these results of God’s outpouring of grace.

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they
were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to
all, as any had need” (ESV).

In summary, Luke, the writer of Acts, is describing the results the transformation that took
place among this group of people because of God’s grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Forgiveness and Holy Spirit transforms people to such a degree that they no longer view what
they have as their own. Their view on “stuff” has so dramatically and drastically transformed
that they no longer put their identity in what they possessed. They suddenly and spiritually
became disconnected from what they owned so that it was “second nature” to give it away to
those who had needs. As a result, there was not a single greedy person in the group.

This is where I want to lead us this morning. I want us to come closer to a fuller understanding
of how this rich grace we’ve received in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit leads us to grace
others with what we possess, and in turn grace us with more possessions, so that we may in
turn continue to grace others, etc. Do make this point I want us to spend the rest of our time
together looking at some principles found in 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 and 9:6-15.

I. The Grace You’ve Received is Measured by the Amount You Give (8:1-5).

Here’s what Paul wrote.

“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 free will, begging us earnestly for the favor
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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” (ESV).

Out of this text there are several reflections of the grace of God given to us which build a
measuring stick of sorts for our giving.

a. Grace-filled giving is NOT measured by the obstacles that seem to hinder us from
giving. It always far outmatches the intensity of the circumstancesfrom of which
we give.

Paul testifies that their giving was above and beyond the intensity of their circumstances, but in
the opposite direction. Watch the contrast here.

“their abundance of joy…overflowed in a

“severe test of affliction… wealth of generosity on their part. For they
and their extreme poverty…” gave according to their means…and beyond
their means…begging us earnestly for the
favor of taking part…”

It’s fascinating to me that in my personal history I’ve believed the lie that giving is just the
opposite. I’ve been severely afflicted before and definitely in poverty, though never in extreme
poverty. And in almost all of those circumstances I chose to believe that I could NOT give
because I was poor. Yet here we have perhaps the clearest example in all of Scriptures that
God’s grace supernaturally enables a person to give, and to do so in such a way that it far
exceeds and outpaces the difficult circumstances in which we live.

In other words, being poor is never an excuse NOT to give. For the Macedonians and for Paul, it
was every excuse TO give, and to even do so beyond our capabilities. So lest we get all
frustrated and confused about how they were able to do that, you’ll notice that neither God
nor Paul were very interested in the how. The Bible just says it as a matter of fact. Which
means this matter of fact is a matter of faith.

We must come to a place where, once-and-for-all, we choose to believe that our circumstances
are NEVER a hindrance to giving, but rather a stimulant to giving. And that’s so backwards, that
it seems scandalous, doesn’t it?! Yet this is exactly the nature of grace itself. God gave it to us
when we were helpless, according to Romans 5:6. Helplessness is always the backdrop for
grace. And this means that helplessness is always the backdrop for grace-filled giving. When
you give, you’re helpless to replace that resource. And this puts you back in the position of
receiving more from God. There’s the so-called “secret of success” in the Christian life, by the
way: always putting yourself in a place of helplessness so that God can do what only HE does
best: GIVE!!!

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b. Grace-filled giving is measured by such an abundance of joy that you just can’t
help yourself.
c. Grace-filled giving is measured by our looking for opportunities to give, and even
begging to be able to do more.

Joy and abundance go together. Joy and generosity go together. When you’re full of joy,
you’re full of God. When you’re full of sadness, you’re full of yourself. When you’re sad, you
give hardly nothing, but instead find a desire to take more. When you’re joyful, you hardly
keep anything, but instead find a desire give even more.

Paul described the Macedonians as having an, “abundance of joy” and even “begging us
earnestly for the favor of taking part…” The joy was where the overflowing “wealth of
generosity” came from. Joy changes the way you look at money, resources, and material
possessions. Joy is selfless, and when you’re filled with it, there are no emotional attachments
to the things you own. Joy seems to have a supernatural ability to sever these sorts of ties that
make us care more about the things we possess than the people we know. Do you remember
the story Jesus told about that kind of joy?

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and
covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field”
(Matt. 13:44, ESV).

And it’s not the kind of joy that has a hidden buyer’s remorse built-in, either. The man didn’t go
sell all he had out of joy, then buy the field, then wish he had never done any of it to begin
with! No! But that’s how I’ve acted so many times before. I’d give out of joy, only to go home,
emotions dwindling (because that’s how my giving was really motivated to begin with…by
emotions), and think about how broke I was and then live sorrowfully in regret. No! What a
contradiction this makes of the act of giving to begin with! Worry is a contradictory to joy.
That’s why Jesus said what He did to His disciples in Luke 12.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have
enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and
your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don't plant or harvest
or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him
than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And
if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over
bigger things? 27 Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make
their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they
are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and
thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so
little faith? 29 And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink.
Don't worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of
unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.
31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you

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need. 32 So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness
to give you the Kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to those in need.
This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get
old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth
can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will
also be” (NLT).

Do you see that? It gives our Father great happiness to give us the kingdom! His joy motivates
His giving. And when He gives, He gives us everything! He gives us the whole, entire kingdom!
That same joy can fill us. And when it does it motivates us to “sell your possessions, and give to
those in need,” like Jesus commanded. The joy of giving always precedes any command to give.
And in some cases, it replaces a command entirely, because it’s assumed that you’re so filled
with joy that you won’t be able to help yourself in giving. And what’s more, you’ll be looking
for more and more opportunities to give, and even beg to be a part of other opportunities.

d. Grace-filled giving is measured by what you give and what you give it to.

Paul notes his surprise at the type of giving the Macedonians did. He says that they were
begging to take part in the opportunity to give and relieve the poor saints in Jerusalem. But
then he writes, “and this, not as we expected.” What was he not expecting? Was it the
amount they gave? Or was it the fact that they gave out of extreme poverty and severe
affliction? Surprisingly, no. It wasn’t any of these things, as incredible and amazing as they
were. What surprises Paul is something he wasn’t expecting to begin with.

“but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us” (v. 5).

The response that Paul wasn’t expecting was two-fold. First, he wasn’t expecting the degree of
absolute, sold-out devotion to God. And this, of course, is the foundation for any amount of
type of giving a person does. Without giving ourselves to God first, we will find that every
dollar we try to give will be a battle. As long as you view your possessions, resources, and stuff
as entirely at the disposal of your own decisions, you will be constantly vulnerable to a
permanent inner conflict.

Because the Macedonians gave the most important thing first – themselves – giving anything
else they owned was no big deal. It’s not hard to let go of what you own when you’ve already
let go of yourself. Terry Virgo writes, “When you take that step, all that is yours comes within
the orbit of God’s control, and giving as God directs is a matter of ongoing obedience” (God’s
Lavish Grace, p. 142).

Second, Paul wasn’t expecting the sold-out devotion the Macedonians displayed toward Paul
and his leadership team. He says, “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will
of God to us.” This wasn’t just empty lip-service or head-nodding to what the apostles were
doing. It was a sold-out, practical devotion and contribution to the mission the apostles were

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on. That mission was collecting money to feed and take care of the poor saints in Jerusalem.
Yet here were poor people begging for the opportunity to give to other poor people!

Paul cast that vision, and the Macedonians gave themselves fully to Paul, his team members,
and his vision and mission. They fully identified with him and his calling. When they gave
publicly, they were publicly affirming their partnership with the apostolic team. What we learn
from this is that God is not only interested in us giving ourselves to Him as He builds the church.
But He’s also interested in us giving ourselves in tangible ways to people He has anointed and
raised up to lead the church. Paul encouraged the Galatians along these lines.

“Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing
all good things with them” (6:6).

Paul had more than amply demonstrated his own sacrificial, selfless giving in the way he
conducted his ministry, and provided for his needs while planting a church. He himself was an
example of how to give yourself completely and entirely in devotion to the work of church
planting, while living in severe tests of affliction and extreme poverty.

e. Grace-filled giving is measured by a constant striving to excel…in giving.

The Corinthian church, to whom Paul was sharing his testimony of the Macedonians, excelled in
all manner of spiritual gifts. He commends them in 2 Corinthians 8:6-7.

“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” (ESV).

The Christian may excel in all sorts of things like prayer, Bible study, acts of mercy, hospitality,
administration, prophecy, tongues, etc. But if giving financially isn’t a part of his life, he’s not
complete as a Christian. This isn’t to say that his salvation is somehow incomplete, as if he
didn’t get all of Jesus. Rather, the working out of his salvation isn’t complete, because he’s not
giving what he got to others. He got everything when he got Jesus. So he’ll want to give away
everything he’s got now. Well-balanced, well-rounded Christian maturity is measured largely in
terms of your giving, then.

f. Grace-filled giving is not measured by commandment.

Paul moves on next to challenge them to ponder their current giving. In essence he’s
challenging them to measure what they’ve given and how they’ve given.

“I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your
love also is genuine” (v. 8).

Paul did NOT lay down the law and command them to give. Jesus already laid down the law in
Matthew 22 when He taught us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Love commands.

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My love for my wife commands me to serve her. You may try to command me to improve in
some area of my marriage. But if I’m not motivated by love, then I’m motivated by you…by
fear…by guilt. And that’s a dead work.

This is where it gets scary…this issue of us measuring our claim to have received God’s grace by
the amount we give and the way in which we give it. Often times giving a little bit, or giving just
what we can afford, or giving a standard amount of some sort can prove to be a dead work. It’s
a dead work when it’s not motivated by genuine love. Genuine love is sacrificial…every
time…no exceptions. God defines love by what He did. And He gave sacrificially. Therefore any
and every act of so-called love must be defined and measured by what God did…not what we
want to do or think we should do.

The Macedonians were not compelled to give by the apostles. He didn’t even say that God
required it of them. He didn’t make any kind of appeal to the OT tithing system and laws.
There’s no mention here of a tenth. On the other hand, however, he didn’t just leave the issue
of giving to their own spontaneous motivation.

Often times I’m too content to just assume that if the Holy Spirit wants people to give that they
will automatically follow through with that prompting and give what He says. But Paul wasn’t
content with that. He didn’t share the attitude that I used to have about money, namely that
it’s a private issue and we shouldn’t talk about it with others. He brought up the issue, but laid
it squarely in the lap of love, challenging them with the fact that if they had genuine love for the
poor saints, they would give like the Macedonians had given, if not in greater ways, since the
Corinthians were far more blessed financially than the Macedonians.

g. Grace-filled giving is measured by genuine love.

So if our giving isn’t measured by command, what’s it measured by? I already stated it. It’s
genuine love. He said, “I want to test the sincerity of your love” (v. 8). There’s no greater way
to put love to the test than to watch how it gives and what it gives. Law gives ten percent.
Love gives 100%. That’s why we find that figure used quite often throughout the gospels.

 The man who found the treasure in the field sold everything he owned and bought the
field.
 The man who found the pearl of great price sold everything he owned and bought the
pearl.
 The rich young ruler who talked to Jesus about getting into heaven was told that he
must sell everything he owned, give the money to the poor, and he’d have riches in
heaven.
 Peter asked Jesus what would become of them and their families since they’d left
everything to follow Jesus.
 In watching people give at the temple one day, Jesus made a big deal about the widow
who gave her last two pennies, and therefore had given everything she had left.

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When Zaccheus repented and followed Jesus, he paid back those he’d stolen from four
times the amount he’d stolen, then committed himself to give half his wealth to the
poor. That equaled everything he owned…100%!
These people gave 100% because they loved the Savior. And evidently the Macedonians had
given everything they had because they loved the apostolic team and the poor saints in
Jerusalem. True love – the kind God defined and displayed – supernaturally compels our giving.
No greater love has any man than this: that he gives his life for someone else. Laying down
what you have for someone else is the surest sign of genuine love. It’s the kind of love that far
exceeds any praise and worship song we sing to God. Because, after all, words are easy and
cheap.

The ultimate motivation is, again, measured by what God has done. That’s how Paul closes out
this section with the Corinthians. He writes, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might
become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). As Terry Virgo writes,

“The grace that he demonstrated at the cross wins our hearts. The one who was
rich beyond all telling, all for love’s sake became poor. He did not give out of his
treasures but gave himself to the point where he had nowhere to lay his head.
Laying aside his heavenly glory, he took on human form and humbled himself,
even to the cross. The grace of our Lord Jesus comes setting us free. The price
that he paid challenges all our false values and wins our hearts” (p. 145).

II. The Measure of Grace You Sow Determines the Measure of Grace You
Receive (2 Corinthians 9:6-15).

If our financial gifts are measured by genuine love and not by godly law, then the way we give is
transformed, as well as what we give. We move from giving out of guilt to giving out of
gladness. And we move from giving a little to giving a lot. The tithe, which is ten percent of our
income or increase, is a gift commanded under law. Grace-filled giving, which is 100% of
ourselves and our possessions, is compelled by love. This is why the tithe is not part of the New
Covenant. To be sure, if you’re looking for a place to start, then it’s at ten percent. But that’s a
starting block. The more we’re filled with an abundance of joy, the more we will fill others lives
with an abundance of our resources.

This is the point Paul is trying to make when he picks back up on the collection being taken up
for the poor saints in Jerusalem. He says in 9:6-15…

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever
sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made
up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in

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all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He
has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures
forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and
multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will
produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying
the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By
their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission
flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your
contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you,
because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his
inexpressible gift!” (ESV).

We’re all familiar with the phrase, ‘you reap what you sow.’ But few understand the power
behind that truth. Let me illustrate it like this.

The average ear of corn contains 800 kernels of corn.1 If a farmer only had one stalk of sweet
corn with the four ears on that stalk, he would not eat all four ears of corn, and from the last
ear of corn only save one kernel for planting next time. If that’s the way he operated, then how
many stalks of corn would that one kernel produce next year? That’s right, just one more stalk
of corn, with another four ears. So the process will only be repeated year after year. He’ll have
enough corn to eat one ear per night for four nights. Then he’ll have to wait an entire year
before having another half a week worth of corn.

That’s stupid. The farmer knows better. He knows he’d rather eat one, or possibly two ears of
corn from that stalk, and use all the kernels on the other two or three ears for planting next
year. If he decided to eat two and use the other two to plant next year’s harvest, here’s how
that would work out. With an average of 800 kernels of corn on two stalks, that’s 1,600 stalks
of corn next year. At 4 ears ears per stalk, that’s 6,400 ears of corn next year! Enough to eat
one ear per night for the next year with 6,035 ears left to give away or use for next year’s
harvest. If he used 6,035 ears of corn for next year’s harvest, that would yield approximately
4,828,000 stalks of corn next year or 19,312,000 ears of corn. But if he decided to eat one ear
of corn and use the other three for planting a harvest next year, here’s how that works out.
2,400 stalks of corn, or 9,600 ears of corn! Amazing! The power of exponential sowing!

Now, sowing and giving don’t seem to go together at all, do they? They’re two completely
different activities. Or are they? When you give something away, it’s no longer yours. It now
belongs to the person you gave it to. If you have ten dollars, and give five away to someone
else, you now have five dollars left. That doesn’t seem like sowing, does it?

1
Source: The Washington Post, “Kernel of Truth”, Wednesday, July 7, 2004. Online at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30696-2004Jul6.html

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But if you gave that five dollars to someone in need, it is sowing. And how does that work,
precisely? Because, “when you sow, you do not lose what you had, since you commit what you
had to a process. If you show something, you do so in anticipation that something will happen.
In sowing you are not giving away. It does not represent loss.” (Virgo, p. 146). Instead, it
represents a future gain.

1. Grace-filled giving is cheerfully willing to go without today to have more tomorrow.

This is the challenge with sowing and reaping, isn’t it? The farmer would have to go without
one kernel of corn if he decided to eat all four. Not a huge sacrifice, right? But the more he
sacrifices…the more he chooses not to eat today, the more he’ll have tomorrow. It’s a principle
as basic as any other in nature. But it’s hard to say “no” today. Yet saying “no” to yourself is
the very foundation of what it means to follow Jesus, right? Jesus taught that, “If anyone would
come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23, ESV).

2. Grace-filled giving sows in abundance because it produces a faith to reap in

abundance.

Paul wrote that, “whoever shows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6).

3. Grace-filled giving sows in exponents and not in components.

A component is a smaller, self-contained part of something larger. If you give in components,

you will reap in components. It’s the equivalent to the farmer only saving one kernel of corn on
one ear of corn. He’s sowing in components, and he’ll reap next year what he got this year.
Grace-filled giving doesn’t think in components. When it does, it reaps only by addition.

An exponent is the number of times another number is multiplied by itself. If you given in
exponents, you will reap in exponents. It’s the equivalent to the farmer saving three out of four
ears of corn to plant next year. Planting three ears of corn at 800 kernels per ear (2,400
kernels) will harvest 9,600 ears of corn next year. Grace-filled giving thinks in exponents.
When it does, it reaps only in multiplication.

Paul taught,

“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply
your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be
enriched in every way for your generosity, which through us will produce
thanksgiving to God” (2 Cor. 9:10,11).

Now I don’t want you to miss three important “and’s” here in the text.

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1. God supplies seed to the sower AND bread for food. This means God will give you
what you need in order to give to others (to sow into their lives), AND what you
yourself need to eat.

2. God supplies AND multiplies seed for sowing AND increase the harvest of your
righteousness. This means that God will multiply what you give to others AND
multiply the harvest you reap in return.

What a revelation this was to me! Years ago I would give money which was supposed to go for
a bill or a debt or another obligation. Afterwards, I’d wait around in nail-biting, fear wondering
if God would give it back to me so that I could pay my bills or meet my obligations. How short-
sighted!!! Not only does Paul teach here that God will give me “bread for food.” But He will
also supply that obligation once more along with a multiplication of that supply to give even
more next time!

Now the temptation is clear for some of you. You’re tempted to say that I’m driving awful close
to prosperity-gospel teaching, like the kind you hear from tele-evangelists. But the fact is, this
is totally a biblical principle. It’s right here in the text, in black and white, and you can read it
for yourself, without me manipulating it to mean something else it doesn’t say. Here’s what
Jesus Himself said about this principle of sowing and reaping in exponential multiplication.

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down,
shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap.
The amount you give will determine the amount you get back" (Luke 6:38, NLT)

This totally jives with what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 9:8.

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have
everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

The English Standard Version translates it this way.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in
all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

Terry Virgo comments on this verse,

“In speaking of abounding ‘grace’ in this verse, it is clear that Paul is referring to
God’s ability to multiply finance as a result of the faithful sowing of seed through
giving. The modern concept of ‘seed faith’ popularized by American television
evangelists must not be allowed to close the mind of Bible-loving believers
simply because of some of the excesses associated with the application of the
teaching…God is simply promising you that, if you will respond to his principles
of seed sowing, he commits himself to multiplication and the provision of further

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seed for sowing. It is a biblical promise that invites faith and committed
response and is the outworking of grace. God is able to make grace abound.”
(pp. 147-8).

What I’m saying here is NOT health-wealth-and-prosperity teaching. That’s Jesus and Paul
teaching! That’s Bible teaching! The problem is, the false teachers have taken this biblical
principle and focused on the wrong kind of harvest.

4. Grace-filled giving reaps a multi-dimensional harvest.

From this same passage, we also see that the harvest is not one dimensional. It is
multidimensional. Paul says, “you will be enriched in every way for your generosity…” It is here
that we depart from the health-wealth-and prosperity preachers and teachers. They only see
God’s harvest as one-dimensional. They preach it solely with reference to material possessions,
like cars, houses, clothes, etc.

But Paul says it comes in every way. That absolutely includes material blessings, because again
God supplies what we need to give, and multiples what we give so we have more to give. But it
also includes a variety of other harvests, not the least of which is “thanksgiving to God” which
Paul names as a produce in verses 11 and 12 and 15. This is a whole sermon in and of itself.
But suffice it to say here that Paul is rejoicing in the fact that when God’s people sow and reap
in this way, it produces a harvest of righteousness, which includes thanksgiving to God, which
produces a wider impact and effect for the gospel. In short, God glorifies Himself and makes
Himself famous throughout the world through this sowing and reaping practice.

Conclusion

Church in the Boro is on a mission together with many other local churches to spread the
gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. It takes money to fund that mission. Money funds the
mission both locally and globally, here at Church in the Boro and around the world in other
nations.

If it takes money to fund the mission, then grace-filled giving is the only way to fund the
mission. That’s because grace-filled giving will be the only means by which enough money can
be given to fund the mission. The mission is huge. It’s multi-generational. It’s global.
Therefore, it’s expensive. But it’s pennies in comparison to the grace of God, which in reality
provides a never-ending supply of money for us to both pay our own bills, as well as to provide
for the needs of others, both here in Statesboro, and around the world.

If you’re struggling with your measure of faith in this matter, or if you feel like your money or
possessions seem to have a hold on you, Jesus taught that the best way to break the stronghold
and build faith for it is to give it away. Giving it away actually destroys its hold. It can’t hold on
to you when you’re holding on to it. When you release what you’ve got, God releases what

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He’s got in return for you, except He releases it in exponentially in multiplication. You can’t
out-give God. So there are three things you will want to do as a response today.

First, give. It’s that simple. Ask the Holy Spirit what He wants you to give. He’ll talk to you.
Don’t assume anything. He’s out to challenge you to give more, because He knows the Father
will measure what He gives you by what you give Him. It’s okay to want to get more in this
way. It’s God’s built-in, holy motivation, and there’s nothing icky or ungodly about it. He told
you that’s what He wants to do, so take Him at His Word.

Second, believe. This comes by reading stories about how God provides. Ask other people you
know for their stories. Read stories in the Bible. Look up stories on the internet. Listen to
stories in biographies. Watch stories on Youtube or other online videos. Do whatever you
must to feed yourself stories of God’s faithfulness. This in turn will build your faith in God’s
faithfulness, which encourages you to give more and more.

Third, seek joy. An abundance of joy is the fountain out of which your giving flows. If that’s
how it works, then it seems most logical to pursue joy. The more joy you have, the more giving
you will do and can do, and will want to do. Pursue that kind of joy that makes you want to sell
everything you’ve got to get what you don’t have but want to have. When you feel that kind of
joy well up inside, you’ll find that you do your most serious and ridiculous giving.

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