God as the shaper of history...

This week we are looking at the first statement that comprises our doctrinal statement as a church. This statement summarizes the answer to the question “Is there a God? And if, there is a God then who is God and how is God?” Yesterday, we talked about the reality that there is only one God who created everything that exists from nothing. There are not many gods. Instead there is only one God who is the Creator who created all that has been created. When we say that God is holy, this word holy literally means to be set apart. In other words, God is distinctly different in His character and conduct from any other being. In addition, when we say that God is infinitely perfect, we are saying that God always has been and always will be perfect. There never has been, or never will be, a flaw in God or a mistake made by God.

We then tried to wrap our mind around the second part of this statement, which is the phrase “and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This phrase is referred to in church mumbo jumbo talk as the doctrine of the Trinity. Simply put, the doctrine of the Trinity is the belief that God the Father is God, Jesus Christ is God and the Holy Spirit is God. One way to describe the Triune nature of God is “Three Who’s and One What”. In other words, God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are distinct when it comes to their personhood, but inseparably related when it comes to their nature or essence as God. The distinction between members of the Trinity is based upon their roles, function, and administration, not their nature or essence. One way to visualize this would be to think of the following math equation:

1 x 1 x 1 = 1

We talked about the reality that the reason why this really matters is because the doctrine of the Trinity is the foundational doctrine on which all Christianity is based and is the one doctrine that distinguishes Christianity from all other religious systems in terms of its claims about God. The doctrine of the Trinity reveals God’s character, His activity, and how we draw near and relate to Him.

And while we see all of these aspects of God throughout the Bible, a passage that reveals these aspects of God is found in a section of a letter in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet, or spokesperson for God, who was sent by God with a message from God to the Jewish people, who were living in rebellion against God. The Jewish people were rebelling against God to instead worship false gods instead of the One True God. And it is in this context that we see Isaiah write the following to the Jewish people in Isaiah 44:6:

"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. 'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. 'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'"

Here we see the Lord proclaim to the Jewish people a challenge to the Jewish people: “Who is Like Me?” Who is like Me because I am the first and the last, I have always existed and always will exist. Who is like Me because there is no one else besides Me. I am the only God, there is no other. If there is another god besides Me then let’s see this other god. If there is another God besides Me I would like to meet Him."

"Who is like Me that caused all that exists to exist. If there is another god besides Me, let that god explain how he created the universe from nothing. And let that god proclaim what is going to happen in the future. Because I have already announced to you what your future holds. I have already made predictions in the past that have come true in the present. Is there any other God beside Me? Is there any other God that is as trustworthy as Me? Who is like Me because I know everything and what I know is that there is no God but Me”.

Isaiah then records for the Jewish people how God viewed their worship of false gods as God instead of worshipping the only True God as God in verse 9:

 Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.

Now when Isaiah uses the word futile here, this word literally means to live in a form of chaos from the core of one’s being. Isaiah here is revealing the reality that those who worship idols end up living lives that are chaotic and meaningless. God, through Isaiah is calling out the Jewish people for creating false gods that were causing chaos in their lives instead of worshipping the One True God who had created them.

God is basically saying to the Jewish people “Does what you are doing make any sense? Shouldn’t the created be worshipping the creator instead of worshipping what they created? Your lack of sense will result in you being put to shame.” Isaiah then further unpacks the idiocy and chaos that idolatry was producing in the lives of the Jewish people in verse 12:

 The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire." But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god."

The Lord through Isaiah basically says to the Jewish people, “So let Me get this straight. You spend all kinds of time and energy to cut down a tree to kill it. Then you take half of the tree and make it into an image to be worshipped, while taking the other half of the tree to create a fire to keep you warm and make dinner. So you choose to worship and serve the very same thing that ultimately serves you? You ask the very thing that could not deliver itself from death to deliver you from death? Does that make any sense? ” Isaiah continues in verse 18:

 They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!" He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

Isaiah then explains to the Jewish people that the reason that they lack the sense to see that what they are doing by worshipping false gods instead of the One True God does not make sense was due to the fact that He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. Now a natural objection that could arises here is “Well Dave, If God has made it so that they cannot see or understand that what they are doing makes no sense, then why is this not God’s fault?”

With this phrase, Isaiah is revealing for us the reality that as the Jewish people had already chosen to worship the creation instead of the creator, God had responded to that decision by maintaining the state of selfishness and rebellion that already characterized their lives. God was not and does not take good people and make them bad. Instead what God chose to do and can choose to do is to choose to confirm and set into place the selfishness and rebellion that is already present in those who selfishly and rebelliously choose to ignore the evidence of God’s existence to instead worship false gods instead of the One True God.

And the reason that God can choose to confirm and set into place the selfishness and rebellion that is already present in those who selfishly rebel against Him is because of the next phrase in the doctrinal statement, which is that God has limitless knowledge and sovereign power. Limitless knowledge simply means that God’s knowledge cannot be exhausted.

Not only does limitless knowledge mean that God always has known and always will know more than you; limitless knowledge means that God knows absolutely everything that there is to know. There is nothing that God does not know. The phrase sovereign power simply means that God has the power to be large and in charge and is in fact is large and in charge. Sovereign power means that God rules and reigns.

Sovereign power means that God is large and in charge of every circumstance and every situation. Sovereign power means that God not only rules over history. Sovereign power means that it is God who charts forth history. We see the prophet Isaiah reveal this reality for us just a few verses later in Isaiah 44:24:

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone, Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

In these verses, Isaiah reveals for us the reality that not only is God the Creator of the universe and the One who gives us life. In addition, God is the One who controls and forms the future, not astrologers, fortune tellers or anyone else who worship false gods.

Isaiah’s point is that while other predictions are based on the assumption of the past predicting the future, God causes entirely new things to occur that have never happened before. God is not an interpreter of the future; God is the shaper of the future. We see Isaiah reveal this reality in a powerful way in the verse that follow, beginning in verse 26:

 Confirming the word of His servant And performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built.' And I will raise up her ruins again. "It is I who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers dry. "It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'"Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: "I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

Here we see God proclaim through Isaiah what the future would hold for the Jewish people. Isaiah, who had proclaimed to the Jewish people in chapters 28-31 that they would be conquered and carried into captivity by the Babylonian Empire as a result of their worship of false gods instead of the One True God, here is proclaiming that the Jewish people would return to Jerusalem through the leadership of a man named Cyrus.

However, to fully understand and appreciate what Isaiah is communicating here, we first need to understand when Isaiah wrote this letter. You see, Isaiah made this prediction in 688 B.C. when the Assyrian Empire was the dominant military and political power in the world. Previously in this letter, Isaiah had proclaimed that God would overthrow the Assyrian Empire with the Babylonian Empire. Here, Isaiah is proclaiming that God would overthrow the Babylonian Empire with the Media-Persian Empire. In addition, Isaiah names the Emperor who would allow the Jewish people to return to Israel, an emperor named Cyrus.

After writing this letter in 688 B.C., in 586 B.C., the Lord fulfilled the promise that He had made to the Jewish people when it came to what would happen if they turned from following the Lord to instead follow false gods. The Lord removed the Jewish people from the Promised Land and destroyed the Temple through the Babylonian Empire. And from 586 to 538 B.C., the Jewish people lived as a conquered people in that nation of Babylon. Then, in 538 B.C., the Persian Emperor Cyrus, after conquering the Babylonian Empire, began to allow the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem.

What is so interesting is how the Persian Empire was able to conquer the Babylonian Empire. On October 7^th 540 B.C. the Persian Army was able to capture the seemingly impenetrable fortress of Babylon, using a basin dug earlier by the Babylonians to protect Babylon against attack, diverted the Euphrates river into a canal so that the water level dropped "to the height of the middle of a man's thigh", which allowed the invading forces to march directly through the river bed to enter at night.

So not only did Isaiah proclaim who would defeat the Babylonian Empire; Isaiah also proclaimed how the Babylonian Empire would be defeated almost 150 years before they were actually defeated.  In 535 B.C., the foundation of the Temple was rebuilt. You see, God is not an interpreter of the future; God is the sovereign shaper of the future.

And as the sovereign shaper of the future, as a church we believe that God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory. In other words, from before there was time, God had a purpose and plan. And that purpose and plan was to rescue people whom He had created to worship Him but had rejected Him from their selfishness and rebellion. A purpose and plan designed to bring rebellious humanity back to relationship with Him in a way that would bring Him maximum glory. A plan that we will see on Friday...

Does Doctrine Matter?

As a church, we gather together in community to respond to who God is, what God has done, and what God has promised to do in worship. We respond in worship to God by singing songs about God. We respond in worship to God by look at the message and teachings of God that are recorded for us in the Bible. We respond in worship to God by giving back a portion of what God has given us in worship to God. We respond in worship to God by praying to God. We respond in worship to God by participating in communion and baptisms, which are also acts of worship of God’s activity in the world.

And all of these acts of worship that we do in community with one another are based on truths that we believe about God. And we strive to live our lives as followers of Jesus throughout the week in a way that is based on truths that we believe about God. Now, regardless of whether or not you buy the whole Bible, Jesus, or church thing, a natural question that you might have would be “Well Dave what exactly do you believe about God? What exactly to you believe about the Bible? What exactly do you believe about Jesus?  What exactly to you believe about the church?

Or, if you have been around church for a while, you may ask questions like "What is this churches doctrinal statement?” What is your churches doctrinal position on salvation, justification, and sanctification? What is your churches doctrinal position on the gift of tongues and the Great Tribulation? Are you a Calvinist or an Armenian?” But behind these questions, regardless of how they are asked, is the question of what we believe about God and the things that pertain to God. Behind these questions is the question of doctrine.

As a church, we have a doctrinal statement that lays out what we believe about God. But, how do we know that what we say in our doctrinal statement is actually true? And does doctrine really matter? In other words, do all these truths about God that we talk about every Sunday really matter? And how is all this doctrine; how are all these truths relevant to my day to day life? So for the next several weeks, we are going to spend our time together looking at what we believe as a church as it is contained in the doctrinal statement of our church.

 

And as we go through our doctrinal statement, my hope and prayer is to accomplish four specific things. First, my hope and my prayer is that I would be able to explain what we believe as a church in a clear and straightforward manner. Second, my hope and my prayer is that I would be able to explain what we believe as a church by spending our time together focused on a few passages that best capture what we believe as a church. Third, my hope and my prayer is that I would be able to explain why what we believe as a church matters. And fourth, my hope and my prayer is that I would be able to explain what we believe as a church in a way that reveals how relevant what we believe is to our day to day lives as followers of Jesus.

Now this week I would like for us to look at the first statement that comprises our doctrinal statement as a church. This first statement addresses the starting point when it comes to what we believe as a church when it comes to the nature and character of God. This statement summarizes the answer to the question “Is there a God? And if, there is a God then who is God and how is God?” So let’s look at this first statement of our doctrinal statement together:

“We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.”

Now right about now you might be thinking “Well Dave that is a mouthful. I mean that sounds great, but I have no idea what you are talking about. Instead, I have a lot of questions.” So, what I would like for us to do is to break down this statement into parts so that we can come to a better understanding of what is being said here. First, let’s take a minute and unpack the phrase “We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect,”

When we say that we believe in One God, Creator of all things, we are saying that there is only one God who created everything that exists from nothing. There are not many gods. Instead there is only one God who is the Creator who created all that has been created. When we say that God is holy, this word holy literally means to be set apart. In other words, God is distinctly different in His character and conduct from any other being. There is the Creator and there is the creation. God is set apart and separate from everything else that exists. In addition, when we say that God is infinitely perfect, we are saying that God always has been and always will be perfect. There never has been, or never will be, a flaw in God or a mistake made by God.

That leads us to the second part of this statement, which is the phrase “and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Now the first part of the phrase, eternally existing, simply means that God has always existed. This morning, God exists outside of space and time. God looks at space and time like I look at this stool.

However, it is the second part of this statement that can cause our head to explode: “in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This phrase is referred to in church mumbo jumbo talk as the doctrine of the Trinity. Simply put, the doctrine of the Trinity is the belief that God the Father is God, Jesus Christ is God and the Holy Spirit is God.

God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are each eternal in being, which means that they have always existed.  God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are identical in nature, which means that they possess the same character qualities. God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are equal in power and glory, which means that they are worthy of honor and worship as God. God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are having precisely the same attributes and perfections, which means that they are all equally perfect.

Now you might be thinking to yourself “Well Dave earlier you said that there is only one God, but aren’t you saying that there are three gods? After all you just said that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are all recognized as God. So isn’t there three gods?” Now this belief is referred to by the theological mumbo jumbo term tri-theism.

While that may seem to be a natural conclusion here, the reality is that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are distinct but inseparably related. To which you might be thinking “What does that even mean?” One way to describe the Triune nature of God is “Three Who’s and One What”. In other words, God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are distinct when it comes to their personhood, but inseparably related when it comes to their nature or essence as God. The distinction between members of the Trinity is based upon their roles, function, and administration, not their nature or essence. One way to visualize this would be to think of the following math equation:

1 x 1 x 1 = 1

Now, if I were to remove any of the integers from this equation, it would fundamental change the equation. The equation would no longer be 1 to the third power.

Now you might say “Well Dave, the word Trinity is not in the Bible, so how can it be true?” Although the doctrine of the Trinity is not expressed as such within Scripture, there are many statements, especially in the New Testament, that resulted in the doctrine of the Trinity. The most prominent example of this is found in a section of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. We see the following in Matthew 3:16:

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

In this verse we see God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit all together in a singular moment in history.  This flies in the face of the belief that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are simply different names for the one God that exists throughout history. This belief is referred to by the theological mumbo jumbo talk word modalism.

Now the reason why this really matters is because the doctrine of the Trinity is the foundational doctrine on which all Christianity is based and is the one doctrine that distinguishes Christianity from all other religious systems in terms of its claims about God. The doctrine of the Trinity reveals God’s character, His activity, and how we draw near and relate to Him. The doctrine of the Trinity reveals the reality that God is relational in nature and desires to have a relationship with us.  

While we see all of these aspects of God throughout the Bible, a passage that reveals these aspects of God is found in a section of a letter in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet, or spokesperson for God, who was sent by God with a message from God to the Jewish people, who were living in rebellion against God. The Jewish people were rebelling against God to instead worship false gods instead of the One True God.

And tomorrow, it is in this context that we see Isaiah write the following to the Jewish people…

Common Objections to the Idea of Generosity...

This week we are looking at a section of  letter that a man named Paul wrote to early followers of Jesus who were a part of a church in Corinth Greece. Wednesday we looked on as Paul introduced the members of the church at Corinth, and us here this morning to a timeless and true principle when it comes to generosity by way of a familiar farming metaphor in that the level of our generosity is reflected by the results.

 

Paul revealed the reality that the person who is meager or miserly when it comes to investing their treasure in God’s kingdom mission and to meet the needs of others will produce little or no benefit. By contrast, the person who generously invests their treasure in God’s kingdom mission and to meet the needs of others will see their generosity reflected in the benefits that are produced and flow from their generosity.

Paul then explained to the members of the church at Corinth that, in light of this principle, that each one must do just as he purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

If Paul was communicating this phrase in the language we use in our culture today, this phrase might sound like this: “You should have already decided what you are going to give and the check should already be written before the worship service begins. Paul then provided three reasons why we are to decide beforehand how generous we are going to be when it comes to investing our treasure in God’s kingdom mission through giving.

First, when we fail to decide beforehand we can find ourselves investing with an attitude of painful reluctance instead of gratitude. Second, when we fail to decide beforehand we can find ourselves investing our treasure in giving from pressure instead of pleasure. Third, Paul explained that when we take the time to prayerfully decide beforehand how generous we are going to be when it comes to investing our treasure in God’s kingdom mission through giving, we are able give with an attitude of gratitude that reflects the generosity of Jesus as a response of joyful worship.

And it is this attitude of gratitude; it is this response of joyful worship that God loves. The investment of the treasure that God has given us through giving is an act of worship that is to be done out of a heartfelt and joyous recognition that God is our provider who owns everything and allows us to manage all that He has given us.

 

Now today we are going to see the Apostle Paul respond to the pushback and objections that we can find ourselves having when it comes to the fact that the level of our generosity is reflected in the results. So let’s look at the first objection, which is found in 2 Corinthians 9:8-10:    

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER." Now 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;

In these verses, we see Paul respond to the pushback and objection that “If I invest generously like you are calling me to, then I will not have enough to take care of my needs and the needs of my family”. The Apostle, anticipating this pushback, replies by stating that God is able to make all grace abound to you. When Paul uses the phrase “all grace abound to you” here, he is referring to the exceptional effect that God’s generosity and activity can have in our lives.

Paul then explains that God’s gracious activity in the lives of those who reflect God’s generosity by being generous results in them always having all sufficiency in everything. In other words, God is able to respond to our generosity by graciously providing for us in a way that results in all of our needs being adequately met.

But notice why God graciously and generously provides for us in a way that all of our needs are adequately met: “so that you may have an abundance for every good deed”. You see, God’s gracious generosity is not for our prosperity, as those in the prosperity gospel movement maintain. And God is not generous so that we can meet all of our wants and desires.

Instead, Paul is revealing for us the reality that God’s gracious generosity that provides to adequately meet our needs is divinely designed to enable us to reflect His generosity by meeting the needs of others. Paul’s point here is that as we reflect God’s generosity by generously investing our treasure in His kingdom mission to minister to others, God will graciously and generously provide so that we will always have what is adequate in all things. And as we always have what is adequate in all things, we are able to continue to reflect God’s generosity by being generous.

Paul then reinforces his argument in verse 9 by quoting from a section of a letter in the Old Testament of our Bibles, called the book of Psalms. In Psalm 112:9, we see the Psalmist explain that the person who is in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus will reveal that reality through their generosity. Paul then applies this Old Testament verse to the situation at the church at Corinth, and for us here today, by explaining that God will continue to graciously and generously provide for us the resources to invest in His Kingdom mission to minister and meet the needs of others as we continue to reflect His generosity.

When Paul states that God will supply and multiply your seed, this phrase literally means to defray the expense of something, in this case the cost of being generous, by providing more. You see, the more generous we are in investing in God’s kingdom mission, the more generous He will be in providing us resources to further invest in God’s kingdom mission. The harvest of righteousness here refers to followers of Jesus fulfilling the divine expectation that we have to reflect Jesus generosity in our generosity.

And in the same way today, our heartfelt and joyous response of generosity reveals the reality of our relationship with Jesus as we reflect Jesus through our generosity. This is the case because the depth of our relationship with Jesus and the level of our generosity is reflected in the results. Paul then reveals for us a timeless result that occurs when our generosity is reflected in the results, beginning in 2 Corinthians 9:11. Let’s look at it together:

you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

In these verses, we see Paul explain to the members to the church at Corinth a second reason why God graciously provides for us in a way that all of our needs are adequately met. The phrase all liberality, which we looked at last week, literally means a “no strings attached” attitude toward generosity. Paul’s point here is that God generously provides for us so that we can reflect His generosity by investing our treasure with “no strings attached”, with no expectation for reciprocation. And when we reflect God’s generosity in such a way, the result is a response of thanksgiving, or an attitude of gratitude from others.

Paul then explains that this attitude of gratitude flows from a response of those in need having their pressing and profound needs met by those who reflect God’s generosity by generously investing in order to meet those needs. The generosity of the churches when it came to the famine relief fund for Jerusalem was causing all involved to consistently and repeatedly express an attitude of gratitude toward God.

 And it was this attitude of gratitude by all involved that revealed the second result that occurs when our generosity is reflected in the results: they will glorify God. Now when Paul uses the word glory here, this word literally means to influence one’s opinion so as to enhance one’s reputation. As a result of the generosity of the early church when it came to the Jerusalem famine relief fund, people’s opinions were influenced in a way that resulted in God’s reputation being enhanced.

In verses 13-14, we see three ways that the early churches generosity resulted in God’s reputation being enhanced. First, God’s reputation was enhanced as a result of the early churches obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ. In other words, God’s reputation was enhanced because the early churches generosity served as an expression of their allegiance to following Jesus. They did not just talk the talk when it came to being a follower of Jesus; they walked the walk. They actually took following Jesus seriously enough that they reflected His character and His conduct through their generosity.

Second, God’s reputation was enhanced as a result of the early churches liberality, or “no strings attached” attitude when it came to their generosity to meet the needs of the church at Jerusalem. There was no expectation for reciprocation; the early church simply loved and served their needs through their generosity. And in the same way today, God’s reputation is enhanced when we generously invest our treasure in God’s kingdom mission in a way that demonstrates our allegiance to Jesus and His mission that is genuine, authentic, and without strings attached.

 

Third, God’s reputation was enhanced as the members of the church at Jerusalem expressed their strong desire for God to continue to be active and at work in the lives of these early churches through prayer. They yearned; they had a strong desire to partner with these churches as a result of their generous investment in their lives.

And as Paul wrote this letter, he could not help but stop to express thanks for God’s gracious activity that he had the privilege to experience and witness. Because when our level of generosity is such that it results in the reflection of God’s generosity, God’s reputation is enhanced and God’s kingdom mission is advanced.

So what do the results of your life reveal about the level of your generosity? Does the level of your generosity result in God continuing to provide us the resources to further invest in God’s kingdom mission? What does your level of generosity reveal when it comes to the depth of your relationship with Jesus? Does the level of your generosity result in the opinions of others being influenced in a way that God’s reputation is enhanced and God’s kingdom mission is advanced?

Because the timeless principle is that the level of our generosity is reflected by the results.

The level of our generosity is reflected by the results...

A the church where I serve, we have been addressing one of the most misunderstood and misapplied aspects of Christianity, which is the issue of money and giving. We have been spending time talking about money and giving because the issue of money and how Christians are to interact with money has been around since the church was born.

Last week, we discovered that timeless truth that, as followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous. The Apostle Paul revealed for us that Jesus is so generous that though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor. Jesus entered into humanity to live as a beggar and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives by dying the worst death possible by crucifixion so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life and bless us with the riches that come from the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for in Heaven. We discovered that Jesus generous willingness to leave the riches of the glory of Heaven to live a beggar’s life and die an excruciating death should drive us to live a life that is motivated by love and that reveals and reflects His generosity. As followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous.

This week, I would like for us to look at another section of this letter that was written to this church that was located in Corinth Greece. And in this section of this letter, we will see Paul reveal for us a timeless principle that many of us have heard, but may not have realized came from the Bible. But before we look at this passage, let me spend a moment giving you some background information that will provide the context for what Paul is going to say in this passage.

After revealing to the church at Corinth that they were to be generous when it came to giving to a famine relief fund for a church that was located in Jerusalem because Jesus was generous, Paul explained how the money that was being donated to the famine relief fund was going to be handled. You see, Paul wanted to make sure that the church at Corinth understood that there were systems of accountability in place to ensure that their generosity would not be abused or mismanaged.

After explaining these systems, Paul encouraged the members of the church at Corinth to demonstrate the same passion when it came to investing in the Jerusalem famine relief fund as they had in talking about the Jerusalem famine relief fund. Apparently, the church at Corinth had been one of the primary churches that had expressed an eagerness to generously invest their treasure to meet the needs of the church in Jerusalem.

However, their walk was not matching their talk when it came to being generous. For over a year, the church had talked about being generous, but had not actually been generous when it came to giving to the relief fund. Paul responded to this lack of follow through in 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5 by explaining that he was sending three representatives to encourage the church to follow through on their commitment, or risk embarrassment for their lack of generosity.

And it is in the context of these comments that we see Paul reveal for us this timeless principle that most of us have probably heard, but may not have realized that it was from the Bible. So let’s look at it together, beginning in 2 Corinthians 9:6:

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Paul introduces the members of the church at Corinth, and followers of Jesus throughout history, to a timeless and true principle when it comes to generosity by way of a familiar farming metaphor: “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully”. And even today, this metaphor is still used in our culture. However, we tend to say it this way: “you reap what you sow”. This principle is also referred to as the Law of the Harvest. Now when Paul uses the word sparingly, he is referring to one who is meager when it comes to giving. The word bountifully, on the other hand, literally means generously.

And it is in this metaphor that we see Paul reveal for us a timeless and true principle when it comes to generosity. And that timeless and true principle is that the level of our generosity is reflected by the results. Paul’s point here is that the person who is meager or miserly when it comes to investing their treasure in God’s kingdom mission and to meet the needs of others will produce little or no benefit. By contrast, the person who generously invests their treasure in God’s kingdom mission and to meet the needs of others will see their generosity reflected in the benefits that are produced and flow from their generosity.

Now it is important to understand that this principle is neither good nor bad; this principle simply is. And while you can push back against or resist this principle, the principle is active and at work in my life and in your life. Regardless of whether you like this principle or don’t like this principle, you cannot avoid this principle: the level of our generosity is reflected by the results.

Paul then explained to the members of the church at Corinth that, in light of this principle, that each one must do just as he purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And so often, in my experience as a pastor, I have seen this verse used as a justification why Christians are not required to tithe. Maybe you have heard this justification, or used this justification as a reason why you did not need to give.

The conversation usually goes something like this: “Well Dave, I am a new covenant Christian; I am not under the Law. And since God loves a cheerful giver, I am not bound by any percentage when it comes to giving. And since God does not want me to give if I am not cheerful then I only have to give what would make me cheerful. And what makes me cheerful is to simply give God my leftovers”. They usually don’t say that part; that is my editorial comment.

However, to understand what Paul is trying to communicate here we first need to understand the meaning of several words and phrases. First, the phrase purposed in his heart literally means to make a decision beforehand. In other words, you should not be deciding how generous you are going to be when it comes to your giving as the offering basket is making its way down your row.

If Paul was communicating this phrase in the language we use in our culture today, this phrase might sound like this: “You should have already decided what you are going to give and the check should already be written before the worship service begins. Paul then provides three reasons why we are to decide beforehand how generous we are going to be when it comes to investing our treasure in God’s kingdom mission through giving.

First, when we fail to decide beforehand we can find ourselves investing with an attitude of painful reluctance instead of gratitude. The phrase “grudgingly” literally means to be in pain of mind or spirit”. And for some of us, if we could paint the true picture of what is going on inside of us when we give during the offering, it might look like this: “here you go; this is so painfully hard, oh what I could do with this if I didn’t have to give it to God”.  Now here’s the tough question: does that seem like an act of worship to you? Instead of investing our treasure with an attitude that giving is a grateful response to God’s generosity, giving becomes a duty that must be painfully endured.

Second, when we fail to decide beforehand we can find ourselves investing our treasure in giving from pressure instead of pleasure. The phrase “under compulsion” literally means under pressure. “Oh no, here comes the basket, what should I give? I don’t know, I don’t know? What are those around me going to think if they see what I’m giving? Oh I’ll just throw in what’s in my hand” or “I’ll just put this number down on the check”. Now does that seem like an act of worship to you? Instead of investing our treasure in a heartfelt, joyful response of worship that reflects the generosity of Jesus, we are hurriedly focused on the pressure that comes from beating the deadline of the basket and the possibility of informing the opinions of others.

Third, Paul explains that when we take the time to prayerfully decide beforehand how generous we are going to be when it comes to investing our treasure in God’s kingdom mission through giving, we are able give with an attitude of gratitude that reflects the generosity of Jesus as a response of joyful worship. And it is this attitude of gratitude; it is this response of joyful worship that God loves. The investment of the treasure that God has given us through giving is an act of worship that is to be done out of a heartfelt and joyous recognition that God is our provider who owns everything and allows us to manage all that He has given us.

So, for those of us that would consider ourselves “new covenant Christians” which we all are if you have a personal relationship with Jesus by the way, and justify this as a reason as to why you are not bound by the “10 percent rule”, here is my question. In light of all that God has generously done to rescue you from your selfishness and sin, what percentage do you think would reflect the heartfelt joy that you feel in response to His generosity?

Is the heartfelt joy that you feel as a result of what Jesus has done for you the same as the joy you feel when your waitress brings your meal to you at the restaurant? Because most people give that waitress 10%; I mean that is the minimum cultural standard isn’t it? So, why are we so put off at the idea of giving God at least a tip when he comes to responding to His activity in our lives but we give almost no thought to giving a waitress a tip? You see, the level of our generosity is reflected in the results.

Now, you might be pushing back against everything that you are hearing. You may find yourself objecting to everything you are hearing. For example, you may be thinking “well this is easy for you to say, Dave. How am I supposed to give like that and still be able to meet my needs and the needs of my family? You don’t understand my situation.”

If I have described you, I just want to let you know that I am not surprised that you are pushing back against this. And I am not surprised that you may have objections to what I am saying. I am not surprised because I once sat in that same chair, so to speak, and pushed backed and had many of the same thoughts and objections that you are having.

And what is so great is that the objections and pushback that I once had to this; the objections and pushback that you may be having to this are not new: they have existed for thousands of years. And in the rest of this section of this letter, we see the Apostle Paul respond to the pushback and objections that we can find ourselves having when it comes to the fact that the level of our generosity is reflected in the results.

Friday, we will look at those objections and Paul's response...

The motivation that should fuel our generosity...

This week we are looking at a section of a letter that a man named Paul wrote to early followers of Jesus who were a part of a church that was located in a city and culture that was remarkably similar to American culture today. Wednesday, we saw Paul reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to generosity in that as followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous. We talked about the reality that Jesus Christ was and is rich. He is the hands of creation. He owns everything. Jesus Christ is rich spiritually, relationally, and materially. And Jesus is generous.

We saw Paul explain that Jesus is so generous that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor. Jesus left the riches of the glory and majesty of Heaven to live the life of a beggar on earth. And the reason that Jesus left the riches of Heaven for the life of a beggar on earth was so that you through His poverty we might become rich. Jesus entered into humanity to live as a beggar and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives by dying the worst death possible by crucifixion so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life and bless us with the riches that come from the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for in Heaven.

And Jesus generosity had “no strings attached”; Jesus willingly became poor in order to provide us the opportunity to experience the riches of the life that we were created and called to live. And the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica in northern Greece got this reality. Their generosity flowed from an attitude of gratitude for what Jesus had done to rescue them from their selfishness and rebellion. Their generosity flowed from a response of love and a desire to reflect the love of Christ to the church at Jerusalem and the world.

Paul saw this response to who Jesus was and what He had done for these churches as confirmation of the firm commitment that they had to Jesus and His kingdom mission. And in the same way today, Jesus’ generous willingness to leave the riches of the glory of Heaven to live a beggar’s life and die an excruciating death should drive us to live a life that is motivated by love and that reveals and reflects His generosity. As followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous. Today, we see Paul conclude this section of the letter by challenging the church at Corinth to respond to this reality in the midst of the present situation at the church in Jerusalem, beginning in verse 10:

I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality--  at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK."

Paul explains to the church at Corinth that the reason for his point of view on generosity is not only theological in nature. In addition, Paul tells the church that their generosity is beneficial for them as well. The church at Corinth had a noble desire that they needed to actively follow through on and finish. However, the church was struggling with following through on the commitment that they had made over a year earlier. Paul wanted the church to be careful that their motivation behind the giving was proper and pleasing to God.

You see, there could be a temptation toward competition that could arise between the churches. The church at Corinth could become motivated to give sacrificially simply to show that they were as spiritual as the churches of northern Greece. Thus, their generosity would not flow from being exceptionally interested in reflecting Jesus generosity through loving and serving others.  Their motivation would not flow out of the same ‘no strings attached” willing desire to invest their treasure to meet the needs of the church at Jerusalem.

In verse 12, Paul addresses this possible temptation by explaining that what God finds pleasing and acceptable in terms of their generosity in giving will be based solely on a motive of reflecting Jesus generosity through loving and serving others. And in the same way today, Jesus is far more concerned with the heart attitude behind our actions. Our generosity is to be driven by our love for Jesus and what He has done for us and motivated by a desire to reveal and reflect Jesus generosity to others.

In verse 13, Paul responds to an addition exception that might be raised by the church. Paul explains that the purpose of the Jerusalem famine relief fund was not so the members of the church could get a new house, camel, or a new and improved affluent lifestyle. Instead, Paul explains that the purpose of the famine relief fund was to bring equality.

Now it is important to understand that Paul here is not promoting socialism or income redistribution.  The word equality here literally refers to a state or situation being held in proper balance. Paul then unpacks the application of equality in verse 14. At the time of the writing of this letter, the churches that were located in Greece had a surplus of resources. And by reflecting Jesus generosity through the famine relief fund, they would be able to meet the pressing needs of the church at Jerusalem. In the future, Jerusalem may benefit from the blessings of a surplus of resources, while at the same time Greece may suffer from a famine. At that time, the church at Jerusalem would be in a position where they could reflect Christ’s generosity in a way that would meet their needs when it came to meeting pressing needs.

So by willingly reflecting Jesus generosity, their generosity would result four positive results. First, reflecting Jesus generosity would result in pressing and practical needs being met. Second, reflecting Jesus generosity would result in the unity and community of these different churches being revealed for the whole world to see. Third, reflecting Jesus generosity would result in God’s kingdom mission being advanced.

And fourth, reflecting Jesus generosity would be result in something that could be reciprocated in the future, if the need arose. And to reinforce his position, Paul quotes a section of the Old Testament found in Exodus 16:18. As the Jewish people were being led out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land, God provided manna in the desert for the Jewish people to eat. Every morning, the Jewish people would go out and gather the manna from the dessert. Some gathered a great deal of manna, while others were not able to gather as much.

However, when the manna was distributed, each Jewish person received enough manna to meet their needs. The Jewish people willing gathered according to their ability and willingly shared with those who did not have the same ability. Paul’s point here is that the members of the church at Corinth, and us here today, are to respond to God’s activity in the world with an attitude of loving gratitude that reflects God’s generosity to others.

So here is a question to consider: what does your generosity, or lack of generosity, say about your relationship with God? And what motivates you to be generous? Does your generosity flow from an attitude of loving gratitude in response to Jesus is and what Jesus has done? Do you believe that Jesus is generous? And do you believe that you are to be generous because Jesus is generous?

Because, as followers of Jesus, the timeless reality is that we are to be generous because Jesus is generous.

As followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous...

This week we are looking at a section of a letter that a man named Paul wrote to early followers of Jesus in a church that was located in a city and a culture that was remarkably similar to American culture today. And it is in this section of this letter that we will discover that the issue of money and giving is not a new question. The issue of money and how Christians are to interact with money have been around since the church was born. And it is in this section of this letter that we see Paul address the question of the motives that are to drive the why and the how we are to invest the money that we are given through giving.

Yesterday, we saw Paul confront the reality that while other churches were following Paul’s instructions to invest their treasure to meet the needs of the church in Jerusalem, whose members were suffering at the hands of a famine, the church at Corinth was failing to follow through on their commitment.

So, while the wealthy church at Corinth was dragging their feet when it came to following through on their commitment, the persecuted and poor churches of northern Greece dove in head first in order to be a part of God’s activity in the world. And as a result of his experience with these churches in Northern Greece, Paul was provoked to respond. We see his response revealed for us in 2 Corinthians 8:6-7:

So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.

After experiencing God’s activity in the lives of these northern churches, Paul responded by sending Titus, who was partner of Paul’s who also planted a church on the island of Crete to Corinth in order to encourage the church to finish and follow through on the commitment that they had previously made when it came to participating in the famine relief fund for the church at Jerusalem.

Paul explained to the members of the church that just as they have excelled in their confident trust in God; just as they excelled in what they comprehended and grasped about the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel; just as they excelled in what they said when it came to doctrine and theology; they were to excel when it came to being a part of God’s activity through this famine relief fund.

You see, while the church at Corinth seemed to have their head, their mouth, and their heart engaged when it came to following Jesus, their hands were disengaged. While they excelled in many areas of what it means to follow Jesus, they were not excelling when it came to their generosity.

Now a natural question that could arise at this point is “well Dave, why is generosity important when it comes to following Jesus? And does God really expect us to be generous? I mean, so what if I do not normally give; does that really matter? And why should I be generous and give when it comes to the church? I mean, this is why I feel like churches are just interested in my money.”

If these are the questions or objections that you have of have heard others have when it comes to the subject and generosity, I just want to let you know that these are fair questions to be asking. And as Paul continues in this letter, we see Paul answer these questions and reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to generosity and giving, beginning in 2 Corinthians 8:8:

I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 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 through His poverty might become rich.

Paul explains to the church at Corinth the he is not commanding the church to finish and follow through on the commitment that they had previously made when it came to participating in the famine relief fund for the church at Jerusalem. Instead of giving an authoritative directive, Paul explains that their response to his call for them to finish what they started would be “proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.” To which we go “huh”? I mean what does that mean?

When Paul uses the word prove here, he is explaining that he will draw a conclusion based on their response to Titus’ encouragement to finish what they started. The conclusion that Paul will draw will be in regard to the churches earnest and diligent commitment when it came to their relationship with Jesus and His people who form the church.

In other words, Paul had seen the diligent commitment that the northern churches of Greece demonstrated when it came to following Jesus and being a part of God’s kingdom mission in the world. Paul had seen their sincerity or their genuine and authentic love for Jesus that drove and motivated their attitude of gratitude and actions of generosity. Paul had seen that the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica reveal and reflect Christ by how they loved and served those both near and far. Now, Paul would be able to draw a conclusion as to how committed the church at Corinth is when it comes to following Jesus and being a part of His activity in the world. Paul will see what genuinely drove their relationship with Jesus and His church. Was it gratitude and generosity, or is it something else?

Now a natural pushback that you may be having at this point is “well Dave, what does my generosity have to do with the genuineness or depth of my relationship with Jesus”? Paul provides the reason why our generosity, or lack of generosity, is a barometer as to the depth and sincerity of our relationship with Jesus in verse 9; “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 through His poverty might become rich.” And it is here we see Paul reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to generosity. And that timeless truth is this: As followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous. Jesus Christ was and is rich. He is the hands of creation. He owns everything. Jesus Christ is rich spiritually, relationally, and materially.

And Jesus is generous. Paul explains that Jesus is so generous that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor. Now when Paul uses the word poor here, this word literally means to become poor as a beggar. Jesus entered into humanity and grew up in a blue collar home of a carpenter. During Jesus ministry He was homeless, relying on the support of others for food and shelter. Jesus left the riches of the glory and majesty of Heaven to live the life of a beggar on earth.

Paul then explains that the reason that Jesus left the riches of Heaven for the life of a beggar on earth was so that you through His poverty we might become rich. Jesus entered into humanity to live as a beggar and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives by dying the worst death possible by crucifixion so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life and bless us with the riches that come from the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for in Heaven.

And Jesus generosity had “no strings attached”; Jesus willingly became poor in order to provide us the opportunity to experience the riches of the life that we were created and called to live. I mean what did Jesus get out of the crucifixion? How did Jesus entry into humanity benefit Him?

And the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica in northern Greece got this reality. Their generosity flowed from an attitude of gratitude for what Jesus had done to rescue them from their selfishness and rebellion. Their generosity flowed from a response of love and a desire to reflect the love of Christ to the church at Jerusalem and the world. Paul saw this response to who Jesus was and what He had done for these churches as confirmation of the firm commitment that they had to Jesus and His kingdom mission.

And in the same way today, Jesus’ generous willingness to leave the riches of the glory of Heaven to live a beggar’s life and die an excruciating death should drive us to live a life that is motivated by love and that reveals and reflects His generosity. As followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous.

Friday, we will see Paul then conclude this section of the letter by challenging the church at Corinth to respond to this reality in the midst of the present situation at the church in Jerusalem…