When it comes to treasure, we are to give generously because Jesus is generous...

This week, we have been talking about a very common perception and objection that many people have when it comes to the church and the issue of money. And that perception and one of the major objections to the church and to Christianity in general, is the belief that the church just wants your money.

We have focused on this issue of giving and the answer to the questions “why should I give? and "how should I give?” And to answer these question, we have been looking at a section of a letter that a man named Paul wrote to a church that was located in Corinth, Greece called 2^nd Corinthians. We have looked on as the Apostle Paul was surprised, and even taken aback, by their attitude of gratitude and the actions of generosity that he experienced the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica, which were immersed in a culture of poverty and persecution.

Unlike the church at Corinth, these poor and persecuted churches were willingly investing their treasure to meet the needs of the church at Jerusalem. Paul did not have to make a sales pitch or a guilt trip to these churches. Instead, these churches heard of the need and were motivated to respond. As a matter a fact, they were so motivated to respond that they gave beyond their ability. In other words, they gave sacrificially.

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. 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.

Now a natural question that may arise is “why is generosity important when it comes to following Jesus? And does God really expect us to be generous? I mean, so 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 questions or objections that you have or that you have heard others have when it comes to the subject of giving 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 8:8-9:

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.” But 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 Christ 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 God that drove and motivated their attitude of gratitude and actions of generosity. Paul had seen that the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica revealed and reflected Christ by how they loved and served those both near and far.

Now, Paul will 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 God and His church. Was it gratitude and generosity, or is it something else? Now a natural pushback that many people experience at this point is “what does my generosity have to do with the genuineness or depth of my relationship with Christ”?

Paul provides the reason why our generosity, or lack of generosity, is a barometer as to the depth and sincerity of our relationship with Christ 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 in this statement by Paul that we see provided for us the answer to the question “why should I give?” And that timeless answer is this: When it comes to treasure, we are to give generously because Jesus is generous.

The timeless reality is 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. 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 explained 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 and northern Greece got this reality. Their generosity flowed from an attitude of gratitude for what Jesus had done to rescue them from their selfish rebellion and sin. Their generosity flowed from a response of love and a desire to reflect the love of Jesus 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.

You see, as followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous. And when we give generously, we reveal and reflect the generosity of Jesus to others. As a church, we do not ask followers of Jesus to give because we want your money. Instead, as a church, we invite followers of Jesus to respond to the generosity of Jesus by reflecting that generosity in a way that enables us as a church to create environments where people can explore, faith, grow in their faith and experience genuine and authentic community, so God’s kingdom mission can advance and God’s reputation can be enhanced.

Now that leads us to the second question which we are looking at this morning, which is "how should I give?" We see Paul reveal for us the timeless answer to this question just a few verses later in this letter by providing us a timeless principle that most of us have probably heard, but may not have realized that it was from the Bible.

We will discover that principle Friday...