True
Giving – 2 Cor 9:6-11
Intro:
The Apostle Paul shares with the Corinthians and us five wonderful
truths today.
I WILL GIVE YOU TWO APPLES
An atheist and a little boy in his neighborhood
were talking one day about God, church and faith. Finally, the old neighbor
said to the little boy, "Son, I don’t see how there could be a God in this
world with all of the problems we have. I will give you an apple if you can
prove to me that God exists!"
The little boy grinned and said, "Sir, I
believe in God and I will give you TWO APPLES if you can prove that He doesn't
exist!"
- There is a law of nature.
Whoever sows will reap. The little the sow the little you
sow. The more you sow the more you
reap. Vs 6
- Each person should give as they have decided in your heart. In the Old Testament
the guideline is a tenth. In the
New Testament there is no guideline because love is your motivation. Your time, talents and resources belong
to him.
Vs 7
- Do not give under compulsion for God loves a cheerful
giver. Vs 7
Some people are never happy. A Jewish lady's
grandson is playing in the water, she is standing on the beach not wanting to
get her feet wet, when all of a sudden, a huge wave appears from nowhere and
crashes directly over the spot where the boy is wading.
The water recedes and the boy is no longer
there. He simply vanished. She holds her hands to the sky, screams and cries,
"Lord, how could you? Have I not been a wonderful mother and grandmother?
Have I not given to Bnai Brith and Haddasah? Have I not tried my very best to
live a life that you would be proud of?"
A few minutes later another huge wave appears
out of nowhere and crashes on the beach. As the water recedes, the boy is
standing there, smiling, splashing around as if nothing had ever happened. A
loud voice booms from the sky, "Okay, okay, I have returned your grandson.
Are you satisfied?"
She responds, "He had a hat.
Seven scriptural principles for giving.
I. According
to Income – Deut 16:17
I.
Secretly – Matt 6:3
II.
Freely – Matt 10:8
III.
With Simplicity – Rom 12:8
IV.
Regularly every week – 1 Cor
16:2
V.
Cheerfully – 2 Cor 9:7
VI.
Generously – 2 Cor 9:10
Talk about Dareen Stahl
- God is able to make grace abound in all times, in all you need
for every good work. Vs 8-10
Talk about Joseph in Potiphar’s house and prison.
- When you give gifts to the poor the righteous of God endures
forever.
- He will supply and increase your seed and enlarge your harvest
of righteousness.
- You will be made rich in every way so you can be generous on
every occasion. What will happen is
those around you will give thanksgiving to God because of your generosity.
I heard a missionary tell an amazing story of a
child’s generosity. John Bechtel, a missionary in Hong
Kong, wanted to start a Christian camp to reach people for Christ.
A bankrupt multimillion-dollar hotel and conference center became available for
sale. He made an offer to purchase the property and then traveled around the
world to raise the millions he would need. But no one was willing to help and
he returned to Hong Kong discouraged. Then one
day he got a letter from a young girl that included $1 and a note saying she
wanted him to use this to buy the camp. John Bechtel prayed and took the girl’s
$1 to the real estate closing and the corporation decided to accept the $1 as
full payment! Since the camp first opened, over a million people have come and over
100,000 have accepted Christ.
- God wants to have fruitfulness, liberality and spiritual
riches.
- Blessing follows the cheerful, generous and graceful giver.
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