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Good morning my “Walking With Jesus” friends,
Today we’ll continue with Paul in the 9th chapter of his second letter to the Christians in the great city of Corinth, written around 50ad.
Yesterday we walked through chapter 8 and Paul’s call to these folks to join with him, and the Macedonian churches, in being GENEROUS, and specifically in sending financial help to Christians in Jerusalem, who were suffering great persecution.
In addition to the specifics I gave you yesterday, let me add a few more examples of what was happening in Jerusalem…
Some business owners refused to sell their products or services to those who had converted to Christianity. Imagine going into the grocery store and finding the clerk closes her register when you come with your cart of food!
Or going to the hardware store to buy some essential things to repair something in your home, and the owner of the store comes and tells you to get out of his store and leave the merchandise on the counter!
So these folks in Jerusalem, who wanted so much to see their friends, family and anyone else to come to know Jesus, were in a tough place. Some just packed up and moved out of town, finding a place to start over. But often in their cases, no one would buy their home since it had been owned by a Christian!!
Can we put ourselves in their painful situation… what would you have done?
So in 2 Corinthians chapter 9, Paul continues his urging of the Christians in Corinth, to be generous. . .
Do you see in vs. 2, Paul is commending their “…eagerness to help…”. Don’t you love that? Do you know someone who is always EAGER to help anyone they see who has a need, any kind of need?
Dawn and I now live in Florida, surrounded by retirees, many of whom are in their 80’s & 90’s. In my ministry as Pastor to Missionaries, I spend hours each day on the phone with retired missionaries who spent their adult lives in the jungles of Papua or Brazil, or the big cities of Europe, or the villages of Africa. Now in their mature years, may I use that phrase, these dear folks are finding their bodies and minds simply don’t function like they did years ago, and they need some help from time to time. I love seeing or hearing about those who are eager to help, and find great joy in serving these dear elderly folks.
Would you agree this ‘eagerness to serve’ is a measure of the authenticity of our generosity? It’s not difficult for us to sense when someone feels it’s an imposition to help a person in need, right?
Have you also noticed, my friends, that generosity is CONTAGIOUS!
Paul writes, “…your enthusiasm (to give) has stirred most of them to action…”. It’s true isn’t it? People sandbagging as the flood waters rise, in Fargo. People shoveling the snow off the driveways and sidewalks of neighbors. People paying for the groceries of a widow in the checkout line ahead of them. And a thousand other examples of generosity… it’s contagious!
And then Paul writes this great admonition in vs. 6,7 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Every person should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Oh that’s so true isn’t it? What must it be like in heaven, when God celebrates you and me, when we are generous with a happy heart?
But let’s be honest friends… whenever we are ‘generous’ with any of our resources… time, talents, creativity, money… have you noticed a nagging little thought in the back of your mind or heart “but what about ME? Whose going to be generous to me? How will I get along without what I’m giving in my generosity?”
And to that dark thought, Paul has this answer: “And God is able to make ALL grace abound to you, so that in ALL things, at ALL times, having ALL that you need, you will abound in every good work… you will be made rich in every way, so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (9:8-11)
Do you hear the promise of God, that He knows our needs better than we do, and He is supplying us with MORE than we need, so that we can be generous, and that as we are generous people will praise God?!
Paul continues: “This service of generosity that you preform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of this service, by which you have proved yourselves, people will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the Gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them…” (9:12,13)
Do you hear it my friends? Our generosity validates the words we express when we claim to be Christians, or we say things that we think are pointing people to Jesus. Remember James spoke about faith being validated with works (James 2).
Now finally, Paul closes chapter 9 with this powerful proclamation: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”!
Paul is celebrating that God is the king of generosity! He created the universe, our planet, each of us and all we need. He sustains our every breath. All this is His generosity to our human race… in such abundance!
And then of course, as humanity in every generation, turned away from God, rejected Him, God did the unthinkable… He sent His Son Jesus, to pay the full price for our sin, so we could be restored in a wonderful love relationship with Him, through our salvation! That my friends, generosity beyond comprehension.
And then God places His Holy Spirit in each of us His redeemed children, and then He gives us an awareness for the needs of others! He then awakens in us a spirit of generosity…an evidence of the work of the Generous Holy Spirit in us! And then He pours out to us the resources we need, IN ABUNDANCE, so we can be eager to respond to the needs we see, and we pour out the generous love of God, as we pour out abundant generosity to those we touch.
And while that is happening here on earth with you and me, there’s a party of celebration going on in heaven, as Jesus and the angels celebrate, and God just keeps pouring out His abundance on us, so we can keep distributing His abundance with generosity!
Oh my, oh my! What a wonderful way to live. . . thank you Jesus, thank you!
Do I hear amen all across the country?
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”!!!
And our indescribable privilege, of partnering with God, in the distribution of His GENEROSITY!
Click to read today’s chapter: 2 Corinthians 9. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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