JOYFUL GIVING Outline Definitions Gods Gifts to Us

JOYFUL GIVING

Outline Definitions � God’s Gifts to Us � Our Response to God’s Gifts � Key Giving Text; 2 Corinthians 8: 1 -15 � More Biblical Giving Principles � Summary �

Definitions � � � Giving: to grant possession or control of something to another person at no cost Joyful: happy, glad, rejoice, delighted Biblical joy: � “I will take joy in the God of my salvation” Habakkuk 3: 18 � Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5: 2 � State of delight and well being that results from knowing and serving God � Joyful giving: delight from giving that is in concert with knowing and serving God

God’s Gifts to Us: The Bible For Salvation “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. ” Romans 10: 17 For Sanctification “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent for every good work. ” 2 Timothy 3: 16 -17

God’s Gifts to Us: Eternal Life “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ” Romans 6: 23 “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” 2 Corinthians 9: 18

God’s Gifts to Us: Holy Spirit “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ” John 6: 33 “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ” Acts 2: 38

God’s Gifts to Us: Spiritual Gifts “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ” 1 Corinthians 12: 7 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. ” 1 Peter 4: 10

God’s Gifts to Us: Evangelists, Shepherds, Teachers “And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the ministry for building up the body of Christ. Ephesians 4: 11 -12

God’s Gifts to Us: Good Things “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom their is not variation or shadow due to change. ” James 1: 17

God’s Gifts to Us: Hope “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who; loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in very good work and word. ” 2 Thessalonians 2: 16 -17

God’s Gifts to Us: Victory “But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ” 1 Corinthians 15: 57

God’s Gifts Summary � � Comprehensive Held nothing back “inexpressible/indescribable gift” 2 Corinthians 9: 15 “so great a salvation” Hebrews 2: 3

Our Response to God’s Gifts “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all of your soul, and with all of your mind and with all of your strength…love your neighbor as yourself. ” Mark 12: 30 -31 “Therefore, I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God— this is your spiritual act of worship. ” Romans 12: 1 � A spiritual act of worship � “Do not neglect to to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. ” Hebrews 13: 16

Our Response to God’s Gifts � � � “We should love one another…by this we know love, that he laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ” 1 John 3: 11, 16 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. ” 1 John 3: 14 -15 “As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. ” Galatians 6: 10

Who Owns Our Possessions? � God owns everything “The earth is the Lord’s…the world and those that dwell therein, for He has founded it…. Psalm 24: 1 -2 � Bought with a price “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6: 19 -20 � We are stewards of the resources He has entrusted to us (Luke 12: 41 -48) and are accountable for how we manage those assets (Romans 12: 14).

How Much Should We Give? � Sacrificially � Our His Bodies Physical Mental Spiritual � Our His resources Financial Real estate Living things Possessions

� Key Giving Text; 2 Corinthians 8 Background � Other churches helping Jerusalem church � Macedonian churched very generous � Corinthian church started help but has fallen off the pace

2 Corinthians 8: 1 -15 1 We want you to know, brothers about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. 2 For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace.

2 Corinthians 8: 1 -15: Deeper Look 1 We want you to know, brothers about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. 2 For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. � � Macedonian church giving reflected God’s grace in their lives Joy in the Lord overcame extreme poverty and resulted in huge generosity � Joy is the delighted feeling that comes from knowing and serving God

2 Corinthians 8: 1 -15: Deeper Look 3 For they gave according to their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. � � � Gave according to their means Gave of their own accord Gave first to the Lord and then as the Lord led, to other Christians

2 Corinthians 8: 1 -15 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. 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know that 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. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it well, so that our readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.

2 Corinthians 8: 1 -15: Deeper Look 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. 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. � � Excel in this act of grace [giving] Prove your love is genuine “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. ” 1 John 3: 14 -15 “…faith by itself , if it does not have works is dead. ” James 2: 17

2 Corinthians 8: 1 -15: Deeper Look 9 For you know that 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. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. � Christ, the supreme example for giving

2 Corinthians 8: 1 -14 11 So now finish doing it well, so that our readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. � � Give out of what you have Matter of fairness

2 Corinthians 8: 1 -14: Deeper Look 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. � � Give based on what you have If you have resources, help those who do not

More Biblical Principles � � � “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ” 2 Corinthians 9: 5 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ” 2 Corinthians 9: 7 “For the ministry of this service [giving] is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. ” 2 Corinthians 9: 12

More Biblical Principles � “On the first day of of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. ” 1 Corinthians 16: 2

Summary � � � God has lavished gifts upon us the greatest being the gift of His Son Jesus Our reasonable service is to give our lives and all that we own to Him. We are stewards. Give faithfully and sacrificially using Biblical principles; not just money but everything Giving will result in needs being met and glory to God Joyful giving: delight from giving that is in concert with knowing and serving God