What We Render to God: Treasure (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

Hi, I'm Pastor Creighton, and thank you for tuning into Newsong Churches Podcast.

We're a biblically faithful, gospel-centered Anglican church in Port Perry, Ontario, proclaiming the true and life-giving word of Jesus as we love and serve our neighbors.

You can learn more about us at newsongportperry.ca.

May God bless you today through his life-giving word.

The point is this whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

As it is written, He has distributed freely, He has given to the poor, His righteousness endures for ever.

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.

You will be enriched in every way, to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

By their approval of this service they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.

This is the word of the Lord.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion.

For God loves a cheerful giver.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight.

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Please be seated.

You may have thought I'd be speaking without reading, but I'm not that clever yet.

However, there are some things that come to mind.

Today is the second part, as Rob began last week so eloquently, speaking on talents.

Today is perhaps more on treasures and what we render to God.

And in doing so, there are three questions we need to ask as we work through it.

And of course, a supplemental question afterwards.

The first being, what does God want?

Hint.

Secondly, what happens as we give from our hearts?

Hint.

He multiplies the givings.

And third, what happens once this gift is given?

And hint, God is glorified.

When I was in business, it seems many years ago now, I was involved, I was a manager, a frontline manager, and I was involved in hiring.

And I hired a fair number of people.

I can't count right now.

It's perhaps too many.

But I had the real joy of working with people and training them.

And we learned through experience and through teaching to look for at least three things.

And we whittled it down.

Of the three, perhaps the most important, as some of us called attitude, to hire someone with the desire to get out and do the work, to hire someone with the desire to learn, to hire someone with the desire to take it in and do what is right.

Well, one of us, not me, but one of us very rightly called that heart.

You need to hire the person with heart.

And it's interesting to me, and it shouldn't be, but it's interesting to me that even in business, the heart is so critical to what goes on in life.

And here, as we explore this passage, I hope we see once again what happens with the heart and how the heart is so important.

So let's begin on this short passage in Paul's letter to the Corinthians.

And I didn't write it down, but I believe it's page 910 in the Pew Bible.

And if I'm wrong, please let me know.

Or it's also in the bulletin.

But as Rob introduced last week, I think it's critical here that we get a bit of context.

And I apologize, the context is a little belabored because there's so much here, perhaps we need to have before we go on.

Paul is writing here a letter to the Corinthians, as we know.

The commentaries describe this as perhaps the fourth letter.

A couple may have been lost in the way.

But Paul wrote to the people of the church in Corinth.

Now, Corinth was a city that had been rebuilt.

It had been destroyed by, I think it was the Romans, 150 years before Christ, and rebuilt about 50 years before Christ.

So it's not exactly the same all the way through.

Not the same city, but it's in the same spot.

Corinth was an important trade area, and you probably know this already, but there's the isthmus.

I love that word, isthmus.

Our teacher told us isthmus.

Say the whole thing, Michael.

Down from Athens and going down to the bottom, on the one side is the city of Lachaeum, and across that isthmus is oh dear, what's the name?

Sancria.

And it's only about 10 miles, 16 kilometers, and they would have to take the trade, the goods off the boat, and sometimes the smaller boats as well, and truck them across this isthmus to the other side, off they go.

Why would you do that?

Because you bypass about 320 kilometers, 200 miles of water passage, treacherous water passage over uh Cape Malaya.

And it was not during treacherous but violent storms, they lost many ships.

So it was cheaper, it was better, it was safer to go through the isthmus.

I said that the Romans had destroyed it and they rebuilt it, but because of the trade, because it was so important, Corinth was a city, a cosmopolitan city, a city of so many peoples from all across the ways.

And as we know today, the same then, or as was then, as is today, people from all over the world then uh celebrate differently, they pray differently, they have gods and idols differently.

So Corinth was a city full of idols, full of uh pagan idols, full of money because of the trade, full of everything that we probably see here today.

The church begun by Paul was therefore surrounded by idolatry and, need I say, immorality.

We've seen that in all the other studies we've done in Revelation as well.

Paul wrote, as I said, four letters, the experts say, and these letters were both of commendation and correction.

Some of the words were to encourage and build up.

Remember the gifts of the Spirit, the body of Christ, the way of love, often read at weddings.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Some of his words were harsh, and both he and the church in Corinth had suffered, in Paul's words, much affliction and anguish of the heart.

Now, here in 2 Corinthians, both chapters 8 and 9, Paul addresses a financial need for the believers in Jerusalem.

They were suffering, they didn't have the funds then.

And if we go to Romans, we'll see more what he says about it.

But the church in Corinth has agreed to assist, and Paul thanks them.

Paul points out a little before our readings today of the readiness and generosity of the church, the people in Macedonia, they've already shown.

Paul stresses, I quote, they gave according to their means and beyond their means, giving first to the Lord, then to us.

That's Paul for the saints in Jerusalem.

Paul also stresses this giving was, as they excel in everything in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all earnestness and in our love for you.

And Paul tells the people in the church in Corinth, see that you excel in this act of grace also.

So Paul asks the people of the church to show the same, and he boasts about the church in Corinth's readiness and zeal to give.

So within this context, Paul writes to the church.

Point one.

Question one.

What does God want?

He wants our hearts.

The point is this whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves the cheerful giver.

So Paul tells the people right off the bat what he wants them to understand.

You reap sparingly, sorry, you sow sparingly first, you reap sparingly afterwards.

You sow bountifully, you reap bountifully.

Last week Rob preached on the talents.

The first was given five, the second four, the third one.

Each according to his ability.

Remember what happened?

The ones who sowed bountifully reaped bountifully.

The one who sowed sparingly reaped sparingly.

The same applies here as well.

And note those words in my notes here.

I've embolted them.

I hope I said them the same way.

As he has decided in his heart, Paul refers to each person deciding in their heart.

Why does Paul talk about the heart?

The heart is the center of the body, the main organ, and I know that from recent history in my place, that physically keeps the body fed, keeps the body going, keeps the body pushing forward, alive.

Okay, bear with me, we're going to spend a bit of time on the heart here.

The heart is a critical thing for the body.

The heart is critical for the mind.

The heart is critical for God.

In Luke, Jesus says, when speaking about the heart, the good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good.

Jesus says that our heart produces the good if the heart itself is good.

So our hearts must have good treasure.

Now when I was preparing for this, it came to me because a friend of mine used to say, Michael, how are you doing?

And I'd say, I'm good.

He said, Really?

Are you good?

What does Jesus say about good?

Oh dear.

Buzz, what did he say?

God is good.

Only God is good.

Okay, if only God is good, how can I be good?

And if that's the case, how can my heart be good?

That's a tough one.

In our Psalm today, David, who wrote it, says in one translation, Test me, O Lord, and try me.

Examine my heart and my mind, for your love is ever before me.

And also in 51, Psalm 51, he says, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

So in one, David is asking God to test him, to examine him, to see if his heart is good and true.

Why?

David knows that if his heart is true, then he will be true.

Back to the question about good.

How can David's heart be true then?

Well, we know that David's heart was true.

We know in Acts Paul refers to it.

He says, going back to the book of Samuel, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, I found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.

God speaking to Samuel about David.

A man after my heart.

So Paul states that David was this man after his heart.

He will do God's will.

But it still doesn't answer the question: how can his heart be good?

All right.

David, we know, was a man who was familiar with God's word, the scriptures at the time.

He didn't have all the scriptures we have, but he had, whole pilot knew them.

David regularly worshipped and praised the Lord.

We know that.

We read that in all the scriptures.

David, we know, wrote a fair number of the Psalms.

I think in one I read about half of them.

I'd have to go through to be sure.

But he wrote these words that we now use as scripture.

David regularly communicated with God.

I don't know if you've heard of Henry Blackaby.

He has uh several, well, sorry, he had several books out, he's now gone.

But he talks about experiencing God, one of the first things he wrote.

And there are several ways that he says you discern God's word and communicate, but a critical one is through scripture.

The best one is through scripture, because scripture does not change.

God does not change.

So if that's the case, then David's communication with God from David to God, sorry, pardon me, the wrong way around, from God to David was through Scripture.

The main and perhaps the best route.

If that's the case, let me keep that in mind, and maybe we need to keep that in mind about communication with God.

The first way, Him to us through Scripture.

The second is then communication back.

We communicate with God through prayer and worship.

And so this two-way communication goes back and forth.

And that is the way that we can then hear God's word, discern God's word, and apply God's word, and then look at the heart.

We go a little deeper into the heart.

Genesis tells us about the heart to reinforce Michael how my heart is.

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

That is pretty harsh.

Is my heart any different from that in Genesis?

I would like to say yes.

I would like to say it's perfect, but I don't think that's the case.

My heart is just the same as his.

If that's the case, then how can my heart be good?

How could David's heart be good?

How can any of our hearts be good?

How can we change?

I can only rely on the Lord for change.

I can only rely on God to change.

I mentioned earlier in business when we were hiring, we realized a group of us early on that we could not change people's attitudes, what my one colleague said the heart, and he's so right.

I could not change anyone's heart coming in.

I could not change their attitude.

We had to hire them with that attitude.

But here, if we are all the same as those in Genesis, we cannot change it, but only He can change it.

And the only way that can happen is through communication with God.

And we have to ask Him, which means we have to confess our faults, which is why we have the confession in both services.

We have to communicate with God, and so we read Scripture to gain the wisdom, to gain insights, and to hear what we need to do to change our hearts.

But we need to be prepared, we need to confess, and we need to be open to it.

So it's a tough one.

But the beauty is, as Reverend Creighton has preached so many times, we cannot do it on our own.

But through God's grace and God's mercy, we have that.

Our hearts can be changed, our hearts can be softened as I sometimes pray.

Our hearts can be softened, so we take in his word and we inwardly digest his word and we apply his word to our hearts and then to our actions.

So if we accept then that our hearts may not be good to begin with, but God can change them and they can be good, then once our hearts are good, then we can do his will, as David said.

Continue on with verses eight and nine.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

As is written, he is distributed freely, he is given to the poor, his righteousness endures forever.

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply, and it goes on.

But I have to break it there.

It's awkward, but I have to break it there.

As we see here, Paul is telling the people of the church that when it comes to giving, now having their hearts aligned with God's, they will cheerfully give.

And only because of the grace of God.

They will have all the grace of God supplied by God to do so.

Paul tells them that as their hearts are with God, they will then have all sufficiency, they will have all sufficiency to abound in all good works.

A lot of words, they will have all sufficiency to abound in all good works.

Everything's supplied.

God will provide for them to do it.

God will provide their hearts and their abilities and their minds to carry it out.

God will provide, he who provides seed for the sower and bread for food.

God has distributed freely, giving to the poor while his righteousness endures forever.

These are the same as Psalm 112, verse 9.

Psalms 112:9

As used as an example to the people of Corinth, to remain faithful to the Lord as his righteousness becomes their righteousness, giving to the poor while his righteousness endures forever.

So then point two, question two.

What happens?

If our hearts are then aligned with God's, what happens?

When we give, the results are multiplied.

Let's read on verses 10 and 12.

10 to 12.

And multiply, so God will provide and will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be enriched in every way, to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

It says right there, God who provides will multiply and increase.

What will he multiply and increase?

The harvest of your righteousness.

God will provide, God will supply and multiply all this so that his end will be done.

Here's a direct statement to the people of Corinth that God will provide and multiply the seed that they plant, and increase a harvest that is the salvation of others.

This is his great commission.

And not only will he multiply and increase, but this action will produce overflowing thanksgiving to God while supplying the needs of the saints, the others in Jerusalem.

Not only will this produce overflowing thanksgiving to God, but the people of Corinth will.

Be enriched in every way to carry on being generous in every way.

It's a big circular thing, isn't it?

It goes round and round as God supplies us.

We open our hearts to God and it continues on.

Quick comment here.

In this area, I believe there's a segment, I say, hesitate to say of the church, but represent the church, a segment of those proclaiming Jesus' Lordship who also proclaim the prosperity gospel based on verses just like this.

This, according to Britannica, the prosperity gospel, is the teaching that faith expressed through positive thoughts, positive declarations, and donations to the church, draws health, wealth, and happiness into believers' lives.

It is referred to as a health and wealth gospel, or name it and claim it.

This is not what the passage says.

Remember, Jesus said to his child, who I can't say that.

Jesus said to his disciples, and they would have been closer to Jesus on this earth than most.

In John 16, 33, in the world you will have tribulation.

And the disciples did experience difficulties.

Look at their lives, look at their deaths.

They're not alone.

We have martyrs these days, Christian martyrs.

It does not say you're going to be wealthy.

It does not say you're going to be healthy all the time.

It does not say that you'll live forever.

It does not say that you'll be happy.

It does say you'll have joy, joy in Him.

But Jesus also says, just following that, but take heart, I have overcome the world.

So there will be difficulty, but not forever.

We have to be careful how we interpret the word.

We have to pray a lot about it.

We have to communicate with God a lot about it.

We have to read his scripture.

As one great preacher I would hear often in the past would say, use the Bible as the lens to interpret the Bible.

Use Jesus as a lens to interpret, pardon me, to interpret the Bible.

So back to giving from our hearts.

What do we see here in Port Perry?

In New Saul?

Well, how about the school backpack program?

That's an interesting one.

That's a repeated program.

That's one that we were asked to do again.

It does make a difference.

But do we carry this out for the glory of God?

Or do we carry it out because I feel pretty good about it?

Well, question three comes up then.

What happens as our hearts are changed?

What happens as we give according to our hearts, and it's multiplied?

God is glorified as we share the gospel.

Verses 13 to 15.

By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of the contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the unsurpassing grace of God upon you.

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.

Well, since Paul has been speaking about the financial support of the church in Corinth, for the saints in Jerusalem, Paul here restates that Christians will glorify God.

The Christians in Jerusalem will glorify God because of what the people in Corinth are doing and Macedonia.

And by doing so, they're confessing the gospel as they give generously.

This is an extension of Paul speaking of the unity of the body of Christ, which he wrote about in one of the earlier letters, all working to one end.

And the response from those who will receive the gift will be praise and glorification of God, which comes from and via the grace of God, which he has given the people of Corinth.

How about here a new song?

The need for the saints never ends.

The disasters keep on occurring and recurring, perhaps.

And we know about the charity and aid to Nepal, which is quite similar to Paul asking for aid for those in Jerusalem.

The outreach committee here in Newsong has plans for different programs.

The Backpack Program mentioned.

They also support ARDFC, which I'm quite familiar with, and Reverend Creighton is part of as well.

As far as ARDFC goes, let me give you one little example, if I might.

A little while back, the bishop in one area of Mozambique had written a request for funding, and it's a rather extensive process they go through.

But they needed water.

This is an area, one of the poorest areas of the country.

This area had been given wells beforehand, but they'd fallen apart.

They had not been maintained, and the government didn't care about them because they have no money.

And so he asked for help, and through the usual process, help was given.

It was for four, a building of four brand new wells and a refurbishment of 14 other wells.

So that's just water.

But water is important for life.

Well, what the bishop did was tying into the building of the new wells and the refurbishment of the others, he tied in a program, a teaching program, to teach about water, to teach about health, to teach about hygiene, and at the same time to teach about the living water.

And out of that reasonably small donation, depends on the program you're looking at, out of that small donation, 40 churches were built that were not there before, um created, excuse me.

They're still in the process of building the actual structures.

Forty where they had none.

Because the people in these villages of Mozambique could not believe that others like you would support them, having not known them at all, but did so because God asked them to donate, and they believe we believe in God.

These people wanted to know who God was.

Who is this God who's so important that you're willing to help them?

God will be glorified in all you do.

So then the last question is a supplemental question.

I have about a minute to get through that one.

Maybe it's the hardest one.

If my heart is changed and if things are multiplied because my heart tells me to give, and God multiplies it all, the seed and the harvest, and all glory goes to God, how much should I give?

Well, we have in Scripture Abraham tithing to Melchizedek.

We don't need to get into who he was, but I think Reverend Creighton's discussed that several times.

Um his priestly business, we talk about that.

Abraham gave the tithe.

Paul has already written earlier, I think I mentioned that earlier in chapter 8 of this letter to Corinthians, give to God first and then give to Paul for the saints.

So he's mentioned that process there.

But I think C.S.

Lewis has maybe the best words on it, and I'd like to quote him.

From mere Christianity, a little while ago, he wrote, I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give.

Good.

That's done.

But he does go on.

I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.

In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, and the like is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away far too little.

If our charities do not pinch at all or hamper us, I should say they are too small.

There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.

Thank you, C.S.

Lewis.

So God wants our hearts.

As we give from our hearts, the result will be multiplied, and God is glorified as we share the gospel.

The point is this whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion.

For God loves a cheerful giver.

Amen.

We hope that you've been blessed by God's word today.

If you live in the area, we hope that you'll come and worship with us in person on Sunday at 10 a.m.

If you'd like to learn more about Newsong Church, we'd love to connect with you.

Please find our contact information at newsongportperry.ca and reach out to us.

Newsong's ministry is entirely funded by the generous giving of those who worship and journey with us.

If you feel called to support our ministry with a financial gift, please go to newsongportperry.ca giving to make your contribution.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.