AM I GENEROUS ENOUGH? - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

all right if you have a Bible or an app

let's open it up we are going to be in 2

Corinthians this morning 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9 we're going to be looking at

verses 6 through 15 now now let me just

preface the sermon this morning with

this we are going going to be talking

about generosity this morning generosity

uh involves the giving of your finances

and when it comes to church I I I think

not not this church but but just church

in general I think often times when we

approach the issue of generosity

specifically as it pertains to our

finances we can immediately uh put up

walls of defense and and that's for a

couple of reasons maybe because you have

not experienced Church Life well and

maybe you've been part of a church or

you've been uh witnessed to a pastor who

has really abused their role has really

abused use God's word when it comes to

the issue of finances and and generosity

or or maybe just maybe you are clinging

too much to the things of this world and

and when conviction is brought to your

life or when you are challenged with the

truth of God's word as it pertains to

how we are called to be generous in all

areas of our life that that really rubs

us the wrong way we we are a people

created to be devoted make no mistake

the question is not are we devoted but

rather what are we devoted

to matter of fact if you continue

thematically all throughout the

scriptures Genesis the Revelation

everything in between this is what we

discover about God's people God's people

and generosity are not exclusive from

one another if you are a believer in the

house if you are a son and child of God

youve given your yes and amen to Jesus

you have placed your hope faith and

trust in him biblically it is assumed

that you are a generous individual we'll

get to that here in just a moment but

Paul he's he's writing to the Corinthian

Church and in his letter 2

Corinthians he's challenging them to

remain committed to a previous

commitment that they had given to Paul

verbally as a matter of fact the church

in Jerusalem was experiencing some

hardships that was due to a number of

factors they were experiencing

persecution and oppression much like the

early church did in the time of Paul but

not only that it was during this time

that Jerusalem had experienced a famine

there were people who were starving and

one of the beacons of Hope for people

who were in need need was the church in

Jerusalem they had spent all their money

and providing for their community and

they were in desperate need of Financial

Resources so Paul being the missionary

that he was being the pastor that he was

went to all the churches that he had

planted he had written letters to all

these churches asking them to commit a

particular amount financially that would

be used by the church in Jerusalem to

serve their community so Paul here in

second Corinthians he

reminds the Corinthian Church of their

commitment but I want us to take note

he's not just reminding them of the

financial commitment he's he's really

calling them into a greater

understanding of what Biblical

generosity is and that's what I want to

challenge us to do this morning I I I

want us to not just sit and listen to

Paul's words who were calling out to a

people to remain committed uh to a

pledge they had made to fellow brothers

and sisters in the faith but but

ultimately I want us to sit and be

challenged by what it means to live with

a spirit of

generosity one of the questions I want

to challenge us with this morning is

this ask yourself am I generous

enough and while Paul in the context of

our passage indeed is referring to

financial generosity I I I want us to

understand that biblical generosity is

not just about dollar signs now mind you

dollar signs are a big deal it's how we

pay for the lights it's it's how we fund

the Ministries and the programs here at

the Grove and and I just want to take a

take some time this morning to say thank

you grow family for for your

faithfulness to the kingdom of God thank

you for contributing sacrificially to

the mission of this church which is to

reach the Grove and make

disciples you know we have Beed witness

to the fact that whenever there has been

a need God has delivered God has

supplied God has shown up and that is

due to the faithfulness of this this

church but generosity is not just about

dollar signs generosity is about the

talent that you have about the time that

you've been given here on Earth and how

you will use your time your talents and

your Treasures to contribute to the

mission of the kingdom of God through a

local body of

Believers so Paul in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9 as he begin begins to

encourage a heart of generosity as he

begins to remind the

Corinthians of their commitment they

meant made to the church in Jerusalem

here's what he writes beginning in verse

six the point is this in other words

everything that Paul has declared from

chapter 1 to verse six of chapter n this

is what he's getting to it's about this

Spirit of generosity everything that we

accomplish in the kingdom and for the

kingdom must first be rooted in a heart

that has been overflowing with the

generosity of the

Gospel so that it can then and be

enacted in every other area of our life

so he says the point is this whoever SWS

sparingly will also reap

sparingly and whoever SWS

bountifully will also Al reap

bountifully each one must give as he has

decided in his heart not reluctantly or

under compulsion for God loves a

cheerful Giver we're going to get a

little bit more in depth into this in in

just a moment but but let me just say

this God will do more with a little that

is given from a cheerful and Generous

Heart then he will with plenty that is

given from a heart uh out of guilt shame

or obligation this is what Paul is

getting at because the power does not

rest in the

amount the power rests in God the power

doesn't rest in your resources the power

rest in the faith that we have in God

and how he will utilize multiply and

expend those

resources Paul continues verse eight 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 are you tracking

where Paul is taking us your generosity

how how you seow how you give is is an

expansion of the good work God is doing

in you verse n he goes on to quote the

book of Psalms as it is

written he has distributed freely he has

given to the poor his righteousness

endures

forever he who supplies seed to the swer

and bread for food don't miss this will

supply and multiply your seed for sewing

and 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 I love this but it also

overflowing in many thanksgivings to God

by their approval he's talking about the

church in Jerusalem of this service they

our brothers and sisters in Jerusalem

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 do you see how a

SP of generosity goes far beyond

financial

resources and what not only is it

supplying the physical needs of the

church in Jerusalem but it's drawing

them in to deeper and greater purpose

verse 14 while they long for you and

pray for you because of the surpassing

grace of God upon you and I love how

Paul concludes this

chapter thanks be to God for his

inexpressible ible gift and all God's

people said amen Lord would you bless

your word Holy Spirit would you stir our

hearts this

morning so as we think on this question

am I generous enough I want us to think

on it as it relates to biblical

generosity what Biblical generosity

really is what Biblical generosity

really

implies I looked up the word generosity

in the dictionary this week here's

here's how it's defined it's the

virtue of being

excessive in your

giving so as we consider the question am

I generous enough we we need to

challenge ourselves into thinking am I

excessive in how I give and how I give

of my finances of of how I give in my

talents and of how I give of my time am

I overflow

flowing with generosity in all of those

areas so that the kingdom of God as it's

pushing forward and inviting people in I

am contributing not just with part of my

life not just with some of my life but

with all of my

life though while indeed finances are

important it's one thing to write a

check and praise God for checks praise

God for large checks praise God for

Small Checks praise God for sacrificial

giving but but what I really want us to

press into and this is what Paul is

getting at is where is your heart behind

that

generosity because you can give all you

want you can give everything that you

have but if your heart is not in it do

you know what Paul declares later in the

New Testament he says you're nothing

more than a clanging symbol if it's not

rooted out of a love that is only

experienced in Jesus Christ then it's

all for not it's all done in vain it's a

clanging symbol that makes nothing but

noise there's no Melody there's no

rhythm to the generosity of your

life it's been said that the job of a

pastor is to point you from God's word

to the excellencies of Christ so that

you see what God has given you in Christ

and upon beholding the gift of his grace

you would then want and

desire to

give you see generosity it's it's not

just an

act it's a reflection of your

heart what we give how we give why we

give it it reveals the depth of trust

that we have in God it's a reflection of

our understanding of of the grace that

we've received of of the riches of

Heaven that has been poured down into us

and and if I've experienced the richness

of the Father by way of the son that has

been awakened in me through the ministry

of the Holy Spirit the natural result of

a relationship with Jesus should then be

a pouring out of my life to

others so let's do this let's let's go

back to our passage in 2 Corinthians 9

and and let's look at the pathway that

is laid out for us let's let's look at

these key

principles that we can adopt that would

give us a greater understanding of what

it means to live life with generosity if

you're taking notes here's the first one

generosity will reflect your faith in

God's

provision generosity reflects your faith

fath in God's provision here's a

challenging thought we don't own it

all matter of fact the Old Testament

will say it this way there is nothing

new Under the

Sun every blessing that we receive every

resource that we have at our disposal

every talent that we've been gifted with

and the Very time that we have on this

Earth has all been granted and given to

us by God

and when it overflows in a spirit of

generosity when when that relationship

pours out in a spirit of generosity what

it does is it reflects the faith that we

have in the provisions of God go back

with me to verse

six whoever SWS

sparingly will also reap

sparingly whoever SWS bountifully will

will also reap

bountifully I love what Paul's doing

here he's he's using agricultural

language it it it was the trade of the

majority of people in Corinth he farming

metaphors he's he's using these

particular words and phrases to

highlight a spiritual truth that the

measure of your

generosity not the amount but the faith

and the heart that is behind it the

measure of your generosity determines

the blessings that you will

receive and another words let me put it

this way we give for the purposes of

God and God will give back because of

our trust that as Paul will later say in

Philippians our trust that God will meet

all our needs according to his riches

and glory in Christ Jesus

but here's the unfortunate thing that

we've been exposed to in the 21st

century Church World there have been

churches there have been uh uh pushes

through certain denominations and there

have been particular agendas by

particular pastors that have used 2

2 Corinthians 9:6

Corinthians 9:6 and in order to push

this idea that that you can become

wealthy and Rich and it's all determined

by the amount of money money that you

give often times that that thought is

perpetuated in the church which is why

we

have bad

experiences we put up walls of Defense

when it comes to issues of money this

this belief known as the Prosperity

Gospel reduces God reduces the Savior to

nothing more than an Aaron boy who is

about providing what we want

as opposed to what he has purposed but

this is not at all what Paul means let's

make that absolutely clear Paul is

talking about generosity as an act of

trust and faith not a means to worldly

possessions and wealth generosity is

Faith and the provisions that God gives

now there's some deep theological riches

that is taking place here for example

I'm I'm reminded of a moment in the

ministry of Jesus as told to us in the

gospel of Mark Jesus was a people

Watcher anybody ever just just like

watching

people Mark tells us that Jesus is at

the temple with his disciples and he

says that Jesus is sitting across the

offering box and he's watching people as

they go and give their offering now now

don't miss this Jesus is a watcher not

because he's just watching the people's

actions but more than that he's watching

their motives and he's watching their

hearts and Mark will tell us that some

very wealthy and Rich individuals went

and contributed very large Financial

sums to the offering box to the temple

Treasury and then I love what Mark does

Mark Mark contrast this he he juxtaposes

this this scene with with this poor

Widow who walks up to the offering box

and the scripture says she she reaches

into her pocket she she pulls out two

mites which in our context is is pennies

less than

pennies and she P places them in the

trle in the temple

Treasury and Jesus sees this as a moment

to demonstrate what generosity is how

generosity is Faith In God's provision

he gathers his disciples and he says do

you see what we've just

witnessed we've witnessed wealthy people

given large sums and we've just

witnessed this poor

Widow give a tiny bit and he says this I

tell you this she has given much

more it's think how how is she given

much

more did you see the amount of money

that they put in did you see the of cash

did you see the number of zeros on that

check how have they given much more and

then this is where Jesus brings

clarification to what generosity really

is here I'll put it in my

notes here's what he says truly I say to

you this poor Widow has put in more than

all those who are contributing to the

offering box for they all contributed

out of their abundance but she out of

her poverty

she has put in everything she had all

that she had to live on this is

incredible don't miss this Jesus is not

knocking the large Financial sums he's

not knocking the wealthy people but

rather what he's doing is he's pointing

our gaze and he's calling us to shift

our perspective to what generosity

really

embodies it is trust in God

God you have given me all these

blessings if not for you I would not be

able to experience them and I trust that

all of this is held together because of

you and as a result of that trust out of

a spirit of gratitude and generosity I

give to

you do you trust in God's

provision you see when we give

generously what what we declare is our

trust

in his ability to meet our

needs we live in a culture that that

tells us to hold on to to hang on to the

things that we have biblical culture

flips that upside down and says give it

away as an act of

trust give it away

as a resounding voice that says God you

own it all and I trust in you to provide

here's what I want to challenge you with

cons consider how you approach

giving consider where your heart is when

it comes to having one that overflows in

generosity is it a heart that fears

scarcity is it a heart that that fears

giving it away or is it a heart that SWS

generously because of the Trust In God's

abundance let's do this the remainder of

this morning let's examine our heart

hearts and let's call upon the spirit

let's call upon the name of the Lord so

that true generosity would not be about

the amount but that we would understand

it's about the faith that we have in the

provision that God gives in our lives

but giving generously this is what we

find it not only reflects the faith that

we have in God's provision here's what

generosity reveals it's going to reveal

the condition of your heart here's the

second principle generosity comes from

the

Overflow of a changed heart I mentioned

it earlier this morning you will never

find Christians in the Bible who lack

generosity matter of fact the two go

together the church we found out in our

series over the book of Acts were

generous and how they spent their time

together and how they contributed to the

needs of the Saints and and how they

prayed for one another and in how they

use their giftings and their talents to

push the kingdom of God forward so there

are many ways in which you can use all

of those time talents and treasures to

push the kingdom forward right here at

the Grove so generosity comes from the

Overflow of a changed heart go with me

to verses 7 through

11 Paul writes each one must give as he

has decided in his

heart not

reluctantly or under compulsion for God

loves a cheerful Giver let me just say

this if it's not already been made clear

my my

desire is to challenge you and encourage

you and even push you to conce consider

having a heart that overflows with

generosity but not to guilt you or shame

you into it but to have you realize that

I Am So Satisfied I'm so in love with

Jesus that I want to embody everything

he is about and what is Jesus about the

scripture tells us that out of his great

and Grand love for you he

gave he gave his life away way and the

greatest act of love the scripture tells

us is when we lay down our lives for our

friends when we give our lives away for

the benefit of our community for the

benefit of our sons and daughter for the

benefit men of our wife for the benefit

of the people around us that we give our

lives away Through Time talent and

treasures why because generosity it

comes from the Overflow changed Hearts

it's a reflection of who Jesus is verse

eight and God is able to make all grace

abound to you so that having all

sufficiency and all things that 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 forever he who

supplies seed to the swer and bread for

food will supply and multiply your seed

for sewing and increased the Harvest of

your righteousness you will be enriched

in every way to be generous in every way

so you are enriched with time talent and

treasures and the purpose of that

enrichment is for what

generosity he

continues which through us will produce

Thanksgiving this right here it's an

invitation

it's a calling and a beckoning to

reflect the joy of the Gospel in your

life this is why Paul will later write

in the New Testament it is better to

give than it is to receive because

though receiving absolutely rolls up

into praise and worship we'll get into

that here in just a moment there is

something unique about the contributions

that we make about the giving of

ourselves for the glory of of God and

for the advancement of his kingdom

cheerful giving is how Paul puts it it

overflows from a

transformed heart when we understand the

depth of our Salvation how how God has

transformed Our

Lives we want to let that gratitude fuel

our

generosity so as we reflect on the joy

of giving ask yourself what is

motivating your

giving let's talk about finances for for

just a

moment when you give your tith and your

offering every

week do you give

cheerfully in other words is it an act

of

worship because worship is joyful

worship is what lifts up the name of

Jesus worship is what centers our heart

on the gospel on the glory and the faith

Fame of his majesty and Beauty when we

give is it done

cheerfully or is it done with a tight

fist if it's done that way

we we need to challenge ourselves

to to call upon the name of

Jesus so that he might change and and

transform our hearts and our perspective

this is this is what Paul is doing here

here he's he's explaining the spirit of

generosity is a

result of the Gratitude and the worship

that you bring to God let let the Cross

of

Christ remind you of why we are generous

let the Ultimate gift that you have

received fuel a heart of

generosity so Paul points us then to a

fin final truth he he's telling us that

generosity there is a purpose behind it

and it's this your generosity is going

to inspire worship and gratitude in

other words the heart that overflows in

generosity Bears witness to others of

God's work in your

life and so when they see your attitude

when they see your demeanor when they

see the Overflow in the gospel of how

you give of your time talent and

treasures it will then stir them to

worship and gratitude matter of fact

Jesus said it this way in the gospel of

Matthew during his Sermon on the Mount

he said let your light shine before

others that they may see your good deeds

your contributions to the kingdom the

giving of your time talent and treasures

that they would bear witness to all of

that and as a result give Glory and

Honor honor to the father who is in

heaven generosity inspires worship and

gratitude verses 12 and 14 12-

14 for the ministry of this service now

remember he's he's calling upon the

Corinthians to remain faithful to their

pledge their financial contributions and

so he is saying the ministry of this

service your contributions to the people

in Jerusalem is not only supplying the

needs of the Saints but watch this is

also overflowing in many thanksgivings

to God it's encouraging them in a moment

when they're oppressed in a moment when

they're being persecuted in a moment

when they are literally

starving their contribution brings

encouragement that rolls up into

gratitude now watch this their situation

might not change but their perspective

does and the people of Corinth are

putting their fingers fingerprints on

that do you know we have the opportunity

to how we contribute Through Time

talents and treasures to put our

fingerprints on people's

lives to encourage them to come

alongside them to bless

them God does an amazing work through

your yes and your

generosity he continues by their

approval of the service they will

glorify God because of your submission

that comes from your conf confession of

the gospel of Christ you see how that

generosity is an overflow of this

relationship 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 when we are

generous it serves as a

catalyst for others to know

Jesus do you know we have Ministry

Partners here at the Grove I I say this

often

15% of what comes into the Grove goes

outside of the Grove to fund

missionaries on the ground to fund

organizations that fight for the

innocent to fund gospel Endeavors to

draw people to

Salvation we we have our fingerprints on

people getting saved in New York we have

our Fingerprints of people coming to

know Jesus in Kenya we have our

Fingerprints of children being saved

from sex and

trafficking we have our fingerprints on

those Ministries we have our

fingerprints on crisis

pregnancies of women who are thinking of

terminating who are given the hope of

the gospel and last year because we are

a part of the greater Church

contributing to things like that over

400 children were saved

we have our fingerprints on those things

why because of

generosity it's an overflow of a chain

chart it draws people to worship and

gratitude so let's bring this all

together I want us to really understand

the theme

Here generosity is not about the

amount it's about your

heart it's about establishing a pattern

of giving that isn't just for a

season that isn't just for a particular

amount but but a pattern that overflows

and interrupts every part of your

life generosity is a declaration of

faith in God's provision it's a

reflection of gospel joy and it's a

means of glorifying God which is why

Paul brings it full circle in verse 15

he says thanks be to God for his in

expressable

gift you know the the

answer to being set free from

materialism it's been set this way

there's nothing wrong with with owning

stuff there's nothing wrong with having

good things just as long as the stuff

doesn't own you and the good things

don't have

you nothing wrong with riches and

wealth so long as those things are not

your Idols there's nothing wrong with

Pur pursuing greater things in life so

long as those Pursuits don't interfere

with the greatest Pursuits and that is

Jesus Christ the answer to being set

free from materialism and worldly

desires is to give it

away because the root of all evil is

what it's not money it's the love of

money it's the love for more things and

and and here's what's incredible if you

can let it

go then you won't be chained to it you

won't be imprisoned by it and my hope

and my prayer is that here at the Grove

we would continue to be a

people whose

generosity reflects the abundant grace

of our savior let's pray together