The Rewards of Giving (2 Corinthians 9:8-15)

Big Idea: Giving sacrificially brings blessings, meets needs, helps others, and honors God, while reluctance to give limits these rewards.

During a sermon, the country preacher said to his congregation, "Now let the church walk." Deacon Jones said, "Amen, let it walk." "Let the church run," said the preacher. "Let it run," echoed Deacon Jones. "Let it fly," said the preacher. "Amen, brother, let the church fly," said Deacon Jones. "Now it's going to take money to let it fly, brother," said the preacher. "Let it walk," said Deacon Jones, "let it walk."

This morning we're going to talk about the rewards of giving sacrificially. In two previous Sundays, I've talked about the subject of stewardship. You're probably wondering why I'm doing this. Is the church in financial trouble? Does the pastor have some agenda? What is the reason for even talking about the subject of money?

Well, the simple answer is that the whole area of stewardship of money is not automatic. Hardly anyone, left to themselves, becomes a great steward of God's money. A lot of people begin to follow Christ in the different areas of life, but guess what happens when it comes to money? Nothing. Unless some teaching is done, and unless proper stewardship is modeled, it's simply not going to happen.

I'll tell you the two ways that I learned to give. First, I was taught on the subject from an early age, by my mother actually. My mother exemplified sacrificial giving, providing more than anyone could have reasonably expected, despite her limited means.

But the other reason we're talking about the subject of money is this. It's because you're missing out on the rewards of giving if you're not giving properly. Let me put it quite simply: if you're not practicing proper stewardship, you're missing the boat. You haven't experienced all the blessings that come from being a faithful giver. There are certain blessings reserved for those who give faithfully and sacrificially. There are certain promises that will only be received by those who know what it means to sacrifice.

And this morning we're going to look at the rewards of giving. But first, let me ask you: Why are you hesitant to give? And don't look at me in that funny way: "Who says that I'm hesitant to give?" Listen: I know. There's not a person here who hasn't struggled in this area. If you don't have the spiritual gift of giving, which means being able to contribute money and resources joyfully to God's work, you may sometimes be hesitant to give.

We're sometimes hesitant givers because the motivation for giving is external. In other words, we're forced to give. The motivation is external, rather than internal. The story is told of a pastor who was about to preach on stewardship. He took the drastic action of calling in an electrician and wiring the pews. The next day during the offering, the pastor announced, "From now on, all pledges will be made publicly during the service." Then he added, "All those who will pledge $10 per week, stand."

At that moment, the switch was thrown that sent the juice through the wires in the pews. The response was immediate – one half of the congregation jumped to their feet. Then the pastor said, "All those who will pledge $20 please stand." The electrician raised the voltage, and a second, stronger shock wave caused more people to rise. The whole process was repeated several more times. Each time the amount was raised, and so was the voltage. The ushers had to work frantically to get all the names and pledges written down. In the counting room, the pastor and his staff tallied the totals and celebrated the campaign's success. Until an usher came in and announced that four parishioners had stubbornly remained glued to their seats and were electrocuted.

If you give because of emotional appeals or manipulation, you're a reluctant giver, even if you weren't shocked into giving. You might also be a reluctant giver if your motivation for giving is legalistic. You might be aware that the standard of giving in the Old Testament was a tithe. Under Mosaic law, Israel was commanded to give a tenth of its crops, herds, flocks, and the fruit of its trees to support the Levites.

Some say that the tithe is also a principle for the church to follow, but there's one problem. Jesus points out that the Pharisees tithed but ignored more important aspects of the law. However, he does not instruct his disciples to follow this practice in the church. Nowhere in the New Testament is the principle of tithing taught. There is no reason to apply an Old Testament command based on a theocratic government and agrarian economy to the church.

In fact, the New Testament holds us to a higher standard than the traditional tithe. Instead of prescribing an exact amount to give, the New Testament makes giving a matter of the heart. If your giving is based on rules instead of genuine generosity, it’s no surprise that you feel hesitant to give. The problem with tithing is that when we give according to an external standard, the heart is cut out of the gift. There's a better way, that we'll discover next week.

But there's another reason that many of us can be reluctant givers. We're sometimes reluctant givers because we're worried about the cost. On a fixed income, or with only so much money left in the bank account, we're concerned that the more we give, the less we'll have. And to you, God says this morning:

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." (Malachi 3:10)

God invites us to put His promises to the test through giving. He promises that those who give will receive such abundant blessings that they won't be able to contain them all. No matter how generously we give, God's provision will always exceed our generosity.

The Rewards of Giving

Let's look at four bold promises that God makes to those who give. These are four things that God promises to do. He drives a stake in the ground and says, "Test me on this. Just give it a try. See if I don't do these four things to you in abundance." These are the four rewards of giving.

God will meet your needs.

Paul writes, "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" (2 Corinthians 9:8). God will in all things and at all times meet our needs when we faithfully give to him. He continually enables us to receive abundant grace and provides us with everything we need.

Psalm 34:10 says, "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." God knows everything you need. God is able to provide for his children.

Over and over again, Scripture tells us that it's God's inclination to meet the needs of his children.

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

To use a modern analogy, if God paid off the national debt, don't you think he has enough to buy you a candy bar? God knows your needs, and he promises to meet them. As John Bunyan wrote, "A man there was and they called him mad; the more he gave, the more he had." I've found this true over and over in my life. There have been times that I've been pretty sure I couldn't afford to give anymore. My finances were tight; I didn't know how I was going to make it. And yet I went ahead and continued to give to God sacrificially. Do you know what? God never failed to provide.

I'll never forget praying in school over my finances, saying, "Lord, I don't know how I'm going to make it." Before returning to my studies, I checked the mail instead and discovered a gift from an unexpected source to help with my expenses. More recently, the time when one income stream dried up on Friday, and by Sunday night the Lord had replaced it in a most unexpected way. Over and over I've seen God fulfill his promise: God will meet our needs.

Promise number two:

God will more than meet your needs.

Paul's verse 8 highlights God's power to provide abundant grace, ensuring we always have what we need for good works. The emphasis is on all and every – God will always provide in every way possible. He will not only provide us with abundance; He will enable us to overflow with blessings. The term Paul uses in verse 8, "having all that you need," implies a state of complete sufficiency.

God promises not only to meet the bare minimum of our needs, God promises to go beyond that and meet more than our needs. In 2 Corinthians 9:6, Paul says that those who give little will receive little, and those who give generously will receive generously. Or what Jesus said in Luke 6:38: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

You might ask, "Are you saying that we should give in order to get?" These passages aren't talking about the motivation for giving – they're talking about the results of giving. Don't give simply to get; but realize that God will incredibly bless you when you do give.

Verse 11 indicates that we will receive wealth to foster our generosity, resulting in gratitude towards God. When God blesses you after you give, your job is to give to get to give again. You will become like a Teflon tube with no stick. The more God pours his blessings on you, the more you'll be able to give to others. Give to get to give again. God will not only meet your needs, he will more than meet your needs.

Third promise:

God will meet the needs of others through you.

When you give, not only will I more than meet your needs, but I will take your gifts and meet the needs of other people. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11-12)

The Corinthians' donations to the Judean Christians in need provided immediate support for those living in poverty. When you give to God, not only will God provide for your needs, but God will take your gift and multiply its effects in the lives of other people. Your contributions to God will positively impact others, including children in our church and the missionaries we support worldwide.

In Luke 16, Jesus shares the parable of the shrewd manager, and concludes it with this point: "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings" (Luke 16:9). And the point is this: invest your money in such a way that it has an eternal impact. Give so that your money is invested in what will last into eternity. Specifically, in reaching others for Jesus Christ for all time.

I can't tell you what it will be like to meet someone in heaven one day and hear the words, "Thank you." You might respond on that day, "Thank you for what? I don't even think I know you." Hearing them say, "Your generous gifts helped a missionary plant a church where I heard the gospel," is truly rewarding. Or to hear, 'Thanks. Your gift helped to build the church. Because of the ministry of that church-made possible by your gifts—I became a Christian." Use worldly wealth to make friends for eternity. God takes your gift and meets the needs of others.

There's another promise to those who give. Not only will God meet your needs and the needs of others:

God will be glorified.

God himself will be the beneficiary of your gift.

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. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11-12)

Paul says that when the gift is received, people will recognize your generosity for what it is: God's grace at work in your life. When people see this, God will be glorified. The primary purpose of your gift is to help others, but the ultimate aim is to honor God.

That's what God promises. So are you a reluctant giver? Are you in fact robbing God by withholding your resources from him? Do you find yourself being stingy and overly legalistic, offering only the bare minimum? Enough to not feel guilty; not so much that it affects your lifestyle. If that's you, you're missing out on God's blessings. You're missing out on God meeting your needs. You're missing out on God meeting more than your needs. You're missing out on impacting the lives of others through your money. And you're missing out on glorifying God.

Expand your faith. Put God to the test. See if he doesn't throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Researchers have put goldfish in small bowls. For months, they swim in small circles. When such fish have been released into a large pond of water, they continue to swim in tight little circles. They don't know that the barrier is gone. We're like that. We move in our own tight little circles of getting, keeping, stowing away, hoarding and clutching. In so doing, we miss out on the blessings of giving.

Let's pray. Father: what we have received comes from you. We thank you that when we give, you are able to meet our needs, meet more than our needs. You are able to meet the needs of others, and bring glory to your name. So we surrender all and give it to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.