The Grace of Giving

 There are lots of kinds of grace from God

produced by static force llc sometimes things don't change.

Transcript

TITLE: The Grace of Giving

SUBTITLE: There are lots of kinds of grace from God

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#GospelAccordingToTheRock

The Grace of Giving

by Eric Engelmann

All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC

Our passage is 2 Cor chapter 9 

The letter was written for the churches at Corinth and surrounding areas -- in southern Greece.

The letter is authored by the Apostle Paul and Timothy his co-author.

When are we?

We're about 57 AD. After Jesus has been born, crucified, died, risen and exalted. A little more than a decade before Jerusalem is demolished.

WHERE ARE WE? 

Probably not far from the Agean sea, way west of Israel. Possibly north of Corinth in the city of Philippi or east of Corinth in the city of Ephesus.

WHY ARE WE HERE NOW? 

We're going to talk about giving money. Paul called it the grace of giving. We're going to take a look at sacrificial giving of money.

If you're tempted to say that you don't have any money, take heart! God has a plan for that, too!

BY WAY OF BACKGROUND

Paul's ministry was about declaring the gospel to the Gentiles -- the nations that are not Israel. He raised at least one offering for the poor in Israel -- maybe several.

Let's listen to what Paul wrote in 2 Cor 8:

Verse 1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 

(Macedonia is to the north of Corinth)

Verse 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 

3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 

4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 

NOTE: Listen to this recipe for how they responded to God with the grace of giving:

Verse 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first *gave themselves to the Lord*, and then *to us* by the will of God. 

NOTE: That's a pattern to follow! We give ourselves to God, then we give ourselves to the ministers who are going to touch people. 

Verse 6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. 

Note: Paul says there are two major parts of the grace of giving. Beginning and Completing.

Verse 7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.

NOTE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF GRACE HERE!!

Faith

Speech

Knowledge

Diligence

Love for those who serve in Christ

see that you abound in this grace -- of giving -- also.

There are lots of different kinds of Grace that God gives.

Verse 9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

NOTE: There's a pattern to many kinds of grace. Jesus was one thing so we could be another.

Jesus became dead so we might live; 

he was silent so we could speak; 

He looked shamefully stupid so we could confidently have knowledge; 

He became an object of hate so we could be loved.

That's the end of the background. Now, let's look at 2 Cor

CHAPTER 9:

Verse 1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

NOTE: Corinth is in Achaia! Paul has been bragging about Corinth to other churches!!

Verse 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 

4 lest if some Macedonians (from up north) come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 

NOTE: Just as grace has a beginning and a completion, so the whole process of farming has two parts: sowing and reaping. Paul is saying that giving is like farming, and what you lose in seed, you will more than gain from God.

Verse 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 

NOTE: The grace of giving brings joy as we follow the pattern of giving ourselves to God and then working with His ministry.

Verse 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

MAYBE TELL STORIES OF GARDENING HERE.

OKRA.

FIG CUTTING.

THE MONSTER SEED FROM MY NEICE.

MAYBE READ VERSES 9-13

NOTE: Paul soon talks about how the people who receive the gift respond in Verse 14.

They'll pray for you, they'll long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 

Then Paul says, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

THAT'S THE END OF THE PASSAGE.

God's indescribable gift is not only a supply of the things you give, but a chance to grow thanksgiving far away, as administered by His servants.

IN THE FUTURE

In about three years, what will Paul get for delivering this gift to the church at Jerusalem? He'll get beat up; arrested; put in prison for two years; and go on a voyage that will end in shipwreck while he's still in chains. But Paul will be prayed for, and he'll spend a lot of time praying! Part of the indescribable gift! All the people on board his ship -- more than 200 -- will live. He'll eventually be free to minister in Rome under a form of house arrest. He'll be able to receive guests and minister to them.

In about two more years, Paul will call preaching a grace from God when he writes (in Rome) the letter to the Ephesians. Listen to this:

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable *riches* of Christ,

Ephesians 3:8

Further in the future, may we who are saved by the Jewish blood of Jesus have hearts that receive all the different graces God has to give us -- especially the grace of giving.

If you're telling God you want to give to whatever ministry He's put in your heart, while we sing -- take the time to get your gift ready, and ask Him for His will and His willing heart.

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