Excel In The Grace Of Giving 12-8-24 PM

 I.            They gave because of their connection to God.

a.      Notice verse 1 (2 Cor. 8:1).

b.      Some people have the idea that giving is it to the church, or even to the elders.

                                                              i.      Nothing could be further from the case.

                                                            ii.      When the plates are passed around, that is not going to the church or the elders.

c.       Our giving is to God – God is involved and there is a connection made to God.

d.      The Macedonians understood this.

                                                              i.      This is shown in verse 5 (2 Cor. 8:5).

                                                            ii.      Before they gave the first coin, they had made a strong connection to God by giving themselves to God.

e.      When we have a real connection with God, there will be a great joy in giving.

f.        Luke 6:38.

                                                              i.       Our Lord taught us to give.

                                                            ii.      When we give, we will get in return.

                                                          iii.      But we won’t give until we have a true connection with God.

g.      How many of you remember dial-up internet?

                                                              i.      What can be obtained through a good connection, a high-speed one, to the internet is infinite nearly.

                                                            ii.      Old dial-up connections took forever and it was almost faster to go to the library and look it up.

h.      Some want a high-speed connection to God and His resources but are making a dial-up effort to access it.

i.        Malachi 3:10 is God’s promise.

                                                              i.      This was spoken to challenge the Israelites to be the givers they were supposed to be.

                                                            ii.      God still challenges us today with the same promise.

j.        Notice how their giving was tied to God’s grace (2 Cor. 8:1).

                                                              i.      When we begin to understand the greatness of grace, giving is not hard.

                                                            ii.      What God has in store for us is far more valuable than what is in our bank accounts.

k.      There was a tremendous connection to God for these brethren, allowing them to excel in giving.

II.            They gave their best.

a.      2 Cor. 8:3.

b.      The question of who was controlling their lives did not come up with the Macedonians.

d.      After Paul used the Macedonians as an example of excelling in giving to encourage the Corinthians to do so, notice what he wrote (2 Cor. 9:7).

e.      The Macedonians gave from their heart, just as Paul encouraged the Corinthians to do.

f.        All of this ties in to verse 5 as well – it is because they gave themselves to God first.

g.      When we give ourselves to God, our best will naturally follow.

III.            They provided for others.

a.      2 Cor. 8:4.

b.      They didn’t see giving as a burden but as a joy.

                                                              i.      Their giving was a way to meet the needs of their brethren.

                                                            ii.      Heb. 13:16.

                                                          iii.      Gal. 6:9.

c.       Their giving bonded them together more closely.

                                                              i.      Think of the times that a collection has been made for something specific.

                                                            ii.      I believe most of us realized that we were working together for the good of someone else.

                                                          iii.      When we add a cause to the mix, giving is no longer viewed as a dreaded word.

                                                          iv.      The early church really understood this and rose to the occasion (Ac. 2:44-47).

d.      I believe the Macedonians understood the concept about which Paul wrote in Romans 2:6-7 – giving is a way to focus on eternity, not just the present.

e.      They didn’t give because they wanted to go to heaven, but because they were going to heaven.

                                                              i.      We can be good givers but miss out on eternal life.

                                                            ii.      We can be good givers but be far from the kingdom of God.

                                                          iii.      Giving is simply an indicator of faithfulness.

f.       The Macedonians excelled in giving because they were providing for others and there are plenty of opportunities for us to do that as well.

From an article by Stan Toler