“Deep & Wide” // 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
The following is a manuscript of the sermon presented by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at our West U Baptist Campus. To view the sermon in full, check out the link below.
Men, I want to begin by asking you a question. How many of you bought your wife flowers for Valentine’s Day?
- In 2022, Americans spent $2.3 Billion dollars on flowers as part of a Valentine’s Day present.
- This is part of the $23.9 Billion spent on Valentine’s Day gifts…
- As the average man spends $235 dollars on his woman…
- And the Average Woman spends $119 on her man.
But is all of this Valentine’s Day spending in the name of love?
According to Wallethub, fear may also be a motivator. Around 67% of people expect their significant other to get them something (anything!) for Valentine’s Day, even if it’s small. And around 36% expect their partners to spend at least $50 on a gift.
Isn’t that interesting? Fear and expectation drive a lot of the giving on Valentine’s Day. Is that the case for your giving on Valentine’s Day?
Think about this with me for a moment.
Imagine with me it’s Valentine’s Day. I begin thinking about what to give my wife for Valentines Day. I have 2 choices. I can give her flowers because it’s Valentine’ Day and I HAVE to give her flowers. Like if I don’t give her flowers, Doghouse. Disappointment from her, right? OR I give her flowers because it’s a perfect opportunity to tell her again how much I love her and appreciate her and honor her.
Which is the right way to give? Because I have to or because I want to?
That’s exactly the question we are going to examine today when it comes to our giving to the Lord.
We are going to look at 2 Corinthians 9 today, picking up where we left off last week. Now, over the past three weeks, here is some of the ground that we have covered:
- Week 1: — 1st to the Lord – Paul talked about how the Macedonian Churches in their poverty and affliction gave joyfully and generously.
- Week 2 – We talked about giving generously and with a readiness to complete what we have started.
- Week 3 – We talked about the necessity for good oversight and administration in giving and how important it is for those in leadership to build and convey trust and integrity in how they lead with the gifts entrusted to their care.
This week, we are looking at the attitude accompanying our gifts. And as we look at this portion today, I want to remind you of the context of what we are examining. A year prior to this letter, the church in Corinth had heard of the significant needs taking place with the church in Jerusalem. They were under persecution and famine and having a very difficult time. Paul is on a mission to take up an offering from all of the churches in order to supply their needs. Corinth was one of the first churches to lead out, saying, “We want to assist with this need!”
Paul has used their commitment to engage other churches in giving to this need, and the Macedonian churches have stepped up in a significant way, even though they have their own struggles.
But for some reason, the church in Corinth has backed off. They aren’t sure if they are going to keep their commitment to give. Needless to say, Paul was counting on it and has asked them to complete what God had put in their heart to give. It is here that Paul begins to challenge them further in their giving unto the Lord.
Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 together.
2 Corinthians 9:6-9
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 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. 9 As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
There are four principles that I want to share with you as we look at these three verses. They challenge us, but also help us so that our giving can come with the right attitude…not from compulsion, fear, or exaction…but a place of cheer and delight.
Look at this outline with me about Cheerful Givers.
Cheerful Givers…
- Understand Sowing and Reaping (v. 6)
- Are Excited about what they get to give (v. 7)
- Are Confident in God’s ability to cause them to abound (v. 8)
- Understand God’s Abounding Nature (v. 9)
Let’s look at each of these briefly…
Cheerful Givers…
- Understand Sowing and Reaping (v. 6)
- Are Excited about what they get to give (v. 7)
- Are Confident in God’s ability to cause them to abound (v. 8)
- Understand God’s Abounding Nature (v. 9)
I. Cheerful Givers Understand Sowing and Reaping
Let’s look at verse 6 again.
2 Corinthians 9:6
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
I love this verse. And the reason I love it is because it comes with a promise. So many verses about Kingdom Economics come with a promise. Think about what Paul is saying here…
Verse 6 uses an analogy from farming – that those who do not sow much will not have much return when the harvest comes, and vice versa.
No farmer considers sowing a loss of seed, because the harvest will provide the seed for the next season. Thus, a farmer does not begrudge the seed that he casts upon the ground, nor does he try to scrimp by with as little sowing as possible.
Instead, he willingly sows all that he can and trusts that God will bless the sowing with a bountiful harvest. If the farmer were to go short on the sowing, he would only be cheating himself on the harvest.
Now, we don’t want to be cheating, do we?
Speaking of cheating…have you heard that there is a new way to do math?
I’m not sure if it is cheating or not, but the way our kids are taught math today is different from the way we were taught it. It’s called New Math.
I looked it up this week. I found an article on the web called NEW MATH for OLD FOLKS.
Well, this idea of sowing generously and reaping generously is what John Piper calls this God’s Maths.
Piper explains…
“In God’s mathematics, the best way to increase a sum is to subtract from it,” as we see in verse 6. Most people operate on exactly the opposite principle—that they will have more if they give less. But this is problematic because this math leaves God out of the equation.
When we consider our finances with God in mind, we should look at them differently. And God tells us that if we sow bountifully, we will reap bountifully.
That’s God’s Math…but it isn’t NEW MATH. It’s been that way from the beginning. Notice what Proverbs 11:25 declares to us.
Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)
A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Look at Malachi 3:10 with me.
Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Do you see the promises? In Kingdom Economics, God says…
“Trust me and I will bless you. I will blow your mind. Test me in this. Try me in this. I dare you!”
Are you doing kingdom math or are you doing worldly math?
The truth is…you get to choose. Notice this point with me as we look at this next principle.
Cheerful Givers…
- Understand Sowing and Reaping (v. 6)
- Are Excited about what they get to give (v. 7)
- Are Confident in God’s ability to cause them to abound (v. 8)
- Understand God’s Abounding Nature (v. 9)
II. Cheerful Givers Are Excited About What They Get to Give
Look at the freedom you have. Look at verse 7.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Do you see the freedom? Each one must decide…Will it be…
- Worldly Math or God’s Math
- Reluctantly or Freely
- Under Compulsion or Cheerfully
Cheerful — The word Paul uses for cheerful here in 2 Cor. 9 is hilaros. It’s where we get the word “hilarious” from. The idea really isn’t laughter but a deep spirited joy.
So, in verse 7, Paul contrasts cheerful giving with reluctant and forced giving.
Ernest Best says…
“Those who give out of self-interest to receive a reward here or hereafter are reluctant givers, for they act under an inner compulsion to seek their own good. There is no genuine joy, only a cool and calculating self-concern.”
Paul echoes Scripture to bolster the need to give generously, for those who do so from the heart are especially prized by God.
David Garland points out that in the OT, giving reluctantly or under compulsion is portrayed as cancelling out any benefit that could be received from the gift, while giving with a glad heart promises reward from God. Consider Deut. 15:10 here.
Deuteronomy 15:10
You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.
Here is where the rubber meets the road for us all. What is crucial here is not the amount one gives, but the attitude of the one who gives.
If you can’t give to this generosity initiative with a cheerful heart, then I want to invite you to do a few things:
- Ask God why? “Lord, show my why I can’t get energized about this…Am I too critical…am I not trusting you…am I overwhelmed with so many other requests to give? Lord Why?”
- Do you trust God? Do you believe in His ability…or do you need your trust challenged?
- Do you just want to have too much control? Do you think it is not needed? Do you think it’s too extravagant?
- What is keeping you from being joyful about your giving?
I would rather you sit this one out than give reluctantly or under compulsion.
But hear me say this…
- I believe we need to make these investments into our campuses and to be as relevant as possible online.
- And I believe that the time is now.
- I believe its about far more than the renovations of these inner-loop locations.
- I believe our Lord wants to take us to new places and to experience all He is wanting to do, He has to have our surrender hearts as we fight for ourselves, our homes, our church and our city.
We can sit back and watch the world change around us at warp speed or we can double-down and say, we are going to fight for the glory of God in this part of our city and out to our world. For that to happen, He must work in our hearts to move us to a place where we are excited that we get to be investors into this next chapter of the life of this church.
Lord, speak to us that we might be cheerful givers!
Let’s look at principles three and four together here…
Cheerful Givers…
- Understand Sowing and Reaping (v. 6)
- Are Excited about what they get to give (v. 7)
- Are Confident in God’s ability to cause them to abound (v. 8)
- Understand God’s Abounding Nature (v. 9)
III. Cheerful Givers Are Confident in God’s Ability to Cause Them to Abound because they Understand God’s Abounding Nature
Look at verses 8 & 9 with me for a moment.
2 Corinthians 9:8-9
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. 9 As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
The root of our cheerful, joyous giving is based in God’s abounding nature.
You see, to give this way, you have an understanding that you are working with a God with limitless supply. You believe it costs God nothing to provide for you. You see that He owns the cattle on 1,000 hills. You know in your heart that He will not only bring to you what you need, but He will multiply your ability to give.
Did you hear that?
I am getting ahead of myself here, but if you skip to verse 10, you will see this.
Not only can God provide for you the opportunity to give at all times, for every season, with all sufficiency, but He multiplies your ability to do so.
2 Corinthians 9:10
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.
The focus here is not on you. It’s on God.
God is able! God is the provider! God is the source! God, because of His abounding nature, is able to multiply your ability to give generously.
You are simply the steward and the conduit through which God stirs and moves and meets need.
And here is what is amazing.
Warren Wiersbe calls this the Principle of Immediacy: We Reap Even While We Are Sowing.
Listen to what Wiersbe says about beginning to reap blessings from God immediately.
The farmer has to wait for his harvest, but the believer who practices grace giving begins to reap the harvest immediately. To be sure, there are long-range benefits from our giving, but there are also immediate blessings.
To begin with, we start to share God’s abundant grace (2 Cor. 9:8). The “universals” in this verse are staggering: all grace; always; all sufficiency; every good work. This does not mean that God makes every Christian wealthy in material things; but it does mean that the Christian who practices grace giving will always have what he needs when he needs it. Furthermore, the grace of God enriches him morally and spiritually so that he grows in Christian character. In his walk and his work, he depends wholly on the sufficiency of God.
I said this a few weeks ago at Crosspoint. Go sit down with someone who is a tither and has been for many years. As you talk to them about their life, listen to the confidence that they have in God’s ability to provide for them. Listen for the underlying sense of being always buttressed by the grace of God.
When we are diligent to invest into the Kingdom of God, we find that we have:
- All Grace
- All that we Need – which is All Sufficiency
- In All Things and
- At All Times
- For Every Good Work He has called us to!
As Dan Hall and I teach in our Small Group Curriculum, there are no lids, limits, ceilings, or fences on God.
Are you confident in God’s abundant nature? Do you understand that there is no lid, limit, or ceiling in God’s economy?
Some might say, “Well, shouldn’t all of this be given to the poor?”
Let me first say that so much of what we do is that we might give to the poor to meet physical needs as well as spiritual needs. We launched a new campus in the midst of a pandemic and built out a medical clinic that serves the poor. We have invested heavily to serve the poor and we do it every single day through our ministries.
Second, when the church is together and engaging our resources to build up the local church for today and the days ahead, here is what I know… It will multiply our ability to continue to serve the poor because we will reach more people right here in our community who will be burdened, trained, and discipled to be sent out.
When we fight for the church with a burden for the city, it will only lead to a greater impact in our city and the world beyond we have been called to reach.
But inherent in the question, “Shouldn’t all of this be given to the poor?” is a limit on God. It’s as if we are saying, “God only has so much to give. God only has so much supply.”
And that Poverty Mindset is our own lid from keeping us from realizing God’s abounding nature.
Listen, and again, I am getting ahead of myself here…but what is invested in God’s kingdom multiplies. We will examine this principle next week, but it is so good. What gets sown in God’s kingdom isn’t wasted…it multiplies.
Down here at the bottom of page 108 are a few application statements that I want to focus in on.
Beginning tonight, we will begin to declare what we are going to give to the Lord over the next two years.
But before we declare it, we must…
Give Freely/Give Cheerfully
Decide how we will SOW.
We need to examine the attitude of our hearts. And if your heart isn’t in a place to give cheerfully, I would rather you abstain until it can be, than give reluctantly or under compulsion. Please come tonight, as we would love to see you and hug your neck…and ask God to give you joy in your giving.
And this second point of application…
Give Freely/Give Cheerfully
Decide how we will SOW.
Be excited about what you get to give God and be confident in God’s ability to cause you to abound.