Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Let's take our bible and turn to the book of two corinthians.
[00:00:26] We're going to begin in chapter eight.
[00:00:29] We're actually going to be looking at chapter eight and chapter nine this morning.
[00:00:43] Let's pray together.
[00:00:46] Our father, thank you that you sent your son to come for us.
[00:00:57] Lord, I thank you for a church that has a desire to get the gospel to people that don't know it.
[00:01:11] Lord, I pray that you would send forth laborers into your harvest, and even from among our congregation that you would send more out, that people that sit in darkness might see a great light and might know what you've done for them and might be saved.
[00:01:38] Lord, as we prepare for missions conferences in a couple of weeks, I pray that your.
[00:01:44] Everything that's done would be just exactly what you want to be done, and that you would fill brother sorrel with wisdom to know what to say to us and that you would stir our hearts like they have never been stirred before.
[00:01:58] On the subject of world missions, Lord, I pray that you would give us wisdom and understanding as we look in your word today and we look at this subject to prepare our hearts for the mission conference.
[00:02:15] Lord, would you please work in the hearts of each person and give me, Lord, the wisdom to know what to say to help them.
[00:02:25] In Jesus name. Amen.
[00:02:30] As we go toward missions conference, I wanted to take this morning to address the subject of the financial aspect of our mission conference. Of course, we're inviting the missionaries in to be with us.
[00:02:57] It's happened to me, too, sister.
[00:03:01] We're inviting the missionaries to be with us, not so that we can stand in awe of them and, you know, and give them accolades and they're worthy of that.
[00:03:13] But really, the reason we're inviting them, besides the fact that we want to get to know them, is that we're hopeful that we can increase our investment in what is absolutely, positively the will of God for our church. That is that we get fully invested and get behind those who are taking the gospel to people who do not know it.
[00:03:54] You know, of course, our family. We were missionaries, and brother Stewart, brother Burgess and others. There might be some. If I miss you, I apologize. But we likewise have been invested, not just in our life, but financially.
[00:04:14] And I know I have since. Ever since I've been a believer, our church has had a strong history of love for missions and getting the gospel to people, and that that must continue and that must grow.
[00:04:33] This is God's work in this world.
[00:04:38] And so I.
[00:04:40] I want to address this because I want to go into this subject, thinking about helping these missionaries, get them to the field, supporting them. And this is a. We'll see in a minute. But this is a thoroughly biblical concept. This is not a scheme that we've made up.
[00:04:57] But as we go into that, I want to make sure that we have the right spirit and the right motives and the right method so that when you and when I pray and ask the Lord to lead us as individuals as to what our investment personally will be financially into the area of missions, that our church's missions ministry, that we can do it in the right way with the right heart toward the Lord, it does make a difference.
[00:05:41] There are absolutely people that will hear the gospel because we give missionaries money, and there are absolutely people that will not hear the gospel if we fail to give them money.
[00:05:59] So really, this message, although the subject has to do with the financial aspect of our mission conference, it's really not about money.
[00:06:07] It transcends that in two corinthians chapter eight, this is actually very relevant to where we have been studying in the book of acts. I know we haven't been there in a while, but we're going back there. But because the things in two corinthians and first corinthians that happened, happened around that same, around this same time that we read in the book of acts. And I just want to give you a brief summary of what's happening here.
[00:06:37] In chapter eight and nine, Paul also addresses money to the church at Corinth.
[00:06:43] But in this context, there is a. What actually happens is, if you look at the first couple verses, the church is in Macedonia, which is north of Greece, right? I know there's a country named Macedonia, but I believe Macedonia here is actually within the boundaries of Greece. Now, specifically, the cities of Thessalonica, Berea and Philippi were churches that came up with an idea. They were churches that were impoverished. That's what it says in verse two. They were poor, they were afflicted, they were persecuted. They did not have a great deal of substance, but it came into their mind and into their heart as a direct result of their relationship to the Lord and their love for him.
[00:07:35] It came into their heart that they wanted to send some money to the poor afflicted, likewise afflicted saints that were in Judea and in Jerusalem who were suffering persecution as a result of the Jews there in Israel.
[00:07:54] And so it came into their mind and heart. Nobody prodded them, nobody presented them with a savvy scheme. It was in the church's heart. That's what verse two says. He says verse two, how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves notice, praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. You see, these people in Judea, these believers, these christians in Judea were suffering. And because of the persecution, I mean, they were losing their livelihoods and some their lives, as we've read in the book of acts. And these, because of that fellowship and that communion and camaraderie between these suffering churches in Macedonia and the suffering churches in Judea, they said, look, we don't have a lot, but we want to help them.
[00:08:57] And nobody gave them that idea. It was in their own heart they decided they wanted to help them. And Paul, in verse four, you even get the idea that maybe Paul's a little bit hesitant, knowing they're poor and they had to pray him with much entreaty. In other words, practically begs Paul, no, take it. Take this money that we have. We've collected and get it to the poor saints in Jerusalem. And Paul's like, well, I mean, you guys need it. And they no, take it. Remember, they were not people of means. It says in verse two that they had deep poverty themselves.
[00:09:38] And so what Paul is doing in chapter eight and nine is he's taking that example of these churches of Thessalonica and Philippi and Berea and others in that area that we've studied about already in acts. And he's taking them as an example. And he's using them as an example. In verse number eight, notice it says, I speak not of by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity of your love. So he says, he uses the example of the churches in Macedonia and say, look. Look at what these poor people have done. They themselves are suffering affliction. They themselves are. Are hurting and in poverty. And yet they have decided they're going to send money to the poor saints at Jerusalem. And so now, Corinthians, that's in Achaia, the province of Achaia, he says, now, Corinthians, look at their example.
[00:10:29] You have already. This is what he says in these chapters. You have already a year ago planned to send money.
[00:10:36] You were willing and ready, and it just didn't work out to do it. And now it's a year later, this church is wanting to send some money to Judea. And so now, not by commandment, but because of the occasion of the forwardness of others, in other words, the eagerness of others and their good example, I want to encourage you to do it what you planned to do a year ago. I want you to follow through with it and do it not as a commandment again, but as a matter of love.
[00:11:12] And so he's encouraging them to get ready and take that offering up, take that collection up and prepare it so that when Paul comes by, he can get it and he can take it to Judea when he goes there. And that's almost about the place we are in the book of acts when he's on his way back to Judea.
[00:11:36] So that's the background of what's happening here now. I know when we look at our offerings, our mission giving and our mission commitments and things like that, we're not talking about giving to poor saints in some place, although that's a fine thing to do. All things being right, that's a fine thing to do. But what we're doing is we're looking at this as a matter of principle and applying it to our missions offering.
[00:12:04] Because really, in some way, when we give to missionaries, we are giving to poor people.
[00:12:10] And I'm not referring to poor financially. I'm referring to poor people that are maybe not lacking money, but lacking the gospel.
[00:12:22] But the principles of giving in these chapters, in these two chapters are universal.
[00:12:27] So I want to look at those now that you kind of have a background.
[00:12:32] So let's go down to verse number three of chapter eight. He says this for to their power. Speaking of the churches in Macedonia, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves, praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did not, as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God. Notice that. So this church had made a collection to send to the poor saints in Judea.
[00:13:08] But before they ever did that, they had collected themselves and put themselves in the offering box.
[00:13:19] So I asked this morning, as after they sang the song, have you ever told the Lord, here am I, Lord, I will go, Lord.
[00:13:32] You say, I can't do that. There's no way I could. That's not impossible. That's not the question. That is not the question.
[00:13:40] The question is, have you ever put yourself in the offering box?
[00:13:48] You see, money to these people was not a substitute for their personal offering of themselves.
[00:13:57] And money never is.
[00:14:00] Money is not a substitute for our own lives. Giving and offering our own lives to the Lord. It's never a substitute.
[00:14:09] As good as it is and as profitable as it is and beneficial as it is, it's never a substitute.
[00:14:16] So he says in verse seven, therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith and in utterance and utterance and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace. Also notice verse eight.
[00:14:31] I speak not by commandment but by occasion of the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity of your love. So I want to look a minute at the motives of these people.
[00:14:43] These Corinthians were not being encouraged to give this offering because they were commanded to do so. You know what? I'll just lay it out there. Our missions commitment is not a matter of a commandment.
[00:15:00] You don't have to give.
[00:15:02] You don't have to commit to give a certain amount to the missionaries, to our mission program. You don't have to.
[00:15:10] There's nowhere in the Bible where I can tell you it is commanded.
[00:15:15] But there's a higher purpose and a higher motive than that.
[00:15:18] You see, if we operate. I was actually talking to my kids about this last night. If we operate solely on commandment, and that is the only motive we have for anything we ever do, that is a very poor reason to live for God. You know what it'll be? It will ruin your joy because it'll make everything that's supposed to be good drudgery, because you're doing it out of duty to commandments rather than out of what we see in verse number eight, out of love.
[00:15:53] Love. So the motive matters.
[00:15:57] And in this case, there was no commandments to speak of at all. Now there are commandments, the things that God forbids us from doing and things that God commands us to do. And that's fine, but we don't have to do those things in answer to the commandment. In fact, the Lord teaches us as we grow as a believer, he teaches us to do those things not out of commandment, but out of our love to the Lord. And what we find ourselves in the final outcome is we did the commandment after all, but we did it with joy because we wanted to do it. And that's what you see here. These people weren't having their money extracted from their cold, dead hands by Paul to send to the poor sin. No, no, no. They were perfectly willing.
[00:16:42] They were perfectly willing. They urged Paul to take the offering notice several times. In verse eight, it mentions the forwardness of the churches of Macedonia. Then you look at verse number ten. Now therefore perform the doing of it, that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which you have notice. They were ready. They were eager. Verse 17. Notice what it says. For indeed he accepted the exhortation, but being more forward of his own accord, he went unto you.
[00:17:15] Verse 19 also says that. It says, and not only that, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace with which is administered by us to the glory of the same lord and declaration of your ready mind.
[00:17:30] Even in chapter nine, verse number two, he says to the corinthians, I know the forwardness of your mind. What does it mean to be forward in mind? That means ready and eager to help. You know what that comes out of? That doesn't come out of God commanding us to do something. That comes out of a love for the Lord that wants to do it.
[00:17:50] You know, the other day, I mean, the other day I bought some flowers for my wife. I was in Costco picking up something, and I walked by some flowers. She was having a hard day, so I picked them up. It wasn't because I was commanded.
[00:18:04] Here, honey, I bought you some flowers like you told me to.
[00:18:08] That's what you do when you pick up milk or whatever.
[00:18:13] But it's love. You see, readiness and eagerness in our missions program.
[00:18:19] In the financial aspect, I'm just speak directly to this. In the financial aspect of our missions giving, of our missions program, that readiness and that willingness must come out of love.
[00:18:36] There will be no arm twisting. There will be no savvy fundraising gimmicks. As I mentioned a minute ago, there won't be anything like that.
[00:18:45] You and I will have an opportunity to take part in something that is God's will. That is what God wants to see accomplished in the world.
[00:18:56] And we'll also have an opportunity. In verse eight, notice what it says to prove the sincerity of our love. You see, their offering to the poor saints at Jerusalem was a demonstration of sincere love for the Lord Jesus Christ and a demonstration of sincere love for those whom Christ loved. Is that not what our mission's offering is? It is a demonstration of our love for God, and it is a demonstration of our love for those whom he loves, for whom he died. All those people in Argentina, in Madagascar and in Cambodia and in Germany and in all the other places, our missionaries where they labor.
[00:19:42] God loves those people.
[00:19:44] God wants people to take the gospel to them.
[00:19:49] Now, I know it is common for us to talk about.
[00:19:55] We talk a lot about how much we love. We love this. We love that. It makes us feel good when we talk about how much we love. But first, John 318 says this, my little children, let us not love in words, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And in fact, this verse I just read is in the context of helping those who are in need. And there is no greater need than the need, the spiritual need of eternal life. There's no greater need than that.
[00:20:24] So we can talk about how much we love missions, but at some point, each one of us has to prove that.
[00:20:36] And according to the scripture, we prove the sincerity of our love not by how often we say it or how loud we say it or how many people to whom we say it, but by the expenditure of our means for that end.
[00:20:54] It's loving. Indeed.
[00:20:57] Indeed.
[00:21:00] So when we think about the motive, I'm not going to sit here and tell you you have.
[00:21:07] You must take part in our missions giving. You don't have to.
[00:21:12] You don't have to.
[00:21:14] If you don't, God's not going to break your car, and he's not going to cause you to have an accident or break a leg or get laid up in the hospital.
[00:21:23] I hope he doesn't, because I really hope that you, and I really hope that myself as well, give to God. Because you love the Lord and you want to see the name of Christ glorified in the earth, and you want to see people get the gospel that have never received it, and you want to see people saved, and you want to hear about, like in the Cambodia with Matt Brown. And he, because we, in part because we and other churches like us, in one big fellowship, have sent and have supported Matt Brown, he's able to do a radio broadcast every single week, and people have heard it. And a man has been converted and come to Christ with his family directly as a result of that, because he is there.
[00:22:09] Look at verse, chapter nine, verse number, verse number seven. Notice what it says. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver.
[00:22:31] So our mission offering, this is, of course, we know we don't have a single offering we make every year. Our mission offering is a weekly or a regular offering. But our mission offering here has but one focus. It must have but one focus.
[00:22:47] Our eyes must be set on the Lord. Jesus Christ, and our love for him and our love for those whom he loves must be our focus.
[00:23:01] The offering is not a. Our mission offering is certainly not a competition. In fact, the Lord Jesus said, on the subject of giving offerings and alms, he says, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.
[00:23:15] So this is not something we tell each other. This is not something we brag about.
[00:23:23] In fact, if you look, I've printed these cards, I hope I have enough. But if you look on our missionary offering, missionary commitment card, it says, my missionary commitment, it says, I will endeavor, in dependence upon the grace and provision of God, to give the amount below, through my local church, to world missions for the spreading of the gospel and magnifying the name of Christ in the earth.
[00:23:48] And then there's a line for the amount. It says checkbox per week or per month. And then essentially the same thing on the left hand side, which is the part you detach.
[00:23:59] And then there's check boxes for adult, child and teen, just so that we can make sure that if a child puts, you know, $2,000 a week, then we know we need to check on that or maybe put that to the side.
[00:24:14] There's no place to write your name.
[00:24:18] I don't want to know what you give.
[00:24:22] I don't want to know what you commit to it. Commit to. I don't want to know that. Well, you might ask, well, if that's the case, then why are we going to detach the left hand side? I'm sorry? Right hand side? Why are we going to detach the right hand side and turn that in? That's just as simple as understanding how much our church is likely to be giving for the year. But again, there's no name with it. It's between you and the Lord. It's about your love and my love for the Lord and nothing else. No other consideration matters. None.
[00:25:01] The second thing I want to look at is the method.
[00:25:07] Look at chapter eight, verse three.
[00:25:12] Just make a couple quick notes and we'll move on. Chapter eight, verse three. Speaking of the Macedonians, he says this, for to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves. So here's. Understand that this is. Listen, I've heard. I've heard people preach this so wrongly. I've heard people preach on this, and it's, you know, it obviously is supposed to be about love, right? There's no commandment. It's not begrudging all of those things. And I've heard mission conference speakers preach it as a commandment.
[00:25:44] And they look at. They've taken verse three, and they say, see, the churches in Macedonia were giving beyond their power. They were given more money than they had coming in entirely.
[00:25:56] See, that's what you gotta do.
[00:25:59] That is not right. What this is is an example to us, these churches. They were so willing to give in this project out of their heart, out of love for the Lord and love for those poor saints who were suffering in Jerusalem, that they were willing to give what they didn't even have.
[00:26:17] That's how willing they were. If God gave them more money, they'd give it, too.
[00:26:23] You see that? Only that doesn't come out of obedience to a command. That comes out of a heart of love.
[00:26:31] Verse eleven. Look at what it says, chapter eight, verse eleven.
[00:26:38] Now, therefore, perform the doing of it, that as there was notice, a readiness to will, that is, you were ready. You were eager and willing to. To give the offering a year ago. So there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. Notice that. So here's what. Let me keep reading, verse twelve. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. It's very simple. So, a year prior, the corinthian church had prepared this offering, and we're gonna give it. But for some reason, it didn't work out. So a year later, Paul is saying, all right, now we're getting the offering together. You were willing a year ago, you're willing now, so go ahead and do it.
[00:27:25] And then someone might say, but my financial situation is different.
[00:27:30] And the Lord says, look, the offering is accepted according to what you have.
[00:27:36] You're not obligated for what you don't have, you're giving out of what you have. You know, I've heard, again, I hate you to bring up these bad examples, but I just wanna make sure we don't get the wrong impression. I heard a mission conference speaker in New York state. He said this to a church congregation. He said, you look at your budget, and however much money you have left over, say you have an extra $500 a month, right? That's not obligated toward bills. Here's what he said. He said, you give that dollar 500 a month, which means you would have no disposable income at all. And then from that point, $501 plus. That is where faith is. And so if you're not giving all of that 500 plus anything more than that, then you're not giving it by faith that is false and wrong. Look, it is accepted according to that which ye have. Here's what we're doing. This is very simple. We're taking these cards and we're taking them and laying them before the Lord. And we're saying, Lord, I want to help our missionaries.
[00:28:42] I want you to provide for me to help them.
[00:28:47] Would you please just tell me and guide me as to how much I should put on this, to let the church know what my intentions are. And, Lord, would you please, whatever that you lead me to put, would you please provide for that, for that throughout the year so that I can fulfill that? That's all we're doing.
[00:29:07] I'm not checking up. Nobody's checking up. This is between you and the Lord. And I want to tell you, this is exactly what I'm doing. Exactly the same. In no way different.
[00:29:19] This is an individual decision with the Lord.
[00:29:23] Now, we know each one of us has financial responsibilities.
[00:29:28] If you give, the Lord does not want us to, to neglect our own family support and put that above this mission offering. That is not the point at all.
[00:29:42] Now, the flip side of that is this. There are people, I know of people who, because they had such a desire to give to missions that they were willing to, like, take on other jobs and start businesses and side things, side hustles and stuff, so that they could give even more. And they also would not neglect and be worse than an infidel for not providing for their own house. Right? And I say, more power to them. But see, again, it all comes out of the heart. It all comes out of that love for the Lord and that desire to see people, to have people hear the gospel so we don't neglect our own financial responsibilities. That would be wrong. And the other thing I would mention is, when we do this, I would encourage, if the kids have any way to do it, maybe it's chores, whatever. If you would invite your kids to take part as well. But just do it with supervision.
[00:30:35] Just do it with supervision. I'm going to invite my kids. They know that. But I'm going to invite them to take one and to fill it out, which most of all, but one of my children have jobs. And poor Isaiah, he's all the time asking for work, all the time asking for work. And usually I'm the one asked to pay them, of course.
[00:30:53] How much do I owe you right now, Isaiah?
[00:30:56] I don't owe you anything. That's a surprise.
[00:31:00] All right, third thing I want you to see is this. Transparency. Look at chapter, chapter eight, verse number 19 or verse 18, the Bible says, and we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, and not that only, but who also was chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace. Now listen, follow it. The churches that gave the offering chose people to go with Paul with the offering. All right, you got that which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord. And declaration of your ready mind, avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance. That's the money which is administered by us, providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
[00:31:50] Verse 22. And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent upon the great confidence which I have in you, whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you or our brethren be inquired of they are the messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ.
[00:32:11] You know what Paul is doing? He's saying, the guys that are traveling with me, they're good guys, and they're honest.
[00:32:18] One reason I never. I don't, I don't. I almost never give to any kind of outside organization. You know why? Because I have no idea what happens with the money.
[00:32:26] A number one way to kill a fundraising thing is to put questions in people's mind about what the money's being used for. I'm telling you, for me, I won't give it.
[00:32:36] I will not. I don't care how many. How many kids you put on tv or whatever. I ain't giving it. Look, I've seen those kids with my own two eyes with them, okay?
[00:32:49] I don't need a. I don't need to see a tv to know how it is. I know how it is, but I'm still not giving my money. That might not actually end up to the poor kids who need it.
[00:33:02] But here's the principle I want you to understand. Honesty and transparency were of the highest importance to Paul. He invited the churches to send people with him. He said, other people are going to be with me. He was not. There was a lot of money being handled, and Paul wanted accountability. He was not asking for trust, he was asking for accountability.
[00:33:22] And this is why he suggested they appoint people to go with them and to deliver them, people they knew that were honest and upright to deliver the money to Jerusalem. Was there anybody skimming money? Was the money being used as it was intended? Was there any room for doubt?
[00:33:40] That's the question.
[00:33:44] And as to our church, you see, no one in our church that handles money should expect trust, although we expect them to be fully trustworthy, do we not? Right. Anybody that handles money ought to be fully trustworthy. As far as I know, they are. I have no reason to believe otherwise, and I'm thankful for that. But we don't operate on trust. We operate on accountability.
[00:34:11] Because when you operate solely on trust, there can always be room for questions, even if the people are totally trustworthy. And now their testimony and reputation is endangered, and that should never be. So instead of trust, we operate on accountability.
[00:34:30] That means multiple faithful eyes and hands on the money. So there can be no question.
[00:34:36] And as to our mission offering, and I feel like, listen, I know this is a little bit in the weeds, but I feel like you need to know, and I need to know as a giver, that every dollar we give to missions goes to missions, goes to missionaries. It might go to the missionary's support. It might go to a missionary's love offering when they come, join, come to be a part of our church. It might go to. To supply the needs of the prophet's chamber, which is for missionaries. It might go for things in the mission's closet or different things like that, but every dollar will go for that purpose. Not only are we legally bound to do that, we're ethically bound to do that, so that when we, all of us, take part in this, we can know there's a paper trail. Sister Kerry keeps it very accurately.
[00:35:28] We can know that all the money is spent as it's supposed to be spent. You know, he didn't say this for no reason. He said it because it matters that there be accountability.
[00:35:37] And there is, and there will be, because we want to make sure that what we're given to the Lord for. For this purpose goes to what it's for. Now, the last thing I wanted you to see is faith.
[00:35:50] Look at chapter nine.
[00:35:53] So you're praying. You're asking the Lord for clear direction about what the Lord would have you to give in your mission offering.
[00:36:01] Listen, I didn't make this up. This is what the Lord says on this matter. Okay.
[00:36:06] Chapter nine, verse six.
[00:36:09] He says, but this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. And he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
[00:36:21] Verse eight says this. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work. As it is written, he hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor. His righteousness remaineth forever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which God through us, which causeth through a thanksgiving to God.
[00:37:02] Here's what this is saying very plainly.
[00:37:05] These people were giving some out of their poverty to these poor saints in Jerusalem. You and I will be giving some of us sacrificially.
[00:37:17] You know, I don't, you know, but I want to tell you this.
[00:37:23] When we do that, and we use our means for God's glory, in this way, God obligates himself to provide for our needs.
[00:37:35] That's what he's saying here.
[00:37:38] He obligates himself. I know. You know, we think about our budget and how much money we have, and that goes into this decision. I get it.
[00:37:45] But the Lord wants us to also make this decision with faith in mind, faith that God does supply our needs.
[00:37:55] And if he leads me to do a certain thing and it's between me and him, and he, he leads me to give a certain or commit to a certain amount, he will also provide.
[00:38:04] That's what this verse is saying. This is not the only verse. You go to Philippians chapter four really quickly. It says this verse ten says, but I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again where wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
[00:38:25] He said, verse 14. Notwithstanding, ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
[00:38:33] He said, verse 16. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit. That may abound to your account, but I have all and abound. Notice what he says in verse 19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory. By Christ Jesus they gave a missionary mission offerings. And the missionary in answer to that says, God is going to provide what you need.
[00:39:01] This is not. You give, you give a dollar, God's going to multiply it to be ten, or you give a dollar, God's going to give you 100. No, this is not that. This is not tv preachers. This is, your needs will be supplied and God promises them.
[00:39:17] This is the faith aspect, because every one of us has to look at our budget, right, and take it before the Lord and say, Lord, what do you want me to do? And sometimes if the Lord says, do this, and we're like, that's going to be hard.
[00:39:34] That's where these promises come in. The Lord answers the question of budget with a promise.
[00:39:41] This is not Adam Wood promising.
[00:39:44] This is God promising.
[00:39:48] The other aspect of faith that we find in two corinthians chapter nine is the reward.
[00:39:56] When we give out a pure heart to the Lord, he not only promises to take care of our physical needs and to not let us lack because we're spending our income on him.
[00:40:13] He also reminds us that there's a word when we stand before him, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. In Philippians four, he says to them that there, that there would be fruit that would abound to their account. What does that mean? That simply means this. They gave Paul money. Paul labored in the gospel. People were saved. There was fruit born. And God on the Philippians credit, on the Philippians balance sheet is crediting them for what Paul had done in the fruit that he had seen.
[00:40:50] And so when we give, we give with that in mind that whatever is done, God's going to remember it.
[00:41:00] And one day after I've laid up treasures in heaven like that, the Lord's going to approvingly nod at our sacrifice and he'll reward us for it. That's also a matter of faith, because that's yet future, the last thing.
[00:41:24] So let me just say to finish that point. So when we give, we are actually giving by faith, trusting God for the reward that he has told us that we're laying up in heaven, but trusting him also for our material provision down here.
[00:41:42] But as in everything else, you might have thought this message was about money.
[00:41:47] It's not.
[00:41:48] It's about the gospel.
[00:41:51] Even the subject of money and an offering is mentioned and taught within the context of Christ's sacrifice for us.
[00:42:01] Notice chapter eight, verse nine, for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye, through his poverty might be rich. Our Lord was the example. He didn't just give some. He didn't look at the budget. He threw the budget out the window and gave him himself and everything he had to be the sacrifice for us and for our sins that we might be saved.
[00:42:31] And then in verse 15 of chapter nine, he concludes it all and wraps it all, ties it all with an ice bow, and he says, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
[00:42:42] So every gift we give to missionaries. Which we're actually giving to those poor people that don't have the gospel. Every gift we give is actually reminiscent and reminds us of the unspeakable gift God gave to us. Our gift is small. Really? It's small. And you know what? It's very reasonable to give to the Lord.
[00:43:04] It's an answer of love to a God who loved us. Right? That's all it is.
[00:43:14] So what I'm going to do is we're going to pray and close the service.
[00:43:18] We'll have these on the back table.
[00:43:21] And as you go out, if you would like one, I encourage you to take it. Don't write on it or anything yet. We'll do that on Sunday morning of the mission conference. But I encourage you to take one, put it in your Bible and just talk to the Lord about it. Ask him for direction. If your heart is in it and you want to help in this endeavor, which is exactly what the Lord wants us to do. I encourage you to take one and make it a matter of prayer. And do whatever the Lord directs you to do. Let's pray.
