God views sin as rebellion, disobedience and an agent of death (Romans 6:23).

Transcription

1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview August 22, 2010 "Relationships: The Long-Distance Factor" Background: 2 Corinthians 7:5-9:15 Lesson: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9; 9:1-2, 7-8, Motivation: Conflict resolution is one of the difficult issues in marriage, business or any other relationship. Paul shares ways to build strong relationships and the joy of solving problems. In Chapters 8 & 9 we find the clearest theology of giving. I. Find A Reason to Rejoice (7:5-16) A. Comforting News About the Corinthians (7:5-7) Paul had reprimanded the Corinthians about the brother in sin (1 Cor. 5:1ff). He later sent Titus to follow-up and find what the Corinthians had done. (Titus had departed at 2 Cor. 2:13 and returns at 7:3) Although his outward circumstances involved trouble, conflicts and fear (5), he was inwardly comforted by Titus' good news and the presence of his co-worker. B. Godly Sorrow of the Corinthians (7:8-10) "For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation..." (10) Repentance will involve seeing sin from God's perspective rather than our own. God views sin as rebellion, disobedience and an agent of death (Romans 6:23). When viewed in this light, sorrow will be the reaction of the sinner. While Godly sorrow is not necessarily the same as repentance, such sorrow is a step on the road to repentance. 1 / 17

2 C. Correct Action by the Corinthians (7:11-12) Paul certainly had second thoughts about his rebuke of the Corinthians, how it was received and how he would be received. (1:23-2:5) He regretted his inability to go to them in person. (1:12-1 8) Now, the report form Titus lets him know that al has ended well. Thus, he commends the church on their action. D. Rejoicing over the Resolution of the Corinthians (7:13-16) Paul knew that he was sending Titus "into the lion's den" when he sent him to Corinth. In this little story, we can learn several lessons in inter-personal relationships: 1. Expect the Best of Fellow Believers "I have boasted to him about you...even so our boasting to Titus was found true" (14) Although inwardly Paul experienced fear (7:5), outwardly he expressed confidence in the Corinthians desire to do what was right. Our expectations can become self-fulfilling p rophecies. 2. Receive Criticism with Respect "with fear and trembling you received him" (15) The Corinthians had already received one written rebuke from Paul, perhaps two. They all knew the purpose of Titus' coming. Talk about your tense situation! Ye t, "his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all..." (15) and "his spirit has been refreshed by you all" (13). Often we meet implied criticism with verbal defenses. We argue, deny, rationalize, and rebuke. 2 / 17

3 However, there is often a kernel of truth in the most outlandish criticisms. In fact, our critics can become some of our best friends if we are prompted by them to improve. 3. Anticipate Joy with Closure "I rejoice..." (16) Perhaps no single issue with a church caused Paul as many restless nights as did this. He writes of "sorrow" (2:1-2), "affliction and anguish of heart" (2:4), "fears" (7:5), and "regrets" (7:8). For these very reasons we often put off confrontation. This incident in the ministry of Paul should remind us that a bad situation rarely is improved by ignoring it. Although it caused Paul pain to deal with the problem, in the end it resulted in joy for all. II. Follow Good Examples (8:1-15) A. The Faithfulness of the Macedonians (1-5) 1. Faithfulness is Initiated By the Grace of God "the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia &qu ot; (1) a. Grace is a gift - God's Riches at Christ's Expense (Eph. 1:3, 2:8-10) The Macedonian 3 / 17

4 churches included the churches at Thessalonica, Philippi and Berea. In Paul's letters to the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 1:3) and Philippians he had high praise for their dedicated service and joy. The believers at Berea are noted because they " searched the scriptures daily " (Acts 17:11). Before bragging on these churches, Paul wanted everyone to understand that he was describing attributes of grace. b. Grace leads to glory - Because grace gifts are unmerited, God must receive glory for their results. This concept is crucial to understanding the plan of God for our lives. The Christian life with its necessary disciplines is not just difficult, it's impossible; it's not a crutch, it's a coffin (Gal. 2:20). The major objection to giving is, "I can't afford it." God's reply would be "You can't afford to ignore my plan for your life." (2 Cor. 4:2) 2. Faithfulness is Inspired by Steadfastly Fixing Our Gaze on God "in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy " (2) Affliction and joy don't seem to fit in the same sentence. They are only possible when we look to Jesus rather than to circumstances. a. They abounded in joy - Joy has the same Greek root as grace (charis). When we live in the grace of God, we can abound in His joy. People often mistake happiness for joy. Happiness is outward, temporary and based on circumstances; joy is inward, eternal, and based on an abiding relationship with God. Joy is a measure of our spiritual maturity; it is the overflow of our spiritual relationship with Jesus. 4 / 17

5 b. They abounded in poverty - "abundance of their... deep poverty" (2) - Paul writes to the Thessalonians " and you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction (" suffering ", " tribulation ", " persecution "), with joy of the Holy Spirit. " (1:6) "... For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans " (2:14). This region had been laid waste by a succession of civil wars. Adding to that, Christians were often shunned in business, persecuted by Jews and Gentiles alike, and barred from certain trade associations. Whereas Corinth was known as a wealthy, prosperous city, Macedonia was a depressed area. (2 Cor. 6:10) c. They abounded in generosity "abounded in the riches of their liberality" (2) A fundamental virtue of Christianity is cheerful giving (9:7) God established giving as a prior commitment " For God so loved the world that He gave..." (John 3:16; I Peter 1:17-23). So why is it that so many people complain when the preacher mentions money and so few have discovered the joy of tithing? There are barriers we erect to God's truth: 3. Faithfulness is Instructed by Giving "that we would receive the gift" (4) 5 / 17

6 Giving must be seen as a part of Christian growth and maturity. Jesus said, " Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also " (Matthew 6:21) a. Giving helps us grow by valuing the spiritual over the material. (Col. 3:5) The Macedonians viewed giving a privilege rather than an obligation. (Matt. 22:15-22) b. Giving helps us grow by acknowledging God as our source. (James 1:17) Their giving was not out of their abundance but out of their poverty. c. Giving helps us grow by focusing our attention on service rather than accumulation (Deut. 8:11-18; Luke 12:15-23). Instead of "what can I get?" our life's question becomes "what can I give?" "For I bear witness " (3) is in the form of a legal testimony; Paul is testifying to the spiritual maturity of the Macedonians and his evidence is their financial gift. Moffatt's translation says that they " poured out a flood of rich generosity." The question has been posed, "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Paul is writing that one's giving record could be used as legal evidence to attest to his/her spiritual maturity. 4. Faithfulness is Increased by Giving Our Lives to God and His People "... they first gave of themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God " (5) Paul closed the circle which began with grace and now ends with God's will. 6 / 17

7 Stewardship can be understood in no other context than spiritual maturity. It is not an isolated act of generosity nor is it a way to buy influence with God or man. Giving is a tangible way for us to cast off the love of money (I Timothy 6;10) and declare our worship and obedience to God (Malachi 3:8-10). That God's business is allowed to go forward is simply a by-product of obedience. Giving of money results from giving our whole lives to God. (Matt. 25:21; Romans 12:1) C. Grow In The Grace of Giving (8:6-9, cf. Rom. 12:8) 1. Giving Is A Gracious Gift Of God That Is To Be Put Into Practice "...complet e this grace..." (6), "... abound in this grace..." (7) Tithing is a minimum, not a maximum. We can't out-give God! (Luke 6:38; Gal. 5:6-7). 2. Giving Commitments Are To Be Completed "complete this" (6), "yo u also must complete the doing of it..." (10) " prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised " (9:5). One braggart was described as "All hat and no cattle." Paul writes to the Corinthians that good intentions alone were not enough; having committed to support the church at Jerusalem, they must now produce. (I Cor. 16:1-2) 3. Giving Is A Test Of Our Love. "...I am testing the sincerity of your love.. 7 / 17

8 ." (8) A bumper sticker read "Tithe if you love Jesus, anyone can honk." When Paul writes " I speak not by commandment ", he is referring to the Jerusalem offering they had promised. This was to be over and above tithes that are a commandment. 4. Giving Is Demonstrated By Christ "though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor..." (9) Believer's Study Bible, p " 8:9 Two examples of giving are noted by Paul in 8:1-9. In vv. 1-5 it is the saints of Macedonia. In v. 9 it is the Savior from heaven. The ultimate motivation for all Christian giving is the incarnation and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to the cross, and then give in response, would be Paul's word of encouragement." (2 Cor. 9:8; Phil. 2:7-8) D. Finish What You Started (8:10-11) As Steve Farrar writes, there is a virtue to Finishing Strong (the title of his book). The book of Hebrews issues six warning passages that address the issue of fading before the final. (Faith that falters before the finish is false faith from the first) Paul takes a dim view of making promises that are not completed. (II Tim. 4:7-8) E. Share With People Who Are Needy (8:12-15) 8 / 17

9 Paul always presents the church as a body - not an organization, but rather, an organism. In giving, we don't focus on what others have or others give, but on our responsibility to do our part. (I John 3:11, 16-18; Ex. 16:16-18) III. Use Needed Caution (8:16-24) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1656: 8:16-24 "Paul demonstrates remarkable wisdom in maintaining integrity with respect to the collection for the Jerusalem saints. At no time does he handle the funds directly. Further, he sees to it that there is corporate accountability, with no one individual being entrusted with the offering. These are valuable lessons for personal financial integrity and for making wise decisions as to what Christian ministries one should support. Where integrity and accountability are absent, generosity in giving is not a wise or responsible course of action. The authentic and genuine minister and ministry will seek to be credible in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men' (v. 21)" (2 Cor. 12:17-18: Heb. 4:1-6; Rom. 15:26; Acts 24:17) IV. Employ Best Principles (9:1-15) A. Promoting a Generous Offering (8:24-9:5) 1. Model "I boast of you to the Macedonians"..."your zeal has stirred up the majority " (2) - In 8:1-5, Paul used the Macedonians as a model to the Corinthians. Now we read that Paul had used the Corinthians as a model to the Macedonians! 9 / 17

10 Having boasted to the churches of Macedonia concerning the Corinthians " generous gift " (5), Paul would be ashamed if the church of Corinth failed to deliver. Our own obedience is a model and potential encouragement to someone. 2. Method "go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand " (5) (I Cor. 16:1) a. Giving involves purpose - William Barclay suggest four possible purposes for giving: 1) d uty - a grim duty' that one discharges because of a sense of obligation. (Matt. 23:23), 2) s elf-satisfaction - "giving in order to feel good about oneself." Such giving is in essence selfish; people who give like that give to themselves rather than to the recipient. (Luke 12:18-19; Ps. 49:11) 3) prestige - "The real source of such giving is not love but pride." Such a gift would probably not be given at all if it were not publicly recognized. 4) love - "to give because one cannot help giving, to give because the sight of a soul in need wakens a desire that cannot be stilled." (Luke 14:13-14) ( Letters to the Corinthians, pp ) Because parting with material possessions is so difficult, it must be driven by the over-arching purpose of pleasing God. (I Cor. 10:31) b. Giving involves a plan - Anything involving the stewardship of God's money usually involves planning. To buy a house or car involves a lot of saving or some type of monthly payment. (I Tim. 5:8) Dev eloping a spending plan to insure that you don't "run out of money before you run out of month" is absolutely foundational to good stewardship. 10 / 17

11 Paul takes time to explain to the Corinthians in vss. 2-5 that their giving cannot be "spur-of-the-moment" or as a "second-thought." It must involve careful planning. 3. Motivation "that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not of grudging obligation " (5) Other translations read "as a gift...not look as if it were being given under pressure " (Twentieth Century New Testament) " it is to be a free offering, not a grudging tribute " (Knox), "... a spontaneous gift, and not money squeezed out of you by what I have said " (Phillips) "... a real act of grace, and not as something we squeezed out of you." (Weymouth) "... a generous gift, not as money wrung out of you " (Moffat) - "Cheerful giving" (7) B. Calling for Voluntary, Cheerful Giving (9:6-7) 1. The Laws of Sowing and Reaping "he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully " (6) a. One reaps what one sows. b. One reaps more than one sows. 11 / 17

12 c. One reaps later than one sows. 2. The Grace of Giving "God loves a cheerful giver" (7) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1658: 9:7 &q uot;the Christian gift of giving ought to be exercised as an act of worship with preparation, purpose, and joy. Giving that is reluctant or coerced is not pleasing to God, for God loves a cheerful ( hilaros, Gk.) giver.'" C. Promising Resources to Bold Givers (9:8-11) Paul elaborates on the concept of sowing seed. Giving should not be viewed as an expenditure, but as investment. The fruit that is derived from this "seed money" is everlasting. In verse 8, Paul uses several inclusive terms to outline the "dividends" of a joyful giver. 1. Source "And God..." In Matthew, Jesus declared "Therefore, do not worry, saying What shall we eat?' or What shall we drink?' or what shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (6:31-33) 2. Strength "Is able" In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth 12 / 17

13 ..." What possible need could we have that Jesus is not able to meet? (Eph. 3:20) 3. Supply "to make all grace abound toward you" Later Paul quotes Jesus " My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness " (12:9) How much grace is available? He will supply all that we need! 4. Security "that you, always having" Jesus provided grace for us 24x7. He's always on duty, always available, always providing. 5. Sufficiency "all sufficiency" Because God supplies "all sufficiency&q uot; Paul can declare "... in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us " (Romans 8:37). This means that if we trust in Him and obey His plan, we will never have "insufficient funds" (or love, peace, patience et. al. ) (2 Cor. 3:5) 6. Scope "in all things" Just in case you felt that there was an area of your life too insignificant for God, He wanted to remind you that His provision is all-inclusive. 7. Surplus "may have an abundance" The fruit reaped by the cheerful sower will be a "bumper crop." Luke 6:38 13 / 17

14 gives a vivid description: " Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." 8. Service "for every good work" We're called for a purpose, saved to serve. God does not promise rich dividends for giving in order that the giver may accumulate more material possessions. God wants to bless us so that we can serve Him more effectively. D. Glorifying God By Helping the Needy (9:12-15) 1. The Results of Cheerful Giving a. Needs are met "For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints " (12) The gifts of the Corinthians were going to feed hungry Christians in Jerusalem. James, the leader of the Jerusalem church, wrote " If a brother or sister is naked or destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them Depart in peace, be warmed and filled', but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?" b. Thanksgiving Goes to God "abounding through many thanksgivings to God&q uot; (12) cf. 11,15 Although the gift would come from the Corinthians, the church at Jerusalem would give thanks to God because He was their source. 14 / 17

15 As we cheerfully give, we partner with God in His plan. c. Faith is Demonstrated "through the proof of this ministry" (13) Jesus said " You will know them by their fruits " (Matt. 7:15) James writes of the relationship of faith and works (James 1:23, 2:14). A cheerful giver "puts his money where his mouth is." d. God is Glorified "they glorify God" This is the end result of man's purpose (I Cor. 10:31). e. Obedience is Learned "The obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ. " For the Corinthians to refuse to take an offering would be disobedient. Giving must always be seen in the context of obedience to God's will. (Heb. 5:8) f. Prayer is Offered "by their prayer for you." The Jerusalem church gave something back to the Corinthians, their prayer support. 2. The Reason for Cheerful Giving "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!& quot; (15) Paul has a heart of thanksgiving! He gave thanks for the Macedonians (8:1-5) and for the Corinthians (9:11). Now He thanks God for Christ who made all this possible. Application: 15 / 17

16 1. Christians work through conflict to turn sorrow into joy. 2. Christianity is characterized by cheerful givers (John 3:16). 3. Our motivation for giving should be our spiritual transformation to Christ-likeness. Leader Pack Item 18: Poster: Lesson Outline; Item 19: Handout: Examples of Generosity Illustrator: No article this week. Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: y.org/ ; Dates: 2010 Dates: 8/13 - Children's Back to School Bash; 8/15 - Curt Jones will be preaching; 8/15 - Promotion Sunday; 8/17 - FBA First Day of School; 8/18 - HUB Summer Rush Celebration; 8/22 - Back to School Sunday; 8/25-11/17 - Fall Midlink; 8/29 - Summit Up; 9/5 - Labor Day Weekend - Normal Sched. w/ SBS; 9/6 - Summit Field Day; 9/7 - Living Proof Bible Study; 9/10 16 / 17

17 - Summit First Things First; 9/11 - Faithful Fathering; 9/12 - New & Pros. Mbr. Orient. FSC am / CC pm. 17 / 17