Bible Study - Productive (4) - Put Your Money to Work - 2 Corinthians 8:10-15; 9:1-5 - March 23, 2014

Bible Study – Productive (4) – Put Your Money to Work – March 23, 2014

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “Productive: Finding Joy in What We Do.”

Our focus scripture is 2 Corinthians 8:10-15; 9:1-5.

When pastors preach on giving in our churches, many in the congregations are turned off. If the pastor preaches a second message in less than a year on giving, then many in the congregation will say, “Money is all we hear from this preacher.”

In my opinion, when giving is a problem in a church, there is a Spiritual problem in that body of Christians.

When Christians are in right relationship with GOD through CHRIST, giving becomes a natural part of being a Christian. This raises some questions. Are the pastor, staff, Bible teachers and leaders of the church or religious organizations preaching and teaching in the power and under the authority of the Holy Spirit? Are we, as Christians being fed and growing Spiritually by attending that church or organization? Or are those attending these institutions Spiritually dead? It is vital that the pastor, staff, all leaders and teachers in a church or Christian organization be filled with the Holy Spirit, led by and obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Giving is all about our hearts and our relationship with CHRIST.

Let’s explore!

Finish What You Start.

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 8:10-12:

10 Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something but also to desire it. 11 But now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have.

Most of us hear of a need and have good intentions to meet that need but often we fizzle after our initial enthusiasm. This was the situation among the Christians in Corinth.  They had made an eager commitment, about a year earlier, to help the needy Christians in Jerusalem due to a famine.

The Apostle Paul was giving his opinion regarding their initial enthusiasm to spearhead an effort to help meet the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem. But after a year they had not completed their objective. Paul was telling them that they began with an eager desire to help but they had not fulfilled their objective. Now was the time for them to step up to the plate and finish what they started.

JESUS had a comment on such activity as recorded in Luke 9:62:

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

GOD calls Christians to meet the needs of others. Often, the needs of others are greater than financial. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you define the needs of others and how to participate in meeting those needs.

Give in Proportion to Your Ability.

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 8:12-15:

12 For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality— 14 at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality. 15 As it has been written: The person who gathered much did not have too much, and the person who gathered little did not have too little. [This relates back to GOD’S care of the Israelites in the wilderness on their journey to the Promised Land - Exodus 16:16-20 - Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’” 17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. 18 When they measured it by quarts, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat. 19 Moses said to them, “No one is to let any of it remain until morning.” 20 But they didn’t listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. Therefore Moses was angry with them.]

We can make a commitment to meet certain needs because of the hype of the moment. We need to pray and ask the LORD to lead us to what our role needs to be in meeting or participating in meeting the needs of others.

Paul made it clear that giving was not to be a burden. The Holy Spirit has to help us define the level of our giving and trust HIM to guide us and help to meet those needs and our commitment. We may be led by the Holy Spirit to give beyond what we think we are able to do or less than we would like too. GOD knows what lies ahead for each of us. GOD knows and it may be a time for testing us in good times or bad times. GOD is in control and provides.

GOD gives balance that is why when we give we need to give according to leading of the Holy Spirit. There are times when GOD leads us to give beyond our comfort zone. We need to discern whether or not a leading is from the Holy Spirit, our nature, attempting to please those around us, the emotion of the moment or truly from GOD.

Sometimes HE allows us to step off into an uncomfortable commitment for us to learn to discern or to build our trust in HIS capability. Walking by faith is stepping where there is no step.  

Paul continued in the next scripture to help us understand part of the giving principle. We will study the other part of the giving principal in next week’s lesson.

Give to Motivate Others.

Let’s read 2 Corinthians 9:1-5:

1 Now concerning the ministry to the • saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you. 2 For I know your eagerness, and I brag about you to the Macedonians: “Achaia has been prepared since last year,” and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I sent the brothers so our boasting about you in the matter would not prove empty, and so you would be prepared just as I said. 4 For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be embarrassed in that situation. 5 Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as extortion.

Macedonia was the province north of the province of Achaia. The major cities located in the province of Macedonia were Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. The major city in the province Achaia was Corinth.

One reason the Christians in Macedonia were experiencing hard times was because they were being opposed by those who opposed the gospel. SO were the Christians in Jerusalem. The Jews controlled most of the jobs in Jerusalem and they would not hire the Christians, plus there was a famine in that area. That meant double trouble. The Macedonians could relate.

Paul wrote that, he knew their hearts and eagerness to meet the needs of those in need in Jerusalem and it was not necessary for him to write to them. But their enthusiasm had encouraged many others to join them in giving. Paul sent Titus and two others to Corinth just to prove that they were serious about raising gifts for the Christians in Jerusalem. After-all it would be very embarrassing if they didn’t have a generous gift collected.

Paul wanted the Christians in Corinth to have their gift ready before he arrived or else it might appear as extortion. Paul wanted their gift to come from their eagerness and heart’s desire to help Christians in Jerusalem. He did not want it to appear that they had raised the gift just because Paul was there.

Was Paul under pressure? I think so. The Christians in Corinth had indicated about a year earlier that they were eager to help but their eagerness had faded.  He used the generosity of the Christians in Macedonia in an effort to rekindle the zeal of Christians in Corinth to complete what they had started.

There are times when we need a nudge to complete what we have committed to. Giving is personal and much is recorded in the Bible regarding giving such as:

Matthew 6:3-4:

 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Luke 6:38:

38 Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

I recall in my early years of walking with the LORD, I loved to hear testimonies about fellow Christians walking in faith and GOD providing. I wanted to experience this, so I would have an amazing testimony to tell about GOD providing. You get the picture, my ego blurred my Spiritual vision but it resulted in a teaching. Accepting CHRIST by faith is one thing. Living by faith after salvation is a gift of the Holy Spirit. When Christians have the gift of faith, GOD provides as HE leads them. But testing GOD can lead to a difficult journey from which you will learn. GOD allows HIS children to go in their own strength to learn a lesson.   

Giving is about our hearts and our relationship with GOD through CHRIST. When we give, is it the result of the zeal in our hearts coming from the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the result of a mandate, peer pressure or the obligation to give? Blessings!!!