Mission: God Possible

This week’s entry relates to our church’s need to raise capital for two specific purposes. Portions of the script have been modified. The sermon can be heard in its entirety at the church website.

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Most people who have spent much time in a church recognize three aspects. First, the church will have some sort of worship service with a certain routine established. Second, at some point someone (e.g. the pastor) will ask for money. Third, most church business meetings are horrible.

Well, today, we are fulfilling the first aspect. In a few moments, I will ask for money fulfilling the second. So, let’s have a little fun at the expense of the third item for just a moment. Again, many church members loathe business meetings. But as I have said here before, and as I teach students each semester, we must realize that business meetings are biblical. The first thing the apostles did after Jesus ascended to heaven was call a meeting to replace Judas. And Acts 15 was more of a convention with Paul and Barnabas coming from Antioch for a meeting which shaped the church for years to come.

Some meetings are very helpful, and some churches do them very well. But not all. In fact, a recent blog provided a few examples where the meetings were a disaster. Let me share a few of the details.

Business Meeting (Mis)-Adventures*

• Dead body in dumpster. One church had a prolonged business meeting on whether or not to put a lock on their dumpster. There was no resolution. Within the week someone put a dead body in the dumpster. The church voted overwhelmingly and immediately to put the lock on.
• Donuts. A church once had a two-hour meeting discussing donuts.
• Lawnmower blades. One multi-hour church business meeting focused on what type of lawnmower blades to purchase.
• Record time for a business meeting. A world record may have been set at one church business meeting began at 7 pm and took a break at midnight to resume the next evening. The point of contention was the type of wheels to put on a people mover, standard or chrome.
• Vote to close closes. The congregation of a church called a business meeting for the singular purpose of voting to close the church. Due to lack of interest, not enough members showed up to have a quorum. I have no words.

* These five items were adapted from a blog by Thom Rainer. See the following blog for more items. http://thomrainer.com/2017/10/ten-really-strange-things-happened-church-business-meetings

So, we can be thankful that we are not subject to that – at least, not today. But today, we are officially kicking off our capital campaign. Why? Two reasons. First, we need to replace a chunk of the funds we have recently spent related to the heating/cooling and electrical issues. Second, in March, the church voted to approve some renovations to the sanctuary – which originates with the need to replace the carpet.

You may recall that we were going to begin this process at the end of August. In fact, on the last Sunday of August, I preached from 2 Samuel 24 as a precursor to set up this day (click here). During that message, I mentioned that God had spared us because we were set to vote immediately following the morning service to approve a contract to begin the renovations. Thankfully, we learned of the severity of our heating and cooling problem just a few days before and were able to forgo the vote, delay the capital campaign, and evaluate the overall situation.

Now, a little more than two months later, the time has come. The work on the HVAC and electrical systems is complete. The bills have been paid. The numbers are better known. And now is a time to act.

So, as we launch our capital campaign today, let me remind us that God has not changed, and because of that we must respond. To do that, we will spend a little time in Genesis, a little in Matthew, and finish in Hebrews 11. But we will start in Ephesians.

3P’s  (x2) and Our Response

God Had a Purpose (Ephesians 1.7-10)

In the beginning, God created… Why? We might literally spend all day uncovering this answer, but Ephesians 1 provides some insight. READ Ephesians 1.7-10. In short, God created the world for the sake of Christ, that we might know Him and that we, and all things, would be united through Him.

God Had a Plan (Genesis 1)

1 Corinthians 14 states that God is a God of order. Notice the creation accounts. First, God created light which is necessary for growth. Then He created water, which is necessary to live. Eventually, God created man and woman in His image so that we could be stewards of all He created. If God created man before He created water, we could not have survived…in fact around 60% of the human body is water, so we could not have even existed.

God Made a Promise (Genesis 3.15)

Ultimately, mankind did not live up to the charge we were given, so God made a way to fix our most serious problem – sin. A lot of debate exists on when God developed His plan to save us, but we know with certainty that the plan was only revealed after the man and woman partook of the fruit. We must realize that God was often with them (Genesis 3.8), but sin broke that relationship. God made a way for the relationship to continue – and it began with a promise.

God Has a Purpose (Ephesians 1.7-10)

God’s purpose began with Creation that the world might know Christ. That purpose has not changed. The word mystery which once was has now been made known (v. 9). The Old Testament gave hints and clues about Who was to come, but now we know – or, at least, can know. God’s purpose has not changed.

God Has a Plan (Matthew 16.18)

His original plan was to create, now it is to build. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” He has been doing so for nearly 2000 years and will continue to do so until He returns. This plan included Christ, who is the Purpose, coming to die, so that He might live, and can now build through us. Because we are made in His image, we can do what He wants done as the stewards we were originally called to be.

God Has a Promise (Matthew 28.20)

God spent time with the man and woman in the Garden. He promises to be with us always, if we will choose to be with Him. As we talked about last week, He desires to reform, conform, and transform us and will reward those who have faith. God’s promise to Adam and Eve was that He would make a way in the future. Jesus was, and is, that Way, and His promise is to be with us always.

So, God had a purpose and still has the same one. God had a plan and has added a new element – the church. God made a promise and has now made a new one because He already fulfilled the old one. So what is our response? And how does all of this fit with a need to raise capital for Fairfax Baptist Church?

Our Response To God’s Purpose Is To Make Disciples (Matthew 28.18-20)

Again, God had a purpose to make Christ known, and He still has the same purpose. Those who know Christ and follow Him (which is the obvious implication of being in Him (Ephesians 1.7) are called disciples. Jesus final words according to Matthew were to make disciples. How? By going, by baptizing, and by teaching others to observe all that He commanded His disciples. The same is true now for those who follow Jesus – we are to go, to baptize, and to teach others to observe because we are His disciples. God’s purpose is to make Jesus known – and our purpose is to make sure that happens by making disciples.

Our Response To God’s Plan Is To Be Effective Stewards (Matthew 16.19; 18.18-20)

Jesus said He would build His church, but He told Peter that the keys would be given to Him (this is why the Catholic Church has a pope – it all relates back to this verse). However, in Matthew 18, Jesus talks again about binding and loosing, but uses a plural “you” meaning all of the disciples.

Thus, it is the job of the entire church to steward what God has entrusted us. Just like Adam and Eve were entrusted to steward Creation, so have we been entrusted with the church – and for you and I that specifically means Fairfax Baptist Church. When we see something wrong, we need to address it – in unity. And that brings us to our final point.

Our Response To God’s Promise Is To Live By Faith (Hebrews 11)

God was in the Garden with His creation. Jesus promised to be with His followers forever. How do we respond? Let us look at some examples from Hebrews 11. What I want you to notice is that the people mentioned here DID something, and that is what faith requires. Faith is not simply thinking or believing something to be true, it is acting on what we believe. Consider:

• Abel – offered (v. 4)
• Noah – constructed (v. 7) 
• Abraham – obeyed and went (v. 8)
• Sarah – conceived (v. 11) 
• Abraham – offered (v. 17) 
• Isaac – blessed others (v. 20)
• Jacob – blessed others (v. 21)  
• Joseph – told of the future (v. 22)
• Moses – chose mistreatment over comfort (v. 25)
• Etc.

The point is that the great people of faith acted on their belief in God and thus their stories are worth telling. The question for Fairfax Baptist Church is will our story be worth telling in another 50, 75, or 100 years. And today, that story begins with a need to give.

A Call to Action

So, here is the crux of the matter for us today. God has a purpose and a plan and a promise. As we do our part, we grow as individuals, bond together as a church, and expand God’s kingdom (maybe in numbers, but certainly in influence). While the church is really the people, the building is our rallying place, and it needs new carpet. While the carpet is up, we can make a few modifications to the platform area. And if the carpet comes up, we need to have a plan for seating – to restore or to replace.

We also need to replenish a portion of the savings we recently spent. We have recently benefited from having a reserve on hand, and over time, it will be nice to rebuild all of that reserve, but for now, we simply need to replenish a portion and then complete the work that has already been approved by the church.

So, what does this mean and how does it relate to God’s promise?

First, the Finance Team has agreed to the following campaign which consists of two phases.

• Phase 1: Replenish a portion of the savings used for the recent work
• Phase 2: Cover the cost of the renovations related to the carpet and seating

Second, I ask you to give. Remember faith requires action. We are a people of faith, and now we must act. The truth is that some here will not benefit greatly from what is to be done. But that was true of those who helped make this building possible in 1955 and we are the beneficiaries 60+ years later. Hebrews 11.13 gets straight to this point for those who live by their faith.

Now, let me get specific here based upon conversations with several people. Some general thoughts expressed are:

• Build Savings Quickly. Some of you want to get the savings built up quickly. That is why the Finance Team has made this the first priority – or Phase 1.
• Renovations Now. Some of you want to get moving on the renovations very quickly. That is why the goal for Phase 1 is quite modest.
• Avoid Debt. Most everyone wants to avoid debt to complete the renovation. I cannot say for certain what will or will not happen, but I do think that the church should authorize any loan before any loan documentation is signed.
• Impossible! Some of you think these numbers are impossible. And maybe they are for us, but we have a saying around here that comes straight from the Bible – “But God.”

Now, let me give you a few thoughts from myself and the Finance Team.

• Ministry Takes Precedence. Frankly, we tightened the budget for 2018 to help compensate for the added costs. But the ministry of this church has gradually expanded most every year since I came, and the goal is to continue to move forward, not backward. That is, we will seek to be strategic in what we do as a church, but this capital campaign cannot get in the way of what God calls us to do within and without the church walls.
• Above and Beyond. Given the first point, giving to this campaign needs to be above and beyond your normal giving. I certainly hope you give a regular offering and even a tithe or more perhaps. But some also give to Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong, MMO, OCC shoeboxes, piki piki, etc. We all have a finite amount of money, and the church’s budget comes first, then extra missions, then the campaign. That said, if, on average, if we each gave $5 extra per week ($20 per month), we would have more than enough within 3 years. I can save $5 by not stopping at the C-Store once per week. So, I save money, the church is repaired, and I am healthier as well!
• How to Give. We realize that some of you have a preference. I mentioned this in the portion above. So, let me help us with the “How to Give.” We need to be united, and the campaign is designed to do that with the two phases. So, if you give to the campaign, the first set of money will go to the church’s savings until we reach the Phase 1 goal of $10,000. To give to the campaign, simply write on your check or envelope “Campaign” or “Capital Campaign” or “Mission: God Possible” or something similar.

Some of you will want your monies to go Savings. If so, simply write on your check or envelope “Savings” again understanding that all of the first monies collected with go there as well.

Finally, some of you want to see the renovations started yesterday. If so, you can give directly to that part of the fund by writing on your check or envelope “Remodel” or “Renovation.” We have the money to start the work on the platform and a portion of what is needed for the carpet, but we must determine what is possible regarding the overall timetable.

What is the timetable? Well, how big is your God? I just mentioned that with $5 extra per week per person (based upon 50 people), this is possible within 3 years. I know $5 per week is a lot for some, but that averages out to just $750 per person over 3 years. I think someone is going to give $750 this month. I think we will complete Phase 1 this year. I really do. And I think God wants to show us that “But God” is more than a couple or words, but a lifestyle in which we should engage. So, I have proposed and the Finance Team agreed, that the campaign will last no more than 18 months. That is, by the first Sunday in May 2019 (May 5), when I am completing my 8th year as your pastor, we will have raised all the money and then some. And, I truly believe we will have the funds even faster than that.

CONCLUSION

I began this message by discussing God’s purpose, plans, and promise. I then shared what our response must be in a very general way to each of those pieces. But in a very particular way, we must act on our faith now. And, specifically, that relates to raising funds for our church. The timeframe and the amount may be seem impossible, but not with God. Again, this is not  mission impossible, it is Mission: God Possible.

JOURNEY: Y – You

The JOURNEY letter for today is Y because You must respond in faith. Jesus still has a plan for this church, and His promise is to be with us. Each of us, that is, YOU must believe and respond.

NEXT STEP(S): Live: Our faith requires us to live, and this living is our partnering with God to do far more than we can ask or think or imagine. So begin by praying about your action in this campaign. We are truly counting on God to provide the necessary funds and we must all be willing to sacrifice a little or a lot. Whatever you decide to contribute, know that others will benefit from your giving just as you benefit now from those who have given in the past.

Change Up? No, A Curve

Anyone who knows me, soon realizes I have a passion for baseball. My first real memories of baseball coincide with the rise of the Royals in the mid-1970s. I was six when Chris Chambliss homered off Mark Littell in Game 5 of the ALCS and I cried for hours afterward. I soon started playing competitive baseball, and played at very high levels during my teenage years.

A good baseball player must develop different skills. Primarily, one must learn to hit and to play defense. I was ok on defense, but I did not usually hit very well (only a couple of seasons was I truly any good). So, I trained myself to be good in the other area – pitching. I had one major advantage at a very early age. I was, and am, left-handed. Then, as I grew older, I developed a very good curveball. And finally, in my later teens, I developed a high-velocity fastball. But the curveball was my out-pitch for most of my years as pitcher.

What is not well-understood about the curveball, is that the curving is not what is most important. The fact that the pitch comes in much slower – often 10-20 miles per hour slower is what makes the pitch effective. But, it does curve. Dizzy Dean was once challenged by someone who said the curveball was an optical illusion. Dean’s response was to have the guy go stand on the other side of a tree. I will throw a curveball and “whomp him.”

Some of the best fastball pitchers of all time actually have been voted as the top curveball pitcher in their team’s history. Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Dwight Gooden and others all had tremendous fastballs, but their curveballs made them truly great.

Why am I talking about curveballs? Well, our church has been thrown somewhat of a curveball. Most of you know that we were scheduled to vote on, and begin, our renovations this past week. But the air conditioner started having problems in late July and now has completely quit. Do we press on and commit to renovating the sanctuary and paying for a new heating and cooling system? Or do we press pause on the renovations to take care of what seems to be a pressing need? We will soon meet to discuss these very options once we have the proper bids, but for now, we simply must recognize the curveball and consider how we will adapt.

The question is: Was this curveball from God? God does sometimes throw curveballs. Paul was ready to go to Asia and other areas until God sent a vision for him to go to Macedonia. Sometimes God helps us overcome a curveball. For instance, Daniel regularly went about his regularly duties of praying to God only to be arrested and thrown to the lions. But God saw to it that the lions’ feast would come a few hours later after Daniel was released unharmed. And finally, we can say with certainty that God wants to keep us from striking out against the curveball of sin, and thus, He sent Jesus to pinch hit for us, so to speak, to cover our sin. But our sin does still have consequences, and that is the story we are going to review today.

Our story is about King David near the very end of his life. The Bible says that David was a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13.22), but that does not mean he was sinless. In fact, a few weeks ago, the Sunday School lesson was about David and his mating with Bathsheba and the subsequent killing of her husband Uriah. But what separates David from so many others was His true repentance. He did not just confess a wrong to God, He truly turned from that sin even though the consequences haunted him for the rest of his life.

Today’s story is another sin in the life of David. It was a sin of pride which impacted the nation. The story is found in 2 Samuel 24.

Our Pride vs God’s Desire (vv. 1-9)

2 Samuel chapter 24 is concerned with the effects of David calling for census. In your notes, you will see that the principle issue here is not the census, it is the placement of David’s trust. A couple of notes are important here.

First, noticed that verse 1 says God incited David to take the census. Is God to blame for David’s sin? No. James 1.13 clearly states that God does not tempt us. So, what are we to think in this situation? Well, God does allow us to be tempted. We can find part of the answer in 1 Chronicles 21 which says, “Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.”

That sentence makes more sense to us, but now we have an apparent contradiction. Many people will use passages like this to say that the Bible has errors because it contradicts itself. Such statements are why theology is important. Our understanding of God comes from Scripture, but our understanding of Scripture depends upon our view of God. While the two versus seem to contradict one another, we can look at a third passage like Job 1 and 2 that reveals that Satan can only do what God allows. Thus, a most reasonable explanation for this apparent contradiction is that God allows Satan to incite David to take the census. Why did the author of 2 Samuel state it differently? I don’t know. Maybe just to show that God is in control.

What we must see here is that after David was incited, Joab warned him against it. But David’s pride was set to take the census, and so he did. David had listened to the council of Nathan earlier when David desired to build God a house (temple), but God said no (2 Sam 7). Here, however, pride entered the equation. David desired to know how powerful he was. A census would show him and others just how powerful he had become. And what became known is that 1.3 million men were available for war.

Principle: The issue isn’t the census, it is where David’s trust is placed.

Is it ok to take a census (count)? Sure.

• The Bible records how many Jesus fed on two different occasions.
• The Bible records how many were saved on the day of Pentecost for instance. 
• The Bible speaks of 144,000 souls in Revelation.

But here is the issue. In each of those situations, what matters is not how many people are involved; the key is Who is involved. That is, the focus is on who God is and what He is doing. David wanted to count the people so he knew how many were “valiant men who drew the sword” (2 Samuel 24.9). In other words, David was placing his trust in the military might of Israel rather than in the power of an Almighty God. Thus, David sinned, and he is given a choice of consequences.

Our Sin Brings God’s Judgment (vv. 10-17)

This story is unique because David is given His choice of judgment. Notice, David realizes His sin AND confesses it in verse 10, but that does not erase a need for punishment. God uses a man named Gad to lay out the alternatives. Three are provided:

• Three years of famine (on all of Israel)
• Three months on the run (David, not Israel)
• Three days of pestilence (on all of Israel)

David’s choice is not the one that would only impact him. He chooses pestilence which causes 70,000 people to die. Three days, 70,000! But David knows one thing – God’s mercy will prevail. God intervened before Jerusalem could be destroyed. Before he realized his sin, David must have felt good knowing the size of his army. Now, undoubtedly, some of those men had died, but more importantly, David realized that no matter the army, God is in control.

David knew of God’s control when he fought against Goliath.
David knew of God’s control when he fled from Saul for several years.
But David forget about God when he mated with Bathsheba and then had Uriah killed.

However, just as he repented when confronted about Bathsheba, he repented here as well. But the cost to Israel was great.

Principle 2: The sin of one person can impact many.

Reggie mentioned Achan last week (Joshua 7). Achan’s greed at Jericho cost Israel in battle at Ai. For David, the result was worse. Far more people died, in part, because it was a leader who was responsible for the sin. But it was also David’s pleas for the people (v17) that kept the situation from being any worse. (See 1 Chronicles 21.14-17 for a parallel to this story.)

What we must realize is that when we sin, punishment may come, but God is a merciful God. We should repent as soon as we realize our error and pray for God’s mercy to extend to us and to all who might be impacted.

Our Worship as Response to God’s Grace (vv. 18-25)

Gad came to David the same day that the Lord withdrew the pestilence. Gad told David what to do and David did not hesitate at all. This immediate action shows that David trusts Gad. What was David to do? Worship. He was to praise God – not just for what God did, but for who God is.

When David went to the place where he was instructed to build the altar, the man who owned the property offered the site and even the oxen and other items needed for the sacrifice. But David would not receive the items as a gift. He was determined to pay for them. Why? Because the payment of sin requires sacrifice.

David built the altar. He made the sacrifices, and the Lord received them. And this place that David purchased, this place that David sacrificed would become the site where the temple was built after Solomon became king (1 Chronicles 22.1).

Principle 3: Worship comes at a price.

David realized his mistake, pleaded for God’s mercy, and then was instructed to make sacrifice. David knew that sin needs a payment and he could not cover his sin otherwise. He had received so much from God, he needed to pay for what he would sacrifice to God. Of course, God knew our sin needed payment as well. It was God who chose the place and the Person to be our sacrifice, but do we offer nothing in return for payment? Do we ignore the sacrifice of God in our worship and instead complain when we are asked to give of ourselves in some way?

God deserves worship for who He is, let alone what He has done. But God gave up His Son so that we might worship. Will our worship cost us nothing in return?

CONCLUSION

Originally, this week’s message was to focus on the launch of a capital campaign to renovate the sanctuary. But, we have been thrown a curveball. Yet God doesn’t want us to fail! The timing could have been horrible – but God! I want to be careful here because the situation we have studied today does not perfectly resonate with ours, but I do think we can find some parallels. At a minimum, I believe our current situation requires us to ask some questions.

1.   Are the proposed renovations the right thing to do at this time or were we incited to do them? Please understand, I am not saying they were wrong or are wrong. I am simply asking a question. The carpet needs to be replaced which means the pews will need to be removed. So, in a practical sense the plans were fine. But are they right?

Prior to two weeks ago, our goal was to focus on the aesthetics of the church, and from Scripture, we have examples of how much God cared about the design and ornateness of the tabernacle and temple. But we must ask ourselves, how necessary are the aesthetics in light of our new situation with the heating and cooling devices?

2.   God’s mercy may have prevented us from a sin, but at a minimum it has given us an opportunity to reevaluate our overall situation. Whatever we choose from here will be with a timely reminder that money is finite and we need to be wise so we do not put the church into a financial pitfall.

God says, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy (Exodus 33.19), but I believe one reason we have been spared financially is because of our generosity toward others. Next week, we start collecting for the Missouri Missions Offering. We give to North American Missions (Annie Armstrong) and International Missions (Lottie Moon). We pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, and support the BSU at Northwest. We provide Christmas for a local family and help with school supplies. And over the last eleven months we have provided over $2,000 in money to help pastors in Kenya – first buying a motorbike, and now supplying their gas. In other words, we are a church that has already given much, and thus I truly believe God spared us that we might be able to give more even as we will soon vote on some major expenditures.

3.   Because we have been spared, we must praise God. But to praise him, as we have seen, requires sacrifice. Frankly, to praise him as we have come to expect to do so on a typical Sunday will require a sacrifice on our part.

The reality is that we have some work to do. The truth is that we have had had comfort in our day because of the expense of others in the past. We need to consider how the future of the church will benefit others at our expense. Comfort always has a price to be paid by someone. In fact, the Bible says that we, you and I, were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6.19-20) – our eternal comfort is only possible because of the expense of Jesus’ life.

JOURNEY: R – Revere

That’s why this message must have the JOURNEY letter of R for REVERE. David was offered the area for sacrifice for free. He was offered the necessary items to sacrifice for free. But David knew something we should not forget – worship requires sacrifice. Maybe it is a sacrifice of pride, or money, or time, or all three, but we cannot truly worship – that is, we cannot truly appreciate God, unless we are willing to sacrifice.

NEXT STEP(S):

Learn: I am going to ask you to give. Not today, but soon. In April, I preached a sermon from 2 Corinthians 8 to help us prepare our hearts for this day. This day has now arrived and we do not yet know how we will proceed, in part, because we do not know the cost. But in order to come and worship in this place, we need to be like David and be ready to pay a fair portion for us to worship in relative comfort.

So, I am asking you to focus this week and next (or, at least, until our meeting) on asking God:

1. What He would have us as a church do regarding these projects?

2. What He would have you do regarding an extra financial contribution to allow the church to do what He wants us to do?

“Overflowing”

On Sunday, our church unofficially announced a giving to help renovate the sanctuary. This message is meant to encourage us to consider our giving to this project when the campaign becomes official in the next few months. The passage for review is 2 Corinthians 8.1-14. Paul’s words about the attitude for giving were meant for the Corinthians then, but should still speak volumes to us today.

We are to be a people overflowing with generosity. (1-4)

Paul begins by writing to Corinth about the people in Macedonia. The Macedonian churches would include those in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea (basically the churches in Acts 16 and 17). He writes about the grace of God which, in this case, is about human purpose. God’s grace allowed the humans to give despite being afflicted. The Macedonian believers were able to find an abundance of joy despite poverty, and generously gave until their offerings were overflowing.

You may ask how this could be. Notice Paul does not provide details of how much was given (in fact, he doesn’t even use the word money in this passage, although it is obvious that he is referring to financial contributions). The reason Paul doesn’t focus on money is because the people of Macedonia were not driven by material matters, but by attitudes. Joy and generosity do not come from a factual reality, rather they represent attitudes about their reality. The same is true of poverty. Of course, poverty has been given a standard, but an understanding of poverty is partially dependent on what your experiences and expectations are and that can vary from culture to culture.

So the churches Paul mentions gave. But they didn’t just give from their leftovers, they actually gave according to their means – and beyond. And they did so not because they were forced, but because they wanted to do so. Paul uses the word “begging” here – not to get money, but to give it. The idea is that the Paul made known a particular need and the people responded in a way that was well beyond what Paul expected. We get the impression that he was trying to talk them out of it, but they “begged” him for the privilege to give. They wanted to bless others. Consider their attitude against their reality. The reality was that they did not have much, but their attitude was to bless others with what they had.

Principle: It is the attitude that counts, not the amount.

Why could they do this?  Because they gave themselves first to God.

2. We are to be a people overflowing with excellence. (5-7)

Paul says that the response of the Macedonian churches was unexpected. Here is the truth, when people are doing things for God, they will exceed expectations. In verse 5, Paul says these churches gave themselves to God which, in turn, allowed them to be a blessing to Paul and others with him (e.g. Titus, v.6).

Having spoken of the great help these other churches provided, Paul now turns his attention to addressing how Corinth can help. First, he appeals to their excellence. It is important to know that Corinth was the capital city of Achaia. As such, they city was not only prominent, but many of its citizens were prominent. Furthermore, as a Greek city, they would take pride in themselves and thus Paul uses words that are true, but are also meant to gain their attention. If I were to paraphrase, it might sound something like this: “You, Corinthians, you are excellent in what you do – whether in faith, or in your great oratory skills, or in your understanding of philosophical matters, and even in your desires, you are excellent. So, be excellent in your attitude about giving for this is what God requires of you because He is working within you.”

It is at this point, Paul expands on their earnestness, or as we would say desire.

3. We are to be a people overflowing with desire. (8-11)

Many people consider desire a bad thing as if desire itself is sin. But that is not the case. Desire is God given and can be used to fulfill God’s plans. The key is what we desire. Let me provide two examples from both the Old and New Testaments to show that desire itself is amoral – that is, it can be used for good or bad.

Mark 3.13 – And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.

Psalm 37.4 – Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

On the other hand, we have the negative aspects of desire found in the following two passages.

James 1.14-15 – But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Genesis 1.6-7 – The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

When we look at Paul’s words in verses 8-11 of 2 Corinthians, we see him appeal to what was started in the people of Corinth. Verse 10 says that one year prior they had a desire to do what was necessary. Now, apparently they do not. Like many of us, they had good intentions, and according to verse 11 may have begun the work of sharing, but soon backed out. Thus, Paul reminds them of their previous desire and says that their intentions were not enough. It is now time to complete what you started! For desire without completion will lead to a great deal of wasted time and energy.

4. We are to be a people overflowing with abundance. (12-14)

In the conclusion of our passage today, Paul uses the phrase that each should give “according to what you have.” This instance of you is singular, meaning each person should give according to what s/he has. The language is similar to the words in verse 3, except in that case it was plural because Paul grouped the churches together. Here, Paul is referring to each individual of the church in Corinth. His point is this: The tithe is not enough for some. The example of tithing was established hundreds of years before Moses and the Law came into place, so it is a worthwhile standard even today. But the New Testament talks about giving of ourselves – not just what is expected, but whatever is required. The truth is that some must still rise to the level of tithe, while others can give more than a tithe. However, as I mentioned earlier, it is about our attitude, not the formula or dollar amount.

Remember, Corinth was the capital of Achaia and, thus, the city had a great deal more wealth than the Macedonian cities. But when we have an abundance, it is not for us to hoard, rather, some of the extra should be given to God for the benefit of others. You might recall the story Jesus told of the farmer who tore down his barns to build bigger storage houses (Luke 12.13-21). It is not that we should not save or that we must give everything away (unless God tells us to do so), but rather that what we have is not ultimately ours. As Jesus said in concluding the parable, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12.21).

What we receive in abundance is not for us, but for God. Our abundance is for the need of others – including others who may sit in this building in the future. Just like we have been blessed by having this building for the past 62 ½ years, we can now do our part to make sure it is ready for another 30+ years, at least.

Principle: Abundant receiving requires abundant giving.

CONCLUSION

I have mentioned attitude a couple of time. As we prepare to close, let me go back to verse 8. Paul says he does not command the people to give. If anyone had a case to do so, it would have been Paul. But like Paul, I cannot command you to give. But I can urge you to do so. As Paul says, our giving shows we think beyond ourselves.

I know we all only have a certain amount of money. And besides our regular tithing, we take up collections for Annie Armstrong, Reuben L South, Lottie Moon, Operation Christmas Child, and for gas money for two Kenyan pastors. Today, we are talking about another collection to help renovate the sanctuary. I am not asking us to give everything, but I am asking you to consider what you might give to help. People in the past, including some of you, have given so this building would be here, this carpet could be laid, these pews could be in place. The question for us now is: What will we give so it will continue to be a good place for worship?

This campaign which will start in a few months will need our commitment. We will need to be a people who are overflowing with our money because we are overflowing with God’s love. We will all need to make a sacrifice, but the benefits could bless this church’s ministry for years to come. And the truth is that the more we raise up front, the less money we will have to borrow later.

So, what can you do in the mean-time? At this time, all that the Finance Team, the Propery & Space Team, and myself ask is to pray over what you will give. Again, this will be over and above what you may be currently giving and for some the extra may not be much. For others, it may be considerably more. But we must all consider what we might sacrifice for the future of this church just as others had to sacrifice for us to be here today.

So, ask God what He would have you do. Then, when the time comes, be ready to do it because He is overflowing within you.