GOD CAN AND NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR HIM IN REACHING OUR GREAT GOAL IN 2023.
( Jeremiah 32:17 ) Ah Lord
GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and
stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
* The lesson
for tonight is a challenge to everyone to give to the Lord the best we can base
on the example of Macedonian Church.
* This is
giving beyond the expectation of God servant Paul.
( II CORINTHIANS 8:1-9 ) 1
Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the
churches of Macedonia;
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the
abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond
their power they were willing of themselves;
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would
receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the
saints.
5 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.
6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had
begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.
7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith,
and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see
that ye abound in this grace also.
8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the
forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
9 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.
Introduction:
a. The
faithfulness of the Macedonian church was beyond God’s expectation and Paul was
a witness to their faithfulness in giving to the work of the Lord.
b. Paul was
very proud of the strong faith of the Macedonian church and used this
opportunity to encourage the Corinthian church to give to the Lord.
c. I hope and
pray that this lesson will be an encouragement to our church so that we can
reach our goal for our balcony construction project.
(5) GREAT THINGS
WE CAN LEARN FROM MACEDONIAN FAITHFULNESS IN GIVING:
I. THEY GAVE
LIBERALLY WITH JOY DESPITE THEIR DEEP POVERTY
2CORINTHIANS 8:2 “How that
in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep
poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”
a. The
Macedonian gave to the Lord with liberality and with joy in spite of their deep
poverty.
b. The normal
Christian habit was that they would give based on their prosperity but the
Macedonian gave liberally even when they were in deep poverty.
c. This
giving is by faith with total sacrifice.
II. THEY GAVE
LIBERALLY WITH WILLINGNESS BEYOND THEIR CAPABILITY
2CORINTHIANS 8:3 “For to
[their] power, I bear record, yea, and beyond [their] power [they were] willing
of themselves;”
a. This kind
of giving gives with strong faith and faithfulness.
b. This
giving was inconvenient because they gave themselves to the Lord.
2CORINTHIANS 8:5 “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.”
c. This
giving is an example of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2CORINTHIANS 8:9 “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.”
III. THEY
GAVE LIBERALLY WITH SINCERITY TO PROVE THEIR LOVE FOR GOD
2CORINTHIANS 8:7-8 “Therefore,
as ye abound in every [thing], [in] faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and
[in] all diligence, and [in] your love to us, [see] that ye abound in this
grace also.
2Cor 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion
of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.”
a. It is a giving
with the abundant grace of God.
2CORINTHIANS 8:7 “Therefore,
as ye abound in every [thing], [in] faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and
[in] all diligence, and [in] your love to us, [see] that ye abound in this
grace also.
b. It is a
giving that proves the reality of our love for God.
2CORINTHIANS 8:8 “I speak
not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove
the sincerity of your love.”
c. God loves
the cheerful giver. It is giving that urges the Christian to be like Christ in
giving.
2CORINTHIANS 9:7 “Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or
of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
IV. THEY GAVE
LIBERALLY WITH A READINESS OF THEIR HEARTS TO GOD
2CORINTHIANS 8:11 “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 ye have.”
a. The giving
with readiness of heart was the manifestation of our strong faith to God.
b. The giving
with readiness and willingness of heart to God proves our deep love for God.
2CORINTHIANS 8:12 “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.”
This kind of
faithful giving beyond Christian’s ability is based on Christ’s example of
giving Himself to God to redeem the sin of the world.
V. THEY GAVE
LIBERALLY BASE IN THE EXAMPLE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
( 2 Corinthians 8:9 ) 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.
a. The giving
base in Christ example was the clear pattern of the MACEDONIAN Church in their
giving to God to assure to reach their great in their local Church.
1. IT WAS A
TOTAL SACRIFICIAL GIVING TO THE LORD.
* V. 1. Because inspite they were in poverty
situation. They able to give to the Lord liberally.
2. IT WAS
GIVING TO THE LORD OF OUR OWNSELVES FIRST.
* 2 Corinthians 8:5 And this
they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own self .
3. IT WAS
GIVING TO THE LORD WITH A READY HEART AS OUR EXPRESSION OF THE LOVE AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
* ( John 14:15 ) If ye love
me, keep my commandments.
4. IT WAS WITH
GIVING TO THE LORD WITH WILLINGNESS OF HEART AND MIND .
( 2 Corinthians 8 :12 ) 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.
5. IT WAS
GIVING TO THE LORD WITH CHEERFULNESS .
( 2 Corinthians 9:7 ) Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
6. IT WAS
GIVING TO THE LORD BOUNTIFULLY.
( 2 Corinthians 9:6 ) But this I
say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully
* God bless
you all always. *
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