COMING UP THIS SONDAY
2 Cor 8-9 Investing in this Community
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
9 As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
“Generous.” Would this word describe your church?
“Generous.” Would this word describe you?
Christians are called to be a generous people, for God has been exceedingly generous to us.
As Paul begins this section on generosity he talks about the Macedonian churches in glowing terms. Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ poured out into their lives they were able to be filled with joy. They were able to give generously, abundantly, even though they were suffering and hard pressed. The Macedonian churches gave above and beyond their ability because they had been overwhelmed by the Lord’s generosity to themselves.
The churches that Paul is talking about understood the concept of verse 8 very clearly.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
Jesus left the richness of heaven and became poor for us in our world. He gave us everything even His own life so that we might become rich. Jesus gave His all so that we can be heirs together with Christ. In Christ we have become rich.
Our congregation is reaching out to more and more people. More families are joining us. Together with this there is a pressing need, a growing need for greater pastoral care. Your church needs you to be generous, to excel in this grace of giving so that others can be released from poverty, from struggle and from financial hardship. The church benefits as we mature and grow and expand. The Kingdom of God benefits as we have more resources to pour into evangelism, outreach and care and nurture and discipleship. The community around us benefits as we help and support the needy more and more.
It is my prayer that this church, and indeed all churches in this land, be known in the world as generous churches. It’s my prayer that you and I are generous - as generous as the Lord has been to us.
How generous should a Christian congregation be?
What determines how generous a congregation really is?
What defines a generous congregation?
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