A Test of Our Giving

But today we're going to talk about giving and I've kind of gotten used to this the last couple of years so I'm going to give a quiz this morning. Okay. So take out your outline right at the top where it says introduction. This is the part for the quiz. Okay. The quiz is going to be on your screen too to help you grasp what all is being said here. Just one question with this quiz will take up the papers later so you want to answer. Okay. One question. Pastor John is preaching on giving because he and Johnston Chapel are a bunch of money grabbers who are only concerned about how much they can get from you. Okay. Be. Next possible answer. He loves to offend visitors who will leave today thinking all the church wants is my money. See. He realizes that the honeymoon period for new pastors doesn't last and he wants to go ahead and end it. D. He looks at all the giving records and has seen that I haven't given anything in the last two months or E. None of the above. Okay. Record your answer. Actually rather than passing them in we have overhead cameras that have taken shots of all of your answers. I'm going to flash them on the screen along with your driver's license number your social security number or all the rest. Honestly we're not going to do that. There are two very important reasons for preaching this message today. The side of the fact that next week is Easter and I'm going to start a series of Romans after that there's a good reason for doing this today. We've had a bad winter weather wise would you agree? The tough winter. And because we've had to cancel so many services or compress services into one Sunday service. Our offerings are not what they typically would be. For this time of year we're actually by the end of February we're already $25,000 behind our budget. Now you say, oh okay that's what this is about. You're just trying to get more money right? No. In fact that's not the issue. The issue really is what that demonstrates to me is that there's a misunderstanding about biblical stewardship when that happens. Because missing a church service would make no difference in what I give to God. And we'll see that from the scriptures in a moment. So that indicates to me there are some of us who do not understand the concept of biblical stewardship. And I feel compelled to address that issue as your pastor. Second reason is because stewardship giving is really an indication of what's in my heart. Just like a light on the dashboard of your car. If a light comes on what do you do? Take a hammer and boom the light goes out. Probably not. Some of you I'm sure have been known to adjust the wiring so that light will not come on anymore. But you don't address the dashboard. The light on the dashboard is simply a symptom of a deeper problem under the hood. And a lack of understanding about biblical stewardship is a symptom of a deeper problem under the hood in the heart. And so I think when there's a misunderstanding about stewardship and there's evidence that stewardship is not being addressed properly in our lives, there's more of a problem than what's on the surface. It's not in the pocketbook. It's in the heart. Biblical stewardship is a Christian maturity and growth and discipleship issue. In fact, for just a moment, let's go back through the quiz. Let's go back to answer number a or letter a. Johnson Chapel and Pastor John are a bunch of money grabbers that want your money. I think if you've been around us enough, you know that's not true. You know that this is a church that focuses on ministry serving others reaching out to the community, trying to see people saved and then built up and discipled and grow in Christ. That's our passion. And so we're not just looking for money. B, he loves to offend visitors. I don't like to offend visitors. Really don't like to do that. And I realize whenever a pastor preaches on giving, it's going to be the first Sunday that someone has come. And they've told their relatives for years, I don't want to go to church. All they care about money. And then they come one Sunday and the pastor preaches on giving. I understand that happens. I've had that happen to me a few times in my ministry. And I can assure you I do not like to offend visitors. We don't even have a stewardship month or a stewardship Sunday here like some churches do that every year. We're going to pound on this subject. I can probably count on one hand a number of times in 18 years. I preach the message specifically designated about giving. So we're not trying to offend first time visitors. Try it out again next week. Maybe the next two weeks and you'll find we don't talk about money every week. Okay. The third answer that was potential there was we realize that the honeymoon periods going in anyway. Why not go ahead and end it right now. Actually we're in our second honeymoon, right? And that lasts forever. And that's what I hope. Although I've been known to be delusional at times. I'm still pulling for that. So I'm not trying to end the honeymoon period. For the possible reason. I look at the giving records. I know you haven't given the last two months. I purposely do not look at any giving records. I don't say that boastfully. I'm not saying that to say I'm better than anyone else. It's just been my policy through the years. The only giving records I ever see is what we give to you in business meetings. Total numbers what comes in what goes out where it goes how we're doing Gordon budget. I do not look at any personal giving records. She's been a personal conviction of mine through the years. And the reason for that is I don't want my perception of you or my preaching to be shaped or influenced in any way by what I would know about what people give or don't give. I don't know personal life circumstances and I don't understand everything goes on in people's lives. And so I don't want that to influence me at all. So I never look at personal giving records. So the correct answer was E. And the real reasons are because I think there's a light on the dashboard that's showing a symptom of a deeper spiritual maturity and growth and discipleship issue that evidently some of us do not understand the biblical concepts of stewardship and giving. So we're going to spend a little time on that this morning. Okay. Good. Thank you. I appreciate it. Alan. I'll just preach to you this morning. Brother. I love to have a receptive audience here. Let's look at second Corinthians chapters eight and nine. Okay. We're Paul deals very extensively with the concept of giving. We're going to look at five principles today of giving or of stewardship. Actually the first principle is the principle of stewardship. And the first principle we're going to look at is one which is not actually stated in these two chapters. But it is a foundational biblical principle that forms the bedrock foundation of everything else we're going to talk about today. The principle of stewardship. Now what is this principle? It actually has two parts. Let me give them to you in these two statements. The principle of stewardship first of all means God owns everything. God owns everything. The Bible is very clear on that. Look at these verses on the screen. We'll flash them up there fairly quickly. Proverbs or Psalm 241. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. The world and all who live in it. That's pretty comprehensive. Isn't it? God owns everything. Everything in this world. Everybody in this world belongs to him. Now that blows away the concept. First of all that well I got to get 10% because that's God's rest is mine. No no 100% of what you have is God's. That's right. It all belongs to him. Look at the way it stated in this next passage in first Corinthians four Paul says for who makes you different from anyone else. What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it why do you boast as though you did not? Anything we receive is a gift from God. Anything we have has been given to us by God. James says it this way and this was the focus of the opening clip. James 117 every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows. So everything we have every gift that we have everything we possess or own or anything in this world or anybody in this world belongs to God. It is all his. There are lots of people that don't understand that basic concept of stewardship. It is all God's. The second side of the coin of this principle that goes along with God owns everything is this. We are managers not owners. You see if God owns it all then I'm not the owner of anything. I'm just a manager of whatever resources God has given us. In fact that is the meaning of the word stewardship and the biblical word steward. If you look at this passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 Paul uses that word a couple times. 1 Corinthians 4 verses 1 and 2. Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards second use of the word that a man be found faithful. Now in the context here Paul is talking about ministry and he is talking about the opportunities and responsibilities God gives him and others as ministers. As ministers as stewards of the mysteries of God that which God is entrusted and revealed to him he's a steward of that. He doesn't own that truth. He doesn't own that ministry. God's ministry God's truth he is a manager a dispenser of that which God has so graciously given him and that's what steward means and what's required of a steward a manager what's required faithfulness. So the principle of stewardship is that God owns everything and we are managers not owners. You have a house that's God's house he gave that to you whatever car you drive God gave that he owns that you are to use it and manage it as a steward of his but his car. And if it gets dinged up if he wants to do that with his car it's okay his car. The clothes you wear the bank account you have all that you have belongs to God it is all his your job your very health every breath you draw belongs to God. It's very easy for us to think no wait a second I work hard to put the money on the table and the food on the table for my family and money in the bank for my I work hard for that. Well the very health you have to work hard the job you've been given is a gift of God it really belongs to him so God owns everything we are simply steward we're managers of all the resources God gives us and so stewardship goes far beyond just giving we're not really talking about just giving here this morning we're talking about faithful management of all of our resources. And again some folks don't understand this very basic principle. You've probably heard the story of little boy Derek who was sent off to Sunday school by his parents he walked a couple of blocks to a church every Sunday morning and hope you never do that with your kids hope you always bring them with you and set the example but this little boy walk to Sunday school every morning and his mother would give him a $2.2 $1 bills. And she would always tell him okay this dollar is to put in the offering of Sunday school that's God's dollar this dollar is for you for whatever you want to do you can buy candy bar you can buy a coke you can buy whatever you want without a furs so he's walking to Sunday school and he's got his hand in his pocket and he pulls it out those two $1 bills and he's looking at him and all of a sudden a hall's ridge kind of wind blows and one of those dollar bills goes flying off and and he cases that and he can't get it and it's blowing. And so he stands there for a moment crest fallen and and then he's faced brightened up and he said well God there goes your dollar. You see that's how most of us see what we have what's ours is ours what's gone well that was God's. The first principle of giving is the principle of stewardship if you don't grasp that when you won't get anything else nothing else makes sense this is the foundation of everything we're talking about a survey recently done by Christian financial concepts turned up these amazing surprising numbers among active church families okay that's the sample group active church families. This is what they found about stewardship 40% are overspending every month 40% of active church families are overspending their income every month. 20% are on the verge of divorce 50% of recent marriages end in divorce that's a popular figure that's used. Of those marriages even in active church families that end in divorce 90% of them would point to financial difficulties as a major reason for the divorce divorce that's astounding 40% of active church families pay $2,000 per year in interest excluding their mortgage. 34% tie this is active church families 34% tie 40% give 3% or less 26% give virtually nothing to the work of God and this final amazing statistic the average in debtedness for 28 year olds 28 year olds is $66,000 probably mostly student loans. Now is there any reason that we're in trouble economically when we don't understand the basic principle of stewardship God owns it all and I am responsible for how I manage whatever I have by we have resources for his glory house car clothing bank account whatever it may be it's not just a giving issue here it's an issue of responsible management stewardship of everything that God has entrusted to us. He trusted me with he owns it all. Principles stewardship. Second principle and here we get to first second Corinthians chapter 8 and that is the principle of grace. Look at second Corinthians 8 verses 1 through 5 where we will see the example of the Macedonians. Verse 1 and now brothers we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches now let me just pause for a moment kind of set the table here because we're jumping right into the middle of a full of thought. The Macedonian churches are not where Corinth was Corinth was in Greece at the different Roman province Macedonia is to the north and a little bit east Macedonia is where Philippi was desaliniica Berea those towns and so these Macedonian churches have already committed themselves to a special project that Paul has undertaken to raise funds for hurting believers in Jerusalem. Many of whom have lost their jobs their income their livelihood because of their faith in Christ and so they're struggling financially and their Gentile churches this is very dear to the heart of Paul because he wants to see Gentile Jew unity in the body of Christ and so these Gentiles that want to give to help hurting Jewish brothers this is really dear to the heart of Paul. And these churches up in Macedonia Paul says they've already willingly committed themselves to do this now you people down here in Corinth they're your example they're good example for what you ought to be doing so that's what he's talking about in verse 1. Verse 2 out of the most severe trial they're overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity where I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability entirely on their own they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints and they did not do as we expected but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God. If you were to read on in this chapter you would find in chapter 8 alone five times the word grace is mentioned grace or this ministry of grace and if you're obsessive compulsive and you're already counting them in verse 4 you won't find the word grace verse 4 has the privilege of sharing but it comes from the same Greek word for grace. So five times in this passage he talks about grace and grace giving and the best example is not the example of Macedonians as good as that is the best examples in verse 9. 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. The greatest example of grace giving is our Lord Jesus who had not just a good job or a nice home he had all the glories of heaven and he gave that up and became poor his incarnation is becoming man he gave up all of that and humbled himself to such poverty living among mankind that he himself became poor. That he himself would say the foxes of the earth have holes the birds of the airs have nested the son of man has nowhere to lay his head he was homeless. And he did that for you and for me so that he might die on the cross to pay for our sins that my friend is grace we don't deserve that we can't pay that back we can't earn that God freely gives that to us because he loves us and Jesus gave it to us because he loves us. That's the example of grace and the Macedonians had that same heart for giving graciously now in his description of what the Macedonians have done Paul tells us what grace giving looks like if you look at it again verse 2 grace giving is sacrificial out of the most severe trial they're overflowing joy and their extreme poverty well up in rich generosity. It's not like these people had a lot of leftover funds that they thought well you know we're doing pretty good we got all our bases covered will give some to the Lord that's not what it was. They were giving out of extreme poverty these were not left over these were people who were giving out of their poverty sacrificial to the Lord grace giving is not well I'll take care of all my bills and then I'll go on a really nice vacation and buy a lot of stuff. I want to buy and go out to eat every day and if it's the end of the month I have anything left over will that'll be God's. That's like regifting right like regifting it's like oh I got this for Christmas I can't use that I hate that what colors awful I'll package it back up and give it to somebody else that's getting left over and that's not grace giving grace giving sacrificial secondly grace giving is voluntary look at verse 3 I testify that they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability notice this entirely on their own they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the same. I want you to notice something here there are no bake sales here there are no Pinto bean suffers here. There are no sales gimmicks here on the other side of the coin and on the other hand these were people who were wanting pleading for the opportunity to give voluntary to be honest with you I think the kinds of measures that are used sometimes to raise funds for the work of God just shows that we don't understand biblical stewardship we don't understand grace giving if we really understood grace giving missionaries would be amply supported there would be plenty of funds and resources to do whatever God called us to do because people would be saying I want to give it's not that I feel like I have to I want to I want to give to the work of God that's what grace giving is it's voluntary there's no compulsion here there's no twisting of the arm there's no begging on the part of Paul the only begging was on the part of the Macedonian saying please tell us how we can get involved in this we want to be involved. Grace giving is voluntary thirdly grace giving is spiritual verse five and they did not do as we expected but they gave themselves first to the ward and then to us and keeping with God's will please don't please don't misunderstand what Paul saying here Paul is not saying what we didn't expect them to respond like this we didn't expect them to give like this he's not even talking about their financial gift here he's saying you know they went far and above what we even expected of them because they gave themselves first to the Lord it's not like he was expecting they wouldn't be devoted to Christ most common players believe that what Paul's referring to there is that Paul saying they offered to be a part of the solution they offered to help take the funds to Jerusalem I mean they're not just given their money they're saying let us take it we'll take we'll deliver it we want to be a part of this we're going to give freely not only but our resources but our selves and grace giving always understands that it's not just what you drop in the offering plate it's to give yourself first to God it's an offering of your heart and life everything you are first and the pocketbook just naturally follows when that happens so grace giving is sacrificial it's voluntary it's spiritual it's a symptom of a heart that is really first of all committed to Christ and that's what Paul marbled at among these people there's a lot of people they're giving of themselves not just their funds so the principle of grace third principle in this matter of our giving is the principle of sewing and reaping we're going to skip some of what Paul says in the rest of chapter 8 because a lot of this is just a description of how the offering will be received how it will be carried to Jerusalem how it will be distributed the integrity with which it's going to be handled and then in chapter 9 he gets back to the Corinthians talking about their heart and they're giving look at verse 6 of chapter 9 he says remember this whoever so's sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever so's generously will also reap generously there's a principle of sewing and reaping here in verse 6 and this principle really I think kind of breaks down this way Paul's using the example of a farmer to describe this principle of sewing and reaping now I've never been a farmer nor the son of a farmer I have served in a couple of churches that were very rural and farm oriented most of our people with farmers and I got to know a little bit about the concepts of farming through my friendship with them in fact I will readily confess to you that on at least two or three occasions I have cleaned out a chicken house and I think that qualifies anyone to be a farmer if you've done that one time you're a farmer I mean that's okay I think that's a lot of the things I've done in the past are not going to be a farmer okay but but here's the concept it's a farming concept the principle of sewing and reaping can be stated this way we must sew in order to reap I mean every farmer understands that we must sew in order to reap no farmer will have a harvest if he sits around doesn't plant anything he's got to plant some stuff and he doesn't even eat his seed corn no matter how hungry he is because he knows that is what's going to bring the harvest and so that's going into the ground so a farmer understands you don't reap if you don't sew and in the context here Paul is talking about no matter how spiritual you think you are you cannot expect to reap reap God's blessing if you don't sew in giving now I understand this concept has been terribly abused and so let me hasten on to the second statement of this principle and it's this we reap in proportion to what we sew we reap in proportion to what we sew notice how Paul says it whoever so's sparingly will also reap sparingly whoever so generously will also reap generously and in the context of giving he's talking about what we give is the sewing what we reap is the blessing of God you'll fill that out here in the next few verses but if you're so sparingly you reap sparingly if you sow generously you reap generously now this is the point that's been misunderstood a lot of people will say to you and you'll hear this on television you give X amount to my ministry and God will do this for you as though God is obligated you know he signs a call for you you know he signs a contract give fifty dollars give a hundred dollars at this level of giving and God will give you a new car give it this higher level of giving and God will give you a new house give it the highest level of giving and God will take away all your problems now that is not what Paul saying it's certainly not what I'm saying that's the health and wealth gospel that's the prosperity gospel that's the name it and claim it movement you know just name whatever prize you want whatever level you want and God's obligated to give you X amount in return God doesn't even always give in material returns sometimes God gives blessing in other ways people who who have the gift of giving people who are especially burdened in their hearts to give generously the work of God you'll find that most of them do it many of them at least do it anonymously because they don't want any returns from that they receive unbelievable blessing from seeing what their gift does there's a verse in Proverbs 10 that I love Proverbs 10-22 it's on the screen for you the blessing of the Lord brings wealth and he adds no trouble to it the second part of that verse is what I'm really interested in the blessing of the God of God brings wealth but whatever wealth God gives whatever he gives materially when God gives it and you see it is from the hand of God he adds no trouble with it sometimes the greatest blessing God gives us is the ability to enjoy whatever he has given us and to be satisfied with that and to realize that regardless of what we have here in this country compared to most other parts of the world we are very rich and we are pleased and satisfied with whatever God's given us that is a tremendous blessing the blessing of contentment and so when God gives that blessing that may be his reward that may be the way he blesses us forgiving it's not always the contract kind of giving give this about God gives you this God gives you this God may give spiritual blessing you may give contentment with what we already have it's not that God's going to up the anti and give us more stuff that's not the promise necessarily third part of this principle of sewing and reaping we reap more than we sow okay we've got a sow in order to reap and we reap in proportion to what we sow but we always reap more than we sow if you'll skip down to verse 10 Paul says it this way 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 what he's saying there is that when we are faithful in our stewardship in the management of all the resources God has given us and a part of that is that we give to his work to see his work prosper and be blessed when when we do that then God promises he will give us more seed to sow with he increases the store of our seed he gives us more ability to sow and when we have that then we rejoice at the enlargement of our God and we are the one who will give us the seed and we are the one who will give us the seed and we will grow and grow. He is the first garment of the harvest because when we sow more there is a greater harvest and it's the harvest that is brought about by our righteous obedience to God in verse 10 that is the blessing he is talking about it's the blessing of seeing what God does through righteous obedience of seeing what God does through the bonneeds in Slovakia as you will hear about tonight through that incredible team of servants who are serving there. It's seeing what God is doing throughout the world with our gifts, with what we contribute to the work of God. That's the harvest. That is multiplied. And what we give, God blesses us with the ability to give more so that we see the harvest increase. And our rights as obedience brings a harvest that continually increases. What a blessing that is. That is the principle of sowing and reaping. Now we get to the fourth principle in verse seven of this chapter. It's the principle of amount. Because you know some of you are accountant kinds. You know your bottom line kind of people. You say, okay, John this is a part of the message. I really want to know just tell me how much I'm supposed to give. Okay, you're concerned about the bottom line. You're like Philip among the apostles. Philip was that kind of guy. The Lord is testing their faith in John 6 about how to feed the multitude. And Philip's got his calculator out and says, Lord we don't have enough money. We got enough money to feed this many people. And that's it. It would take this much money to feed all these people. We can't do it. Philip was that kind of thinker. And some of you are already thinking a lot. I just want to know the bottom line. Tell me. That's what we're getting ready to do. Okay, verse seven talks about the amount. Each man should give what he has decided and his heart to give. You say, well, I didn't help a lot. But that is the principle of New Testament grace giving. It is between you and God. It really is between you and God. That is grace giving. And if you understand the other principles of stewardship and of grace and of sewing and reaping, the amount's not going to be the problem. That really isn't going to be the problem because you're not going to be looking for the lowest common denominator, the lowest amount possible. What can I just get by with and not get disciplined by God or something like that? You're not going to be looking for that if you understand the other principles. But really the amount is between you and God. You say, well, John can't you give me a little more guidance than that? Well, maybe. Let me give it a my best shot. Okay. There are a couple of words, two key words that give us some guidance. And I want to explain them very carefully. So please, if you've gone to sleep, wake up now. This is the time to listen. So I don't misunderstand what's coming next. Okay. Two key words that help us with guidance here. One word is a tide. The word tide. The word itself means a tenth. That's what the word means. To give a tide means to give a tenth of our income to the Lord. And with God's covenant people in the Old Testament, His people Israel, that was mandated. That was written in the law that they would give 10%. Actually, there were a couple of different tides that were given. So it doesn't work out to just 10%. It was actually more like 20%. There was a tide given to the ongoing sustenance of the temple. And that would be grain and animals and so forth. It would keep the daily sacrificial system running. And then there was also a tenth that would go to the support of the priests. So there was really actually two different tides in the Old Testament. And some believe there's a third kind of tide that was given every three years in your local community that the priests who lived in your area would distribute to the poor around them. Some believe that was an addition to the 20%. Some believe it was the 10% that would go to Jerusalem typically. So whether it was 20% or 23.3% that was given. That's not really the issue. God did expect His people. And mandated they would give a certain amount in the Old Testament. A couple of verses to show you that. Leviticus 2730, a tide of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees belongs to the Lord. It is holy meaning it is set apart to the Lord. Okay, that's that's His. That is set apart to Him. It's not it's not asking for it. He's saying that 10% of all your animals and all your your crops. That's the Lord's. And actually he specifies even further in the in the Old Testament that it should be off the top, not after everything else is used. Look at these verses in Proverbs 3 verses 9 and 10. Honor the Lord with your wealth with the first fruits of all your crops. Then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine. What he's saying is that this ought to be the first line item in your budget. It's not like okay I got to take care of all my bills first and then do what I want to do. I want to get this nice piece of furniture and a new camera and go on this vacation and then then I'll give some to the Lord. Now I think the biblical principle here and this principle in Proverbs I think is transferable even to us today is that what we have decided in our hearts to give to the Lord ought to be the first line item in our budget. I really believe that. I believe that enough that Jeanne and I practice that and I don't say that boastfully it's just I don't want you to think I'm preaching something that I don't really believe with all my heart. That amount is God's. It's not going to be used for anything else even in times of financial hardship and God sometimes tests our faith doesn't he? To see whether we will obey him or not and whether we will maintain consistent and faithful giving to him and and when we are faithful to him he always takes care of the needs. That's exactly what he's promised to do. So the tide is at least a place to start. Now we are no longer under the mosaic law and I cannot say legalistically this is enforced on us today the New Testament principle you decide in your heart what you're to give that's between you and God but you know when I began thinking about it I certainly don't want to do any less than the Old Testament saints did. I think the tide is a good biblical place to start and by the way the tide is not just a mosaic law Abraham who lived 600 years before Moses gave a tenth of his spoils from the war to Abimelec the high priest of God. So the concept of tithing was well understood before the mosaic law was ever given I think probably that concept of tithing is across the board principle at least when you think about what between you and God you ought to give and you think okay where should I even start I would start with that figure I would start with a 10% I don't think I want to do it you less than what Old Testament saints did. Second keyword that helps us with with some amount is the word offering a tide and then an offering an offering is a voluntary gift above our tide an offering is something that we just freely give above what we would normally regularly consistently give to the Lord just out of the gratitude of our hearts and there are plenty of examples of that in the Old Testament as well there were some of the offerings in the Old Testament there were five different offerings it could be brought to the temple listed in first seven chapters of Leviticus five different offerings of those offerings one of them was never stipulated for any particular need or thing that you were supposed to do one of them was the peace offering of the fellowship offering it was simply an offering of gratitude whenever you in your heart just want to give praise to God or worship him or give a vow of dedication of something to him then that's the offering you use and it was never stipulated that it has to be brought in certain time or anything like that so there were evidences even in the sacrificial system of just free will offerings when people brought funds to build a tabernacle and funds to build the temple they just gave over and above just out of their hearts in fact so much so that Moses had to say stop stop you bring in too much when's the last time you heard that in church wouldn't it be great wouldn't it be great if we could say every missionary that is appealing for funds is Amplie supplied wouldn't that be great and we could say there's no more need here let's redirect at the other parts of the world that have greater need that would be great and I think that could happen I really believe if we all understood the principle of grace giving stewardship the principle of sewing and reaping and the principle of amount that I give a tie but above that an offering I think I think that could happen now could I could I just get very practical here and say this if we understood these principles there would never be a shortfall when we miss services because you don't just give because you're here if you understand these principles then I've set in my heart and mind an amount of my income that goes to God if I miss a Sunday then that amount comes next Sunday in addition to what I was going to give that Sunday because that amount has already set apart for God not mine to use because oh man we didn't have church this Sunday good I can take that amount and go out the oh it's God you've already stipulated this amount belongs to him so it's not like if we miss a Sunday then boom we just miss that giving it all oh it's not the way it works at least not in the Bible people understand stewardship grace giving these principles you understand that principle of amount now I think Paul saved this principle last one till last for the very reason that I want to in the sequence of the text I think Paul probably realized that by the time he got done dealing with all this giving talk that people are are starting to reach for their pocket books not to give but to clutch them hold on to them you know I'm not so sure I like this I know all this talk about giving and so Paul deals with the principle of attitude last and it's a very important principle for us to understand principle of attitude I think in verses 7 through 11 can be stated in this way first of all there's the importance of a cheerful attitude chapter 9 verse 7 each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give and notice the next words not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver God wants us to give because we want to give because we love giving back to him a portion of what he's given to us and a part of all that we have that is his anyway and he owns he loves he loves those who from a cheerful heart do that willingly notice he says not reluctantly we don't do that grudgingly I really don't want to do this but I guess I'm supposed to God doesn't want those kind of gifts and and I think if I could say like the prophets did in the Old Testament like in Amos 5 where Amos said if you're just coming and bringing all the offerings in your hearts not in it please keep your animals at home I don't want it God says and I think I would be bold enough to say that this morning if you can't do it with the right attitude please because of your relationship with the God keep your gifts God doesn't want them if you can't give out of a cheerful heart he doesn't want us to give reluctantly and he doesn't want us to give verse 7 under compulsion you know he doesn't want us to give because I have Pastor John said we're supposed to do this or I feel like my arms are being twisted here's an appeal for you know missionary or a special fund or a special need in the community and I better do it God doesn't want us to give under compulsion he wants us to give out of a cheerful attitude and the blessing for a cheerful giver verses 8 through 11 notice and God is able to make all grace a bound to you so that in all things at all times having all that you need you will abound in every good work you notice all the alls and every there God can take care of every need as it is written he has scattered abroad that his gifts to the poor his righteousness endures forever now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for the food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness verse 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 he's simply saying this in general terms if you are faithful to give cheerfully generously not grudgingly not out of compulsion but because your heart is in it and you really want to if you give that way God has a way of taking care of your needs and even giving you enough to be able to give more to his work he has a way of doing that that's just the way God operates one of my favorite stories is the story of stumpy and Martha stumpy and Martha used to go to the state fair every year and every year stumpy would say to Martha he would see this biplane old antique biplane they were getting rides to people and he would say Martha I want to ride that biplane and she would say you know stumpy that ride cost $10 and $10 is $10 and so you know every year they wouldn't ride and finally one year they went to the state fair and stumpy said Martha I'd really like to ride that biplane this year I'm 81 years old if I don't ride it this year I probably never will have another chance to ride I really want to ride it this year and the pilot just happened to over here them talking about it on this particular occasion and so he walked over to them said folks I'll offer you a special deal I'll take you up in the plane and if you are completely quiet you don't yell you don't scream you don't even utter a sound then the ride is free but if you so much as utter a sound it's $10 so they agreed and they got in it was one of those old planes where the pilots in the front and then there's a seat behind him that stumpy got in and a seat behind him that Martha got in too and so they lifted off and the pilot did every twist and roll and bank and dive that he possibly could and you know all kinds of stuff every trick in his repertoire never heard a sound so he thought I got to get these people to say something or scream or something so he did it all again still no sound not a word so he landed the plane looked back at stumpy who was behind him and said I cannot believe you never made a sound back there and stumpy said well I was starting to say something when Martha fell out but but $10 is $10 some people are just that stingy with their money you know for some of us parting with any of our money is an emotional experience and so some of you have found this kind of hard to take this morning and you may think that the answers you gave on the quiz ABC or D probably are true you're just looking for more money John and with all my heart I tell you that's not the case it does grieve my heart and I think it grieves the heart of God when his work is underfunded and under resourced because we don't understand the principles of stewardship and giving this is a spiritual maturity issue this is not a pocket book issue it's not a financial issue it is not it is not all just a giving issue it is an issue of our hearts and where we are spiritually in our walk with God in our growth in Christ if you pray with me please