It is interesting to note in the letters to the Corinthians that, though the apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthians to be generous givers, he did not ask anything for himself.
Let me make a stronger statement. The Corinthian church really should have been embarrassed, because the extremely poverty-stricken Macedonian church submitted themselves to God and supported Paul's ministry while the well-off Corinthians continued in sin and gave nothing. As we move past chapters 8 and 9 and continue to the end of the letter, we see Paul write in detail:
"Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so." (Second Corinthians 11:7-9, italics mine)
"Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you... I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged." (Second Corinthians 12:14 and 12:20b-21)
In the last chapter of Second Corinthians Paul gives a warning of impending judgement: "I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you... our prayer is for your perfection. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not be harsh in my use of authority-- the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down." (Second Corinthians 13:2-3 and 13:9b-10, italics mine)
Friends, let us take heed. Paul's word to the Corinthians is God's word to us.
Let us obey Second Corinthians 13:11--
Aim for perfection.
Listen to the appeal of God's oracle.
Be of one mind.
Live in peace.
If we do these things, the God of love and peace will be with us. Amen.
Showing posts with label Second Corinthians 8 and 9. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Second Corinthians 8 and 9. Show all posts
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Committed Community.
During this past Sunday's sermon Pastor Sam brought out a wonderful point: "When God asks us to do a God job, it can never be done by us alone." Amen.
One of the hallmarks of Paul's letters to the Corinthians is the recurring theme of community. The letters contain appeals to work together, to share the Lord's supper together, to mete out justice together. In chapters 8 and 9 of Second Corinthians, we see Paul speaking of the collaborative effort that spurs on the work of the Lord in that region. He mentions the Macedonians, Titus, an unnamed "brother", and Christ. Our collaboration with other believers on earth are reflective of the perfect collaboration between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in heaven.
So, together, we can get the work done. But what is the process? How do things get done? Pastor Sam mentioned three key components.
Passion. The person whose ministry work is mere routine will never express passion. And, the absence of passion will result in work that is lackluster and unappreciated.
Effort. If one is able to work passionately, then one will be motivated to expend energy. One will be excited about bringing "God projects" to completion.
Commitment. If a person has passion and expends effort out of a heart of love for God, then he or she will have no problem making a commitment to God. God made a full commitment to us through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Will we do any less for Him?
Pastor Sam said, and I paraphrase here, "We are called to join hands with others." The work is too vast for one person to try to go it alone. Could you imagine trying to build a building alone, with no one to support you? At Bronx Bethany our church is building. We need contractors, plumbers, electricians, designers, inspectors, architects, and more. And the Church universal is built of people. We need pastors, prophets, teachers, administrators, intercessors, and more, working together for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Passion. Effort. Commitment. Are you in?
One of the hallmarks of Paul's letters to the Corinthians is the recurring theme of community. The letters contain appeals to work together, to share the Lord's supper together, to mete out justice together. In chapters 8 and 9 of Second Corinthians, we see Paul speaking of the collaborative effort that spurs on the work of the Lord in that region. He mentions the Macedonians, Titus, an unnamed "brother", and Christ. Our collaboration with other believers on earth are reflective of the perfect collaboration between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in heaven.
So, together, we can get the work done. But what is the process? How do things get done? Pastor Sam mentioned three key components.
Passion. The person whose ministry work is mere routine will never express passion. And, the absence of passion will result in work that is lackluster and unappreciated.
Effort. If one is able to work passionately, then one will be motivated to expend energy. One will be excited about bringing "God projects" to completion.
Commitment. If a person has passion and expends effort out of a heart of love for God, then he or she will have no problem making a commitment to God. God made a full commitment to us through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Will we do any less for Him?
Pastor Sam said, and I paraphrase here, "We are called to join hands with others." The work is too vast for one person to try to go it alone. Could you imagine trying to build a building alone, with no one to support you? At Bronx Bethany our church is building. We need contractors, plumbers, electricians, designers, inspectors, architects, and more. And the Church universal is built of people. We need pastors, prophets, teachers, administrators, intercessors, and more, working together for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Passion. Effort. Commitment. Are you in?
Thursday, October 25, 2012
May I Quote You On That?
In Second Corinthians 9:9, the apostle Paul quotes from Psalm 112:9 ("He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor; his righteousness remaineth forever.")
For today let's meditate on the entire Psalm, which reminds us of the importance of first submitting ourselves in complete obedience to God, then secondly giving from the resources He has blessed us with. (The translation below is from the NET Bible.)
Psalm 112.
Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the one who obeys the Lord, who takes great delight in keeping his commands.
His descendants will be powerful on the earth; the godly will be blessed. His house contains wealth and riches; his integrity endures.
In the darkness a light shines for the godly, for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. It goes well for the one who generously lends money, and conducts his business honestly.
For he will never be upended; others will always remember one who is just. He does not fear bad news. He is confident; he trusts in the Lord.
His resolve is firm; he will not succumb to fear before he looks in triumph on his enemies.
He generously gives to the needy; his integrity endures. He will be vindicated and honored.
When the wicked see this, they will worry; they will grind their teeth in frustration and melt away; the desire of the wicked will perish.
For today let's meditate on the entire Psalm, which reminds us of the importance of first submitting ourselves in complete obedience to God, then secondly giving from the resources He has blessed us with. (The translation below is from the NET Bible.)
Psalm 112.
Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the one who obeys the Lord, who takes great delight in keeping his commands.
His descendants will be powerful on the earth; the godly will be blessed. His house contains wealth and riches; his integrity endures.
In the darkness a light shines for the godly, for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. It goes well for the one who generously lends money, and conducts his business honestly.
For he will never be upended; others will always remember one who is just. He does not fear bad news. He is confident; he trusts in the Lord.
His resolve is firm; he will not succumb to fear before he looks in triumph on his enemies.
He generously gives to the needy; his integrity endures. He will be vindicated and honored.
When the wicked see this, they will worry; they will grind their teeth in frustration and melt away; the desire of the wicked will perish.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Reid On. Read On.
Yesterday's service was a living example of the church at work, with all its joys and flaws. I encountered hard-working greeters, apathetic congregants, hall-walkers who seem to never make it from the lobby to the sanctuary, self-centered "volunteers", passionate worshipers eager to pray the will of God, and everything in between. Just another Sunday? Well, no.
Political candidate Andy King spoke of his assessment of the Bronx as an "ethnically diverse community"; Bronx Bethany can be assessed as an ethnoculturally diverse community. We gather together under the banner of Christ, which is Love, but we also bring to the table a truckload of other identifiers. And our challenge is to crucify self, lay aside our worries and our propensity to sin, stop focusing on our differences, and instead focus on our glorious Risen Savior who longs to pour His Spirit into us.
Pastor Sam took the bold move of having the congregation read aloud two chapters of Scripture. For some in our community, it was the most Scripture they had ever read. For others, it was just a warm-up. My prayer is that it was not a mindless reading for us, but that we all were able to reflect on what we were saying with our lips.
Our pastor encouraged us with the fact that when the word of God is read, different verses stand out for different people. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, gently speaks His truth through this life-giving Word of God. And as we hear and obey, we grow up. The mature Christian is able to embrace the engagement of spiritual disciplines-- one of which is extravagant, joyful giving.
We have an example of extravagant, joyful giving in chapters 8 and 9 of Second Corinthians. Let's ask God to speak once more through His word, telling us exactly what we need to hear and reflect upon for today. God bless us as we read these chapters.
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches; and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness, taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you. For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints; for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared; otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence.
So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.”
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Political candidate Andy King spoke of his assessment of the Bronx as an "ethnically diverse community"; Bronx Bethany can be assessed as an ethnoculturally diverse community. We gather together under the banner of Christ, which is Love, but we also bring to the table a truckload of other identifiers. And our challenge is to crucify self, lay aside our worries and our propensity to sin, stop focusing on our differences, and instead focus on our glorious Risen Savior who longs to pour His Spirit into us.
Pastor Sam took the bold move of having the congregation read aloud two chapters of Scripture. For some in our community, it was the most Scripture they had ever read. For others, it was just a warm-up. My prayer is that it was not a mindless reading for us, but that we all were able to reflect on what we were saying with our lips.
Our pastor encouraged us with the fact that when the word of God is read, different verses stand out for different people. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, gently speaks His truth through this life-giving Word of God. And as we hear and obey, we grow up. The mature Christian is able to embrace the engagement of spiritual disciplines-- one of which is extravagant, joyful giving.
We have an example of extravagant, joyful giving in chapters 8 and 9 of Second Corinthians. Let's ask God to speak once more through His word, telling us exactly what we need to hear and reflect upon for today. God bless us as we read these chapters.
Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches; and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness, taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you. For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints; for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared; otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence.
So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness. Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.”
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Gracious, Generous, Grateful Givers.
Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow. You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, because the service of this ministry is not only providing for the needs of the saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God. Through the evidence of this service they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing with them and with everyone. And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (Second Corinthians 9:10-15)
Continuing our thoughts on giving, it is God “who provides seed for the sower.” (Second Corinthians 9:10) God gives graciously to us, and in return we give joyfully to Him. Paul says, “the service of this ministry is not only providing for the needs of the saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God.” (Second Corinthians 9:12)
In verses 13 and 14 of this passage, Paul states a fascinating sequence:
*Giving serves as a proof of the authenticity of one’s ministry.
*God is glorified by our confession of Him, in conjunction with our demonstration of generosity.
*People who receive what we give are moved to intercession: they pray to God on our behalf.
Interestingly, and Pastor Sam reinforced this in his sermon, our act of giving is really intended to reflect God, Who is the ultimate Giver. If we submit ourselves to Him, then tithing and giving are not a problem. These acts, when rooted in His grace, are a reflection of God’s characteristics. As our pastor said, “We become partakers of the Divine nature.”
God’s grace is demonstrated in the congregant who joyfully gives one dollar. What a contrast from those who grudgingly toss one dollar into the offering plate.
Some may ask, Does attitude really matter? After all, the church still got a dollar from the happy giver and the giver with an attitude. God netted the same amount.
Psalm 50, a psalm that discusses the proper attitude toward giving, makes it clear that God promised destruction to those who, as reluctant givers, misrepresent His nature and character. “Carefully consider this, you who reject God! Otherwise I will rip you to shreds and no one will be able to rescue you.” (Psalm 50:22)
Our pastor shared with us that “it is a privilege to be in charge of resources that are given for God’s purpose.” Let us take joy in our privileged status! Let us give as God gives, extravagantly, for the fulfilling of His purpose in the earth.
Give, joyful giver! Overflow with thanks! Receive God's commendation and the saints' intercession.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
A Grace To Give...
So here is my opinion on this matter: It is to your advantage, since you made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give, to finish what you started, so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly, you can also complete it according to your means. For if the eagerness is present, the gift itself is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality. At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” (Second Corinthians 8:10-15)
"…you made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give… "
The apostle Paul notes that giving is an honorable act in the sight of God. He makes an important statement: “If the eagerness is present, the gift is acceptable.” God, rather than assessing the size of the gift, assesses the state of the giver. Later in Second Corinthians Paul reinforces the point:
Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work. (Second Corinthians 9:7-8)
It seems the implication here is that if we are not happy and eager to give to the work of the Lord, then no aspect of our lives will show the grace of God. Or to put it more succinctly, our lack of love in giving shows the world that the Spirit of God is not resident in us.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). Our senior pastor commented on this verse some months ago, and his point bears repeating in this context. God, who owns everything, gave us the thing of which He had only one. Jesus was torn out of the love-fest resident in the Triune God, and was sent to this earth to live and die for people- many of whom who had no love for Him and no sense of His greatness. That is the ultimate gift. That is the ultimate good work, which overflows to this day.
So, in light of His gift of eternal and abundant life to you, God is asking you to eagerly and joyfully give Him a portion of what He has blessed you to receive.
What will your response to Him be?
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
I Agree WIth You!
In this past Sunday's sermon, Pastor Sam reminded us of the response of Mary to Gabriel's message.
Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God.” So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:34-35,37-38)
When given the chance to participate in God's project, Mary said" yes". Moreover, she said yes from a heart of understanding. It is a powerful lesson for us to consider today.
What can we give to God when He visits us?
Honesty. Mary did not understand how she could possibly be a participant in God's project. After all, the prospect of having a child defied logic, reason, and biology. But rather than telling the angel "That's impossible!", she shared her perspective and asked him to clarify his message. She was neither afraid nor embarassed to state that she was unable to see how God's project would come to pass.
Honor. After Gabriel helped her to understand that God was going to perform a miracle in her, Mary gave a wonderfully mature response: "I am a servant of the Lord." For Mary, her status as a servant of God meant that His agenda was to be followed. A key characteristic of a true servant is that they honor their master. What the master says, the servant does.
Happiness. Although Mary's participation in God's project would cause her to experience profound personal challenges, her response was to sing praises to God (Luke 1:46-55). Like Hannah of ancient Israel, Mary raised a song that spoke of the mighty power of God to do wonders and to establish His kingdom in the earth. Her song had no tinge of fear or embarassment. Her joy overshadowed and subsumed any concerns for her personal well-being or reputation.
When God sends His word to you, how do you respond?
"Well God, wait until my kids finish school, then I'll do what You say."
"God, I can't work with him- people will think something's going on."
"Lord, we don't know anyone in that city. How can we leave our family and friends?"
"But I can't resign. I need the money."
Yes.
I am a servant of the Lord.
Let this happen to me according to Your word.
Amen.
Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God.” So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:34-35,37-38)
When given the chance to participate in God's project, Mary said" yes". Moreover, she said yes from a heart of understanding. It is a powerful lesson for us to consider today.
What can we give to God when He visits us?
Honesty. Mary did not understand how she could possibly be a participant in God's project. After all, the prospect of having a child defied logic, reason, and biology. But rather than telling the angel "That's impossible!", she shared her perspective and asked him to clarify his message. She was neither afraid nor embarassed to state that she was unable to see how God's project would come to pass.
Honor. After Gabriel helped her to understand that God was going to perform a miracle in her, Mary gave a wonderfully mature response: "I am a servant of the Lord." For Mary, her status as a servant of God meant that His agenda was to be followed. A key characteristic of a true servant is that they honor their master. What the master says, the servant does.
Happiness. Although Mary's participation in God's project would cause her to experience profound personal challenges, her response was to sing praises to God (Luke 1:46-55). Like Hannah of ancient Israel, Mary raised a song that spoke of the mighty power of God to do wonders and to establish His kingdom in the earth. Her song had no tinge of fear or embarassment. Her joy overshadowed and subsumed any concerns for her personal well-being or reputation.
When God sends His word to you, how do you respond?
"Well God, wait until my kids finish school, then I'll do what You say."
"God, I can't work with him- people will think something's going on."
"Lord, we don't know anyone in that city. How can we leave our family and friends?"
"But I can't resign. I need the money."
Yes.
I am a servant of the Lord.
Let this happen to me according to Your word.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Package Deal.
Therefore, as you abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. (Second Corinthians 8:7-8)
As we shared in yesterday's blog post, there is a grace of giving and a gestalt of giving; that is, when the Spirit of God empowers us to give, there are other signs of Christian maturity that mark the sincere giver. Giving does not occur in a vacuum; it is part of a package of excellence. The above verses give us a breakdown of what a giver looks like.
As you abound...
The giving Christian gets more than a mere passing grade. Pastor Sam used the word "excellent" several times during the sermon. The giver is a person who demonstrates all-around excellence. Second Corinthians 8:7 provides a brief list of the areas in which such persons excel.
In every thing...
Well, the apostle Paul seems to leave no room for slacking off. What area of our life can be left out of "every thing"? I recently got a very unfortunate comment from a person who has been a Christian for almost forty-five years. In justification of holding on to anger, the person said that holding on to their personal feeling was more important than obeying God's command to forgive and to "not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity... Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger." (see Ephesians 4:26-27 and 4:31) If we are to abound in every thing, then we are to pursue excellence in every area of Christian living. God has not given us leeway to be less than 100% obedient to Him.
In faith...
As the apostle Paul digs deeper and begins picking out certain topics from the overarching umbrella of "every thing", he first details faith. The classic faith passage, Hebrews 11, is an excellent source for understanding what faith is and how faith is lived out in the lives of God's people. Earlier in Second Corinthians (5:7) Paul writes that "we walk by faith, not by sight". A sign of excellence is that we do what God says even when we can't see Him in our circumstance.
And utterance...
As Scripture informs us, "out of the mouth the heart speaks" (see Matthew 12:34-35; Luke 6:45). Our speech is a confession of our heart. The Christian in pursuit of excellence speaks words of comfort, blessing, encouragement, honor, fidelity, and love.
And knowledge...
In some popular cultures it is not fashionable to be intellectual. But, as we review these markers of excellence, we see that our intellect is not excluded from the list. God has said that we are to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Paul exhorts us to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5-12). Jesus, Holder of all knowledge, found it necessary and essential to obey His Father. We should do no less.
And in all diligence...
Other translations use the words enthusiasm, earnestness, dedication, carefulness, and zeal. The pursuit of excellence is something done with passion! It is neither obligation nor chore; it is a joy. What could the world become if all self-proclaimed Christians were passionate in their pursuit of God's desires?
And in your love to us...
Some translations expand this thought to say "the love from us that is in you." The excellent Christian is all about loving his fellow believers, loving the lost, loving his leaders, and loving his Lord. Paul, however, is specific in discussing the love relationship being laity and leadership. Our act of giving to the work of the Lord is an echo of the love our ministers have shown by obeying God and entering into full-time ministry as a service to Him and to us.
Paul ends this thought by saying a very curious thing in verse 8: "I am not commanding you." Though Paul is writing and has made a clear, sound, Biblical argument, he then steps back and says, in effect, that each believer is responsible to respond: not to Paul's words, but to the word of God. Or to say it another way, as much as we love our pastors, our ultimate task is to love God and obey His word. The truth is that if we obey God's word, we will certainly be a blessing to our leaders, to the body of Christ, and to the world. Part of that blessing is demonstrated by our joyful giving of ourselves and our substance to the work of God.
Are you in passionate pursuit of excellence?
As we shared in yesterday's blog post, there is a grace of giving and a gestalt of giving; that is, when the Spirit of God empowers us to give, there are other signs of Christian maturity that mark the sincere giver. Giving does not occur in a vacuum; it is part of a package of excellence. The above verses give us a breakdown of what a giver looks like.
As you abound...
The giving Christian gets more than a mere passing grade. Pastor Sam used the word "excellent" several times during the sermon. The giver is a person who demonstrates all-around excellence. Second Corinthians 8:7 provides a brief list of the areas in which such persons excel.
In every thing...
Well, the apostle Paul seems to leave no room for slacking off. What area of our life can be left out of "every thing"? I recently got a very unfortunate comment from a person who has been a Christian for almost forty-five years. In justification of holding on to anger, the person said that holding on to their personal feeling was more important than obeying God's command to forgive and to "not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity... Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger." (see Ephesians 4:26-27 and 4:31) If we are to abound in every thing, then we are to pursue excellence in every area of Christian living. God has not given us leeway to be less than 100% obedient to Him.
In faith...
As the apostle Paul digs deeper and begins picking out certain topics from the overarching umbrella of "every thing", he first details faith. The classic faith passage, Hebrews 11, is an excellent source for understanding what faith is and how faith is lived out in the lives of God's people. Earlier in Second Corinthians (5:7) Paul writes that "we walk by faith, not by sight". A sign of excellence is that we do what God says even when we can't see Him in our circumstance.
And utterance...
As Scripture informs us, "out of the mouth the heart speaks" (see Matthew 12:34-35; Luke 6:45). Our speech is a confession of our heart. The Christian in pursuit of excellence speaks words of comfort, blessing, encouragement, honor, fidelity, and love.
And knowledge...
In some popular cultures it is not fashionable to be intellectual. But, as we review these markers of excellence, we see that our intellect is not excluded from the list. God has said that we are to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Paul exhorts us to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5-12). Jesus, Holder of all knowledge, found it necessary and essential to obey His Father. We should do no less.
And in all diligence...
Other translations use the words enthusiasm, earnestness, dedication, carefulness, and zeal. The pursuit of excellence is something done with passion! It is neither obligation nor chore; it is a joy. What could the world become if all self-proclaimed Christians were passionate in their pursuit of God's desires?
And in your love to us...
Some translations expand this thought to say "the love from us that is in you." The excellent Christian is all about loving his fellow believers, loving the lost, loving his leaders, and loving his Lord. Paul, however, is specific in discussing the love relationship being laity and leadership. Our act of giving to the work of the Lord is an echo of the love our ministers have shown by obeying God and entering into full-time ministry as a service to Him and to us.
Paul ends this thought by saying a very curious thing in verse 8: "I am not commanding you." Though Paul is writing and has made a clear, sound, Biblical argument, he then steps back and says, in effect, that each believer is responsible to respond: not to Paul's words, but to the word of God. Or to say it another way, as much as we love our pastors, our ultimate task is to love God and obey His word. The truth is that if we obey God's word, we will certainly be a blessing to our leaders, to the body of Christ, and to the world. Part of that blessing is demonstrated by our joyful giving of ourselves and our substance to the work of God.
Are you in passionate pursuit of excellence?
Monday, October 8, 2012
I’ll Have Seconds, Thanks.
Yesterday Pastor Sam began a series of sermons based in Second Corinthians chapters 8 and 9.
These two chapters contain several verses that have become, for many Christians, part of their cache of memorized Scripture verses, such as:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (Second Corinthians 8:9)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things and at all times, having all that you need, you will abound to every good work. (Second Corinthians 9:8)
But simply learning individual verses outside of the context of the chapter leaves us lacking in wisdom. The most powerful aspect of yesterday’s sermon was that our pastor took the time to clarify the context in which this letter to the Corinthians was written, and thus the context in which we should understand the call to give to God.
The grace of giving. These groups of Macedonian believers were living in extreme poverty (Second Corinthians 8:2), yet they were extravagant participants in the act of giving from their limited resources in order to be a blessing to the impoverished Christian community in Jerusalem. God had touched their hearts with His grace, and they responded out of their love for Him.
The gestalt of giving. The Macedonian believers did not merely take up a collection. Scripture informs us that they “first gave themselves to the Lord” (Second Corinthians 8:5). The act of extravagant giving of finances was possible because they already engaged in extravagant giving of their hearts, souls, minds, and strength to the Lord. There was complete obedience to God; He was Lord of their entire being. No area was “off-limits” to Him.
Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed in Jesus?
Have you been a recipient of God’s grace?
Do you know what it is to completely give yourself to God?
Are you allowing Him to rule every area of your life?