Generosity
Jeremy Bell
2 Corinthians 9:6-8
October 20, 2019
Sermon Audio
We can forget, when it comes to giving, that God is interested in our hearts.
This message is intended to help us to give, from the heart, in a God-glorifying manner.
Main Theme: Through the gracious work of God in our hearts, through the gospel, he transforms us into cheerful abundant givers.
I. The grace to give generously flows from hearts changed by God himself (verse 13)
- The fact they are giving generously is because God has changed their perspective.
- Verse 9 – God is a giving God, not a keeping God. This awareness transforms our hearts.
- What about the tithe?
- Able brought his first fruits
- Abraham tithed
- Jacob tithed
- To help His people keep their hearts towards Him, God set the moral principle of the tithe (giving 10%) in the Mosaic Law.
- This was a command of God, and the people were to respond in obedience to that command to regularly give
- A Tithe = 10%.
Do we need to tithe today?
- We are not under the law as a means of acceptance before God.
- The moral principles of the law remain. They are written in our hearts.
- To help His people keep their hearts towards Him, God set the moral principle of the tithe (giving 10%) in the Mosaic Law.
- This was a command of God, and the people were to respond in obedience to that command to regularly give.
- While the tithe is not explicitly required in the New Testament, the New Covenant, the principle of the tithe remains.
“Have we received more of God’s revelation, truth, and grace than Old Testament believers, or less?…Are we more “debtors to grace” than they were, or less? Did Jesus tithe his life and blood to save us or did He give it all?…We certainly wouldn’t want to be in a position of giving away less of our income than those who had so much less of an understanding of what God did to save them.” — Tim Keller
“The tithe is God’s historical method to get us on the path of giving. In that sense, it can serve as a gateway to the joy of grace giving…Its not the finish line of giving; it’s the starting blocks.” — Randy Alcorn
- The tithe is a good starting point for generous giving.
II. We reap what we sow (verse 6)
III. God loves a cheerful giver (verse 7)
- Our giving is not to be reluctant, our giving is not to be under compulsion, like we’re earning anything by our giving.
- The Apostle Paul is steering us clear of religious giving and legalistic giving.
- We are not accepted before God on the basis of the amount of money that we give.
IV. God is our supply (verses 8-11)
- If I view God correctly as the inexhaustible giver, then I will be generous in my giving, because He promises to be my supply.
- God owns our money. It is not ours. We are stewards of all that God entrusts to us.
Questions For Discussion / Application:
- Re-read the text, 2 Cor. 9:6-8. What initial observations and insights do you have from reading this text?
- What does it mean to sow “sparingly” as Paul talks about in vs.8? What does it mean to sow “bountifully?” How practically does the principle of sowing “bountifully” apply to believers today?
- How does the Old Testament principle of the tithe, apply today?
- Recommended article by Randy Alcorn
- What does it mean to be “gospel-centered givers” ? In other words, how can the gospel help us to be cheerful givers?
- God delights to provide for our every need (verse 8). How have you seen God provide for your needs and the needs of your family over the years?