Giving Toward the Work of the Lord

 The Ministry of Giving

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 9

 

We will see a lot of what we saw in Chapter 8 in this chapter on giving.

 We should understand that every church is a little different.

 The people in every church are different.

 Every situation is different for them, so no one can say that God expects the same amount from every church and every church member.

 There is what is called "The Word of Faith" movement going on in our world, and its emphasis is on a prosperity Gospel theology; it is a movement of greed, and it is heresy.

 Other movements teach a prosperity Gospel, and all of them are heresy!

 The background of every prosperity Gospel is the lie that God wants us all to be rich and enjoy perfect health.

 That poverty and sickness are caused by a lack of faith, and this is a big fat devilish lie.

 Giving to the church, giving to the ministries of the church, and giving to individuals who have a need certainly pleases God.

 This is God's greatest trait!

 Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, “that he gave” his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 Giving pleases God, but not every giver pleases God!

 Again, giving is referred to as stewardship.

 We will one day give an account of our stewardship, but it will never be about the amount we give.

 Givers who please God are those believers who have a readiness and an eagerness to give.

 If there is a need that is in the will of God, Christians should be giving toward that need. As we are able.

 The greatest need of this world is salvation!

 *****2Co 9:6  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

 There is an old proverb that says those who try to hold on to what they own can end up in poverty.

 Pro 11:24  There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

 Another old Proverb says: Pro 19:17  He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

 Some people are poor in Spirit, and there are people so financially poor they will not survive without some help.

 1Jn_3:17  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

 This is called love: 1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

 Our giving does not earn a reward because of the amount we give.

 Our reward depends on the ratio of what we give in accordance with what we have to give.

 Mrk_12:42  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

Mrk_12:43  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

Mar 12:44  For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

 This is why giving in the New Covenant is not based on the tithe; it is based on “grace”, our grace toward each other.

 *****2Co 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

 Giving should be according to God's mercy.

 The Lord Jesus is the mercy of God, and God gave it all for us.

 1Jn 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1Jn 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

 When we give, we will give according to the will of God if we put our heart in our hand along with our pocketbook.

 Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 God does not promise prosperity upon this earth; God promises prosperity in Heaven.

 1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

 It should be very clear that God does not accept the gift of a person who does not want to give it!

 We are to think about the need and compare that to our own needs and then give sacrificially.

 There is usually always something we can give up to help someone who truly has a need, or some ministry that has a great need.

 The Holy Spirit is always willing to help us in this decision.

 When we fail to see the desperate needs of others, then we are failing to see what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.

 *****2Co 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

2Co 9:9  (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

 The prosperity preacher will tell you that the more you give to him, the more God will give to you, but God never says such things.

 Giving is not about moneymaking. Giving is about the privilege to give back some of God's blessings to which special blessings from Him are attached.

 There is a right way to give. Giving must be seen in the fact that all we have already belongs to God and He lets us use most all of it, but He may call on us to give sacrificially on some occasions.

 We talk about the "Grace" of God a lot, but sometimes we just do not understand the true meaning of God's Grace.

 Yes, "Grace" is the unmerited favor of God. We have done nothing to deserve God's Grace!

 1) Common Grace is God's general blessings to all mankind.

 The Lord Jesus Christ paid the sin debt of everyone who has ever lived from the time of Adam to the day of the last sinner.

 Common grace also includes general blessings to all mankind!

 Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 God allows rain and sunshine on the atheist as well as the believer.

 Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

 God knows those who will eventually come to Him and those who will never come to Him, but He does not judge that person before it is time and still provides for them.

 Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

 God's restraining of sin in this world is also a part of His common grace.

 Think about Job. When Satan challenged God about Job's loyalty, God allowed Satan to go only so far. God restrained Satan.

 God said the Holy Spirit would not always strive with man, which means the Holy Spirit is actively restraining sin in this world.

 Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

 The ministry of the prophets and true preachers is to restrain sin.

 Human governments are put in place to restrain sin; some do better than others, but those governments will answer to God for their negligence.

 Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

Rom 13:4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

 It is a fact that God will not allow the Antichrist to show up in this world until God is ready!

 2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

 As Christians, we believe God will remove this restraining force at the Rapture of the Church, but we are not certain.

We know He will do it, but we are not certain as to the time.

 "Common grace" is necessary because before a person can be saved, there must be a witness from God.

 Most people know they will be held accountable for their actions.

 2) Then there is "efficacious grace". All those who receive "efficacious grace" will be saved.

 This is the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation.

 This is a person who answers to the will of God!

 Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 This is the grace of God that is never rejected, as many will reject "Common Grace" and do not agree that God provides for them as He does for all.

 Many of these believe they provide for themselves through their own power, and most of them will refuse to share with those who may need some help.

 Even this will not stop God from providing the many things that He provides to the unbeliever.

 Grace still refers to the favor and the blessings of God.

 *****2Co 9:10  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

 To those who give willingly, God will give more and more.

We must also understand that God will hold us accountable for taking care of our families as well.

 Not to hoard and keep for themselves, but so they can continue to give more and more.

 We all know that if we do not sow much seed, then there will not be much of a harvest.

 Here we see something different.

 Here we see that God will give the sower earthly possessions that might be distributed to the poor, and after this God still provides what we need for a living.

 God says, give first and then take for yourselves!

 We do this when we lay aside part of our income for giving and then compare that to what we actually need for our own needs.

Giving is tied into a test of our faith, but giving is never to be about seeking prosperity here on earth.

Most of our rewards will be in Heaven!

This is why God does not ask for a tithe from each believer in the New Testament Church.

 Some can give more than others because their needs are fewer.

 In most cases, God will multiply.

 We get back the seed that we scatter, but we get a lot more seed in turn.

 The fruits of righteousness always, always increase!

 Isa 55:10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 *****2Co 9:11  Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

 To those who are willing givers, God will prove that they will receive what they are to give while retaining what they already have.

 This is not for a savings account but is a gift to meet the desperate needs of the world.

 Every believer is to be a channel through which God sends His blessings to the world.

 To keep more than we need is, in a sense, robbing God!

 Heb 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Heb 13:21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 Sacrificial giving depends on one thing: trusting and believing God!

 Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 As in helping, giving all boils down to stewardship.

 *****2Co 9:12  For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

 Giving to the church is the Christian way of meeting the needs of the world.

 The most important need of this world is to hear the "Good News" of the Bible, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The greatest benefit of good stewardship is that it brings praise to God!

 Does God get mad at us if we put back something for hard times? No!

 Even the world tells us we may need to have enough to last six months in an emergency.

 God does remind us that if we have more than the necessities of life, we will be held accountable if we refuse to share.

 God expects us to be good stewards with all the benefits He shares with us.

 God does not like to see selfishness in His children.

 When we truly act like the children of God, then other people will see it, and they will praise God.

 Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 God will also use our act of giving or our lack of giving to prove our loyalty to the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

 Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

 We have no work to do to get saved; the Lord Jesus Christ has completed all the work for our salvation.

 All we need to do is accept His gift.

 After our salvation, God expects us to be busy as a servant and as a steward.

 *****2Co 9:13  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

2Co 9:14  And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

 The Gospel of Jesus Christ tells the world about the greatest gift that has ever been given to people.

 Salvation may be looked at as the greatest gift of God, but it would not have happened without His great love for us.

 God sacrificed His Son just so we could have life and life eternal.

 We can only prove our loyalty to our Savior by being involved in the ministries of His Church.

 It is His Church, and Jesus has only one Church!

 Giving is one of the greatest ministries of the Church and ranks right up there with praying.

 The doors of many places of worship today are closed because the people of that house of God will not give enough to keep those doors open.

 If that place of worship was sharing the "Gospel," then it has stopped.

 If that place of worship was not sharing the "Gospel," then those doors should be closed.

 We say all the time that the Lord Jesus would have died on that cross if only one person was saved. If this is true, and it is, maybe we should help keep the doors open in some places of worship or at least look into it.

 I'm not talking about our presence, for I would not leave my church unless the Lord wanted me to.

 I'm talking about a giving ministry without taking from the ministries of our own church.

 I’m talking about helping some church that has that true man of God who preaches the truth, but that church is so poor.

Maybe this could be another mission.

 It's just a thought.

 Surely, we can pray for other places of worship to continue to serve the Lord.

 Giving stirs up great prayers.

 When you have a financial investment in the ministries of God, you will pray for the success of that ministry.

 God's people are supposed to be filled with love, and we are all in the same family because we all have the same "Father", God the Father.

 We are all filled with the same "Spirit", God the Holy Spirit.

 We are all saved by the same work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son.

 Let us never make the death of the Lord Jesus Christ be for nothing!

 1Th 1:2  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

1Th 1:4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

 We sometimes forget the great cost that the Lord Jesus paid to reconcile us back to God the Father.

 *****2Co 9:15  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

 God the Father knew exactly what would happen to His Son when He sent Him to pay our sin debt.

 God knew He would be beaten and mistreated and then murdered, because this is what our world has become. We see it every day.

 1Jn_4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 The death of Jesus Christ was truly a sacrifice when we understand the truth of the Triune God!

 God the Father could not, because of His character, forgive sin without a bloody sacrifice!

 But God could give, and He gave sacrificially!

 If we cannot find it in our hearts to give toward the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then what does this say about us?

 God gave the supreme gift; what should we give?

 Amen

God Blesses the Cheerful Giver

 The Ministry of Helping

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 8

 

 This chapter deals with the need to help other believers and other human beings who were being threatened with starvation and death and were spiritually poor.

 Many of them did not know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

 The need for church missions is a never-ending call.

 We know we live in a sin-sick world and things are never going to get any better than they are now, at least until the return of Jesus Christ.

 2Ti_3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

 The desperate needs of the world will always confront the Church.

 The challenge for the church is to help whenever possible.

 What is stewardship? Believers also are described as stewards of God’s gifts and graces, to dispense the benefits of them to the world.

 While we are watching for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to remain busy in the work of the Lord.

 1Pe 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 

1Pe 4:9  Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 

1Pe 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 

1Pe 4:11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

 The ministry of helping is being a good steward of the manifold grace of God!

 *****2Co 8:1  Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 

 We sometimes forget as Americans that much of the world lives in poverty.

 Even in our own nation, people are dying of starvation, and there is no excuse for this.

 Paul encouraged every church to become good stewards of God's "Grace".

 1Co 16:1  Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 

1Co 16:2  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 

1Co 16:3  And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. 

 At this time, the church in Jerusalem was suffering because every Christian had been excommunicated from Judaism, their jobs taken away from them, and no Jew would help them.

 The thing about humans and money is that everybody wants as much as they can get and then tries to hoard what they have.

 It is quite human of us to prosper and then forget those who have needs.

 Here is another place in the Scriptures where the church meets on Sunday before anyone set a decree.

 The plate was passed on the first day of the week, which was Sunday on the Jewish calendar.

 The challenge to the Church is clear! Give all you can to reach and help the desperate who live in our world.

 What we see today while our own costs for food skyrocket, people are dying of hunger while tons of food are destroyed to create an artificial demand and to keep the prices high.

I have never seen a time when so much food is being recalled and destroyed, and we should wonder why.

 Every day, there is some recall of food or people getting sick because of eating tainted food.

 Thousands of animals are destroyed every year without proving they needed to be destroyed.

There must be reasons this is taking place.

 The churches in Macedonia had accepted this challenge to help the church in Jerusalem and were giving because of the Grace and favor of God.

 The churches of Macedonia included Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.

 These were not wealthy churches in monetary terms; they were rich in grace and mercy.

 These places had been ravaged by war, and Rome had stripped them of their wealth.

There should be no one upon this earth who defends the Rome of those years.

 We see this happening in Iran today, even though the rulers of Iran are to blame.

 It does not stop the fact that the Christians and the poor people in Iran need help.

 The poor people of Ukraine need help.

There are still poor people in Israel who need help.

 There are poor people in America who need help.

 Food is not the greatest need of the poor because most of them are also poor in the Spirit of God, but starving people will not respond to the Gospel. 

 There are always people who need help, and the church cannot feed them all, or can it?

 What do we know about giving?

 Paul does not speak about the percentage of income one should give. Everyone knows that the Old Testament norm was ten percent of the income.

 In the New Testament it is not about the amount but about the motive, the mind and the way of giving.

 *****2Co 8:2  How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

The self-sufficiency of some places of worship convinced them they no longer needed to depend on God; they were blind to their desperate poverty in the eyes of the Lord.

The Lord Jesus Christ speaks of this in the Book of Revelation.

To protect the Church from the deception of worldly riches, Paul was pointing out that all the riches and treasures that have eternal value are found in Christ. 

I like to say that the real riches we need are all the things that money cannot buy.

Biblical stewardship is living in the reality that everything we have belongs to God. We are managers, not owners. 

Wealth is a gift to be used wisely, held loosely, and shared generously.

God does not want us to live in poverty.

God prefers we do not live in riches because we will become dependent on our riches rather than upon Him.

What does all this have to do with giving?

The question isn't whether God will bless us with resources. The question is whether those resources will draw us closer to Christ or cause us to live as though we no longer need Him.

This is the main reason why the teaching of a prosperity gospel is a lie.

Wealth is a gift — not a god. It can meet certain needs but not the most important ones. Everything we own belongs to the Lord, and every blessing should draw us closer to Him, not farther away.

Biblical giving is the practice of generously and willingly sharing resources, time, or talents in accordance with God’s principles, motivated by love, gratitude, and faith.

There are 10 Principles of Christian Giving:

       1. The Lord Jesus expects and requires us to give. Jesus said to His disciples, "when you give," not "if you give"!

Mat 6:2  “Therefore when thou doest thine alms”, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Christian giving is not optional, but rather essential. We often hear folks say: "In the Old Testament they had to give, but not in the New - now we only give if we want to." This is clearly not Jesus' teaching. He expected all His followers to be givers. Christians will give. Are you giving?

       2. The Lord Jesus wants us to give for the right reasons. Jesus warned His disciples not to give for the sake of being admired by men. 

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them," 

Jesus said: Mat 6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

When we give, we must be careful to examine our motives. We ought to give for the glory of God and the good of His people. We must desire His approval of our giving, rather than the praise and admiration of people. Are you giving for God's praise or men?

    3. The Lord Jesus wants us to practice benevolent or charitable giving. Jesus said, "When you give to the poor . . . 

(Matthew 6:2-3). Jesus is specifically teaching about "alms" in this passage: alms are, aid, charity, or benevolent offerings for the needy. 

Do you give enough to the Church that she can be generous in benevolent giving?

   4  The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father. Jesus said, "When you give:

Mat 6:3  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 

Mat 6:4  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget; we are giving up a thank-you offering to the Father Himself. 

Thus, we must all give "as unto the Lord." Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord?

  5. The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship. In connection with the previous point, we see this truth stressed in another way in Paul's words 

"On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save" :

1Co 16:2  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 

Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord's Day worship.

When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. 

Note well, Paul is speaking here of a "collection for the saints" - this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. 

Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? 

Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? 

Is giving to the Church a priority with you?

   6. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in light of the incarnation. Many Christians argue about whether the tithe (10% of our income) is still the standard for our giving to the Church (disputants usually want to show that less than 10% is fine). Paul scuttles the whole debate in one verse. 

Paul says: 2Co 8:8  I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 

2Co 8:9  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 

"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"

Christ's self-giving is now the standard for our giving! We begin from the base of the tithe and aim for emulation of His self-sacrifice. 

Our giving is to be inspired and instructed by Christ's inexpressible gift. In light of such a challenge, who could satisfy himself with asking "how little a percentage is acceptable for me to give

Do you try to get by giving as little as possible to the Lord, or do you give in view of the Lord's costly sacrifice?

    7. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means. Paul is quite clear on this: "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

2 Co 8:12  For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 

Put another way, Paul is saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. 

He said it this way in 1 Corinthians 16:2: each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper." This means at least two things: 

(A) Since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [those who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], 

(B) The Lord never asks us to give what we do not have or contribute beyond our means.

 Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given you?

    8. The Bible teaches that the liberality of God's blessings to us is connected to the liberality of our Christian giving. 

Though it may seem strange, both Jesus and Paul emphasize that there is a relation between our giving to the Lord and the Lord's giving to us. 

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6:  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 

   9. The Bible teaches that Christian giving must be willing giving, free giving.

2Co 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 

 But doesn't this contradict what we learned under the first principle, that Christian giving is not optional? The answer is no. 

True Christian giving is both mandatory and voluntary. It is required by God, but always willingly given by the believer. 

Is your giving to the Church something you do wholeheartedly, or indifferently, or grudgingly?

  10. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says "God loves a cheerful giver."

Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, merry givers.

Is there joy in your heart as you give? Can you truly be characterized as a "cheerful giver"?

Giving to the work of the Lord is rooted in Scripture, reflects our stewardship of God’s resources, and yields both spiritual and practical benefits.

What is the Biblical foundation for helping those in need?

From the Old Testament, Israel was commanded to bring tithes and offerings to support the Levites, priests, and the temple work.

In the New Testament, the early church shared resources freely.

The principle is that all we have comes from God, so we are stewards, not owners, of our resources.

It honors and reveres God – Giving is an act of worship, acknowledging God as the source of all we have 

It aligns with God’s pattern – Biblical examples show godly people consistently giving a portion of their resources.

It brings God’s wisdom and order to finances – Prioritizing God’s work helps guard against materialism.

It is a practical reminder that God owns everything.

It opens the way for God’s blessings.

It supports ministry and outreach – Giving sustains pastors, missionaries, and church projects.

It yields eternal rewards – Faithful giving is recorded in heaven and linked to spiritual growth and eternal treasure.

Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

It reflects God’s love through service – Giving time, talents, and spiritual gifts is part of the work of the Lord.

Spiritual and personal benefits

Joy and gratitude – Giving cultivates a heart of thankfulness and trust in God’s provision

Spiritual growth – Supporting God’s work deepens faith and dependence on Him.

Eternal perspective – It shifts focus from temporary gains to lasting spiritual rewards.

Community impact – It strengthens the body of Christ and enables outreach to the needy.

*****2Co 8:3  For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 

2Co 8:4  Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 

 The number one priority of the Church is to gather to worship the Almighty Living God.

 Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 

 The number two priority of the Church is bringing souls to the Lord Jesus for salvation, and this will never change.

 The third priority of the Church is to make disciples.

 As far as giving to the Church, giving to God can never be measured by the amount.

 God doesn’t measure the gift by the amount. God measures the gift by the cost to the giver.

 You see, if you’re making a million dollars a year and you give God a hundred thousand dollars tithe, you’re not really giving very much.

 Doesn’t really cost you much. Look at all you’ve got left to live on.

 Now if you make only ten thousand dollars and you give a thousand dollars, still a tithe, that is giving a lot because it does not give you that much to live on.

 So, we see that according to the Lord Jesus, a tithe is not always enough in the modern church.

 To the poor a tithe may be looked on as enough, but to the rich a tithe may not be near enough in the eyes of God.

 Even the Lord Jesus gave something to the poor!

 Joh 13:29  For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 

 Biblical foundation:

 From the Old Testament, Israel was commanded to bring tithes and offerings to support the Levites, priests, and the temple work.

 Mal 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  

In the New Testament, the early church shared resources freely.

 Paul taught that “God loves a cheerful giver”.

 The principle is that all we have comes from God, so we are stewards, not owners, of our resources.

 Psa 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 

Psa 24:2  For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 

 The area of Macedonia had been in three civil wars, and Rome had stripped this area of its riches.

 These new converts to the church still gave more than they had to give.

 What did Jesus actually say? Luk 11:41  But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. 

  1Jn 3:17  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

 The Church in Corinth was filled with people who were not poor like the Macedonians.

 Corinth was a rich city.

 Corinth was Grecian city, on the isthmus which joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. It is about 48 miles west of Athens. The ancient city was destroyed by the Romans (146 B.C.), and that mentioned in the New Testament was quite a new city, having been rebuilt about a century afterwards and peopled by a colony of freedmen from Rome. It became under the Romans the seat of government for Southern Greece or Achaia. It was noted for its wealth, and for the luxurious, immoral, and vicious habits of the people.

 What is the most important thing we can do as the church founded by Jesus Christ?

 *****2Co 8:5  And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 

2Co 8:6  Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. 

2Co 8:7  Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

 Those who have given themselves to the Lord are more apt to be generous in their giving.

 Remember the Lord Jesus gave all He had for our salvation, including His life.

 It always seems that those who are poor give more to others who are poor because they know how it feels to be poor.

 Those with a pocket full of money are just too stingy to share any of it, but that is not the way of God.

 God does not expect all Christians to be poor. This would set the wrong example of Christianity.

 God wants us to help those around us when a need arises.

 First, those who are in need in the church, and second, those in the community.

 Then there are ministries to support.

 There are missionaries to support.

 A pastor deserves our support.

 The maintenance of the church must be supported.

 Part of the mission of Titus was to collect the offerings they had laid aside for Jerusalem.

 Nothing was going to Paul or the other preachers.

 There was no manipulation or exploitation.

 If not for the first Christian church in Jerusalem, there might not be Christianity today.

 Giving keeps the Church moving in the right direction if done properly.

 My church is independent, and we have total control over where church money is spent as we try to answer the call of God.

 As we study the Book of 2 Corinthians, we can see that this church had been obedient to the things Paul had written in the Book of 1 Corinthians.

 We should always love those who brought us to the Lord!

 They cared enough for us to try to keep us out of Hell.

 The Pastor who preaches the truth of God without watering it down or twisting God’s words into something false is also someone who loves us.

 God sent us His love letter from Heaven, so we know He loves us.

 Love is the key to keeping a functioning church in the modern world, but not some carnal love, love in the Spirit of the Word of God.

 *****2Co 8:8  I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 

2Co 8:9  For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 

 Every true man of God does not issue commands to his church; he is just a messenger to deliver the Word of God.

 Every message must come by the Holy Spirit.

What's wrong with the modern church? The Holy Spirit is not allowed to do His work because the Word of God is rejected.

We say all the time that we want to be more like Jesus Christ, that He is our example to live by.

We know the Lord Jesus Christ was rich, yet for our sake He became poor.

Yes, He has a great inheritance, but He has chosen to share His inheritance with us.

That inheritance is in Heaven; we only need enough in this world to get us through it until the Lord returns to take us home or we go home by the way of the grave.

The Lord Jesus Christ proved His great love for us with the things He did for us, especially His dying for us.

Sometimes we just don't see that the God who made us came down to this earth in the form of a man and then died for us that we might live an eternal life.

Stewardship is trying to be like Jesus Christ.

*****2Co 8:10  And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 

God expects us all to give to His work upon this earth, and He has special instructions for the rich.

1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 

1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 

These same guidelines work for us all!

All gifts that are given are God's to begin with!

So, it is the "Giver" that is important.

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

Giving is sharing.

Giving is the ability and willingness to share our material goods with others.

Rom 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

Rom 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 

 Rom 12:13  Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 

Giving with liberality refers to open-handed and open-hearted giving out of compassion and singleness of purpose, but not from ambition.

The Philippians helped Paul the Missionary when no one else would.

Php 4:18  But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 

Where would the Church be without the Apostle Paul today? But remember the "Giver" resides in Heaven and He wants all of us to be a part of giving to the Church.

Only you know how much you can give without it seriously affecting your family, which means most of us could give more, but God does not expect us to live in borderline poverty.

There is no such thing as a prosperity Gospel! We are to build up a treasure in Heaven, not here on Earth.

*****2Co 8:11  Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 

2Co 8:12  For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 

A year earlier, these Corinthians began to do something for the poor; it stopped when the church was going through sin that made its way inside the church.

They wholeheartedly had a great desire to help the Church of Jerusalem. They needed to finish what they had started.

Great intentions are not a help to anyone!

Willingness to give is not actual giving!

As we make plans for giving, we need to follow through with that plan consistently!

There must first be a willing mind!

We give from what we have and not from what we do not have!

We must put great emphasis on supporting the missions of the Church and those men and women who give all their lives to these ministries.

Some things that Jesus said:

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 

Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

The truth is: Luk 11:41  But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. 

The truth is, we are to give as we have, and we will be blessed for it.

God has never asked us to do more than our very best!

Amen

Godly Sorrow

 The Ministry of Godly Sorrow

 2 Corinthians Chapter 7

 

 What do we know about sorrow?

 1) There is sorrow that leads to repentance.

 One of the great examples in the Bible of sorrow that leads to repentance is the story of the prodigal son.

 Luk 15:20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 

Luk 15:21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Peter wept because he denied the Lord those three times.

King David had a broken and contrite heart because of his adultery and the murder he committed.

 2) There is sorrow that does not lead to repentance, but we still suffer because of it.

 Rom 9:1  I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 

Rom 9:2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 

Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 

 This is the sorrow we may feel because some of our family members are not saved, especially at their passing.

This is the sorrow that Judas had because he had turned against the Lord, and it led to his suicide and not to repentance.

 If you understand the meaning of joy in you, then you must realize that sorrow is the opposite of joy.

 We cannot wallow in our sorrow; we must do something about it!

 For instance: once the twelve disciples realized that the Lord Jesus was going to die when He went to Jerusalem, they were sorrowful.

 Joh 16:5  But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 

Joh 16:6  But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. 

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 

 Once these men, all but one, accepted the truth, their sorrow was not as great.

 When our sorrow brings us to repentance, then we must repent for that sorrow to become joy in the Lord.

 1Th_2:19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

 *****2Co 7:6  Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 

 We know from chapter one that the Apostle Paul was in great distress.

 In chapter two, Paul wrote how troubled he was and how anxious he was waiting to hear from Titus, who was to bring him the news from Corinth.

 Paul was surrounded by hostile people; the love he had for the churches he had planted sometimes wore him down, especially the churches like the church at Corinth.

 Titus brought good news: the church at Corinth was having a revival.

 The first letter to these Corinthians had been effective to all that had read it.

 Titus had brought "good news" from Corinth, and we all know that the "Gospel" is the "Good News" from Heaven.

 The Gospel is the true "Good News" from Heaven.

 Col 1:5  For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 

Col 1:6  Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

 Paul had written a stern letter to this church, but it still had shown them his great love for them and the great love that the Lord has for His Church.

 We must never feel guilty for proclaiming the truth of God!

 The Lord Jesus said:  Jhn_8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 Jhn_8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

 The Lord Jesus is never wrong!

 *****2Co 7:7  And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more. 

 The Apostle Paul was not just comforted by the news that Titus had brought to him, but he was also comforted that Titus had been comforted by what he had seen of this church in Corinth.

 It is probable that Paul sat down and wrote this letter of 2 Corinthians shortly after he had gotten this good news from Titus.

 This church had met this sin head-on and eliminated it without destroying the church nor rejecting the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

 When God's servants are under attack, we should know that God will meet the need of His servants.

 We should understand that the Apostle Paul had to first endure heavy trials for a long time before God moved.

 We must learn from every trial we face to be better servants of the Lord.

 This is not being a slave to God, but it is being a servant.

 God has never ordained slavery as the atheists believe He has.

 Even when the Jews had slaves, they had to pay them an honest wage and provide food, clothing, and shelter for them and their family until their debt was paid or a certain time had passed.

 These slaves were those people who sold themselves to pay the debt that they owed.

 A Christian is a servant and not a slave of God because God does not allow us to try to repay Him; His salvation is a free gift.

 All He asks of us is to repent and return to Him with love.

 Paul learned obedience by the things he had suffered, just as did the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our example in our Christian life.

 Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

 When the atheist asks why a Perfect God would allow suffering in this world, maybe it is because this world we live in causes all of God's people to suffer along with that atheist who is always causing problems for God's people, whom he says he does not even believe exists.

 A church that learns from suffering will stand its ground when evil tries to get through the doors to cause problems.

 Paul had only written to them the truth of God.

 We know that because we have a copy of the exact words that Paul had written.

 *****2Co 7:8  For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

 A church that has begun to believe in false doctrine is a church headed for trouble. It is the duty of that Pastor, that Man of God, to make sure that church gets back to the truth.

 There is a great possibility that some members will leave that church because of this.

 A Pastor must be very careful with who he allows to share his pulpit.

 A church must be very careful about who is allowed to teach any of the classes of adults down to the children.

 Once false doctrine gets into any church, it is hard to get rid of.

 The answer to this is that every Christian has a good understanding of a proper translation of those Hebrew and Greek Scriptures that never change.

 Paul regretted the necessity of having to take such a stern approach, but the Holy Spirit had required him to do so.

 It is every soul that brings joy to Heaven, and losing even one is in itself a tragedy.

 To give credit to this church in Corinth, they mourned, wept, wailed, and lamented over the sin that was within their midst and over their true minister, the Apostle Paul, and they made the necessary corrections, and then the church began to grow in the "Grace of God".

 *****2Co 7:9  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 

2Co 7:10  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

 To cause grief is never a pleasant thing, and no man of God wants to be a cause of grief, but every true man of God must preach the message given to them by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not allow a true man of God to preach against the written word of God.

 If that church has been led astray, then that person was not a true man of God, and that person did not have the Holy Spirit living in them.

 We are never to intentionally make people feel sorry for their actions; we are to simply give them the Word of God and let the Holy Spirit do His work in them.

 We are always to work with the lost or the backslider in a way that God would approve.

 The Lord Jesus died for the saved and for the lost, for we were all lost until we met the Lord Jesus Christ and had faith in His work.

 It is sin that causes sorrow, but sorrow has no healing power by itself.

 Only a change of mind or a turn of life (repentance) can heal the heart of that one suffering from sorrow!

 **There is worldly sorrow: Sorrow over doing something wrong or coming up short from what is expected of us.

 It can be said to be a violation of one's values.

 It can also be sorrow from being found out for something that you thought was hidden, or suffering the consequences from doing something that was wrong, or even from punishment when you know what you did was wrong.

 The sorrow of the world works death!

 It eats us up on the inside with guilt and remorse.

 Remember Judas who sold out the Lord Jesus: Mat 27:3  Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 

Mat 27:4  Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 

Mat 27:5  And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 

 It can cause bitterness and rebellion: Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

 **There is godly sorrow: This is the sorrow we feel from Holy Ghost conviction. Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

 The Holy Spirit will go quiet in us: 1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit.

 The Holy Spirit will do His best to lead us in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can hinder that work: Mat 26:75  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

 Godly sorrow will always lead to repentance, where worldly sorrow leads to bitterness.

 Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 

Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

 *****2Co 7:11  For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 

 Repentance and returning to God will always bring the fruits of good living to honor and glorify God with our lives.

 We should remember that this church had not at first acknowledged this individual as sin.

They had not immediately corrected this offender nor themselves for ignoring these things, even laughing about it.

 Repentance cleared them of God's displeasure!

 When the heart is changed, then life and the actions will change.

 We must hate sin, but at the same time not hate the sinner.

 We must see the hatefulness of sin!

 It is the hatefulness of sin that will bring us to repentance!

 Godly sorrow will repair our relationship with the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

 *****2Co 7:12  Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you. 

 The modern church today seems to forget that we are all accountable to God.

 We must take our stand on the complete, infallible Word of God and stay the course.

 There is no room in the Church to veer to the left or to the right.

 God says over and over that He will not and does not change, and we cannot read into the Scriptures hunting for an excuse to say He has changed or that He is not the same God from the beginning.

 Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

 God has a purpose for every word He has given to us, and God has a plan that will be fulfilled just as it is written.

 We can accept Him as He is, just as He accepts us as we are.

 Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

Joh 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

 There is nothing that is taught in this world that will ensure our future in God's New Heaven except the truth of the Scriptures!

 It is only the truth of God that will bring comfort to the soul!

 *****2Co 7:13  Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. 

 We know that the Word of God brings results!

 Look at the conversation that Moses had with Jehovah God.

 Exo 34:6  And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 

Exo 34:7  Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. 

 This is the God that I serve. He is not some old grandfather figure that does not care what happens to us.

He is not some wimp of a God who will let us get away with not repenting and returning to Him as our Creator, our Savior, and our Redeemer.

He is the God who gave us His Words to live by, and He expects us to do so.

 Titus was comforted by what he saw of the church in Corinth, as they had repented as he had preached the Word of God from the Apostle Paul.

 Paul was comforted at knowing that the Word the Holy Spirit had given to him to put in this Epistle had brought that repentance.

 Paul was also comforted by the comfort of Titus, as he had been an eyewitness to the truth that the Word of God brings Holy Ghost conviction, Holy Ghost conviction brings repentance because the Word of God brings results.

 There was now great joy in the Apostle Paul because the church could have closed its doors but became a powerful church in their community, and the work of the Lord continued its journey all around this world just as it continues today.

 Paul was refired up to continue in the work that God had given him to do, and many souls were saved because of it.

 Our biggest problem is that we do not listen to what God has to say.

 We do not take the time to read and study our own Bibles.

 We listen to men who tell us the same thing that the old Serpent told Eve. "Ye shall not surely die".

 That same serpent, the Devil, is still spreading this lie in every church, and far too many of them have strayed from the truth of God.

 God is not a tyrant, but He does expect us to obey Him!

 God expects every local church to teach the truth!

 *****2Co 7:14  For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. 

 This church at Corinth had a complete revival as they learned the truth of God.

 The Church needs to have a complete revival today and get back on the right track.

 The purpose of revival is always to revive the real, inner, spiritual life of each believer!

 True revival will cause a dead church to come alive again.

 True revival means each church member will come to new life.

 God had used Titus as an instrument in His hands to turn this church around.

 Titus was full of joy just to be a part of this revival, and so it rubbed off on Paul.

 We all need to get caught up in revival!

 Psa 85:5  Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? 

Psa 85:6  Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? 

 We need to stir up the gift of God who is within us, which is the Holy Spirit.

 Deep on the inside of Paul, he could just feel that these people in the church at Corinth would make the right choices.

 In fact, Paul may have bragged about it to other Christians.

 A true church will do its best to make the right choices that coincide with the Word of God and the Will of God.

 In his heart Paul knew this church would respond to the love of God.

 *****2Co 7:15  And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. 

2Co 7:16  I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things. 

 When Titus arrived at the church at Corinth, it was said that he had another letter from the Apostle Paul, and it brought fear and trembling to much of the church.

 They were afraid that they had not done enough to rid the church of sin.

 We must remember these were babes in Christ and had not fully understood the Word of God, and there is no one who can say that they fully understand the Word of God.

 How to be saved is the most important part of the Word of God; then we need to pay particular attention to the Lord Jesus Christ and then the Apostles with us Gentiles, paying particular attention to the Apostle Paul and the Book of Acts, all the New Testament, then all the Old Testament, or we will never understand why God does what He does.

 We must go back to the beginning and know that the same God who saved us is the same God who made us!

 We must accept our creation and the creation of this world just as it was written in the Book of Genesis.

Church discipline must be exercised for the good of the whole church!

Church discipline must take place in every church to protect spiritual purity and the reputation of the church that is obedient to the Word of God using a proper translation of the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures.

Let it be known that you can change your own translation to say what you want it to say, but the original Greek and Hebrew Scriptures have not ever changed.

2Pe_1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

There are no mistakes in these Scriptures!

The Pope cannot change the Word of God, nor anyone else!

Mal_3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not;

We can only have confidence in the Word of God because we know that God will never change.

The Bride of Christ must remain pure, or the Bridegroom will reject her, and our Heavenly Father will never allow His Son to return to get His Bride.

Amen

Godly Living

 The Ministry of Godly Living

 Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 6

 

 What is living Godly? We could say that Godly living is living in obedience to God's commands, the Word of God.

 We could also say that Godly living is living according to the will of God for us.

 We must understand that the decrees of God have been established in eternity past and refer to God's sovereign control over every realm of His creation and over all events that happen.

 Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

 There are two options:

 1) God is sovereign over all His creation with absolute control.

2) God does not have sovereign control, and He was not our Creator.

 "There is no truth" in those who say God has predestined certain people to be saved and the rest to be lost, so keeping God's commandments is not necessary.

 God indeed knows who will accept His Son and who will not because He is omniscient and knows all things.

 Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

 Our salvation depends upon our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 

2Ti 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 

 Though many will not accept it, the decision for the Lord Jesus to take on humanity and shed His blood for us was made before we were created by Him.

 1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 

1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 

 We will never understand all these things until we meet Jesus in the clouds.

 Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 

Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 

Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 

Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 

 God has a plan, and we can be part of it, or we can reject God's plan and spend eternity in a real Hell.

 This is the choice we must make before we die. God will not make this choice for us!

 What is God's purpose for all these things? God's plan is designed to reveal His glory to us all!

 Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

 Act 2:23  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 

Act 2:24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 

 God has decreed all these things, yet every individual must be presented the Gospel, and they must believe the Gospel to be saved!

 Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 

 Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

 Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

 Godly living begins when we stand in awe of the God of Creation who is wise, powerful, merciful, and loving.

 In fact, love may be God's greatest characteristic.

 1Jn_4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God cannot be other than love!

 1Jn_4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

 We can entrust our lives to the Almighty Living God.

 We should rejoice in the wonder of our salvation.

 We can rest in peace now knowing our future eternal life has been secured.

 God still holds people responsible for their sin!

 The main problem we have as humans is the fact that we want to run our own lives, and pride and self-righteousness become our greatest enemy.

 *****2Co 6:11  O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. 

 Anytime we are speaking to the church or to the lost, our words must come from the heart.

 If our thoughts seem to be fake, then we will be seen as fakes.

 The Lord Jesus expects a personal relationship with us, and we must have personal relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

 This is not kissy, kissy love but a heartfelt love as family, because we have the same Heavenly Father.

 Mat 12:34  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 

Mat 12:35  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 

Mat 12:36  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 

Mat 12:37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 

 These things must hold as we witness to others and as we live the Christian life.

 Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 We must give the Lord Jesus all our heart, all our soul, and all our body, just as Jesus gave us His all.

 Our body must truly be the Temple of the Lord.

 Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 

Heb 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 

 The Lord Jesus is like His Father; He is jealous in a Godly way and He wants all of our heart not just a part of it.

 *****2Co 6:12  Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

2Co 6:13  Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. 

 The Apostle Paul is saying his heart was open to them and his affection had grown since he had been sharing the truth with these Corinthians.

 The word "straightened" is used of these same Corinthians to say that their hearts were not yet open to grow in the Lord.

 We should understand that the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ poured out all of the blood of Christ to make room for the love He has for us.

 Now He does not expect us to spill our blood for Him, but He does expect us to make room for Him in our hearts.

 If we open our hearts to receive the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, then we will also open our hearts to receive those who preach the truth of the Gospel.

 At the same time, if our hearts are not open to the truth of the Gospel, we will never accept the children of God nor His witnesses.

 That word recompense means, open your hearts as the Lord Jesus has opened His heart for all sinners.

 1) Those who preach/teach the truth in the church must be open and honest and have a loving heart toward God's people.

2) That church must also be open and honest and have a loving heart toward God and His chosen preachers/teachers.

3) All those who are to witness of the truth of God must also have a loving heart for those who are lost.

 Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

 Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 

Joh 15:11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

 A church that does not show the love of God in their hearts is not a true church!

 *****2Co 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

 Many believe that Paul is speaking only of marriage here, but in truth believers should never be unequally yoked with unbelievers in any situation.

 God gives us such a situation in the Book of Deuteronomy: Deu 22:10  Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

 Here it was forbidden to plow with an ox and a donkey together.

 This represents doing a work together for the Lord.

 An ox was a clean animal and a donkey was an unclean animal.

 A believer cannot do a work for the Lord together with an unbeliever.

 In a marriage, the problems show up immediately, and the believer will suffer serving the Lord, and not many unbelievers in this situation will come to the Lord.

 A true believer is radically different from an unbeliever.

 1) How can we expect to have fellowship when there are two opposing views of the things in this world and the things of the church?

The unbeliever will live and do as they please, and the believer will try to obey the Word of God.

2) An unbeliever has already rejected the truth of Jesus Christ and will not obey God. That person is their own god.

3) They are not seeking the Kingdom of God, and they think they are righteous without the laws of God.

4) They do not hunger and thirst for the truth but say what truth is to them. The truth of the world we know about.

But God says: 1Jn_2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 The word "fellowship" means sharing and participation.

 The word "communion" means to be in union, in partnership, in a bound fellowship, to be closely bound together.

 When you take a light into a dark room, darkness will do its best to hide from that light.

 It is the same with the Lord Jesus Christ, and we see it in our world today.

 When you take the Lord Jesus Christ anywhere in the darkness of this world, that darkness will try to hide its sin, or it will rebel at any sign of Jesus, and hatred will appear.

 A believer's home is Heaven, the unbeliever's home is Hell, and these two places can never come together.

 1Co 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

 If we worship the One true God, and are a Temple for God, we will want no part of unrighteousness!

 Eze 37:27  My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 Lev 26:11  And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. 

Lev 26:12  And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. 

 *****2Co 6:15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 

 To be a child of God is to be righteous.

 To be a child of Belial(the Devil) is to be lawless.

 To be lawless is doing your own will, ignoring the will of God, without recognizing any authority.

 To be in "concord" is to be in agreement, have similar opinions, have similar sentiments, similar views, or similar interests.

 A believer belongs to Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world.

 A non-believer belongs to the Devil, who is the darkness in our world and worthless. (as useless as a pile of trash)

 To be a believer is to be a follower of Christ not only throughout eternity but now in our daily lives.

 The unbeliever hates Jesus Christ!

 To be a believer is to say, "I completely trust the Lord Jesus Christ"; it's called faith.

 Faith is the sincere and hearty assent and consent of the mind to the belief of the being and promises of God, as especially revealed to the church in the person and redemption, work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Faith is the believing of the testimony of Jehovah(Yahweh), through the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 

 *****2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 Since the Holy Spirit dwells in me, there is no room for idols in my life.

 Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 

 As I go about the business of serving the Lord Jesus Christ, I proudly wear the seal of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

 As cattle are branded to show ownership, I am branded with a Heavenly branding iron, which is the Holy Spirit.

 The Lord has paid my sin debt, and I belong to Him; He owns me!

 This seal is permanent: Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

It is the Holy Spirit who is that Seal; God the Father is the Sealer.

The Holy Spirit that gives us the power to show the characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives.

Everything about salvation is about the Triune God, and there is no other such God as He!

1Jn 4:15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

In the Temple of God, God is honored, praised, and served by the true believer.

There is no room for idols of any kind.

The Church, the Body of Christ, is the dwelling place of the One True God.

The God of the Bible has a desire to dwell with His people and walk with us.

God wants to feel at home in His walking, talking temples and move around freely.

Psa 93:5  Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

This is only possible when there are no disturbing elements within us.

So-called believers who associate themselves with the world are not walking with God within them.

*****2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The people of God must be radically separated from the world and everything found in the world.

Yes, we have to work in this world.

Yes, we have to deal with the unbelievers in this world.

But we must remember that any association with unbelievers is what may give us an opportunity to tell them of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so they may have an opportunity to be saved.

God has given us His truth and those denominations that have rejected the truth of God were never saved to begin with.

God warns us about allowing the world into the Church!

Jesus did say to love our enemies, and the best thing we can give to our enemies is the truth of the Word of God.

In the end every believer must break all relationships in which God does not have the first place.

This means relationships that we enter into ourselves.

This means relationships where we have to compromise the Word of God just to remain.

This means the relationships that ruin our testimonies.

This means we must not join ourselves to nonbelievers even in business ventures.

2Ch 20:35  And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: 

2Ch 20:36  And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongeber. 

2Ch 20:37  Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

This means a believer should never marry an unbeliever, but once the marriage takes place, there are only certain reasons that this marriage should be broken.

Keep in mind that as Christians, we may be better off than an unbeliever, but we are not better than they are or anyone else.

There has never been, but One who was/is perfect, and He is our Savior.

We are only better off because of the benefits in choosing the Lord Jesus, which He really chose us.

He came searching for me as He did for every Christian. We must want to be found!

We must never participate in worldly, ungodly events with an unbeliever.

We must not even look like we are being sinful.

We must not question, try to rationalize, twist these words to some other meaning, or ignore this command of God.

If we want God to receive us, we must obey all His commandments!

If God is not our Father, then we are not His children.

Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

We cannot say we are Christians if we refuse to repent from our old life.

Amen