Growing Together Week 2

The Mystery of Sacrifice
Introduction
I finally figured out why I’m apprehensive about talking about giving. Sure, people get funny about money, but there’s something else that bugs me about it: I realize that I run the risk of reinforcing all those negative stereotypes that we’ve sadly inherited by all those Cable TV predator-peddlers, telemarketing televangelists. But ours is a different message, a deeply spiritual message, a liberating message, a gracious and compelling message. Ours is a message of compassion and trust, of faith beyond the surface of things. Ours is a message of love; a message of joy that comes from selflessness and sacrifice. It’s a high message and a low message. It’s a message of divine exploit and others-centered humility. In short, it’s a true message, a Christmasesque message: Our message is the Mystery of Sacrifice.

I. They Begged to Give
2Cor 8:1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

Tactfully, Paul begins with an example, not a plea. That though the Macedonian churches faced severe troubles, they gave with head-turning selflessness. Mysteriously, their “extreme poverty” had become “rich generosity.” Why? How? That’s what beneficiaries of grace do—they give “beyond their ability” (v 3); not because they lack judgment, but because they lack nothing, and this because they know Christ.

5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. Paul knew what we sometimes forget: When we give, we give to God. We give to people, causes, and campaigns because we have given ourselves first to the Lord.

7But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Paul says that faith, speech, and knowledge are all great things to excel in, to be excellent in, but let’s not forget excellence in “the grace of giving.”

9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

So I have to ask myself: “Having become rich because of Christ’s poverty, can I with a clean conscience be selfish with the riches that I’ve received at the cost of the cross of Christ?” Or do I, to the contrary, so appreciate the cost of the cross (and my personal benefit of it) that I can do nothing but be generous—even in ways that don’t always make sense, ways that defy conventional wisdom, and ways that require great faith.

Paul says, “I am not commanding you.” (v8) Willingness of heart is the true test of whether or not a person gets it.

II. The Mystery of Sacrifice
2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

In classical fashion, Paul uses the agricultural metaphor. But the metaphor stands the test of time. As long as we live on planet earth, we will rely on seed and soil. So if I plant a couple seeds, I’ll get a couple plants. But if I plant acres and acres of cheerfully planted seed—the Son, the sun, the rain and the soil will provide a bumper crop.

A bumper crop is an unusually large crop-growth and harvest. The etymology of the word “bumper” in this sense comes from the 17th century, when a bumper was a large glass of beer or wine that was filled to the brim and running over. That’s how God wants to bless us; that’s how He wants to respond to our cheerful giving and living.

God has a special heart for the cheerful (lit. hilarious) giver. Churches may take money from grumps, but God won't. Grumpy money may pad ministry bank accounts but it's counterfeit in heaven. So if you find yourself grumpy about giving, it might be better to keep your money. Tearful giving and fearful giving is not what God wants for you. God doesn’t need money. He wants giving. And He wants giving for you—it’s ultimately for your benefit.

Materialism blinds us to the real priorities of life. A penny will hide the biggest star in the universe if you hold it close enough to your eye. We're willing to forfeit all kinds of wonderful things for money. Jesus said that some are even willing to forfeit their souls—He said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" Success demands strange sacrifices from those who worship her.

Here we are in 21st century America, with every technological comfort imaginable. Yet, we're bored. We're like the spoiled children of filthy rich parents, bored to tears in a room full of expensive toys. Money has never made anyone rich. We used to stand in awe at the natural wonders of this world—birth, stars, flowers, laughter, tears. But now we fidget with our toys and cry for more. Isn’t this sad?

III. The Cure—Luke 16:9-14
Luke 16:9: I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? 13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.

If you're wise, money will be your servant; if you're foolish, money will be your master. Jesus is basically saying that we have the ability and responsibility to invest our money in “making friends” for God. This simply means that we use our resources for kingdom economy and expansion. And this is realized practically through the cheerful giving of tithes and offerings.

Jesus says that we can't serve both God and money. We can’t be theologically orthodox financial heretics. We can't serve two masters anymore than we can walk in two directions at one time. If we choose to serve money, then we cannot serve God. If we choose to serve God, then we will not serve money, and we will aim our resources toward the kingdom of God.

The Bible doesn’t condemn wealth. There are those who equate poverty to spirituality. And just as money will never make you truly rich, poverty will never make you spiritual. There are some people, who, in their poverty are far more materialistic than others who are rich. Christians who knock other Christians for having money are far more materialistic than those who have money and honor God with their money. The warning here is against "the love of money." Both rich people and poor alike can love money. The Bible says, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." Money itself isn't evil; it's neutral. But the love of it can be a root—a source—of all kinds of evil.

Conclusion: A Deeper Understanding
10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Money has yet to make anyone truly rich. Nor has money ever made anyone truly secure. Being “rich in every way” goes far beyond the Televangelist’s vending machine approach to God. That’s as cheap as the talk they speak. “Rich in every way” is the bumper crop economy of the Spirit—or Paul’s Ephesian promise that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.