2 Corinthians 9 Lesson

GIVING TO THE LORD

All of us have something to give to the Lord!

And as we think about what we have to give to the Lord, we need to remember two things:

1. “Every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above.” -James 1:17,
2. “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” - 2 Corinthians 9:7.

Giving is a privilege! 

It means that God has blessed us with more than we need. 

Whether we give of our money, our time, or our talents, God wants us to do it cheerfully, and with love in our hearts. 

In today’s lesson, we will look at five points that Paul makes about giving in his second letter to the Corinthians.

As you read these five points, think about what they mean to you and how you can apply them in your efforts to glorify God and serve others.

FIVE POINTS ABOUT GIVING FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL

1. Giving is something that we should prepare for.   Paul knew that there were people in need.  He also knew from his travels which people had the means to help them.   So, Paul put together a plan to connect the people that were in need with the people that could help.  We tend to think of needs primarily as financial needs, but this concept applies to all areas of life.  If somebody is lonely and would be uplifted by a visit, then what they need is somebody’s time.  Some people have time available, and others do not.  Whatever we have been blessed with, we are to use it to glorify God and to serve others,
2. We should give generously.   Paul writes, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6.   In other words, the more seeds we plant, the greater our harvest will be.  If we have more to give, God does not want us to limit our contributions.  He expects us to use what we have been blessed with.  Remember the Parable of the Talents found in Mathew 25:14-30?  The servant who took what his master had given him and never made anything more from it was called, “wicked and lazy,” and “thrown into the outer darkness."   The servant who took what his master had given him and put it to work pleased his master and was given additional talents to use.  The message is simple.  As Christians, we are to use what God has given us to glorify Him, and to serve others. In short, we are to get busy doing the work of the Lord!
3. We should give as we have purposed in our hearts.   God wants us to reflect on how we have been blessed and how we can use these blessings to glorify Him and serve others.  Imagine how different the world would be if everyone followed this type of servant leadership.  Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but withhumility consider one another as more important than yourselves.” – Philippians 2:3,
4. We should not give grudgingly or under compulsion.   We do not give because we must, we give because we want to.  When we put our spiritual gifts to work for the Lord, we please God, and we will be blessed!  
5. We should give cheerfully.   “God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7.  It is a blessing to have been given so much that we have a surplus to share with others. Realizing that God has given us more than we need and being able to help others is supposed to make us happy.

CONCLUSION

Being a Christian is not about seeing how much “stuff” we can accumulate.

It is not about how comfortable we can make our lives.

And it is not about satisfying our own selfish ambitions.

Being a Christian is about two things:

1. Glorifying God,
2. Serving others.

This means denying ourselves earthly pleasures, taking the focus off ourselves, and putting our talents to work for the Lord.

And when we think about giving, there is no better example for us to follow than Jesus.

Jesus was selfless and focused all His energies on bringing glory to His Father and serving others.

In Mathew’s Gospel, Jesus said the following:

• “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” - Mathew 20:26-28.

Nobody ever gave more than Jesus did on the cross at Calvary.  He is our perfect example to follow when it comes to giving of ourselves and putting our talents to work.

Today’s lesson identified these five points about giving:

1. Giving is something that we should prepare for,
2. We should give generously,
3. We should give as we have purposed in our hearts,
4. We should not give grudgingly or under compulsion,
5. We should give cheerfully. 

We will conclude today’s lesson with the following three scriptures about giving:

1. “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” - Luke 6:38,
2. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” - Acts 20:35,
3. “One who is gracious to a poor person lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.” - Proverbs 19:17.