SHOE LEATHER CHRISTIANITY THE SECOND MILE. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. March 8, 2015

Transcription

1 SHOE LEATHER CHRISTIANITY THE SECOND MILE 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 March 8, 2015 INTRODUCTION: In Matthew 5:38-42 of the Beatitudes, Jesus spoke of the Second Mile. Matthew 5:38-42 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. It s as though Jesus is calling upon His followers to do more than the norm; go over and above. Thinking through these challenges it is apparent that you can t lead someone you don t influence. Undoubtedly through the years Jesus has had great influence in His followers lives. To illustrate 11 of His 12 disciples died as martyrs. 1

2 To experience second mile living one has to understand: 1. Authority: The power or right to direct or control someone. Example: Jesus heals a centurion s servant Matthew 8:7-9 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 2. Affection: Colossians 3:1-3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 2

3 3. Accountability: Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Speaks of a willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one s actions. 4. Authenticity: Made to be or look just like an original. The passion in a believers life for Second Mile living is a picture of the effects of grace. Grace is defined as unmerited favor- it is God s richest at Christ s expense. In the context of receiving His grace as a gift, it means to take something that belongs to someone and credit to anothers account. It is a one-sided account. Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? " Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. " Song says, Grace, grace, God s grace Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. I m grateful for the effects of Grace. I am saved by grace, kept by grace. It is grace that gave us the church, grace gives us hope, it is grace that gives, forgiveness, fellowship, and heaven. Grace has 3

4 affected my past, present and my future. Grace has touched every area of my life. It has touched my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my work, my worship and my worth. It has touched my mind (the way I think), my life (the way I act, live), grace sure makes a difference in life as a whole. 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. Jesus Christ is a GIVER and a GENEROUS GIVER. The Apostle Paul uses the example of a local church in order to display the effects of grace in a people s giving to support God s work. How people view money is an effective barometer of their spirituality. Money is neither good nor bad in itself; corrupt people can put it to evil uses, while good people can put it to righteous uses. The Rich of the Bible led the way in giving; today, the more one has the less percentage they give. Giving To Religion On The Decline As Other Sectors Grow- January 8, 2015 o While giving to other sectors has actively increased by 12.3% since 2009, giving to religion has decreased by 2.4% 4

5 o Good news is giving to houses of worship still attracts the highest percentage, but the percentage is slipping. o 1 out of 5 (20%) of American Christians give nothing. o If the average Christian household gave just 10% instead of 2.58% they currently give, it would result in additional $168 billion in donations. How do Baptist compare with other religious groups on giving? Baptist $53,534 Salary Baptist $ 1,078 Giving Baptist 2.01 Percentage Jewish $123,305 Salary Jewish $ 1,552 Giving Jewish 1.36 Percentage Mormon $64,334 Salary Mormon $ 3,574 Giving Mormon 5.55 Percentage 5

6 The Bible does not forbid the possession of money: God gives the power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). He willingly supplies us with all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Boaz, and Solomon were godly men with extreme wealth. While the Bible does not forbid possessing wealth, it does forbid loving it. Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. 1 Timothy 6:10, 17 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 6

7 EXAMPLES: Achan s love of money brought disaster to himself, his family, and his nation (Joshua 7:1-25). Balaam s love of money caused him to foolishly attempt to curse God s chosen people (Numbers 22:24). Delilah s love of money led her to betray Samson (Judges 16). Judas love of money caused him to betray the Lord Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16). Loving money makes people forget God (Deuteronomy 8:11), trust in their riches rather than Him, be deceived, compromise convictions, be proud, steal from God, and ignore the needs of others. Job 31:24, Mark 4:19, 1 John 3:17, Malachi 3:8, Deuteronomy 8:14. Many view giving as merely another obligation, it is in reality a priceless privilege, because it is the pipeline which brings God s promised blessings to His people. Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the 7

8 same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." 2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. The only direct quote from Jesus earthly ministry recorded outside of the Gospels addresses the issue of giving. Acts 20:35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Generous giving to God results in greater giving from God; it is impossible to out give Him. The promise associated with giving should stimulate believers to be sacrificially generous givers. Malachi 3:8-10 Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, 8

9 That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven Ad pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. Sadly, the powerful lure of the world s advertising, slick appeals, self-indulgence, and lack of faith all hinder believers from the full blessing of giving. In 2 Corinthians 8 the Bible speaks of the motives of giving. John McArthur said that this passage reveals that giving is motivated by God s grace, transcends difficult circumstances, is with joy, not hindered by poverty, generous, proportionate, sacrificial, voluntary, a privilege, an act of worship, in submission to pastors, in concert with other Christian virtues, and evidence of love. I. THE EXPRESSION OF GRACE 1 An encounter with grace. grace of God in the sense of operative, favoring, presence and power of God. Their giving was not motivated primarily by philanthropy or human kindness, but by the grace of God at work in their hearts. One of the effects of saving, transforming, sanctifying grace is a 9

10 longing to give generously and sacrificially to those in need, especially other believers. The Macedonians gave magnanimously and abundantly. Paul wished for them to know of the grace effect in the Macedonians heart. we wish to make known to you Macedonia is located in Northern Greece and we believe Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea are the cities Paul is referencing. These were all Gentile cities that had been plundered by the Romans. Yet because of God s grace they had a testimony that Paul wished to testify of to other believers. 2 Corinthians 9:2 For I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 2 Corinthians 8:1 This verse sets all that follows in the context of motivation. What we will continue to read and learn about giving generously and sacrificially is motivated by grace of God. 10

11 HOW ABOUT FBCW GIVING: 7,100 Local Family Units Number of Givers: 7,344 8,025 Total Dollars Given: $19,910,125 $19,922,208 Average Total Dollars Given: $2,482 $2,678 Average Number of Times Giving Per Year: Percentage Of Givers Who Gave Less Than $500 For The Year: 58% 52% Givers of Less Than $ Provided What Percentage Of Total Gifts: 2.6% 2.51% Number Of Givers Who Gave Only To Designated Or Special Offering: 2, Percentage Of Givers Who Gave Amounts Equal To A Tithe (10%) Based Upon $40,000 Annual Income: 22% 15% Note: Report represents Givers Only defined as having given at least $

12 397 families gave between $10K and $20K. 82 families gave between $20K and $30K. 47 families gave between $30K and $50K. 10 families gave between $50K and $100K. 5 families gave between $100K and $200K. 1 family gave over $200K. This shows that 60% of our total giving last year was given by 542 family units out of 7,100 family units. Of $20,000,000 in gifts, $11,625,000 given by 542 units. 70% of our people gave a tithe that would be below poverty level. That is $20,000 for a family and $11,000 for individuals. 12