Thank you so much for joining us for today’s teaching; we are honored to be with you and look forward to learning from God’s Word. We believe the principles in the Bible are for every one of us, and it is for our good when we apply these principles to our lives. God understands us. He created us, and He knows what is best for us. It is on us to learn and obey his commands.
Today, our lesson is from the first seven verses of II Corinthians 8. This lesson and the following three lessons are about different aspects of giving. I’ve already heard some people say,” I will start giving when I have more to give.” Some people think they don’t make enough or don’t have enough to be giving now. The Bible never ties giving to making or having a certain amount. All His children are expected to give, and today, we will look at the heart we should have as we give.
That is where this lesson starts. Today, our title is “The Heart of Giving.” Pastor J Mark will share three motivations behind a giving heart. Let’s go with him now for today’s lesson from II Corinthians 8.
Sometimes, when we talk about an issue or a situation, we ask, “What’s the heart of the matter?” In other words, what’s the core issue or the real reason behind the situation? We’re looking for causes, not just symptoms.
In Luke chapter six, Jesus contrasted good and evil men by saying, “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” A man’s life gives evidence of what’s really in his heart. Solomon wrote, “Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.”
In Second Corinthians, chapters eight and nine, Paul discusses giving. The context is a physical need, and the giving is financial. What is the heart of giving? What motivates God’s people to give to the needs of others?
We want to discover that today from our text, II Corinthians 8:1-7.
1Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:
2 that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.
3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,
4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, he would also complete this grace in you as well.
7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.
This text highlights several MOTIVATIONS that reveal to us the heart of giving.
The First Motivation is,
A Dedication to God
Paul said the reason for the generosity of the Macedonian Believers, despite their extreme poverty, was – “they first gave themselves to the Lord.” This motivation is at the core of biblical giving.
Christ-followers are not the only people who give generously. Many of the wealthiest people in the world give vast sums of money to their favorite causes. These people are often referred to as altruistic, which means they have an unselfish regard for the welfare of others.
But is that true? Do they have unselfish regard for others, or do they have a specific agenda that motivates their giving? Do they give to get something in return or to accomplish what they think is best?
Paul praises these Believers for their devotion to God. Unlike the wealthy, they gave out of their extreme poverty. They were at the bottom of the economic scale, yet they gave with overflowing joy! What about our giving? Are we so dedicated to the Lord that we’re willing to give out of what we need?
These Believers understood their obligation to care for God’s people by giving themselves first to God. They had only the Old Testament Scriptures and perhaps a few portions of Jesus’ teachings. But like Zacchaeus, they understood that a changed heart resulted in concern for the well-being of others, especially brothers and sisters in Christ.
The first motivation that reveals the heart of giving is a dedication to God.
Another Motivation (that reveals the heart of giving) is,
A Delight in God’s Goodness
When Paul was writing, Macedonia was being strangled by high taxes and regulations by Rome. Furthermore, we learn from Acts 17:5 and First Thessalonians 2:14 that these Believers were facing severe persecution. We have many brothers and sisters around the world today who face economic hardship and religious persecution as part of their daily lives.
Paul told the Corinthian Believers that their brothers and sisters in Macedonia were going through a severe test. His word refers to the intense heat used in the refining of metals.
So how could the Macedonian Believers delight in God’s goodness? They were living in poverty, and they were also going through intense persecution. Would you and I be able to delight in God’s goodness in similar circumstances? The answer to that question is found in the first motivation we looked at – dedication to God. They realized that all they possessed belonged ultimately to God. And that what they had gained in receiving the Gospel far outweighed any material loss.
Who are the most thankful people you know, who delight the most in God’s goodness? Are they the wealthiest people? Are they people who’ve had an easy life?
On one of my trips to Asia, I was invited to the home of a very active brother in ministry. We entered a room that I assumed was just part of his home when we arrived at the house. I learned later that this was the entire living quarters. He, his wife, and their son lived in a one-room apartment, about 4 meters square. They share a kitchen and bathroom with the other tenants who live on the same floor. All their earthly possessions, except a motorcycle, were stored in that room.
And yet this brother displays quiet confidence in God and delights in His goodness. I was blessed to make his acquaintance, but his godly example deeply challenged me. I have much to learn from my brothers and sisters in the developing world.
So, two motivations that reveal the heart of giving are dedication to God and delight in His goodness.
The Final Motivation (that reveals the heart of giving) is,
The Desire to Share
When a person is dedicated to God and delights in His goodness, the desire to share with others is a natural response. Paul writes in verse 4 that the Macedonian Believers. “…[implored] us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”
So, even though they were living in poverty, even though they were going through a time of intense persecution, they were begging Paul for the privilege of sharing in this relief offering for the church in Jerusalem. He further says they went beyond their ability and gave more than they could afford!
Keep in mind that the Jerusalem church was predominately Jewish and didn’t always look with favor on the Gentile churches. If you or I were treated poorly by someone, we wouldn’t be eager to help them in their time of need. But this reinforces the level at which the Macedonian Believers were dedicated to the Lord. They were sharing with the Lord Himself by sharing in the needs of their brothers and sisters.
Four young Bible College students were renting a house together. One Saturday morning, an older man knocked on their door. His clothes were ragged and torn. His shoes didn’t match. And he carried a wicker basket of vegetables he was trying to sell. The vegetables were bruised, deformed, and on the verge of spoiling.
The boys felt sorry for him and bought some of his vegetables. Then he went on his way. But he appeared at their door every Saturday after that with his basket of vegetables. As the boys got to know him better, they learned he lived just down the street in an old, run-down house. They discovered he could play the harmonica, loved to play Christian hymns, and sincerely loved the Lord.
They became good friends, and the boys sought ways to help him. One day, they collected many clothes and secretly left them on his doorstep. The following Saturday morning, right in the middle of all their singing, he suddenly stopped and said to them, “God is so good!” And they all agreed, “Yes, God is so good.”
He went on, “You know why he is so good?” They said, “Why?” He said, “Because yesterday when I got up and opened my door, there were boxes full of clothes and shoes and coats and gloves. Yes, God is so good!” And the boys smiled and said, “Yes, God is so good.”
He went on, “You know why He is so good?” They answered, “You already told us why. What more?” He said, “Because I found a family who could use those things and gave them all away.” This elderly man, in his poverty, desired to share with those less fortunate than him. And he had the joy of being the one God used to meet that need.
As you think about these motivations that reveal the heart of giving, they are simply a mirror of the life of Jesus. His dedication to His Father was such that He could say, “I always do those things that please Him.”
His delight in the goodness of His Father is stated clearly in John 17, where He said, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Finally, Jesus’ dedication to God and delight in God’s goodness gave Him the desire to share eternal life with all who would believe in Him.
Paul ends this text by urging Titus and the Believers at Corinth to follow through on their commitment to the church’s needs in Jerusalem. He compliments them on their abounding faith, speech, knowledge, diligence, and love and concludes by saying, “Now, be diligent in giving, too.”
Now you know the motivations at the heart of giving: a dedication to God, a delight in God’s goodness, and a desire to share. Ask God to develop those motivations more fully in your life.
Thanks, J Mark, for the first part of this teaching on giving. It is always good to start by looking at the reasons behind our actions. We are creatures of habit; often, we settle into our routines and don’t think about why we do what we do. These three motivations for giving were good, and our challenge is for you to evaluate and think about the reasons you give.
The end of today’s teaching came quickly, but that is not the end of teaching about giving. Please join us next week for more teaching from II Corinthians on giving. If you have questions about today’s teaching or want to hear it again. Please feel free to contact us. Here is how you can reach us. The best way is via email, and our email is [email protected]. You can also contact us on our website, heraldsofhope.org. And, of course, it is always possible to write to us. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. We would love to hear from you, so feel free to contact us however it is easiest for you.
Thanks again for joining us on Hope for Today, and we encourage you to join us again next week. Until then, may we be faithful, and let’s do our best to live out these words of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.