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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
November, 1941
edge, and In all diligence, and In your love, to ns, see that ye abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by. commandment* but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 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. 9:8 Rut this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he pur- poseth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God lo v- eth a cheerful giver. LESSOR T E X T : 2 Cor. 8;X -0: 9:6, 7. GOLDEN T E X T : “It is required in stew ards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2). DEVOTIONAL READ ING : Psa. 92:1-5, 1 2 -1 5 . Outline and Exposition I. T he S ource (8:1-5) G RACE is the basis of true stew Lord’s people in Macedonia (vs. 2-4). From these verses it will be seen that giving, on the part of the Christian, should be eager, willing, and if need be, sacrificial. There are two things, the passage teaches, that play a large part in true Christian giving: joy and poverty. The poverty declares, “I can not,” but the joy says, “I must!” It is not the amount givep that counts with God, but the heart behind the giving. Grace bore fruit in the Corinthians as they gave unto the Lord, “beseech ing” the apostles to .accept, their offer ings. Their material gifts were accept able, because they first gave themselves to the Lord. This surrender of self is what the Lord desires most of all. He longs to possess and control every be liever. A man may own an umbrella and not possess it; it may be in the hands of some other person. The Lord owns the Christian, but in many cases what He owns is in the control of an other user, that is, self. It should be remembered that the Christian is not the owner of anything he may have; he is merely the trustee or steward of it. Two qualities are essential in' a steward —faithfulness and wisdom in adminis tering the trust. Hence, whether the amount to be administered be large or small, prayer for guidance is always necessary in Christian giving. II. T he C haracter (8:6-9) The example of the Macedonians was cited in order to stir up .the Corinthi ans, for whom Paul coveted "this grace also.” G.iving was the spiritual prac tice Which the Corinthians needed in order to give symmetry to their Chris tian lives. They had faith and knowl edge and love, but their lives would be unbalanced without this gift also. It is a grace bestowed by the Holy Spirit,
and, when cultivated, it produces full enjoyment and blessing, g Giving is also a proof of the sincerity of the Christian’s love (vs. 8, 9). Love must express itself in giving (cf. John 3:16; 10:11, etc.). Hid God love the world? The answer is: He gave to the world His beloved Son. How, great was that love! How great was that Gift! Does the Christian love God? The mea sure of that love is se®l in the Chris tian’s giving. Giving brings the Christian into close fellowship with his Lord (v. 9). Here we can see God’s grace in action. He had all, He gave all, and He expects all from those with whom He has fel lowship (cf. 1 John 4:17). m. T he M ethod (9:6, 7) “ Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee” (Deut. 16:17). The Christian’s giving should be bountiful, because the blessing Of the Lord is bountiful. The giving shall be controlled by the purpose of the heart. The believer should give, not merely, when the emo tions are stirred by the account of some dire condition of need, but constantly, as one is moved by the realization of his relation to the Lord, the Giver of all. The giving shall be done cheerfully, not "out of ’grief,” 'or grudgingly. Rather, it shall be “out of merriment,” as the passage implies. Christian stew ardship is, then, giving to the Lord with faithfulness, like the Lord with gladness, and for the Lord with love. Points and Problems 1. “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of MaceConia” (2 Cor. 8: 1). This-verse unfortunately is ex pressed in a form of old English which is practically unintelligible to the reader of today. The American Revision makes it clear: “We make known to you the grace of God.” 2. Verse-3 is clearer in the American Revision: “For according to their power, I bear witness, y e a and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord.” What a lesson in Christian giving! First, they gave. Since it is the very nature of the true God to give, we have a
right to' expect that those who partake of the divine nature, through the new birth will also manifest the grace of giving. Second, they gave of their own accord. And third, they gave beyond their power. This sounds like a con tradiction. How can any one give more than he can give ? Well, we shall have the answer if we put the emphasis on the right word: They gave beyond their power. There is another power in the life of the believer, a higher power, an infinite power, a power completely beyond and above our powers. It is only when by faith we push on beyond our own feeble powers that we tap this ocean o f endless power, and then giving becomes great and full of joy. But fourth, and most important of all, they first gave their o w n selves to the Lord. This explains everything else. That which is first given to the Lord, like the loaves and fishes, may be increased and multiplied beyond all human com prehension. “I give Thee back the life I owe, That ,in Thine ocean .depths its flow May richer, fuller be.” 3. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 9). Here, in the matter of Christian giving, we come to the argument of arguments, the reason of reasons, the supreme motive of all motives—“the grace of our Lord.” Nothing else works as ■ this works. Yet, strange to say, preachers and churches will try everything else before trying the grace of the Lord. They plead, and argue, hnd scold, and even threaten; they employ dishonoring w o r l d l y methods and drives, and at last fail. If they knew the grace of God, and preached it, and leaned upon it, all such problems could be solved to the glory of ,God and good reputation of His church. Golden Text Illustration 1 C orinthians 4:2 It is told of an English statesman that a member of the House of Com mons assailed him in that body, and twitted him about his humble origin. “I remember when you blacked my father’s boots!” the member sneeringly exclaimed. The statesman thrilled the assembly with this rejoinder: “Well, sir, did I not black them well?” Most of us never rise above the per forming of humble tasks in life. If they are but done well, there is nothing to cause us to be ashamed. —Selected. Love Gifts 2 C orinthians 8:1-21 , MEMORY VERSE: “ God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). APPROACH: At the beginning of the day, three children each told their mother that they loved her. Then the
ardship (v. 1). A striking il lustration is given concerning the exercise of this grace among the
BLACKBOARD LESSON
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