11-5-23 Grace-Tucson Sermon

Pastor Tim Patoka

Godly Giving

November 5, 2023

Overflow with Contagious Generosity 2 Corinthians 8:1-12 If you are encouraging people to give, there are some tried-and-true ways to do so. You can give them public recognition by reading or posting their names somewhere. You can incentive them by giving something in return like a treasured memento, practical item, or a chance to win some prize. You can make their gifts visible like how $30 will feed a child for 30 days. You can even use peer pressure to create a positive buzz like at an auction.

If you were the Apostle Paul writing to the Christians in Corinth, how would you encourage them to give? Let me first give you some backstory. The Christians in Jerusalem were yet again suffering from famine and persecution. Though the Corinthians were halfway across the Mediterranean Sea, their hearts went out to their suffering brothers and sisters in Christ. So they eagerly pledged to raise some funds and help them. That was a year ago and little had since been done. Knowing that they had the means to give and were once eager, Paul writes these words from 2 Corinthians that we’ll look at the next 3 Sundays in our Godly Giving worship series. He starts off this morning by encouraging them to overflow with contagious generosity so they may have the right attitude to give to others. Listen to how Paul does this in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 beginning at verse 1, “Now brothers…”

Paul shows the Corinthians two examples of contagious generosity: Jesus Christ and the Christians in Macedonia. You may know their notable cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Both Jesus and the Macedonians demonstrated generosity in its purest form: a singleminded attitude that simply gave without expecting anything in return or with any ulterior motives. Not only did this kind of generosity draw Jesus’ praise as we heard in our Gospel and the widow’s offering, it is naturally contagious. We typically see generosity as selfish, forced, and faked. But when we witness this single-minded attitude, it’s noteworthy, refreshing, and naturally draws us in with its purity and innocence. It also inspires us all to be contagiously generous.

While the Macedonians were contagiously generous, the Corinthians were not. That’s the underlying reason why they struggled to finish their collection because they were not overflowing with contagious generosity. We too struggle to overflow with this. Perhaps it’s because our generosity is dependent on what we get in return. Thinking of the Corinthians, what would they get from sending financial relief to the suffering Christians in Jerusalem? Nothing except for warm fuzzies and maybe a thank you letter. It’s hard to give when that’s all you get.

When we get our quarterly giving statements in the mail, it says at the top, “No goods or services were provided by Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in return for contributions. The only benefit received was an intangible religious benefit.” Would you give more to Grace if you got more in return? Or do you struggle to overflow with contagious generosity towards your church home when all you get in return is an intangible religious benefit?

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Pastor Tim Patoka

Godly Giving

November 5, 2023

When our generosity is afflicted by ulterior motives, we especially struggle to overflow with contagious generosity. We give so that we look good to others, avoid that judgmental comment, or to decrease our tax liability. Or perhaps our motives are entirely self-serving. God is entirely left out because we only give to ourselves and people we care about. In that case, we are anything but overflowing with contagious generosity.

It’s not a surprise that the Corinthians didn’t complete their collection after a full year. When you lack this single-minded attitude that just gives to others, you aren’t going to overflow with contagious generosity. That’s why we need to listen to the Apostle Paul’s inspired words.

Because the way he corrects the Corinthians’ heart is the same way he corrects ours.

Paul does this by reviewing how Christ richly blessed us. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9 EHV) When Jesus came to this world to be our Savior, he became poor in many ways for a time. He gave up the splendor of heaven for the squalor of earth. He took on human flesh and renounced his spiritual and heavenly glory. He lived as an itinerant preacher without a place of his own to lay his head. He took on our debt of sin and paid for it with his life on the cross.

Christ did all that for us because of his contagious generosity, a single-minded attitude that found joy in richly blessing us. Through faith in his life, death, and resurrection, we have forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation. These spiritual blessings are far richer than anything hoarded wealth can purchase. A clean slate before the Judge of all who declares you not guilty?

An eternal life in heaven with every godly joy and pleasure to be had? The freedom that comes from knowing you’re saved because of Jesus and what he did? Not only are these spiritual blessings beyond rich, they’re yours through faith!

As if that wasn’t enough, Christ also richly blesses us with God’s promises to provide, protect, and preserve us. True, God has not promised that we’ll enjoy the finer things in life. But he will give our daily bread and everything else we need at the proper time. And that promise is more than what the world can give you.

Seeing how richly Christ has blessed us because of his contagious generosity, we then overflow with our contagious generosity. For we live in a state of plenty. We don’t have to scrimp and save or kick and scream just to survive. God will ensure our survival, even when the days seem dark. We don’t live burdened with impossible standards to earn God’s favor. We have Christ’s righteousness and God’s face shining upon us. As such, we can overflow with contagious generosity as we freely and joyfully give to others of the very things we have ourselves!

Our Lord has equipped us to overflow. Like the Corinthians, we already overflow in some ways: “in faith, in word, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us.” (2 Cor 8:7 2

Pastor Tim Patoka

Godly Giving

November 5, 2023

EHV) In faith, the Corinthians overflowed in their rock-solid trust in God’s promises. So we overflow through faith-shaking events: the Covid pandemic, senseless violence at home and abroad, political instability and divisiveness. In word, the Corinthians overflowed in their gift of speech. So we overflow with lay people who are gifted public speakers or know what to say at the right time. In knowledge, the Corinthians overflowed with intellectual comprehension of worldly subjects. So we overflow with college degrees, letters after our name, and students studying to do the same. In all diligence, the Corinthians overflowed in consist activity. So we overflow with many of you driving a distance to just come here for worship as well as volunteering your time to carry out Grace’s ministry and modeling Christ in your homes. In your love for us, the Corinthians overflowed in their commendable treatment of Paul and his coworkers. So you overflow in your cares, prayers, and concerns for your pastors. (And not just last month for Pastor’s Appreciation Month!)

As we already overflow in these ways, let us also overflow with contagious generosity, a singleminded attitude that simply gives to others out of faith and thanks to Jesus who has richly blessed us. And we can learn how by mimicking the Macedonians. The Macedonians likely did not give all that much. Given their sufferings from persecution and some degree of poverty, there’s only so much they could give in the first place. But what was commendable was their contagious generosity. They surprised Paul by asking him out of the blue “Where can we give?” instead of needing to be reminded to give in the first place. So Paul directed their generous hearts to the suffering Christians in Jerusalem. And they gave with joy for the gracious privilege they had to serve their Christian brothers and sisters in need.

You don’t have to search too hard to find where you can overflow with contagious generosity.

Every Sunday when the plate is passed or you scan the QR code to give online, there you can give out of faith and thanks to Jesus who has richly blessed you. Because when you give to Grace, you give to the ministry we do as one church family in Benson, Sahuarita, Tucson, and Vail. You also give to the work our Wisconsin Lutheran church body does across our entire nation and world! In addition, you have the various fundraisers that happen here at Grace for specific ministries or organizations. Don’t forget your opportunities outside these four walls. As the salt of the earth who preserves it from sin’s decay and the light of the world who shares Christ with sin-blinded people, you can model godly giving to reflects God’s will and priorities in the secular world as well.

As you overflow with contagious generosity, remember what counts. The attitude behind it, a single-minded joy that simply gives to others out of faith and thanks to Jesus. That’s what Jesus praised the widow for in our Gospel. That’s what Paul zeros in on from the Macedonians.

That’s what the Corinthians needed to hear so they could finish their collection to help the suffering Christians in Jerusalem. And that’s where we begin as we look at Godly Giving. May the Lord work in us a renewed love for Christ who has richly blessed through faith in him so that we may overflow with contagious generosity. Amen.

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