--PRE-SERVICE PRAYER--

Focus: Opportunities Are Coming

Foundation Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:8-10 NLT

Prayer Points:
1. Receive and Respect His Provision
2. Prepare for God-ordained Opportunities.
3. Project God’s Glory Alone
4. Powerful Sunday Service

--MESSAGE--

Introduction:
According to Church Trac Tithing Statistics:
· ~ 5% of churchgoers tithe (Church Development).
· ~ Out of the 247 million U.S. citizens identifying as Christians, 1.5 million people tithe (Sharefaith). That’s less than 1%.
~ 77% of tithers give more than 10% (Health Research Funding).

At Linked UP Church we have on record 3555 adult members, not including young adults (who have not acquired membership on their own), teens and children. These numbers are accurate as of the end of 2022. Out of the the 3555 unique adult members, 48% of them tithe.

Tithe - Put simply, a “tithe” is the first tenth. That means the verb “tithing” is the process of giving one-tenth, or 10 percent, of all income to God before a single penny is spent.

Offering - In the Bible, the offering is an act of gratitude to God.A gift or present that demonstrates appreciation for all He has done for you.

Warren Buffet has given $48 billion to charity. His total net worth is $100.2 billion according to an article in Forbes entitled “Billionaires.”

According to an article in USA Today Bill Gates has given over 50 billion to charitable causes over his career. His total net worth is 113 billion, all of which he plans to give away to charities when he passes.

Oprah Winfrey has donated 72 million to charitable organizations, her total net worth is 3 billion according to Yahoo Finance.

Let’s look at tithing before the law, during the law, the book of Acts, and the New Testament.

A. Before the Law.

B. During the Law.

C. The book of Acts. The start of the church. We see generosity, alms, and offerings.

D. The New Testament.

E. God didn’t do away with the old, He made it better.

F. Grace Filled Generosity.

Paul didn’t see giving as a mundane matter, nor as something optional in our Christian walk. On the contrary, he saw grace filled generosity as a core part of what it means for us to be members of Christ’s body. He shows how our regular giving is rooted in three central themes in the New Testament.

1. The grace of God.
2. The finished work of the cross.
3. The unity of the Spirit.

Let’s look at ten principles Paul teaches about grace filled generosity found in 2 Corinthians chapters 8-9.

1. Generosity is an expression of God's grace.

Grace (Gk-Charis)- graciousness, liberality, divine influence upon the heart, benefit, favor, joy, gratitude.

* This word appears 10 times in chapters 8-9.

Let’s look at how this grace manifested in verses 2-6:
1. In a great trial of affliction.
2. Abundance of joy.
3. Deep poverty led to rich liberality.
4. They willingly and freely gave beyond their ability.
5. They pleaded for the privilege to do so.
6. They had a heart to partner in ministering to other saints.
7. They gave of themselves first, then to the leadership to do the will of God.
8. Paul urged Titus to complete the grace that he had begun in them.

2. Giving is listed along with the charisma (graces) of the Spirit.

Excel- exceed, increase, to be better, go over and above.

The Corinthians already excel in the spiritual gifts of faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness and love, and the apostle urges them to excel also ‘in this grace of giving’. Similarly in Romans 12: 8 Paul includes among another list of charismata ‘contributing to the needs of others’

3. The finished work of the cross should inspire our giving.

Paul was not commanding the Corinthians to give generously. This is not how he deals with them. Rather he puts the sincerity of their love to the test by comparing them with others and especially (it is implied) with Christ. For they knew ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’.

Let’s look further here at this reference to divine grace.

1. The grace of God is at work in us. (V.1)
2. The grace of Christ challenges us to respond in like fashion. (V.9)
Let’s also notice the two references to poverty and wealth

Rich - (GK) plousios - wealthy; abounding with: - rich.
Poor- beggar, become poor.
Poverty - beggary, seriously impoverished condition.
Rich - (GK) plouteō - to be (or become) wealthy, be increased with goods, to be made or wax rich.

Because of our poverty Christ renounced his riches, so that through his poverty we might become rich.

As we give, may we, too, reflect on the cross, and all that was achieved for us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. How meager are our earthly riches in comparison to all that He’s done for us.
We’ll pick up next week with principle number four “Give according to your ability.”