2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5, Where Do You See Glory?

Where You See the Glory of God in 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:5

Second Corinthians chapter 8 turning verse 16 to chapter 9 verse 5 here the word of the Lord. But thanks be to God who put it into the heart of Titus the same earnest care. I have for you. For he not only accepted our appeal but being himself very earnest.

He is going to you of his own accord. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel and not only that but he Has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace.

That is being ministered by us for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill. We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight, but also in the sight of man.

And. With them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters. But who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you as for Titus. He is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit as for our brothers.

They are messengers of the churches the glory of Christ. So give proof before the churches of your love and our boasting about you to these men. Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the Saints.

For I know your readiness of which I boast about You to the people of Macedonia saying that a KIA has been ready since last year and your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter.

So that you may be ready as I said, you would be otherwise if some Macedonians. Come with me and find that you are not ready. We would be humiliated to say nothing of you for being so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift.

You have promised so that it may be ready as a willing gift. Not as an exaction. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord wrote Julia Ward Howe 150 years 159 years ago as of this November.

Do you ever wonder what she saw? That made her write those words. What was the glory of the Lord that her eyes saw it? Was it a blazing vision in a trance of majesty? Splendor. The glowing clouds with a specter of Christ himself.

Looking like he's described in Revelation. No, what what she saw? Was the Union Army? The Army of the United States. What she described in verse 2 which we're not going to sing. I have seen him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps.

They have built in him an altar in the evening dews and dams. Julia Ward Howe is an ardent abolitionist committed to the opposition of slavery and Saw in the army marching south to battle slavery. The glory of the Lord.

Where do you see the glory of the Lord in a spectacular view? Maybe in 2003 we found ourselves in western Washington State and Decided to go to the extreme northwest corner of the continental US just so we could say we've been there.

Didn't know anything was really there. It's an on an Indian reservation the Maka nation. We had to park our van at some just simple like gravel lot just kind of on the side of the road and then walk down a simple trail.

Nothing about it. Advertised there's no price of admission nothing about it advertised that this is some spectacular thing coming. Trail through a forest it came out to these cliffs above the ocean what is called Cape Flattery and there.

One of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen that the blue Pacific Ocean waves crashing against columns of rocks topped with large evergreen trees our pictures some of which you really didn't do it justice.

And there in That view Cape Flattery nature just a psalm 8 says about the stars declares the glory of God. Well, where do you see glory? Maybe in a beautiful child in an impressive Athletic performance.

A perfect spiral pass to a receiver in stride. That's glorious. Depends on who's playing I guess in an army camp. Or like many people do you not expect to see the glory of God at all in this world. That what you find odd about Julia Ward Howe song is where she saw the glory of God that is here on earth.

Many people assume that glory like grace is something Not seen not seen here not seen in people. It's not seen in nature that it is entirely kind of otherworldly what they would call spiritual mystical.

It's so it's invisible. Perhaps it can be perhaps you can feel it, you know, that's in the old-fashioned way. Some people, you know shout used to shout glory. Whenever they feel something profoundly moving in a church service and there's nothing wrong with that.

The assumption of many is that glory by definition is an invisible like an aura a taste of something powerful in the air something thrilling something heavy. But it can't be seen and it not literally not with your eyes your physical eyes.

Here and now.

Can it?

Can you see glory? Can your eyes? See it if so.

Where.

Glory Seen in God’s People, Their Partners, and Their Passion

Well here the Apostle Paul tells us where we can see glory in in three places. First in people that is in God's people the church second in partners and third.

Passion.

People partners and Passion mine eyes have seen the glory Paul says in verse 16 in particularly a person Titus. Especially Titus is concerned for other people for the church. Notice first that Paul. Thanks God, you know, I thank God.

He didn't thank Titus. I thank Titus for doing such a good job. Thank God. Paul gives glory to God. He is thankful for the glory of God displayed and the life of Titus, especially that Titus cares for.

For who.

For God, well, that would be good. But here God's glory is displayed by Titus being concerned for.

For people.

Especially for God's people the church in Corinth we see the glory of God displayed when God's people are concerned for the church. When they're not just using it using the church. It's just another service provider another consumer good like a restaurant or a theater or Internet service something like that.

And if it's if it's serving you well, you're glad for it. If it's not you just place it out with another. No. Verse 17 explains how that glory is seen for for what means because. How do we know that Titus was concerned for God's people?

The church is it just because he said so. Since effusive, oh, I love those Corinthians so much. If he liked to sing we're one in the bond of love. I don't know what those touchy-feely guys, but you know, we put your arms on the shoulders and sway back and forth.

Kumbaya. The he signed a church covenant with them. No, it's by what he did by actions that can be seen in this world. Paul is thanking God that Titus Loves the church not just he has a warm and fuzzy feeling about the Corinthians, although he might have.

But he was concerned enough to do things. He knows Titus loved the church by what Titus does first he Titus accepted the mission from Paul to go to Corinth and he was willing to go without even being asked and this is in these Days where travel is not necessarily fun.

They're easy, you know getting a nice luxury car and just enjoy the ride while you're listening to talk radio or your favorite music. Understand you have to walk or ride some animal and it takes a long time.

Take several days to get even a fairly short distance. Just it would just be exhausting but Titus was willing to go. Even without being asked to he didn't have to be ordered Go to Corinth, but he cared for the church.

He was willing in a heart for the church that propelled him to give his time. Give his effort give his life for it. Titus is not the only person who is displaying the glory of God and verse 18 an unnamed man.

The brother praised for the gospel by all the churches. That's all has he's described he's praised For the gospel by all the churches and let's call him as in verse is in the SV the famous one. He's man.

He's here. He's anonymous. You can kind of speculate who he might be but let's not do that because we won't know for sure. He's a famous man is praised by all the churches for what he does for the gospel.

Where do you see glory? Here in verse 18 our eyes see the glory of God in a Famous person who does something for the gospel who he is and what he does exactly for the gospel. We're not told so that's not the point.

We're not told who he is. The point here is that our eyes can see the glory of God in people. Who work in some way work in some way to serve the gospel here? Paul is taking up an offering from his churches and he's sending the money to the poor in the Jerusalem Church.

Now this we saw last week was the grace what he Paul repeatedly calls there the grace or the gift. The gift would display the glory of God. Titus and this anonymous man are helping Paul take up it and deliver the offering and so enabling the grace of God to be seen.

That's what he says in verse 19 this act of grace. That is this money being collected and taken to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. He says it is for the glory of the Lord himself. That's the purpose of this offering.

For the glory of the Lord himself. It will show the offering will it will show so that So that eyes on earth can see it. It will show he says their goodwill. That that is that God has put it into the heart of Titus and Paul and the Christians in Philippi and Thessalonica in Corinth to care for.

For God's people to care for the church to care for people. They've never seen people who are much different than them of a different culture different ethnic group. Simply because they too are followers of Christ.

The glory of God is seen in people. God's people. Caring for the church for other of God's people. What makes it even more glorious is that the concern is crossing ethnic lines. Here Paul is taking up an offering from his mainly Gentile.

That's Greek Churches and he's sending the money to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. He's taking from one ethnic group and church To another one. Now remember that these are not naturally harmonious people.

They're they're different ethnic groups and Ephesians 2 Paul speaks about there being a dividing wall of hostility otherwise there were Something dividing these two groups and they hated each other and Ephesians 2 that's what he says Ephesians 2 the Jews and the Greeks hated each other.

They scoffed at each other at best probably told insulting jokes about each other. You know the way people do when they don't like another group make fun of them. Even if they lived in the same towns and cities, they would probably they wouldn't socialize together they wouldn't do business together.

The Greeks would be stay in there and their temples with their food offered to idols and the Jews would Be in their synagogues eating only their kosher food. They would be segregated but here Paul is taking up an offering from mainly Greek Christians, and he is giving it to Jewish Christians now the purpose of the offering he is taking up is to show the glory of God, you know.

To show people look what God has done among us Christians. What else could bring people together. From such different backgrounds different ethnic groups people who naturally out there in the world. There are Christians who hate each other or whatever it is.

Whatever it is this bringing these people together because you can tell you can see it in the offering is powerful. It's glorious. You know, it's not so remarkable that white people of about the same economic and educational background Best same culture would get together.

We feel comfortable and Make churches together or give money to each other if they're in need. That's not really amazing, nothing's particular unusual about that or the black people with similar experiences would want to get together and Socialize or that Chinese people would would want to be around other Chinese people who naturally understand their culture where they can speak Mandarin.

Where they can have celebrate Chinese New Year together and talk about whatever is going on in China and with people who care. That's not remarkable. That's kind of normal. That's the way the world is nothing glorious about that.

The world could look at that and not see any glory churches that are just about one ethnic group. Because they use that to try to attract that one group just be around your own kind of people. Okay, maybe it's smart.

Maybe it works. There's nothing glorious about it. But when people come together who otherwise have nothing else in common. When when they're willing to learn about each other to listen to each other to care about each other.

And you learn something of the culture of each other to give to each other then there's that's something unnatural even Supernatural the glory of God is seen in People who are otherwise very different.

Not having to meet separately and white churches of black churches and Chinese churches. But are brought together by a love and a power that overwhelms all the little and big. Things that would otherwise keep them apart.

The glory of God is seen in these people working for the gospel. People from different ethnic groups different cultures working together taking up this offering caring for each other's needs seen in the practical mundane administration of money funds.

Do you ever think? Bookkeeping or what kind of accountability? It's glorious. We see it is here. Just the last week when when grace is seen in giving like Christ who gave his wealth until he had nothing left.

To give he gave his life here. The glory of God is seen in money being administered. Rightly in verse 19 this anonymous man who serves the gospel famous among the churches. He has been appointed Actually elected by the churches not selected by Paul notice that in verse 19 The church has appointed him.

I'm the worst. Paul didn't go looking at and you know I'll take him as though Paul hand-picked one of his friends someone that people could accuse that this man is Paul's crony. He's in on with Paul.

He's on Paul's side. I'll never criticize him or really hold him accountable. No the churches themselves Elected a man to be their representative to go along with Paul to provide accountability. So that there would be no opponents or skeptics or cynics calling into question the motives for the gifts, you know.

Some some cynic looking back. Hey. Didn't those Macedonians didn't they give 1200 of shekels and Paul only delivered a thousand shekels. He must have skimmed some off the top for himself. He's only in it for the money.

That would all be false, of course. But if there wasn't there were not multiple witnesses. Like this anonymous man with the reputation of serving the gospel elected by the churches. He's not a crony of Paul, you know in it for a cut.

Then then if they didn't have that then they wouldn't have any way of denying. The cynics accusations people would doubt and the ability to see the glory of God on earth would be dimmed. So Paul says in verse 20 we take this course.

Otherwise we we doing all this all these things. Selecting a man the churches themselves select him not Paul selecting him. Selecting a man to be to provide accountability and the other people are going with him.

We have this accountability with a famous brother multiple unrelated people so that nobody can accuse us of anything. We're going to be carrying a lot of money. You know what with those all that money the poor Macedonians gave remember they gave beyond their means he says.

Added to what the Corinthians are going to give. He's making sure they're gonna give it isn't he? He's really bearing down on this. We want every cent of it to fully glorify God. Paul says we're taking pains to do it.

We're taking pains to do what's right. Paul says in verse 21 now he could say Come on, trust me. I'm an apostle. I won't mishandle a penny and Certainly, he could be trusted or he could react out of pride.

You know, how dare anyone think that I would take some for myself. I don't need accountability. I'm trustworthy. There are some people that react like that. Well, you know when you say you got to be accountable and said he thinks what most glorifies God that everyone would know for a certainty that all the money that was raised and given.

Because one group of God's people cared for another group of God's people that all of it was handled rightly. That they'd so believed in what they were doing this mission and caring for one another that they didn't think of mishandling a penny.

That they have accountability. They have people that are looking over them. So he strives in verse 21 to make sure that even in the eyes of a skeptic. Everything would be on the up-and-up. No money has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks to non-believers.

They've seen enough preachers running away with the church's Treasury or people taking up offerings for a lofty cause. Only to take a big cut themselves self-appointed quote apostles. Constantly preaching on tithing to churches full of working people who are barely getting by or maybe many of them even on welfare.

And yet they the preachers are living in multi-million dollar homes driving brand-new luxury cars. There's a lot of skepticism about the church and money. Here we see the church's ought to take measures to ensure that even in the eyes of a skeptic and outsider.

There would be no room for accusations. That the goal is that our giving shows the glory of God. That people would look at the way we give the way we handle our money our accountability and they would see something glorious.

They would see people who really believe in the ideals. They say they do who really care for each other who really give to each other. This is just a big gimmick to get a few people wealthy. So we should take pains that.

That would be the case to make it easier for people to see the glory of God. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord and people caring for other of God's people. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord in partners.

Partnership in the Gospel and the Glory of Christ

Verses 22 to 24 Paul speaks about his his partners. Would you ever think of Paul having partners? There's an apostle need partners. I thought he's done. He's yeah, he's the hero. He doesn't need anybody else.

Does he? In verse 22 is another anonymous Brother kind of wish he would give him the name to the people here. But whatever he does it. The first one was earlier the famous one well known for his work of the gospel.

Here's another one. He's the earnest brother. I Mean just call him earnest. He's been tested often he's a reliable partner and so he's he's being sent with with the other two. Titus and the first anonymous the the famous one.

He's even more eager now because of what God is doing among Corinthians that the things are looking better there. They've responded well to to correction. They've responded with warm hearts. They've tasted the grief.

Conviction has given them and they've let it bring them to repentance. He is confident that the Corinthians will prove to be great partners in the gospel. Verse 23. Paul calls Titus my partner. Paul and Titus are in a partnership.

They work together for the benefit of the Corinthians. Paul the great apostle doesn't see himself as just working alone. The head honcho on top maybe with a few assistants, okay, everyone needs assistance.

Traveling team set up the sound system. No, but he's as though he's just the rugged individual individualist. Do we get all by himself? No, he says Titus and these others are his his partners and they're working together.

We imagine often particular Americans imagine the glory is one man standing by himself. Self-sufficient. Blazing a path by the sheer force of his will a preacher bravely declaring the truth by himself.

No need for partners. Our assumed individualism affects the way we expect to see glory in the lone hero and that that one man Paul says here the churches are partners. We fail to see that and what what often happens is someone wants to follow Christ.

They think they got to be the one. They got to do it themselves. They don't look for how can I be a partner? How can I work with the church to further the gospel? They often think what can I do myself?

I want to be like. I want to be the best Billy Graham. I want to be the speaker, but they don't think how can I work together with the church? When people see the church the partners they should see here on earth.

Glory when people see us working together. Whether to worship or to reach out or distributing Bibles like with the Gideons. They should be able to see the glory of God bringing in diverse people together.

Making them partners. The partners are joined by the messengers are representatives of the church the famous brother and the earnest brother.

Sent by.

Sent by the churches. And what are the churches?

Here.

What do you see in churches?

You notice this this phrase.

What verse is it in I got to find the verse? Is it verse 23. Notice this phrase about the churches as for Titus? He's my partner and fellow worker for your benefit as for our brothers. They are messengers of the churches.

Notice that phrase that comes next. That this unusual is it? What do you see? When you see churches Here of the churches the glory of Christ. What do you see when you see churches. Social clubs maybe country clubs.

You know social clubs like you have chess clubs for people that like chess. They're just people of the same interest. Similar so churches are for people who have the same are similar religious interest.

You have dance clubs for people who like dancing country clubs for people who like golf. It's church just kind of like that just another human institution created by people who basically believe the same Ideals have the same interest they like basically the same songs.

They listen to the same order. No, there is a dimension to the church that's higher than any other human institution. The church is at the end of verse 23 the glory of Christ. Not even the family or the nation.

The church is the glory of Christ. You want to see glory. I just got to close your eyes and Shut out the rest of the world be sure maybe there's a time for that when you're worshipping God. But don't look for it in ecstasy or even the detached otherworldly pursuit of a perfectly tuned doctrine.

Look for the glory of Christ in the church the gathering of God's people. And not because they're white or black or Chinese or Democrat or Republican or young or old? But because the grace of God in the generosity of Christ has brought them together.

He's formed the church. He says an axe Christ God actually says God has bought the church with his own blood. The glory of God is seen on earth not in lone individuals is regularly standing up for Jesus, but in the church.

Called out from the world from all kinds of people to be one people. Around one Lord and by being united around Christ show the world That Jesus is enough to hold all kinds of people together.

So.

Begins verse 24 that is because the assembly of God's people is the glory of Christ. Then on the basis of that give proof. Give proof before them that is before these churches the glories of Christ. Give proof of your love.

That is the fact that the churches are the glory of Christ puts on us a Responsibility we have to give proof to them. Proof that eyes can see. It's not good enough just to say we love them to say that we're all in favor of Favor of church churches.

We hope things turn out well for them just words. We have to give proof By being a member by being committed By our attention by our service and especially here It's like a Corinthians chapter 8 and 9 by giving Our love for the church the glory of Christ has to be demonstrated in a way that could be seen on earth now and One of the main ways we do that Is with the offering that basket gives you the opportunity to give proof proof that can be.

Seen.

My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord in partnership and in passion. Now all through this passage Paul has been talking about the passion of various people. In verse 17 he mentions the the earnestness or it could be translated as enthusiasm or zeal or diligence of Titus again one.

One of the anonymous brothers in particular is earnest over and over again. In this passage Paul praises his his partners for being eager or earnest or zealous or diligent. Diligence is passion. Mixed with discipline.

It's disciplined passion. Earnestness or zeal it's one of the most important qualities for Christian leaders. A passion less man. And kind of just practices his faith his religion like a cool.

Detached.

No dog in this fight attitude. Has no place try to lead the church. The glory of God should inspire in us a passion great zeal and that passion should produce diligence a a disciplined Passion and that especially is the theme of chapter 9 verses 1 to 5.

In verses 2 and 3 Paul remarks at the Corinthians. He says they were they were ready. They were willing. Reports of the Corinthian zeal was part of what inspired the poor oppressed Macedonians to give remember beyond their means.

The way they were on fire for God the way the Corinthians were on fire for God sparked the Macedonians to be on fire for God to and to show it and they're giving and Now Paul is trying to get the Corinthians to show their zeal for God and they're giving.

Paul is sending those three men ahead. So the two anonymous ones remember the famous one the earnest one and Titus so when the big day comes to pick up the offering The Corinthians they would be ready.

He is telling them to to channel their zeal into planning. Have that diligence. Remember diligence is passion mixed with discipline. See this in athletics all the time. There's a lot of young teenage guys.

They have a passion for sports. But they are they're not gonna become very good at it if they don't mix that passion with discipline and so have diligence. They don't practice in other words and they got to love it while they're practicing.

They got to be willing if they're basketball willing to go to the courts and do free throws for hours on end and do push-ups. And do all that all those things that seem dreary. But if you have a passion that channels your energy in into that practice into those workouts into into planning.

Here some people think that zeal for God that a sensitivity to the glory of God has nothing to do with planning. What's what's planning organizing have to do with loving God with zeal for God. Some people think that in order for something to be spiritual it had to be to be glorious.

Well, it has to be let's be spontaneous. You know extemporaneous unplanned unthought-out. This passage shows us that Paul could be very organized. Notice what he's doing here all this passage. We've read he's getting the right people in place.

You know, we had his churches, you know. You select a man to go along with me. You got to be the one you selected not the one I selected your guy and I'm gonna take Titus and there's this other earnest Guy, he's really diligent.

We'll we'll take him with us. Getting the right people to place. Having got no pledges a year bitches how a year ago. They started planning this. And he's sending these men ahead now to organize the Corinthians offering in case there's a kind.

You know that likes to talk big about how they love. How they want to serve and then they end up showing up now we don't have any money set aside, sorry. But he's sending these men ahead of us. So they'll make sure they're ready.

He wants them to be intentionally willing to give not to give. Not because you know, not because he brings out a slideshow. Here's the the hungry children of the church in Jerusalem. They look so miserable here.

They are. And then he manipulates them in a moment of guilt and pity, you know with tears streaming down his cheeks. He's poor suffering children in Jerusalem of the church there.

You gotta care. Don't you care?

Tales of woe but their hunger, but they're going without and.

You.

You're driving those expensive new chariots to the Corinth theater wearing the newest togas. How could you live with yourself? You think he did something like that? No, he's not what he's after. Try to manipulate them like that to try to get them to empty their pockets into an offering basket in a fit of guilt or Emotion.

He wants them to be eager to give to be willing to give but he also wants them to think it through. To have plans for generous giving to be diligent about it to have it actually is a part of their of their life.

You've got to love it and organize it. So the same applies to our giving. It needs to be both it needs to be willing and to be eager. It needs to be zealous like the Macedonians. We looked at last week, you know, just begging.

Please. Let me serve. I want to serve.

And.

It should be intentional should be planned should be disciplined not just done in fits of guilt. But diligently that is a it's a it's a disciplined part of your life. Giving is it just something you do, you know.

Like you the way they put M &Ms or tabloids by the checkout stand to help you get you to tempt you to buy them. Impulse giving. You know, maybe we will do the same right impulse giving. We'll try to get really moving.

We really moving special to make you give. Maybe you get more more more.

No.

Because not just get I'd get we're not trying to just get money out of you. We'll try to make you givers and That'll show an indeligence if we leave it up to what we feel like to give it any any any given time.

Impulse giving to whether the special is really pulling at your heart. So you're gonna give. You're gonna get more. You're gonna give up so much gonna write a check that empties your bank account. So you can't even pay the electric bill.

Or if on the other hand, you're not diligent and you have no plan. You have no budget. No diligence of handling your money. So you buy whatever catches your eye you eat out at whatever restaurant you happen to be passing by by the time you come here, you have a little left to give and Then maybe you'll give grudgingly.

Unwillingly resentfully. Better than to be Disciplined. We see the glory of God in believers for the passion who who want to do it who want to show the glory of? Christ by giving. Like he gave.

How did he give? For the joy.

Set before him, but something could say well, that's just the problem. I don't want to do it. If I gave that much I'd be doing it grudgingly as if it were extorted. Are rich from me against my will. Isn't it better than that?

I just give kind of. I give numbly that is I give so little you can't even feel it. Is that better than giving a tithe grudgingly like I was paying a bill? Well the problem. Then that's the case is that we don't love it.

That we aren't willing. That we act we lack the zeal we don't have the joy. The set before us we have no eagerness. That we're not like the Macedonians begging for an opportunity to give even to sacrifice to give the problem.

Is that our heart loves our money too much and our Lord too little. We have to love it. That's where we glorify God. That we love. To give there were givers. That's where we glorify God with a passion to give and to love just as Christ did.

If we're if we're giving little if we're giving less than what we would be required to if we were under the law. Making us give. Then we have to ask why? Why do we have so little zeal for God. Question really?

Is it like last week? You know, there's somebody else. That bad question. Do I have to tie? Some people ask well, do I have to give more? Well, the real question is why do we have so little zeal for God that it doesn't compel us to give earnestly eagerly.

We display the glory of God on earth. So that human eyes can see it. By earnestly giving. If our giving it is stingy if it's sporadic if it's undisciplined then our first problem. Really isn't a lesson.

Maybe several lessons on our need for stewardship. Dave Ramsey's financial peace University, although that may indeed bear a second need. Our first problem is a disease of the heart. Why is there not a fire burning within us?

It just wants to give more. He's not looking for opportunities to serve to do more. Why is it why is that fire not there? Why don't we?

Love it.

Are we sick?

We need healing. Poisoned maybe by too much love for all the things that we could buy To glorify ourselves. We'd love our money too much. All the things we could get for ourselves driving the newest cars playing the newest electronics.

Having the newest things that look most luxurious vacations so that we look good. Are we sick? Looking to glorify ourselves or are we even dead? Needing a whole new heart created in us to be born again.