2 Corinthians 8:1-15, What is Grace?

Covenant Reformed Baptist Church

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September 20, 2020

2 Corinthians 8:1-15 What is Grace?

Genesis 38, The Veil

00:00: 2 corinthians chapter 8 verses 1 to 15 hear the word of the Lord We want you to know brothers about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia We're in a severe test of affliction
00:13: Their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty has overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part
00:19: For they gave according to their means as I can testify and beyond their means of their own accord begging us earnestly for the favor of Taking part in the relief of the
00:31: Saints and this not as we expected But they gave themselves first to the
00:37: Lord and then by the will of God to us Accordingly, we urge
00:43: Titus that as he had started so he should complete among you this act of grace
00:48: But as you excel in everything in faith and speech and knowledge in all earnestness and in our love for you
00:56: See that you excel in this act of grace also I say that's not as a command but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine
01:06: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sake
01:12: He became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich and in this matter
01:17: I give you my judgment this benefits you who a year ago started not only to do this work
01:24: But also to desire to do it So now finish doing it as well so that your readiness and desiring it may be matched
01:32: By your completing it out of what you have for if the readiness is there It is acceptable according to what a person has not according to what he does not have
01:42: For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened but as a matter of fairness
01:48: Your abundance at the present time should supply their need so that their abundance may supply your need
01:55: That there may be fairness as it is written Whoever gathered much had nothing left over and whoever gathered little had no lack
02:05: May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word well in the fall of 2008 we meaning the church
02:15: Realized that we needed to make plans about where our long -term meeting place would be We've been looking at various options
02:21: Even we wanted to have some facility that allowed us to continue our ministries particularly with the youth with Jim jr
02:28: And Jim and so we wanted a gym I even called up we call it a builder how much of Jim would cost a gym about This kind of building to build it new would cost he said 1 million dollars and keep in mind
02:42: He was trying to sell me on it. So that was probably an underestimate We also looked at the old the gym at the old
02:48: Dillard school We made an offer to take that over good thing that didn't come through because the roof there has literally completely fallen down All gone.
02:56: There's no roof over that building anymore. Probably asbestos everywhere We all we looked at leasing out the old four building, which is also still available
03:04: There's by we looked at buying a building in downtown Yanceyville and this building was available at a special price for us available for $90 ,000
03:13: So compare that to a million so it was a pretty good deal It was a mess when we first came in but it had potential and that price $90 ,000 is pretty reasonable but as reasonable as it was that was still more than we could handle
03:26: We cannot afford the payments on $90 ,000 and plus and then all the money that would cost to try to refurbish this place
03:32: Well, we thought in an association with the Southern Baptist might help make it possible They had a program that would give $1 ,200 a month for the first 24 months to new churches like us and I went after that money later the next
03:46: January When the $1 ,200 check was late and coming in and then I called him up.
03:52: Hey, where's my where's our $1 ,200? And I was informed that they would not agree to give us the $1 ,200 a month unless we dropped our plans to move here,
04:01: I won't go into the details as why but We basically we had to make a choice between the $1 ,200 a month or Having this building now
04:11: We were nearing closing on this building and this building allowed us to do our gym ministries and it attracted kids
04:17: So it seemed ideal except it needed so much work, but we were depending on that $1 ,200 roughly about $25 ,000 over two years
04:26: To be able to afford the monthly payments on this building. It was a Friday When I was informed that basically we had to choose between the money or this building the
04:37: Providence gym now, what do we do? Which way did we go? Well on Saturday morning,
04:43: I woke up and went downstairs Turned on the computer and checked my email into my utter shock
04:51: There was a message from someone. I really didn't know when a Mary's old friends now living in Houston, Texas and he knew absolutely nothing about any of this and In the email he informed me that he was pledging some money to us money in the amount of $1 ,200 and I looked at that stunned and I went up got up shouted upstairs
05:14: Mary Did you tell this guy about this? She said no, what an unusual sum $1 ,200.
05:23: Where did he get that from? It's not like an even thousand you kind of okay that that's kind of normal You would round it up off like that $1 ,200 the exact amount to the penny that we had just been denied
05:34: But of course a skeptic could say well sure he paid for one missing month But you're supposed to get for two years for 24 months.
05:40: You would have gotten about $25 ,000 over two years. Oh, yeah speaking of that Not long after that another
05:48: Christian friend rather Christian friends in Singapore sent the church Without any suggestion from us about about a specific amount
05:56: Twenty five thousand dollars Now that is what the Bible calls in this passage grace
06:06: What is grace How people think it means I Can grace means
06:12: I can do anything and then get promise heaven It's a license to live as you want to believe as you want.
06:18: What is grace? I know a man who loves to talk about reform theology The doctrines are grace and who barely gives he averaged about giving 1 % of his income
06:26: He apparently thinks that grace is something that allows your faith To be unseen.
06:31: What is grace? It's a word thrown around a lot. It's a very popular word So popular some girls are even named after it perhaps the most popular
06:39: Christian song of all all time is amazing grace But there is a lot of confusion as to what it is and these 15 verses
06:46: There are five uses of the Greek word for grace charis five uses the word grace
06:52: Each showing us something about grace and we see here first that grace is seen second the grace serves third the grace acts fourth the grace frees and finally grace enriches
07:08: Paul begins this chapter telling the Corinthians that he wanted them to know notice that first verse. I want you to know
07:15: The grace of God and the way we read that we kind of think well Oh, he wants to give them like a theology lesson on this abstract concept of grace
07:24: How great is but that's not what he's saying there. Look what he's saying And verse 7 he says they excel in knowledge among other things, but somehow they lack like a lot of Christian today
07:35: They like knowledge as to what grace is. So Paul points them to the grace of God that has been demonstrated by the
07:41: Macedonians of the Macedonian Macedonia is the province just north of where Corinth is so like if Corinth was in North Carolina Macedonia would be
07:50: Virginia, right? We know in Macedonia at least two of two churches. We know something about the
07:56: Philippians and the Thessalonians, right? They're Macedonia the the Christians there had demonstrated the
08:01: Macedonian Christians had demonstrated grace the grace of God From the
08:06: Macedonians and Paul wants the Corinthians to know about it. So they'll know grace They'll know what grace is and follow in the
08:13: Macedonians good example The Corinthians may have a lot of knowledge about a lot of things I guess about the
08:18: Bible maybe some about some theology all they're a little shaky on the resurrection, but they have very little real understanding of of grace and So to learn that they need to look at the example of their neighboring
08:31: Christians the Macedonians They can see grace and what the Macedonians have done and that tells us that grace.
08:39: Is it just a feeling? Grace isn't just kind of a happy concept. That means that now
08:46: I'm off the hook Isn't it? Great. I said I know it now grace means I'm I don't have to worry about anything anymore
08:52: It's not just a subject of theology to have knowledge about grace results and things that can be seen
09:00: Here the Macedonian Christians were severely afflicted. They were extremely poor, but they had an overflowing joy that resulted in them giving
09:09: Some today perhaps perhaps the Corinthians then probably then they would imagine that grace
09:16: Kind of just ends with the joy. That's all what's brings grace It means I can have joy because I'm right with God that if they're severely tried and extremely poor
09:25: And they can be content and joyful despite all that then that's
09:32: That's grace and that's all there is to it But it Paul here is saying well, that's not enough the grace is seen in more than just, you know, smiling faces
09:41: That now they feel God's grace and so they now they could be happy when otherwise Otherwise, they would have been sad without the grace.
09:48: The grace is seen in their lives not just in their smiles The grace is seen in their lives, even though even though they are poor
09:57: In verse 2 they are generous That the geyser of grace is seen in gushing out through their wallets
10:08: Through what they but they give grace is seen in Money indeed here in verse 1 that first verse that first verse what he calls the grace of God I want you to know about the grace of God that that grace of God.
10:23: It's not just a theological. He's talking about an offering The grace of God the Macedonians.
10:29: He means the offering the Macedonians took up for the Church of Jerusalem He wants the Corinthians to know how much the
10:34: Macedonians gave so that they'll give generously, too Because that's grace
10:42: About 30 years ago one of Mary's friends named Chong Suhum Realized that she had a knack for business like Matt Midas everything
10:50: She touched turned to gold and being a Christian. She knew the grace of God She rarely well, so she wanted to beside she since she has this gift for business
11:00: She wanted to become rich and not just so she could indulge herself. She rarely ate out She usually spent only like two or three dollars for lunch
11:09: But so that she she wanted to be rich so that she could give to worthwhile Christian ministries her her grace can be seen
11:17: Wanna see it? Look around she's that one who gave the twenty five thousand dollars
11:23: Look at this building that grace can be seen and that twenty five thousand dollars that she and her partner gave and then about three years later another $32 ,000 so that it doesn't look so ratty like it did when we first moved in here and so we said we could improve this place
11:36: So that the grace of God can be proclaimed in it now some might say well, well, they're rich.
11:42: Yeah, they couldn't they can afford it No, that's not really what can be seen just just their excess wealth being thrown out.
11:49: A lot of rich people are stingy Like that's often how they get rich They're stingy and they hold on to every dollar they have and and invested make more of it
11:58: She did she didn't give that bus because she just had the pocket change She gave because of grace grace can be seen and if you want to know what it looks like, well here it is
12:08: It's all around you. It's in this building. Well something well, then the conclusion is and what we need we need people like Chong Tzu We need a sugar daddy
12:17: I guess in her case a sugar mama there such a thing a big donor with deep pockets But Paul's point here is that what you need when you see that grace in other people's life is to be inspired by that Grace to be changed by that grace so that you show grace to be inspired by her
12:35: Generosity Chong Tzu who's generosity so that you become generous, too
12:41: And so you don't need her anymore because you're generous But Paul wants the Corinthians to know about the
12:46: Macedonians gift because in it they see grace and they finally learn what it's about Grace doesn't look like everyone doing what they want to do
12:53: Kind of just throwing off old traditions and laws and so we can do what we want and then call ourselves
12:58: Christians Don't have to worry about any kind of judgment. We have a lot of Christians today who when it comes to the subject of giving their first question a major question the question that haunts them is
13:10: Do I have to tithe or am I under grace? Grace, they assume is a ticket out of tithing
13:19: Here Paul says You want to know what grace looks like? Look at the poor oppressed
13:27: Macedonians, there's poor people giving so a lot of people today think I'm poor. I can't give much the
13:32: Macedonians were poor They gave a lot Look at them Paul the same. They're so happy to give
13:40: That's the grace at work and verse 3. They not only gave according to their means that is not only what they could reasonably
13:47: Give what part with but beyond their means he says they were sacrificing
13:52: They were cutting off their cable TV subscription because they wanted to give that money instead of you know
13:59: Watching what they want on TV They are seriously cutting back on spending on themselves so that they could give grace can be seen
14:05: Grace can be seen not in Christian just saying well I'm free not to tithe and so using that extra money that they're not giving
14:11: To go eat out more often buy a luxury car great vacations those things aren't wrong.
14:17: They're not wrong but when Christians use grace as an excuse to skimple the giving so they can splurge on themselves
14:27: Well, that's wrong That's a problem the major problem is
14:33: What they think grace is They think it's an excuse slip for self -indulgence
14:39: But that's not grace Grace can be seen in someone so Joyful in their relationship with God so content with the
14:49: Lord So eager to please him and so then help others that they give more They don't ask.
14:55: Well, I'm under grace. So Can I just not give not serve any
15:01: I don't really have to do I? That they look at what they have the real person
15:08: Impacted by grace looks at what he or she has and thinks how can I give more? beyond my means
15:15: Of my own accord not in words of my own accord as he says here the Macedonians gave of their own accord I was not because Paul commanded them.
15:22: I need a quota. I need so much money. I need a percentage from you No, they gave they give willingly because of their grace
15:29: They wanted to give grace impact you say I want to give and so they write out a check
15:36: Put it in the offering basket and in that check You can see the grace of God Grace can be seen.
15:43: It's not just a doctrine. We used to ensure ourselves of our salvation despite our sins It's a dynamic power that if we received it then shows itself in Visible ways ways that others can see it can be seen particularly in our checkbooks
16:02: Grace Grace serves. It's the second thing second time the word grace occurs in this passage is in verse 4
16:07: The word Keras in Greek grace There Paul says that the Macedonians had been quote begging us earnestly.
16:15: Look at this They've been they've been begging up, please and begging us earnestly for the favor
16:23: That word of their favor So you won't see it in English, but it's the word Keras grace the favor the privilege or the grace same word in Greek of taking part and the relief of the
16:35: Saints Please let us give They were begging Paul was taking up an offering from his churches and they were made mostly of of Gentile Christians here you also see a ethnic or racial
16:50: Attempt at healing here particularly in the church Because the the churches Paul is appealing to here the
16:55: Corinth the Macedonians They're mostly Gentiles and he wants to take up an offering from them to take it back to Jerusalem Church where there were
17:02: Jewish Christians, so they wouldn't be divided so they could see the Grace and the love for each other in that in a tangible gift
17:11: He wanted to relieve the poor some of the them widows of the man who had been killed for the faith They were been martyrs and he wanted to show them that the
17:18: Gentile and Jewish believers Were connected that they cared for each other that you would know that there are
17:26: Christians by their love That the new Gentile Christians would serve their needy
17:33: Jewish brothers and sisters the Macedonians showed grace by begging earnestly for the gift for the grace
17:40: Please give us this grace Of participating in the offering to the to the poor
17:46: Jewish Christians now notice two things about this first They're their question and second their participation.
17:51: Their question was not. Oh, do we have to tithe? We're poor and oppressed don't you blow that Paul you're trying to squeeze money out of us
18:01: Take back to these Jewish people. We don't care about that's not what they know is the opposite of that They they weren't saying well, you know things aren't going so well here with the government of Macedonia We need to take care of our own needs first.
18:12: Don't you know Paul so could we just skip on the giving? Instead their question was please
18:18: Let us give we desperately want to be part of this offering.
18:24: We want to take part in this Please don't leave us out Notice in verse 4 the
18:29: Macedonians were they were begging us earnestly To give you ever begged earnestly to give
18:37: You probably had people beg earnestly to get you to give how about yourself? Have you ever begged to give please?
18:44: Let me give grace Serves by seeking to give which is not it. It's not a duty the giving not a duty laid on us
18:51: So it's not like a tax Levied that you have to pay just like any other bill that comes due
18:57: You know if you stop paying your electric bill the power will be shut off stop paying your grace bill Is that what you think the offering is is a grace bill?
19:05: That if you stop paying it the grace will be shut off Now that whole way of thinking reveals a lack of grace grace is not asking the question.
19:12: How much do I owe? How little by how little can I get by with? It's passionately pleading
19:20: Please let me give Grace is not asking the question. How much do I owe? It's seeking for the opportunity to give
19:28: God's grace doesn't ask about the minimum it begs to give the maximum This is why not only do we have an offering basket, but we ask that every member is physically able
19:40: Anyway, it has the free time to want to serve in some in some way Jim jr.
19:46: Which hope to start back up again the school start and Jim You know those guys need some supervision need someone to open the building for them
19:54: Sunday school Sending up the sound. Thank you for that. You really miss it when it's not around work days
20:01: Etc. Whatever some need that needs to be done. Sometimes we we give you these opportunities as a service
20:09: Provided to you so that you have a way to serve Now while we we want to be appreciative of your willingness to serve and we might occasionally
20:18: Recognize and thank you for it We also expect you to understand that we're providing you as part of what a church does we provide you with the opportunity?
20:27: to serve with the privilege in verse 4 or the favor or the grace of a way to serve
20:36: Because that's what you want, isn't it? I hope That if grace has made an impact on your life, your question is not well
20:44: How little by how little can you get by with it? It's what can I do to serve? And so we make ways to serve for you
20:54: Because that's what you're begging for Please Give me a way to serve
21:01: Okay Since you ask since you're so eager since you want you're begging for it.
21:06: Here's a van route We need somebody pick up kids for Jim jr. Whatever his food needs preparing
21:13: Security again for Jim jr. Or there's a lesson needs. We need somebody to give there's games to organize
21:20: Kidney the kids want people to play with them. You know that we need a sound system to work on again Thank you for that.
21:25: There's music to perform Maybe there's budget needs to give to maybe an opportunity to tell the gospel you're begging for a way to serve so we are doing you the favor of Giving that to you and yes
21:42: You're welcome In verse 5 Paul holds up the Macedonians as examples to the
21:49: Corinthians examples to us to I guess of grace giving more
21:56: They gave so much he says not as we expected Notice that at verse 5 they gave not it.
22:02: We kind of expected. Yeah, we kind of expected a lot of those Macedonians We had high expectations from them, but they gave as people impacted by grace always do not just money
22:12: But he says themselves first To the Lord and then he says to us
22:20: God first others second Second grace begs for participation
22:25: That's the word there in verse 4 participation or fellowship and Greek the word corn Aenea. Remember an axe the the fellowship
22:33: The corn Aenea was the sharing with the needy in the body You have corn
22:39: Aenea by it's not just like you have nice small talk over a meal after after a service
22:45: But it's sometimes shows in practically meeting the needs of other members The Macedonians are begging earnestly for the grace of participating and giving to others here.
22:54: Paul is holding up before the Corinthians the example of these Macedonians holding up before us that example grace had shown itself in their lives by making them want to take part in the fellowship of the larger church
23:06: Not content just to be by themselves meeting their own needs
23:12: Feeling just joy by themselves. It's me and Jesus that we're hanging out together and we're so happy. No, they pleaded for participation in the body
23:22: Now here in our time in culture. We have professed Christians and churches that proudly Declare themselves quote independent.
23:30: It's sort of the culture of what I sometimes called the old -time religion is
23:37: You like to say I'm independent our church is independent I'm and of course then what happens often is individuals in those churches end up absorbing it after themselves
23:48: So they say I'm independent and so they stay home from they don't go to church anymore They were taught that their own church taught them to be independent
23:55: But think about the idea both the idea and the attitude of being quote independent
24:00: That is not needing or attached to anyone else Is that really a Christian virtue?
24:07: Is that you think that's what Paul is recommending here and verse 14 Paul tells the Corinthians that their present abundance should go to help
24:15: Others who were needy Corinthians things are going well there They were a prosperous port city and the
24:22: Corinthian church were fairly well off least compared to the Macedonians And he's saying your abundance you
24:27: Corinthians you have extra cash You're fairly well off that abundance should go to help others who are needy.
24:36: They need you. They're not Independent they're dependent we are to be dependent not independent further the attitude that attitude of in I'm independent is really ungracious
24:46: It's the opposite of what the Macedonians were begging for to participate in the life of other
24:52: Christians of the churches To help them out It's the opposite of what
24:57: Paul was trying to cultivate in his Believers his churches that they would be mutually dependent that they would be helping each other in neat in their needs
25:06: Of course some could say well to us I guess look you're independent.
25:12: Oh, no, we're not We may not be formally part of a denomination, but we got this got this building because other
25:19: Christians most halfway around the world Wanted to participate with us in the work we're doing they wanted the grace of serving
25:27: With us and we should let them We should let them help us because we are dependent and now
25:36: If we're a little more prosperous, we should help Others out there grace wants to participate in the life of others
25:42: That's partly what church membership means for you that you are dependent on the body and so too
25:49: I hope that the church corporately and the long run will be able to participate in the lives of other churches and Ministries like the hoop don't shoot around here, which we hope we bring kids near most
25:59: Sunday evenings or Church in Ethiopia all the way around the world And which won't be able to return us anything practically probably not we need a little now the church itself may need a little saving
26:10: Some cushion, but we should never have a vast Investment portfolio I was told
26:16: I don't know if it's true But the one church in Yanceyville has that savings of over a million dollars Okay that I think that's a shameful thing
26:24: More of that money should have gone out instead of just sitting on it We should never be like that just hoarding money year after year
26:30: We need to look like those who gave to us others gave to us We then should give to others they served
26:41: So should we? Grace acts In verse 6, there's the third occurrence of the word grace in this passage.
26:50: Now the Macedonians were giving more than expected Think of that He expected a lot out of them and they gave they went beyond that Beyond expectations first their entire selves to God and then to Paul and his friends begging for the grace
27:04: To give more so accordingly that is in the same way you
27:09: Corinthians You people here you too should complete this grace
27:18: And by this grace, he's referring to that offering that he had begun to take up Grace is an act.
27:27: It's something that is seen and it's seen it acts of service here in an offering a practical offering to meet the needs of needy people grace wants to participate in the lives of others and we
27:39: See that here in the only direct imperative. That is the only command in this passage in verse 11.
27:45: The command is finish complete complete
27:52: The act of grace finish that offering The Macedonians started it even though they're poor.
27:59: They're oppressed They gave beyond their means now you Corinthians you're better off you top it up True love and true grace never leaves us content just to talk
28:13: We want to see acts Maybe flowers maybe dinner kind deeds
28:19: Service Something practical just talk with no action makes the talk meaningless we want acts of love and grace to expresses itself in Action in particular in this passage it gives it seeks to create what
28:39: Paul describes in verses 12 to 15 Equality or fairness
28:46: If you have the eagerness the desire to be gracious in verse 12, then you should give according to what you have the more income that you have the more you should give for the goal of Equality or fairness the equality is not a quality of amount.
29:04: The equality is a quality of burden The privilege of meeting the needs of the church and other churches should be met fairly by all according to their ability
29:13: This is why a shared percentage that everyone give at least gives anyway, at least as a baseline like 10 %
29:19: I think is a good idea If some people are wealthier and don't need to give so much then grace should create in them an eagerness to give more
29:26: Remember grace doesn't ask about the minimum it wants to give the maximum now
29:31: Sometimes Christians need to be challenged to give To hear that they've been kind of they want to be lost in theology
29:37: They think it's just about abstract ideas. I mean you'd be challenged to hey, you need to show your faith your grace your love
29:44: Practical ways and part of that is money But you'd be challenged to give to be fair To equally share the burden of the needs of the church and not let it rest on the shoulders of those who are making less but Mary more
29:59: I don't like preaching often about giving about money figure about giving to the church
30:06: Partly because there are some people Members who when they hear that we need to get you need you need to give will be the first ones to give they'll sacrifice
30:15: And others who need to give more Sometimes they won't Hopefully we don't have that any problem anymore.
30:23: But sometimes we have to be Gratefully tell some people like these
30:28: Macedonians who had already given beyond their means and they're begging for the grace of giving You might sometimes you may be to tell you know, thank you, but you know
30:38: You need to save for yourself some to look after yourself some to you can spend a little load on yourself
30:44: While we try to get those others Who may not be giving as much as they should to fairly share the load for there to be
30:52: Equality there should be equality of giving in a church not everyone giving the same amount, but everyone usually giving
30:59: Maybe I was share equal percentage, but something like that sharing an equal load fairness a burden
31:07: That's what that last verse is about where everyone regardless of income is sharing an equal load if we have fairness of giving
31:16: No member will be sacrificing deeply While others are giving only a kind of a tip off the top in Verse 15 when there is fairness those who had more will be giving more and those who have little
31:29: Won't have too little just because they had to give to make up for those who wouldn't sacrifice
31:35: That make sense you understand say it again if there's fairness Those who have more will be giving more and those who those who have little
31:47: Won't have too little Won't be impoverished just because they they felt they had to give to the church to make up for others who weren't giving enough
31:55: That's where the act of grace is supposed to take us to a quality of burden
32:02: Now if your first thought is well because of grace I don't have to give or serve that much
32:09: Then I don't think you fully know What grace is? grace acts and Grace frees and verse 7 is the fourth
32:22: Use fourth instance of the word grace in this passage again.
32:27: It is this grace Literally referring to the offering The Corinthians like many modern -day
32:33: Christians thought that they excelled in a lot of things and apparently they really did since Paul kind of affirms them Yeah, I know that you really do excel in these things
32:40: They excel in faith and speech and knowledge diligence or it could be earnestness even in their love for Paul and Titus But they need to learn to excel in Grace and by that he means
32:54: Showing your grace in your giving they probably thought they already did they probably thought they already did excelling grace
33:00: They probably like a lot of modern Christians Corinthians probably seem to our Corinthian Church is a lot like the modern
33:06: American Church, right? They probably thought they knew grace down pat They probably loved to sing amazing grace if they had it then which they didn't but they probably thought their tolerance of the man living
33:14: In adultery was their grace at work. That's why they put up with his ongoing sin Oh, we're so we have so much grace
33:20: The way they put up with their unruliness in the worship service, you know one person standing up and another at the same time Talking over each other.
33:25: They thought well, we're not gonna say anything because we have so much grace We just let it go the way they tolerated false doctrines about the resurrection.
33:33: That's because of grace But none of that was really grace No, that was just laxity.
33:39: I was just sloppiness Their grace was to be shown here Paul here says in their giving and so it is today and there are two things that we
33:48: Need to know that grace is not First is in verse 8 grace is not Commanded or compelled
33:56: Grace is not something that's required by the law. You shall have grace
34:02: Okay, I'll obey Now here Paul is telling the Corinthians to excel in the grace of giving but not in verse 8 because I command you and this answers
34:16: That bad question we mentioned earlier is that bad question people are asking do I have to tithe
34:23: Well, it's a bad question But this answers that bad question if you want to answer to it If if that were of tithing were a command we had to obey today
34:32: You'd expect Paul to repeat it right here Because now like for three chapters and second
34:37: Corinthians to talk about giving expect him to repeat it here instead He doesn't do that does he doesn't say you
34:43: Corinthians you're not giving your 10 % what's wrong with you people Instead he says they're giving is not supposed to be based on commands and laws
34:51: It's supposed to be based on grace law and compulsion can't create Givers only grace can grace frees us from the law, but that doesn't mean and this is the second thing
35:04: Grace frees us from the law, but that doesn't mean That grace means nothing
35:10: Means nothing seen nothing served Nothing acted nothing given but so many people who ask that otherwise bad question often have in mind grace
35:20: They think means I can get away with giving Basically anything or maybe even nothing
35:26: I can splurge on myself I can drop a couple of bucks in the offering basket and I'm free because of grace
35:33: No, you're in bondage to self -indulgence because you don't know grace yet disgrace frees us from the law and from self -indulgence but it frees us to Give like Jesus who gave everything
35:52: Because of grace What's because he was compelled to it was a commanded to he gave everything because of grace because of his grace he gave and We are enriched
36:07: Finally grace fifth thing grace Enriches the last instance of the use of grace in this passage.
36:15: It's a verse 9 Do you want to know grace? Look at our
36:22: Lord Jesus he had all the treasures of heaven every planet and star and galaxy it and Glory itself.
36:31: It was all his he didn't give up just 10 % and think well, that's a burden But I had to do it it's the law he gave up everything for the joy
36:40: Set before him he gave up heaven and then he gave up his life and as he hung there on the cross
36:47: He was as poor as one could possibly be Even his clothes had been taken from him not one piece of property
36:57: Not even one cent to his name and his life was ebbing away
37:04: You cannot get any poorer than that and he gave up even the richness of his relationship with the father at least for that short time as God placed on him the poverty of our sins
37:18: He paid the debt that our sins owed with his perfect life
37:23: And so he knew in that moment on the cross that he was totally utterly bereft
37:31: He gave everything for our sins so we could have that rich relationship grace gives to enrich so Do you finally see?
37:50: what a What a monumentally Inappropriate question it is to ask
37:57: Do I have to give or serve To look at Jesus on the cross giving everything for you and you ask
38:08: Jesus Do I have to give my little bit? Do I have to serve? We can only ask that question if we don't see grace
38:20: Because when we realize how poor we are That there is nothing.
38:25: There's nothing that we could do nothing that we could pay nothing that we could give to lessen the infinite debt that we owed when we see our
38:35: Poverty when we see then how enriched we've become when we see
38:41: Jesus on the cross Giving himself for us Then we beg to give ourselves
38:50: Were the whole realm of nature mine that were a present far too small
38:56: Love so amazing so divine Demands my life my soul my all grace is