Our Eagerness to Help

Have you experienced the freedom that comes from generous giving? Listen to what a woman called Tricia Mayer says. She’s held various staff postions at Microsoft. I quote:

I’ve seen a generation of young people become wealthy in a very short period of time. I’ve also seen people lose their wealth through the “dot-com” demise and recession, and watched firsthand as people who put their security in wealth have been devastated. I’ve observed a lot about how money affects people in direct correlation with the values they place on it. Money is a blessing, but it is also a burden when we’re given more than we need. Giving produces freedom 100 percent of the time – freedom from the bondage of things, freedom to receive more from God, and freedom to be a conduit of blessing to others. Christians who have freely given their time, money, and themselves are the people who have changed eternity for themselves and countless others.

She’s right. There is real liberation to be found in learning to give. Money is powerful and it can so easily enslave us if we’d don’t look out. So we need to learn to master money before money masters us. That’s why I for one personally find it so helpful that each year we have this two week Giving Review period. It’s a constantly renewed and much needed spur and challenge to us to take stock of how we handle our money.

At the heart of our Giving Review is a regular review of the Bible’s key passages relating to giving. This year we’re looking again at the apostle Paul’s teaching on giving in 1 and 2 Corinthians. This morning our focus is on 2 Corinthians 8.16 – 9.5. That’s on p 1163. And I have three headings, which you can see on the back of the service sheet: first, let the glory of Jesus be the goal of our financial administration; secondly, let generous giving flow from loving hearts; and thirdly, let our commitments be carried through to completion.

But what is the big picture here? The apostle Paul has been encouraging the Christians in Corinth to collect money towards a gift that he is organising for the impoverished Christian church in Jerusalem. As he tours the young churches of Asia Minor, he is working hard to encourage each church to make their own contribution to that gift. When the money is in, he is going to send a delegation on the long trek to Jerusalem.

What, then, about this middle section of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9? I want to draw out the lessons under my three headings. So:


First, LET THE GLORY OF JESUS BE THE GOAL OF OUR FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION

From 8.16 Paul is commending to the Corinthians his co-worker Titus and the rest of the team which he’s sending to them to make the arrangements for the gift and to carry it to Jerusalem. And his concern for good administration is clear. Speaking of one of the team, he says (verse 19):

What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honour the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.

Why does good administration matter? So that the Lord is honoured. So that Jesus is glorified. If money is being raised in the name of Christ, then maladministration gives people all the excuse they need to rubbish the gospel.

And Paul goes on (verse 20):

We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.In other words the administration of giving must not only be right, it must be seen to be right.

Here are four marks of right administration.

First, it must be honest. Those who collect the money and those who spend it must be trustworthy, tried and tested people. That’s why Paul spells out the credentials of the team that he’s sending. Verse 23:

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honour to Christ.

As far as JPC is concerned, I am well aware that those of us who have responsibility for collecting and then for spending the money that’s given for the work here must live by the highest standards of probity. If you see anything different, please challenge us about it. Honesty is fundamental to every one of us in the way we handle money.

Secondly, right administration must be effective. That is to say, Christian giving must be spent on the right things. And that means on gospel-centred ministry. The best way to ensure that is to make sure that those who decide what the priorities are for how the money is spent are themselves gospel-centred people. So Paul says in verse 18:

And we are sending along with [Titus] the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.

Thirdly, right administration must be efficient. In other words, it must not only be spent on the right things, it must be collected and spent in the best possible way.

It’s not just what’s done, it’s how it’s done that matters. And the best way to make sure that administration is efficient is to ensure that those with responsibility for dealing with the money are suitably gifted and experienced people. Paul’s team have a proven track record.

Fourthly, right administration must be accountable. Verse 21:

For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

That’s precisely why Paul is spelling out here what the money’s for, who’s going to be handling it, and what the arrangements are going to be.

There is a range of ways that we seek to be accountable at JPC. Here are some examples.

This whole Giving Review is aimed at helping us all to be accountable to God for our personal finances. Every one of us needs to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

We explain how the money given is spent. This Giving Review is part of that process. At the AGM on 15 March there will be a further report on our income and expenditure.

When we ask for money, we say what it’s for. The budget is approved by the PCC and will also be reported on at the AGM. Gift Weeks and other appeals are always for specified projects.

We have careful financial control systems which have been scrutinised by the Charity Commission. We want all our financial practices to be of the highest standard so we keep them under review. So for instance our finance administrator handles the spending but doesn’t sign the cheques. And our accounts are professionally audited.

Like Paul, we want to take pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men. We understand that our administration of giving needs to be honest, effective, efficient and accountable.

And it’s not just our administration that needs to be right. These verses also challenge the attitudes of all of us who give. And that brings me to my next heading.


Secondly, LET GENEROUS GIVING FLOW FROM LOVING HEARTS

Giving springs from the heart first and the wallet second. The kind of heart that Paul is commending here – from which generous giving will flow – can be summed up, I think, in this way: it will be a worshipping heart, a servant heart, a loving heart, and a passionate heart.

We administer this gift ‘in order to honour the Lord’, says Paul in verse 19.

If we’ve been humbled by just a glimpse of the generosity of God to people like us, then our attitude changes. It’s no longer a question of ‘What is the minimum that I can get away with giving?’ Instead, there’s a deep inner desire to give for God’s sake and for the glory of Jesus. That’s the result of a worshipping heart – a heart that loves God.

And Paul is looking for servant hearts. In 8.18 he commends to them ‘the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel’. In 9.1 he describes their giving as ‘this service to the saints’.

One young man I knew elsewhere was motivated by all that God had given him to give a year of his life to work for a local church. The church couldn’t pay him, but he had a paid day job to support himself. He kept what he needed to cover board and lodging, and the rest he gave to the church. That money enabled two other volunteer youth workers to come to the church for a year. His generosity enabled opportunities to be taken for the gospel. That’s what the service of giving is all about. That’s the impact of a servant heart.

Then in 8.24 Paul describes the completion of the Corinthians’ giving project as ‘the proof of your love’. We give for the needs of others when we love them. We love others when we love Christ. We love Christ when we grasp how he’s loved us. So giving is a practical sign of a loving heart.

That was the testimony of one couple, speaking about their own giving: ‘People ask us, “Why do you do it?” We just say, “It’s because God’s been good to us, so we want to give back.”’

Is that how we feel about giving? Paul wants to see loving hearts in action. He is also looking for passionate hearts – passionate about the gospel. In 8.17 he speaks of the ‘enthusiasm’ of Titus; in 22 of how ‘zealous’ his co-worker is. Then in 9.2 he is looking to stir up the ‘eagerness’ and ‘enthusiasm’ of the Corinthians.

What is the right attitude to giving? It is the attitude of a worshipping, loving, passionate servant heart. Here’s one example of such an attitude. An older couple were asked to write out their thoughts on giving. This was their response. I quote:

Our life’s purpose for giving is as follows: Help fulfil the Great Commission by giving 50 percent of our annual income to Christian causes that have the greatest leverage. To do this we must maximise our income, consult with people knowledgeable about ministry, and select the best organizations to support. We have averaged giving 33 percent for the last fifteen year, and in the most recent two years we have moved to 50 percent of our gross income.

That kind of intentional, strategic and radical approach to giving is not going to mark our lives if inwardly we want to cling on to every last pound we possess. Giving begins in our hearts. Generous giving flows from loving hearts. Let that be so with us. Then:


Thirdly, LET OUR COMMITMENTS BE CARRIED THROUGH TO COMPLETION

Here are guidelines for giving in line with what Paul is urging the Corinthians to do.

One: consider the needs. The Jerusalem church needed help. Paul drew that to their attention.

Two: pool your resources. That’s what Paul was asking them to do, and it makes good sense. Our giving is much more effective if it’s done along with many others to achieve a common goal.

Three: give lots. In 8.20 Paul speaks of: ‘this liberal gift’; and in 9.5: ‘the generous gift’. Let’s give lots, and let’s give it gladly.

Four: make promises. 9.2:

For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.

Pledges enable planned ministry, rather than haphazard work as a result of haphazard income. Pledges also motivate others.

Five: carry through your commitment. Broken promises are worse than no promises. So let’s stick to what we’ve said we’ll do. 9.5:

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

Consistent giving increases our spiritual fitness. It constantly reminds us of God’s priority in our whole lives. It equips us for larger, urgent giving of whatever sort the Lord might call us to.

You probably know about the evangelical leaders of the Eighteenth Century who lead what we might call a non-violent Christian uprising in this nation that touched the world. But one of the often overlooked features of the evangelicals of that time was how radical their discipleship was in relation to money. Perhaps you’re familiar with the way that John Wesley urged people to…

…gain what you can, by rightful means and hard work without harming others; to save all you can, by avoiding extravagance and needless expense. Having first gained all you can, and secondly saved all you can then give all you can.

Gain, save, and give. Simple, hard and profound advice. What may be less well known is the extent to which Wesley lived by his own teaching. He said:

I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.

Wesley believed that with increasing income, the Christian’s standard of giving should increase, not his standard of living. He began this practice at university and continued it throughout his life. One year his income was slightly over £1,400; he gave away all but £30. When he died in 1791, the only money mentioned in his will was the odd coins he had left. Most of the £30,000 he had earned in his lifetime he had given away. As Wesley said,

I cannot help leaving my books behind me whenever God calls me hence; but, in every other respect, my own hands will be my executors.

We must be sure to carry through our good intentions. Paul is looking for giving that is planned, promised and practiced. Far too much genuine generous impulse is simply clogged up somewhere in a pile of papers. The work of the gospel isn’t carried forward by good intentions alone. It’s carried forward by money, and all the time, energy and resources that money represents. To be sure, money’s not enough. Much more is needed. But money is necessary.

So let the glory of Jesus be the goal of our financial administration. Let giving flow from loving hearts. And let our commitments be carried through to completion.