A Giving Heart in Hard Times
2 Corinthians 9
What’s on my heart today, is giving in this difficult time, and what role giving plays, and how we should be thinking about giving.
Here’s what happened. Yesterday, I was meeting with our treasurer of both ministries, Calvary Chapel Nuevo and Word By Mail, and reviewing our financial situation. And I’ve realized that God knew, obviously, and God provided. God provided for us before this event. This event that we assume is going create a downturn in giving. There’s just been some incredible stuff that’s happened in the last few months that we see as God providing for us before we even knew there was a need.
We run both of these ministries from a small, little farm town in Southern California. We don’t have a lot of wealthy people here. And God has always provided for this ministry. He’s always made sure that we had everything that we needed. He’s never let us down. And recently we’ve had some people give regular small amounts, but we’ve also had some people give some large amounts.
I was just told yesterday of a family, that is part of our Word By Mail family, gave an offering large enough to run the Word By Mail ministry for three months or so. Just an incredible gift, coming right when we needed it. Right when we’re working on building it, video studio, and promoting the video ministry more. A phenomenal sign that God is at work.
It’s the same in the church here in Nuevo, at Calvary Chapel Nuevo. And at the end of the year, we had a number of large gifts. And we said, God, what are these for? And we’ve been asking. Well, now it appears that we know. It’s to get us through a difficult time. We don’t know how long, but things have changed radically, as you know.
We started a food bank this week. We’re doing a lot in order to do online church and digital ministry. All of that comes with expenses, and God is providing, and I am so blessed by it.
So, I want to just review with you, real briefly, one of the greatest chapters in the Bible (maybe the greatest chapter in the New Testament), about giving. We’re going to 2 Corinthians Chapter 9. It will bless your heart.
2 Corinthians 9:1-2 (NLT)
1 I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. (to other Believers)
2 For I know how eager you are to help,…
Paul’s talking about the church in Corinth being eager to help, which is incredible. But this is what I would say to so many who, I know, that are anxious to give. They’re eager to help.
2 …and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.
This is incredible. This is one of the great things about us developing a giving heart, especially in difficult times. It stirs up the enthusiasm of other Believers to give, and other people around us to give.
2 Corinthians 9:3-4 (NLT)
3 But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you.
4 We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some (meaning some other Believers) Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them!
This is Paul saying, “Are you really ready to give? Is your heart really ready to give?” And notice Paul talks about our giving just like any other theological issue, like salvation, justification, anything else he discusses. Giving is just a regular part of becoming an all-in Christ-Follower.
Just like Jesus talked about the condition of our heart towards money so often. He talked more about money than both heaven and hell. Because as our heart is transformed, as we are transformed into his image, God’s image, we’re transformed into his heart and God is a giver. He has a giving heart. And so, we look for that in our lives – that transformation.
I don’t want to offend anybody, and I’m not looking to pry money out of your hand. I’m just saying that right now, Jesus is a real part of following Christ, right in this situation that we’re in, and as a country, and literally as a world. I don’t want to get your feathers ruffled.
I don’t want you saying, “Oh, the preacher is always talking about money!” There are some people that believe – “My money is between me and God, and I don’t have to give. Me and God, we’ve got our own thing going on.” And those are the people that generally are still working on having a giving heart. God is still transforming them into givers. And it’s okay. We need to know that we are in transformation, we’re in process. But God calls us to be cheerful, anxious to give, Christ-Followers.
It’s true. You don’t have to give. It doesn’t “earn” you anything. But it does do something in your life as you give, as you give out to other people. As you look for people to help, and places where there are needs that can be met. It does transform your heart. And it is a witness to those people. And it does bring glory to God. This is what we see here.
2 Corinthians 9:5 (NLT)
5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.
That’s what it’s about. It’s really about our own heart. God doesn’t want to pry money out of your hands. And I don’t, and no good pastor wants to pry money out of your hand. Instead, we want God to have your heart. And we want God to have your heart about money. And so, after we kind of get over the awkwardness, we teach about money just like we teach about anything else in the Christian life.
And it’s your heart that God wants. He wants your heart to be transformed into a giving heart. He wants you to impact people around you as a witness for him, and he wants you to bring him glory through your commitment to give. And once we do that, once we’re being transformed into a “giving heart” Follower, then there are promises from God about our giving. And these are great and precious promises that come as we begin to embrace giving.
2 Corinthians 9:6 (NLT)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
This is the law of “sowing and reaping.” It is a biblical truth. It is a biblical law, though it is misused. And it is misused a lot by a lot, honestly, of unethical preachers. Many of them are on TV. Not all TV preachers are bad, there are great pastors on TV teaching now. It used to be more of a stereotype of the TV preacher who uses this verse to get you to give him enough money to buy his third Lear jet, or his third castle on a hill, or his private island, or something. Craziness. Don’t do that. Don’t buy into that. Don’t get sucked into it. But it’s still true, the law of sowing and reaping is true. Just don’t let someone misuse it.
The point is this. As we give to God, with the right heart, cheerfully, as a sacrifice, an offering of praise and thanksgiving, we see that giving heart put a smile on God’s face. And that’s what we really want. We want that giving heart to put a smile on God’s face.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT)
7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
This is what I see. I just see the smile of God coming on someone whose heart is embracing this theology of giving, this truth of giving. And when that happens, God’s smile creates a glow in that person. We have some wonderful givers in the church, and I don’t mean just money. I mean just giving of themselves.
The other night I was playing around on Facebook live about this hoarding of toilet paper. It’s like, “Yikes! You’re kidding me!” People are hoarding. There’s no food shortage, by the way, it’s just everybody is freaking out and hoarding. So, I was saying take a deep breath. Sixty-four sixty-four-packs of toilet paper is enough. It’s okay. And so, this spirit-filled couple in the church that just glows Jesus, the wife calls and says “I have toilet paper. Who needs it? I’ll give toilet paper to anybody who needs it. I have some I can give away.” And she just wants so badly to give out her toilet paper. Which is just God’s heart in her. And I know that makes God smile. And it’s a really big deal right now in where we’re at.
And so, as we develop this heart, what happens is we develop a two-way “channel” (you might say), with God. We give out of a transformed heart, and then to bring God glory, and to be a witness for him, and then God responds by providing all we need, and even enough to continue to give to others.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)
8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
You see, God is watching our heart. And when we develop this giving heart, then God says he’ll provide what we need and enough to continue to give. Now, again, don’t be duped by the “charlatans” who say “You sow into my ministry. You’ll wake up tomorrow morning and there’ll be a new BMW in your driveway.” Stop it. Turn that channel off. That’s not what God is talking about.
God’s saying that developing this giving heart makes this connection with him where you’re transformed by your giving and he’s pouring into you so that you can continue to give. That’s the miraculous part. That’s the supernatural part.
1 Corinthians 9:9 (NLT)
9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
That’s a direct quote from Psalm 112. And this the heart that, my prayer is, we would as Christ-Followers would develop, that we would freely share. Give generously to those in need. And that we would, in return, receive the reward of our good deeds being remembered forever. Talking about God remembering them.
In verses 10 and 11, the Holy Spirit kind of condenses this whole supernatural ministry of giving in these two verses.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (NLT)
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
Do you see it? It’s not that he is promising to give you to spend on yourself or spend on the things of this world or buy more toilet paper for yourself, it’s as we join him in that giving heart he’ll provide enough of his grace and a great harvest of generosity in you to continue to give. It’s a miracle.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way (not worldly, fleshly, materially) so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
Here it is. First, a giving heart transforms us to be Christ-like. Then, the people we give to and the people who are watching, see a witness for God in our giving. And right here in verse 11, it says, they will thank God. And then, ultimately, God will be glorified. That’s the ultimate goal of our giving. And so, when we allow God to develop that giving heart in us, that’s what happens.
And then, in verse 12, Paul gives his points here. (Mine are that your heart is transformed, other people are witnessed to by our giving, they’re pointed to God, and that God is glorified.) Here are Paul’s.
2 Corinthians 9:12 (NLT)
12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving (one is physical, one is spiritual)—the needs of the (other Believers) believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
Transformed heart – meet a physical need. The people who receive are thanking God. God is at work in all of it.
2 Corinthians 9:13 (NLT)
13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God….
That’s what I am trying to say. Through our giving, not only are we glorifying God, but people that we give to, that we help through this situation, they will glorify God because of our giving.
13 …For (because) your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News (the Gospel) of Christ.
And so, our giving doesn’t earn anything. Our giving shows something. It shows the condition of our heart and our desire to give as God has given to us.
2 Corinthians 9:14-15 (NLT)
14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you.
They will pray for you with deep affection… the people who are ministered to by your giving. Do you want people praying for you because of the grace they see in your life, the grace of God? That’s so good.
Then Paul sums it up perfectly.
15 Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!
Paul can’t even put into words the amount of the power, the grace, and ultimately the glory to God that is all wrapped up in us developing a giving heart, especially in times of need, like this.
It will transform you, choosing to have a giving heart. It will help transform the people you give to, and the people who are watching as you are a testimony to them. And it will bring glory to God. Isn’t that what we’re here for? Isn’t that what we’re running the race for? We’re running the race with a transformed heart to show the world the nature of God, to manifest, to make visible the goodness of God in the Person of Jesus Christ, and ultimately, to bring God glory.
Here’s what happened. Yesterday, I was meeting with our treasurer of both ministries, Calvary Chapel Nuevo and Word By Mail, and reviewing our financial situation. And I’ve realized that God knew, obviously, and God provided. God provided for us before this event. This event that we assume is going create a downturn in giving. There’s just been some incredible stuff that’s happened in the last few months that we see as God providing for us before we even knew there was a need.
We run both of these ministries from a small, little farm town in Southern California. We don’t have a lot of wealthy people here. And God has always provided for this ministry. He’s always made sure that we had everything that we needed. He’s never let us down. And recently we’ve had some people give regular small amounts, but we’ve also had some people give some large amounts.
I was just told yesterday of a family, that is part of our Word By Mail family, gave an offering large enough to run the Word By Mail ministry for three months or so. Just an incredible gift, coming right when we needed it. Right when we’re working on building it, video studio, and promoting the video ministry more. A phenomenal sign that God is at work.
It’s the same in the church here in Nuevo, at Calvary Chapel Nuevo. And at the end of the year, we had a number of large gifts. And we said, God, what are these for? And we’ve been asking. Well, now it appears that we know. It’s to get us through a difficult time. We don’t know how long, but things have changed radically, as you know.
We started a food bank this week. We’re doing a lot in order to do online church and digital ministry. All of that comes with expenses, and God is providing, and I am so blessed by it.
So, I want to just review with you, real briefly, one of the greatest chapters in the Bible (maybe the greatest chapter in the New Testament), about giving. We’re going to 2 Corinthians Chapter 9. It will bless your heart.
2 Corinthians 9:1-2 (NLT)
1 I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. (to other Believers)
2 For I know how eager you are to help,…
Paul’s talking about the church in Corinth being eager to help, which is incredible. But this is what I would say to so many who, I know, that are anxious to give. They’re eager to help.
2 …and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.
This is incredible. This is one of the great things about us developing a giving heart, especially in difficult times. It stirs up the enthusiasm of other Believers to give, and other people around us to give.
2 Corinthians 9:3-4 (NLT)
3 But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you.
4 We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some (meaning some other Believers) Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them!
This is Paul saying, “Are you really ready to give? Is your heart really ready to give?” And notice Paul talks about our giving just like any other theological issue, like salvation, justification, anything else he discusses. Giving is just a regular part of becoming an all-in Christ-Follower.
Just like Jesus talked about the condition of our heart towards money so often. He talked more about money than both heaven and hell. Because as our heart is transformed, as we are transformed into his image, God’s image, we’re transformed into his heart and God is a giver. He has a giving heart. And so, we look for that in our lives – that transformation.
I don’t want to offend anybody, and I’m not looking to pry money out of your hand. I’m just saying that right now, Jesus is a real part of following Christ, right in this situation that we’re in, and as a country, and literally as a world. I don’t want to get your feathers ruffled.
I don’t want you saying, “Oh, the preacher is always talking about money!” There are some people that believe – “My money is between me and God, and I don’t have to give. Me and God, we’ve got our own thing going on.” And those are the people that generally are still working on having a giving heart. God is still transforming them into givers. And it’s okay. We need to know that we are in transformation, we’re in process. But God calls us to be cheerful, anxious to give, Christ-Followers.
It’s true. You don’t have to give. It doesn’t “earn” you anything. But it does do something in your life as you give, as you give out to other people. As you look for people to help, and places where there are needs that can be met. It does transform your heart. And it is a witness to those people. And it does bring glory to God. This is what we see here.
2 Corinthians 9:5 (NLT)
5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.
That’s what it’s about. It’s really about our own heart. God doesn’t want to pry money out of your hands. And I don’t, and no good pastor wants to pry money out of your hand. Instead, we want God to have your heart. And we want God to have your heart about money. And so, after we kind of get over the awkwardness, we teach about money just like we teach about anything else in the Christian life.
And it’s your heart that God wants. He wants your heart to be transformed into a giving heart. He wants you to impact people around you as a witness for him, and he wants you to bring him glory through your commitment to give. And once we do that, once we’re being transformed into a “giving heart” Follower, then there are promises from God about our giving. And these are great and precious promises that come as we begin to embrace giving.
2 Corinthians 9:6 (NLT)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
This is the law of “sowing and reaping.” It is a biblical truth. It is a biblical law, though it is misused. And it is misused a lot by a lot, honestly, of unethical preachers. Many of them are on TV. Not all TV preachers are bad, there are great pastors on TV teaching now. It used to be more of a stereotype of the TV preacher who uses this verse to get you to give him enough money to buy his third Lear jet, or his third castle on a hill, or his private island, or something. Craziness. Don’t do that. Don’t buy into that. Don’t get sucked into it. But it’s still true, the law of sowing and reaping is true. Just don’t let someone misuse it.
The point is this. As we give to God, with the right heart, cheerfully, as a sacrifice, an offering of praise and thanksgiving, we see that giving heart put a smile on God’s face. And that’s what we really want. We want that giving heart to put a smile on God’s face.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NLT)
7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
This is what I see. I just see the smile of God coming on someone whose heart is embracing this theology of giving, this truth of giving. And when that happens, God’s smile creates a glow in that person. We have some wonderful givers in the church, and I don’t mean just money. I mean just giving of themselves.
The other night I was playing around on Facebook live about this hoarding of toilet paper. It’s like, “Yikes! You’re kidding me!” People are hoarding. There’s no food shortage, by the way, it’s just everybody is freaking out and hoarding. So, I was saying take a deep breath. Sixty-four sixty-four-packs of toilet paper is enough. It’s okay. And so, this spirit-filled couple in the church that just glows Jesus, the wife calls and says “I have toilet paper. Who needs it? I’ll give toilet paper to anybody who needs it. I have some I can give away.” And she just wants so badly to give out her toilet paper. Which is just God’s heart in her. And I know that makes God smile. And it’s a really big deal right now in where we’re at.
And so, as we develop this heart, what happens is we develop a two-way “channel” (you might say), with God. We give out of a transformed heart, and then to bring God glory, and to be a witness for him, and then God responds by providing all we need, and even enough to continue to give to others.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)
8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
You see, God is watching our heart. And when we develop this giving heart, then God says he’ll provide what we need and enough to continue to give. Now, again, don’t be duped by the “charlatans” who say “You sow into my ministry. You’ll wake up tomorrow morning and there’ll be a new BMW in your driveway.” Stop it. Turn that channel off. That’s not what God is talking about.
God’s saying that developing this giving heart makes this connection with him where you’re transformed by your giving and he’s pouring into you so that you can continue to give. That’s the miraculous part. That’s the supernatural part.
1 Corinthians 9:9 (NLT)
9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
That’s a direct quote from Psalm 112. And this the heart that, my prayer is, we would as Christ-Followers would develop, that we would freely share. Give generously to those in need. And that we would, in return, receive the reward of our good deeds being remembered forever. Talking about God remembering them.
In verses 10 and 11, the Holy Spirit kind of condenses this whole supernatural ministry of giving in these two verses.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (NLT)
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
Do you see it? It’s not that he is promising to give you to spend on yourself or spend on the things of this world or buy more toilet paper for yourself, it’s as we join him in that giving heart he’ll provide enough of his grace and a great harvest of generosity in you to continue to give. It’s a miracle.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way (not worldly, fleshly, materially) so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
Here it is. First, a giving heart transforms us to be Christ-like. Then, the people we give to and the people who are watching, see a witness for God in our giving. And right here in verse 11, it says, they will thank God. And then, ultimately, God will be glorified. That’s the ultimate goal of our giving. And so, when we allow God to develop that giving heart in us, that’s what happens.
And then, in verse 12, Paul gives his points here. (Mine are that your heart is transformed, other people are witnessed to by our giving, they’re pointed to God, and that God is glorified.) Here are Paul’s.
2 Corinthians 9:12 (NLT)
12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving (one is physical, one is spiritual)—the needs of the (other Believers) believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
Transformed heart – meet a physical need. The people who receive are thanking God. God is at work in all of it.
2 Corinthians 9:13 (NLT)
13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God….
That’s what I am trying to say. Through our giving, not only are we glorifying God, but people that we give to, that we help through this situation, they will glorify God because of our giving.
13 …For (because) your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News (the Gospel) of Christ.
And so, our giving doesn’t earn anything. Our giving shows something. It shows the condition of our heart and our desire to give as God has given to us.
2 Corinthians 9:14-15 (NLT)
14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you.
They will pray for you with deep affection… the people who are ministered to by your giving. Do you want people praying for you because of the grace they see in your life, the grace of God? That’s so good.
Then Paul sums it up perfectly.
15 Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!
Paul can’t even put into words the amount of the power, the grace, and ultimately the glory to God that is all wrapped up in us developing a giving heart, especially in times of need, like this.
It will transform you, choosing to have a giving heart. It will help transform the people you give to, and the people who are watching as you are a testimony to them. And it will bring glory to God. Isn’t that what we’re here for? Isn’t that what we’re running the race for? We’re running the race with a transformed heart to show the world the nature of God, to manifest, to make visible the goodness of God in the Person of Jesus Christ, and ultimately, to bring God glory.