Testing the Sincerity of Giving

Living Generously “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.”

Confucius “The first question which the priest and the Levite asked

was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’ ”

Martin Luther King Jr. “One of the principal rules of religion is, to lose no

occasion of serving God. And, since He is invisible to our eyes, we are to serve Him in our neighbor; which He receives as if done to Himself in person, standing visibly before us.”

John Wesley

The Pattern of Giving - 2 Corinthians 8: 1 – 4

1. Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

2. that in 1a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

3. For I bear witness that 2according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were 3freely willing,

4. imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints

1. The Pattern of Sacrificial Giving

2. The Pattern of Abundant Giving

3. The Pattern of Freely Giving

8. I speak not by commandment, but 1I am testing the sincerity of your love by the 2diligence of others.

9. For you know the grace of our 3Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

The Challenge of Giving - 2 Corinthians 8: 8 – 9

1. Giving is not a matter of commandment but a

matter of love.

2. If others can give, so can you!

3. Jesus is the ultimate example of giving – He gave

all so that others could have all.

Godly Advice - 2 Corinthians 8: 10 – 12

10. And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago;

11. but now you also must 1complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.

12. For if there is 2first a willing mind, it is 3accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

1. Giving must go beyond thinking and move on to doing.

2. Giving must come from a willing mind.3. There are no excuses when it comes to giving.

Consider the Cross

Luke 4: 18 – 19“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,Because He has anointed MeTo preach the gospel to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captivesAnd recovery of sight to the blind,To set at liberty those who are oppressed;To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Matthew 25: 37 – 40“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

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Willing Loving Giving

Diligence Sincerity Abundance