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In this second
letter to the Corinthian Church, the author Paul , emphasizes giving. To give is
to contribute, to present, or to bestow without expecting any compensation. This
is the legal definition of giving, to contribute, to present or to bestow
without expecting anything in return. But legal definitions aren’t always
vertically correct, and don’t always horizontally fit the facts. The fact is
there are time when legality must give way to practicality. How
many of you go to work and give the company (8) eight hours a day? You don’t
expect to get compensated after just eight hours. But after you have gone two
weeks, that’s ten day, at (8) eight hours a day, that adds up to (40) forty
hours. Now after you have given up (40) forty-hour of your time, legality gives
way to practicality. Practicality says, where’s my paycheck. Now you want to
be compensated for the time you have given.. So what do you do when payday does
roll around, you check your pay stub to be sure the boss didn’t over pay you. Back
when some of you lived in the country folks didn’t raise a pig until it was a
hog for it to be a pet. No! no! it took a lot of slop, mash and corn to feed it.
Don’t forget now somebody had get up early in the morning to take the feed to
the hog pen. Whomever’s job it was to feed the hog, had to deal with obnoxious
odors. It took a whole lot of giving to turn that pig into a hog.
Now let me ask you this, do you think for one that anybody would give all that it takes to raise that pig into a hog just to make it a pet? I don’t think so. In fact I know better. After all of that giving legality again had to go while practicality stepped in. Practicality said, that there was some bacon, some ham, some sausage, some pork chops, and some barbecue ribs that you can get out of that hog. Now I know some of you haven’t picked up on it yet, so let me inform you, there were still some ears, some feet, a tail, some chitterlings, and a head to make hog head cheese. About the only thing that does not get eaten on a hog is the oink. The legal definition of giving is to contribute, to present, or to bestow without expecting any compensation. But legal definitions aren’t always vertically correct, and they don’t always horizontally fit the facts. The fact is there are time when legality must give way to practicality. Giving in an essential ingredient in living. The waters of the earth give us catfish, buffalo fish, shrimps, crabs, oysters, and lobsters so that we can eat and live.. The land gives us black- eyed peas, collards, greens, yams, okra, potatoes , tomatoes, and corn to make cornbread, so that we can eat and live.
The Father gave His Son, His Son gave His life so that we might live eternally. Since the beginning of time, giving has been an issue that somehow seems to have different meanings to different people. Giving has been and still is an issue in the Church. So here in the text, the author Paul, emphasizes giving in this his second letter to the Church at Corinth.. True teaching on giving are either ignored or not taken to heart. The Bible teaches us that giving has been the standard for God’s people. It is illustrated in the tenth part and the sacrifice. The tenth part is the tithe and means to give God ten per cent of that which you have earned.. The sacrifice is an offering, a tribute, or gifts given to God. One of the teachings that is either ignored or not taken to heart warns us not to be a God robber. To rob God is no different than robbing anyone else, it’s the results that are different. When people you hope that you get away; to get caught robbing someone could have serious if not deadly consequences. But the consequences of robbing God almost always go unnoticed. Robbers come to Church every Sunday, wearing the finest in fashion.
They are color coordinated from head to toe. They wear the latest shoes and matching accessories. They have gold and diamond jewelry draped all about them. They drive the luxury cars, BMW’s, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Lexuses, and Mercedes Benz. And don’t forget they are fully operating mobile communication centers. They carry pagers and cellular telephones. They even bring them in the Church so that they won’t miss a page or a call. They come to church like they’re glad to be there.. They even greet the brethren with a handshake and a holy kiss. They don’t look like robbers, so how do they rob God? They rob Him in their giving of tithes and offerings. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye sat wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. They reach into their pockets and their purses and add up how much they owe God, and if they weren’t in Church, you might even hear them curse. So they make the decision to rob God.
They marched around in the offering, and even gave God a little something, but not His ten per cent.. His or her method of operation was so sophisticated that no one in the Church knew that a robbery was taking place. After pulling off this daring robbery, they stood up and sang with the congregation, you can’t beat God giving, no matter how you try, the more you give the more He gives to you, just keep on giving because it’s really true. Then when the Pastor gave the benediction, They had the nerve to stand and sing, God be with you until we meet again. What they really meant was until the next robbery. Then if that wasn’t bad enough to have just committed a robbery, they took their time going to the get away car, stopping at times fellowship with some of the members. When they got in the car they took their time stopped by Churches, got some chicken, took it home and had the nerve to ask the same God they had just robbed, to bless their food. True teaching on giving are either ignored or not taken to heart. It is and always has been the standard for God’s people.
People rob God because they believe that that they can take better care of themselves than He can. They are putting their faith in their own ability rather than in God’s ability. Many believe that the money that they rob from God will help pay on some of their bills. Yet! they still have bad credit, their bills are still behind. They can’t borrow any money from any body because they’ve use up all of their reliable sources. When the lights, gas, or water gets turned off, they feel that money from the robbery will help pay the deposit and get the service restored. The truth that should not be ignored and should be taken to heart, is that you are no better off now than you were before the robbery. And they won’t get better because the Bible say that ye are cursed with a curse in other words you have made the decision to live outside of God’s grace. He is able to give us back what we give. The fullness of His promise are found in these two words, all and always. He’s able to make all grace abound towards you.; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things.
There are other ways to explain what grace is, but here in this passage the word grace means favor and blessings from God. Not only are these blessings spiritual, they are also material. The subject of these blessings that Paul mentions are primarily material, although spiritual blessings are certainly included in the phrases, "all grace and "all things". So what God says is a great encouragement to those who give freely. He will more than return what you give. In fact this is the time to sing, the more you give, the more He gives to you. It is the believers duty to make a sacrifice in his giving. If you will trust God in your giving He will more than return what you give. Somebody wrote, you have not because you ask not. But I want to change that around a little, you have not because you give not. And you give not because you haven’t learned the benefits of trusting God.
Giving is our stewardship. Stewardship motivates us to give of our time and give of our substance. It says to an unfriendly world that I trust in God to watch over me. I trust in God, wherever I may be upon the land or on the rolling sea. For come what may from day to day, my Heavenly Father watches over me. I trust in God I know He cares for me on mountain bleak or on the stormy sea. Though billows roll, He keeps my soul, my Heavenly Father watches over me. I can’t tell your story, I’ve got to tell my own story about the benefits of me trusting God in my Giving: There are other Religions that you can follow. Everyone of them require you to give more than you are able to afford. But the thing that bothers me about these other Religions is that they have doctrine, they have a covenant, they have a message, they have a method. Their followers are more faithful than many of ours. Many are following these other Religions but what do they have to offer their followers. We have a God that loves a cheerful giver. We have a God who when you give will give back to you. Give Him of your money, and He will give you more so that you can give again. Give Him your time, and He will give you time to give back to Him. But what I love about My God, is if you give Him your Life, He will take care of you. He is able to make all grace abound towards you, that ye always having all sufficiency in all things. When this life is over He will give you eternal life.
Granted Freely By God | Top of Page
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