Preached at Markham Baptist Church, November 18, 2001

Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? I am told the malls are filling the air with Christmas carols and the store shelves are filled with all sorts of stuff. It's time for Christmas shopping. The difficulty, of course, with Christmas shopping is finding that exact present for someone. It is trying to figure out what they would really like and enjoy. So, you may spend some time flipping through a catalogue looking for ideas. Now, I must confess that shopping for my wife is quite easy because I simply open the catalogue and immediately go to the “Tools” section. The :Power Tools” section. I can imagine her on Christmas morning coming down the stairs, and she opens up her eyes and she gets a big surprise as she sees a high-speed table saw standing there…

My kids are easy to shop for too - I look through the catalogue and immediately go to the “Small Engines” section. I know what they would love is a Toro self-propelled lawn mower with a Briggs and Stratton engine…

No, no, no. Of course that's not what they want, and it wouldn't give them a lot of joy. But before every present you buy which is worth anything, you say, "I wonder what he wants. I wonder what would bring a smile of surprise and joy across her face?" That is the thrill of giving. It is choosing that special gift, the gift that is just right for the person and then watching them unwrap it. You see the expression of happiness come across their face and you know that it is exactly what they wanted. That kind of giving comes out of real love. It's a deep desire to give not just the material gift - that really is incidental - but to give the joy of receiving that gift. That kind of giving comes out of real love.

Now these thoughts need to permeate our thinking when we examine the idea of the grace of giving. We need to be asking, "What does God want?" "What is His heart set on?" "What can I give him that would express my love for him and truly show Him that I am thinking about Him?"

These are questions that the Holy Spirit addresses in the second letter to the Corinthians. At the time, the original church in Jerusalem was going through a difficult time. Indeed, their whole country was facing an economic recession. Everyone was suffering economically. But the Christians were especially suffering because they were a persecuted minority. They couldn't get jobs and they weren't able to sell their merchandise, all because of the faith they professed.

But the Christians in Corinth were doing quite well. Their Greek economy was healthy and the Christians in Corinth were enjoying a level of prosperity that wasn't known in other parts of the world. The Corinthians had heard about the plight of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem and they had responded with a promise to help. But Paul still hadn't received the promised gift, so one of the reasons he writes to the Corinthians is to remind them of their promise. In the process the Holy Spirit uses Paul to teach us about the grace of giving. He helps us address the question "What does God want?" "What is His heart set on?" "What can I give Him that would express my love for Him and truly show Him that I love Him?"

The text is 2 Corinthians 8:1-15: (the first seven verses in particular)

“We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints - and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. Now as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you - so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something - now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has - not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written, ‘The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.’ ” (2 Corinthians 8:1-15) (NRSV)

So,in the midst of writing Christmas lists, the question is: can we think about what we can give God?

Now Paul doesn't answer the question right away. He first tells us how the church in Macedonia has responded to the news of the need in Jerusalem. He holds up the church in Macedonia to teach us about giving.

In so doing we learn of the motivation for giving. He writes in verse 1:

"We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia." (NRSV)

Just press the hold button on that verse for a moment. One way we can read that verse is "We want you to know about the grace of God that has been granted and has motivated the churches of Macedonia to give". This is in full agreement with the context of this passage. The motivation for Christian giving is the grace of God. That's what Paul spells out in verse 9:

"For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich." (NRSV)

We have spent the last number of weeks examining the sweet sound of God's grace. And I hope and pray that as we have studied His word, you have been able to see again how amazing God's grace is truly is. I mean, we have never, ever experienced anything like it. He accepts us and loves us as we are, he forgives us completely and unconditionally. He gives His own Son for us while we still have the muck of sin and guilt all over us. He forgives us and washes us clean through faith in Christ's sacrifice.

I pray that as we have studied His amazing grace, that the wonder of His grace has overwhelmed you and enveloped you and so enlivened you that you turn to Him and say, "O God, thank you, I love you. By Your grace You have given me everything - What can I give to You?"

That's our motivation for giving. It was the motivation behind the Macedonian church giving - the grace of God granted to you and me.

But verse 1 and the following also suggest how to give. The Macedonians gave because of the grace of God but also, their giving reflected the grace of God. They received the unmerited favour of God and they demonstrated that grace in their giving so that grace became real and tangible. So people could see God's grace as real and would say, "That's the grace of God that has been given to them."

So giving becomes a description grace itself, it becomes "a grace". Paul mentions other "graces" in verse 7. But the idea is that giving is so reflective of grace that it becomes grace itself. So we have the phrase the grace of giving.

What does the grace of giving look like? Well Paul says in verse 2 that it was generous.

"For during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part" (NRSV)

How should we give to God? Let your giving be generous. We don't know how much the Macedonians gave but it was generous in proportion to what they had. We learn here that they, too, are suffering from extreme poverty and verse 4 tells us that they gave according to their means, and even beyond their means. Their gift was very generous.

Do you see? It was a reflection of the grace they had been given. God had generously given them His grace and their giving reflected His generosity. That is always the focus of Scripture. It is not the amount that is given that matters - what matters is, do you reflect in your giving all that God has given to you?

Sometimes in our giving to the work of God we say, "If only I had more I would give more." That's a nice sentiment but don't allow yourself to rest there - give what you can now out of what God has graciously given you. Do you know the poem?

"It's not what you'd do with a million,
If a million should ever be your lot,
But what are you doing at present
With the buck and half that you've got."

Not great poetry, but it is good scriptural advice! Let your giving be reflective of God's grace in your life - give generously.

Then this: let your giving be reflective of God's grace - let it be done willingly.

Do you think God's grace is given begrudgingly? Do you think He clutches His grace envelope and when our lives pass before Him He grits His teeth and clenches His fist and says, "Okay I don't really want to give you grace but here it is".

No, God delights to give His children grace, He delights in exercising kindness (Jeremiah 9:24). Or read the parable of the prodigal son again and see God pictured in the waiting father who when he sees his son still a long way off runs out to his son and throws himself upon his son's neck and embraces him in love even before the son is able to say, "Father I'm sorry". God has great joy in giving His grace.

Or read Luke 15 which tells us that there is a party in heaven every time a sinner repents. Do you think God is heaven kicking Himself saying, "Oh, I shouldn't have offered that grace; there's another sinner repenting"? No, there's more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Macedonian Christians, we read in verse 4, begged Paul earnestly for the privilege of giving. They were reflecting the willingness with which God gives His grace. They were reflecting the joy of the grace they had received.

Wouldn't be wonderful if next week when it comes time for the offering there is a sense willingness and joy in this place, instead of our usual stoic faces? No, instead, let's give our offering with the same joy and enthusiasm that God gives his grace to you and to me. There's laughter and high-fives, "Can you believe we're doing this, honey?" Put it in the plate dear, isn't this great?" There's joyful laughter and ripples of applause through the whole sanctuary because we are giving - not because we have to, not because it's our duty but because we are reflecting the joy of God's grace in our lives. That is why God loves a cheerful giver. It is a reflection of His grace.

So we've learned the motive for giving – it is the reality of God's grace in our lives. How are we to give? Let it be reflective of God's grace - give generously, give willingly.

III

Now the big question - for any gift that is worth anything, first ask the question: what does the person want? "What does God want?" "What is His heart set on?" "What can I give Him that would express my love for Him and truly show Him that I love Him?"

Verse 5 of our text says,"They gave themselves first to the Lord, and, by the will of God, to us." (NRSV) They gave themselves first then they gave their money.

This is crucial. When we talk about stewardship in the church or when we talk about giving in the church we usually talk about time, money and spiritual gifts - but before you give any of that to God, give yourself.

In light of His grace in your life give yourself to Him. Tell Him, “Lord, right now I give all my relationships to You. I give my relationship with my spouse to You, with my kids, all is Yours. I give You my work, my car, my house, all I have is Yours. I give all my ambitions, all my dreams, all my priorities are Yours. Take my life.” This is crucial.

You see, the grace of giving has nothing to do with the current state of the economy, it has nothing to do with your investment portfolio, it has nothing to do with your monthly salary or your Christmas bonus. Whether Macedonian or Corinthian, American or Canadian or Asian or Australian, the challenge is the same; first and foremost, God wants your life.

If you go out of this place thinking that all Markham Baptist Church wants is your money - you are wrong. If you leave this place thinking that all Pastor Tom wants is your money, you are wrong.

But the question is what can you give to God? What is it that would express your love for Him best? Give Him your life. This is what God has given for you. You know that generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty we might become rich.

God wants your life. He wants you to experience His grace generously poured out on you through His Son. He wants you to know that He loves you and gives you grace not reluctantly, but willingly and joyfully.

He wants the whole of you so that through you He can express His grace of giving again and again to a world that is in great need of His grace.