For the past several months, I posted a series of sermons about generosity from the book of 2 Corinthinas. So I just want to give you an overview of those sermons. It might be helpful if you are going to teach your Church members about biblical generosity.

These sermons is not a prosperity gospel that will give you false hopes. But this is what Apostle Paul taught us concerning generosity. It covers the basic fundamental teachings on generosity. It talks about why we should be generous, truths about generosity, people administer generosity, and the principles of generosity.

If you find this helpful, please let me know how God used this sermons in your life, in your ministries and in your church.

(Simply click the links to view each sermons)

Learning How We Should Give

This sermon talks about how the Macedonian churches demonstrated the unparalleled act of generosity. They gave abundantly despite of their severe trials, and extreme poverty. Today, you will find it very rare to see a person who will be giving something when he is in deep trials, or in extreme poverty.

But such acts was never a hindrance for the Macedonian churches. In fact, there are three things they did to show such kind of generosity:

First is that they gave out of the abundance of great joy. They did not murmur when they gave. They were not hesitant in giving, rather, they even seem to feel happy when they gave.

Secondly, they gave more than they can afford. The passage tells us that the Macedonian churches are suffering from severe trial and extreme poverty, yet, they gave more than what they can afford.

Third, they gave themselves first to God and then to saints by the will of the Lord. This is the secret of their generosity. It is easier to give if our mind is set up to God. It is God whom we are pleasing, not men. And if we can indeed submit first to God, it will be easier for us to give to other people.

Truths About Generosity

I listed 3 main truths of generosity that can be found in the passage.

Generosity is a test of love to God. Paul explicitly said that generosity is a test of love to God. He used the word “Agape” for the word love, which is the highest form of love. Now the question is, “do we really and genuinely love God?” Then it can be tested through generosity.

Generosity is willingness to give accompanied by actions. When God first taught the people to give, He made it as a requirement. But we all know that the Law is a “tutor” of what it is to come. God wants us to learn the act of giving where we will voluntarily give from our hearts and not in a grudgingly.

Generosity is intended for financial equality. Tithing and offering was originally designed to support God’s ministers such as priests, levites, pastors and the like. When God first required tithing, it was intended not only as a form of sin offering but to support the Levites who administers the Tabernacle of God.
Then, a portion of those offerings were also intended to help the poor people, widows and foreigners. It was not intended so that these people will take advantage of the rich, but for the financial equality among them.

People Who Should Administer the Gift of Generosity

Have you ever wondered the qualifications of becoming a treasurer of the Church? This sermon exposes three main requirements as a qualification of someone who is in this kind of ministry.

One who is eager to administer. He should be someone who need not to be forced to do it. He should be someone who can willingly work on it especially that this ministry is tedious and requires credibility.

One whose praise is in the gospel. He is someone who is involve in sharing the gospel, or well acquainted with the ministries of the Church. Someone who can be said to be reading the Bible well because it is seen in the way he lives and in the way he talks.

One who is diligent. A person that has to be assigned in administering financial matters of the church has to be diligent. We all know that administering something especially the church finances is never easy. A just a bit of corruption can destroy one’s integrity and credibility not to mention his accountability to God.

Prinicples of Generosity

Now we come to the underlying principles of generosity.

Principle No.1: Who ever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Generosity is more like an agricultural principle. The more you sow, the more you will reap.

Principle No.2: God loves a cheerful giver. God accepts the offering of the righteous and repentant heart. There is no incident in the Bible that God was pleased to accept an offering from a grudging and sinful heart.

Principle No.3: He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. God is the supplier of everything, both the “seed” that needs to be sown and those that were intended for food. However, people are always tempted to consume even the seeds that needs to be sown.

Principle No.4: Generosity is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Do you ever think that offering is only for supplying the needs of God’s people? Think again. The Bible say, it’s an overflowing expression of thanks to God.

To get all the details of these 4 sermons, simply click the titles. Again, please let me know if these sermons became a blessing to you and your ministry. Would appreciate if you can share your personal experience about giving. Tithing, and generosity.