Calvary Road Baptist Church
“SOWING BOUNTIFULLY”
Second Corinthians 9.6-15
I want to speak to you about why people do the things they do and the motivations that lie back of so much human behavior. And I want to do so while trying not to engage in any of the judgmentalism of people’s motives our Lord and the Apostle Paul decried.[1] Thankfully, we can speak about the motives that lie back of certain people’s actions because of the Bible's insight into what makes people tick. Let’s examine that for just a moment.
First, consider the wicked man or woman, the lost person, the soul that does not know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, the guy who has not trusted God’s provision for his soul’s safekeeping. Why does he or she do the things that they do?
Why does the lost person eat food? Why does the lost man watch his weight and exercise and go to a tanning salon so that he always looks bronzed and Greek god-like? When he is nice to his wife or girlfriend, or when he’s nice to both, why is he nice? When he works diligently on the job, what motive lies back of that exertion and effort?
We could speculate all day long about the motives of the unregenerate man or woman, but we don’t have time. As I insinuated a moment ago, we don't need to speculate even if we had the time to speculate. The Bible indicates that everything the unsaved person does he or she does for selfish reasons, and let’s label that motive as self interest.
When he drinks his booze, or takes his drugs, or commits his sexual sins, or shouts his profanity, or even when he attends his Church and gives his offerings and participates in good causes, he does so for selfish reasons. He does so for self-interest. Even the unsaved Suzy homemaker, who is consumed by a domestic lifestyle and matters of hearth and home, does everything that she does from an entirely selfish motive, from a nesting instinct geared to self-preservation and personal comfort.
It is such an impossibility for any unsaved person to have proper motives for doing things, for doing anything, that the Bible indicates that even “the plowing of the wicked, is sin.”[2] A lost man cannot plow a field without doing so for the wrong reasons and with the wrong intent in mind. A lost mother cannot look after her babies without doing so for the wrong reasons and with the wrong intent in mind.
“Pastor, surely you are exaggerating. I have a friend who is not a Christian, but she is the most honest individual I have ever known.” Are you sure? Consider the Scriptural concept of dishonesty and lying.
First John 2.22:
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”
First John 5.10:
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
Romans 3.4:
“God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
Scripture identifies anyone and everyone who denies Christ and does not believe God as, by definition, a liar. Therefore, while your friend (or relative) may be meticulously honest about nickels and dimes and candy on a desk bowl when it comes to important spiritual matters, that person cannot be truthful while denying Christ and not believing God. It is, therefore, unwise to place any stock in their opinions or testimonies related to spiritual matters.
However, once that same individual is washed clean in the blood of Christ when his or her sins are forgiven when they are made a new creature because of what our Lord Jesus did on Calvary’s cross when they are given the mind of Christ by the work of the precious Holy Spirit Who dwells inside them ... then, why do they do the things that they do?
Listen to me carefully now. The child of God does what he does when he is doing God’s will because it is in his best interests to do so. Christians are properly motivated to serve and live for God, in part because it is in our best interest to do so. “But pastor, that’s why lost people do things.” To be sure. But because of what Jesus Christ has done to us and for us, we now properly understand what is in our best interests as no lost person ever could.
“The Christian will forego so much of what the lost person does. How many lost people will reach out to the lost instead of staying home and watching television? How many lost people will give to God, claiming that what they give is His in the first place? How many lost people will choose to dress modestly like the Christian does? Pastor, how can you say that Christians are motivated by self-interests?”
My response is that if we were not properly motivated by self-interest, why would God bother to inform us of the crowns awaiting us for faithful service and ministry at the Judgment Seat of Christ?[3] I tell you that while Christians are motivated by self-interest, it is enlightened and Scripturally appropriate self-interest. The most godly of believers have thus been properly motivated. Even the Apostle Paul loved and served like he loved and served God for the satisfaction of receiving his Lord’s approval at the Judgment Seat.
It does not cheapen or degrade what the child of God says and does for Christ to understand the why that lies back of his life of service. It strengthens and matures it. And if you deny that what you do you do for rewards that shall be given to you by your Lord, then you can tear First Corinthians chapter three, First Peter chapter five, James chapter one, and other passages out of your Bible, because those promises of future rewards are used by the New Testament writers to entice us to faithful service.
I have said these things to lay the foundation for my message from Second Corinthians 9.6-15, which I have titled “Sowing Bountifully.”
Addressing Christians who have already been persuaded to give to help the needy saints in Jerusalem, Paul does not, in this passage, try to persuade the Corinthians to give an offering. They have already decided to do that. And he is not trying to persuade them to tithe to God through their Church. They have already been persuaded to do that.
Not trying to persuade people who have already been persuaded, Paul is instead seeking to inform people who may not be fully informed of something every Christian needs to be aware of with regard to Christian giving. What you need to realize who are already committed to doing right is that the law of sowing and reaping applies to your offerings.
Many Christians learn of the law of sowing and reaping early on in their lives. They learn from Luke 6.38 that the law of sowing and reaping applies to judgmentalism. Judge and you are going to be judged, with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Still, other Christians know, from Galatians 6.6-9, that the law of sowing and reaping applies to meeting the needs of the Gospel minister. Take care of your preacher, and God will take care of you.
But how many Christians realize that when addressing the issue of making a commitment to giving to some project that your Church has taken on, whether it be feeding the saints in Jerusalem, or supporting a missionary, or funding a building project, the law of sowing and reaping is applicable and at work in your life?
The application of the law of sowing and reaping to such giving can be seen in our text for today in two ways:
First, THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING CAN BE SEEN IN THE REALM OF THEORY
In Second Corinthians 9.6-9, the Apostle Paul makes his theoretical case that the law of sowing and reaping applies to above-the-tithe giving rest upon four pillars.
The first pillar is a principle, Second Corinthians 9.6:
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”
Here we see the law of sowing and reaping, a law that is as well understood to the farmer and the planter as the law of gravity is to the physicist. That is to say, he doesn’t know how it works, but everything he does depends upon the fact that it does work. In this verse, we have the law of sowing and reaping stated in two ways: If you sow little, you shall reap little. If you sow much, you will reap much. This is not difficult for anyone to understand. The strength of this pillar is illustrated by the fact that both of these phrases in verse 6 are first-class conditional statements. They assert a fact.
The second pillar is a purposing, Second Corinthians 9.7:
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
To “purpose,” proaireá¿–tai, is to decide ahead of time what you are going to do.[4] No farmer ever went out into the field with his seed corn and sowed until he just didn’t feel like sowing any more. No. The farmer decides long before he ever begins to sow how much he is going to sow. Frequently he spends all winter deciding how much he will sow. When spring finally comes, and he begins to sow, does he complain and gripe about having to use up his seed corn? Of course not. He plants with optimism and delight because of the prospect of the future harvest. In like manner does the Christian give. So, you see why God delights in a cheerful giver. Anyone who would gripe and complain about giving hasn’t the foggiest idea what seed he is sowing and probably wouldn’t have the slightest interest at the harvest that is gathered, either. By the way, the farmer who plants no seeds is a farmer who has sown little. If you think you aren’t planting, you are just planting very little, that’s all. Everyone plants something.
The third pillar is the Provider, Second Corinthians 9.8:
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”
Do you see how these three pillars come into play? In verse 6, we have the law of sowing and reaping. In verse 7, we are informed of the personal responsibility of the person whose opportunity it is to sow. Then, in this verse, we see the part that God plays in all this. Nothing happens apart from God’s grace. Notice the word “grace.” That has to do with God’s enablement. It is God that enables each of His children to take advantage of the promise of the law of sowing and reaping. The result of God’s grace is that we have “all sufficiency in all things.” That means we have some capacity, because of God’s help, to sow now and then to reap later.
Notice, also, the word “abound,” which appears twice in the verse. The word shows that God is able to make every Christian to be a bountiful sower, the word “able” found early in the verse translating the Greek word dunatá½³w, the noun form of the word meaning power, dá½»namiV. That said, we must be mindful that what God is capable of doing He does not always do, does He? He can make anyone a bountiful sower. He has that ability, does He not? But He does not always do that, does He? Writing to the Corinthians, did Paul not write about the Macedonians in the previous chapter, chapter eight?
Let me remind you how very poor the Macedonians were. Yet Paul bragged about their giving, without saying anything about how much they gave. Why not? Precisely because they were so poor, with the governing principle of giving stated in Second Corinthians 8.12:
“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”
Who was the biggest giver during the Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry? The widow who gave two mites, Mark 12.42 and Luke 21.2. Reflect on this with me. The widow wanted to give and gave from her poverty. Yet, by God’s accounting, she was the biggest giver. What we must understand is that God is able to give to you and me much or little. And He gives to you and me in proportion to what He wants you and me to then sow by way of our giving. Therefore, no child of God should ever feel badly about not being able to give much if the Lord has not given you much from which to give.
What is important to the Lord is, first, a willing mind. Do you want to give? Great. Now exercise judgment and discretion as you decide whether and how much to give on any occasion, depending upon how much you have:
“it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”
The most my wife and I ever gave was during the months we were both unemployed and we gave from the very, very little that we had, according to God’s way of evaluating giving.
The final pillar that the law of sowing and reaping rests on is the pillar I identify as passage. It is an Old Testament verse Paul quotes in Second Corinthians 9.9:
“(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.”
You know what this verse suggests to me? It suggests God’s motive for enabling believers to give different amounts, since no two people can give the same amount. It is a display of God’s righteousness when He exercises His discretion to enable His children to meet such needs as arise in the Gospel enterprise. God is righteous and He does righteousness. He takes cares of His Own, but He does so without dispersing the same amount to each individual. No two people get the same amount or can do the same thing. This verse also suggests some other passages which support my contention that the law of sowing and reaping applies to giving and generosity toward others:
Proverbs 11.24:
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
Givers increase and those who withhold more than is necessary, who are stingy, tend to be poorer.
Proverbs 19.17:
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”
If you are a blessing to the poor believer you are really lending to the LORD, who will restore to you in some way.
Proverbs 22.9:
“He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.”
The bountiful eye refers to generosity, the person who gives bread to the poor. That individual will be blessed.
In each of these verses, we are shown that giving to God’s poor is understood to be akin to an investment, that it is sowing that will result in reaping. If such is true with regard to giving God’s poor food to eat, how much more does this truth apply with regard to that which is dearest to God’s heart, which is getting the Gospel out? So, we see that, in the realm of theory, the law of sowing and reaping applies to giving.
Next, PAUL SHOWS US THAT SOWING AND REAPING ALSO APPLIES TO GIVING IN THE REALM OF PRACTICALITY
Have you noticed that it is only in the Word of God that theory and practicality are identical? In every other realm of human experience, theory at best approximates the practical. Whereas verses 6-9 showed this truth of sowing and reaping from the doctrinal side of the coin, verses 10-15 show the truth about sowing and reaping from the experience side of the coin.
Notice the cycle shown in Second Corinthians 9.10-11. In verse 10, we see that God gives:
“Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)”
Several observations: First, God provides the seed with which the sower actually does the sowing. Then, God gives bread to provide nourishment so that you will have the strength and the health to sow. Point of fact is that God does both of these things, third so that the fruits of your righteousness will increase. This means you and I can take no credit for anything since we never actually start with nothing. God first gives to us and then expects us to give back to Him, to His cause. He does all of this so that the “fruits” of your righteousness will increase. The word “fruit” used here is genná½µmata, which is not the common Greek word for apples and oranges and grapes, which would be karpá½¹V, but refers to a harvest in general.[5] Might the use of this word suggest to us that God’s ultimate aim of this sowing and reaping process is the salvation of multitudes, a large harvest? Something to consider.
So, God gives. Then, what do we do? Verse 11:
“Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.”
God gives to us so that we will have to give to God. As a result of our giving to God, He indicates that He will work through the law of sowing and reaping to give back to us. From there, the process starts all over again. And one of the byproducts of this process is the increase of the “fruits of your righteousness.” Not only does giving directly finance the Gospel enterprise, at home and abroad, but seeing this law work in our lives causes excitement about the faithfulness and promises of God that results in believers reaching out to bring others to Christ. This message is not intended to be persuasive of those who do not give but informative for those who already give. To you, then, who give. Aren’t you glad to be involved in this get from God, give to God, get from God, give to God, cycle? Your participation is governed by God’s provision to you and your personal and prayerful decision-making response.
Now, notice the success that is observed, Second Corinthians 9.12-14:
12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
This is what we observe happening as we participate in the Scriptural cycle of giving and getting and giving again.
With regard to those who are recipients of our giving, two things happen: First, their wants are satisfied. Second, they thank God for answering their prayers by meeting their needs through giving brothers and sisters in Christ. When you give to missions, for example, two things happen. First, missionary’s needs are met. Then, missionaries fall on their knees and thank God for answering their prayers through the giving of this and other Churches. We see this in verse 12.
Concerning God, two things happen: In verse 13, we see the word “experiment.” That word, dokimá½µV, has to do with approving something that has been subjected to a test.[6] Concerning God, when you and I give through our Church, as did the Corinthians, God approves of that activity, #1, and God receives glory for what we are doing for Him, #2. Is it worth it? I think so.
Finally, concerning those who are the givers, that would be you and me, two things occur according to verse 14: First, those who receive what we give are constantly praying for us. Do you want a Christian to pray for you? It happens when you start giving. Missionaries will pray that we are Spirit-filled and remain Spirit-filled and powerful with God because they know that it is through such people that God will answer their prayers and meet their needs. And second, they will long after us. When we take care of missionaries, they will pray for us, #1, but they will also look forward to being with us whenever they can, #2. They will miss us.
I like for missionaries to miss me. Don’t you? It’s a good testimony for a Church for missionaries to always want to stop by when they are in the area instead of hoping they don’t run into anyone from the Church.
Let’s wrap this up. Is it not obvious that the law of sowing and reaping has been applied by God to giving? The principle is well-established, but not in a Joyce Meyers, Benny Hinn, or Joel Osteen kind of way.
Is it not also obvious, as well, that when the Christian participates in a ministry by giving, he really is doing something that is in his own best interests? Sure. But without the notion of giving to get rich, which is the basis for all prosperity theology giving.
When you give, will you get more to give more in the future, but all of the other side benefits, as well. That said, there is no promise here that God will make you or me rich so we can give huge amounts of money. God’s accounting is different than that. Remember the widow who gave two mites.
With that in mind, let me list the benefits of giving to the cause of Christ through your Church:
#1 When you give a portion of what God has given to you, He will allow you to reap more than you’ve sown, since you always reap more than you sow. And He does this so that you can repeat the cycle once more, verse 6. That said, let me caution you again that this is not prosperity theology, in that there is no promise from God to make you or me financially wealthy. While God blessed some, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, most of his people down through the centuries have lived on the margins.
#2 God makes all grace abound toward you, verse 8. God literally blesses every single area of your life as an encouragement for you to choose to co-labor with Him in this area of ministry. And by blessing, I am not referring to the promise of more money, but to the promise of love, joy, peace, contentment, and such as that.
#3 He increases the fruits of your righteousness, verse 10. For one reason or another, you will see more people come to Christ as a result of your personal ministry.
#4 You are an instrument that causes other people’s prayers to be answered, which causes God to approve of your ministry, which causes God to be praised and thanked and glorified, and that causes other people to pray for you, which results in the “exceeding grace of God in you.”
Is it in your best interests to give to the cause of Christ? You bet it is. And it is giving that is without coercion of any kind. It is related to “a ready mind” and according “as a man hath.” Thus, you give if you want to, but you only give from what you have to give. Never give what you do not want to give or do not have to give. And do so with a clear conscience.
Read verse 15 with me, and we’ll close:
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
What is this verse about? The offering? No. Too strong. Paul is thanking God for His Son, Who has made all of this possible. The law of sowing and reaping, the interdependency, seeing folks converted to Christ, and the prayers and answers to prayer, all because of Jesus Christ.
Christian, we need to fall on our faces and continually thank God for His Son. And we need to appreciate our gracious God for devising a plan by which we can serve and glorify Him and, at the same time, serve our own long-term, spiritual, eternal interests. God is so good.
My unsaved friend, how about you? Your best interests cannot ever be served until you first come to know Jesus Christ as your Savior. Why not let that time of salvation, that reckoning with your Creator, be now?
__________
[1] Matthew 7.1; Luke 6.37; 1 Corinthians 4.3
[2] Proverbs 21.4
[3] 1 Corinthians 9.25; 1 Thessalonians 2.19; 2 Timothy 4.8; James 1.12; 1 Peter 5.4; Revelation 2.10
[4] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1980), page 483.
[5] See footnote 32 for 2 Corinthians 10.10 from Paul Barnett, The Second Epistle To The Corinthians - NICNT, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997), page 441.
[6] Reinecker, page 484.
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Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church