Our text has to do with giving, one aspect of a Christian's spiritual development. First, Paul recounts how the Macedonian churches have been very generous in their giving. (Macedonia was a region in northern Greece, some distance away from the Corinthian church.) A collection had been taken up for the support of other churches. We get this idea from verses 13 to 15, where Paul says that the needs of one church may be supplied by another church, and vice versa, when the giving church experiences hardship another church can help and support it. In other words, worshipping communities were to help each other in a material sense. Taking up a collection to provide for the needs of other churches seems to have been an important part of Paul's ministry.

And secondly, Paul makes known the generosity of the Macedonian churches to serve as an example for the Corinthian church. He encourages each member to have a desire to give. And he reminds them that Jesus gave of Himself so that they might live. If Jesus did that for them, why couldn't they make some kind of sacrifice?

From our text we can't but conclude that giving has been a part of the church since its very beginning. Giving and charity have always been a part of the Christian life. There is no denying that.

I know people hate to hear the mantra "you must give to the church, you must give to the church, you must give to the church." Unfortunately, many churches today preach not the Gospel that Jesus Christ saves but the message of the almighty dollar. And such a message turns many people off. Churches beat people over the head to give more because churches aren't satisfied working within their means. Money has become the focus and not Jesus Christ.

It's worthy to note that much of the giving that does take place within the church stays within the church. In our text Paul urges giving for the purpose of helping others in need. The focus ought to be outward and not inward.

It's not my intent to brow beat people into giving more to the church or to repeat the mantra, "you must give to the church." No, my intent is simply to point out that having a generous, giving spirit is part of who we are as God's children.

I think one of the reasons giving is a touchy subject is because we don't believe that all we have belongs to God and comes from Him. "It's all mine. I earned everything. Don't you touch it." But the problem with this is we fail to realize that God has given us the ability to earn a living. He gave us the intelligence and strength to be able to acquire things. We ought to be thankful that we have our health and are not like many handicapped people who don't. Had God not given us good health how would we have been able to make a good life for ourselves? Have we ever thought about that?

There are people in the world who aren't as fortunate and blessed as we are. Not too many of us have lived in other parts of the world where poverty is quite plain to see. That's why it's real easy for us to ignore the plight of others as we sit in our comfortable homes and cars. It's not our problem that much of the world is hungry and poor, right? We close our minds to the idea that God could have put us in their shoes. We don't deserve the things we have any more than they deserve to be in poverty. But why aren't we poor? Have we thought about that? I'm sure we have to some extent. "I'm a better worker. I'm smarter. If everyone were like me there wouldn't be the problem of poverty." Those are definitely wrong thoughts, but we think them anyway to justify our callousness.

Let me remind us where all we have comes from. It comes from the Lord Jesus. He has allowed us to prosper. Don't kid yourself with the idea that you're smarter and better than those who have nothing. Believe me, there are people who are more righteous, smarter and stronger than we are yet don't enjoy the comforts we have. All we have comes from God and belongs to Him. And He can take whatever we have in a moment.

When we truly believe that all we have has come from God and belongs to Him, we are able to part with what we have much easier. "Here, Lord, it's yours. You have graciously given it to me."

We seldom think about what the Lord gave up for us. Oh sure, we hear it preached on Sundays that the Lord died for us, but that happened so long ago in a far away place. Besides, that was His choice anyway, right? We didn't ask Him to die for us. So the Lord has no right to ask us to give up a little bit. What audacity God has to ask anything from us. Doesn't what the Lord Jesus did for us move us at all?

The Lord Jesus went through hell so we wouldn't have to. We may not appreciate that too much now. But we certainly will when we're standing before the judgment seat of God.

All that the Lord asks of us now is that we have concern for our fellowman, that we respond with our treasures, our time, and our talents. The Lord desires for us to respond to the needs of people. And such a response shows that we are truly grateful for all that the Lord has done for us. The Lord has died and risen from the dead for our eternal salvation. Our Lord has given us the ability to earn a living. The Lord has given us our intelligence. The Lord has given us our wealth. Don't forget that.

The Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian congregation about how Jesus became poor so they could become rich. They had a lot to be thankful for. And the least they could do was support the needy with their treasures.

Jesus became poor so we could become rich. We have much materially, and we have the truth of Jesus. What more could we desire? Our Lord has been extremely merciful and gracious to us. Is it too much for us to return a little of what He has given to us? Is it too much to show God that we truly love Him instead of the things that He has given to us? I'll let you think about it.