 Welcome back. So we'll continue where we stopped. So chapter eight, we were looking at the giving. So two things that Paul asked the believers, or he asked them to notice about the Macedonian Church in their giving, was that they gave in spite of their poverty and they gave in a way that Christ himself had given of himself to the church. We see in Philippians 2.5 to 8. Let this mind of Christ be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a burden servant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And so we see where Christ himself emptied and gave himself fully for us in that same way where the Macedonian Church was giving out for place of not that they were having abundance, but even in their poverty they were able to give to the church in Jerusalem. So we go on from there to those last few verses that we were looking at. So the last verse, verse 15 says, he who gathered much had nothing left over and he who gathered little had no lack. Now that is a reference to Exodus 16, 16 to 18, where the Israelites are instructed to go out and collect their mana for each day. And this is the instruction that's given to them. If someone can read Exodus 16 verses 16 to 18, please. Exodus chapter 16 verses 16 to 18. This is the thing which the Lord has commanded that every man gathered according to each one's name. One oma for each person according to the number of persons that every man take for those who are in his tent. Then the children of Israel did so and gathered some more, some less. So when they measured it by omas, he who gathered much had nothing left over and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one's need. So the principle here is important, right? So each of them had as much as they needed. And if we see in verse 16 where God commands them, he says, gather as much as you need. Take an oma for each person you have in your tent. So God had given them a specific quantity that they were supposed to take for each person. So they were not going to go collect as much as they could or they were not going to collect any amount of food for each person. They had a specific amount. God knew how much each person needed. And so if there were five people in the family, they had five omas. Three people in the family, they had three omas. So to say that you take as much as your family needs. And so the same principle is what Paul is talking about here. Church or each believer should have as much as they need so that there is equality within church. Don't give more than you can give. So don't reduce your whatever you possess to the extent that you have a lack and you're giving so much to others. Rather keep as much as you need and give to others out of the excess or whatever extra is there to. Share with others. And that is the goal to have equality. Another thing if someone can read Ephesians 4, 15 to 16. Ephesians 4, 16. 15 and 16. Okay. But speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into him who is the head Christ. From whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share. Causing growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Amen. Thank you. So we see an Ephesians 4 where Paul talks about the church being like a physical body and each part brings something to supply to the rest of the body. Each part does its share. Each part contributes to the growing of the body and for the growth of love within the body. So in that same way we look at this teaching on giving is that each local body also supports one another so that we are all growing together as the body of Christ. And we're all growing in love. We are all growing towards Christ like this and we're all able to share and build each other up. So that's the beautiful thing about these churches as well is that they were so connected to one another although they weren't completely different parts of geographically. They were still connected because these apostles were traveling across to different churches and they could vouch for the churches. They could speak on their behalf. They could share their needs. So we go on from here versus 16 to 24 if someone could read that for us please. Second Corinthians chapter 8 verses 16 to 24. But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you in the hearts of Titus for he not only accepted the exhortation but being more diligent. He went to you of his own accord and we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches and not only that but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift which is administered by us to the glory of Lord. Avoiding this that anyone should blame us in this lavish give which is administered by us. Providing horrible things not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of women. And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things but now much more diligent because of the great confidence which we have in you. Anyone inquires about Titus he's my partner and fellow worker concerning you or if our brethren are in kind of work their messages of the churches the glory of Christ therefore show to them and before the churches the proof of your love and of your boasting on your behalf. So here Paul just concludes this part about giving and talks about the people who will be coming to receive the funds from them. So first he talks about Titus in verses 16 and 17 so Titus as somebody who cares for the church not someone who's going there because he's being forced to being sent but he willingly wants to go he wants to go see them and in seeing them and being with them. To be able to carry these funds back and then verses 18 and 19 he talks about somebody who was sent by the churches to travel so in doing this he is basically saying these people can be trusted. I'm introducing them and I'm telling you who they are the authority that they're coming with so that when you're giving you know that you're giving to trustworthy people. Right and that they will take it to the church there won't be any misuse of the money there won't be any loss of the money that you have given. So verse 18 we have sent within the brother whose praise is in the gospel. So this in the NIV it says praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. So we don't have his name but we have this recommendation that Paul gives as he has served for the sake of the gospel and recognized through all the churches. And so he has been sent he was chosen by the church in Jerusalem itself to travel with them and take this gift that was being given. In the end of verse 19 administered by us to the glory of the Lord himself and show your ready mind. So this gift is being given for the glory of God. Right while we're doing all of these things we're giving sacrificially we're doing generously it's always for the glory of the Lord and to show that we are ready to give that we have a willingness to share we have a willingness to bless others in need. And then verse 20 avoiding this that anyone should blame us in this gift that is administered by us. So verses 20 and 21 is just to say they have been put in charge of administering this gift right of collecting it from the churches or gathering that money together of talking to the churches raising up people who will get it. They get these funds will do all that. But then they want to do all of that in a way that is blameless that nobody can question the way they've handled their finances. And so the way they do it in verse 21 he says providing honorable things not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men. So being very careful in the way they are doing it so that nobody can question how they've handled these funds. This is very important as we also deal with finances in ministry that we do it with such wisdom that there's always in the way we're handling it. There's always transparency there's no confusion about where did the money go how did we deal with it. So when people are giving money to us how are we accountable to how are we reporting to them where the money went how it was used who used it all of those things having that kind of openness about the way the money is being used how the money is being taken care of and then having accountability to be able to report about how how we have used the funds that people have given. So this is something that we shouldn't take lightly especially in ministry because we want people to know that we are in ministry for Christ's sake. They're not there for the money they're not there to to get rich or to promote ourselves in any way right and if people can trust us and can see that our motives are pure then they can trust the ministry that we're doing. But if we don't have these kinds of practices in place where we are taking care of what God has entrusted to us then it's very easy that our funds get misappropriated even if we are not doing it. If the transparency that accountability is not there in our ministry somebody else who comes on board can easily misuse money. So have good processes in place have clear communication with those we are ministering to that there will be no hindrance to the work that we are doing. Finances or questions of doubt or misuse of funds will not come come in the way of what we're doing in serving God and serving people. And then verses 20 to 24. We have sent with them a brother whom we have we have often proved diligent so along with Titus and this other brother who was sent by the churches there's one more brother being sent. And here he's saying he's proved to be diligent. And so we're sending him to you along with them. And then 23 and 24 he says OK if somebody has questions about these three people and wonders can we give them money or who are they what authority do they have can we trust them. He is saying what you can answer about these three people. So Titus is Paul's partner and fellow worker concerning you. So he's a partner and fellow worker with Paul in serving Church of Corinth. And then the brethren who are going with them are messengers from church have been sent by the church itself. And then and then he says so show them your love. Approve your love and are posting on that behalf. So honor them respect them take care of them because they are people you can trust their people we have trusted and sent to you. And just one important description here in verse 23 the church is the glory of Christ. So just a reminder that that is what the church is called to be the revelation of the glory of Christ which is the powerful beautiful description of what we are called to be as a church. We go into chapter nine from here. Someone can treat versus one to five. Second Corinthians chapter nine versus one to five. Now concerning the ministering to the saints it is superfluous for me to write to you. For I know your willingness about which I boast of you to the Macedonians that a care was ready a year ago and your zeal has stirred up the majority. Yet I have sent the brethren lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect that as I said you may be ready. Lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared we not to mention you should be ashamed of this confident boasting. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time and prepare your generous gift beforehand. Which you had previously promised that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. So here Paul is concluding all of these arrangements about collecting the funds. And just as he has used the Macedonians as an example for the Corinthians to follow. He's also used the Corinthian church to encourage the Macedonians. So looking this is something we can learn is to look at other believers who exemplify faith or strong faith in Christ. We know the faith that is worth emulating and to be encouraged and stirred up to follow their example. That's what Paul is doing here. So encouraging one church with the other church's example. So he says in verse 2, I've boasted about you to the Macedonians saying that you were already ready a year ago. And that your passion, your excitement, your zeal for giving has actually stirred up many people to give. And so we see Okia here referring to that region, right? So telling the region in Macedonia, the churches in Macedonia about the region of Okia that they were ready to give. And then verse 3. So even though you were already ready a year ago, I've sent these brethren, that is Tychus and the two brothers. Because we don't want a boasting, so we want you to be ready. So you had spoken about it. We don't know if they had already started the process of collecting, but so that the process would be completed. All the funds would be brought together and they would be ready to give when it was time for them to actually go and collect the money. So he doesn't want them to be unprepared. If he takes the Macedonians there that whatever he had been talking about them would prove to be something that was untrue. And then the last part he says, we want your giving to be out of a willing heart and not a grudging obligation. So Tychus and those brothers have come there to prepare you so that you can make a decision and give according to your willingness. Rather than us coming when it's time to collect and then you feel forced to give out that type. And you don't give it with a willing heart. You don't give it with a thought beforehand of how much you want to give and giving with that kind of intentionality. So that is something also for us to learn where we are giving with generosity. But we're giving willingly and cheerfully not out of any feeling of obligation with holding any grudges against people. Feeling like we are forced to give. That should never be the way we are asking for funds or the way we are giving funds as well. Move on from here to verses 6 to 15. Maybe we'll split that up. We'll just do 6 to 9 for now. Someone can read that. But this I say, he who so sparingly will also raise sparingly. And he who so wonderfully will also rebound to flee. So then each one gives as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you. That you always having an old sophistication in all things may have an abundance for every good work as he is written. He has dispersed a board. He has given to the poor his righteousness in years forever. Thank you. So here we see Paul just talking a little bit about how we should give. And so he begins with saying that if we saw a little bit, we will read a little bit using the example of a farmer. But if you saw more, you can look forward to a greater harvest. So likening that to how we bless others. We are sowing into their lives and what comes out of that will be a great harvest. And then and we can share in that harvest. So we can share, we can rejoice in that harvest. So that is regarding how much to give. And he talks about how to give in verse seven. And he says, not like we read in the previous verses, not with the sense of necessity, not like you're being forced to give, but to give cheerfully with the heart that is willing, with the heart that desires to give. And then he verse eight says how not to give. Verse seven, sorry, says, you should not give gradually and you should not give out of any sense of pressure, whether it's from the leadership or from the other church members, or even feeling a sense of obligation towards a person in need. It should never be from that place of pressure. It should be from your own heart that is willing. So Paul's this, what he does to send them ahead of time is a very, very important thing because it's not pressuring them to give immediately, right? So a lot of sales in our day is kind of this make an immediate decision. This discount will end in 15 minutes or will end today. And so they put that kind of pressure on you to make a decision and to feel like, okay, I'm going to lose out on this if I don't do it today, if I don't do it right now. So Paul takes away that kind of time pressure. They have time to think about it. They have time to process it to make a decision as they within their own hearts or with their families and then give a very good example of how we can we can encourage people to give as well. And when we are, when we want to raise funds, want to give money for whatever it is to have that kind of attitude to not adopt the methods and means the world uses to pressurize people, rather to adopt the ways that we see in scripture from people of God. And then we see Luke, Luke 638 is where Jesus talks about giving. He says, given it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom. But with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. So the same principle of the more you give, the more you will be blessed, the more will be given to you. So Paul is kind of speaking in line with that kind of thinking. So verse eight, he says, he will make all grace abound to you that in all sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good work. So he's not saying that you're going to give and then you will get back a lot of money in return. He's saying you will find sufficiency in everything, you will be blessed in every way. And in being blessed in every way, you will have an abundant supply to do all for every good work that God calls you to. So when we're giving funds, not to expect that we're just going to get back a lot of money, rather to just believe that God is going to bless us in every way. He's going to take care of all of our needs and he will supply whatever is needed for us to continue to be a blessing, to continue to do his work. And then verse eight, he has dispersed the priorities given to the poor, his righteousness endears forever. So that is reference to Psalm 112. If we can just read, or someone can read Psalm 112 verse five and then we connect that to what this says. Psalm 112 verse five, a good man deals graciously and lends. He will guide his affairs with discretion. Thank you. So we see in Psalm 112, those first few verses are describing a righteous person. And verse five talks about the generosity of that righteous person who will lend their money freely, will conduct their affairs with justice. So it's one of the things about righteous person. So if you look at that Psalm, there are different things that are said about the righteous person and one of the things is generosity. And so the blessings that come upon that person also are an overall blessing. It's not only in one area of their life. And so when we read Psalm 112, nine, it's talking about that righteous person who is righteous in every way, who is also generous. That he has given to the poor and his righteousness will be an eternal righteousness, not a righteousness just for his lifetime. It's going to be a blessing for generations to come. And his horn will be exalted with honor. So using that passage to say that you will be blessed as scripture has promised, you can trust in the promises of scripture that you will be blessed in every way. And you will be blessing generations to come as well in this giving. From here, let's go on to verses 10 to 15. Someone can read that please. The wicked will see it and be grieved, will gnash his teeth and melt away. The desire of the wicked shall perish. No, from chapter 9 verses 10 to 15. Second Corinthians chapter 9 verses 10 to 15. Sorry. Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God. While through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ and for your liberal sharing with them and all men. And by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift. Thank you. So we see that Paul is going back to remind them that God is the one who supplies our needs. So he says in verse 10, he supplies seed to the sower. So even though you are the one sowing, the fact is that God himself has given you that seed to sow. So the way we look at our finances is that God has entrusted these finances to me, and I need to be sowing it in a way that God that pleases God. Whatever I'm doing with it, whether I am investing it for my own purposes for my family, whether it's it on different things or whether I'm giving it to people. How am I sowing what God has entrusted to me, what God has blessed me with. And he says he supplies seed to the sower and bread for food. So the seed is that initial thing that is put in and bread is the product of what is what comes out of the seed. So he not only gives us that seed to sow, but he also gives us that finished product, that food, that will nourish our bodies, that will meet up physical needs. So remember as we are dealing with finances that this is the God we serve. He is the one who supplies our needs in every way, right from start to finish. He is the one who supplies our needs. And so he will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. So he will increase what is available to you to sow and he will also increase the harvest that comes from what you're sowing. So when we are looking at this as we are giving, we look at both aspects of it. That there will be an increase in what we have to give and there will be an increase in the blessings that come out of what we have given, what we have sown. And what is beautiful about this is in verse 10 is the harvest of your righteousness, right? It's not just a harvest of crop, it's not a harvest of money. It's a harvest of our own righteousness, our own standing with God will improve and be blessed as we are giving. And that will happen not only for ourselves but for other people. There will be a harvest of righteousness. Verse 11, you will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. Again, this reminder that the blessing is an overall blessing. It's not only going to be a financial blessing. It's a blessing of every need of every aspect of our lives so that we can be generous in every aspect of our lives. Whether it is in mercy, in kindness, in helping others, in serving others in every way that we will experience God's generosity towards us and then we will be able to be generous towards others. And through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. So the end result is that God himself is being praised. When we are giving to people, it results in praise to God. Verse 12, the service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. So as we are giving, we are giving with an attitude of gratitude to God. Like what we said that whatever we have, we recognize God has given us. And so when we are able to share that with others, we say we are giving it with that thankfulness to God. Thank you Lord for what you have blessed me with and thank you for this opportunity to share it with others to be able to bless somebody else with what you have given me. So thank you for blessing me so that I can bless others. So it's an expression of gratitude to God and it results in gratitude to God as well because the other person will thank God because of what we have done. Then verse 13, because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. Again here, an important thing to remember that faith should result in works of faith in things that actually are evidence of the things we believe. So if we believe that God is our provider, then how are we reflecting that in the way we deal with the things that He's given us? How is our generosity? How is our willingness to share with others reflecting the fact that we believe God is our provider? So our faith should be evidenced in our works. And so it says here others will praise God because they see your obedience, they see your generosity that you not only believe, you not only accept the gospel but that is impacting the way you live and you are actually living in a way that reflects that gospel of Christ. And then verse 14, in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you because of the surpassing grace God has given you. So not only will they thank God but they will also bless you. They will pray for you, they will remember you when they are praying, when they are thanking God because of the grace that God has given you to bless them. So when we are blessed by somebody and we go to God with gratitude, our heart is also then to remember that person who has blessed us and to remember them before God. And so he says that is an additional blessing that you will receive where people will remember you in prayer. And then verse 15, thanks be to God for this indescribable victory. So here Paul is just kind of bringing all of this giving, teaching and giving together. He is reminding them that it is actually a blessing to give. At the end of this giving you are the one who is being blessed with this indescribable gift, right? You have things that were blessed, were given to you by God. They are not things that you yourself have somehow received by your own strength or wisdom. It's things God has given you. You have the opportunity to bless others. And as you bless others, you are being blessed. God is being glorified and you share in the gospel of Christ. And the example of Christ which was this act of generosity of Christ himself giving his life for us, for the world. And so we get to be a part of that and to live that out of the way we deal with our finances, the way we deal with the things that God has blessed us with and how we use those things. So any thoughts, anyone wants to share anything from what we've covered so far? Any thoughts on finances, whether how we use it personally or in ministry, something that we've looked at today? Something that you can take away from that? Yeah. I think there's a lot of takeaways that I got from this class. Like how you said giving from the place of surrendering to God is one of the new things I have heard. And even the point where you said by giving to the same, there is a share in the sufferings of each other. Mostly I think of a way of only giving to church which might have been a little wrong. We are also sharing with the saints and they are taking care of their needs. So those are some of the few points that I have left. Thank you. Does anyone else want to share anything before we move on to chapter 10? Let's move on then. Just a quick thing. I think these chapters just really are a great teaching on how in ministry we both deal with finances, we talk about finances and how as believers as well we use our finances of how we employ our finances. So it is from a ministry perspective as well as from a believer's perspective and how as ministers we can talk to people about finances. It's a very good and holistic teaching I think on finances for us. So it's by the example of the ministers of the leaders that we can lead others to deal with their finances. So when people are saying how are we as a ministry, how are we as leaders using our finances, then they are encouraged to follow our example or to approach their finances in a similar way. So how are we setting an example as ministers and leaders? So from here we will go on to chapter 10. With chapter 9 was the conclusion of Paul's teaching on giving and encouraging the church to prepare their gift for the church in Jerusalem. And then in chapter 10 he goes on to talk about some of the issues again that were coming up with the people who were opposing him and to encourage some right understanding and right teaching for the current things. We don't have a lot of time so maybe we'll just do the first six verses. Someone can read that please. Now I pour myself and pleading with you by the makiness and the gentleness of Christ. Who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold towards you. But I beg you that when I'm present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some. The paper got disconnected from the call. So we'll just read and discuss simultaneously. So Paul says, by the humility and gentleness of Christ I appeal to you. So Paul is sharing in those qualities of Christ, meekness and gentleness of Christ. So he wants to come to them with that kind of approach rather than one who is bold in the eyes of the world. So when we hear those words, meekness and gentleness, they usually from the outside are looked at as weakness. As someone who can be taken for granted or someone who is very weak. But here he is using that as words to describe Christ and he is coming to them with that attitude of meekness and gentleness. And then he talks about what other people have been saying about it. So he says, I called him timid when face to face with you, but bold towards you when away. So this seems to be what other people were saying about him, maybe because he had gone and met them and addressed those issues with them. And then afterwards he'd gone away and sent them to them. So some people were talking against him in that way. But he says in verse 2, I beg you that when I come, I may not have to be as bold as I think, as I expect to be towards some of you who think that we live by the standards of this world. So that is an important thing, standards of this world. So when the people were looking at him, they were judging him. This was something that we see repeatedly in his letters to the Corinthians, not the judge by standards of this world. So if he was being gentle towards them, if he was being humble, it was the way of Christ. He was following the way of Christ. But if he was to follow the ways of the world, then he would be like the other leaders, the opponents who were coming against him, who wanted to post, who wanted to put other people down, who were putting Paul down as the leader of the church. They had come in and they were putting him down. So he could be like that. He could be someone who was bold and confident and putting other people down. And like Jesus talks about, the rulers of this world lauded over the people. They take their authority and dominate over their subjects. So he could have been like that, but that was not the way of Christ. And so he chose to not follow in that way. And then verse 3 says, though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. So he is not going to go against these opponents with that same attitude of posting or talking against them in the way that they are doing against him. Verse 4, the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. So we use weapons that have a power that is divine. So we don't have to resort to using our words. We don't have to resort to using our authority, our strength. We don't have to resort to using influence, using money. We don't have to use the ways of this world. We depend on God to break down the strongholds, to break down things that are standing against us. To see victory in whatever area we're fighting against, to see victory in that area. And then we see verse 5, we demolish arguments in every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience once your obedience is complete. So he's talking about using spiritual weapons rather than physical worldly weapons or using weapons of the flesh. So we'll talk more about this next week, but that is his approach. That we are going to approach this battle as a spiritual battle and we will fight it with spiritual tools rather than with physical fleshly tools. And then that last part is to bring to obedience, bring people to obedience and punish those who have been disobedient. So we'll talk more about this next week. That will be our last class next week. So we'll try and finish up all our content and I'll also be posting the streets. So please, thank you.