 Chapter 8, 2 Corinthians verses 10 through 15 as we continue our series, I'll begin reading here at verse 10. I'll read to verse 15 and go into our studies. 2 Corinthians chapter 8, beginning at verse 10. Paul writes in this, I give advice. It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and we're desiring to do a year ago, but now you also must complete the doing of it. That as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. For if there's first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but by an equality that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack that there may be equality. As it is written, he who gathered much had nothing left over and he who gathered little had no lack. And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to do a brief review leading up to verse 10, just to remind you of what Paul has been speaking about here in chapter 8. And so Paul is actually exhorting the church to fulfill a promise that they had made. The church had made a promise to give aid to struggling church in Jerusalem. And they had made this promise a year earlier or so and they had committed themselves to helping the church that was having financial problems. But their promise hasn't been fulfilled. So Paul is exhorting them to keep their word. That's what we're seeing in this chapter. You see, the church in Jerusalem is in need. And Paul is making it clear that it is the Corinthians church, the Corinthian church as well as other churches, it is their responsibility to be of help to them because that's part of what genuine faith actually does. Genuine faith actually cares for others in need. You see, compassionately caring for those in need is part of our religious heritage. It was part of the Jewish religious system. There were basic identifying marks of a believer. I've shared this with you before. Let me remind you because Jesus spoke of these things when he was preaching in the Gospel of Matthew. There were three basic things during the time of Christ that actually identified you as a sincere believer. Three basic things. You would fast, you would pray, and you gave what were called your charitable alms. You gave alms. Those were the three marks of a sincerely religious person. They prayed, they fasted and they gave. Jesus spoke about that because when he did so, he was saying that people may be practicing that. He said, but they're doing it hypocritically to be seen by men. But when Jesus spoke about praying in this way and fasting in this way and giving your alms in this way and remember how he had said, when you do it in front of men, you receive a reward from them. What Jesus was doing is correcting an attitude. He wasn't saying those things were wrong. He was saying those things are right when done with a right attitude and a right motive. And that's what Paul is speaking about here. You see, the church in Jerusalem is in need and there needs to be giving to them alms, charitable gifts to help them. You see, when you're generous, that's something that reveals genuine faith in God. And you see that both in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. And the Old Testament Proverbs chapter 3 verse 27 says it like this, do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Don't withhold good when you have the ability to do good. The Proverbs says, then do good. Old Testament, New Testament Galatians chapter 6 verse 10. Paul says, therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. So you see this this this command to be generous and giving and caring in the old as well as the new. And it's that the Old and New Testaments are filled with these commands. And so so Paul is encouraging them to have a loving concern for fellow Christians. You see, it's that kind of concern that is a visible expression of love for other people. When John was writing in 1st John 3 verses 17 and 18, he said, if someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need, but shows no compassion, how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other. Let us show the truth by our actions. And so Paul used the Macedonians as we've seen as an example for the Corinthians to use in their giving. And as I was mentioning to you before, that's often because we can learn by the example of other people. You see, people can acquire knowledge through teaching and preaching of God's Word, but it needs to go further than just acquiring lecture information. We learn in various ways. And one of the ways that we learn is when someone models certain things for us. And so that's why Paul used the example of the Macedonians. That's why he brought them up. He also used other Gentile churches, the churches of Galatia, for example. He had said in 1 Corinthians 16, verse one, concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also. And so as we were looking at this and started last week in chapter eight, Paul in sharing these things with the church was giving us insight into the proper motivation for giving. He had begun in verse one, and I want to refresh your memory with this. He had begun by speaking of the grace of the Lord and how the grace of the Lord produces sincere love for Christ and for others. He had said in verse one, more over brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. And then he gave us the greatest example of God's grace in verse nine, when he had said, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. So he is saying grace and love are to direct us when you consider the needs of others. God gave you his grace and he demonstrated his love. So that moved the Macedonians as well as Galatians to be generous to the needy in Jerusalem. They understood the grace of God. They were motivated by grace to give help. So Paul used them as an example, and they remain examples even to this day. Notice again in verse two of the same chapter, notice how he said that they were under great trial of affliction. They were enduring a time of deep poverty. Well, affliction and deep poverty are normally reasons for not helping other people who are in need. Normally, this would not be looked at as wrong, but instead of being self-centered, Paul said they actually became abundantly generous. So that demonstrated their understanding and embracing of God's grace. In first Thessalonians one, six through eight, he spoke to that church and he said, you became imitators of us and of the Lord. In spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Ikea, northern and southern Greece. The Lord's message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Ikea, your faith in God has become known everywhere. And so he was speaking concerning that this church had gone through deep hardship and the churches in the north in the Ikea region were going through such hardship. He pointed out that they had actually begun to show greater generosity. Notice in verse two how he says, in spite of persecution and poverty, you gave with a joyful heart. So that teaches us to give to the Lord joyfully without complaint against him. In chapter nine we're going to see this in verse seven. It says, God loves a cheerful giver. We used to have titha envelopes and I had one of our artists. This is 20 years ago. I had one of our artists draw a picture of somebody with their hands in their pockets and a frown in their face and it had a circle with a line and it said, no grumpy givers. Well, we got that from 2nd Corinthians nine seven because God loves a cheerful giver, not a grumpy giver. And so these people had been going through great trial and affliction. They had deep poverty. Those are good reasons for not giving, but instead of becoming self-centered, they were generous and that's, and he says, they gave with a joyful heart, not a grudging heart. They were cheerful as they did so. Then we saw in verse three, how they not only gave according to their ability, but actually gave beyond their ability. They gave to the Lord sacrificially and they gave to the Lord generously. When they gave, they gave sacrificially and generously. And I think that that's a good lesson for us today in a practical way. I thought of it this morning how that in the earlier history of our fellowship, when we were being given opportunities to help people and to care for people, we began to put together Christmas baskets and all for people in the church who were in need because Christmas came and sometimes the people didn't have any finances to buy their children a present. And so I remember in the early days, we're talking 30 plus years ago, how I said to the church, I said, you know, maybe we can help and supply some of the needs for some of the people in a church. They don't have presents for the kids and it just would be nice. And I shared that with the church. So let's give. And the very first time I did that, people gave and we started putting things together and bringing packages to the children. And then the next year I had to come up and say, you know, you guys have been very generous and we appreciate it. But please stop giving stuffed animals with one, you know, button eye that's been pulled off and rips and you're giving they're giving the stuff you're going to throw away. You know, don't do that. You know, give a gift to the children that you would want your children to receive. You know, because there's one thing to be generous, but there's another thing to be sacrificially generous. And there takes a lot of love, I think in kindness to put into perspective those kinds of things. And yeah, some people will grudgingly give sometimes, but God doesn't want us to give in a grudging fashion. We give with a cheerful and joyful heart because we have our eyes on eternity. We understand these things. You see, our treasure is really, this is where we really begin to see whether we believe this or not. Our treasure is really in heaven. Our giving is recorded in heaven in Philippians chapter four versus 15 and through 17. Paul said it like this. He said, moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you only for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I'm looking for a gift, but I'm looking for what may be credited to your account. I'm looking for what may be credited to your account. So in their giving, the Lord was going to reward their giving. Again, in verse three, they didn't give in a coerced way. Notice they gave willingly. They weren't made to feel guilty. They weren't being manipulated. In Exodus 25 verse two, we read, speak to the children of Israel that they may bring me an offering from everyone who gives it willingly with his heart. You shall take my offering. Paul said in verse four, they begged him with much urgency. They were motivated. They were concerned for others. They had an awareness of the hour. They knew that it was time to move. And they should move now, not later, when it may be easier for them. The need was urgent. And in this case, they're giving is almost been delayed for a year. And so you should move on this. And that's what we'll be looking at in just a moment. But again, finally, just to tie a couple things up and then move into our study. What was their foundation of this generosity? Why did they do that? Well, notice verse five, he said, not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God. You give yourselves first to the Lord and then you're free to give to others. Giving first is to reject the inclinations of our old nature, which desires to get first. And this is all grounded on God's grace that is revealed in his son, Jesus Christ. And that's how he had closed that section. When he said again in verse nine, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for your sakes, he became poor that you through his poverty might become rich. This is all grounded on the grace of God. God has enriched us in all things. And so we respond, he says, with generosity. And so that's what he was saying in the first nine verses. Let's pick up now at verse 10 when he says, and in this notice, I give advice. It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago. Notice how he begins. He says, I'm giving you advice. That's a gentle way of giving counsel. This is not a command. You see, over the course of the year, many things could have transpired that had hindered them. Still, the Corinthians made their promise earlier than the Macedonians. The Macedonian Church kept their promise, but the Corinthians had not. So his advice that they fulfill their promise is for their advantage, for their well being, by keeping their promise, their safeguarding, their honor, as well as a reputation. This is an exhortation for them to have integrity. This is an exhortation for them to resist the temptation of selfishness. A year, almost a year had transpired and they were yet to make good on the promise. They had begun, but it taken almost a year. They haven't kept that promise and beginning and desiring aren't enough. Promises must be fulfilled, not broken. You can't eat promises. You can't pay a bill with promises. And that's the point he's making. He's saying, if you made the promise, fulfill the promise you've had almost a year and you haven't acted on it. You see, the desire with them was present, but they failed to keep their promise. You can see a need. You can desire to help, but fail to follow through. We might begin to reconsider as we count the cost on us. We saw a need, but we begin to think it through and we begin to think, oh, that's going to cost an awful lot, or I don't know if I can do that. Or somebody can approach you and say, what are you planning on doing? Well, I was going to give this for this person. Oh, no, you shouldn't do that. Your kids need it. Your family needs it. You need it. You never know when you're going to have a need. Well, Paul's advice is to follow through with what you determined and promised to do. You made the agreement. You promised to do that. It's but almost a year, Corinthians. You haven't moved on it. The Macedonians did. They made their agreement, you know, after you, but you haven't moved on this. In Ecclesiastes chapter five versus four and five, the writer said, when you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. And so he's saying you need to see through. You need to follow that through. I give you this advice. It's your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago, verse 11, but now you also must complete the doing of it. That as there was a readiness to desire it. So there also may be a completion out of what you have. Just because you made a promise doesn't mean that you kept that promise is what he's saying. It's one thing to say you'll do something, but another to actually do it. In Deuteronomy 23 21, when you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it. For the Lord your God will surely require it of you. It would be sent to you. So he's saying you need to follow through. Desire is good, but the fulfilling of that desire is what really matters in verse 12. If there is first a willing mind, it's accepted according to what one has and not according to what he doesn't have. So Paul had already mentioned giving willingly, not by coercion and giving is to be done willingly. It speaks of a readiness, a readiness to give a willing and ready mind is what God desires from us is what he's saying. So as their first a willing mind and then in verse 12 the offering is accepted according to what one has. His gift is accepted by God in proportion to the largeness of his heart, not the amount. God expects us to give out of what we have. What we have the what we have ability to give and the power to give and that would include every believer. The Macedonians have already demonstrated that and so what the Lord requires of us is if you've said, I will give is what he's telling the Corinthians, then you need to give it. It's not what you wish you had money to give because there's some people who wish they had more and so they tell that to the Lord they'll say, well, if I had more, I'd give more than that. So he's saying that's not what you're that's not your attitude. That's all your heart supposed to be like. You give what you have. You give out of what you're already possessed. You know, there was a time I think they're still doing this when people would have they would have Christian TV talathons and and in the talathon people would be giving their faith pledges. Perhaps some of you have seen that they call them pledges. They're faith pledges. Maybe you've seen that and sometimes they get all excited. You know, Joe from you know, Austin, Texas is just promised to give a million dollars and people would be cheering. Well, that was a faith pledge on Joe's part. He didn't have the money. Didn't even have a job. But what Joe was doing is well, God gives it to me. I'll give it to you and everybody's getting all excited. I've seen that happen so many times. Oh, faith pledges. No, no, no. You give out of what you have, not what you wish you had and that's the point that he's making here. God says you give with the ability that you have. Paul is saying there's no reason to make extravagant faith pledges in Deuteronomy 16 verse 17. Every man shall give as he's able according to the blessing of the Lord, your God, which he's given you. You give according to what you're able to give. Now, that's what God uses as a measuring rod. The amount is at the issue. The willingness and the following through is what counts. He says in verse 13, I don't mean that other should be eased and you burdened. The entire burden of giving should not be on just you or just a few of you. I've used this illustration before, but I'll repeat it. Many years ago, I went to India. I spent 16 days in India and we went pretty much through the whole country. We took planes and flew hops in different places of India from starting in Bombay, going to New Delhi, going off to Madras, going down to Trivandrum and then back up. So we went around India. We were there for over two weeks and I was in the south and while being in the south, there's a seashore and I'll never forget this. I was standing as I was standing on the seashore early in the morning. I saw these fishermen. Actually, what I saw and then it was told me they were fishermen. I saw men. I saw several men, a big line of men. They were spaced, you know, practicing social distancing inside the water. They were spaced out, you know, several of them in kind of like a semi-circle and I was standing there and wondering what are these guys doing? It was like 6.30 in the morning and I was looking at them there in the shore and one of the guys, an Indian brother, approached me and I said, what are they doing? He said, oh, they're fishing. I said, they're fishing because they didn't see any boats or anything. I said, the fishing goes, yeah, he goes, that's called net fishing. I said, oh, what are they doing? He says, well, there's the net and they put it in the water. He said, each one of them standing in the semi-circle, each one of them has a responsibility to draw the net. He says, now watch them because they're about to draw the net and I watched them as they were there again, a semi-circle and you'd see them each taking a step one at a time and they did it at the same time so they're all taking steps back kind of like in unison and he says, you know why they're doing that? And I said, no, he says, because the nets are heavy. He said, and each one of them has to pull his own weight. Each one of them is doing his part because when they all work together they're able to draw in the catch and I've never forgotten that because in churches that's why that's one of the reasons many years ago when our church began actually I put on the bulletin and all when we had printed bulletins I would say every member a minister. I've been saying that out of Ephesians chapter 411 and 12 since the first Sunday we ever met as a church and I shared with the church I said, I'm willing to do everything God has called me to do but I can't do everything that needs to be done so what I'm here to do is equip the saints for the work of service so that we can together work and do the work that God would have us to do and so there I am in India watching that scripture lived out right in front of me. Everyone did their part. Everyone pulled a little bit and in ministry some can pull more than others. Some have the ability to do more than others. Some could be more generous in this case more generous than others but everyone is to do their part and that's what Paul is saying. It isn't right the Corinthian church. It is not right that somebody should give and burden somebody else who won't give. He said you all give the whole church because it comes as a gift to the Jerusalem church as a gift from the church of Corinth. It doesn't come saying you know Joe Smith gave this and Bob Jones gave that and Darla Alexander. It doesn't have the names on it but every person gave every person gave to help and the little or the great didn't matter. They all work together. That's what he's saying. He's saying that that I don't mean that others should be eased and you burdened. It shouldn't be put on just one or two of you. You see it could be that some in Corinth were grumbling. They could be saying look we have our own pressures our own problems and yet you're telling us to give but he says in verse 14 but by inequality that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack that their abundance also may supply your lack that there may be inequality. He says you're a quality but by equality your abundance at this time will supply what they lack. As a family we pull together we do our share. We're not going to place unfair strain on somebody else. As the Corinthian church pulls together and helps the Jerusalem church who knows one day the Jerusalem church may help them. Someday you may be the one who's going to be receiving from their supply. Remember that that happens Proverbs 11 25 says a generous man will prosper he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed and then he says in verse 15 as it is written he who gathered much had nothing left over and he who gathered little had no lack. Now as he does that he's quoted out of the book of Exodus chapter 16. The point he's making is when the children of Israel went out to gather the man that was given to them to survive on when they were in the wilderness the point he's making is that God meant their every need exactly. God intends to satisfy our legitimate needs not our every desire but our legitimate needs. In Philippians 4 19 the scripture says my God shall supply all your need. It doesn't say my God shall supply all your greed. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. I learned a long time ago and some of you have learned the same lesson I'm speaking to people who would know and perhaps some of you have yet to learn this it's true and I've said this before. There are things that in the end guys in the end which we all one day will face. I say this often because it's on my heart often I just have never met anybody who's about to enter into eternity I just not yet I haven't maybe there's somebody out there I just haven't met them yet I can say at this point I haven't met anybody yet when they're on their their their deathbed who complain about not having a better car. I just haven't met them yet who complained about their house they didn't have a good enough house they're complaining about the clothing I didn't have the shoes I really wanted that would have made me happy I've just never met that person. I've met plenty of people who complain like that but they're not on their deathbed well I wish I had a better house I wish I had a better car I wish I had better clothes sure of course I've heard that all of us have probably said that all of us but I've never seen that on a deathbed I've never seen a guy taking his last breath saying man I wish I had that Ferrari I just I just haven't seen it what they usually do and what I have seen and what I've experienced is they're usually if there's any regrets at all the I wishes they usually I wish is like I wish I spent more time with my family or I wish I'd have been more caring or I wish I would have told my my children how much I loved them in their their their family things normally I wish I was a kinder person I wish I'm more loving I wish I prayed more I wish I just spent more time I've heard those kinds of things but I I have never heard someone laying there just take their last breath saying man I wish I had a nice pair of shoes to be buried in I just haven't heard that because you know what at the very end of it when you're your life cycles over and you're about to visit Jesus be with him those are the things that you're not thinking of the things that you think of are the things that that how God supplied your need and and have you discovered yet that you can live on less than you thought have you discovered that many of us have many of us have I wonder how much you you know I'll say it like this um I grew to like macaroni and cheese in the box how about you a lot of us when you get married you don't have you don't have two dimes of rub together do you and for you a piece of meat you know I don't care if it's it's horse meat it's good if you doctor it up right it's true you know Marie and I have story after story after story we could talk about that in our early days you know we didn't we didn't need an apartment filled with nice furniture you know for us a TV set of the big was a 13 inches a 13 inch TV wow check it out if you get close to it everything looks bigger you know you know what I mean I didn't need those things I didn't when we got married we didn't have a bed we didn't have a bed we had a rollout one of those those couches that you open up and the springs it were all broken in so it was kind of like we would just roll next to each other just the second you got in the bed that was our bed and we didn't complain we weren't crying about it we didn't say oh we deserve or we should have more I was just telling someone the other day we bought a we bought a a waterbed you know we were hippies you know I was a hippie waterbed that's cool and we got a water bed and filled it up with water and there it is in our room and because because Marie was pregnant and and with Corinne and so to try and lay on our side on that on that messed up couch that we had it hurt her so we went to buy a waterbed and there was a waterbed store just down the street from where we lived in and we went in and there were two different beds one I wanted the other I could afford and and and the payment for the waterbed I wanted was 25 dollars a month the one I could afford was 20 dollars a month I couldn't afford an extra dollar and a quarter a week for a waterbed but you know what I loved having it I was grateful for it I learned that very early how many of you've learned the same thing I think we have I learned that early you know what I couldn't afford a dollar and a quarter a week to buy the bed I wanted because we're that tight in our budget but you know I had what I wanted I had my wife I had a bed to sleep in I had macaroni cheese every night and meat once in a while I had it and I learned and began to learn so did you early that you know what to have something to eat and a pillow that I can put my head on and a blanket that can keep me warm that's what I need I can live on a lot less than I want but sometimes Americans forget that sometimes we think we we need more we have to have better we have to have that nice of this and that nice of that and we go into a hawk to buy a bunch of things and so now we've got payments that we're making constantly and we can't and we say I can't afford to give to help that person who doesn't have because I have to make my bills I have to pay my bills and so no you can live on I've said it this way I taught my children this but it's true I can live just as well on 90 cents as I can on a dollar all you learn to do is budget and pay for what you can afford and don't get yourself in hawk always be able and ready in the event that something takes place to be able to take care of the situation and so I've been for years I'm the guy who will put money aside for emergencies always have even before I was a Christian even after just after getting saved I would put a little aside we used to call it our rainy day fund I put it aside my dad taught me to do that because you never know when you're going to have a need my dad would tell me that and it's true look what happened with this pandemic and people losing jobs and they got themselves into hawk I'm not saying that's a bad thing by the way I'm not condemning those who who found themselves in that I hope it doesn't sound that way but I wasn't going to be one of those who did that I've always been very careful the biggest bill I have outside of my car payment is I buy coffee I pay cash for everything everything I can pay cash for I save it and I pay for it I don't like paying interest if I don't have to I'm just that way that's how I run the church by the way take care of you because we make sure that our credit is sparkling that it's pure and clean because your name means something my dad taught me that a long time ago and so what I do is I try to be very careful with those kinds of things why? because out of those funds that I can have for emergencies I can also be generous because sometimes people have needs to that I can help if I can that's all we're talking about and people sometimes they think oh you know like Paul they're saying look at you're trying to make us pay for things that we don't even have anything to do with he's saying no I'm not saying you should be shackled and burdened by them but remember you may be in a situation someday that the Jerusalem church may be able to generously help you because sometimes when you sow you will reap also and there'll be a benefit that'll come to you because in the kingdom of God you give and you're generous because that's what it's all about because ultimately your treasures in heaven and ultimately you get rewarded by God and that's that's that makes sense that that just makes sense yes and so God cares God takes care of us God takes care of us we were sharing this the other day Marie and I how that again and this is I hope that I hope you know me well enough I think that most of you do to know that I I don't try to manipulate you I just tell stories because of the things that I learned and I'm just that's how I am I share stories like that my mom taught me that way that's how I teach mama always gave me stories and I teach with stories and Marie and I we couldn't afford a lot of food so you know we we bought our we would buy meat for the week and and that was a big thing to have meat you know for us and and one day I climbed in the car and I was driving to work and the car smelled badly and I thought oh my goodness this is horrible and so it was summer and I got to work and I got I drove I drove with the windows all down and man it and I drove home and I thought boy that car stinks so I got Lysol and I sprayed it in the car to try and kill the smell I didn't know what it was the next day got in it was worse I sprayed it and I told Marie man that that car stinks and I sprayed it and drove it to work came back and it's the second day now it's Tuesday now it's Wednesday I go out there and it's worse and I spray it again I said something's up something's up so I opened the trunk up and Marie had left the meat in the trunk from Sunday during the summer and now it's putrified it smells so bad and I went oh we didn't get any meat you know you know it didn't taste that good no it beef jerky so I I took it out and I threw it away and the spirit of the Lord he teaches me like this and he said that's what your flesh smells like to me your flesh smells just as bad as that rotting meat in that trunk to me never forgotten those things I remember the time that Marie was making us tacos like I said you know we don't we didn't have a whole lot so we had some hamburger she made tacos and I started to eat it and I said what is this you put on it it was cinnamon she instead of chili she thought it was chili she's just putting cinnamon all over it I'm but and we didn't have we didn't have meat you know so so I took it and I put it in a colander and I washed it all off and dried up and then reheated it anybody ever do that you guys have done that right it works it works but I was not a happy pastor we don't have any hamburger look what you did to my dinner I can't believe you did this to me it was horrible but we learned early that you can it's not your greed it's your need the Lord takes care of you and at the end if I really believe if I really believe that there is a hereafter if I really believe that one day I'm going to see Jesus face to face if I really believe that then generosity is just part of being a Christian that's all you got somebody in need a genuine need an urgent need you meet that need why because you have it in the power of your hand to do so and who knows but one day that person may be able to turn around and be a blessing to you and that's what Paul is saying he says you're caring for them but one day they may care for you in Luke 6 38 give and it will be given to you good measure pressed down shaken together running over will be poured into your lap for with the measure you use it will be measured to you I like this when it says pressed down and shaken together and running over I wonder if any of you have ever gone to Mongolian barbecue how many of you have if you haven't you ought to I like it Mongolian barbecue on foothill in Claremont excellent just letting you know but anyway when you go you order bowls and they'll say do you want pork or chicken or beef or whatever you know so the bring it in it's the meat is all frozen you know it's all frozen in a bowl and what I learned to do a long time ago is put a napkin on it and press it down because when you press it down you can go and now you're going to put the grass whatever what's that stuff I put on a mama grassroots or whatever sprouts oh I'm not a health nut but that's good stuff and you put on those that there's cash what is that Marie knows what I get I don't I choose to cook I just chop up all kinds of stuff and throw it in celery and onions and stuff man you press that down and you can you can load the grass sprouts to be like it looks like a mountain and then you put garlic salt on it's absolutely good but I learned that from somebody who said press it down so every time I read Luke 6 38 good measure press down I understand what that means you know press it down and then put some more in and that's what the Lord does for you did you know that your Mongolian barbecue to him he presses down the blessings into your life presses it down and adds to it so it's overflowing so it's overflowing you believe that I do because he has blessed us and it's not always money by the way that he blesses you with so he says oh boy I'll give so I can get no in your generosity there's a spirit that you have in your heart of love and compassion and people will love you in a deeper way in a different way because of who you are because of the character you have because of the concern you have because of the loving spirit you have and you will have people who will bless in your life you will have people enter into your life who who care for you as a person and are there for you in prayer there for you in a need it's not that you're going to have a wallet that's always full but you'll have a heart that's full because God presses into you blessings and you have a life that has real value and that actually values the things that matter the things that really matter you know there's nothing wrong with having a hobby there's nothing wrong with you can afford it to get a little car you want to drive and all of that you know to buy something there's nothing wrong with that please I hope it doesn't sound like I'm saying that but God comes first and people come first before you have that and again I learned that from my dad before he was even a saved man my dad put my mom first family always was first take care of your family take care of your children take care of your home my dad was that way I brought that into my life so what matters to me are not the material things what matters to me is people it's my wife her feelings my children my grandchildren those things those things matter because those are the things that last forever the car doesn't but love does love endures forever and I learned that and so Paul is simply encouraging the Corinthians to have compassion and concern for those in need you promised a year ago that you would take care of this their hunger is still there and you haven't done anything this is my counsel to you get it done you promised keep your promise and who knows but that one day you may be in a need and they'll be able to take care of yours finally proverbs 11 24 there is one who scatters yet increases more and there is one who withholds more than is right but it leads to poverty scatter give minister and what would God will do and that's what Paul basically is sharing with the Corinthians they have a need you promised keep your promise God will take care of yours too always remember that why because Jesus was filled with grace and he gave himself for you can't you give up yourself for somebody else