 The title of our sermon this morning is God Glorifying Giving, God Glorifying Giving. We've looked at generous giving, we've looked at faith-filled giving, now we come to God Glorifying Giving and all this from this text of Scripture in 2 Corinthians today specifically, 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verses 12 through 15. Now this morning, we arrive at the conclusion of Paul's treatment Christian giving from chapters 8 and chapters 9 of 2 Corinthians. It has been a joy and a blessing to have the time that we've had, a little over two months working verse by verse through these chapters in God's Word, essentially building or developing, cultivating a theology of Christian, distinctively Christian giving. I pray that the Word of God on this subject hasn't merely filled our ears in the last two months but it's filled your mind and it's filled your heart. Now Paul warns us in chapter 6 verse 1 not to receive the grace of God in vain and it would certainly be receiving the grace of God in vain to allow the seed of God's Word contained in these two chapters to die in the unwelcome soil of a forgetful mind or an indifferent heart. Our prayer, brothers and sisters, for the glory of His grace must be God make us generous people, make us generous givers. As we open this last section of text together, the setting of our passage should be very familiar to us by this point. In the providence of God, many of the saints in Jerusalem have fallen on extraordinarily difficult times with the influx of pilgrims from all over Judea, the explosive growth of the new church and with the blistering effects of widespread persecution on the church, many believers in Jerusalem find their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ being fiercely tested by extreme circumstances, by extreme poverty. The response of the Jerusalem church herself has been overwhelming. We read much of that account in the book of Acts. In Acts chapter 2 verse 44, all who believed were together, all had all things in common and they sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. In Acts chapter 4 verse 32, they rose to the occasion. The multitude of those who believed were of one heart, they were of one soul. Neither did anyone say that any of the things that he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. They were meeting the needs of their brothers and sisters in the church. In Acts chapter 4 verse 34, all who were possessors of lands or houses, they sold them, they brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, they laid them at the apostles feet and they distributed to each as anyone had need. In other words, the saints in the church at Jerusalem were not abandoning their brothers and sisters there and waiting for the Gentile churches in Macedonia or Achaea or Galatia to give. No, they were giving to the need. They were doing all that they could. They were meeting the needs of their brothers and sisters. However, as the resources of those in the church began to wear thin, which they did, it was apparent, obvious, that additional help would be needed from the extended body of Christ. And so the apostle Paul, in his missionary journeys, as he labored for the spread of the gospel through Syria, across Galatia in the Macedonia down into Achaea, there remained within his heart an earnest desire to remember the poor and suffering saints in Jerusalem. And so Paul begins what is often referred to as the collection. It's also referred to as the gift, the blessing, as we've heard the fellowship of the ministering to the saints, the many ways in which Paul refers to this collection of money for the poor saints in Jerusalem. He mobilizes the predominantly Gentile churches outside of Judea to pool together their resources to provide a generous gift for the predominantly Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem with many blessed effects that we've seen. In 1 Corinthians, chapter 16, verse 1, Paul is already enlisted the help of the churches in Galatia and now he asks the church in Corinth to begin laying something aside. And as they gather for worship on the first day of the week, that's when they worship together. They worship on the first day of the week. In addition to the tithes and offerings given in support of the church, the believers in Corinth are exhorted to store up as they may prosper for the needy saints in Jerusalem. And as the collection in Corinth began, however, simultaneously serious problems began to grip the church at Corinth and the collection stalls. Now as we come to 2 Corinthians, chapters 8 and 9, the church appears to be through those significant problems, many of those we've already spoken through as we work verse by verse through this book. The church appears to be back on track to a large degree and Paul then now circles back around to remind them of their commitment, to remind them of their desire, to remind them of their responsibility to give. Now you'll notice having worked through these 2 chapters that Paul doesn't manipulate them. He doesn't coerce them. He doesn't strong arm them. He doesn't have to. He's not going to. He appeals to these brothers and sisters on the basis of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He appeals to them on the basis of God's grace, the grace that has been poured out on them. He appeals to them on the basis of God's love and that love preeminently displayed by the Lord Jesus Christ in his own sacrifice of his own self on the cross for them. He appeals to them on the basis of that sacrificial giving of God in the gospel and he informs their faith and then challenges them to give based on what they know to be true. In other words, he gives them theology. He gives them good theology, good instruction from that theology. He exhorts them and he appeals to them on the basis of faith working through love. Now he begins all this by drawing our attention to the lavish example of grace fueled giving on the part of the Macedonian churches in chapter 8 verses 1 through 6. He then continues with a confident exhortation to gospel shaped giving in chapter 8 verses 7 through 15. We meet the faithful envoys of the churches sent to organize this collection in chapter 8 verses 16 through 24 and beginning in chapter 9 we are given helpful explanation then for why they should follow through with its generous and sacrificial God glorifying gifts. The Lord of the harvest says to the church in Corinth and the Lord of the harvest says to us so bountifully brother so bountifully sister and you will reap bountifully that's not word faith heresy that's a promise from God's word amen so bountifully and you will reap bountifully given faith given joy given hope given love because God loves a cheerful giver and God the one who is the ultimate the most cheerful the most willing the most sacrificial the most freely the most loving giver that there is is able to make all grace abound toward you that you always having all sufficiency in all things may have an abundance for every good work amen that's a promise from God now as Paul brings this section of this letter to a close now having considered the outpouring of God's grace on the Macedonians having considered the testimony of the sacrificial giving of the saints of God the love expressed by the churches for their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem having considered the unity cultivated by the fellowship of ministering to one another in the body of Christ the need that food on the table a roof over their head closed on their backs the poor provided for blessings poured out on the cheerful giver having provided an example having provided exhortation having provided explanation Paul now looks beyond all of that beyond all of that to the ultimate end of our giving the ultimate spring from which every good and perfect gift flows and terminates our giving the giving of God's people upon the glory of God and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ that's exactly where it belongs doesn't it everything ends everything terminates everything comes to the glory of God that's as the Lord would have it that's what we're created for right that's what we labor for that's where our affections terminate our desires terminate the glory of God and the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ there are four verses in this brief section of text and with them four points and I want you to see that the generous giving the generous giving of God's people that terminates in the glory of God is giving that one promotes our gratefulness promotes the gratefulness the gratitude of God's people to that giving which terminates in the glory of God is giving that promotes his glory goes without saying we'll look at that from the text thirdly it's that giving which promotes our unity and fourthly it's giving that promotes his grace promotes our gratefulness that promotes his glory it promotes our unity and it promotes his grace now as the people of God as we consider this subject of Christian giving we're to look beyond the practical effects those practical effects are important right we're to look beyond the practical the temporal the physical the material blessings or benefits we're to look beyond those things those things are important they have their place and the Lord uses the giving of his people as a means through which he provides for those needs they're important but we're to look beyond the practical effects we're to look beyond the practical benefits we're to look beyond the people involved we're to look beyond even the immediate purposes involved and we're to look to the one for whom we give right we're to look to him when you give as the people of God you're to look to him to his glory to his ends his purposes his cause you're to look to the giving of the Lord Jesus Christ right your eyes are focused on him when you get your eyes sort of out of the dirt the mud of our existence and you lift them into the heavens you will be a God glorifying and generous Christian giver amen we're to look to the one for whom we give now note with me first that God glorifying giving is giving that promotes the gratefulness of God's people it's giving that promotes the gratefulness of God's people look with me at verse 12 Paul says in verse 12 for the administration of this service that's what he's calling the collection the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints not only meets their needs but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God now verse 12 reveals a twofold purpose for the collection one material and the other spiritual we might call it provision and praise right twofold purpose for the collection provision and praise material and spiritual right he begins by referring to the collection as a diakonia a diakonia is translated here as administration that word in your new king james the greek word from which we get the word deacon we have deacons in this church we're in the process of looking at selecting more deacons deacon is one given the office or set aside to a ministry of service in the church diakonia service in the church now Paul couples that word administration diakonia service he couples that word with the word late or ghiyas which is translated here as service late or ghiyas is where we get our english word liturgy or liturgical these words i think are important for understanding of what's being communicated here this word is a compound word and refers to combine two words public and work it means a public work okay it's a compound word meaning a public work or a public service this word the word where we get our word liturgy or liturgical points back to the old testament service of the priests in the temple when they offered a public service a public service of ministry in the temple to god's people they would offer up sacrifices to god on behalf of the people it was a late or ghiyas it was a liturgical work okay when the when the poor Philippians the Philippian church in Macedonia when the poor Philippian church sacrificially gave the meat Paul's needs time and again Paul called their gift a sweet smelling aroma an acceptable sacrifice well pleasing to god where did he get that language from it came right out of temple service temple sacrifices this was temple work a public service they led to or ghiyas so to speak that rose to god as a sweet smelling aroma and acceptable sacrifice right as much as their gift then was the means by which Paul's physical needs could be met their gift these words combine to give the effect that their gift was also an act of worship and an act of praise that was well pleasing to god we get the two concepts married together right provision and praise work and worship so even in the two words that Paul uses here two words that Paul uses even in these two words you can see the two fold purpose for it it is a ministry this collection is giving this generosity is a ministry of public service it's going to provide for the needs of the saints it's a service of public ministering if you want to say it that way it's an act of provision and it's an act of praise now when you and I give in the church when we give it is an act of provision and it is an act of praise you see it is an act of supplying for the needs of the work of the ministry keeping the lights on keeping the mortgage paid keeping the people employed right and it is an act of worship it is an act of praise it is a part of our worship that's why we don't relegate giving to a box in the lobby or a mail-in slip right it's it's a part of our normal worship of the lord on the lord's day so ministry of public worship and public work right now paul explains that further in verse 12 he says the administration of this service not only does it supply the needs of the saints but also is a bounding through many thanksgivings to god right now we see this the same coupling here not just in those two words but now we see the same coupling of provision and praise in the phrases the clauses that follow your generous giving not only meeting of physical needs for a physical people in a physical place suffering physically okay but the ultimate end of your generous giving is an overflowing gratitude toward god provision and praise yes you meet the needs of the saints yes but the effect of the giving the effect of the giving is multiplied not just meeting the needs of the saints the effect of the giving is multiplied it abounds it overflows because of the flood of gratefulness that pours from the heart and prayers of god's people provision and praise you see it's like the lord multiplying those loaves and those fishes on the side of the sea in galley right he multiplies it we give certainly meets the needs of the saints but that giving that generosity multiplies it abounds it overflows in worship and praise for god when that's done in a god glorifying manner provision and praise and when those dear brothers and sisters in jerusalem when those who are suffering there for the cause of christ when those dear brothers and sisters receive this gift they're going to look to the love shown to them by their brothers and sisters in these gentile churches and they're going to thank them from the bottom of their heart for this gift right they're going to look for their brothers and sisters many of these they don't know they've never met them they're separated miles apart and yet there's going to be a knitting of their hearts together right a love that is going to be expressed toward them thank you what a generous gift right they've loved us in this way they're going to look to paul and they're going to say paul brother the one who persecuted the church look at the love that you have shown us the care that you've shown for us in organizing this collection paul thank you right thank you for this gift they're going to rejoice that their needs are met right i'm going to be able to eat more than one meal this week right there's going to be food on the table paul our needs are met but ultimately ultimately those dear saints in jerusalem when they receive this gift they will look beyond the provision they will look beyond the gift they will look beyond those who gave they will look beyond those churches they will look beyond paul who organized the collection and as they recognize behind the collection behind those people behind paul stands the immeasurable grace and love and kindness of god our provider he's the one who supplies all our need amen and they will erupt in praise and thanksgiving to him god is the one god is the one who gives us all we need god is the one who supplies our need now he may use means to do it but it's god who does it okay he's the one he's the one who ultimately is worthy of our gratitude worthy of our praise worthy of our worship god is the one who works through his providence to supply the means for men to generously give if you can give it's because god has prospered you praise god right god is the one who works in the heart of men by his spirit according to his grace grace to cultivate within them the heart that desires to give the heart that wills to give the mind that wants to give god is the one who works through his people to demonstrate his loving care his compassion his kindness his provision his grace and god is the one who has given to them yet again and they will proclaim those brothers and sisters in Jerusalem will proclaim with james that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above it comes down from the father of light with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning and they will offer to god the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to him which are they sweet smelling aroma to god right see it all comes around it all comes around doesn't it it's interesting one commentator referred to this as a circle of grace a circle of grace many times this chapter we've talked about this in chapters 8 and 9 this is referred to as a grace of god they're giving as a grace they're giving as a grace kary's kary's is the word referring to grace they turn then the people of god then turn and give grace kary's a gift kary's god begins with kary's they give with kary's and that erupts then in you kary's thea thanksgiving the circle a circle of grace there's a an unbroken chain if you will that ends terminates in always the glory of god generous giving glorifies god hebrew's chapter 13 verse 15 therefore by him therefore by him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to god that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name notice with me that this giving generous giving not only promotes or cultivates the gratitude of god's people but it also promotes the glory of god it promotes the glory of god look at verse 13 Paul says while while through the proof of this ministry they poor saints in Jerusalem mentioned in verse 12 right they glorify god for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of christ and for your liberal sharing with them and all men new king james adds the word men there in italics right that means that that word is not supplied there by the greek it ends in all right your liberal sharing with them and with all all believers all saints we'll talk about that right now paul mentions in verse 13 he mentions the proof of this ministry while through the proof of this ministry this service their generous giving is proving something okay it's giving evidence of something we have to ask the question what is it that's being proven their service this act of generosity is proving something what is being proven now certainly paul said in chapter eight verse eight that he was testing the sincerity of their love by the diligence of others so one of the things that's being proven by their faithful giving their generous giving is their sincere love right they prove their love by giving generously giving sacrificially giving the way that god has called him to give okay but it goes farther than that it goes farther than that and i want you to see this what their generous giving proves causes the saints in jerusalem to glorify god okay it's through the proof of this ministry that they the poor saints in jerusalem glorify god so whatever it is that they're giving proves it causes the saints in jerusalem to glorify god and it's proven it's proven by two very important pieces of evidence one it's proven by the obedience of their confession to the gospel of christ and two it's proven by their generous or yes generous fellowship koinonia is the word proven by their generous fellowship not only with the jerusalem saints but with all believers with all the saints now the Corinthians predominantly Gentile believers had made a profession of faith in christ it's their confession to the gospel of christ reference there in verse 13 their generous giving demonstrated an obedience to that profession that confession of faith okay and a fellowship in that profession not only with the saints of jerusalem but with all saints that's what they're giving is doing now let's answer our question okay think it's extremely significant that this was the very same reaction that we see the jewish elders of the jerusalem church give when paul goes to visit them in ax chapter 21 the poor saints in jerusalem when they receive the gift they glorify god because of the obedience of their confession and because of their generous fellowship with them and the elders the jewish elders of the jerusalem church give the very same reaction when paul visits them in ax chapter 21 listen to this from ax chapter 21 beginning in verse 17 where luke says when we had come to jerusalem the brethren received us gladly on the following day paul went in with us to james and all the elders were present and when he had greeted them he told them in detail those things which god had done among the Gentiles through his ministry now what were the things that god had done among them through his ministry salvation right salvation has come to the Gentiles right god has granted even the Gentiles repentance which leads to life okay they've been saved the Gentiles are being saved pouring into the church through paul's ministry and look at what they say in verse 20 and when they heard it what did they do they glorified the lord now what are they glorifying god for they're glorifying god for the genuineness of their faith the genuineness of Gentile faith in the lord jesus christ right the genuine faith of these Gentile believers now think with me there is really good reason to glorify god for this very thing right Gentiles who were once far off i think virtually all of us in here are Gentiles okay we were once far off Gentiles were looked down upon by the jews called the uncircumcision by these jews in jerusalem most likely by these very jews in the jerusalem church who are now followers of the lord jesus christ at one time looking down upon these Gentiles as uncircumcised unbelievers right they were described Gentiles described as aliens from the commonwealth of israel strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without god in the world that describes every one of us outside of christ doesn't it you are stranger an alien from the promises you are without hope and without god in the world but praise god when the lord saved you he brought you near by the blood of christ the sufficience chapter two that's worth glorifying god for amen now god has always intended to do exactly that god always intended to save a people to his name and for his worship from every tribe every tongue every people every nation relations chapter three verse eight says this and the scripture for seeing that god would justify the Gentiles by faith preached the gospel to abraham the father of the jewish nation right abraham way back in the old testament saying in you abraham all the nations of the world shall be blessed this was something that was mysterious to the jews under the old covenant doesn't mean when it says that it was mysterious it doesn't mean that it was unknowable right it means that it was dimly revealed in the old testament and now gloriously revealed in the new testament and i want you to see that from Ephesians chapter three turn there with me Ephesians chapter three if you're looking at Ephesians chapter three if you just go back a couple of paragraphs you see the setup for this in Ephesians chapter two that we just referenced look at verse 11 therefore remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands that at that time you were without christ being aliens from the commonwealth of israel strangers from the covenant of promise having no hope without god in the world but now in christ jesus you who are once far off have been brought near by the blood of christ for he himself is our peace who has made both one he has broken down the wall the middle wall of separation having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances so as to create in himself one new man from the two thus making peace that he might reconcile them both to god in one body through the cross thereby putting to death the enmity and look at Ephesians chapter three verse one paul says in light of that truth of what god has done paul says this in verse one for this reason i paul the prisoner of christ jesus for you Gentiles if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of grace of the grace of god which was given to me for you how that by revelation he made known to you to me the mystery right as i have briefly written already by which when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of christ verse five which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the spirit to his holy apostles and prophets here it is verse six that right that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in christ through the gospel glory to god right glory to god of which paul says verse seven i became a minister according to the gift of the grace of god given to me by the effective working of his power to me paul says who am the less than the least of all the saints this grace was given that i should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable indescribable inexpressible infinite matchless superlative riches of the lord jesus christ and to make all fever sign what is the fellowship the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in god who created all things through jesus christ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of god might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in christ jesus our lord in whom now we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him therefore i ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you which is your glory right glory to god this is the mystery now being revealed and interesting isn't it right if we think about this this act of generous giving on the part of the people of god how this glorious truth this matchless truth that erupts paul just erupts an exuberant praise over this truth this truth is revealed in something seeming to us so simple as a gift of a Gentile church in Corinth to a needy Jewish church in Jerusalem right and it communicates that reality glory to god right glory to god when we when we obey the lord when we seek to live for him fervently in devotion with affection right with diligence and with earnestness in faith these eternal realities are brought to bear in just these even these simple acts of love that you a once rebellious wicked sinner at enmity with god a child of wrath like the rest now because of the grace of god poured out to you and the lord jesus christ you can offer up acts of praise and acts of worship that are acceptable on the site a sweet smelling aroma it displays the matchless wonder and the glory of god in the gospel and one day when you stand before him at the judgment seat of christ it'll be those acts of praise those acts of worship that god will look at you and say that was the work of my spirit in him by virtue of the finished work of my son the lord jesus christ and your works will be seen to praise honor and glory him glorify him amen in revelation chapter five all these together now sing a new song saying you are worthy when we glorify god right god doesn't get more glory when we glorify him right he has all the glory he is inherently glorious so what does it mean when we say we glorify god it means we ascribe to him worth we ascribe to him praise we ascribe to him honor we ascribe to him majesty we reflect his goodness his compassion his kindness his mercy his grace right we ascribe to him the glorious attributes that are due his name and when you see this in revelation chapter five verses nine through ten when they sang a new song this group this community together said you are worthy lord jesus christ you are worthy to take the scroll you are worthy to open its seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to god by your blood out of every tribe every tongue every people in every nation any of you and you have made us kings and priests to our god and we shall reign on the earth all of them together all of them together jew gentile every tribe every tongue every people every nation glory to god by glory to god that was god's purpose from the beginning from the beginning and this is what the lord has accomplished through our lord jesus christ and we are to glorify god for it paul says doesn't he owe the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of god how unsearchable are his judgments in his ways path finding out and any attention any attention given to social or ethnic distinctions that would serve to foment division among the people of god or undermine undermine that unity that precious unity that we have in the lord jesus christ is tantamount to the sin of the judaizers it is to be damned should be condemned outright beware the propagators of social justice beware the foul plague of racism these walls of separation are down in the church they have been down all glory to god all glory to god now this reality this truth the the glory of god in the gospel of jesus christ is being displayed before the eyes of those poor and needy saints in the primarily jewish church in jerusalem when they receive this generous gift from the primarily gentile churches of galatia mastodonia and a kaya you can almost hear the saint in jerusalem can't you saying wow what an amazing and generous gift where did you say this came from well where did you get this from the gentile churches praise god really the churches in matthew we know how poor those people are the churches in mastodonia gave praise god for the gospel praise god for jesus christ it causes cultivates promotes the glory of god it should if we're thinking rightly about these things right back in second chrithians chapter 9 verse 13 notice the connection notice the connection right on what basis in verse 13 on what basis do the jerusalem saints glorify god for this fact on what basis do they glorify god they glorify god on the basis of their obedience the obedience of their confession right think with me it's based on the obedience of their confession it's seen in their fellowship with them through this act of generous and god glorifying giving in other words their generosity was seen as evident that their profession of faith in the lord jesus christ was real it's seen as evidence what is proved by this ministry is their genuine faith in christ that's what's proved right it was a mark of the genuineness of the conversion that god had poured out on these gentile believers okay now it by implication we need to understand that without evidence without proof you have no reason to believe that your profession of faith is anything other than a sham without evidence without marks without proof so to speak you have no reason to believe that your profession of faith is anything more than a deception james asks do you want to know oh foolish man that faith without works is dead as the body without the spirit is dead so then faith without works is dead also someone's lying on a pavement motionless you're concerned what do you look for as evidence that person is alive you look for a pulse right james says body without the spirit is dead as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also you want to know that your faith is genuine you want to know that your profession is genuine is real your conversion is genuine you look to the evidences of conversion the evidences of genuine saving faith we are called in the gospel when called in the gospel we're called to turn from our sin we're called to put our faith and trust in the lord jesus christ we are to entrust ourselves to him and follow him by faith right so we are called in the gospel then to faith love and obedience faith love and obedience without faith is an impossible it is impossible to please him right we're to love the lord our god with all our heart soul mind and strength and he who says i know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him right our actual faith our actual love our actual obedience then is clear evidence of our righteousness before god no no it's clear evidence that the spirit of god is at work in the heart of that center by grace through faith spirit of god is at work when the spirit of god is at work the spirit of god produces evidences produces fruits the bare witness that our faith is genuine so what do they do when this right in this gift what do they do when the power and grace and mercy of god is displayed before their eyes in this generous act of giving on the part of these on this Corinthian church the church is in Galatia the church is in Macedonia what do they do they glorify god they glorify god not that they add to his glory they ascribe glory to him they worship him okay now beyond promoting our gratefulness beyond promoting his glory you can see can't you how generous god glorifying giving promotes our unity right unity unity you can certainly see this in the beautiful unity within the bride of christ the church as a result of the gospel we've just talked about but look further with me at verse 14 verse 14 and by their prayer for you okay by the prayer of these saints in Jerusalem by their prayer for you they glorify god right by their prayer for you they glorify god who long for you because of the exceeding grace of god in you now with respect to verse 14 when we cheerfully willingly lovingly and generously give we deepen our experience of spiritual union and fellowship with other believers in the body of christ the lord by his spirit just wondrously knits our hearts together right we deepen our experience of unity we deepen our experience of communion with other believers with that believer that is helped with other believers like the grinty and say with all men right and it's all back to the grace of god this section began with the grace of god poured out on the churches of macedonia and here it ends with the grace of god poured out on the church at Corinth verse 14 because of the exceeding grace of god in you so when the Jerusalem saints right received this gift at the hands of their brothers and sisters it's not received merely or only as meeting their physical needs they look beyond that they will see the gift as a work of the grace of god in them and that shared grace has the effect of knitting them together in christ it's amazing amazing what the lord accomplishes when the people of god obey him and love him and serve him and specifically with reference to this text when they generously give right now they will perceive grace in you they will perceive grace in you when you given this way and there are two benefits of this two benefits of this one it produces a unity a kindred spirit we would say right it produces a unity in the saints a longing for those in Corinth the word is epipathet oh a deep yearning a deep yearning that arises from sincere affection arises from love a deep longing an intense yearning so one benefit is this unity right this longing for one another the second benefit is that that longing then produces prayer and it produces prayer which glorifies god what further unites them even though they are separated by miles in between them what further unites them is that that longing for them gives birth to supplication gives birth to petition gives birth to intercession gives birth to thanksgiving it gives birth to prayer and prayer further unites them right we're united to one another when we pray for one another can't be lost on us right can't be lost on us we need to pray for one another if you find yourself at odds with someone do as much it depends upon you to resolve that conflict but then pray pray for them you want to grow grow in your love for your wife men pray for her you want to grow in your respect for and your submission to and your love to your husband ladies and pray fervently for him you want to see the lord work in the lives of your kids pray pray this longing that they have for other believers the longing that you may have to have a god glorifying marriage the longing that you may have in your heart to see your kids save that longing should burst supplication and petition and intercession and prayers of thanksgiving and desire your heart should be poured out to god in prayer right it's that deep intense yearning and longing that produces then prayer and it's that prayer from that heart independence upon god that glorifies him that longing is produced by the grace of god at work in their hearts right this is no dispassionate indifferent cold or heartless or meaningless relationship when you think about it right with respect to our church for example right what draws you to the people that you long to have fellowship with to the person that you want to spend your time with you say yourself how i'm going to call that brother i'm going to call that says i'm going to spend time with that person what draws you to them what is it right the people that you choose to spend all your time with the people that you choose to be discipled by what draws you to them is it is it common ethnicity that's where clicks come from right think about like ethnic clicks and how not good that is is it ethnicity that draws you to one another i always think about that right think carefully about that is it a is it a common perceived oppressor in other words now and we see this all over our country don't we i'm in this victim class of people and i am the victim together with all these other people and we all have a common enemy a common oppressor right is it is it that that draws you to one another is it that that you're gathered around or collected together by is it socioeconomic standing are you drawn to other people because they look like you or act like you would it be other interests outside of christ is it other things outside of christ that draws you to them people that you would choose to spend your time with why do i choose this person rather than that person to be a close friend to me to spend my time with why am i drawn to this person rather than this person right or do i choose am i drawn to the people i choose to spend my time with because of the exceeding grace of god in them is that what draws me to them verse 14 by their prayer for you who longed for you why why are they longed for them because of the exceeding grace of god at work in them is that what draws you to another person that should let it be that brother let it be that sister right think carefully about who you spend your time with who you're drawn to what does that say about you about your heart about your mind about the way that you think choose the good thing right so generous giving promotes our unity promotes his glory promotes his gratefulness and generous giving then glorifies god by promoting his grace by promoting his grace so having now spoken at length about the manifold blessings of his grace poured out on the people of god through god glorifying faith filled and gospel informed giving paul then turns his attention to the eternal spring from which all grace flows and that is the lord jesus christ in verse 15 where paul says thanks be to god for his indescribable gift the best description of this gift is that it is indescribable right the best way that i can describe this to you is that it can be described to you right it is inexpressible we don't have the language to work it out right every operation of grace in the masonians every evidence of grace that is displayed in the loving generosity of the carumpians paul traces it all back to its spring to its fountain head to its origin to the very source of all that grace which is the person of the lord jesus christ and so he ends this section on generous giving in exuberant praise for the ones who has given everything to redima thanks be to god for his indescribable gift what gift is he referring to he's referring to the father's indescribable gift is the gift that is given to the poor st. jerusalem describable yes we've been describing it for a while what is that good and perfect gift which is matchless which transcends human language it is the gift in grace and mercy of the person of his only begotten son for sinners like you and me that's the indescribable gift right the gift of his only begotten son for guilty sinners one has said that paul's mind cannot too long be occupied with christian giving before he must trace the stream of all giving back to the flowing fountain of god's own heart displayed in the gift of his son to sinners first john chapter four verse nine in this the love of god was manifested toward us that god has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him in this is love not that we love god but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins beloved then right in response if god so loved us we also ought to love one another and they do right this gift collected by paul from the churches in macedonia the churches in galatia churches certainly in siria and in akea this gift is an act of love it is faith working by love to the glory of god at the end of the day at the end of the day the ultimate motivation to the generous disposition of heart that gives in such a way as to glorify god has its foundation in a growing understanding of appreciation of an affection for the glory of our lord and savior in his giving right it has its foundation in that gift that indescribable inexpressible gift and as we behold him and as we behold the father who sent him giving so generously so lavishly so sacrificially in love we then give to glorify him amen so let your gift let your giving glorify god right let your generosity be such that it magnifies the grace of god in christ that's the ultimate end certainly we're going to meet a need right certainly we're going to we need to keep the lights on certainly we need to we need to have the materials that we need to preach the gospel right we need to employ people to help us in that good work certainly we'd have these practical temporal physical material needs the brother sister beyond that certainly give give give generously give sacrificially but give in such a way that brings glory to the god who gave so richly to you and i so we consider the end of these two chapters i want to ask us together has this instruction been taken to heart has it found root in your heart and in your mind the only way that we know is when it's tested paul would say brothers and sisters i'm testing the sincerity of your love give generously be a generous giver in all praise honor and glory to the one who has given so lavishly to undeserving sinners like you and i let's pray pray silently go before god consider how you would apply this text in your own life in your own heart ask for help by god's spirit we can't do this in our own strength and determined by faith to follow him in it when you're done praying your artistness let's pray