We're going to finish second Corinthians 9 today. If you've been with us, we've been spending a good amount of time in chapters eight and nine of Second Corinthians. It's our book study we're doing. But we've been kind of camped out in these two chapters, and they've dealt heavily with money and generosity and giving, and there's some challenging stuff in there. And I understand in a room this size that there's some people in here that need a kick in the pants, and there's some people that need a pat on the back, and it seems heavily more in the kick in the pants. I'm just so thankful that there's many, many people in this church that are extremely generous, and we're incredibly thankful for that. But this text has challenged us not just to give, but examine our giving, why we're giving, how we're giving. It's caused us to kind of take a look into this, because when giving is critiqued in Scripture, by and large, it's not critiquing an absence of giving, but it's critiquing a type of giving. Like there's times where the Lord says to the nation of Israel, I don't want your offerings anymore. I'm tired of your offerings. So they were giving offerings, but the critique was either your offering is not lining up with your life, and you're just kind of going through the motions of what you're supposed to do as a way to kind of say, hey, just ignore how we're living and he wasn't happy about that misalignment, or they were giving just really sparingly, frugally, or not generous, like you're bringing your sick and your lame animals. So the critique was not that they weren't giving, but how they were giving. And I want us to kind of examine this. And we started off trying to have a better understanding of what is Christian New Testament giving. And we said this, that Christian giving is a voluntary, sacrificial, joyful overflow of God's grace, despite circumstances testifying to a changed heart. So I know there's a lot there, but all that's important to kind of help us get a good understanding of what it means to give and why as a Christian. Then we looked at how we're to give as Christians, and we said this Christian giving should be a willing, generous, thoughtful, cheerful, confident decision. We looked at that last week, and it's like all those words matter and are important. And we're saying okay, this is how we should give. But now today we want to ask why? Why should we give? Why should we give sacrificially? Why should we give generously? Is it God in need of our money? Like, what's the reason? What's the motive behind that? We want to look at why giving matters or why we give and why that matters. Because what if we're giving but it's for the wrong reasons? What if you're giving but the motive for your giving is off? Like, you give because it's just an ought to thing. I just do it because I'm supposed to. But it's not have anything to do with like, cheerful honoring and worship of God. Like, that's the wrong reason to do it. Or what if you're giving, but it really has to do with like, human reputation more than God and honoring God. Like, you just want to be known as a generous person, and that's really what's driving your giving. Or what if you're giving but the reason behind your giving is kind of this twisted understanding of justification. Like, I need to help kind of pay for my sins, that if I'm a generous person, then God might overlook what I've done in the past. Because what if we're giving? Like, you can check that box. I'm doing it. But God, who looks at the heart, sees why you give, and he's actually dishonored with your motive or your reason for giving. So why we give matters. So why should we give? What should be the motives behind our generosity? And if we learn some things, what might be motivating to give? So, guys, listen, There's a lot more going on when we give than we tend to think. God in his word talks a lot about money, generosity. In fact, there's roughly around 2300 verses, roughly, and that's being rounded down 2,300 verses on money and generosity. In the Scriptures, that's more verses than there are verses on faith and prayer combined. That's about twice as many verses as there are verses on faith and prayer combined. 15% of all Jesus teachings were on money. 11 of his 39 parables had to do with money. So what if the topic of money is a much more important topic than we come to think, and there's more going on with our money than we tend to think. Like, what if there's a deeper spiritual reality? Because I think sometimes we're unaware of all that is happening and can happen through giving, and maybe we've gotten way too pragmatic when it comes to giving and we're missing a spiritual reality to it. So 2nd Corinthians 9. Like I said, we're going to finish this chapter and I got probably way too many other references I want to point out as well. So we're going to go fast. I went long surprise last service. I tried to cut then 11 o'clock. We'll just go. Let's just put it all in there. So I'm going to give you three motivations for giving and then we're going to ultimately try to get to a truth that these motivations rest on. But let me give you the three motivations up front and then we're going to go look at them together in the scripture because it's we got to see them in the Bible together to really lay it all. Don't just take my word for it. I want to say this and then let's see them together. So here's the three motivations. We give to display the power of God in us. We give to authenticate the profession of God from us. And we give to experience the provision of God to us. Right. Those are up on the screen. If you're a note taker, write those down. That's kind of outline of where we're going. But we give to display the power of God in us. We give to authenticate the profession of God from us. And we give to experience the provision of God to us. Or another way you can put that is we give to expand the gospel, express the gospel and experience the gospel. And all this to say like, if it's like man, that's a lot of tricky phrasing. Okay, hear this then. There's a spiritual side to giving that I want us to understand. And when we understand it, it should be motivating for our generosity. So let me read our text and then we'll go back and kind of look at these points in it. Here we go. We ready? All right. Verse 6. The point is this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, he may abound in every good work as it is written. He has distributed freely. He has given to the poor. His righteous endures forever. We spent more time last week on those texts, so moving Forward, we're going to spend more time on these texts. He who supplies seed for the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every good way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overwhelming, overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift. Okay, let's get into this looking at that kind of first motivator for our own generosity. And we give to display the power of God in us, or we give to expand the gospel. Look back at verse 11. He says, you will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will. What's that word? Produce Thanksgiving to God. He's saying, your giving is going to produce something. There's going to be something that your giving, like, produces. And you're like, okay, what is that? Is it a remodeled basement? Is it food for the poor? Is it a new building? Is it new ministry? Is it keeping the lights on? Like, what is our giving producing? But what does he say about is producing this text? Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving to God. He's saying, hey, your giving is going to produce thanksgiving to God. Now this isn't just kind of a one off point he makes. He doubles down on it and he triples down on it. So let's keep going. Verse 12. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many what thanksgivings to God. So this service, he's talking about their giving, he calls it the service. He's saying not only is it gonna supply the needs of the saints, but it's gonna do more than that. Like more than just supply the needs of the saints. And there was a famine in Jerusalem that they're trying to help. He's saying not only is it gonna supply their needs, but more than that, more than that, it's gonna lead to thanksgiving to God. And now get this, this is important. Paul is giving them a vision of giving that is bigger than meeting practical needs. All right, you need to get that, because this is kind of foundational for where we're going. Paul is giving them a vision of giving that is bigger than just meeting practical needs. He's like, yeah, you're going to meet needs, but more than that, like it's going to lead to more worship, more thanksgiving to God. Not only he said that in verse 11, he says that in verse 12 to kind of double down on that, but he triples down on it in verse 13. Look at this. By their approval of this service, again, they're giving. They will what, glorify God because of your submission. That comes from your confession of the Gospel of Christ. So what are the Jerusalem Saints going to do because of their giving? We're going to glorify God. Now notice what he doesn't say. They're going to eat, right? There's a famine. Like that's where the money was going. That's just not what he highlights. Like it will provide food for them in need. But that's not what Paul chooses to highlight. So yeah, that's going to happen. But, but here's what's really important that's happening. They're going to glorify God. Like your giving is going to lead to their thanksgiving to God, their glorifying of God, their worship of God. Like there's a spiritual impact happening here. So listen, there is more going on in and through your giving, through your generosity, than just meeting physical needs than just remodeling a basement, than just keeping lights on, than just feeding the hungry. Like there's more going on in that. Don't be, hear me now. Don't be overly practical when it comes to your giving. We can struggle with this because I think a lot of times we want some tangible outcome to our giving. Okay, you want me to give to what? Right? In the name of stewardship, I want to know what's gonna happen. We're gonna build an orphanage. Okay, I'll give to that. Are we gonna do. Okay, I'll give to that. What do we need? Explain the needs and I'll see if I'll meet that. But, but we want tangible kind of things that are connected to our giving. But guys, it's deeper than that. It's deeper than that. Don't be too materialistic in the giving away of your materials. Don't be ignorant to a spiritual reality. One of the ways we see this is in Ephesians 3 chapter, verse 10, when Paul's talking about the proclaiming the mysteries of the gospel and what God is doing through the church and he's proclaiming something, but it's who he's proclaiming it to. That's really mind blowing. It's proclaiming it to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. He's saying what's going on in the church is saying something in the spiritual world. Like, there's a connection being made to how Christians live and act and follow Christ. And a proclamation that's happening in the spiritual world. The point is there's a connection between the material and the spiritual that we can't miss even when it comes to our giving. And Paul is connecting, giving and worship. Hear me, Paul is connecting, giving and worship. And it's not giving and your worship, which it is like your giving is part of your worship. That's just not the connection that Paul's making. Paul's making the connection between your giving and someone else's worship. That your giving is gonna result in someone else giving thanksgiving to God, someone else glorifying God. He's making this connection. Now, this is interesting because you can't buy someone else's worship. Like, if we could, that would completely change our ministry model. Like, we'd be out on the streets with cash. How much is it gonna take? Be a worshiper of Jesus? Like, we'll just be passing it out, making it rain. It doesn't work that way. Right. And you know that because parents, parents in this room, any parent that has, like, a wayward child, you would just be like, what's it going to cost? I would pay anything to make you a lover of Jesus. You can't do that, though. You can't change a human heart. That God does that. And yet Paul is making a connection between their generosity and other people's worship. So what is he saying? Like, what is the connection? Now, remember the parties that are involved in this? I mean, he's talking about the Macedonians and the Corinthians given to the saints in Jerusalem. So the Macedonians and the Corinthians would largely be Gentile believers, but the saints in Jerusalem would largely be Jewish believers. Now, there was a lot of tension between those two groups. Read the book of Galatians, read Acts 15. They're trying to figure out how this works. Can a Gentile be a Christian without first becoming Jewish? And should we let them in? And how does this work? And there was tension between those. So what is it communicating that now Gentile believers are sacrificing to help Jewish believers? It's the same message that Paul communicates in Ephesians 2, that there was hostility, but the wall of hostility has been torn down. And now two men have become one. Like there's one in Christ. And the testimony of their sacrificial giving to help these Jewish believers says, I am a new creation in Christ. I see the world differently, I see people differently, I see everything differently, even my material possessions differently. It is a testimony to the power of God in them. So if you're a Jewish believer looking at these gentiles, like, I don't even know they're legit. And then they start acting like that. You're like, oh, they're legit. But it's a testimony to what God has done in them. And it's a testimony to the power of the gospel to unite gentile and Jewish believers. They're giving testified to the power of the gospel we give to display the power of God in us. If the power of God is in you, like, has it changed the way you see people? Has it changed the way that you see possessions? Has it changed the way you handle money? Has it changed the way that you live? See, guys, listen, we live in a money loving world. Can we just admit that, like, it's everywhere. Like, you listen to the radio, you watch a TV show, we're just bombarded with things we don't have and things that you need, that you didn't know you need until you saw it, now you need it. And, and there's just a competitiveness and materialism and we're all trying to get more. Like, you just live in a money loving world, a material loving world. And the idea or the worldview of the secular mind in this culture when it comes to money is get, get it, get more of it, get more of it, get more of it. And then when you give, you're kind of going opposite of what the world's doing. And when you're going opposite of what the world's doing says something, it says something. Giving says there's something more than this world. There's something more than this world that I'm in love with, that I'm passionate about and people are listening and watching. When we treat God as more desirable than money, it says something to a world in love with money. It says something to people who think money is the answer to pleasure and security and value. It tells the world we found a better answer. We found a better answer for security and value and hope and joy and pleasure. Because what does Jesus say? You can't serve two masters, you can't do it. You can't serve both God and what money? Now you think he might say Satan, like Who's the good guy, bad guy? But he didn't say that. He says you can't serve both God and money. Basically, you can't live for God and this world because that's what money represents. You can't live for God and live passionately for this world. Like, there are two different directions, there are two different targets, there are two different aims. And when we live for God in this world, we tell this world, we found a better master. We found a better master. Guys, everybody's looking for treasure. Everybody is. Everybody's looking for value and happiness and belonging and meaning. Everybody's on a treasure hunt. And you know what Jesus said the kingdom of God is like. It's like treasure. Or more specifically, it's like a man who found treasure in a field and he went and he sold. Excuse me. He went and joyfully sold all that he had in order to buy that field, because he knows what's in that field. Treasure. It doesn't say he found treasure in a field and went and saved up for a long time so he can keep everything he has and add the field to it. No, he saw one as better than the other and he was willing to let go of one for the other. It's treasure and everybody's looking for it. But guys, we are not going to show the world the value of God living like everyone else in the world. We are not going to put the awesomeness of God on display when to the world it still looks like we're madly in love with the new car or toy or computer or house that's really bringing us pleasure. That doesn't lead anybody to praise Jesus. The way we show the world the value of God is through lifestyles of missional sacrifice. We point people to something different when we actually live for something different when we actually live. Like we're more excited for heaven than earth. Do you live like that? When people look at other people that live like that, like, why are you doing that? Why are you sacrificing like that? Why would you give like that? Macedonians, like, you're in such a difficult situation. Why would you do that? It's the power of God in them. Oh, my eyes have been opened. This world isn't all there is. There's something more that I'm living for. There's something better that I'm living for. And hear me, church, how we handle money. How we handle money puts the value of God on display. Or it undermines it. Or it undermines it. This leads us to our second point. We give to authenticate the profession of God from us or we give to express the Gospel. Look back at verse 13. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the Gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others. Notice he doesn't come right out and refer to this act as giving. It's what he's talking about. But that's not what he calls it. And he doesn't call it that on purpose. He gives it a description because he's like, this is what you're doing, but let me get underneath what you're doing and talk about it that way. And he calls it a submission that comes from their confession of the Gospel of Christ. Giving a submission that comes from a confession. Like, I'm going to submit to this. I'm going to live this way. I'm going to handle money this way. I'm going to obey this way. I'm going to submit to it. Why? Because I believe this. And when I believe this, this makes sense. Have you ever heard the phrase, put your money where your mouth is? That's this. So you can talk. Like, okay, put your money where your mouth is. Like, if you really believe that, like, put some money on it. Let's find out. If you really believe that. That's the same thing. Like, if you really believe this, then support that with your resources. And Paul's saying, you're making this confession that you confess this to be true about Christ and the gospel, that you're a new creation in Christ, you're a fellow heir with Christ you have a future in Christ you have an inheritance with Christ you can store treasures in heaven. So you confess this. Now you practice radical generosity. Oh, yeah, that lines up. That, that connects, you know, that that checks out. Or you confess Christ, you say that you're a new creation in Christ, you believe in eternity. You would confess you can store up treasures in heaven, and yet you don't practice generosity. In fact, you're stingy, you're greedy, you withhold. That doesn't check out. That doesn't line up. That says something different. And how we handle money says something. And we are to be generous. Like, we can agree with that. Like, that is still a celebrated thing. But every time we're generous, does that say the right thing? Because some people in the name of Christ use giving as a motivation for getting. They use giving material things as a motivation of getting more material things. And they use this passage or these passages to support that Kind of thinking. Look back at verse 10 and the beginning of verse 11. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply. You love that word. He's going to multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteous. You will be enriched in every way. You guys love those words. He's a multiplier, He's a supplier. He's going to enrich you in every way. Now, the prosperity gospel people love these verses. Prosperity gospel people are people that's prevalent in this country, by the way, are going to love these passages. Talking about God wants you healthy, wealthy, he wants to bless you materially. Like it's just all about kind of growing your lifestyle. And God in his generosity is going to do that for you. Now, the problem, or let me put it this way, all good lies have an element of truth in them. I mean, it says it. There's a sowing and reaping principle. And God will multiply and increase and you'll be enriched. Like it says it. It's there. And I don't want us to have a theology that's smarter than the text. Like, let's look at the text. But the problem is they've made prosperity the prize. And God is just a means to get the prize. Like God is not a means to anything better. He is the prize. He's the ultimate prize. But they've completely flipped that to prosperity is the ultimate prize. And, and we need God to be prosperous. And if the message is follow Jesus and get a car, follow Jesus and get a better job, follow Jesus and get a pay raise, follow Jesus and get all these material blessings. That's just catering to people that already love stuff. You don't have to love Jesus to love stuff. You're just trying to use Jesus to get more stuff. And it's a distortion of what Paul's saying here. The prosperity. Hear me. The. Hear me out. The prosperity gospel is a false religion because they worship a false God. It's the God of prosperity. Another problem with this is here Paul's example, or people he points to as a model to follow, are extremely poor and are in severe affliction, right? They're not flying private jets and pinstripe suits and gold watches, right? They're not living large. They're not like thriving materially. Like he's pointing at these people in his example. And they're extremely poor and they have severe affliction. But they are being generous. They have a wealth of generosity. They are being impacted or provided for like, if you go and look at verse two in chapter eight, he's talking about the Macedonians. For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part, right? So you have extreme poverty and severe affliction and you get, you don't get a wealth of generosity. There's a new element that got added to that equation to get to generosity, abundance of joy. Like they've been provided for by God, they've been given joy by God. This is John 15, right? Abide in me and I will give you my joy. Like, and your joy will be full. The Macedonians are experiencing that they have the joy of the Lord that has completely changed the way they see the world, the way they see material possessions. Like they have a harvest from God. God is doing something in your life. Or you can put it this way. They are experiencing God in their giving. So this brings us to our third motivation. We give to to experience the provision of God to us are we give to experience the gospel. Now, when I say that the gospel is not just God loved us on the cross, but God proved his love on the cross. He displayed his love for us on the cross, but his love continues. It existed before the cross and it continues after the cross. So Romans 8, 31 and 32. For God did not spare his Son. That's talking about the cross. But he freely gave him up for us all. How much more will he might graciously give us? All things like his care and love continue beyond the cross. We see this here. Look back at verse 10. He who supplies, he does supply seed to the sower and bread for food will supply. He will do it and will multiply. He will multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your what? Righteousness. So what's the harvest that he's talking about here? It's a harvest of righteousness. Now hear this. There is a harvest. There is a real harvest. That God really does something in the lives of his people and the hearts of his people. You can be in extreme poverty and severe affliction and have a harvest of joy and abundance of joy. God does meet his people. He does supply church for his people. He is real. There is a sowing and reaping principle that is true. It's true in life. And Paul's applying it to their relationship with God. So it's true in life, if you are sowing foolish choices, you're going to reap consequences. We all know that to be true. If you sow this, you get this, right? If you sow corn, what are you going to get? Corn. You good Iowa people, you know that, right? What you sow, you reap. If you're going to sow foolish choices, you're going to reap consequences. It's going to happen. Or let's get a little bit deeper here. If you sow, or let's say, invest in temporary pleasures, guess what you're going to reap? Temporary pleasures. Fleeting pleasures here and gone. Like what you sow, you reap. And Paul's taking that principle and applying it to God. If you're going to sow generosity and trust and faith and devotion towards God, you're gonna reap blessings from God now and forever. Okay, I want you to hear this. Blessings from God are not just a someday thing. They're ultimately a someday thing. But they're not just a someday thing. Because the Macedonians, in their extreme poverty and severe affliction, had what now? Joy. Abundant joy. Where do you think they got that? Their circumstances? Their material possessions? No. The Lord, which Jesus promised in John 15, Abide in me. I'll give you joy. I'll give you my joy. And your joy will be full. That's why he's saying it's abundant. They experience that and they're storing up treasures in heaven. It's a both. And, guys, the Bible uses future rewards as motivation. All right? The Bible uses future rewards as motivation when it talks about store up treasures in heaven. Or Paul says, I run the race to win the crown, to win the prize. Like, it is a motivator. But listen, the point is not get rich through giving. That's not the point. But the truth is God is a giver. He's a provider. He's a blesser. He's not a taker. Like, do you really think God needs your money? He's doing pretty well. So why so much in his word about giving? The nature and character of God is to be a giver, not a taker. Okay, let me show you a few passages in the Gospel of Luke. This is Luke, chapter six. It says, give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Here's Luke chapter 12. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourself with money bags that do not grow old with a treasure in the heavens. That does not fail. Where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. It's his good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Here's Luke 14. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed by who? Because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid. At the resurrection of the justice, you will be repaid. Did you catch that? It's his good pleasure to give. We serve a God who is a giver. He's a provider, He's a blesser. It's his nature, it's his character, and it's his giving that empowers our giving. Let's look closer at what he's saying. Look back at verse 11. You will be enriched in every way. That sounds awesome, doesn't it? To be generous in every way. See that last part? If you're a giver, the blessing is not about improving your lifestyle, but about improving your generosity. If you're a giver, the blessing is not about improving your lifestyle, but about improving your generosity. And what fuels generosity? Wealth. Right. Because that's what a lot of people believe. If I had more, I would give more. But did the Macedonians have wealth? No circumstances. It's just a bad time in a different season of life. Then I'll give more. Is that what fuels generosity? No. The Macedonians were in a severe affliction. So what fueled their generosity? Their joy. That's what God supplied. That kind of put a new factor into that equation that changed the answer that it overflowed to a wealth of generosity. Or more specifically, it was the joy of their salvation. So how does joy lead to generosity? The joy is the result of the grace of God that sets us free from the love affair of this world. I don't need. I don't need you to like me. I don't need value this way. I don't need security this way. I don't need belonging this way. I don't need all those things. I've been set free from that. Now how have you been set free from that? Because you've been provided with it. You don't need it because you already have it in Christ. I don't need earthly security. I have heavenly security, eternal security. I don't need you to accept me. I've already been accepted by my Father. I no longer need these things. I have them in Christ. Like I can give generously because I have confidently. I'm confident what I have. Therefore I can freely give. Like here's a couple places. You see this? This is in the book of Hebrews. I love this. Hebrews, chapter 1034. For you had compassion on those in prison. And you joyfully. Where does that come from, God? Because not these circumstances. You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property. How many of you think you'd be happy about that? They joyfully accepted the plundering of their property. And here's how, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession than abiding one, you could joyfully accept the plundering of your property. Because you got all the property. It's all yours. It's yours in Christ. In fact, Paul talks this way in chapter six when he says, we are treated as impostors and yet true, unknown and yet well known as dying. And behold, we live as punished and yet not killed. As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing as poor. Poor yet making many rich as having nothing, yet possessing everything. You're a fellow heir in Christ. You have it. Here's what it says. It's talking about. Moses in chapter 11 of Hebrews says this by faith. Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Now you could say pleasures of sin. Can sin be pleasurable? Yeah, for a time it's fleeting. He considered the reproach of Christ greater, what wealth than the treasures of Egypt? For he was looking to the what reward he had. This future focus. Like, I don't have to have it all now because I already possess it. It's coming. It's a matter of time. And listen, guys, giving is the proving ground of faith. Faith. It's the proving ground of faith. Do I really believe that this life isn't all there is? Do I really believe that I can store up treasures in heaven? Do I really believe there's rewards? Giving is the proving ground of faith. And look how Paul ends this section, verse 14 and 15. While they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift. Why would Paul bring us back to God's gift when asking for their gift? Because it's God's generosity that fuels our generosity. And it doesn't just improve our generosity, it improves our generosity because of our experience of God's faithfulness in our generosity. Like we see the faithfulness of God when we're generous. You do supply joy. You do supply peace. You do supply contentment. And the more that we give, the more that we experience the reality of God, the more that we trust him. You think you see this in a really challenging way. This is Malachi, chapter three. He says this from the days of your fathers. You have turned aside from my statutes, have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you. Is that not an amazing promise? Return to me, and I will return to you. Okay, return to you. How? What's the context of this? It's giving, says the Lord of Hosts. But you say, how shall we return? Will man rob God yet? You are robbing me. But you say, how have we robbed you in your tithes and contributions? Then he says this. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house and thereby put me to the test. Can you imagine that? He's saying, test me on this. Test my faithfulness. See if I don't know how to take care of my people, says the Lord of Hosts. If I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need, test me in this or. Here's what Proverbs 3 says. This is 9 and 10, I believe. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce. Then. Then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine. You know what he's saying here? Glorify me and you'll experience me. Glorify me and you'll experience me. Our faith will always be met by God's faithfulness. He's legit. He's trustworthy. Paul is motivating these guys, saying this. Your giving is going to increase the worship of God and others. And it's going to increase the experience of God in you. Are you with me on that? Your giving is going to increase the worship of God and others. When they see you, they see what you love. Like, they may not be able to see the treasure you see, but they see you looking at that treasure, and they're gonna look where you're looking. And when they look where you're looking and they see what you found, it's gonna increase their thanksgiving to God. It's gonna lead to them glorifying God. And not only that, it's gonna increase your experience of God. Because what you sow, you reap. And God is able to supply all the needs for his people. And he will meet you where you're at. But here's where the sowing and reaping principle gets a little challenging. You ready for this? Too late, we're here. There's two ways this can go. Look back at verse six. The point is this. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Paul is challenging them to give. He leads them right up to a fork in the road and he says, okay guys, I'm calling you to give. And there's two ways this can go. You can give sparingly and it goes that way, or you can give bountifully and it goes that way. Which way you gonna go? You can give sparingly and kind of figure out where that road ends up, or you can give bountifully. And I'm telling you where this road ends on. I mean it completely brings them to a fork in the road. It reminds me of the passage Jeremiah 29:13. You guys are probably familiar with this. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, you will seek me and find me. What's the next word? Win. Win. You seek me with all your heart. This text holds a promise and a challenge. The promise is, I can be found. I am here to be found. And when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. But the warning is, when you seek me half heartedly, don't expect to find me. And that's the danger. Church. Not that you'll abandon faith in God. Not that you'll not give anything at all, but you'll just do half hearted Christianity and your giving will exist. It'll just be sparingly and your attendance will exist. It'll just be spotty. And your profession of faith will exist. It just looks like you love the world the same as everybody else and you won't find anything. You will reap what you sow. And the sad part is you will think you tried Christianity and you didn't. Here's what Paul is trying to get through to them and us. Glorify God and you'll experience God. Glorify God in your. Treat God like the treasure that he is and you will find the treasure that you're looking for. Treat God like the treasure that he is and you will find the treasure you're looking for. But if you don't, you'll find exactly what you're looking for. There's a famous quote from GK Chesterton. It says the Christian Life has been tried, or, excuse me, the Christian life has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried. It's like the rich young ruler coming to Christ and he challenges him on generosity and the challenge was just too much and he walked away sad. And I'm wondering like, well, if you're sad, why are you walking away? Because sometimes when we hear that story, all that we think is like, he asked him to give away all his stuff. But what we don't see in that story is he said, and follow me and you will have treasures in heaven. He gave that man a job offer and insider trader advice. It's not that Christianity is tried and found wanting. It's found demanding and left untried. But what if we really tried at church? Like, what if we really lived and handled money? Like, we truly believe that this life isn't all there is and there is a God who is real, that will be honored by the way that we give, that we can store up treasures in heaven, that rewards are real, that there's more to this life. What if we actually live that way? But here's the truth that all this rests upon. We are never going to be good givers until we're good receivers. That's why Paul ends this. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift. You are never going to be a good giver until you realize all that you have in Christ Jesus. You are a fellow heir with Christ. You have an inheritance with Christ, your secure future in Christ. You have access to your maker through Christ. You are rich in Christ. And when we celebrate communion, we're reminding ourselves of the generosity of God, that he did not spare his own son. It is an inexpressible gift. And as we remember communion, Christian, be reminded of all that you have in Jesus Christ. You have been called a son and daughter of God. And in remembering all that you have in Christ, be set free from all the lies of this world. To think that you need that you need this and you need this, and you need this. Your best life is not now. And if we would live like it as a church, other people might look at what we're looking at for our joy. Amen. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you would open our eyes to see how much better you are than the things of this world. That you would lead us to display the power of you in us, that you have changed our heart, how we see people, how we. We see stuff, that you would authenticate our profession of you from us. That what we claim to believe and how we handle money lines up. I pray that you would lead us to experience your provision to us. That you will meet us now with a joy unending, a contentment, a peace. And you will lead us to an everlasting future at your side. Pray this in your name. Amen.