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This is the audio from the January 28, 2024 sermon, “Immeasurably More Giving: A Great GIFT!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 2 Corinthians 8 & 9

This morning’s message continued a sermon series designed to help us look at some of the immeasurably more God desires to do in us, through us, and for us.  Often when we think about immeasurably more, it focuses on what we want to receive.  God, on the other hand, is more concerned about what He will do to make the good news of the kingdom grow.  In the first message of this series we considered what it looks like to experience immeasurably more in our prayer life.  In the second message we addressed the immeasurably more love that God has for us and expects us to share with others.  Last week we talked about serving in immeasurably more ways because of what we experience through our increased prayers and love.  This combination of prayer, love, and serving brings us to today’s message about the great gift of immeasurably more giving.  When we think of immeasurably more giving, it should be evident that God set the standard with the giving of Himself for all mankind.  As we recognize God as the source of every good and perfect gift, we discover His desire that we live with a great . . .

• Generosity: — 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

  • We often think of generosity as a subject focused on what we do with our extra . . . our extra money, extra time, extra whatever it is that we don’t really need or want.  God, however, looks at our generosity based on what we do with what He has given.  We live with a great generosity when we learn to give beyond what we think is possible.  This is not an over-extending of giving what isn’t real, but rather a giving based on what God provides rather than on what we evaluate as reasonable.

• Instruction: —  2 Corinthians 8:8-15

  • As Paul sets forth the Macedonians as examples of great generosity, he provides great instruction to the Corinthians on how to also excel in the grace of giving.  The instruction given focuses on giving according to what God has provided rather than based on what anyone else is doing.  We live with a great instruction when we take God at His Word and choose to give in ways that mutually meet the needs of each individual, including yourself.

• Faith: — 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

  • To excel in the grace of giving requires a faith that the seeds being planted by what we give will bear appropriate fruit in due time.  We choose to give, not because it necessarily produces the immediate results we desire but because it displays a faithfulness in using what God has already given to each of us.  We live with a great faith when we understand the source of every good and perfect gift, and then trust that Source to accomplish His will in us and through us.

• Testimony: — 2 Corinthians 9:12-15

  • The immeasurably more giving that God does, and calls us to do, is designed to give testimony to who He is.  When the generous nature of God is displayed through us, it results in great thanksgiving by those who recognize His hand at work in their midst.  When we choose to follow God in a way that leads us to excel in the grace of giving, we give testimony to God’s goodness at work in a generous way.  We live with a great testimony when we give to others in the same way God has given to us.

Today, how will you share in this great GIFT?