Let us pray:
“Dear God, You are Worthy of it all. God, please help us be people whose cup is filled and overflowing, and we are drinking from the saucer.
Jesus, we welcome You to speak in a powerful way this day. Change our minds, hearts, and souls so that we will be people who are overflowing with Your love to our family, community, and the world. Father, You are a loving Father. We want to be like You.
Please help us give Your kindness and love so we may refresh the hearts of all people. We are transformed by You to bring Hope to the people. We love You, LORD. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.”
Generosity: First and foremost, God is a generous God. To follow the model of the Father is to be exceedingly generous. Generosity is essential to the heart of Christ and the mission of the Church is generosity.
Today we are continuing in our teaching series on Generosity, with the truth of God and the Cheerful Giver.
Friends, I know what some of you may be thinking: On no, another message on giving.
But before any eyes start rolling, remember, generosity is not about God needing something from you, it’s about him wanting something for you.
Our goal in this series is to see God’s generous heart lived through us.
Giving, like many aspects of the Christian life, is a journey. We begin at a particular point and progress over time. Some individuals may advance faster, while others require more time.
This sermon is not as much about our wallet; it is about our will. It is about the character of a Christlike disciple. To withhold generosity is to forget who we are as follower of Jesus.
Scripture: Please turn with me to 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8. The scripture will be on the screen.
We Give Because God Sows Bountifully – 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Verse 6: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Verse 7: Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Verse 8: And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
In short, this passage teaches that generosity is an act of faith where we trust God to provide for us so that we can, in turn, be agents of His grace and provision for others.
It provides the essential theology for Christian generosity, moving from the principle of sowing to the promise of provision. The Word of God speaks it all.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we come before you now, at this moment, asking you to meet us here. We invite the presence of your Holy Spirit to fill this place and to fill every heart gathered for this service.
May our minds be attentive to the divine truth you long to embed within us.
We confess that our hearts often grow closed, fearful, and hesitant, especially when it comes to giving. We worry about sufficiency and hold tightly to what is temporary.
We ask specifically that you would transform us into people of generosity in all areas of life:
- God, please help me/help us to be generous with our Faith: That we might boldly share the hope we have in Christ.
- Father, please help me/help us be generous with our Time and Talents: That we might willingly give our energy and skills to serve the church.
- Jesus, please help me/us be generous with our Treasures: That we might give freely and cheerfully.
- Lord, please help me/us give our touch. Help us to become friends to the friendless. Please help us in our relationships to others to convey the love of Christ to those to whom He assigned us. All people are important to the Lord.
Lord, start this transformation with me, the one offering this prayer. Give me a vision for the generous life that reflects your own boundless giving. Remove all reluctance and replace it with the joy of a cheerful giver.
Father, please open our hearts to receive the truth that will lead us to this freedom. We commit this time to you, asking for your presence and power, for your glory, Amen.
No really, this is an awesome opportunity for me to unpack this passage for you and for me.
God isn’t focused on the amount of our generosity (see the widow’s mite) but on the quality of our generosity – He loves a cheerful giver.
Our Generosity is a Response to God’s generosity.
The Law of the Harvest (Verse 6): The first principle of generosity is that it is a response to God’s immense giving, not an act of self-sufficiency.
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6
The Law of the Harvest: The Apostle Paul uses a simple farming analogy: If you plant more seeds, you have more crops. It’s that simple.
God is the Ultimate Sower, who provided His one and only Son. Our salvation is proof of God’s limitless, bountiful generosity. We are simply mirroring His nature.
A little bit later in Verse 8 it says: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8
God promises to make all that is needed for every good work. God provides not so we can hoard, but so we can keep sowing.
Generosity is the Fruit of a Sanctified Heart.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
This verse describes the character of a Cheerful Giver. True generosity transforms the giver’s character. It is a fruit of holiness, connecting directly to the Nazarene emphasis on entire sanctification.
The Greek word for “cheerful” is hilaros—we get the word hilarious from it!
God loves an excited, joyful giver. Reluctance proves the heart is still grasping its possessions; cheerfulness proves the heart trusts God completely.
The picture on the screen is of Opal Rush, a dear friend, who lived generosity. Taken in 1998 shortly before I moved back home to Elkton, this photo features Earl, my mom, and Opal (right), who is remembered for famously paying off the Tampa Church of God building, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020.
Generosity. That’s the kind of heart my friend Opal Rush had.
Opal Rush is now in heaven, but her favorite saying still echoes with me 27 years later: “You can’t out-give God.”
Opal’s Legacy is that of Generosity. She lived a life of generosity, all the way to her final days.
Opal, a beloved hairstylist by trade, loved to share how God had blessed her life, often linking those blessings directly to her commitment to giving.
Opal had a deep heart for the lost, especially the inner-city children near 22nd Street between Busch Boulevard and Fowler in Tampa, Florida.
Shortly after her husband, Brother Rush (a barber), passed away, Opal made a monumental decision. She told me she was going to pay off the church mortgage entirely because she wanted the monthly payment to go directly toward missions.
I confess, I was young and totally ignorant of the concept of such radical generosity. I asked Opal, “Why would you want to spend your money to pay the mortgage off? Where are you going to get that kind of money from?”
Opal was a dear soul who didn’t have a lot and didn’t live above her means. I truly couldn’t believe she had enough to clear the entire debt.
Yet, Opal withdrew her life savings and paid every dime to settle the church mortgage. She was ecstatic, knowing the burden was lifted and the funds would now flow straight into sharing the Gospel.
Generosity Brings Glory to God.
The Promise of Abundance (Verse 8): Paul assures believers that their generosity will not leave them in need. God promises to make “all grace abound” to them.
The purpose of this abundant blessing is twofold:
- Personal Sufficiency: To ensure they always have “all that they need.”
- Missional Abundance: To enable them to “abound in every good work.”
This point establishes the foundational truth that generosity is not an obligation, but a privileged response to the abundance of God.
God is the Ultimate Sower: The very first, greatest act of generosity was God sowing His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
He didn’t sow “sparingly”; He gave His only Son for you and me, and the whole world. Our salvation is proof of God’s limitless, bountiful generosity.
The Principle of Reciprocity (Not Reward): This concept of sowing and reaping is often misinterpreted as a financial guarantee: Give $100, get $1,000 back. Paul is teaching a spiritual principle of increase and sufficiency.
C.S. Lewis said: “The only safe rule is to give more than you can spare.”
When you sow with a generous spirit, that spirit is multiplied back to you. When you trust God with your resources, He promises to make “all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8).
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, in late September 2024, our community sprang into action.
Volunteers from the East Rock Campus and Harrisonburg Campus joined forces with Compassion Church of the Nazarene in Lynchburg and traveled to Asheville to deliver vital aid.
The work on the ground was immediate and practical:
- Property Clearing: Clearing massive fallen trees from damaged properties.
- Essential Aid: Cash was donated for a food pantry to purchase necessities, and a large quantity of food was delivered directly to people in need.
- Repairs: Assisting with necessary electrical wiring repairs.
I encourage you to speak with some of the East Rock Team members, such as Frank and Vickie Waldrop, Tim and Valerie Link, Lee Shifflett, Kenny Herring, and Bill Kingrea—about their powerful experiences.
They went to bless and help and came back feeling deeply blessed to be serving on the ground and making a difference for God’s glory.
This ministry often works closely with state and local recovery efforts, focusing on the essential human and spiritual element of the crisis.
The response to these disasters demonstrates the regional aspect of our church’s generosity, ensuring that our Nazarene neighbors and communities near and far receive practical aid and the hope of Christ in their greatest moments of need.
In short, the 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 teaches that generosity is an act of faith where we trust God to provide for us so that we can, in turn, be agents of His grace and provision for others.
The rapid response efforts of the Church of the Nazarene are a key part of its larger Global Compassion Ministry, which is officially called Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM).
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) is the relief and development arm of the Church of the Nazarene. Its work includes:
- Emergency Relief/Disaster Response: This covers the “rapid response” aspect, addressing needs after natural or man-made disasters (sometimes referred to as Nazarene Disaster Response – NDR in the USA/Canada region).
- Holistic Child Development (including the Child Sponsorship program).
- Community Development and Social Transformation (addressing issues like poverty, hunger, health, and clean water).
The rapid response initiatives are how the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and local Nazarene churches provide immediate and long-term care in the face of crisis around the world.
Our engagement with human suffering is holistic. Most recently, our four campuses united for a powerful act of compassion by assembling Crisis Care Kits.
These kits are a practical, an immediate way our Nazarene District Rapid Relief Team assists communities when crisis hits, showcasing the generosity of the church.
Video. Let’s watch a short Nazarene Missions Promo:
The Response for me today and for everyone here is to live a life of generosity.
Friends, the call to generosity is a call to discipleship. It is an opportunity to prove the depth of our trust in the Bountiful Sower, Jesus Christ. We are not called to give out of compulsion, but out of cheerful conviction.
The true barrier to being a cheerful giver is not a lack of funds; it is a lack of faith—a place in our heart we still hold back from God.
“What does it mean to truly sow abundantly? I saw it lived out in the generous heart of Opal Rush…”
As I leaned close and told Opal the story of the service, how the debt was finally gone and her gift realized—a miracle happened. Though physically paralyzed, she began to cry, then weep. The gift was done. The debt was gone.
That, my friends, is the harvest of sowing generously. Opal Rush, who gave more than she could spare, received a profound reward not in wealth or health, but in the deepest form of blessing: the realization of her heart’s desire.
In a moment where she had nothing left to give, she was given the grace to know that her seed—her life-changing gift to God—had accomplished its purpose.
The life of Opal Rush is a powerful testimony that proves the truth of the Scripture: You truly can’t out-give God. Her generous sowing resulted in an emotional, spiritual reaping that no earthly compensation could ever touch.
Our Call to Action: Sow Generously.
Will you answer the Call?
Will you sow with the same generosity as Opal, confident that you will have all that is needed because God promises to make “all grace abound” to you?
Opal Rush’s life was a testament to the fact that when you invest in God’s kingdom, you always receive the greatest return. She gave all she had, and in doing so, she secured a legacy that is still blessing the church and funding missions today.
Her final, selfless act reminds us of two things: Generosity is not about abundance; it’s about availability.
Opal didn’t have excess wealth, but she gave her life savings to advance the Kingdom.
Every single gift has eternal impact. Her desire was simple: to turn a debt payment into a mission offering. That vision lives on.
I challenge you today: Look past the immediate. What small sacrifice can you make today that will result in an eternal impact?
Embrace the truth of Opal’s famous saying: Do you truly believe that you can’t out-give God? Put that faith to the test this week.
I want to be clear this morning, God is not calling you to give yourself into bankruptcy, but to blessing. He promises to pour back to you a “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”
Trust Him today with the deepest, most guarded part of your life. He will provide the seed for the sower, and a harvest that brings glory to His name!
Paul’s words are a holy challenge: Is your giving a joyful response, or a reluctant duty?
Two ways you can respond today:
- Call to Surrender (Sanctification): If your giving is hesitant and reluctant, I invite you to ask the Holy Spirit to sanctify your finances. Ask God to free you from the worry, the fear, and the grasping that makes you a “sparing sower.”
- Call to Commitment (Partnership): If you’ve never committed to a purposeful, bountiful pattern of generosity—if you’ve been “sparing” where God calls you to be “bountiful”— today commit to being a faithful partner in the harvest, a true cheerful giver.
Closing Prayer:
Dear Lord, we invite You now to work a miracle of sanctification in our finances. Please free us from the bondage of “not enough.”
Lord, we thank You for the opportunity to be faithful partners in the great harvest. We dedicate ourselves to establishing a habit of intentional generosity that honors You.
Father, great is Your faithfulness always. We love You Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.