SUMMER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2006
SUMMER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2014
THEME: PRIORITIES FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Unit III – Reaching Out With A Helping Hand
“A LESSON IN LIVING AND GIVING THE BIBLE WAY”
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Sunday School Lesson No. XIV – August 31, 2014
Presented by Rev. Frank A. Davis, III
Lesson Text: II Corinthians 8:1-14
Motto Text: II Corinthians 8:1-2 (NLT), “Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.”
Required Reading: II Corinthians 8:1 – 9:15
Reliable Resources: Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament; Standard Lesson Commentary; Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; MacArthur Study Bible Notes; Libronix Electronic Library; Life Application Bible Commentary by Tyndale House; Children’s Ministry Resource Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers; George Brooks Preaching Commentary; Transformed Living in Tough Times by John Ed Mathison
LESSON INTRODUCTION
I once heard a preacher say: “Giving is the Christian’s living…our giving will give us away.” Another sage of the Church, Dr. Grady Welch said, “Anything we have above nothing, God gave it to us.” Our lesson focuses on giving and living the Bible way. Not the Baptist way, Pentecostal way, Methodist way, Church of God in Christ way, Apostolic way, Full Gospel way or any religious way, but the Bible way!
It is amazing that when the subject of giving arises that most Christians get very quiet and slip into the “on guard” position. Yet we learn that Paul said concerning even our Lord Jesus Christ in II Corinthians 8:9 (NLT), “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He could make you rich.”
Dr. George Brooks, in his commentary on Corinthians says: “Here in this eighth chapter of Second Corinthians, along with the ninth chapter, Paul moved the attention of the Corinthians to the subject of giving. He began his discussion by lifting up before the Corinthians the generosity of the churches in Macedonia. The churches in Macedonia were experiencing great troubles and extreme poverty. However, they exceeded their ability in the contributions they gave for the benefit for the saints in Jerusalem.
The giving of the Macedonians was not by force. Their giving was not because Paul begged them to give. They gave because they urged Paul to allow them to participate in the offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem. In addition to their liberal giving, they also gave themselves to the Lord. The actions of the Macedonians led Paul to advise Titus to continue the work he had begun in Corinth in receiving the offering.”
Now with this introduction, let us present our Anticipated Power Points and the lesson I entitle “A Lesson in Living and Giving the Bible Way.”
• The Bible Way of Living and Giving Portrayed. II Corinthians 8:1-5, 9
• The Bible Way of Living and Giving Practiced. II Corinthians 8:6-8, 10-15
LESSON OUTLINE
I. The Bible Way of Living and Giving Portrayed. II Corinthians 8:1-5, 9
A. By their sacrificial giving. vss. 1-4
The Church at Jerusalem where the Lord brought forth or birthed, had fallen on rough times through a famine and extreme poverty. Knowing that the Church was no favorite child of the Roman government, the Gentile saints reached out to take care of their own. (This reminds me of the days of Hurricane Katrina, when FEMA was a little slow in its organization, the Church came alive quickly, helping any and everybody.) In the case of the Macedonians, they too were in a state of destitution, but were not selfish, sharing to the point of extremity what possessions they had. Paul declares that they literally begged him to receive their gifts in spite of their own poverty. II Corinthians 8:4 (NLT) tells us, “They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.” Now what led them to be so generous? Perhaps it was the teaching of Jesus concerning the widow’s mite (Luke 21:1-2) or the teaching of Proverbs 19:17, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” (To which I can personally testify! HALLELUJAH!).
But from where does the motivation come to do this?
B. By the act of sacrificial living. vss. 5, 9
Vs. 5 – The Macedonians were examples of “living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God.” Romans 12:1. When the soul is yielded to the Lord, the body and all its attributes are also yielded.
Vs. 9 – The Messiah our Saviour Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of sacrificial living, to which the
Macedonian Christians were fully committed.
II. The Bible Way of Living and Giving Practiced. II Corinthians 8:6-8, 10-15
Dr. H. L. Wilmington gave us an outline to consider the way Bible living and giving should be practiced.
A. “Give knowingly (vss. 6-8). Paul says financial giving is related to the other spiritual gifts.”
Earlier, the Corinthians had eagerly started to receive the offering for the Jerusalem Church as they practiced spiritual gifts. So much so that Paul had bragged on their spiritual zeal through gifts of the Spirit, and their tangible monetary giving that began about a year before. But now in verse 7 he sends Titus to receive the completion of the offering, lest Paul comes with representatives of the other churches, and see their slowness in completing this stewardship.
B. “Give willingly (vss. 10-12).”
The giving should again be expedient and with equality. In fact, verse 12 (NLT) expresses this well, “Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” Never be a big talking Christian and a little walking Christian. Do what you say, and say what you can really do, and do it!
C. “Give confidently (vss. 13-14.)”
Paul reached out to the Church at Corinth, to do their fair share as they were able, and know that God is the great judge of our possibility. Today, it was Jerusalem and the next day it could well be them standing in need. Let us remember all should be done, whether living or giving, the Bible way!
CLOSING
I close this lesson with the words found in II Corinthians 9:6-7 (NLT), “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’”
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Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA and Little Bethel Baptist Church, Amite, LA
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 19768, New Orleans, LA 70179 Phone: (504) 486-7876
Website: (Print, see and hear the lesson taught by Pastor Davis)
Radio Broadcasts: WVOG AM 600, Saturdays, 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
TV Broadcasts: WHNO TV-Channel 20, Sunday, 6:30 a.m.
Looking Ahead: September 7, 2014 Jeremiah 30:1-3, 18-24
You are invited to attend Noon Bible Study every Wednesday as Pastor Davis teaches the lesson at Bibleway.
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