2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Sermon Reflection

"Indescribable Gift"

Discovery: In many ways, v. 15 should be the introduction of this section: "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" This indescribable gift is Jesus and a proper response to this gift would be that of gratitude. Good things come from a place of deep gratitude. Generosity, humility, kindness, servanthood, faithfulness, and love are just a few examples.

In our section today, Paul continues his teaching on generosity. He states in v. 6: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." The main point of this sermon is this: We harvest in proportion to our planting.

Application: So what are you planting? We can get frustrated and confused when we don't see the harvest in our lives. The harvest can be things such as a deeper relationship with God, evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, or even seeing our friends and family come into a relationship with Jesus. The reason why we don't see the harvest in our lives is due to the fact that we are not regularly in the practice of planting.

In my own devotional life, I really appreciated getting out of my routine and heading off to our mission trip a few weeks ago. It served as a great "reboot" for me to get back into the practice of journalling. I don't know what it is about journalling but I realize that I don't properly reflect on my life unless I am putting the pen to the page. Journalling to me is just one way that I am "planting" seeds in my life that will ultimately lead to a harvest of righteousness and holiness.

In my witness, I also need to carve out some extra time in my daily busyness to allow for encounters and conversations. If I am in a rush to get in my car and leave the house or if I only have a certain amount of time to pick up the kids from preschool, this prevents me the extra space in my life to stop to have conversations with my neighbors or parents of my kids' classmates. But when I do leave some room in each of my daily transitions to stop and talk with people, I see this as a great opportunity to plant seeds in my relationship with people that in turn will lead to harvest of transformation and salvation.

Our harvesting is proportional to our planting. Let us be faithful in planting those seeds today.

Prayer: Lord, help me be faithful in planting seeds in my relationship with You and with other people. Help me overcome my fear, laziness, and apathy as I do this. Thank you for the indescribable gift of Jesus in my life and help me have a heart of gratitude as I seek to follow You.

2 Corinthians 8:16-24 Sermon Reflection

"Heroically Anonymous"

Discovery: My favorite Red Sox player in recent years has been Hideki Okajima (even though he is currently in the minor leagues). When he first came over in 2007, he was cool as ice and incredibly reliable coming out of the bullpen. In many ways, he overshadowed the much hyped Daisuke Matsuzaka. When asked by reporters how he felt about being overshadowed by Dice-K, Okajima replied through a translator, "I am happy being a hero in the dark."

Being heroic doesn't always happen when the spotlight is on you. In fact, there are countless numbers of parents, teachers, spouses, service people, and ministry leaders who serve anonymously yet heroically.

In our passage today, we see Paul talking about the important task of transporting the generous financial gift that the Corinthian church has taken up for the home church back in Jerusalem. Paul desire is to be "above board" and transparent in the administration of these gifts. He states in v. 21 :"We are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men."

Paul does this by selecting Titus as well as two unnamed individuals who will help transport this gift back to Jerusalem. They are simply referred to by Paul as "the brother" in v. 18 and "our brother" in v. 22. Both come with an incredible track record of service and faithfulness to the Jesus and the church. Paul chooses them based on their character and integrity and not just because of giftedness or charisma. Though they are nameless in this passage, their value is far from useless.

In v. 23, Paul states that these two individuals are the "representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ." These are words of high praise coming form someone like the apostle Paul.

Application: The church is full of nameless servants similar to these two unnamed brothers. They may not always be in the spotlight as they serve and love others but they are clearly doing the Lord's work. The challenge for us is not to simple appreciate and admire these "heros in the dark" but rather it is to emulate them.

People who serve behind the scenes set an incredible example for all of us (especially those who are more upfront). They remind us that we are serving God and not ourselves or others. Upfront leaders need to understand that we walk a very thin tight-rope. In our service to God, whether it be preaching, teaching, leading, or counseling, it is very easy to give God the glory and receive a little bit for ourselves as well. Theses "heros in the dark" remind us that that service is about giving God the full glory and not trying to deflect some for ourselves.

People who serve behind the scenes also set an incredible example of humility and sincerity. Service to God is not about boosting our ego or self-esteem but it is about sacrificially laying our lives down so that others can hear and experience the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Those in upfront ministry need to remember the humility and sincerity of these "heros in the dark" and to be reminded that it is only God's affirmation that matters at all.

I shared on Sunday about our kitchen team at the Navajo mission trip. I have never seen a more hard working and dedicated group of people. Every morning when I rolled into the kitchen, they were already hard at work getting breakfast ready for everyone. Mind you breakfast started at around 7am so they must have been up hours beforehand. No matter what time of day I walked through the kitchen during that whole week, the kitchen staff was quietly, patiently, and wonderfully cleaning, prepping, preparing, and organizing our various meals and snacks. Even well into the night, they were there slicing fruits for the team to eat. They simply did not stop in serving us.

Even though the kitchen team did not have a direct role with the children's VBS, youth program, or adult ministry during the week, they made it possible for the rest of us to do our jobs well. Moreover, they set an example for me as to how to approach the mission trip. There were times that I was tired and wanted to check out but whenever I saw the hard work of the kitchen team, I was reminded to not give up and pull my weight on this mission trip. They were truly an inspiration to me on this trip.

Heros inspire. Heros lead others. Heros don't always have to be on the front-line or in the spotlight. In fact some of the greatest are never seen by others. They remain nameless to us but not to God.

I ended my sermon by talking about the movie Apollo 13. My good friend Jim from college loves this movie because the true heros are the engineers. :) As many who have seen this movie can attest, it was the amazing people at the Command Center in Houston that made the rescue of Apollo 13 possible. They took what could have been a potential tragedy and major blemish on the Space Program and they turned into one of its most greatest moments and shining examples of its strength and resolve.

This is what it really means to be a hero in the dark. I pray that we would aspire to follow their example.

Prayer: Lord, search my heart and teach me through the many examples and models you have given me of people who labor tirelessly for you without an recognition. I repent of the ways that I want the credit that I feel is due to me and instead I want to learn to walk the way of the cross for You and You alone.

2 Corinthians 8:1-7 Sermon Reflection

"Excelling in the Grace of Giving"

Discovery: I just got back from our Navajo Mission Trip on Sat. Night. It was an incredible experience. The only way to fully understand is to "come and see" as Mother Teresa would say. In yesterday's sermon passage, Paul starts off by pointing to the great example that is set by the Macedonian church. In vv.1-5, we see the model of what it means to be a godly church with a deep and mature faith. What is most impressive is not just what the Macedonian church did but how they went about it.

v. 2: "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." Circumstances did not dictate their generosity and joy.

v. 3: "I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own." They gave in a truly sacrificial way.

v. 4: "they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." They took the initiative in giving.

v. 5: "And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." They had the correct priorities. They gave to God first and then to others. It wasn't an either/or situation for them. Generosity had no limits for them.

As I was saying on Sunday, this is the kind of church that I want to be a part of!

Application: This is Paul's challenge to the Corinthian church and to us as well: Excel in the grace of giving. We need to be careful in seeing this passage as a challenge rather than a comparison. If we read this with certain cultural lens, we can interpret this as a guilt trip or a manipulative comparison. It is important to shed any cultural bias and read this as Paul intended. He believes that the Corinthian church is able to grow in this way and thus he challenges them to step up to the plate.

The key verse in understanding this challenge is found in v. 7: "But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving." (NIV)

Paul affirms the areas in which the Corinthian church has in fact excelled: faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love. But the one area of growth is in the "grace of giving." The root word here in this phrase is not "giving" but rather it is "grace." In the NASB translation, this phrase is translated as "gracious work." At the end of v. 6 of the NIV, this same exact word is found and it is translated as "this act of grace." This word refers to the practical and tangible expressions of God's grace that the church is called to live out. God's grace is more than a spiritual principle, theological statement, or philosophical idea. It is a real, practical, and ultimately radical application of our faith in God.

At its heart, "excelling in grace" requires sacrifice. It is a call to give up control over one's life, finances, creature comforts, lifestyles, and expectations. It is about remembering what God has done for us and then passing on that same generosity, forgiveness, and sacrifice to others.

The Corinthian church does many things well, but it lacks in this area. Paul thus challenges the church to grow and mature by learning to excel in this "grace of giving," of practicing "gracious work," and performing "acts of grace." It is about giving to others in practical and tangible ways that same grace that God has given us.

John Wesley said this about how we should live out God's grace:

"Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can."

I couldn't agree more.

Prayer: Thank you for reminding me this past week on the Navajo Mission trip that You are clearly at work in this world. Thank you for the challenge and inspiration in my own life to continue to lay my life down for You and for the sake of the Gospel.