Our Scripture reading for today, to which I invite you to turn with me at this time, is found in the Apostle Paul's second epistle to the church at Corinth. 2 Corinthians 9. After the four gospel accounts, you will come to Acts, Romans, and again on this missionary Sunday, we look at the ninth chapter of 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 9. This epistle was penned by the Apostle Paul most likely about the year 55 A.D. from Macedonia. And in it, the Apostle Paul is is confronting and contesting a number of the false teachers which seemingly had infiltrated the church at Corinth. And among their. Their destructive and deadly work was their denunciation of the full authority of the Apostle Paul. They were decrying, denouncing his apostleship and encouraging and exhorting the Corinthians not to listen to him, not to heed him, not to follow his godly counsel. And so, throughout this epistle, the Apostle Paul reaffirms the fact that he was in fact called and ordained and anointed by God, but he also addresses several other very practical pastoral matters. And such is the case in our Scripture reading for this morning. I will be setting more of the context of our text when we begin the message this morning. But at this time, I draw your attention to the first verse of the 9th chapter of 2 Corinthians. We will begin our reading here and read to the end of the chapter. But please note especially the words of our text, which are constituted by verses 6 and following. We will be focusing especially on verses 6 and following today. 2 Corinthians 9, beginning in verse 1, hear then the word of the Lord. There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints, for I know your eagerness to help. And I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year, you and Achaia were ready to give and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to say anything about you, would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. Remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, he has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. Now, he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. And through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. Thus far, the reading of God's holy word. There's always brothers and sisters, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as we look to God's word together on this Lord's Day. Your congregation of Jesus Christ, They were dark and difficult days for the believers in the church at Jerusalem, at the particular point in time in which the Apostle Paul penned this, his second epistle to them. For you see, ever since the crucifixion and resurrection and glorious ascension of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, And indeed, also following the abundant outpouring of His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the believers in the early church had begun experiencing ever-increasing persecution and pain and problems in their desire to grow in their walk of discipleship. For example, turn with me just for a moment back several pages to the left to the book of Acts, the eighth chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts chapter 8. Here in the first few verses, the first three verses of Acts chapter 8, notice what we read. It says, on that day, on which day? On the very day on which the deacon Stephen was stoned to death for professing Christ. Stephen, boys and girls, was the first martyr of the New Testament church. The first one who was put to death for his profession of faith in Christ. It says, on that day, a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem. And all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison." Now, needless to say, as of this particular point in time, not only were the believers in the church in Jerusalem subjected to persistent persecution, Not only did they live under the constant threat of possible imprisonment, but it was very common for those believers to lose their jobs and fall into dire financial straits simply for professing Christ. They lived in constant danger of having their property confiscated and the like. Things were growing more and more severe indeed. In fact, in Acts 11, verse 28, we read that in the days of Claudius, Throughout the entire Roman Empire, a severe famine had struck. And when you add the desperation of days of famine to all that those believers were already undergoing, we realize that their position had become increasingly precarious. Ah, but notice, that is why in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, as we seek to set a bit more of the context of our text, The Apostle Paul goes on to thank and praise God for the way in which the believers in Macedonia had already begun to help alleviate the suffering of their brothers and sisters in the church at Jerusalem. For example, look with me, if you would please, at 2 Corinthians 8, verses 2 through 5, where we read, out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they, the believers in Macedonia, gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." Think of it. 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. Verse 7, same chapter. 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. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others." Now, think about that. Paul holds up as a model of the grace of giving that which the Macedonian Christians were doing to alleviate the suffering of their brothers and sisters in the church at Jerusalem. And he challenges the Corinthians to do the same. He says, I want you to test your faith. I want you to check up on yourselves. I want you to take a spiritual inventory, if you will, and see if you are able, by the grace of God, to rise to that level of support for brothers and sisters who are in such dire need. And brothers and sisters, as you and I work our way through the words of our text then for this morning as recorded for us in 2 Corinthians 9, verses 6 and following, in strikingly similar fashion, We find ourselves being urged and exhorted to take that same kind of spiritual inventory. To check up on ourselves. To test the sincerity of our faith by seeing whether or not the Lord would move us and would use us. To meet the cry and need of so many ministries of this congregation or whatever congregation, my visiting friend, you may be representing here today. To test our own faith. To check up on ourselves. To check on our own sincerity. to see if we will be greatly and gladly used of God to meet the needs of our own missionaries and other mission agencies literally scattered throughout the world. And to take that same kind of spiritual test, to take that same kind of spiritual inventory also by seeing how closely you and I are living and giving according to that which the Apostle Paul here sets forth as the law of the harvest. The law of the harvest. For example, as we work our way through our text together and consider this theme of the Law of the Harvest, we're going to notice that Paul sets this law forth according to three very important and pointed and practical principles. The first key principle of which the Law of the Harvest consists is that giving must be done generously. Giving must be done generously. Look at verse 6 of our text with me, if you would please. Remember this, literally, this I say, says Paul, whoever sows, the references to the sowing of seed, whoever sows sparingly, the Greek could be translated to read in a restricted, limited, miserly fashion, whoever sows sparingly will also reap, that is at the time of the harvest, sparingly, in a restricted, limited, miserly fashion. And whoever sows Generously. Stay with me. The Greek word is alogia. It's where we get our word eulogy from. It means with blessing. It means bountifully. Whoever sows generously or with blessing will also reap. Allogia. We'll also reap bountifully. We'll also reap with blessing. Now, friends, read over that text silently just for a moment. Meditate on it. Try to get a good handle on that which the Apostle Paul has just here said. And as you do, please realize that what the Apostle Paul here says under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is true both in a physical, literal sense, and it is also true in a figurative, spiritual sense. For example, Some of us, I know, have been farmers over the years. And if a farmer goes into his field and sows his seed sparingly in a limited, restricted, miserly fashion, well, guess what? At the time of harvest, he can very well expect to receive a limited, restricted, miserly harvest, a return on his sowing. But all things being equal, if that same farmer goes out and he sows his seed abundantly, Generously. Bountifully. Well, at the time of harvest, again, all things being equal, he is going to reap a bountiful, generous, abundant harvest. And brothers and sisters, Paul is saying that that same thing is true in the spiritual realm. When you and I sow the seed of God's Word, and by the way, in Luke 8, verse 11, Jesus is speaking of the parable of the sower. And in Luke 8, verse 11, Jesus very specifically says, this is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the Word of God. And so, when you and I are sowing the seed of the Word of God, either through the personal confession or witness of our own lips, either through the personal confession or the witness of our own lives, or whether we become a source of supply, a supply line, if you will, for others who are going forth sowing that seed. Our missionaries, for example. In either case, the Bible says the point, the principle remains the same. Remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously. You see. Now, some of us may be saying, well, Pastor, What exactly do those terms mean? Help us understand the definition of these terms the Apostle Paul is using. For example, how much would any of us have to give to be classified as a bountiful sower, a generous sower, a eulogia sower? And how little would our gift have to be to fall into the sparing category, the limited category, the restricted category, the miserly category? Define the terms generous, sparingly. Well, brothers and sisters, it's interesting. The sacred Scriptures do not answer those questions in any sort of specific fashion. They don't define those terms. And you know why? The reason is because a given person may have been so abundantly blessed of God that were they to give to a church or to a mission agency or to a Christian school or to any one of a number of Christian causes, to give $1,000 or $10,000 to that particular person, that might be a miserly, limited, restricted A sparing gift. Whereas another person might give a dollar, or ten dollars, or a hundred dollars, to that Christian school, or that missionary, or that church, or that kingdom cause. And to that particular person, God might view that as a generous, bountiful, eulogia, a gift with blessing, you see. In fact, Jesus illustrates this in a very pointed, convicting way in the gospel, according to Luke, the 21st chapter. Please turn there with me, if you would, just for a moment to Luke chapter 21. In Luke chapter 21, the first few verses we read, as he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. How would you like to have Jesus sitting next to you on a Sunday when the plate was passed? He's there. Think about it. Jesus sees everything you and I say, think and do. That's what He was doing that day. As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. I tell you the truth, He said, This poor widow has put in more. More than all the others. And we say, what? How could that possibly be? Reason. Jesus goes on to tell us, all these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. You know, I know some folks I don't like hearing the expression, but the sentiment is essentially true. Someone has once so wisely said, you can see into a person's heart by looking into their checkbook. Think about that. You can see into a person's heart by looking into their checkbook. That's a convicting statement. But it's true. You see, the checks you and I write, brothers and sisters, the places we give our money for what we spend our money, bears testimony eloquently to the love, the state, the affections of our heart. Isn't that true? Isn't that true? You know, over 22 years nearly of pastoral ministry, I've heard a lot of people say a lot of things And I had somebody say to me several years ago something I'll never forget along this vein. This person said to me, and I'm just quoting, Pastor Kuchen, why does a hundred dollar bill look so small when you're shopping in the mall and so large when you're sitting in church? Why does it look so small when you're shopping in the mall and so large when you're sitting in church? Can you sympathize with that sentiment? Right, the great biblical commentator Matthew Henry, listen, men who expect a good return at harvest are not inclined to pinch and spare in the sowing of their seed. I'm going to say that again. Matthew Henry said men who expect a good return at harvest are not inclined to pinch and spare in sowing their seed. And that's true. And yet, brothers and sisters, incredibly enough, the words which the prophet Malachi prophesied against the people of God in Old Testament times are every bit as pertinent for the New Testament people of God today. In Malachi, last prophecy of the Old Testament, the third chapter, verses 8-10, Malachi declares, will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, how do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse, the whole nation of you, because you are robbing Me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that is, into God's house. In Old Testament times, those were tithes of the food of the land. They had big storehouses built onto the temple where the food was kept. Here it's talking about the spiritual food which can go forth from God's house. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this. says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing so that you will not have room enough for it." And after the earlier service this morning, a dear widow came through, I won't name her, and she said, Pastor Kuchen, when you read that text, she said, that's the testimony of my life. Glory be to God. Glory be to God. But my friend, is this you? Is it me? I'm including myself, first of all, in this. Are you and I robbing God in tithes and offerings? If so, in the words of our text, let us remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously. If we desire, brothers and sisters, to give and to live according to the law of the harvest, the Bible says that in all of our giving, first of all, it must be done generously. It must be done generously. But now a second key principle which is set forth in the words of our text, of which the law of the harvest consists, is that giving must also be done gladly. It must also be done gladly. Extremely important point. Look at verse 7 of 2 Corinthians 9 with me if you would please. Here we read, each man, and ladies you are not exempt, the original says each one, each person, everyone's included, no one is accepted, Each man or each one should give what he has decided or purposed. That is, there is planning involved. This should not be done on the basis of mere emotional reaction or emotional appeal. There's got to be a plan. There's got to be a purpose. There's a conscious, logical, reasonable decision made in the stewardship of our time, money, and talents. Each man should give what he has decided or purposed in his heart to give, not reluctantly. King James Version, New American Standard, translates that, or, not grudgingly. Literally, the Greek could be translated to read, out of sorrow, annoyance, grief, or pain. Not reluctantly, not grudgingly, writes one commentator, and I quote, there are those who part with their contributions as if they parted with their lifeblood. And that's true. It says we ought not to give that way. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion or under distress or necessity. Not under compulsion. If we feel like we have to give, we have no other choice, we ought not to give. If we feel like someone's making us give, we ought not to give. God doesn't even want it. If we feel we're under great duress and that's why we're giving, we ought not to give. God doesn't want it. Why not? The text goes on to teach us. For, or because, God loves a cheerful. The Greek word is hilarious. That's where we get our word hilarious from. God loves a hilarious giver. God loves givers who give having a good time. He loves givers who give exultingly, joyfully, gladly, cheerfully. God loves a cheerful giver. And consequently, the converse is also true. Writes one commentator, and I quote, a grudging giver is especially offensive to God. Said John Calvin, the great reformer, God loves a cheerful giver. This implies that those who give grudgingly and reluctantly are loathed by Him. And again, writes Matthew Henry, and I quote, God loves a cheerful giver. Can a man be a loser by doing that with which God is pleased? End of quote. Think about that. You know, brothers and sisters, I would suppose if we were truly honest with ourselves, one of the main reasons you or I or anyone may not give gladly or generously to kingdom causes is because we have deceived ourselves into believing, and Satan has been at work deceiving us in this as well, we become deceived into believing that if we give to this Christian school or this congregation or this missionary or this mission agency or this whatever, we will have less left over for ourselves. It sounds logical. It sounds right. Doesn't that make sense? And if I give to you, even though you are in need, well, doesn't that mean I have less for myself? That's the way a lot of people think. But it's not true. It's not true. Remember the metaphor of the sowing and the reaping. If a farmer goes and sows abundant, generous seed, at the end of the day, does he have less left over for himself? No. The abundant sowing of the seed is the very means by which He reaps an abundant harvest. The very sowing of the seed in bountiful fashion blesses the abundance of His harvest. And brothers and sisters, the sacred scriptures say that that same thing is true in a spiritual sense. Look at verse 8 with me, if you would please. For example, Paul goes on to say, and God is able. He has the dunitas. He has the might. He has the strength. He has the wherewithal. He has the ability. God is able to make all grace, all unmerited, undeserved favor abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, You will abound in every good work. As it is written, He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor. His righteousness endures forever." In other words, brothers and sisters, whenever we give to the Lord, He has promised us that our cup of supply will never run dry. Our cup of supply will never run dry. The promise of God. In fact, there's a precious promise stated specifically in Psalm 37. I would invite you to turn back there with me. And for Jeff and Kathy and Glenn and Sandra, You know, you're raising young families, many others of us. Things get tough. Things get tight. Things get difficult. Listen, for example, to this blessed promise of God in Psalm 37, verses 25 and 26. The psalmist says, I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely. Their children will be blessed. Their children will be blessed. The promise of God. In Philippians 4, verse 19, another promise. Philippians 4, verse 19, Paul writes, and my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, when we give to the Lord, He promises that He will restore the supply of our seed, not only so that it will be enough for us, all of our needs will be met. Maybe, young people, not all of your wants. But all of our needs will be met. And not only so, God says, I'll restore your seed to such a fashion, you'll have even more that you can give to others. In fact, verse 10 of our text picks up with that theme in 2 Corinthians 9. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. You give, I give you more. I had a very successful businessman say to me one time, a Christian businessman, he said, Rich, you always remember something. You can never outgive God. You can never outgive God. And that's true. In fact, the wisest man who ever lived next to our Lord Jesus Christ, King Solomon, says that very same thing in Proverbs 11, verses 24 and 25. In Proverbs 11, 24 and 25, listen to what King Solomon says. He says, one man gives freely. yet gains even more. Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper. He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. And in Proverbs 19, verse 17, God's Word declares, He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done. See, if you and I desire to live and to give according to the law of the harvest, We must not only give generously, but we must also give gladly. We must also give gladly. Well, dear friends, there's a third and final principle of which the law of the harvest consists. And that is that all giving must also be done in a God-glorifying fashion. All giving must also be done in a God-glorifying fashion. Look at the words of our text with me, if you would. Verse 11 and following. 2 Corinthians 9 eleven and following. You will be made rich in every way, so that you can be generous on every occasion. And through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. If you've got your own Bible, underscore that word thanksgiving. In the Greek, the word is eucharistia. It's where we get our English word eucharist from. It will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God. They will doxazo God. That's where we get our word doxology from. They will glorify God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you. Because of the surpassing grace God has given you, thanks be to God for His indescribable or His unspeakable gift. And my dear friend, I ask you, what is the indescribable, what is the unspeakable gift of the Lord our God? It is none other than His only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Indescribable gift. Jesus Himself said in John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He gave. He gave. only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." And brothers and sisters, when you and I give like that, after the pattern of God's own giving love, the Bible says that in return, according to His promise, not only will our own needs be met, but the needs of many others will as well. And when they behold such generous and glad and God-glorifying giving, they will give Him all the thanks and the praise as well they should, because He alone is worthy." He alone is worthy. You know, the supposedly true story is told of a woman whose very well-to-do husband died suddenly and unexpectedly. And she was standing next to his casket in the funeral home, receiving a long line of family members and friends, when one of those friends in particular sort of sidled up to her and looked around and asked a very tactless question. So, how much did he leave behind? And to that very insensitive inquiry, that very wise widow said this, all of it. He left all of it. And brothers and sisters, that's true. As someone has once so wisely said, you can't take it with you. None of us can. None of us has ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul. And we never will. And that is why when he beheld the crying need of the believers in the church at Jerusalem, The Apostle Paul urged and exhorted his believers at Corinth with the very same words with which the Word of God urges and exhorts you and me today when we consider the needs of the ministries of our congregation, when you consider the needs of the ministries of your congregation, when we consider the needs of our missionaries and our Christian schools and a whole host of kingdom causes worldwide. The exhortation to God's people from God's Word is this, Oh, by His grace and mercy, by His strength and spirit, And we increasingly live and give according to the law of the harvest. Amen. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together in prayer before Him. Remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. And he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that You could be generous on every occasion. And through us, Your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. Oh, Lord our God, Thou who has given us that indescribable gift of Thine only begotten Son to be our Savior from sin, because You so loved us, so increase our love for both saints and sinners, for both the saved and the lost, so that many others near and far might hear and know and come to believe in the name of Thy Son, our only Savior Jesus, so that the crying needs of our brothers and sisters might also be met. To that end, enable and empower us, O God, by Thy grace, to give generously, to give gladly, and to give to Thy glory. O, help us, O Heavenly Father, to live according to the law, of the harvest. Hear us, Father, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.