Summary:
The more we sow, the more we will reap. This is true in agriculture as well as in faith. But what are we hoping to reap?
There are 3 types of givers. (1) Grudging, (2) out of necessity, (3) cheerful. Which are we?

2 Cor 9:6
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Paul uses sowing as an illustration. If a farmer sows sparingly, he’ll reap sparingly. If he sows bountifully, he’ll reap bountifully. And of course if the farmer does nothing, he’ll reap nothing in the end. This is true in agriculture as well as in faith. The more you sow, the more you’ll reap.

The Corinthian believers were asked to offer to those who were in need.

This offering session is an opportunity for us to offer to the church. Money is what we sow; is what we offer.

But what do we actually hope to reap bountifully?

Because here says he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

The prosperity gospel will tell you this: the more money you offer to the church, the more money God will give you; the more you will reap in this life. What they ultimately want to reap is money.

But what about us? What do we want to reap in return?

A story about a king, a farmer and a nobleman:
One day the farmer grew the largest carrot he’d ever grown. He gave it to the king. “This is the largest carrot I’ve ever grown. I’m presenting it to you as a token of my love and appreciation.”

The king was very touched. “I’ve a field next to your field. Let me give it to you so you can continue growing more carrots.”

The farmer went home rejoicing. Actually he gave it to the king not expecting anything, but got a field in return!

There was a nobleman in the court. He overheard this and thought it was such a good bargain. He thought: “He gave him a carrot and got a field! What if I gave him something better than a carrot?”

The next day he gave the king a magnificent horse. “This is the most magnificent horse I’ve ever bred. I’m presenting it to you as a token of my love and appreciation.“

The king replied, “Thank you very much.”

The nobleman was very surprised and thought: “The farmer gave you a carrot and you gave him a field. I gave you a horse and you give me nothing!”

Without helping it, his face showed his disappointment.

The king was wise and said, “The gardener was giving me his best carrot. But you were giving yourself the best horse.”

Because he gave to the king only to get something back.

When offering to God, are we like the nobleman? If it’s material things we hope to get in return, Paul says we are of all men most pitiful.

If we sow material things and hope to reap material things, we will be disappointed. We cannot really live in joy because our hearts will want something back from God. When we offer to God, our hearts will think what God will give back to us.

What we reap back is not material benefits. What do we reap then?

v9 As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”

Here talks about the righteous man. Unlike the nobleman who was very stingy and calculating, here says the righteous man is very generous.

It’s not that he doesn’t expect anything in return. He does expect something. But what he expects is something eternal.

v10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness

What we ultimately hope to reap here is the fruits of righteousness. This is eternal.

With this in mind, what should be our attitude in offering?

v7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

There are 3 types of givers. This giving isn’t just applicable to offering money. It also refers to offering our time, effort, and talents.

1. Grudgingly
The first type of giver is the one who does it grudgingly. You ask him to do, he’ll say it’s very difficult. He will try to push everything away unless you push him to a corner. But actually he hates to give. He’s very grudging. If given a choice, he will not give.

2. Out of necessity
The second type of giver is slightly better. He gives out of necessity/obligation. He is very dutiful. “If I have to give, I’ll give.” At least he has a sense of duty. So very often when he’s arranged to do something he doesn’t feel like doing, since it’s his duty, he’ll do it.

But there’s still something lacking over here. There’s no joy in his giving!

When you ask people to volunteer to do something, he won’t be the first one.

He does things out of necessity.

3. Cheerful
The third type of giver is the only type of giver God loves. The cheerful giver. He is the true giver.

Because the grudging giver hates to give. The one who does it out of necessity only does it because he thinks he ought to give. But the cheerful giver really really wants to give. He is willing to give. He is happy to give. Now what kind of giver are we?

v8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Our God is not a stingy God, even in regards to material things.

“Sufficiency in all things” includes material things that we need. The question is: have we made use of the abundance He has given us for every good work He wants us to do?

Let us ponder over the kind of giver that we are as we offer to God in this offering session.