Giving is Thanksgiving – November 5, 2023, Stewardship Sunday
Psalm 103, II Corinthians 9:6-15
November 5, 2023
From the title of this sermon, it sounds like I’m several weeks early! Thanksgiving isn’t until November 23rd, right? Yet here I’m saying, “Giving is Thanksgiving.” Well, Paul uses the word thanksgiving here in II Corinthians. He says to the Corinthian Church, “You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (II Corinthians 9:11)
I’m asking us to consider those two things together today – Giving, and Thanksgiving. And we’re doing so using this passage from II Corinthians, where Paul is making this impassioned and spiritual appeal to the Church in Corinth, asking them to give of themselves to help the Christians in Jerusalem. And I think this has a lot to say to the church down through the ages – including us.
Now, I’d like to point out, that at first glance, this may appear similar to the message of the “prosperity gospel” people. I’ve talked about them before. They’re the ones who say that, “If you give you will get.” You may have heard their message somewhere along the line. They’ll say that, and then they’ll get somebody up in front to say how they gave to the church, and then an unexpected check came to them in the mail!
I have great reservations about that kind of an appeal, and I think this is a different message. Though I can see where those people may have taken some of their ideas from this passage. But they’ve used them “differently.” (There. I hope I said that nicely!)
Here Paul does say, “Whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully.” And he says, “God is able to provide you with everything in abundance.” Prosperity gospel people would love those kinds of phrases. But there’s more here! Paul says, “God is able to provide every blessing in abundance… so that you may provide in abundance.” That’s different! This is about God providing for us so that he can work through us! I hope you see the difference!
Paul says, “God will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” And some translations say, “the harvest of your abundance.” I think that’s the same thing. In other words, God blesses his people so that they may be a blessing to others.
Then I believe the focus of this is found in the 11th verse, which I mentioned at the start. “You will be enriched in every way for great generosity.” Do you get that? “You are enriched for great generosity.” And I like those words, “in every way.” In other words, God enriches us, not just in material things, but in spiritual things, including the spirit of generosity. And then he concludes, that your generosity “will produce thanksgiving to God.”
There’s the source of my sermon title. Our “giving” is “thanksgiving” – thanksgiving to God. I like that because it’s a nice short catchphrase. It’s easy to remember, and it will run around in your heads all week, like the first song you hear in the morning. At least I hope it will! “Giving is Thanksgiving.”
So, maybe I didn’t jump the gun on Thanksgiving today. In fact, it seems to me that it’s a great thing that Stewardship Dedication does take place in the same month as Thanksgiving. Maybe they should be thought of together! And maybe Thanksgiving should be something we emphasize for more than just one day a year, and only at one meal. I think throughout this whole month it’s a good time to “count our blessings” – and be thankful!
Think about that. Some families have a Thanksgiving tradition where they take time to go around the table at the Thanksgiving meal and each say something for which they’re thankful. Maybe you’ve done that. Well, I was thinking that maybe we should expand on that. Maybe each day of this month we could think about something we’re thankful for and focus on that for the whole day! Would that change us at all? Would that “produce thanksgiving to God” in us, as Paul put it?
I think this all fits together very nicely with Stewardship. Our giving is thanksgiving! I’d like us to think of it in those terms. And maybe, as we make our pledges this day, they too can be a thanksgiving to God, for all his bounty to us.
I think all of that helps explain what Paul was telling us in verse 7, when he said, “Each one must do as they have made up their mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, For God loves a cheerful giver.” And I think “joyful giver” works there just as well. And I would also say this day, “God loves a thankful giver!”
Prayer
Eternal God, we give thee but thine own, what e’er the gift may be. All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee. Help us to see your many blessings in our lives, the bounty we have that is from you, and with thanksgiving in our hearts, may we offer ourselves to you with joy. This we pray in our Savior’s name, Amen.