Extravagant Generosity

"Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God." 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 ​

I love this quote by C.S Lewis.

​It also serves as a good practice to apply to our lives. “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare” (C.S. Lewis).

This quote by Lewis reminds me of the the example that was provided by the churches throughout Macedonia. Paul hoped to inspire the wealthy Corinthians by sharing the story of how the impoverished and persecuted Christians of Macedonia had received and responded to God’s grace by overflowing “in a wealth of generosity” themselves. When I read about their commitment, I think they demonstrated extravagant generosity. Extravagant generosity is rare but is an expression that we should all seek to incorporate into our lives. Here are 3 things that we discover about extravagant generosity.

1. Extravagant generosity comes from recognizing God’s grace.
   Paul said that the “grace of God” that had been “given” to the Macedonians had caused them to overflow with joyful generosity in spite of their poverty and affliction. The generosity seen in the Macedonian believers was in fact, the generosity of God expressed through their lives. These Christians gave out of their poverty, not their wealth. They were so full of God’s grace that they emptied themselves in generosity.
   
   
2. Extravagant generosity is sacrificial.
   Paul was astounded by the offering that the Macedonians gave to help the hungry and hurting in Jerusalem. He doesn’t name the amount, but it must have been more than seemed humanly possible for such an impoverished people. Paul described their giving as being “beyond their means” (2 Cor. 8:3). The Macedonian believers decided to live on less in order to give more. They sacrificed in order to give generously.
   
   
3. Extravagant generosity is a lifestyle.
   These believers not only gave more than they were able, they ultimately offered their whole lives as an offering to God. Paul said that they “gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God” (2 Cor. 8:5) to him as well. It was God’s selfless generosity displayed in the Macedonian believers that Paul wanted the Corinthians to see. He wanted them to intentionally pursue the excellence of generosity as God had displayed it in Macedonia.

As a church we must not neglect extravagant generosity! My prayer is that by God’s grace we see extravagant generosity as a sacrificial lifestyle and it is motivated by the amazing grace that God has demonstrated through Christ.

Pastor Billy