Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
5 sermons cite this verse
2 Corinthians chapter nine says this. Now remember this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously. In other words, that's proportion. Now each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give. Not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Now this particular passage happens to be talking about money as a seed. It's more than just money. but in here it's talking about giving and it's basically saying you can't out give God and I've told you my story on that many times so I don't have to cover that one again you cannot out give God you play a game with God God says Rick you give to me and I'll give to you and we'll see who wins and the more you sow the more you're blessed the more you reap and God loves a cheerful giver I think I've told you this before the Greek word there for cheerful is the word hilarious in Greek we get the word hilarious from Why? Because God loves your heart attitude. …
… this is not me talking. This is the word of God talking again, Paul writing to the church at Corinth, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously. The point is this, when you give, God gives back. and as I learned and I'm hoping for many of you and I think some of you in here already know this but I'm hoping for so many of you you're going to learn that when you give God gives back and you will never ever be able to out give God but then people will ask me Tracy do you give just to get it sounds kind of selfish. That sounds like you're saying something like the prosperity gospel. And my answer is no. Watch this. I give to get to give more. I give to get to give more. It's a cycle people. And it never stops. It is your life. It is who you are. The focus is not me and what I can get. The focus is how I can bless you with what God has entrusted with me. That's the point. …
… when God turns your heart around, that is what you will be like. Remember what Paul said, verse 7, such a good verse. Each one, each one, Paul says, each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. That word for cheerful in Greek is hilarion, from where we get our word hilarious. Now, hilarious wasn't a word back then, so Paul did not mean exactly what we mean by hilarious. But the point is, God delights in people who love the subject of generosity, who giggle and chortle and snort with delight whenever the offering bucket goes by. He loves those kinds of givers because that's the kind of giver he is. Specifically in this chapter, Paul addresses the primary thing that paralyzes people in their giving. The one way we are most opposite the direction that we need to be facing, and that one thing that paralyzes people in their giving is fear. If I had to pick out the number one reason people do not give, it would not be selfishness. It would be fear. You see, for most of us, money is our lifeblood. It's what grants us access to the good life now and what guarantees our security for the future. And so we worry, without money, how could life possibly be good? …
… is an example. Paul points to these churches in Macedonia. We're going to see him kind of lift them up as an example. And the second passage we're going to look at is 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 6 through 15. And what this is over here is basically some truths based on this example. So we're going to be all over the place going back and forth, just turning between these two chapters. But to try to get this picture, let's camp out on these two passages. 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 1. Paul writes, service to the saints. 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. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, and knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us, Okay, go over to the next chapter. …
… And there's an old song that says you can't be God given no matter how hard you try. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 2, excuse me, 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 6 and 7. I love this out the message Bible. Listen to what Paul says to the church of Corinth. He's trying to encourage them to be givers. He's trying to encourage them not to be selfish. And this is what he says. Remember, a stingy planter gets a stingy crop. A lavish planter gets a lavish crop. This is why when it comes to giving time, sometimes you hear me say every time you give, you're scheduling a harvest. because you have to think of your gift as a seed especially tithes especially your offerings in church you've got to think about it as a sower that you are planting a seed watch the language that paul uses in this agrarian culture that word agrarian just means the culture was based off of the farmland based off of agriculture so he knows who he's talking to and he says remember if you're stingy with the planting you're gonna get a stingy crop but if you're lavish in your planting you will get a lavish crop i want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over and make up your own mind what you will give that will protect you against sob stories and arm twisting god loves it when the giver delights in giving that's where we get the scripture …