HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (KJV)

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

I have tried, for most of the month of November, to bring messages on the subject of Thanksgiving.

I began with a message on the foundation of Thanksgiving – salvation in Jesus Christ.

Last week’s message focused on Apostle Paul and his example of giving thanks in everything

This morning’s message will transition us from Thanksgiving to the Christmas season and the gift of Jesus Christ.[1]

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

I want to begin by taking in

I. THE CONTEXT OF HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT

2 Corinthians 9:2-5 (KJV)

For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

The context leading to Paul’s expression of thanks begins way back in 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 (KJV)

Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

He is writing to this church in Corinth to tell them about the amazing grace of the churches in Macedonia.

These Christians, though poor and suffering for their faith, wanted to be a part of Paul’s care for the saints in Jerusalem.

He said they practically begged him to let them give and then, when they did, they gave liberally and even beyond what they could give.

He then describes how he had told those churches in Macedonia about the church in Corinth and said that, knowing them, they had been preparing to give to this need for a whole year.

Some of the believers in Macedonia decide to go with Paul and meet these believers in Corinth and, to give the Corinthians fair warning, he had sent word ahead so that they would indeed have that offering prepared.

So he is bragging on these Christians.

·   He is bragging how the churches in Macedonia gave beyond their ability to give

·   He is bragging how the church in Corinth was forward and anxious to give

And in thinking about how giving these churches were, Paul’s mind was then drawn to the greatest gift and the greatest giver of all time.

·   He was thankful for the churches of Macedonia and their gift

·   He was thankful for the church in Corinth and what he knew would be their gift

But he was most thankful to God and what was His gift.

One of the greatest reasons to be a giving church

·   The sort of church that gives to missions

·   The sort of church that cares for those in need

·   The sort of church that reaches out to help church planters

Is that, as we give in the name of the Lord it tends to bring people to give praise to the God who motivates our giving.

The heart moves from the one who has given liberally and even supernaturally, to give thanks to the One who gave the gift of His only begotten Son.

Now I want to draw your attention to

II. THE CHARACTER OF HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Think of this a moment.

The Apostle Paul:

·   A man trained by one of the greatest minds of his day, Gamaliel

·   The man who wrote better than half of the New Testament

·   The man who preached all night so that one fell asleep and fell out of the window

This man tells us

I can describe to you the generosity of the churches in Macedonia

·   They gave liberally

·   They gave beyond their ability and

·   They gave themselves

I can describe for you the forwardness of the church in Corinth

·   They were forward

·   They were prepared

But I have no words to describe for you the full measure of the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation!

We live in such a wicked and depraved world that Christ is:

·   Denigrated,

·   Maligned and even

·   Hated

Worse, He is often spoken of in casual and indifferent terms by those who claim to know Him.

The salvation that is offered in the Gospel message is so often preached these days by men who have little sense of reverence and presented to congregations who half listen with dull ears.

How unlike the heart of the hymn writer[2] who prayed,

Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word;
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus,
Sang as they welcomed His birth,
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Fasting alone in the desert,
Tell of the days that are past,
How for our sins He was tempted,
Yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor,
Tell of the sorrow He bore;
He was despised and afflicted,
Homeless, rejected and poor.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
Writhing in anguish and pain;
Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see;
Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
“Love paid the ransom for me.”

Tell how He’s gone back to heaven,
Up to the right hand of God:
How He is there interceding
While on this earth we must trod.
Tell of the sweet Holy Spirit
He has poured out from above;
Tell how He’s coming in glory
For all the saints of His love.

Oh, Paul said this gift of Jesus Christ is unspeakable.

It was beyond his gifts of language to adequately describe!

And it leaves me with one last point I want to give you,

III. THE CONSIDERATION OF HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT

What do we do with such a gift as this?

Surely a gift of such worth that so great a preacher as Paul cannot describe it, demands a response.

Surely we cannot consider this gift, so unspeakable as that God:

·   Became a man,

·   Dwelt among us and then, wonder of wonders,

·   Died in our place

And walk away without asking, as Saul of Tarsus did, Acts 9:6a 

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?....

There is something you can do!

A. If you have not accepted it, do that today

2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV)

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

To be presented a gift and then to refuse to accept it, is useless to you and an affront to the one who has offered it.

·   It doesn’t matter how thankful you might act like you are

·   It doesn’t matter how much you might say you appreciate the one who offered the gift

·   It doesn’t matter how often you come to visit the one who has offered the gift

If you don’t take the gift, it is useless to you and presents a problem between you and the one who gave it.

Can you not see how, to refuse to come to Christ for salvation is an affront to Almighty God?

Can you see how this would set you at odds with Him?

Romans 8:7 (KJV)

…. the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

God offers you this unspeakable gift.

·   It is eternal life with Him in heaven

·   It is forgiveness of the sins you have and you will commit

·   It is acceptance into His own family

It is free for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord.[3]

And today is the best day of your life to receive it.

Are you a believer already?

B. As a believer, be devoted to Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 8:3-5 (KJV)

For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

The Macedonian churches, Paul said, “…first gave their own selves…”

That is true love for God and appreciation of His unspeakable gift.

There is no way we can give to God what He gave to us.

But we can give our own selves.

Notice that the Macedonians “…first gave their own selves…”

There are other things that can be given, but none of them make as much difference as when we first give ourselves, and then give whatever else we desire to give Him.

Finally

C. As a saint, serve Him in this earth

The Macedonians “…first gave their own selves…” but then they gave liberally and beyond their power.

God’s plan is carried out, in this earth, by God’s people:

·   Giving themselves to the cause and

·   Giving of their means to those who carry out the cause

Conclusion

True thanksgiving looks to God’s unspeakable gift and responds:

·   With salvation

·   With devotion

·   With Service and

·   With generosity

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[1] At this moment I am not convinced that the Lord’s leading is for a Christmas series in December.

[2] Fanny Crosby, Published 1880

[3] Romans 10:13