PREPARATION
2 Corinthians 9:1-5 (KJV)
For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
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.
Years ago, as a very young pastor, I was at a fellowship meeting where the preacher was Jack Hyles. In a question and answer session someone asked him about preparation. He related a story about when he first began preaching. He had read that passage where Jesus said,
Matthew 10:18-20 (KJV)
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
And took that to mean that we should not prepare before we preach, but just open up the Bible and “let ‘er fly.”
I will not attempt to duplicate his demonstration of the mess that can make from the pulpit.
Suffice it to say, that IS NOT advisable nor is it what Jesus meant in His lesson.
Not too long ago I spoke with a young man about his career choice. He said he had been considering becoming a dentist, but then, after hearing a message I brought on the flesh and the Spirit, believed he ought to consider whether God wanted him to pursue being in the ministry.
As we spoke, he said, “Dentistry takes years of study and thousands of dollars. He exaggerated, I could be forty and broke before ever become a dentist.”
Sensing some inconsistencies in his logic I told him, “You know, you will need to go to Bible College for several years before you go into the ministry. It won’t cost thousands of dollars, but pastors typically don’t make anywhere near the living dentists do.”
He looked at me in shock and said, “Oh! Maybe that’s not for me!”
I’m not positive it was to my credit that he thought he could do what I do without preparing.
The concept of preparation is found throughout the Bible.
· Noah prepared the Ark for 120 years
· God prepared Moses for 80 years before he led Israel out of Egypt
· God prepared David for about 20 years between when he was anointed to be king and when he became king
· Nehemiah prepared in prayer before asking the king to allow him to return to Jerusalem
· God prepared Israel for almost 4000 years between when He first promised a Saviour and when He gave them the Saviour
· The church in Jerusalem was told to wait (prepare) for ten days before the promise of the Holy Ghost was given them
· Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you…” and
· The New Jerusalem is “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
It seems to me that the Bible teaches the people of God to be a prepared people.
Paul said that he wanted to be sure that the church there in Corinth was found prepared.
Rather, that it was not found unprepared.
With that in mind please notice the steps involved in preparation
The first thing I notice is
I. ATTITUDE
2 Corinthians 9:1-2 (KJV)
For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
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.
A person’s attitude (forwardness) always plays into how well they prepare.
If I wake up in the morning and I feel crummy, I might not want to get out of bed, shave my face, take a bath, or brush my hair.
If I am excited about my day though, I’ll:
· Get up early
· Shower and clean up
· Enjoy my cup of coffee and
Plunge into my activities.
It’s a matter of attitude.
Attitude affects how well a student studies their lessons, doesn’t it?
If a student has a bad attitude, they
· Come in to class late,
· Slouch in their seat,
· Look at the ground and
· Ignore their teacher
Attitude impacts the kind of craftsmanship a person puts into their work.
Attitude affects how well a meal is prepared
Attitude affects how prayed up we are for church.
Attitude certainly contributes to how ready you are to give to the things of God.
Paul said, “I know the forwardness of your mind, …, that Achaia was ready a year ago…”
The second thing I see then is
II. ANTICIPATION
2 Corinthians 9:5 (KJV)
Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, ……
In order to translate a desire into an accomplishment, you have to do something ahead of time.
Anything well prepared, started long before it was finished.
The young man who said he was thinking about becoming a dentist.
According to the American Dental Association
Most dental students have completed four years of college. Required courses include:
- 8 hours Biology with lab
- 8 hours Physics
- 8 hours English
- 8 hours General Chemistry with lab
- 8 hours Organic Chemistry with lab
Successful applicants to dental college will have taken a Dental Admissions Test at least one year before seeking admission into a dental school with at least one year of college before that.
The student who wants to be successful in, college level biology and physics and chemistry, has already taken those courses successfully in high school.
The point is, you don’t wake up tomorrow and say to yourself, “I think I will go to Dental school this year.”
You have to prepare beforehand.
And you don’t wake up today and say, “I think I will give God the best me possible.”
That’s something you prepare a lifetime for.
And then I notice an,
III. ABUNDANCE
2 Corinthians 9:5 (KJV)
… whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
What I notice here is that a prepared offering has two qualities attached to it:
A. It is bountiful
I can give God some of what I have with me in my wallet, of I can prepare ahead of time and give him something that I brought just to give.
Which is likely to be the more bountiful?
B. It is not of covetousness
In other words,
· I am not grieved about giving it, I can give it cheerfully
· I am not sorry that I am not giving more, I know that I am giving what I can and more
· I am not wishing I didn’t have to give it. It is something I have planned to do
· I am not looking around to see who else is giving
Because I have determined this is between me and the Lord.
Conclusion
Whether it is in the area of giving or serving, God’s people ought to be a prepared people.
· With the right attitude
· Anticipating our opportunities to give and to serve and
· Doing so with abundance
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