2 Corinthians 8:1-8

8 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the
saints.
5 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.
6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.
7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to
us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

-Many times we prove things and ourselves.

-It has been said that you can give without LOVING but you cannot love without GIVING.
-LOVE and GIVING is inseparable.
-You cannot love God if you don’t KNOW God.
- You cannot love God if you don’t believe in God.
- You cannot love God if you do not regard the Word of God.

Title: Am I A Cheerful Giver?

1. A CHEERFUL GIVER PROVES THE SINCERITY OF HIS LOVE

2 Corinthians 8:8
I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

2 Corinthians 8:22King James Version (KJV)

22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much
more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

What does your GIVING show?

1. Giving proves the REALITY of your FAITH
2. Giving proves the MATURITY of your SPIRITUAL LIFE
3. Giving proves the INTENSITY of your HOPE
4. Giving proves the GENEROSITY of your HEART
5. Giving proves the SINCERITY of your LOVE
6. Giving proves the SUBMISSION of your WILL to the WILL of GOD

2. A CHEERFUL GIVER PRACTICES THE WORD OF GOD

Philippians 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of
peace shall be with you.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
2 Corinthians 8:11-12
11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of
that which ye have.
12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

A. Willingness to give. (vs. 3; 11-12)

What we have doesn't matter if we don't have the will to give,
but God can provide what we don't have if we have the will to give.
B. Willingness to be a channel of blessings. (vs. 4)

2 Corinthians 8:4
Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the
saints

Willingness to be a part in every opportunity to give for the works of the ministry.
Intentional - wanting to have a part
Intreating - pleading to have a part
Interactive - doing their part faithfully
C. Willingness to be moved by the will of God.
5 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.

2 Corinthians 13:5King James Version (KJV)

5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

3. A CHEERFUL GIVER PURPOSES IN HIS HEART TO GIVE

Acts 11:23Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart
they would cleave unto the Lord.

2 Corinthians 9:7
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a
cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of
your love.

2 Corinthians 8:10And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but
also to be forward a year ago.

2 Corinthians 9:2 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.

Conclusion:
Our GIVING is a TEST
- It is a TEST of our Submission
- It is a TEST of our Sincerity
- It is a TEST of our Spirituality
FIRTSFRUITS GIVING as defined and described in our Scripture texts here is a Thanksgiving and Rejoicing OFFERING.

The giving of our Firstfruits to the Lord is a joyful expression and solid manifestation of our deepest gratitude and
appreciation toward God and for what He has done and still doingfor us – from our great salvation to the daily enriching of
our lives!

Firstfruits Lessons (RA)

1. Firstfruits is an act of faith that pleases God
Rom 10:17
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Heb 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is
a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
When we act according to the Word of God, we manifest faith because it is by the Word of God that faith comes
and manifests. And when faith is manifested, God is pleased; and when He is pleased He rewards.
2. Firstfruits is a manifestation of our love for God
John 14:21
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be
loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Ps 91:14-16
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath
known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour
him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
The Bible declares that our love for God is shown by how His commandments are in us and are kept by us. And
since Firstfruits is, in fact, a commandment in His Word that should be in us and kept by us, our observance of it
is a manifestation of love for God. And he who loves God is promised love and deliverance in return!
3. Firstfruits is a demonstration of how we put God first in our lives
Deut 26:2-4
2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy
God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to
place his name there.
3 And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord
thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us.
4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.

Neh 10:35-37
35 And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the
house of the Lord:
36 Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and
of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God:
37 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of
wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the
Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
Matt 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.”

2 Chr 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land.”
Inherent in the teaching of Firstfruits is the principle of putting God first - precisely why it is termed
“FIRSTfruits.” Before any other blessings we can claim for our own, we first bless God with this giving. And we
all know how God responds when we put Him first in everything.
4. Firstfruits is a sacrifice of thanksgiving
Deut 26:10-11
10 And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt
set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:
11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine
house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.
Neh 12:43
43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the
wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
Phil 4:18-19
18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you,
an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Temporal blessings are grounds for gratitude to both God and others. We should thank God for the earthly
things He provides to us. He is responsible for the fact that we are even alive, and blesses us with much more
beyond that (Matthew 6:25–34).

Far beyond any temporal blessings, we are thankful to God for His spiritual blessings. Foremost, we are
grateful for His gift of salvation. Apart from Jesus Christ we only deserve eternity in hell (Romans 6:23; John
3:16–18). But while we were still God's enemies, dead in the filth of our sins, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to
make atonement for us (Romans 5:10). It is good and right that we continually give thanks to God for this.

Salvation involves more than rescue from hell; God has given us eternal spiritual blessings by uniting us to
Jesus Christ through faith (Ephesians 1:3). If we are in Christ, we have received forgiveness of sins, adoption
into God's family, and eternal life (Ephesians 1:3–14). We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans
8:17). God has equipped us with all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3–4). He has given us His Holy
Spirit to indwell us (John 14:16–17). The list of spiritual blessings we receive from God could go on, and each
thing on that list is a cause for gratitude. All that we have been freely given by God through our union with
Christ ought to cause us to cry out, "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

If you want to be a giver, the kind of person whose compassionate personality spreads a powerful glow, start
with gratitude. When you’re thankful for the goodness around you, you can see life through a stronger, brighter
lens that magnifies the blessings you receive daily.
Why would anyone be thankful for such terrible things as trials? The answer is because even bad things work
together for the ultimate good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). How? Because the ultimate goal of the
Christian is to be conformed to the image of Christ; and God uses trials, temptations, and tribulations to grow
us and mold us into the likeness of Christ. God uses trials to make us stronger. God uses temptations and
tribulations to test and purify our faith. God is also faithful to be with us in the midst of trials. The suffering of
this world caused by sin grieves the heart of God. Yet He equips us to endure under it and He redeems it for our
ultimate good and His ultimate glory. Therefore, we can and ought to thank God for what He is doing through
even the most painful circumstances. Even in death a Christian can give thanks, for death brings the believer the
gain of being brought immediately into the presence of Jesus (Philippians 1:21–23). A proper understanding of
God's sovereignty and His providence in working all things together for the good of those who love Him is a
bedrock of thanksgiving; such a perspective is also the antidote for ingratitude and complaining (Philippians
2:12–16).

We have so many reasons to thank God, and yet it is a far too rare practice for many. Complaining and
grumbling come all too easily for us. Rather than look at what is lacking in our lives, may we learn to thank God
in everything realizing that God owes us nothing and yet has graciously given us all things in Jesus Christ
(Romans 8:31–32; Ephesians 1:3–14; 2 Peter 1:3). Jesus pointed out both the importance and the rarity of
thanksgiving when only one of the ten lepers that He healed returned to thank Him. We would do well to imitate
that one former leper (Luke 17:11–19). For in a spiritual sense, we are all born lepers with the disfiguring and
alienating disease called sin. Yet, Christ voluntarily took on the punishment due our ingratitude, the bruises due
our iniquities, and the stripes due our sins.

Thankfulness is the only proper response to such lavish grace. Our lives and every good thing in them are gifts
from God (James 1:17). We have done and can do nothing to deserve these gifts (Job 41:11). We are forever
debtors to God and to His grace which reached its zenith in His sacrificing His only Son for our salvation (John
3:16–17). The eternal life that we have received through faith in Jesus deserves an eternity of gratitude (John
3:15).

“If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share- (cheerfully give).” ―W. Clement Stone

5. Firstfruits is honoring God

Prov 3:9-10
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
KJV
1 Sam 2:30b, “...for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”
John 12:26
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me,
him will my Father honour.
Mal 1:6
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a
master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say,
Wherein have we despised thy name?
John 5:23
23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth
not the Father which hath sent him.
Ps 50:22-23
22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation
of God.

Firstfruits is one specific way by which God wants us to honor Him. And when we do honor Him with such
offering, He honors us in return!