2 Corinthians 8-9 - Outline

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

January 16, 2013


 *AUG 17 - 2 CORINTHIANS 8-9 - PAUL ON GIVING*


 *1. 8:5 (8:1-6, NNT) GIVING: MARKED BY LIBERALITY. “And, not as we had
hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through
God’s will.” *What a testimony of full commitment! Father, we would join
the Corinthian believers at this point! We would be unto You and Your
servants this same thing. We would have Your rule and reign over us. *Hallowed
be your :name.*


 *2. 8:7 GIVING: AN ABOUNDING GRACE. “But just as you abound in everything,
in faith, and word and knowledge, and all diligence and our :love in you, see
that you abound in this :grace also.” *Father, we marvel at the fullness of
desire the apostle had for these believers. We look at this catalog, and
recognize that *this* is Your will for us also. *Your :kingdom come!*


 *3. 8:9 (8:8-15) GIVING: CHRIST’S EXAMPLE. “For you know the grace of our
:Lord Jesus Christ, that, being rich, for you he became poor, that you by
his :poverty might become rich.” *What condescension! What a
*personal*gift is Jesus to us! Father, we love You, because You in
Christ first loved
us. It is right that we continually think and pray along these lines. *Your
:will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.*


 *4. 8:20-21 (8:16-24) GIVING: SOMETHING TO BE PROVEN. “Avoiding this, that
any man should blame us in this :bounty :ministered by us: 21 for we take
thought for things honorable, not only in the Lord’s sight, but also in
men’s sight. *O Father, grant grace to Your ministers and leaders to walk
honestly, sincerely and righteously before us Your people. Forgive us for
judging our disappointments in them, rather than thanking You for them and
praying for them. *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.*


 *5. 9:1 (9:1-5) GIVING: CAUSE FOR PAUL’S BOASTING. “For as touching the
ministry :unto the saints it is superfluous for me :to write you.” *Father,
with wonder we marvel at the hilarious giving of the Corinthians. They
loved You! Their gifts were gifts of heart-felt thanksgiving. They went
beyond the call of duty! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have
forgiven our :debtors.*


 *6. 9:7 (9:6-14) GIVING: ADMINISTERED BY GRACE. “Let each do according as
he has purposed in his :heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for :God
loves a cheerful giver.” *What victory there is in such a heart attitude!
What consternation this must arouse in Satan! We should continually walk in
this grace of giving. *And bring us not into temptation.*


 *7. 9:15 GIVING: MOTIVATED BY HOLY SPIRIT. “Thanks to :God for his
unspeakable :gift (do-reA).” *It is Your Holy Spirit Father, who so deeply
motivates us to give. First the blood of Calvary - then the oil of
Pentecost. Your Spirit is a well of water springing up into eternal life.
The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. *But
deliver us from the evil one!*


 *NOTE**: 9:8 (9:6-14) GIVING: FLOWS OUT OF GRACE! **“And :God is able to
make all grace abound unto you; that you, having always all sufficiency in
everything, may abound unto every good work.” *What a statement of comfort
and assurance! We lean hard on You Father, in Jesus.


 *Americanism: Thomas Jefferson Quote, **First Inaugural Address - *“Freedom
of religion; freedom of the press; freedom of person under the protection
of the habeas corpus; and trial by juries impartially selected, - these
principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us, and
guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation.”


 *Our Psalm for the day: 47:1-2 (47, ESV) GOD IS KING OVER ALL THE EARTH. “Clap
your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! 2 For the
LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.” *O
Great Jehovah Father, there is *none* like You in all the earth! You are to
be magnified above *all* the earth. *Nothing* is too good for You. We give
You extravagant praise in Jesus. *Hallowed be your :name!*


 *Title*: “To the Chief Musician.” Many songs were dedicated to this leader
of the chorus, but he was not overloaded thereby. God’s service is such
delight that it cannot weary us; and that choicest part of it, the singing
of His praises, is so pleasurable that we cannot have too much of it. Our
ear has grown accustomed to the ring of David’s compositions, and we are
morally certain that we hear it in this Psalm. Every expert would detect
here the autograph of the Son of Jesse, or we are greatly mistaken.


 47:1. *Clap your hands, all you people. *The most natural and most
enthusiastic tokens of exultation are to be used in view of the victories
of the Lord and His universal reign. Our joy in God may be demonstrative,
and yet He will not censure it. The joy is to extend to all nations; Israel
may lead the van, but all the Gentiles are to follow in the march of
triumph, for they have an equal share in that kingdom where there is
neither Greek nor Jew, but Christ is all in all.


 47:2. *For the Lord, *or Jehovah, the Self-existent and only God; *Most
High*, most great in power, lofty in dominion, eminent in wisdom, elevated
in glory, *is terrible*. Omnipotence, which is terrible to crush, is
almighty to protect. *He is a great King over all the earth.* Our God is no
local deity, no petty ruler of a tribe; in infinite majesty He rules the
mightiest realm as absolute Arbiter of destiny, sole Monarch of all lands,
King of kings, and Lord of lords. Not a hamlet or an islet is excluded from
His dominion. How glorious will that era be when this is seen and known of
all; when in the person of Jesus all flesh shall behold the glory of the
Lord!


 47:4. *He shall choose our inheritance for us. *We submit our will, our
choice, our desire, wholly to Him. Our heritage here and hereafter we leave
to Him, let Him do with us as seems good to Him.


 47:5. *God is gone up with a shout. *Faith hears the people already
shouting. The command of the first verse is here regarded as a fact. The
fight is over, the conqueror ascends to His triumphal chariot, and rides up
to the gates of the city which is made resplendent with the joy of His
return. The words are fully applicable to the ascension of the Redeemer. We
doubt not that angels and glorified spirits welcomed Him with acclamations.
He came not without song, shall we imagine that He returned in silence? *The
Lord with the sound of a trumpet. *Jesus is Jehovah! The joyful strain of
the trumpet betokens the splendor of His triumph.


 47:7. *For God is the King of all the earth. *The Jews of our Savior’s
time resented this truth, but had their hearts been right they would have
rejoiced in it. They would have kept their God to themselves, and not even
have allowed the Gentile dogs to eat the crumbs from under His table. Alas!
how selfishness turns honey into wormwood. *Sing you praises with
understanding*. It is to be feared from the slovenly way in which some make
a noise in singing that they fancy any sound will do. On the other hand,
from the great attention paid by some to the mere music, we feel sadly sure
that the sense has no effect upon them. Is it not a sin to be tickling
men’s ears with sounds when we profess to be adoring the Lord? What has a
sensuous delight in organs, anthems, etc., to do with devotion? Do not men
mistake physical effects for spiritual impulses? Do they not often offer to
God strains far more calculated for human amusement than for divine
acceptance? And understanding enlightened of the Holy Spirit is then and
then only fully capable of offering worthy praise.


 47:8. *He sits upon the throne of His holiness.* Unmoved, He occupies an
undisputed throne, Whose decrees, acts, and commands are holiness itself.
What other throne is like this? Never was it stained with injustice, or
defiled with sin. Neither is He Who sits upon it dismayed nor in a dilemma.
He sits in serenity, for He knows His own power and sees that His purposes
will not miscarry. Here is reason enough for holy song. *(From “The
Treasury of David” by C.H. Spurgeon, abridged by D.O. Fuller)*



 *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/attachments/20130116/5c96e736/attachment.htm>