Hey Guys,

Just started at a new Church. Service this Sunday was based on 2nd Corinthians Chapter 9, the theme of the service was giving. I feel like the pastor said some things that were inaccurate and not biblical. I re watched the service and took notes I'll include below with my thoughts at the end. Wall of text incoming:

Starting Points:

-The gospel is free, ministry has a cost.

-We need to prepare our gifts.

-We [this church]don't have a number goal, we have a heart goal.

-Paul was telling the church of Corinth to prepare their gifts so they would not be surprised.

Pastor reads 2 cor 9 chapter 6:

6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [d]bountifully will also reap [e]bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of [f]necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Pastor:

"He is calling generosity a good work that we can abound in"

As it is written:

“He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”

10 Now [g]may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, [h]supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

Pastor:

"Translation, God sends seed to sowers."

"God is going to send the resources of heaven to earth through you and I"

"As you continue to sow he will continue to multiply."

Pastor reads:

while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,

Pastor:

"Translation, because you believed that Jesus is lord and because you gave generously they are going to believe and worship god in west Africa, because you believe and worshiped generously."

and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Pastor:

"Because God is a giver, and he first gave, we are going to be givers."

"If Jesus is the noun of the bible then giving is the verb"

"The exact context of the scripture we are reading today, Paul is not talking about forgivenss, Paul is not talking about love... Paul is talking about our literal resources."

"I and you, we partner together, and you determine how fast the vision gets accomplished."

"The speed in which the vision is accomplished is determined by your generosity and mine"

"we are not going to move any faster than your generoisty will allow us to. We are not going to take out a loan so the work of god is accomplished"

"That is the truth of the gospel. The kingdom of god is built at the speed of sacrafice"

"Paul is writing.. We are going to have an offering so the church can be built in other cities"

"I want to teach you two principals"

"Principal 1: The seed"

Power Point Slide: "The Principals of Seed"

The Seed can be dead

The seed can be dormant

"This is seed being saved, it's not actively doing anything"

"Paul is talking about literal resource, you can take your literal resrouce and spend it on you. It's gone as soon as you spend it. Or, you can have dormant seed, stored in your bank account, under your mattress"

Seed can be dynamic

"The idea of seed that paul is talking about is not giving to get. Its about your given to give. That is the idea paul is trying to express to the church in Corinth"

Slide: The Principles of the sower

  1. You get what you sow

"You don't sow corn and get apples"

  1. You get later than you sow

"Paul wrote about it, he said your going to get what you sow and also said your going to get later than you sow"

  1. You get more than you sow

"You plant a seed and get a tree"

  1. You get where you sow

"You can't expect to sow in one place and harvest in another"

"When you sow in mission work you harvest in those areas"

"When you sow in the church you grow in the church"

Move to Genesis 22.

Pastor reads:

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

Pastor: "God tested Abraham. God already knew what was in his heart. God did not test Abraham so that Abraham could prove to god what was in his heat. He tested Abraham so he could prove to Abraham what was in his heart."

"God tests us so that we know what is in our hearts."

Pastor Reads:

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the [a]lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the [b]lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the [b]lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, [c]The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— 17

Pastor

"Here we go, dynamic sowing"

Pastor reads

17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Pastor "Abraham understood the principle of sowing, you get what you sow. Because you sow a son you get many sons"

"You get later what you sow. 1,000s of years later there are millions of people in the line of Abraham"

"That's why Paul wrote in galation 3:29. If you are Christs then you are Abrhams seed and heirs according to the promise"

"We have a dynamic God that does dynamic things when you trust in God when you put seed in his hands."

"I want you to go home today and really pray and ask God what can I bring at the end of this series"

My Thoughts

The pastor said the speed at which the vision for this Church is accomplished is based on our generosity. Does this not limit the power of God?

"Translation, because you believed that Jesus is lord and because you gave generously they are going to believe and worship god in west Africa, because you believe and worshiped generously."

Again, Does God not move in west Africa regardless?

Slide: The Principles of the sower

Are any of the points on this slide biblical?

"God tested Abraham. God already knew what was in his heart. God did not test Abraham so that Abraham could prove to god what was in his heat. He tested Abraham so he could prove to Abraham what was in his heart."

Was this not a true test? God did know what Abraham was going to do, did Abraham not have free will here?

"Abraham understood the principle of sowing, you get what you sow. Because you sow a son you get many sons"

Was Abraham not being obedient to God? What does this verse or have to do with giving?