Give it up!

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. Today we're talking about Give It Up. Now the thing I've said a few weeks in a row now is that the Jesus movement that started on the day of Pentecost, that we know even from extra-biblical sources, from historians and others, the Jesus movement, the movement of the Christian church in the first three centuries grew explosively in the Roman world in ways that shocked and surprised both critics and adherents and those who were neutral. And historians today still look back and go, like, how did that happen? Why did that happen? And their conclusion comes down to, from the historical evidence, something had to have happened. At least that the disciples in the early church truly believed that Jesus rose from the dead and that they had new life in his name and a whole new way of being because how they lived was so transformative. They lived so differently that even, like I said, the critics last year couldn't quite figure it out. There was one named Lucian of Samosata who actually lived about 100 years. This wasn't just for Acts chapter 2 or chapter 4 or even in the time of the book of Acts, but afterwards. And Lucian of Samosata, this critic who kind of makes a parody and sarcastic remarks about the church as he writes down his history of what's going on, 100 AD said this, The poor fools have persuaded themselves above all that they are immortal and will live forever, from which it follows that they despise death and many of them willingly undergo imprisonment. Moreover, their first lawgiver taught them that they are all brothers of one another, when once they have sinned by denying the Greek gods and by worshiping that crucified Sophist himself and living according to his laws. So they despise all things equally and regard them as common property, accepting such teaching without any sort of clear proof. Accordingly, if any quack or trickster who can press his advantage comes among them, he can acquire great wealth in a very short time by imposing on simple-minded people. We shared that last week, and I think it fits with this week as well, that the early church gave in such ways that it amazed them, the people around. And they thought, what is going on? Something's wrong with this is the way they took it. These must be fools. They must not get it. Why are they believing this stuff? But they took notice. And of all the churches that were living this way, Paul highlights one church in his letters that went an extreme step further than he even expected. And that is a church of the Macedonians in northern Greece and how out of their poverty they gave liberally. And so we're going to read our text today from 2 Corinthians chapter 8. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints in this. Not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urge Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything, in faith and speech and knowledge and all earnestness and in our love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich. Now I know right away when we're talking about money and possessions, you might be saying to yourself, great of all Sundays. And if this is your first Sunday here, it's like, wow, of all Sundays, I picked the one that they're talking about money. And it's really about the first time I think that we've actually preached on this in two years. Specifically, and I understand because I understand it's a tough topic. And boy, have I seen abuses in churches where they have guilted and shamed and cajoled and bargained and dealt with and play these games with people to make them give or push them to give. And you might then also see as well on the flip side how churches have spent and used resources given to them. And you're going like, what? So there's been abuse. And I understand that. So that anything that I say, because of what you've heard, what you've experienced, what you've seen might just be negated and just kind of canceled out today. And that's kind of sad. And I understand, but I still need to talk about this. And for two reasons, first of all, I think, because, well, Jesus talked about this. I don't know if you ...