The Gift of Grace
This sermon was based on an outline from www.givingingrace.org

Introduction
Today begins a five week series of sermons to support our 'Giving in Grace' programme about money and giving.
We've decided to run this programme for two reasons.
One is that we believe that the issues of money and giving are challenging in this materialistic culture, and ones which can lead us into a closer relationship with God.
Another reason is that we have an exciting vision for growing our church into the future; a vision that will require significant extra income to achieve.
Clearly the first reason is far more important: our relationship with God strikes to the heart of our reason for being alive.
Sadly the second, a vision for the future, is often required before people will take seriously God's call on their possessions.
People's concerns
Why is it that people find it so hard to think about giving generously?
Some will shift their unease onto others, perhaps citing, for example, poor pensioners on a fixed pension.
An interesting fact is that if every one of our church members were on the minimum state pension and was tithing his or her income to the church our income would more than double.
Of course the vast majority of our members have incomes well above that minimum level so what is going on?
Low priority
The obvious answer is that we put a low priority on giving to the church.
Perhaps that's for selfish reasons – I want a better holiday, nicer clothes or whatever.
Perhaps it's for other people – I want to pass it all on to my grown up family.
Or maybe it's fear – I'm saving for a rainy day.
Whatever the reason we get quite defensive about our use of money and I expect these next five weeks might be quite difficult for some people and stir up some strong feelings.
Hard to talk about money
In our NT reading this morning we heard Paul's wonderful way of approaching these difficult subjects.
He concentrates on the need of Christians to give - NOT the need of the Jerusalem church to receive - even though they were in desperate straits!
Paul very clearly defines the act of giving as an act of grace that both reflects and participates in God’s incredible and overwhelming generosity to us.
The poor are often more generous
Paul also uses the example of the poor but generous Macedonian church to spur the Corinthians on.
Not by writing about how much they gave, but by writing about HOW they gave.
Macedonians remain with us still in spirit.
It is still true that those with least often demonstrate God’s generosity far more than those who are well off.
The anointing at Bethany in our gospel reading also demonstrates this grace, this selflessness, and gratitude from someone poor but generous.
We should ask ourselves, not 'what can I spare?' and give our excess; but ask 'what do I really need?' and give away the rest.
The challenge to us is to reflect and review our giving not based on what we currently give, or what the church needs but in the light of God’s grace and generosity to us.
Biblical attitude to money – discipleship
This is a very different way of thinking about money!
To achieve what Paul strives for we need do encourage biblical thinking.
How we handle all our money is primarily about discipleship.
If this was true for Paul 2000 years ago then it is even more so now.
Our attitude towards money in the western world is like trying to drink seawater.
Far from satisfying our thirst, the more we drink the thirstier we become till finally it poisons us!
We will never have enough money to buy all we want, holiday all we want, protect our future lifestyle and do all we want.
As our income grows so will our aspirations, and it will “shrink” the space available for grace, and generosity.
Paul urges his readers to “excel also in this grace of giving” and that is what we hope to achieve with this teaching, prayer and the Giving in grace programme.
Privilege of giving
Paul uses three key words in verse 4,to sum up the right attitude to giving.
Firstly 'Privilege' the Greek word .
It shows how important it was to the Macedonians to be able to share in this ministry to Jerusalem.
They considered it a privilege.
Wider church
The second word 'Sharing', or , indicates that the Macedonians saw themselves as participating in the wider church.
Similarly, our contributions here help fund mission and ministry throughout the Church of England, not merely in Lymington.
On our PCC prayer day yesterday we had a talk from one of the sisters at St.Dominics who reminded us that our prayers affect not only us, not only those for whom we pray, but the whole church.
When YOU pray for YOUR friend, you affect ME – and every Christian on the face of the earth. We are one body in Christ.
Being part of the whole church that is one of God’s gifts to the world and we should rejoice that in this church we are part of something bigger.
All the richness and the cost that it brings are part of the tapestry of faith in the world wide Church.
Ministry of giving
So: Privilege and Sharing.
The final key word from verse 4 is ministry.
The Greek word is  from which our word 'deacon' comes.
Giving is an act of ministry.
Your giving through the envelopes or standing orders is an important part of your ministry.
Like all ministry it is a privilege to exercise that ministry and, through it, we share in the life of the whole body of the Church.
Conclusion
Each one of us here has the opportunity to increase our ministry and see this bear fruit in our church, and in our world, through our giving.
We shall see ourselves change too:
The grace of giving helps transform us into more contented, more joyful and more trusting disciples of Jesus Christ.
And we shall drink, not the poison seawater of materialism, but the living water of Christ, who gives not as the world gives, but gives in grace.