Readings:
• 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7-14.
• 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verses 6-15.
• We tend not to get too much teaching on money & giving?
• Over the past 5 or 10 years;
• I could count on one hand, the sermons on this subject.
• Probably because the subject of money / giving we find embarrassing;
ill:
• Speaker you find treasurer putting things in your pocket.
• Ill: Bob Telford. (bill for hymn books).
The New Testament has a lot to say concerning both money & giving:
• In Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s gospels 1 in every 6 verses deals with money.
• Of the 29 parables Christ told, 16 deal with a person and his money.
• Both money and giving are open topics in the New Testament.
• So it is a doctrine we ought to be clear about in our thinking.
Question: How does God provide?
Answer:
(1). Through his people!
ill:
Personal true story:
• Lady in Southampton who wanted to give me a gift, but couldn’t;
• Because: "I lived by faith".
• Now I do not know how she imagined we got our support;
• But I can assure her 100% that our support as ‘so called full time workers’:
• Comes directly from God’s people;
• e.g. Churches & individuals who choose to support work.
(2). All Christians are called to give!
ill:
Man being baptized (“Wallet and all…”).
• If God’s way of providing is through his people:
• Then we need to ask the next question:
Question: Who should we give to?
Answer:
• I would suggest our giving should involve,
• Some of these aspects:
(1). Local Assembly:
I would suggest that the local assembly is where we give the most to:
(a):
• Obvious reasons:
• Maintenance. (General bills & upkeep of building.)
(b).
• Members in need.
• Elders have the insight & wisdom to help out individuals during those hard times.
(c).
• Evangelistic thrust.
• Everything we do involves some sort of expense.
(2). Missionary’s full time workers:
• Think back to our first Bible reading 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7-14.
• The apostle Paul’s teaching in these verses is very clear:
• To help us understand in verse 7 he uses 3 illustrations,
• 3 pictures from everyday life are used to underline his main point.
ill:
• No soldier has to provide his own rations,
• So why should a soldier of Christ be different?
ill:
• A man who plants a vineyard will share in its fruit.
• Why should a man who plants churches be different?
ill:
• A shepherd of the flock will get his food from the flock.
• Why should a Christian shepherd (pastor/elder) be different?
The apostle Paul then backs up his illustrations with scripture:
• He quotes from the Old Testament book Deuteronomy chapter 25 verse 4:
• "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain".
Ill:
• Owners were forbidden to put a leather muzzle on their ox’s;
• Which would of course prevent them eating any corn during the treashing process.
• God introduced a law which said;
• An ox while serving his owner was allowed to be rewarded as it worked,
• In reward for its hard work;
• The ox was allowed to eat some of the corn to renew its energy and maintain its health.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 9:
• The apostle takes this law regarding animal rights and applies it to Christian workers;
• He takes a very practical law and gives it a spiritual application.
ill:
• On our all-age H.P’s in the Midlands we never gave our speakers a gift from funds.
• Instead we had an Ox Box.
• The principle was; if you are blessed spiritually,
• You should return that blessing materially.
• So the box was next to the pulpit and folks gave as they felt led.
• That was what we felt was right in that situation!
(3). Christian works and organisations.
• Many of the same reasons;
• Covered in the previous points could be repeated.
(4). Poor and needy (Home and abroad).
• If you read through the Bible;
• Sooner rather than latter you will be reminded that God cares for the poor & needy.
• And if God provides through his people;
• Then obviously we too need to care for the poor and needy!
Quote:
• Proverbs chapter 19 verse 17:
• "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, & he will reward him for what he has done".
Quote:
• Proverbs chapter 21 verse 13.
• "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out & not be answered".
There are many other verses and passages in both the Old & New Testaments:
• To emphasize this point.
• That we have a responsibility to the poor and needy.
NOW THAT IS THE IDEAL:
• You must decide if it is practical or not,
• You must decide for yourself the where, what, when etc.
• Let us look at our second reading:
• 2 Corinthians chapter 9.
Question: Why should we give?
Answer: 2 Corinthians chapter 9
• According to verse 6:
• Because no one was ever a looser because they gave to God!
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows generously will also reap generously".
The verse is really self explanatory:
• Your harvest,
• Depends very much on what you sow.
Quote: John Bunyan:
"There was a man,
Some called him mad;
The more he gave,
The more he had".
Quote: Proverbs chapter 11 verse 24-25:
"One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed".
• Your harvest,
• Depends on what you sow.
Question: What is the Harvest we reap?
Answer: Verse 8:
"And God is able to make ALL GRACE abound to you,
so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work".
The rewards for giving are not always material.
• "All grace".
• It is our "Needs" God has promised to meet, not our "Greed’s!!!"
According to this verse, the rewards for giving are often NOT material:
• It promises NOT the wealth of things,
• But the wealth of the heart and of the spirit; "All grace abound to you".
WE REAP A THREE FOLD HARVEST, FOR 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE:
(1). The Giver (Verse 11):
"YOU will be made rich in every way so that YOU can be generous on every occasion".
• Giving helps YOU,
• The giver and it does that in two ways:
(a). We are given the chance to put our faith into action.
ill:
1 Corinthians chapter 8 verses 1-5.
• The church in Jerusalem was going through a time of economic depression.
• There was a great financial need within the Church.
• The church was made up of mostly Jews,
• Anti gentile, doubting even if they could be saved.
• The Gentile Macedonians heard about this need:
• And although they were physically afflicted and financially depleted,
• They still managed to send them a gift,
• To help the Jews through their time of economic depression,
• Giving gave them the chance of putting their faith / love into action:
• To outwork some of their theology practically!
(b). It allows the giver and the receiver to have closer bonds with each other.
• Question: Would the Jews still be as harsh and critical to those Gentiles
• Who had sacrificially helped them?
ill:
Millionaire businessman offered to sponsor a Billy Graham crusade.
• Billy replied:
• "No, If people stop giving they will stop praying".
• If it costs us financially,
• We tend to be committed to it.
(2). The Reciever (verse 12):
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people”
It helps the receiver in 3 ways:
(1). It relieves their need.
• Concerned, anxious, worried over a financial need.
• The gift they receive obviously relieves them of that burden.
(2). It helps them appreciate the Church.
• They are not alone or unappreciated,
• But their is a caring family supporting them.
(3). Brings them closer to God.
• Confidence in him as needs are being met,
• Confidence in him as prayers are answered.
(3). God (verse 13b):
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”
• Our giving brings glory to God,
• The end results of giving is thanks giving & praise.
If we sow, then we can expect to reap a 3 fold harvest:
(1). Giver.
• Has opportunity to put their faith in action.
• Bringing them closer to the one they are helping.
(2). Recipient.
• Relieves his needs.
• Appreciate the church.
• Confidence in God.
(3). God.
• Receives glory, praise, honour, thanks giving.
• As a result of this generous act.
Quote:
“The harvest that the giver reaps makes him:
Rich in love. Rich in friends. Rich in God.
That is why we should give!”
Question: How should we give?
Answer: Reading: 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 1-15.
(1). Joyfully. Chapter 8 verse 2:
“Out of the most severe trial, their OVERFLOWING JOY and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity”.
• Despite their difficult circumstances, when money was tight,
• They saw giving as a pleasurable experience,
• Because they we are giving to God,
• And that was all the motivation they needed!
ill:
Chapter 9 verse 6: "Cheerful / hilarious giver".
(2). Sacrificially. Chapter 8 verse 2-3:
“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity”. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
• Ill: In verse 2 Paul uses a word that describes;
• A beggar who has absolutely nothing and has no hope of getting anything.
• Many of the believers were in that situation because of their faith;
• Excluded from the trade guilds because they opposed idolatry.
• Others had lost there jobs as a result of coming to faith in Christ,
• Yet still they gave to the work of Jesus Christ.
ill:
Pig & Hen.
(3). Wholeheartedly. Chapter 8 verse 4:
“They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.”
Sadly we all know stories or have experienced:
• Preachers or TV evangelists and their embarrassing appeals for funds;
• No such problem in Corinth, in fact they pleaded for collections to be taken!
ill:
Chapter 8 verse 9: "Jesus".
(4). Secretly. Mathew chapter 6 verse 2-4.
"WHEN you give to the needy,
do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret.
Then your heavenly Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you".
That does not always mean anonymously:
• But privately between you and the recipient,
• Not for public knowledge.
ill:
Jews knew the Macedonians were giving.
• They did not boast about it.
• It was not done to show off, to try to impress others.
• Instead it was done to meet a need,
• And we only know about it because it was Paul who did the ’gossiping’.
(5). Honestly.
ill:
Acts chapter 5 verse 3: Ananias & Sapphira.
• It was not the amount involved that was the problem,
• But the deception.
• Again it is the ’quality’ of the gift,
• Not the ’quantity’.
(6). Systematically (1 Corinthians chap 16 verse 2):
"Now about the collection for God’s people:
Do what I told the Galatians churches to do.
On the first day of the week,
each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up,
so that when I come no collections will have to be made".
There is a good principle is here:
• Giving should not be a sort of spiritual bingo, a spiritual lottery;
• Who will win this week? Who will receive the gift?
If God’s work is to be a lasting work:
• Then just like with all our service for God,
• It will call for commitment, consistency:
• Obviously within our giving there is room for:
• Flexibility and one off gifts etc,
• But on the whole there ought to be order.
• A consistency, a plan, a logic to our giving.
(7). Individually (1 Corinthians chapter 16 verse 2):
• "Let each one of you".
• Giving affects us as individuals and couples.
Quote: Doug Barnett (full-time Christian worker):
• Was asked: "Do you give?"
• Replied: "I can’t afford not too".
(8). Proportionately (1 Corinthians chapter 16 verse 2):
"In keeping with his income".
• There is no point me helping you in a situation;
• If I myself get into debt!
• Paul teaches here common sense stewardship,
• Give wisely (allow for personal needs, and I would say personnel luxuries).
"Proportionately":
• Balanced living,
• Allowing range, scope, dimensions in our finances.
Question: How much should we give?
Answer:
• Obviously, that is a question I cannot answer,
• It is between you and the Lord.
ill:
Tithing.
• Tithing is a subject that would fill a session all by its self.
• Tithing is giving 10% of your income to the Lord.
Objectors to tithing say:
• It is an Old Testament teaching and we are no longer under law.
• Worth noting: Tithing started with Abraham, before the law was given.
Objectors again say; no-where in the New Testament are we commanded to tithe:
• True: But if they in the Old testament gave a 10% out of duty;
• Surely we should surely give far more out of love!
Whatever system of giving we decide on; we need to be disciplined:
• Ill: Pray when you felt the Spirit leading, you will not pray too often!
• Ill: Give when you felt the Spirit leading, you will not give too often!
• Each one of us must look at scriptural principles;
• And then ask the Lord for his wisdom and help.
