After all the trials of study, a little girl finally experienced the major breakthrough in her life of learning to tie her own shoes. You’d think she’d be thrilled. Instead, she was overcome by tears.
Her dad asked her, "Why are you crying?"
"I have to tie my shoes," she said. "You just learned how. It isn't that hard, is it?"
She wailed, "I know, but I'm going to have to do it for the rest of my life."
I’m guessing that some of us feel the same way when it comes to Christian stewardship. We learn that it's exciting to give. But isn't there just a tiny bit of dread because we know then we’ll have to do it over and over again for the rest of our lives? If we say we believe this, we’re at least inwardly committing ourselves…for life. That’s kind of intimidating, isn’t it?
Newlywed couples, who are just in the throes of learning that 2 can live as cheaply as one…elephant, are faced with the thought of taking a chunk of their precious budget and giving it away. And there’s this question: What should we put in?
Parents, from the moment that your little boy or girl first receives a dollar from Grandpa, you have an opportunity. You need to teach your kids from the very beginning that part of what they receive should be given to the Lord’s Kingdom. Explain that some of a child’s money should be given to the Church and they’re going to have a question for you: How much?
Take a person to whom Jesus is new. He’s been reading stories of people who dropped everything and became followers of Jesus. He’s heard the story of a man to whom Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, give it to the poor, and come follow me.” He has also heard TV evangelists who tell you to put your hand on the TV screen and send in a check. He’s also received the same phone calls you have, seeking for a donation to some worthy cause. Naturally, this guy is going to want to know – as the offering plate comes around on Sunday morning, what do I put in?
Story - Clara Null, OK City, OK – lived for years in a little town that had 3 churches and one bank. Early one Monday morning, the bank called all 3 churches with same request: "Could you bring in Sunday's collection right away? We're out of one-dollar bills."
I remain convinced that tithing is a good starting point for NT Christians. If you’re going to press for a short answer about an amount to put in, I’d start there. For some, that would mean a big increase in what you’re giving. In fact, if everyone in our churches suddenly started to practice regularly giving 10% of their income, the financial resources of the church in the USA would triple. But tithing can also limit giving. Meet the quota, stop, and don’t worry beyond that. I don’t find where that approach fits into the NT Church. I’d rather introduce some thoughts that generate far more giving than that!
If the issue of our giving attitudes was settled, the issue of amount would be much easier.
So, let me meddle a bit today. Let’s get uncomfortable for a few minutes and talk about what to put in at offering time, and let’s have some fun as we do it…
I. Concern for the Lord’s Work
We’re still in the book of Philippians – the letter of joy, written by Paul while a prisoner. It’s obvious from what he writes that Paul really was concerned about the church doing well.
We’ve already looked at 1:14, where Paul, a prisoner, is rejoicing because on account of his imprisonment, others have been encouraged to speak about Jesus without fear. In 1:21-26, we’ve already read Paul’s sentiments about living and dying. He’d rather die; rather go home to be with Jesus. That would be much better for him, but he’s happy to remain here, struggle, and somehow help people like the Philippians grow in Jesus. It’s pretty obvious that Paul has a concern about the work of the church – which is people, by the way.
But we can also tell from this letter that the church in Philippi also had a genuine concern for the Lord’s work – for what God is doing and what God cares about.
The Philippians had sent Paul money. We don’t know how it was packaged. It wasn’t a cashier’s check. It wasn’t a money gram from Western Union. Probably it wasn’t in an envelope, and I doubt it had lipstick prints on the outside. But it was obvious that they were sending more than just money. Bundled up with that money was real concern for Paul and for something beyond Paul. The financial support they sent happened because they cared about the progress of the Kingdom of God.
Philippians 4:16-18 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
What made these gifts of money so precious in Paul’s sight was the motivation behind them. They weren’t gifts for him – they were sacrifices to God.
Paul looks at this kind of involvement from the Philippians and in 1:5 He calls this whole package their “partnership in the gospel.” (“fellowship unto the gospel”)
Look real quickly at the ways they showed it:
Philippians 1:19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
Philippians 1:29-30 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Philippians 1:27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel
Philippians 4:3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
“Contend” is where our word athlete comes from – they were team mates. Euodia and Syntyche (4:2) had been team players, along with Paul, in this work of telling people about Jesus.
Philippians 2:16 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
The Philippians were a body of believers who were serious about carrying out the work of the Church. It was a lot more than just sending Paul a check. “Partnership,” Paul called it. Fellowship – sharing.
The reason this is so important in our giving shows up in 2 Cor. When our giving includes putting in our concern for the Lord’s work, we’re going to be actively involved in it.
2 Corinthians 8:3-5 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.
Those are people concerned with the Lord’s work.
Don’t get me wrong. Sending money can be a good way to support good causes. But, there are other ways to be involved. If giving is just a way to free ourselves from the burden, if we’re just paying someone else to take care of those concerns, we’re not putting into it what is really needed.
We can’t be that way! Unless we’re putting in real concern for the Lord’s work with our offering on Sunday mornings, we’re missing the point. We don’t get it.
Jesus set the pace for all of us when He came to serve, not to be served. If you’re giving in the church is all about making a payment in order to be served, you’ve missed the point of being here! That’s Cracker Barrel!
So, how else do I show genuine concern for the Lord’s work? I’m glad you asked that!
How about visiting our supported missions websites and seeing what’s going on with them? How about sending them a card or an Email and explaining to them how you’re praying for the items they listed as prayer concerns? How about learning about what’s going on with the Church around the world?
How about getting yourself involved in some area of ministry here and not letting the faithful 20% carry the load?
Real concern about what God is doing is what compels us to share Jesus with people around us who haven’t heard about Him. Real concern for God’s work carries on where Jesus left off as He turned the task over to His Church until He returns.
When you put something into the offering, you make it count for much more when you include genuine concern for the Lord’s work.
II. Contentment
I was often amazed at how generous my kids could be with their parents’ money. Any other parents have that experience? Seriously! All my kids had to say to a friend was “Oh, it’s OK! You can go with us when we go.” Suddenly, 3 teenagers became 4-5 teenagers, and the bill for whatever went up…way up! But, hey, when you’re basis of operation is that your Dad has inexhaustible resources, you can afford to be generous with them, can’t you? (Get it?)
This 2nd item, when it’s put into the offering, makes you free to give anything. Would you like to be free to give anything? We can do it when we put in contentment along with our offering.
The Bible tells us stories of people who lacked contentment – people convinced, like many today, that just a little bit more would make them happier:
• Achan who thought he’d be happier if he could have a little gold, a little silver, and a robe.
• Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, who thought he’d be happy if he had a little silver and 2 sets of clothing.
• Ananias and Sapphira, who thought if they would retain a bit of their capital gains, which was perfectly fine, but then lie about it. Apparently they wanted to be noticed and appreciated more than they wanted to give.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Discontent – the idea that the next dollar will finally be enough - is the killer of generosity. Paul says instead rich people are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
As I read through this letter, I see an Apostle who’s trying to help a church family be content.
Philippians 1:14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
Philippians 1:18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
Philippians 2:17-18 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
The only things Paul wasn’t content with were his own need to keep growing and the fact that there are others in the world who are dying in their sin. Beyond that, there’s an important message in all these words: I have learned the secret of being content.
Ill - We have a 1-car garage. We currently use one car. Do the math. You’d think we could keep that car in the garage. But, like many people, we use our garage for other things. For over 2 years, we parked our car on the outside of the garage. There was no way it would fit. Then, when my wife was gone on the ladies conference, I got inspired. I went into the garage, and I took out things. There were things we didn’t have to have. We could live without them. Those things aren’t in our garage any more, and now the car is. It’s amazing how things fit where they’re supposed to when you don’t crowd them out with things you don’t need.
Discontent crowds out generosity. It shows up in what we don’t feel free to release. Contentment frees us – from debt, from worry, from warranties and repairs, from insurances, from worldly preoccupations, from jealousy – and it frees us to give.
story - True story: a little boy named Macky was complaining to a friend that in VBS there hadn’t been enough red crayons to go around and he only got one cookie at snack time. His friend, who was remembering the offering time, said, "Well, it really wasn't too bad for a dime."
Until we’re able to say what Paul wrote, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that,” our giving will be hindered. It will necessarily have a string of regret attached to it. For some here, that’s the 1st step you need to take to have your giving working right – to be content with what you have now, or to be content with less.
III. Joy
It’s very evident to me from this letter that a 3rd element you should include with your giving is joy. You should. But as I speak I’m also conscious that joy is a natural outcome of what you put in.
Story - Glenda Barbre, Rhododendron, Oregon – To help her 5-yr-old son Ben with the trauma of his pet goldfish's demise, she agreed Ben could "send the goldfish back to God" any way he wanted. She expected he’d give the goldfish a proper internment in the flower garden. What she didn’t expect was a phone call from the local postmaster.
She said, "Could you come over? I have something to show you." Glenda headed right over.
She showed Glenda a business-sized envelope. She was laughing. "A lot is expected of the post office, but this is the most amazing delivery we've ever been asked to make!"
Glenda recognized Ben's printing on the outside of the envelope, in big blue capital letters: “To God from Ben.” Inside was a very flat goldfish. Well, he gave him back!
Whatever we give, we’re giving back to God, aren’t we? Anything we’re able to bring, anything we’re able to send, has ultimately come into our hands because somehow God has enabled us to have it or flat-out put it into our hands. So, there’s a certain joy in being able to say, “Thanks. I have more than enough, and it’s my great joy to return this.”
As Paul gave up his life for the sake of God’s Kingdom it brought him joy.
1:4 – Paul rejoices over their partnership with him in the gospel
1:7 – they are sharing in God’s grace with Paul, and for that he’s joyful
1:14 – despite his chains, Paul has joy because others are made bolder to speak the gospel
2:2 – Paul hears about their growth and it gives him great joy
2:14 – Paul has joy just over hearing news about them
There ought to be a lot of joy in God’s family. It’s not just a fruit of the Spirit, it’s also one of 8 qualities that characterizes an effective, growing church. Based on a study of over 1,000 churches worldwide, effective, growing congregations are places where there is frequently laughter – not because the preacher has great joke delivery, but because there’s real joy in the midst of God’s people.
Ill - Don McCullough, "Whom Do You Serve?" – Talks about a church in Ghana, Africa. At the offering time, the people would bring their offerings forward – dancing as they came – all the way down the aisle. It's the only time in the service when they smile. How interesting…the only time in the service when they smile is when they're giving.
This past summer, as Dave Stone shared some thoughts before an offering was received at the NACC, he said, “God is a giver. You never look more like God than when you’re giving.” God loved the world in this way: He gave.
II Co 9:7 – tells us that God loves a cheerful giver – the word for cheerful there is where our word “hilarious” comes from. That tells me that we at least ought to have some joy in our giving .
In I Chron., the people of Israel have given toward the construction of the temple.
1 Chronicles 29:9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
Have you ever heard the stories of being part of a church where there was a big offering for some special project, and everybody anticipated it, then the day came, and huge offering is taken up, beyond the goal? Everyone rejoices! There’s a lot of joy in giving like that!
So, let’s take that beyond an offering plate. There should be a sense of joy in any kind of giving we do. Paul said if your gift is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. So, I’ll add: if you’re going to help with the kids worship time, do it with joy. If you’re going to help with VBS, do that with joy. If you’re helping with a dinner, let your joy be evident as you serve. If you are taking a turn at greeting, give that effort with joy. If you’re helping in the area of building maintenance, do that with joy.
I find that people in the church who are the most joyful are the ones most involved in making it happen – the givers. When the Church does well, they’re the ones who have the greater reason to rejoice. When someone’s life is changed, those givers are the ones who have the joy of thinking, “Yeah, I had a hand in that.”
Conclusion:
As we get ready to leave here…
I want you to imagine a community of believers, where there’s a mutual concern for the Lord’s work;
Where there’s never a struggle about having enough resources to do whatever the Church needs to do because everyone gives to advance the Kingdom; where people are beyond just writing checks and are actually passionate about giving themselves first to whatever it takes for the Lord’s Kingdom to grow on earth.
Imagine belonging to a family of people who are materially content – whose lives aren’t pushed around by worldly preoccupations; where they’re actually free to care for each other unlike the average person because their priorities have been established by God, and the way they give of themselves shows it.
Imagine being a part of a body that’s healthy and whole because in the midst of each part doing its work, the individual members are joyful. There’s a soundness there that comes from that joyful spirit.
Just imagine a body of believers like that – then imagine it being CCC.
What I’ve described is a group of people who have answered the question: What should I put in?
Maybe you want to be a part of a group of people like that. I sure do!
