Church growth experts have said that there are four things that can work to prevent a church’s growth:
1) A lack of desire to grow;
2) A lack of adequate leadership;
3) A lack of space;
4) A lack of finances.
If there is any one of these factors that might hinder the continued growth of our church, it is the lack of finances. For whether we like to admit it or not, it takes money to finance a church’s ministry.
But this need not be a problem for our church. I believe that God’s financial provision for our church’s ministry lies within the membership of our congregation. That a portion of his financial provision for the ministry of this church has been entrusted to each of us. So, God’s financial provision for the ministry of this church is here.
Whether or not God’s financial provision will be released to support His work through our church is up to us. God has promised to supply His financial provision, He has done His part. Now we must be faithful to do ours. God provides for His work through the lives of obedient people.
The purpose of God’s blessings is to enable us to be a blessing to others through our support of His work.
"And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]." - 2 Corinthians 9:8 (Amplified)
Notice how Paul tells us that God provides for us so that we might not only have our needs met, but so that through giving, we might be able to bless others. Our focus, however, tends to be primarily on ourselves.
Billy Ray Valentine was the fictitious street beggar in the film Trading Places who experienced an overnight reversal of misfortune. Millionaire brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke theorized that they could take an underprivileged hoodlum like Billy Ray and transform him into a productive part of their investment empire. They gave him new clothes, a new home, a chauffer driven limousine, a butler, and a prestigious position at their firm.
At first, Billy Ray didn’t get it. When the Duke brothers gave him a tour of his lavish new townhouse in uptown Philadelphia, Billy Ray was covertly stuffing his pockets with anything that wasn’t nailed down. Randolph tried to explain that the whole place belonged to him now. But Billy Ray saw the situation through a different lens. He came from a world of financial fear. He was afraid if he didn’t seize the opportunity to meet his own needs, he might go hungry. And the Duke brothers’ explanations of pork bellies and commodities futures went right over his head. So Billy Ray was focused on whatever loot he could get his hands on: Cuban cigars, fistfuls of chocolates, and gold-plated trinkets that could be traded at the local pawn shop. It was the only way he knew how to operate.
Eventually, Billy Ray caught on. He began to trust what the Dukes were saying and he realized that he no longer had to fear hunger. Before long, he began to shift his focus away from his basic needs and onto the task of managing the affairs of Duke and Duke. Once his perspective changed, he actually became a valuable employee.
I can’t help thinking that many Christians are a lot like Billy Ray Valentine. God wants to entrust vast portions of His empire into our care. Not for our personal consumption, but to be sown for His kingdom work. He wants capable managers to handle His affairs, distribute His wealth, and spread His message. But do we really get it?
Statistics about our giving levels suggest we don’t. We’re surrounded by God’s vast riches and His lavish promises to meet all our needs. He has given us a simple task: to be good stewards of His resources, leveraging His wealth for kingdom gains. You and I need to commit to God’s program for our giving. But where do we begin? The Bible teaches that there are two things involved in God’s program for our giving.
1. The Right Amount.
Is God’s Word very specific about our giving? I believe so. Consider, for example, what instructions Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 16:2:
"On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income." - 1 Corinthians 16:2 (NIV)
Paul tells us three things about our giving to God’s work:
A. It is to be part of our worship on the Lord’s Day;
B. It is to be through supporting the ministry of our local church;
C. It is to represent a percentage of our income.
But what percentage? Well, as we look to the Old testament, and consider the example of Abraham (Genesis 14:19-20), the teaching of Moses (Leviticus 27:30; Deuteronomy 14:22), and the exhortation of the Prophet Malachi (Malachi 3:8), we find that the percentage of our income that we are to give to God’s work through our local church is to be at least TEN PERCENT of our income.
Now, some object to this, insisting that we are no longer living under the law of the Old Testament, but under the grace of the New testament. No where in the New Testament, they say, are we told to give a tithe (10%).
Indeed, we are not under the law, but under grace in our relationship with God. However, grace only frees us from the BURDEN of the law, not the STANDARD of the law.
You see, the whole point of grace is not that we might be excused from living a life that is consistent with God’s standard of what is right. But it is that God has done a work in our hearts through Christ so that we might be enabled to live a life consistent with God’s standard of what is right.
Therefore, New Testament giving involves giving at least 10% of my income to God’s work, and this can be proved by a study of the teaching of the New Testament. We know this . . .
A. Because of how Jesus taught us to view the law.
Matthew 5:21-22; 27-28; 38-42; 43-44
Jesus taught that we should seek to exceed the requirements of the law.
B. Because of what Jesus said about our righteousness.
"Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom." - Matthew 5:20 (The Message)
The primary meaning of our Lord’s teaching here is that no one is good enough to be saved. That even the best among us are not good enough to earn the acceptance of God. This is why we need God’s grace in order to be saved.
The secondary meaning of our Lord’s teaching here is that God expects His people to live a life with a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. They obeyed only the letter of the law, but we are to obey both the letter and the spirit of the law.
"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law--justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things." - Matthew 23:23 (NLT)
With respect to tithing, Jesus said we should obey the spirit of the law as we obey the letter of the law. Jesus taught that we should tithe.
C. Because of the fact that we are to live according to a higher law.
"Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." - Romans 8:2 (NIV)
"You show that you are a letter from Christ, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."
- 2 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV)
God has written His law upon our hearts. Therefore, as we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit, we will be led to live a life that fulfills God’s righteous standard. With respect to giving, this means we will know in our hearts that it is right to give at least 10% of our income to God’s work.
This brings us back to our text. How do I go about determining in my heart what I should give? By allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me. This is be misunderstanding about this verse. Paul is not saying that I need to be led by God’s Spirit in every other area of my life but this one. He is assuming that we understand that when we make ANY DECISION, we are to do so as we seek to be led by God’s Spirit.
We should determine in our hearts what we should give, looking to God’s Spirit to guide us. As we do ,we should know that He will lead us to give at least 10%, because God’s will never contradicts God’s Word.
2. A Right Attitude.
Paul tells us in our text for today that God loves it when His people find joy in giving to His work. It is possible to give the right amount without the right attitude, which means it is possible for me to give my tithe and still not have God be pleased with me. Notice that it isn’t cheerful giving that brings God pleasure. It is the cheerful giver. Why is God pleased with me when I give cheerfully to His work?
1. Because it reveals an appreciation of Christ’s sacrifice.
"You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us--in one stroke he became poor and we became rich."
- 2 Corinthians 8:9 (The Message)
2. Because it reveals a trust in God’s supply.
"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19 (NLT)
3. Because it shows that I see giving to be a special privilege.
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)
4. Because it reveals that I know my gift has supernatural potential.
Just like Jesus blessed the loaves and the fish that were given to Him so that the crowd might be fed. Through the work of my church, God can bless my gift and use it to feed others the bread of life.
A preacher told his congregation, "IF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO SERVE GOD IT’S GOT TO GET DOWN ON ITS KNEES AND CRAWL!!!" And the audience yelled back "Make it crawl preacher, make it crawl! "AND ONCE THIS CHURCH HAS LEARNED TO CRAWL, IT’S GOT TO GET UP ON ITS FEET AND WALK!!!" "Make it walk preacher, make it walk" the audience moaned. AND ONCE THIS CHURCH HAS LEARNED TO WALK ITS GOT BEGIN TO LEARN TO RUN!!!" "Make it run, preacher, make it run!" "AND IN ORDER TO RUN, ITS GOT REACH DEEP DOWN INTO POCKETS AND LEARN TO GIVE!!!" (pause) "Let it crawl preacher, let it crawl."
A Church can’t grow if it doesn’t give. And if it doesn’t give… it’ll crawl. What does you giving reveal about your attitude?
