Overwhelmed by Need
Two weeks ago, Milt Hanson and I took our children to Cornerstone Music Festival. We enjoyed the fellowship, the great weather, and were inundated with incredible Christ-honoring music for four days. But we were also overwhelmed by the opportunities to give. In between main stage shows, commercials for World Vision (www.wvi.org) and the “ONE campaign” (www.one.org) encouraged us to give sacrificially to erase poverty and AIDS in Africa. Switchfoot (www.switchfoot.com) showed us video from their recent mission trip to India and pleaded with us to give. At the church service, we participated in an offering that supported Jesus People USA (www.jpusa.org) and their work inner-city Chicago. The helicopter ride we took supported Wycliffe Bible Translators (www.wycliffe.org). There were even three hungry teenage guys who sat in front of our camp site singing songs about chickens while begging for money to buy a pizza. There were so many noble causes, so many needs, so many opportunities, and only so much money in my wallet. Should I feel guilty that I didn’t give my last dollar? What did God require of me?
Right Here at Home
I am equally overwhelmed here. With the addition of Heart to Heart Counseling Services, PBC now supports nineteen missionaries. From Mexico to the Philippines, from Dallas to Pontiac we support individuals and projects that are proclaiming the name of Jesus. (For a full list and email addresses go to www.pontiacbible.org) We also have six students doing five day clubs this summer, sharing the Gospel with children all over Livingston County, and are still raising their support. We just approved a budget that is approaching half a million dollars, our new executive pastor starts today, and a parking lot waits to be paved. We still owe on the family life center and are in need of a new roof.
Do you know this feeling? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the seeming endless needs that constantly tug at your heart through the television, radio, and internet?
Because the Bible Tells Me So
When confused or needing answers, we need to search the Scriptures and find out what God says about the matter. What does the Bible say about money and giving? More than you think! Almost half of the parables are about money or possessions. There are 40 verses on baptism, 275 verses on prayer, 350 verses on faith, 650 verses on love, and 2,350 verses that related specifically to finances and material possessions! (For a detailed account of these Scriptures go to www.kluth.org) Both the Old and New Testament have much to say about how money and possessions can be used to further God’s Kingdom or how it can literally destroy a person’s joy and hope. This morning my goal is to allow the Scriptures to teach us some basic principles related to giving. Before we begin, let me make a couple of disclaimers.
All the Church Wants Is My Money!
The story is told of two business men who were flying to a conference overseas. The small plane they were in developed engine problems and they had to crash land on a deserted island. One of the men began to cry stating that he will never get to see his kids grow up and never tell his wife how much he loved her. The other man simply leaned against a palm tree and fell asleep. His friend woke him and confronted him – “How can you sleep? Don’t you care that we are going to die on this island?” At this the calm companion said, “I am not worried at all. I make $500,000 a year and I always faithfully give ten percent to my church. I know my pastor will find me!”
Many people are turned off when the pastor preaches on money and finances. Many pastors are afraid to teach on this subject. Why do you think Brian asked me to preach this week? Who has not heard some one say “All they ever want is my money?” Mark Twain once said that he was so tired of appeals for money that he never put anything in the plate but he always tried to take a bill out!
This morning I am not here to coax you out of your cash or swindle you out of your savings. None of the pastors or leaders knows how much or how little you give. I do know that I am honored to serve a church that is so generous with their giving. We are in good shape financially so I am not preaching this as a pulpit power play hoping to bring in a big offering. This is the beauty of going verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. We have come to the end of our series on Philippians. This morning we will look at the closing verses, which just happen to be about giving. If you are visiting, stick with me. You may be surprised by what you hear. By the end of our time together today, I hope to convince you to be extravagant worshipers of God in the area of your finances.
Thank you Notes
We are trying to teach our boys to write thank you notes. When they receive a toy for their birthday or some money for Christmas, they need to say thank you. I was not taught to do that growing up but I have learned over the years to write thank you notes as soon as I receive something. It is a small way of showing appreciation for the gift. Philippians 4:14-23 is Paul’s thank you note to the Philippians for their generous giving. Let’s listen in as he shares his heart of gratitude with this church he loves.
“Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 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. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:14-19)
I believe we can glean four basic principles from these verses as they relate to giving.
The four points will spell out the word GIVE. The first principle is…
God owns it all
The church in Philippi was about six months old when they begin to support Paul’s missionary endeavors. He left Philippi and traveled to Thessalonica where he preached the Gospel. The Philippian church sent money to him several times to aid his efforts to win people to Christ. Paul then traveled to Athens and Corinth. The Philippians had given so much that they were unable to give while he was ministering in Corinth.
Paul starts this section out by saying it was good of them to share in his troubles. They partnered with Paul. In fact, they were the only church that joined in Paul’s missionary adventures. Their giving showed their heart for Paul and the fellowship they felt with him. To them, it was like a joint business venture. They supplied the needs of Paul so that he could minister freely.
It also showed that they “got it.” This is such a blessing to a pastor. Honestly, the best compliment you can give me after a sermon is not “great job” but “I get it! I heard what the Bible said and I am going to do it!” Paul must have beamed with joy when the first gift arrived. He spent time teaching and now they proved they were listening.
One of the lessons he must have taught them when he was with them was…
God owns everything. If God owns everything, then how much do we own? We own nothing! Well, surely we own ourselves, right? Does this verse sound familiar?
“You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” (I Cor 6:20)
What price? You were bought with the highest price imaginable – the price of His Son. We own nothing, not even the right to our own lives. God merely allows us to be stewards in order to further his kingdom.
The Scriptures make this point clear:
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…”
(Psalm 24:1)
Even the talents, abilities, and jobs that provide money are actually from the Lord:
“But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”(Duet 8:18)
This is even reflected in our worship. Think about the Doxology - “praise God from whom all blessing flow…”
I think you get the point. God owns it all. We own nothing, not even ourselves.
This is a very important foundational point. Everything you have has been given to you for the purpose of glorifying God. Do we truly believe that God owns it all? Do we believe He has made us a trustee, a manager, and a steward of what He gives us during our life time?
If it is true that God owns it all, then how should we approach the area of money? Ron Blue, a Christian financial expert, gives three outcomes to the belief that God owns it all.
* If God owns it all, then we have a responsibility to Him. God has the right to whatever He wants whenever he wants it. We are only stewards of what He was entrusted to us.
* If God own it all, then every spending decision is a spiritual decision.
* If God owns it all, then it is impossible to fake stewardship. Concerning our checkbooks, Blue states, “It reflects your goals, priorities, convictions, relationships, and even the use of your time.”
(For more on financial management go to wwwronblue.com)
We are called to be faithful with what He has given us. Paul told the believers at Corinth:
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (I Cor 4:2)
Point to Ponder: Have you settled the ownership issue today with God? Do you truly believe that He owns it all? Would your check book show it? Maybe you need to sign it over to Him.
Invest in things eternal
“Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.” (Philippians 4:17)
I have some bad news and some good news and it has nothing to do with switching to Geico. The bad news is you can not take anything with you when you die. I’ve never seen a U-haul behind a hearse.
Solomon, one of the richest men who ever lived, wrote about this in his journal:
“Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs.
He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand…he toils for the wind.” (Eccl 5:15)
That’s the bad news. Would you like to hear the good news? Listen to Jesus:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Here is a principle that Randy Alcorn says can change your life: you can not take it with you but you can send it on ahead.
Paul says that the gift is important but even more important is the fact that the Philippians had an eternal perspective about their money. Again they “got it.” Their hearts were in the right place. Our hearts always go where we put our money. In other words, our feelings follow our finances. Their heart was for Paul and his ministry. They wanted to invest in a venture that could pay ever-lasting rewards.
In these verses, Paul uses banking terminology – a ledger sheet recording their gift that made God smile. When the Philippians gave to Paul, God noticed. This is a picture of an account that has continually increasing interest. Spiritual maturity leads us to invest in things that last forever instead of things that can fade away. James Boice writes: “Money that is given to help another Christian is called fruit. Our gifts to others are encouraged by God, noticed by God, and much desired by God.”
We will only be on this earth a short time and he who dies with the most toys…still dies! We need a radical shift in our thinking about money.
True or false – Money is evil. Listen to how Paul describes money to young Timothy:
“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 the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (I Tim 6:9-10)
It’s the love of money that gets us into trouble. Just this week, another CEO was convicted of stealing millions of dollars from his company. When the judge sentenced him to twenty-five years with no parole, this man sobbed uncontrollably. Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Giving isn’t God’s way of raising funds; it is His ways of raising children whose hearts are rich toward Him. God has poured out his blessings on us and what have we done? We took them home and put them on our shelf. God raises our standard of living so we can raise our standard of giving.
Point to Ponder: How is your investment portfolio? Pastor Steven Cole gives us some insight into where we are to invest. He emphasizes that we should first give to our local church then to individuals and organizations you know to be faithful. He encourages us to give to those serving in difficult places and those reaching unreached parts of the world. Also, giving to the needy should be a high priority. I also rejoice when I see the generous mercy fund offering that we use to meet needs in this church body and the community.
Value God more than Money
“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.” (Philippians 4:18-19)
The Philippians had renewed their concern for Paul by sending him financial gifts while he was in prison at Rome. Paul states that the gift is more than enough. He uses three Old Testament terms of worship to describe their giving “fragrant offering,” “acceptable sacrifice,” and “pleasing to God.” When the sacrifice was made (see Lev 7) it produced a fragrant aroma that people could smell. The exact same words are used to describe the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross:
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Eph 5:1-2)
When we give, we are not giving to a church or a pastor, but to Jesus Christ Himself. And He is worthy of our best. Paul describes their extravagant giving as a form of worship.
In our present Christian culture, the word “worship” has been limited to singing and music. This is not the Biblical view of worship. Listen to Paul’s definition of worship in his letter to the Romans:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Worship is a lifestyle, not a song. Worship is prayer, reading and studying the Scriptures, fasting, singing, serving, and giving. Everything we do here at Pontiac Bible Church on a Sunday morning is worship. The music, the prayer, the preaching of God’s word and even the offering –it is all worship.
You may have noticed that we did not take the offering during the music. We did this intentionally. This gives me an opportunity to teach about the tithe.
A junior high girl in our Cross Roads ministry asked a great question once in response to the bible study we were doing. She said, “I think I know the answers to the other questions, but I’ve never heard of “tithing.”
There does seem to be a lot of confusion about giving. In the Old Testament, people gave 10% because they had to. Under the covenant of grace, we have the responsibility to give 10% and more because want to. Let’s look at three principles of grace giving:
* Grace giving is voluntary. Giving is not something we HAVE to do; it is something we get to do. If you are a Christian, then you will want to give. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul states:
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:7)
The Greek word translated cheerful is the same word we get our word hilarious. God loves extravagant, joyful, hilarious givers who realize that the can not out give God. Jesus said, “It more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
* Grace Giving is proportionate giving. In I Cor 16:2, we see Paul addressing the amount to given:
“Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every 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.” (I Cor 16:1-2)
It is clear that ten percent is the baseline. But is that all we are to give? John Piper has said that the 10% tithe is “a middle class American way to rob God.” We are privileged to live in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. If you live in a house, drive a car, and have enough food to eat today, you are better off than 97% of the world’s population. Many of us could and should be giving 15, 20, or even 25%.
* Grace Giving is sacrificial. Jesus told a story about an offering that got his attention:
“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4)
It really is not about how much you give, but how much you keep. The widow was commended for how much she kept – nothing. She gave everything she had. The Pharisees just gave out of their wealth. Are you just giving God the leftovers, or are you giving Him your best? King David said it this way, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)
Tithing is the solution to greed. It has been said that if you want to break the back of greed, give your money away freely. John Wesley, whose books made an enormous amount of money during his lifetime, died with two silver spoons to his name. He was quoted as saying, “When I get any money, I give it away, lest it get control of my heart.” The Philippians were worshipping God when they provided Paul with funds for the ministry. It was a way of lifting Jesus high.
What happens to the money you put into the plate? The offering pays our light bill, electricity bill, facility upkeep, the pastors, teachers, and support staff’s salaries. It supports student ministry, children’s ministry, men and women’s ministry, outreach and evangelism. It supports the library, the nursery, Pontiac Christian School, AWANA, the worship team, the multimedia team, and nineteen missionaries scattered across the globe. Every dollar is used with integrity to make an IMPACT on our community, our county, our country, and the continents with the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ. Can you get excited about that?
When you walked in this morning, you were handed a penny. It is a gift from me to you. You can do anything you want with it. You can put it in your pocket, put it in your change purse, or you can put it in the plate. If you put it in the plate, it will be used to change hearts for eternity. This morning everyone has something to put into the offering. But it is your choice to give or to keep the penny.
Point to Ponder: Have you ever considered giving as a form of worship? How can we use our time, talents, or treasures to worship God? As we take this offering, how are you feeling about what you had planned to put in the plate in light of what we have been studying? As you give, consider these four declarations:
* With this offering, I am declaring my total dependence and trust in you
* With this offering, I am resisting everything in our culture that constantly whispers in my ear that I need more and more
* With this offering, I am sending treasure ahead to heaven
* With this offering, I am affirming my heart belongs to God.
Engage your heart and expect blessings
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:18-19)
This verse has been taken out of context by many people. Verse 19 is not a blank check to people who waste what God has given them. It is also not a promise of prosperity and luxury. It is conditional. If…then. If you honor me with your finances, then I will meet all of your needs. Let’s look at each phrase of this verse together:
* “My God” Paul does not invoke the name of some distant deity but starts by saying “my God.” God is a personal God who knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7) and what you need before you ever ask (Matthew 6:8).
* “Will meet” – This word means to “fill to the brim, to furnish or supply generously.” It is the picture of filling a glass to overflowing.
* “All you needs” – Notice Paul said your needs and not your “greeds”. In 1890, a survey was taken and the question was “Name your basic needs.” The 19 century respondents came up with sixteen basic needs. The same question was posed to individuals in the year 1990. Do you want to guess how many “basic needs” they listed? The came up with 98 basic needs. Play Stations and Plasma Screens are not BASIC needs! The Philippians had given so generously they were in needs. Paul says thank you but he also realizes he can not repay them but is confident God will.
* “Accordingly to His glorious riches.” Notice that Paul did not say “out of his glorious riches.” If Bill Gates walked into your house this afternoon and said, “I think I want to give you some money” what would be your reaction? Would you get a wheelbarrow and shout “Show me the Money!”? What if he pulled out his wallet and handed you a one dollar bill. That would be “out of his riches” and cheap! But what if he said “All I have is yours.” That would get your heart pumping, wouldn’t it? That’s exactly what God promises - to meet all our needs according to His vast resources which He makes completely available to us.
* “In Christ Jesus.” This is a promise for believers only. It is only through Christ that these riches can be accessed. J.H. Pickford writes: “What grounds do we have to lay hold of this promise to supply our needs, if we refuse to supply the needs of God’s work and we have the means? With what confidence can we pray for the Lord to honor us with substance, if we have not honored Him with the substance He was given us? …What we withhold withers, what we lay aside is spoiled, but what we release, returns.”
God promises to meet our needs. What are our greatest needs before God? Our greatest needs are not for more money or possessions but for salvation, forgiveness, hope, and peace. God, through Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, has provided all this and more. That’s why some of the poorest people in the world are the happiest in Him.
God promises to meet your needs in proportion to your honoring Him. This is a pattern through the Bible. Rick Warren states with every promise, there is a premise. This is an if-then proposition – “If you faithfully, generously, sacrificially, voluntarily, and cheerfully give to support and further my Kingdom, then I will provide all your needs.”
In 1990, Maxine’s parents were $120,000 in debt due to a failed business. They were two hours away from having their house re-possessed. They went to a credit counselor who encouraged them to file bankruptcy. While reviewing their bills she noticed that they gave to their church and told them they would have to stop tithing. Maxine’s mother said that would be the last thing to go. When they returned home, they took 1% of their total debt and gave it away to someone who had a bigger need than they did. They never stopped tithing and giving and, through a new job and some amazing circumstances, they paid off the entire debt in three and half years!
Jesus said it this way:
“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
God even says to test Him in this area:
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 2:10)
The great missionary Hudson Taylor’s wrote in his journal, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack for supply.” As one of our high school students recently told me, “I guess giving in really all about trust.”
Action Steps
One of the most important things you can do with a sermon like this is to not just listen to it but apply it to your life. Here are three action steps that Chuck Swindoll suggests:
* Look within and release. Examine your heart as it relates to giving. Read and learn more about the spiritual discipline of giving. Go to www.generousgiving.org and www.crown.org for great teaching in this area. Read Larry Burkett’s “How to Manage Your Money” or “Money Matters for Parents and their Kids” by Ron and Judy Blue. If you do not give at all, make a commitment to at least give 10%. If you are giving 10%, maybe God would want you to move that figure up to 15%.
* Look around and respond. Remember how I began this sermon? I was overwhelmed by all the need. Ask God to show you where you can bless someone. No one can do everything but everyone can do something.
* Look up and rejoice. I want to end this morning with one more story about God providing. As many of you know, Pontiac Bible Church lead a campaign this summer called “Ten Tons of Love.” Our goal was to collect 20,000 pounds of Bibles, Christian books, magazines, tapes, CDs, hymnals, and bicycles to support a ministry called Love Packages. Last weekend, fourteen adults and students delivered Central Illinois’ gift. What an incredible weekend of worship. I watch our group give of themselves in their time, talents, and treasures. One of the highlights of our trip was listening to Steve Schmidt tell stories about God’s powerful provision.
Steve told us about a time when David C. Cook publishing bought several small companies and offered to give him all the material they did not want to sell. He said yes but had no idea what he was getting into. The next week, four full semi-trailers arrived and after they unloaded everything the warehouse was packed full. When he stood in the middle of the gym he became suddenly overwhelmed with how much money it was going to take to ship all this material. He said that he felt God saying two words to him, “Ship it!” His secretary told him they had $37 in the account and they needed $3,500 in order to send the first shipment. As they were loading the truck, he still had no idea how they were going to pay for the container. As the truck pulled out, a car pulled in and several men got and asked for Steve. They told him they felt lead to give to Love Packages and handed him a check for…guess how much? $3500! He walked back into the warehouse and looked at his secretary and said, “You know that shipment to Liberia? Ship it, too!”
That kind of faith is contagious. Let me introduce you to Candi Kelly, one of our Love Packages team members. She is going to share how God touched her heart through the mission of Love Packages.
“Last week, Brian gave us some homework assignments…the last one was- Step out in faith and do what God wants you to do, relying on His power to do so.
On July 8, 14 of us set out to do just that. I was excited about the trip, because I knew God was going to be in it, but I had NO idea how much He was going to move me. 14 of us made the trip and Steve (the founder of Love packages) made 15 workers. Between the 15 of us, we unloaded the semi, touched between 50 and 60 thousand pieces of literature, completed a door frame on Steve’s house, did laundry, did dishes and cut down some killer weeds. We began working at about 7 a.m. and finished up around 3:00. Now, we were some speedy workers, but without God’s Hand in that, there is no way we could have accomplished all we did.
Bible story—after we finished unloading the truck, a group of us went into ‘the sorting room’ with Steve to sort and pack bibles. We were busy working away, and Kenny Hinds pulled MY bible out of the sorting bin and held it up in the air and said “it’s going in the box!” I watched as he finished packing that box and then put it on the pallet that is scheduled to be shipped to Tanzania on the 15th. Shipping takes about 45 days, which means, by the end of August, a pastor in Tanzania will be giving MY bible to someone who does not have one. As if that wasn’t an awesome enough feeling, once we got home, I was able to share with another PBC member that I put HER bible in a box that will also arrive in Tanzania at the end of August. I knew the joy that was behind the smile on her face, because I had experienced that same feeling on Saturday.
Conclusion-It was awesome to actually BE the hands and feet of God, helping to reach the other side of the world with His word. We worked, we cried, we laughed, we sang, but most of all, we worshiped. Everything we did Saturday was an act of worship of our awesome God. There was also an unbelievable amount of fellowship that occurred in the short amount of time we were together. Some of us even bonded with strangers in a restaurant—but that’s a story for another time. As we were winding down, we sat and listened to Steve share some testimonies. As we were sitting there, I looked at Pastor Jeff and said “don’t ever leave on another mission trip without me”
[Power Point presentation – Love Packages trip]
This week, I received an email from a high school student who read my sermon ahead of time. She wrote:
“I’m not worshiping Him in my finances, my actions, or with my heart. I mean, I know it’s all His....now that you told us about that....but I don’t know if I can give it all to Him...or if I want to, or even if I know how. I mean how am I supposed to give Him everything??? I’m so scared that I won’t be able to control my life....I mean, I know I can’t… but it scares me to have to walk blindly.”
Could you close your eyes and bow your head. Maybe you feel just like that. You want to trust God but you are scared to take the leap. Let me close by praying specifically for you to trust Him and honor Him with your finances.
