INTRO:
“The church is always talking about money.”
“the minister just wants my money.”
“they don’t care about me – just that I give my offering.”
Such things are often said about churches – and sometimes, unfortunately, it is true. I heard of a church recently that has a little mini-sermon EVERY WEEK about the importance of giving.
We don’t do that around here. But we are going to talk about our offerings to God today. If you’re a visitor – you just got lucky and arrived on the day we’re talking about our giving money to God’s Kingdom.
We’re doing so because we’re in the last of 3 messages on Money Matters, aimed at helping all of us experience freedom from financial bondage in our lives. Two weeks ago we talked about debt – the root cause of it in our lives, and a Biblical plan to get out of debt. Then last week we looked at the scriptures to learn what it says about our responsibility to be saving for the future without falling into the trap of hoarding or worrying. At the close of that message last week I gave the instruction that in setting up a plan for savings – it must be balanced with a plan for giving. It is in this way that we will ensure that we don’t forget that ALL we have belongs to God since we are His servants.
So this week I want to talk about setting up a giving plan in your life. Not because of some “law” that God has decreed, but because when we give we demonstrate to God that He really is Lord of our life. That we trust him to take care of our needs. That our money doesn’t own us – that He does.
But the big question is “how much should I give”? What does God expect from me? How can I be sure I’m giving enough to make God happy?
For those of you who expected to hear a simple answer to the question “how much does God want” such as 10% - I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. What I would like to give you instead are principles that God has given us to help each of us answer “How much of my money does God want?”
1. Give yourself to God first. (2 Cor. 8:5)
2Cor. 8:1-5 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 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, 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.
Have you ever received a present from someone who you knew didn’t really have their heart in it? I remember a time a few years back when a person with whom I was in a minor conflict kept sending Ann presents. It just didn’t feel quite right. It seemed like she was somehow trying to go around the normal ways of creating a healthy trusting relationship. Ann and I weren’t all that interested in the gifts she was giving – because we knew that there was a break in our relationship.
Here in 2 Cor. 8, Paul is writing to the Corinthian church to give them instructions about an offering that is to be received to provide famine relief to the Christians in Jerusalem. And in his instructions he tells them about the positive example of the Macedonian believers and how they rose to the call to give to help their Christian brothers and sisters. He shares how they were really generous and how excited and motivated they were to be able to help – even beyond what they were really able to give. But all of this flowed out of the foundation of their relationship with God in the first place. “…they gave themselves first to the Lord…” (v. 5)
APPLICATION: If you are not a disciple of Jesus Christ then the answer to the question “how much of my money does God want” is zero. God is not after your money, he is after your heart.
2. Give willingly from what you have – not from what you don’t have. (2 Cor 8:12)
2 Cor. 8:10 (NLT) I suggest that you finish what you started a year ago, for you were the first to propose this idea, and you were the first to begin doing something about it. 11Now you should carry this project through to completion just as enthusiastically as you began it. Give whatever you can according to what you have. 12If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you are able to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don’t have. 13Of course, I don’t mean you should give so much that you suffer from having too little. I only mean that there should be some equality. 14Right now you have plenty and can help them. Then at some other time they can share with you when you need it. In this way, everyone’s needs will be met.
Much damage has been done to the Kingdom through charlatans who pretend to be teaching scripture but teach that people have to give a certain percentage of their income – even if they don’t have anything to eat. There are actually documented cases of televangelists encouraging people to give large amounts of money from their credit card in order to get out of credit card debt. “Get some Jesus on that credit card!” I am not making this up. This is nonsense.
Many people who are in dire financial straits often agonize over the question of how much to give when they are not able to meet their monthly bills. What is Paul’s answer? If you don’t have anything to give – don’t give anything. God is much more concerned with your heart and your desire to give than the amount you give. He actually says here in verse 13 that he does NOT want the Corinthians to give so much that they will suffer from having too little. Does this teaching surprise you? It surprised me this week!
Let’s review…
So far we’ve learned that if you haven’t given yourself to God you don’t need to give God your money, and that if you don’t have enough to meet your basic needs you don’t need to give. (This is not your typical message on giving, is it?)
In the next chapter of 2 Cor, Paul continues to teach us about how much we should give to God’s work. When it comes to sharing our resources with others and for the work of the Kingdom, we are to…
3. Give generously. (2 Cor. 9:6)
2Cor. 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Jesus gives them a reminder that they all were familiar with. If you want to reap a great harvest of blessings in your life, the first thing you’ve got to do is sow a generous amount of seed!
The more I study this principle in the Bible the more I come to understand that God instructs us to give generously partially because we are to be his hands and his feet in this world and it takes money to get things done, but also because he knows that our lives will be enriched when we give. You know, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Prov 11:24-25 says it this way…
Prov. 11:24-25 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.
Don’t you love how the Kingdom of God is always putting conventional wisdom on its head? Conventional wisdom says if you want to have a lot, keep everything that is yours and keep adding to it. Conventional wisdom says if you keep everything that is yours you’ll be able to enjoy the good life and prosper.
But God’s word says the more we give to others, the more we will receive. God’s word says that if we want refreshing in our lives it will come from being generous with our resources and investing in OTHERS.
TRANS: So when you give to God’s work and to the needy, give generously! But beyond that we’re given the instruction to…
4. Give cheerfully. (2 Cor 9:7)
2 Cor. 9:7-8 You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. 8And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
How much of your money does God want? The exact amount that you can give cheerfully! If you are waiting for me to fill in the blank for you, sorry! In contrast to much teaching out there that God requires a certain percentage of our money, we are clearly taught here that each person should make up their own mind as to how much they should give. You shouldn’t give reluctantly or in response to any sort of pressure. God loves receiving our offerings when they are given freely from our hearts.
And then verse 8 goes on to say that when we give cheerfully and generously we can be assured that God will provide all we need. When you make cheerful and generous giving a habit in your life, God’s word promises you will have enough for yourself and even a bit more so you can share with others.
ILLUS: We had a friend over this week for dinner. It was her birthday and we surprised her with some simple gifts. Her response: “You didn’t have to!” My response: “That’s exactly why we wanted to!”
In short, the principle here is this: If your heart is not in it – God doesn’t want it.
TRANS: Now I said a moment ago that we should make generous and cheerful giving a habit. That’s what the next instruction on giving from God’s word gets at. When you give…
5. Give regularly. (1 Cor. 16:1-2)
1Cor. 16:1 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.
Paul didn’t really know exactly how long it would take for him to get to Corinth in order to receive the collection and send it on to the believers in Jerusalem, but he wanted the people to be ready when he got there. In order for that to happen, he knew they needed to be setting some money aside every week. Again, how much were they to put aside? Some fixed percentage? No – they were to put aside “a sum of money in keeping with (their) income”. Some people can give away 50% of what they make. Others can only give a very small percentage. Whatever amount – do it regularly.
Last week in my message on savings, I encouraged people to automate their savings plan and to balance their savings plan with a giving plan. You should have a plan. As you develop a budget you should be planning to give in keeping with your amount of income. It should be a part of your budget just like the other great things you get to do with your money. Put it aside on the first day of the week. Don’t wait until the end of the week and see how much is left over. Set some aside at the first, so that you can see how God will provide for everything else you need.
ILLUS: We have a portion of our budget that we set aside for giving to the church, and another portion set aside for giving to other needs such as missionaries, supporting a child in a third world country, and “other”. This is the most fun of all, because we set aside some every payday for that time when a need will arise such as Hurricane Katrina or a famine in Niger or a friend going on a mission trip – and we have something to give when the need arises.
COMMON QUESTIONS:
Do I have to tithe (give 10 percent)?
No – that was an Old Covenant requirement that those who had crops or flocks would dedicate 10 percent to keep the Levitical priests fed. Interestingly, in many cases people were instructed to bring their tithe (crops or flocks) and eat them themselves there at the temple, giving thanks to God (see Deut 12 and 14:23). The law of the tithe is part of the Mosaic law, which we are freed from by the initiation of the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood.
Having said that, it does give a helpful starting place for a way to be sure you’re recognizing that all you have belongs to God – and many Christians do use this as the standard for their giving.
Where should I give? Do I have to give a certain amount to this church body?
You should give to those areas that the Lord puts on your heart to give. Give to the poor and needy – this is a command of scripture. (Paul’s instructions on giving in 2 Cor 8-9 are all about giving to help poor believers in other regions recover from famine.) This may mean sponsoring poor children in 3rd world countries or giving to disaster relief, or helping street people, or donating school supplies to poor families. But also, give to assist in the most important work of all – spreading the gospel message. Give to churches, mission organizations, and individuals that are being effective in bearing fruit for the Kingdom. I hope you will give to CTK for these reasons – not because it is a LAW.
Do you keep track of what I give?
Me personally – No.
CTK Central Services does keep track for IRS purposes only. I do not see who gives what. This is between you and the Lord (and the IRS!).
CONCLUSION:
I pray for every person here freedom from financial bondage. Whether that bondage takes the form of materialism that leads to debt, hoarding and worrying about financial and material things, being irresponsible in preparing for future needs, living in bondage to your things because of a stingy heart, or only giving according to some law that you feel you have to follow.
God gives us what we need, and he provides his church with what it needs as a larger body (both at the local level and the worldwide level).
May you seek first the Kingdom of God, in your spending, your saving, and your giving, and so may you experience the promise that He will take care of all your needs.
