Class Lesson March 23, 2014

Work and rest. What’s the biblical balance?

Balance: Many of us work too much, fueled by a workaholic drive. Others barely make an effort, doing the minimum to stay employed and get paycheck. Both groups need balance. Many of us earn more than we personally need and fill our lives with experiences and stuff. Others among us struggle to get by. Both groups need balance.





This study lifts up the biblical mandates to work and to rest. It points us to actions that achieve balance. As we apply biblical principles, we move from living and earning for ourselves to discovering that our jobs and paychecks are resources we can invest for the kingdom of God.





Our fourth lesson in this series is called, "Put Your Money To Work."

 

Be ready to give as the need arises.

We put our money to work when we prepare to be ready to give as the need arises. We do this with a budget.

 

What’s the toughest part about budgeting?

• For most of us, creating a budget is not fun. And living within a budget’s restraints can seem even less fun. But budgeting frees us to consider a valuable category: meeting the needs of others. When, if ever, is it a responsible idea to break the bank.
• Show me your bank statement and I’ll show you your priorities. How do we determine what’s important and what’s not so important? Groceries, medical expenses, insurance, housing, car expenses, clothing, and the list goes on. Are any of these not important? Feeding the family? Important. Reliable transportation? Important. Each category in our budget has value, but how we spend in those categories can speak volumes.
• Some of us are good at setting a budget and even sticking with it. Others of us have good intensions and we keep telling ourselves we need to live with a budget, but fail to do so. The budgets we set speak volumes about who we are. Look at a person’s budget and where his or her monthly expenses go, and you can determine that person’s priorities. Where does giving and meeting the needs of others fall into our spending? The Bible calls us to a wise plan for giving, a course of action that can make us all better stewards of our money.

What does our spending say about the importance of giving to meet the needs of others?

• The Bible calls us into a wise plan for giving, a course of action than can make us all better stewards of our money.

• This lesson helps us to understand the importance of helping others and provides several applications for what to do when we have made a commitment to use our money for good.

John Wesley’s mantra was simple: Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. That is not bad advice. For the most part, most people emphasize the first part, try hard at the second part, and fail miserably at the third part.






The Setting: As we learned from the previous session on 2 Corinthians 8, the churches in Macedonia had been collecting an offering to help with the needs of the poverty-stricken believers in Jerusalem. As Paul wrote to encourage the Corinthians to follow through with their gift, he called them to give in proportion to the way God had blessed them. Instead of rebuking the church, Paul used the positive example of the churches of Macedonia to spur the Corinthians to give as they had planned. 

 

 




I. FINISH WHAT YOU START – 2 CORINTHIANS 8:10-11

10 Now I am giving an opinion on this because it is profitable for you, who a year ago began not only to do something but also to desire it. 11 But now finish the task as well, that just as there was eagerness to desire it, so there may also be a completion from what you have.

Paul wrote to rekindle the Corinthians’ eagerness to help Christians in Jerusalem, an eagerness that they had demonstrated a year earlier.

• Did you ever plan to complete a project with a yearlong deadline? Perhaps you immediately began the task. Then more pressing responsibilities claimed your attention, and the project went to the back burner. When the deadline neared, you scrambled to meet it. This was the situation for the Corinthian Christians. When Paul first presented to them an opportunity to meet urgent needs of Christian brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, they eagerly volunteered. They began laying aside funds for the offering. Then the project lagged. Paul wrote to rekindle the Corinthian’s eagerness to help that they demonstrated earlier.

Why is it so hard to be generous over the long haul?

• Even with credible needs, it’s not easy to finish what we have started. Paul guided the Corinthians in this process. This lesson stresses the process involved in gracious giving. That process in a nutshell is in verse 11: When you decide to give, follow through. Paul’s readers had decided to participate in the offering. They wanted to help. Eagerness to give is hot air unless we follow through and give graciously as God leads us. Making our money work for the Lord involves carrying out our good intentions.
• The apostle was not issuing a command to follow through on the decision to give. Instead, he offered his opinion as a word of advice (8:10). He encouraged the believers to act on their decision to give not only because it would be good for others but also because it would be profitable for them. Thus, carrying out their previous plans for gracious giving would be a good idea. Gracious giving is actually an expression of love. Affirming our love for the Lord and the people for whom Christ died shifts our focus to where it belongs. To do this many of us must overcome our tendency to focus on ourselves rather than on others. We may tend to hang onto what we have and even resent appeals to give.
• Paul’s promise that giving is good for us may call to mind sales pitches we have heard - “Buy (or invest in) this, for it’s the deal of a lifetime!” we’ve been around long enough to reply mentally if not verbally, “Yeah, a great deal for you, but not for me!” remember, though, Paul did not speak from a self-serving motive. The gifts were not for him; he simply sought the offering on behalf of those who needed it. His words reflect the principle embodied in Jesus’ words in Acts 20:35 – “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Givers truly are blessed. Not only does selfless, generous giving collect for us “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20), but also enriches our lives in the here and now. When we support our local church and state, national, and world missions, we invest in God’s kingdom. His kingdom is made up of people – people whom He loves and for whom Christ died.
• We see firsthand how our own church giving helps our church to reach out to non-believers and believers alike in making disciples locally and in our state through cooperative efforts with other churches. Again, such giving ultimately is an investment in people. Thus giving graciously is profitable for us.

Where Does It All Go?

Create a pie chart to show where your money generally goes each month (housing, food, transportation, insurance, and so on).

 

 

My Monthly Spending

Where does giving to the church and the needs of others fall?

Relief was needed in Jerusalem and an offering was being taken to provide that relief. A year earlier, the Corinthian believers had promised to give this help, yet the task had not been completed. Therefore, Paul encouraged them to complete their commitment, as the Macedonian believers had done.



In the United States we are blessed with the greatest military force in the world. While many things make men and women who serve our nation special, I believe their readiness to serve is what sets them apart. They are always ready to go wherever they are needed and do whatever is necessary to defend our nation. Likewise, when needs arise around us, we should be ready to give.



Notice the honesty of Paul’s appeal in these verses:

• “I am giving an opinion.” Paul was not acting as God, but opened his heart and spoke to the people about all of this.
• “It is profitable for you.” It would be to the Corinthians’ advantage to participate in this offering.
• “Finish the task.” This gospel endeavor was worthy. The need was credible. It was time to finish what they had started. We don’t know if the people were distracted, if life had sidelined them, or what. Now was the time to finish what they had committed to do. Their integrity was on the line.

Surely, as followers of Jesus Christ, we should profess our readiness not only with words, but also with actions. Readiness begins with an attitude, but always involves an action.



Summary: The Corinthians had promised to give a year before, but they had not followed through (8:10). Paul was saying, “Follow through on your promise; finish what your started.” He applauded them for making a commitment in the first place, but now sought to motivate them to complete it. Paul subtly communicated that talk is cheap; now was the time to produce. The old adage is true: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The application is threefold: one, if you begin something, finish it. Two, to start and not to finish accomplishes nothing. Three, no credit is given by making a promise only by finishing the task.




Your giving can meet the needs of others, and their giving can meet your needs. Let’s find out how and why.



II. SHARE WHAT YOU CAN, LIVE ON WHAT YOU GOT – 2 CORINTHIANS 8:12-15

12 For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality— 14 at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality. 15 As it has been written: The person who gathered much did not have too much, and the person who gathered little did not have too little.



Equality is one principle critical to being ready to give as the needs arises.

• Equality – Paul encouraged Corinthian believers to share with the needy Christians in Jerusalem out of a sense of equality with them. Then all would have what they needed.

After deciding to become a gracious giver, the process of attaining that goal unfolds. Gracious giving is rooted in God’s grace (last week), producing an eagerness to give. The process then includes being careful to give in proportion to what we have, not what we wish we had. This step of wise stewardship guards against giving to the point of hardship, causing us to need financial help from others. It also avoids feeling guilty because we can’t give as much as we’d like. One’s gifts are acceptable to the Lord according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

 

Thus this step in the process of gracious giving is to determine how much we have to give – what one has. This may seem like common sense. But this simple step can be complicated by several factors. One factor is uncertainty. None of us has a functioning crystal ball. We’ve been taught to save for a rainy day, but we know neither when nor how many such days lie before us. Thus when we are challenged to meet a financial need, an avalanche of “what ifs” crash into our minds – what if I have a prolonged illness? What if I am injured in an accident? What if I lose my job? What if inflation eats away my savings in retirement? Most of us hope to pay our own way throughout our lives, so we have to think about how much we will need when gainful working days end. A second complicating factor is our tendency to compare our financial resources with what we perceive others to have. We know people who seem far better off than we are. Shouldn’t they do the heavy giving? Maybe, but that’s unrelated to what we should give.

How do we determine what we have to give? We can remind ourselves of three facts:

1. All we have is the Lord’s, not ours.
2. He knows what we have now and every need we will have from now on.
3. Following Him will lead to no regrets; He is loving and righteous, so we can trust His leadership.

The real question is, “What does He want us to give?” we pray until we are at peace with an amount. What if we give as we believe God leads and later find ourselves in need? As I have pondered this, I concluded that in such a situation we should thankfully accept financial help from those who graciously offer it. Isn’t that what Paul meant by: “At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so their abundance may also become available for our need, so there may be equality.” Pride tells us it’s shameful to receive help from others, but God’s gracious provision flows both from us and to us. If we need to rely on others, being grateful receivers is as important as being gracious givers.



To reinforce the idea of everyone having enough, Paul quoted Exodus 16:18. That verse relates to the Lord’s provision of manna to the Israelites during their wilderness wandering. As persons gathered manna each morning, they had only what they needed. Thus, “The person who gathered much did not have too much, and the person who gathered little did not have too little.”


Extremes abound. On one end of the giving spectrum we hear the appeals of those who promote a prosperity gospel. They advocate that if people commit by faith to give something, whether they have it or not, God will provide more for them to give. They say you can give your way into the prosperity of this world.



At the other end of the spectrum we hear a call for Christians to give away everything they have. These teachers claim poverty is to be the way of life for Christ-followers.



What principles about healthy giving did Paul communicate in this passage?

• Give according to what you have, not what you don’t. Christians are to give by the standard of what God has entrusted to them. Jesus said: “Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more” (Luke 12:48). As God has blessed us in life, we should step up to the level of God’s blessings! We may desire to give $1 million to a need; but cannot give this amount if our salary is $30,000 annually and our total net assets are less than $50,000. On the other hand, we never should desire to give only $10 to a major need if we earn a six figure income!
• It is a matter of equality. This passage is not an appeal to redistribute wealth. The apostle Paul taught those in Corinth to give while they were enjoying surplus and were able to give. A time might come later when the Corinthians would be the ones in need. Therefore we all choose to be generous and help. The people we help may be the ones who help us later.

Love leads us to be generous. And generosity always desires to meet the needs of others.



If you had a financial need that was met by a group of believers, what would that communicate to you?

 

 

 

Summary:

1. Share what you can (8:12-13). The phrase “according to what a person has” literally means “out of what you have” and parallels the phrase in 8:3, “according to their means.” Paul was not asking them to give as the Macedonians did and go beyond their means. He was not asking them to give as the widow gave her two mites or all that she had in Jesus’ presence. He was simply asking them to give according to their means, to share what they can. He was not trying to overburden them or to put them in a disadvantaged situation. His request was not unreasonable. He reminded them that there may come a time when the tables were turned and they would need assistance, too. Paul is appealing to equity or fairness.Two principles emerge from Paul’s counsel. One, one is to give in proportion to what one has. Two, one is to give on the basis of equity so that each has enough. We can share with others and still have enough. The question is who does the equalizing? God does. God intends that there be fairness in the distribution of what people need to live. They will lose nothing in sharing with their needy brothers and sisters in Christ. But they will face God’s judgment if they keep for themselves a surplus that could have been used to help others needing assistance.  
2. Live on what you got (8:15). Paul used the miracle of manna as an illustration of this principle. No matter how much manna the Jews gathered each day during their trek through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promise Land, they always had what they needed. What they got was what they needed and it was sufficient for that day. No one had a surplus; no one had a shortage. Those who tried to hoard the manna discovered that it was impossible, because the manna would decay and smell. The manna principle occurs in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” We are to learn to live each day with what has been provided. The problem occurs when we begin to hoard, and to live beyond our means. Then we become selfish. We fail to see the hurts and needs of others because we are more concerned about what we can keep for ourselves.

To discover more about how to make it possible to give to meet needs, let’s examine one more section of 2 Corinthians. 

III. GIVE WHAT YOU PROMISE – 2 CORINTHIANS 9:1-5

9 Now concerning the ministry to the saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you. 2 For I know your eagerness, and I brag about you to the Macedonians: “Achaia has been prepared since last year,” and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I sent the brothers so our boasting about you in the matter would not prove empty, and so you would be prepared just as I said. 4 For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be embarrassed in that situation. 5 Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.


The Corinthian Christians had inspired the Macedonians to give generously. The Macedonians then inspired the Corinthians to follow thorough.

• A happy result of gracious giving is setting an example that can inspire others. Setting an example in giving is not tooting one’s own horn about being generous. It’s sharing Christian testimony about both salvation and the blessing of gracious giving. Paul knew well the power of a good example. As he visited churches in Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea; Acts 16:9 – 17:14), he bragged about the enthusiastic, generous response of those in Achaia (Corinth, Cenchrea; Acts 18:1; Rom. 16:1). The Corinthian’s zeal in giving motivated most Macedonians to participate gladly. And just as Paul had bragged to the Macedonians about the Corinthians’ giving, in this letter to the Corinthians he bragged about the Macedonians’ giving as well. In both cases he cited positive examples to challenge believers to respond generously to real need.
• The Corinthians earlier had demonstrated eagerness to help meet the pressing needs of believers in Jerusalem. Paul did not need to write any more to them about the offering’s ministry to the saints. But he encouraged them to follow through on their giving plans so his boasting about them in the matter would not prove empty. Paul had bragged the Corinthian church had been prepared since last year for the offering. Would the offering be ready when he arrived to collect it? A casual reading of 1 Corinthians shows that the church had suffered much turmoil in that year. Paul became a target for criticism and accusation. Church unity fractured. Immorality in the church reared its ugly head. Selfish indifference manifested itself in fellowship meals. In 1 Corinthians, Paul had sought to confront and correct those and other wrongs. Toward the end of the letter, though, he reminded them of the collection for their needy brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Cor. 16:1-4).
• To further encourage the Corinthians to give as they first indicated they would, Paul sent Titus and an unnamed believer (2 Cor. 12:18) to arrange in advance the generous gift the Corinthians had promised. He wanted all who arrived in Corinth with him to be able to affirm that their offering was freely given, not as extortion or given grudgingly. Titus’s mission was to remind and encourage the Corinthians, not to browbeat them and to demand that they give.

One year earlier, Paul had received an incredible report from the Christians in Corinth. They pledged to relief to Christians in Jerusalem – and they promised to give generously. Their zeal and eagerness was genuine. Paul boasted of their generosity to the Macedonian believers. This inspired the Macedonians to give generously – and they did not have nearly the wealth the Corinthians had.



Nearly a year later, Paul used the Macedonians’ generosity to inspire the Corinthians to follow through. Paul sent Titus to Corinth to arrange for their generous gift. We find specific takeaways in these verses:

• Eagerness is contagious. Zeal inspires others, when we want to inspire, we do not enlist someone halfway committed to make the appeal. We choose someone who eagerly obeys God.
• Nothing is wrong with asking people to make a financial commitment to give. The apostle Paul was very clear in what he was asking from the Corinthians.
• Accountability is acceptable. Paul sent Titus to ensure the Corinthians followed through on their commitment to give. Without accountability, greed and stealing from God can occur.
• Giving is not about getting. Genuine, generous giving expects nothing in return.

What steps can we take now so we can give when the need arises?

• Many of us have to confess that not every gift of ours has come from a willing heart. To give willingly, especially when we are barely making ends meet, can be tough. We may, at times, have given with resentment for having been asked. We may have given so as not to look bad in the eyes of those asking or watching. We may have given out of sense of duty or obligation. Some people perhaps have sought to manipulate us to give by playing on our emotions. Such giving can leave us with a sense of having been victimized. The example of such badly motivated giving often is negative, not positive. It is tainted by our tone of voice, facial expression, and body language. But giving to the Lord’s work through His church and to missions has eternal significance. Let’s set a positive example for others with grace-inspired giving.
• Our motives for giving are very important to God, and to people. Be ready to give as the need arises, but do so with the right motives.

 

“A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” – Jack London

Summary: Paul returned to his main appeal. He tactfully said that he did not need to say anything more about their giving to this relief fund. But once again he appealed to their readiness (v. 1), to their zeal (v. 2), to their pride (vv. 3-4). If the Macedonians came for an offering and the Corinthian believers weren’t ready to give it would be an embarrassment to Paul and to the Corinthian church. Paul did not see anything wrong or unspiritual about asking people to give what they had promised. He expected them to keep their promise.





Let’s consider ways we could apply this biblical principle of being ready to give as the need arises.



Live It Out

What will it take for you to be ready to give as the need arises?

1. Take a step toward the generous side. Give a financial gift to ministry efforts through your church. Ask God how much to give.

2. Spend less. Review your receipts to see where you spend your money. (Recall the pie chart on page 44.) What can you adjust to have money to give, both for now and for later?

3. Volunteer in a ministry that assists those facing financial struggles. Commit to pray for someone you meet there.


 
God wants you to put whatever resources you have to work for Him. He did not give you money to hoard or waste, but to use to meet needs. Align your priorities with God’s and be ready to give as the need arises.

Prayer of Commitment

Dear Lord, may the zeal I say is in my heart to help others be matched by free and faithful acts that bring blessing to their lives and glory to Your Name. Amen.

What Does the Bible Say About Church Giving?

By Mary Fairchild

I hear complaints and questions like these from Christians frequently:
"Churches today only care about money."
"There is too much abuse and misuse of church funds. Why should I give?"
"How do I know the money will go to a good cause?"



"The church's concern is one's income. I have been to several and they always ask about income. I tell them I will give what I can and their response is, 'You have to give at least ten percent of your income.' I understand that the church needs funds to operate, but to tell someone that they need to give ten percent is not right ... In my area alone there are what I call 'Super Dome Churches' where the pastor drives a Bentley and has a home three times the size of mine. Is this what is preached in the Bible? I don't think so!"



Several research groups, including The Barna Group, have reported a decreasing trend in church giving and tithing. In a 2005 update on "Why People Do Not Give More," The Barna Group's director, George Barna, said this trend is influenced by the following factors:

1. "Some people lack the motivation to give away their hard-earned money because the church has failed to provide a compelling vision for how the money will make a difference in the world."
2. "[Some] see their giving as leverage on the future. They withhold money from the church because they do not see a sufficient return on their investment." 
3. "[Some] people ... do not realize the church needs their money to be effective. Their church has done an inadequate job of asking for money, so people remain oblivious to the church’s expectations and potential."
4. "[Others] are ignorant of what the Bible teaches about our responsibility to apply God’s resources in ways that affect lives." 
5. "The final category contains those who are just selfish. They figure they worked hard for their money and it’s theirs to use as they please. Their priorities revolve around their personal needs and desires."

For the sake of this study, I'd like to focus on the fourth group of people, those who've never looked at what the Bible says about giving.


What Does the Bible Say About Giving?

When my husband and I were looking for a good church, we observed that some churches seemed to always be asking for money. This concerned us. When we found our current church home, we were truly impressed to learn that the church did not receive a formal offering during the service. The church does have offering boxes in the building, but members are never pressured to give. Money, tithing, and giving are only mentioned when our pastor happens to be teaching through a section of Scripture dealing with these issues.



But please don't misunderstand! We love to give. That's because we've learned something. When we give to God, we get blessed. And although most of our giving goes to the church, we don't give to a church. We don't give to the pastor. We give our offerings to God alone. In fact, the Bible teaches us to give, for our own good and for our own blessing, from a cheerful heart.



But don't just take my word as proof that God wants us to give. Let's look at what the Bible says about giving.



First and foremost, God wants us to give because it shows that we recognize he is truly the Lord of our lives.
James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (NIV)


Everything we own and everything we have comes from God. So, when we give, we simply offer Him a very small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us. Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God. It comes from a heart of worship that recognizes that everything we give already belongs to Him.



Background: God instructed Old Testament believers to give a tithe, or a tenth, because this 10% represented the first, or most important portion of all that they had. The New Testament does not suggest a certain percentage for giving, but simply says for each to give "in keeping with his income."



Believers should give according to their income.
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, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. (NIV)
Note that the offering was set aside on the first day of the week. When we are willing to offer the first portion of our wealth back to Him, then God knows He has our hearts. He knows—and we also know—that we are submitted completely in trust and obedience to our Lord and Savior.



We are blessed when we give.
Acts 20:35

... remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (NIV)
God wants us to give because He knows how blessed we will be as we give generously to Him and to others. Giving is a kingdom principle—it brings more blessing to the giver than to the recipient.



When we give freely to God, we receive freely from God.
Luke 6:38

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. (NIV)


Proverbs 11:24

One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. (NIV)
God promises that we will be blessed over and above what we give and also according to the measure that we use to give. But, if we hold back from giving with a stingy heart, we hinder God from blessing our lives.




Believers should seek God and not a legalistic rule about how much to give.
2 Corinthians 9:7

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (NIV)
Giving is meant to be a joyful expression of thanks to God from the heart, not a legalistic obligation.



The value of our offering is not determined by how much we give, but how we give.
Mark 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." (NIV)



The Widow's Offering
I see at least three important things about giving in this story of the widow's offering:



1. God values our offerings differently than men do.
In God's eyes, the value of the offering is not determined by the amount of the offering. The text says that the wealthy gave large amounts, but the widow's offering was of much higher value because she gave all that she had. It was a costly sacrifice. Note that Jesus did not say she put in more than any of the others; He said she put in more than all the others.



2. Our attitude in giving is important to God.
The text says Jesus "watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury." Jesus observed the people as they gave their offerings, and He watches us today as we give. If we give to be seen by men or with a stingy heart toward God, our offering loses its value. Jesus is more interested and impressed by how we give than what we give.



We see this same principle in the story of Cain and Abel. God evaluated Cain and Abel's offerings. Abel's offering was pleasing in God's eyes, but He rejected Cain's. Rather than giving to God out of thankfulness and worship, Cain may have presented his offering with evil or selfish intent. Maybe he had hoped to receive special recognition. Regardless, Cain knew the right thing to do, but he didn't do it. God even gave Cain an opportunity to make things right, but he chose not to.


This illustrates again that God watches what and how we give. God not only cares about the quality of our gifts to Him, but also the attitude in our hearts as we offer them.





3. God doesn't want us to be overly concerned with how our offering is spent.
At the time Jesus observed this widow's offering, the temple treasury was managed by the corrupt religious leaders of that day. But Jesus did not mention anywhere in this story that the widow should not have given to the temple.



Resolution
Although we should do what we can to ensure that the ministries we give to are good stewards of God's money, we can't always know for certain that the money we give will be spent correctly. We should not be overly burdened with this concern, nor should we use this as an excuse not to give.



It's important for us to find a good church that is wisely managing its financial resources for God's glory and for the growth of God's kingdom. But once we give to God, we don't need to worry about what happens to the money. This is God's problem to resolve. If a church leader or a ministry misuses its funds, God knows how to deal with them.



We rob God when we fail to give offerings to him.
Malachi 3:8

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. (NIV)
This verse speaks for itself, don't you think?





The picture of our financial giving simply reveals a reflection of our lives surrendered to God.
Romans 12:1

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. (NIV)
When we truly recognize all that Christ has done for us, we will want to offer ourselves wholly to God as a living sacrifice of worship to him. Our offerings will flow freely from a heart of gratitude.



A Challenge
In conclusion, I'd like to explain my personal convictions and offer a challenge to my readers. As I've already stated, I believe tithing is no longer the law. As New Testament believers, we are under no legal obligation to give a tenth of our income. However, my husband and I feel strongly that the tithe ought to be the starting point of our giving. We see it as the minimum to give, a demonstration that everything we have belongs to God.



We also believe most of our giving should go to the local church (the storehouse) where we are fed God's Word and nurtured spiritually. Malachi 3:10 says, "'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 there will not be room enough to store it.'"



If you're not currently giving to the Lord, I challenge you to start by making a commitment. Give something faithfully and regularly. I'm certain God will honor and bless your commitment. If a tenth seems too overwhelming, consider making it a goal. Giving may feel like a huge sacrifice at first, but I'm confident you'll eventually discover its rewards.

God wants believers to be free from the love of money, which the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10 is "a root of all kinds of evil." Giving honors the Lord and allows his work to go forward. It also helps build our faith. We may experience times of financial hardship when we can't give as much, but the Lord still wants us to trust Him in times of lack. He, not our paycheck, is our provider. He will meet our daily needs.



A friend of my pastor once told him that financial giving is not God's way of raising money--it's His way of raising children.


Great to see everyone this morning!

 

 

In His Love,

 

 

David & Susan