Financial Stewardship
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2 Cor 9:6-11
2 Cor 9:6-11
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”[c] 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”[d]
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity[e] in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
NLT
WHY TALK ON GIVING?
I haven’t addressed this for over a year.
Now, as we move into this new building seems like as good a time as any.
IGNORANCE IS BLISS
a person who does not know about a problem does not worry about it.
Me getting into an online debate about the original Greek in a passage in James. I had read one theologians view on it but didn’t know Greek myself, I got schooled. I realised I needed to know Greek and Hebrew.
2 Kings 22 - The book of the law is found in the temple. Josiah tears his clothes - They have been living in ignorance of God’s word. So while ignorance may be blissful to the ignorant, it becomes a curse to everyone else!
Pastors who leave out weighty or uncomfortable texts and only preach the feel good stuff are like parents who only feed their kids on junk food.
Medicine rarely tastes good but it will do wonders for a sick person. And so those passages of scripture that may not be the easiest to digest are often those which do us the most good in the long run.
There are two enemies in our struggle for maturity in the things of God that are rarely mentioned:
Your personal preferences - what you like and what you don’t
And what you think you already know.
The subject of giving is one of the biggest areas of ignorance in the church today.
STATISTICS
Church development - 5% of American Church Goer’s tithe
Church of England 2019 - The number of regular givers is shrinking.
The average amount given by regular givers is around £14 a week (around 2% of the average income).
Most attendees do not give regularly to their local church.
The fact is - most don’t give because they haven’t planned to give. Me at uni.
IS THIS REALLY MUCH OF A BIG DEAL?
Churches are closing.
Ministers are having to take up multiple jobs to support their families or are simply leaving the ministry.
RL story.
WE DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOU WHINE ON ABOUT GIVING!
My job is just to encourage you to look at what God’s word says about giving and keep my personal opinions out of it as much as possible.
So does the Bible have much to say about money?
1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
We first have to think of our finances as a stewardship - all our money belongs to Him.
Giving is mentioned a lot in both the OT and the NT.
According to the Bible:
Giving is an act of worship - Phil 4:18
18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
Giving is an act of obedience - Mal 3:8-10
8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
It reveals the heart - Matt 6:21
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
GIVING IN THE OT
In the OT God’s people tithed (gave 10% of their produce) to support the Levites and to support temple worship. They were actually commanded to tithe a little over 20% of their annual produce.
They were also to give ‘free will offerings’ on top of their tithes as and when God prospered them.
GIVING IN THE NT
Now of course we can’t tithe in the same way that they did in the OT, there are no Levites, and there is no temple for starters. So although there is no tithe required of believers today, there are principles for giving that carry over from the OT into the new.
The Apostle Paul explicitly connects OT and NT giving in 1 Cor 9 .
13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
OUR GIVING MUST GO FIRST TO
Our local church
To support the Pastors/elders in their work
17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
To support the poor and the work of ministry
To support mission/missionaries
HOW SHOULD WE GIVE
Intentionally and consistently - 1 Cor 16:2
2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
According to ones means
Whatever amount you purpose to give in their heart
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
This is not a condemning message for those who have little - it’s a blessing. Widow with two mites. God promises that those who give to His work will not go unrewarded.
GOD’S PROMISES FOR US WHEN WE GIVE
He is pleased with us - 2 Cor 9
We are participating in the work of the Gospel - Phil 1:5
God causes profit to increase to our account - Phil 4:17
17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account.
That we will lack nothing because we have given - 2 Cor 9:8
8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Those who give bountifully shall reap bountifully.
God will multiply your resources.
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity[e] in you. - NLT
Others will glorify God because of your generosity.