Giving ourselves first to the Lord

It’s been a while since I’ve sprung a pop quiz on you. So here we go! How many disciples of Jesus that we read about in Scripture can you name? (Celebrate or point out naming the women)

THE BIG TWELVE

Simon Peter (also called Peter)

James (son of Zebedee)

John (brother of James, also son of Zebedee)

Andrew (brother of Peter)

Philip

Bartholomew (also believed to be Nathanael)

Matthew (the tax collector, also called Levi)

Thomas (also known as Didymus)

James (son of Alphaeus)

Thaddaeus (also called Judas son of James, or Lebbaeus)

Simon the Zealot

Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Jesus)

Others:

Mary Magdalene

Mary, the mother of James and Joses

Salome

Joanna

Martha and Mary of Bethany

Lazarus (whom Jesus raised from the dead)

Joseph of Arimathea

Nicodemus

Cleopas (met Jesus on the road to Emmaus)

Luke names Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, along with “many others.” These women weren’t just on the sidelines—they were part of the movement. Luke doesn’t explicitly call them disciples - but their actions tell us they were. They followed, they served, they stayed.

I talked about this a bit on Easter Sunday - these same women remained near the cross (Luke 23:49), and were first to the tomb (Luke 24:1–10). Their courage and commitment didn’t suddenly appear—they had been following Jesus all along. They modelled discipleship not just by what they believed, but by how they followed—with persistence, courage, and presence. Their faith was expressed in movement, in showing up, in staying close to Jesus through every season. When others fled, they stayed. When hope seemed lost, they returned.

But Luke also tells us they supported Jesus and the disciples 'out of their resources’ (Luke 8:3). They were providing from their own resources, financially and materially sustaining Jesus' ministry. As far as we can tell this wasn’t a one-off gesture but an ongoing act of service and generosity. These women enabled the ministry to happen—not from a distance, but as active, invested participants. Their discipleship was expressed through giving, presence, and care—quiet but essential to the life and work of Jesus.

There are only a handful of mentions in the Gospel about how Jesus’ ministry was funded, including the support of his disciples:

John 4:8 “(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)” implies the disciples had money for daily needs

John 12:6 “(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)” and John 13:29 “Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor.” both imply that there was a shared pool of money to resource their needs as well as supporting those in need.

Jumping across to our 2 Corinthians reading - Paul shares a remarkable story about the churches in Macedonia. These were not wealthy churches. In fact, they were struggling—facing hardship, economic scarcity, and persecution. Historically, Macedonia had suffered under Roman occupation, its economy weakened by war and taxation. Many believers were likely labourers or even enslaved. And on top of this, they were experiencing pressure because of their faith.

And yet Paul says: 

2 Corinthians 8:2 NRSV

during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

And he continues:

2 Corinthians 8:3–5 NRSV

For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us,

They gave themselves first to the Lord. That’s the key. It always starts there - not with what we have, but with whom we belong to.

The Greek word charis (χάρις) appears throughout chapters 8 and 9. It’s a very cool word, that means many things depending on the context - everything from graciousness to attractiveness to gratitude to giving to unmerited favour.

Paul uses it to describe both God’s generosity toward us and the Macedonians’ generosity toward others. Giving isn’t just a transaction—it’s an outworking of grace.

Giving isn’t just something we do—it’s an expression of who we follow. Being a disciple means reorienting our whole life around Jesus: our time, our priorities, our values, and yes, even our resources. A disciple isn’t just someone who believes, but someone who follows—who learns from Jesus and begins to live in the way of Jesus. And Jesus lived generously. He poured himself out for others. So when we give—however much or little—we’re participating in that same pattern. We’re saying, 'My life belongs to God, and I want it to reflect his grace.'

So if generosity is part of following Jesus, what does that look like for us? The women in Luke 8 didn’t just follow - they invested. Their giving sustained Jesus’ ministry. It was practical, personal, and generous. And that kind of investment is what sustains the ministry of St Michael’s too. What would it mean for our giving to reflect that same spirit - being so deeply invested in what God is doing through our life together that we choose to invest in it? Do we have skin in the game?

I know that St Michael’s is a special place for us all. I’d like you to take a moment to think about our church and life together - and call out the things that you appreciate about this place and these people.

We recently ran a church-wide survey. One of the questions asked whether obedience to Jesus had influenced decisions about life or money in the past week - 70% said yes. That is so encouraging—it shows that discipleship is happening. It shows that many of us are trying to follow Jesus in real, everyday choices - not just in belief, but in practice. Give yourselves a pat on the back!

But another question asked whether people had increased their giving to church as their income increased. Only 35% said yes. That might sound confronting, but it’s important to be honest: not everyone’s income has increased, and most of us are facing rising cost of living. Stats NZ reports a 3% increase in general household costs over the past year, and a 9% rise in average rent.

So this isn’t about guilt—it’s about grace. In hard times, generosity might look different. But it can still be real. The Macedonians weren’t generous because life was easy. They were generous because they gave themselves first to God, and everything else followed from there.

And this also means being honest about where our trust lies.

Jesus talked about money and possessions more than almost any other topic (other than the kingdom of God!) He says in

Matthew 6:24 NRSV

“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Not should not—cannot. One will always take priority. That doesn’t mean money is evil. But it does mean we need to ask: am I serving it, or is it serving God’s purposes through me?

Jesus also teaches us to give quietly and humbly -

Matthew 6:3 NRSV

do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

It’s not about secrecy for secrecy’s sake—it’s about sincerity. Giving, in the way of Jesus, is deeply personal. Done not for reward, but out of love and trust in the God who sees (Matthew 6:4).

As we come in to land, here’s a final encouragement. If you’ve donated to St Mike’s in the past tax year, you should have received a donation receipt recently. Hopefully you’re aware that you can claim a third of the amount you’ve gifted to St Michael’s from the IRD. If that refund comes your way, and if you’re in a position to do so, would you consider offering part or all of it back to St Michael’s as an additional gift?

And let me reassure you - Rebecca and I never want to know who gives to St Mike’s. That’s intentional. We don’t want our relationships to be shaped by that knowledge. The only person who does see those details is our treasurer, Jan, and that’s simply because she needs to handle the finances with care.

So we end where Paul began: “They gave themselves first to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5). The women in Luke 8 lived this out. They followed Jesus with their lives, their presence, and their resources. Their example invites us to do the same—not from obligation, but from a deep sense of belonging to God and being part of his mission. That’s what our giving to St Michael’s can be: a shared investment in what God is doing among us and through us. That’s the invitation. Not to give because you have to. Not to give because someone is watching. But to give—of time, presence, energy, and resources—because your life belongs to God, and because you have experienced his grace.

Amen.

PRAYER MINISTRY