Ministry Matters
Notes
Transcript
California Bill AB495
California Bill AB495
“Family Preparedness Act of 2025”
Would allow unrelated adults, broadly defined as an “adult caregiver” with a “mentoring relationship with the child” to assume custody-like control over a child through a one page Caregivers Authorization Affidavit. No court appearance. No notarization. No parental consent or notification. No background check. No verification of identity required.
“California wants to let someone that is not related to your child remove her from school, enroll her in any other school in the state, authorize any medical treatment of her, including mental health services and drugs, without the parents’ notice and knowledge or consent. This is not fear-mongering. I’m not being hyperbolic,” she said. “These unintended consequences are terrifying, and they are unavoidable.”
Attorney Nicole Pearson
https://www.californiafamily.org/2025/08/pastor-jack-hibbs-rallies-parents-to-sacramento-if-ab-495-passes-run-with-your-kids/
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
43 “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
Why Chapter 16?
Why Chapter 16?
Because what we call 1 Corinthians was a letter written to the Christian community in Corinth.
Because all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable.
Because chapter 15 neatly prepares the way for the content of chapter 16, especially this first part.
In matters of ministry …
I. Faithfully Find Opportunities to Fill the Needs of God’s People, Because Ministry Matters (1 Corinthians 16:1-4)
I. Faithfully Find Opportunities to Fill the Needs of God’s People, Because Ministry Matters (1 Corinthians 16:1-4)
Faithful — loyal, reliable, dependable, trustworthy
Giving
The primary way we give is through the local church for the saints
Faithfully Give
Regularly
Giving should be done on a regular basis.
The first day of the week is Sunday, but let’s not get legalistic about it. The day or frequency which people give will vary, often depending on jobs, paychecks, and the liquidity of assets (e.g., some people receive their paychecks bi-weekly while others receive it monthly).
Individually
Giving is your responsibility and no one else’s.
1 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. 3 And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; 4 for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”
Sacrificially
Giving should cost you something.
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
Willingly
Generously
Giving should be voluntary and generous
4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
Begging to participate
7 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. 8 I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 10 I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.
This is not a command, it is a way to prove (demonstrate) the sincerity of your love
Why?
Because God gives the most
19 We love, because He first loved us.
Desire [willingly give]
Joyfully
Giving is not a have to. Giving is a get to.
7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Expectantly
When we give, we should expect to be taken care of.
6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written, “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
Not the prosperity gospel — the purpose of giving is not about you
When you generously sow to the things of God, you will always have an abundance of everything you need to accomplish God’s work.
20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
Tithing vs. Generosity
Tithe — a tenth
Tithing pre-dates the Law:
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” He gave him a tenth of all.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, 21 and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. 22 “This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Generosity
Christians are commanded to give generously, not to give strictly 10 percent.
Generosity is not calculated.
Giving Statistics
Tithers make up only 10-25% of a congregation.
However, this small group is committed to giving. Of regular tithers, 77% regularly give above and beyond 10% (11-20%+).
Christians are giving 2.5% of their income (down from 3.3% during the Great Depression).
Only 3-5% of Americans who give to their local church do so through regular tithing.
17% of Americans state they faithfully tithe.
For families making $75k+, 1% give at least 10% in tithe.
7/10 tithers do so based off gross income.
https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
In matters of ministry …
II. Faithfully Seek Opportunities to Serve God’s People, Because Ministry Matters (1 Corinthians 16:5-9)
II. Faithfully Seek Opportunities to Serve God’s People, Because Ministry Matters (1 Corinthians 16:5-9)
Learn to Look for Opportunities to Serve
26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Learn to Be Flexible
9 The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Learn to Pursue Opportunities for Effective Service
Learn that Opportunities for Effective Service are Opportunities for Opposition
21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.
In matters of ministry …
III. Faithfully Explore Opportunities to Encourage God’s Leaders, Because Ministry Matters (1 Corinthians 16:10-12)
III. Faithfully Explore Opportunities to Encourage God’s Leaders, Because Ministry Matters (1 Corinthians 16:10-12)
