Pass the Plate Please

1 Corinthians 16:1–4 ESV

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 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. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

Introduction: Comedian Jack Benny had a reputation as an inflexible tightwad. One day, in a skit on his radio show, a would-be robber stopped him on the street, poked a gun into his ribs, and said, “Your money or your life.” After a long pause, and a few more jabs with the gun, Benny quipped, “I'm thinking, I'm thinking.”

I heard of a pastor who used the same theme from that skit for his sermon on stewardship Sunday one year. His title: “Your Money or Your Life.” That morning, the choir's anthem was the familiar “Take my Life.”

I make no apology for preaching on the topic of giving and stewardship.

First, there are 800 passages in scripture that talk about Money. For Jesus, teaching about money was more than just a plea to give, it was an essential preparation for living a Godly life.

Frankly, one of the most common idols in his day and in our day is mammon - which is a Biblical term that refers to wealth, money and possessions. Jesus warned us that we can’t serve both God and mammon. If you don’t master your money, your money will master you.

In the passage today, Paul gives us plain and practical instructions on how we ought to give for the support of ministry. He gives detailed instructions to the believers in Corinth on how to receive an offering for the relief of the poor saints in Jerusalem.

The 4 truths we see in this passage that applied to that offering apply to all giving. let's look at them together...

Their Giving Had a Kingdom Purpose (v. 1)

The situation in Jerusalem the facilitated the collection.

Believers in Jerusalem were impoverished. There were several possible reasons for their poverty.

Possible famine in Jerusalem () A Prophet named Agabus Came from Jerusalem to Antioch and foretold that a famine would affect the known world at that time. Indeed, a famine did hit the land when Claudius Caesar was in power.

Persecution for their faith came with a price. They may have been ostracized and cut off from their families - which at the time was the main welfare source in the ancient world.

This offering was a relief offering for those saints in Jerusalem and it was a cooperative effort among the churches that Paul had planted. Notice, Paul talked about the Galatian church participating. We also know the church at Antioch gave to meet the need.

These combined offerings were given to to provide help for the saints.

This goes to show the value of cooperation among churches. Together, we can accomplish more.

This is why I believe in our denomination - Southern Baptists. We have a system in place that enables us to work together for the spread of the gospel called the cooperative program.

Southern Baptist Churches give a percentage of our offerings to our convention which uses the funds to support mission work around the world as well as the education of ministers through Southern Baptist Seminaries.

As believers, we give back to God a portion of what He has entrusted to us through our local church for the ultimate purpose of advancing the gospel. That is the primary purpose of our giving.

Their Giving was Planned (v. 2)

Our giving advances the gospel by providing for missions whether they be through our church or through our Southern Baptist Convention.

Our giving advances the gospel by providing for outreaches enabling this church to get out into the community.

Our giving advances the gospel by providing the tools and resources for the equipping of the saints for work of the ministry.

Our giving advances the gospel when it enables us to be the hands and feet of Jesus through service.

Any other purpose that doesn’t advance the gospel is secondary, perhaps even tertiary. That includes making sure we are comfortable and our preferences are honored in church.

Whenever you give, make sure you do so with the gospel of the Kingdom of God in view.

Their Giving was Planned (v. 2)

Paul instructed them, on the first day of the week - that is Sunday - to set aside their offering and store it up…so that when he arrived, there would be no need to hastily put together a collection effort.

First of all, from this example, we learn that giving is an act of worship since it was to be done on the first day of the week. The early church had clearly transitioned their day of worship to the day of the week that Jesus rose from the grave by this time.

Do you give your tithes and offering in a spirit of worship? Or do you give grudgingly. Is giving a blessing to you or a burden? If you are not giving with a right heart, you might as well not give at all.

Illus. Remember the story of Cain and Able in Genesis? Abel, a shepherd, brought the very best he had and offered it to the Lord in a spirit of worship. Cain, a farmer, brought the fruit of the ground as an offering. I don’t think the problem was what he brought but the attitude in which he brought it.

Second, they planned out what they were giving. In other words, they put some thought into their giving.

For many Americans, our giving is an afterthought…if we have some left over after we have paid our bills and gone out to eat a few times, we might give.

Paul didn’t tell them an exact amount to give. He didn’t even instruct them to give it to the church each week for safe keeping. He told them to put it aside and give it when he comes to Corinth.

That requires discipline. Especially when the unexpected bills come up…the car breaks down…there is a trip to the emergency room…when you have to take the dog or cat to the vet…any emergency which might lead you to dip into the funds you have set aside.

Do you plan your giving? Do you stick to the plan even when some emergency arises? Do you trust God to take care of the emergencies?

Psalm 37:25 ESV

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.

Psalm

Their Giving Included Everyone’s Participation (v. 2)

Their Giving Included Everyone’s Participation (v. 2)

Illus. A little boy in church for the first time watched as the ushers passed around the offering plates. When they came near his pew, the boy said loudly, “Don’t pay for me, Daddy, I’m under five.”

Paul said, “each of you” is to put something aside. He did say just the well off folks are to put something aside. There was a opportunity and an obligation for every believer to participate.

Even in the old testament, provision was made for the poor Israelites to be able to bring an offering to the Temple.

Of the mandatory sacrifices, there were five possible elements of a sin sacrifice—a young bull, a male goat, a female goat, a dove/pigeon, or 1/10 ephah of fine flour. The type of animal depended on the identity and financial situation of the giver. A female goat was the sin offering for the common person, fine flour was the sacrifice of the very poor, a young bull was offered for the high priest and the congregation as a whole, and so on. From Got Questions.org

Giving is a spiritual discipline - just like prayer and Bible study - and it is only learned and developed through discipleship. If a church has a giving problem, then the root of the problem is a lack of members being discipled.

Giving is a spiritual discipline - just like prayer and Bible study - and it is only learned and developed through discipleship. If a church has a giving problem, then the root of the problem is a lack of members being discipled.

Illus. When Penny was serving as Minister of Music and Children at my home church, she usually did the children’s sermon during worship. One morning, the topic was stewardship. She brought her check book with her and began talking to the children about the different checks she had written.She wanted them to see the fact that our checkbook is a good indicator of what we value most. She pointed out checks for her car payment and insurance and groceries, then she pointed out one for the church. She asked the children why would she need to write a check to the church. One little girl spoke up and said, “So you can stay here and not get fired.”

Seriously though, our checkbook or our bank account is an indicator of where we are spiritually. If most of your money is going toward your stuff and very little, if any, is going toward the Kingdom…you may have a problem with your relationship with God.

You might say, I’m afraid that I won’t have enough money to live on. I understand that. I have been there, done that, and got the T-shirt.

If you struggle with having more month than money, then work on getting out of debt.

If you are not giving because you don’t feel like you can give 10% of your income, don’t get hung up on a number. Start with 5% and grow into it. I promise you that God will not send you to hell because you are not giving 10%. We don’t live under the law, we live under grace.

For believers, 10% is only a good starting point.

Illus. John Wesley grew up in poverty. His father was an Anglican priest serving on one of the poorest parishes in England. Once, his father was taken to debtors prison for his inability to pay his debt.

When John felt the call to ministry, he believed that God had not called him to live in poverty so he began to teach at Oxford University which paid him 30 pounds a year - more than enough money for a single man to live on at the time.

He spent his money frivolously on playing cards, tobacco and brandy. One day however, something happened that changed his perspective about money. One cold winter day, a chambermaid came to his door. She only have a very thin linen gown to protect her. He had just spent a good amount of his money to buy paintings to decorate the walls of his room. He reached into his pocket only to discover that he had too little left to help the lady.

In 1731, he began to limit his expenses so that he would have more money to give. He records that one year his income was 30 pounds and his living expenses 28 pounds, so he had 2 pounds to give away. The next year his income doubled, but he still managed to live on 28 pounds, so he had 32 pounds to give to the poor. In the third year, his income jumped to 90 pounds. Instead of letting his expenses rise with his income, he kept them to 28 pounds and gave away 62 pounds. In the fourth year, he received 120 pounds. As before, his expenses were 28 pounds, so his giving rose to 92 pounds.

One year, his income was 1400 pounds. He lived off of 30 and gave the rest away. Wesley believed that with increasing income, what should rise is not the Christian’s standard of living but the standard of giving.

That leads us into the last truth.

Their Giving Was Proportional (v. 2)

Paul told them to give as God had prospered them. What does that mean? Their giving was to be in direct proportion to the manner in which the wage earner is prospering.

Illus. “Unlike the world which measures the worth of contributions according to total dollars, the kingdom of our Lord measures contributions according to one’s means. Thus, as Jesus noted, a poor woman’s mite is counted as more valuable than the high dollar amounts of the rich who give out of their excess.” - Marion Clark

Going back to what I said earlier about giving percentages, the NT does not specify a percentage - it says give as you have been prospered.

However, the NT does encourage generosity.

Luke 6:38 ESV

give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2 COrinthians

2 Corinthians 9:11 ESV

You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 ESV

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Now keep in mind that what you reap may not necessarily be more money. One of the biggest benefits of giving that we reap is the change it produces in our life. We become better people when we give. I will also note that we get better control over the money we keep…I tend to manage the remainder of the money I have much better after I have generously given.

2 Corinthians 9:

Now keep in mind that what you reap may not necessarily be more money. One of the biggest benefits of giving that we reap is the change it produces in our life. We become better people when we give. I will also note that we get better control over the money we keep…I tend to manage the remainder much better after I have generously given.

Closing: Tony Campolo tells of being invited to speak at a ladies meeting. There were 300 women there. Before he spoke the president of the organization read a letter from a missionary. It was a very moving letter.  In the letter the missionary expressed a need for $4,000 to take care of an emergency that had cropped up. So the president of the organization said, "We need to pray that God will provide the resources to meet the need of this missionary. Bro. Campolo will you please pray for us?" 

Now keep in mind that what you reap may not necessarily be more money. One of the biggest benefits of giving that we reap is the change it produces in our life. We become better people when we give.

Tony Campolo, who is very outspoken said, "No." Startled, she said, "I beg your pardon."  He said, "No, I won’t pray for that." He said, "I believe that God has already provided the resources & that all we need to do is give. Tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to step up to this table & give every bit of cash I have in my pocket. And if all of you will do the same thing, I think God has already provided the resources." 

The president of the organization chuckled a little bit & said, "Well, I guess we get the point. He is trying to teach us that we all need to give sacrificially."  He said, "No, that is not what I am trying to teach you. I’m trying to teach you that God has already provided for this missionary. All we need to do is give it. Here, I’m going to put down all of my money I have with me."  He wrote, "I only had $15 in my pocket so I wasn’t too worried about that." So he put down his $15 & then looked at the president of the organization.

Reluctantly, she opened her purse & took out all of her money, which was about $40, & put it on the table. One by one the rest of the ladies filed by & put their money on the table, too. When the money was counted they had collected more than $4,000." 

Tony Campolo said, "Now, here’s the lesson. God always supplies for our needs, & he supplied for this missionary, too. The only problem was we were keeping it for ourselves. Now let’s pray & thank God for His provision." 

I honestly believe that God has already provided everything our church needs to meet and exceed our budget…Let’s not keep it for ourselves.