The Healthy Church Gives and Loves
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Opening Question: Why do you give to church, to this church?
Opening Question: Why do you give to church, to this church?
Do you give to other charities?
What if someone gave $1,000,000 to the church?
Would you still give? Why? Why not?
STATS - Facts
STATS - Facts
BIG POINTS TODAY:
BIG POINTS TODAY:
We as a church need to do better job at explaining our mission, and carrying out that mission?
Do we understand that mission?
Do you understand it? I pray this message helps.
THIS church - generous in responding to needs
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. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
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. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 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.
EVERYthing about Jesus was radical, including His giving. He expects the same of disciples
God loves a cheerful giver, and He cares for and provides for those He loves
Giving is ultimately for YOU, God seeks to bless you and your giving (NOT prosperity theology, “blessing” is heavenly, spiritual
Biblical Giving in the Healthy Church
Biblical Giving in the Healthy Church
1) Principle
1) Principle
Old Testament
Old Testament
Deut
“You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year.
10% of the produce of the fields
Not paid in cash, as we think of it
Cain/Abel - knew to sacrifice
Noah - more than a tithe after the Flood
Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, perhaps a personification of God
This occurred before the law
Other sacrifices, payments to temple - total 30 - 40%
New Testament
New Testament
Cheerful, Sacrificial, generous, as prospered
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,
For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales
They desired to give as an expression of their worship (this is on the first day of the week)
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.
They desired to give as an expression of their worship (this is on the first day of the week)
On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.
POINT: Tithe is not required of believers
Could be a good goal, or even a good starting point
If simply done as a requirement, you’re just following a rule,
And, since the Law is dead, that rule is not in effect
(and REM - OT was not $$, it was product - for us, that loosely equates in a way we understand
STAT, IF believers in US gave 10% (see sheet)
Additional $165B for churches to use and distribute (see sheet for application)
Tithing is good foundation, and something we GET to do
2) Practice
2) Practice
Given of firstfruits, first of all the produce of the land - (The amount was Law, the source was not)
Planned - ahead of time, whether or not the person “here”
It’s not about a 2-minute portion of a Sunday service
Regular (weekly, monthly, etc.)
8/10 in US who give regularly have zero CC debt
Prayerful - Giving to God what is ALREADY His! It’s all His
Giving is a spiritual matter
Giving is a spiritual matter
Heart issue, not about the money
It’s not about a 2-minute portion of a Sunday service
STAT, IF believers in US gave 10% (see sheet) - What if they tithed?
Jesus spoke about the eye:
Good eye - happy when others prosper
Good eye - happy when others prosper
Evil eye - eye upon the self
Evil eye - eye upon the self
for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Good eye - happy when others prosper
Evil eye - eye upon the self
Practical
Budget or otherwise - give first, write the check, set is aside, take it off the top
And not grudgingly
God will provide what you need, NEED, not want, but NEED
Unbelievers don’t get this, how we can’t out-give God
Unbelievers don’t get that we’d rather give to church, to God, rather than get a better house, car, school, etc.
In truth, the HUGE majority of believers don’t get it, either
And we don’t give grudgingly
3) Purpose
3) Purpose
To better understand the purpose of giving, we need to understand the purpose of the church
QUESTION: What is the purpose of this church? What does this community need from Cornerstone?
Answer (from the community, based on requests we get): to provide food and money for people who are not part of the church
To them, we are a social service, no different than charitable organizations
Answer (from God’s Word, based on God’s purpose for the church): the Gospel, the truth
We MUST believe that, or why else are we here?
(We worship, YES, to point to God, and our giving is an aspect of our giving)
Independent/Autonomous Local Church - VERY Biblical
Not reliant on any outside funds
Giving pays the bills, keeps the lights on, keeps the pastor employed
All true, but not nearly the BIG picture
Do we see our church as important?
Do we see and realize the need of this church?
Cornerstone NEEDS to be healthy financially, so that this community can get what it NEEDS from Cornerstone
On one hand - God wants us to respond to this church’s need, but not once, not short-term; regularly, ongoing
On another - God is being active here, because there are faithful people here - when the faithful show up, when the faithful give, God works in amazing ways
But what about “I give of my time?”
“Giving” is synonymous with love, selfless
Beyond our financial support, the giving of our time
Same questions:
How important is this church, and it’s mission, to YOU?
The effectiveness of our church, and its mission, is DIRECTLY related to people giving of time and energy - SERVING
We put our focused energy into what we feel is important
For those who give of time, sacrificial, only you can know and understand the blessing that occurs
The love you express by doing so can never be measured here, but rather in glory
God asks us to give both - $$$ and selves - He calls it sacrifice
God defined giving
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
WE CANNOT OUT-GIVE GOD!
CLOSING POINTS
CLOSING POINTS
5 year plan - double in growth, double in giving, and watch how God will use all of that!
Do-able. I’m convinced (not judging, but being encouraging):
Our giving could easily be 40-50% higher already
If regular, planned, faithful, generous and sacrificial giving occurred
Easily
God doesn’t need your money, He gives it to you as a blessing, to help you be used for His glory and purpose
He shows throughout Scripture that the faithful give back to Him, sacrificially, as an expression of our love and faith
We trust Him to provide for us, and we do something others may feel is “uncomfortable” and then rest in His goodness
We celebrate today, what Christ gave for us (communion). How can we better give to Him, for Him, for His purpose?
A healthy church needs healthy believers, and healthy believers know how to give, or learn how to be a giver.
Do-able. I’m convinced (not judging, but being encouraging):
Our giving could easily be 40-50% higher already
If regular, planned, faithful, generous and sacrificial giving occurred
Easily