GIVING
THERE
ARE STARTLING WORDS IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF ISAIAH.
a) God’s prophet said the Hebrew people were unrighteous.
b) Animals knew their owners, but Israel did not know its God.
c) God’s people were sick from head to toe, Isa. 1:6.
d) Outwardly things may have seemed good, but inwardly there was corruption.
e) Because things were so bad, God told the people this in Isa. 1:13 – READ.
f) According to the prophet, God didn’t want any more sacrifices.
g) He said “incense” (something to honor God) was “an abomination.”
h) Various times of worship and celebration made God sick.
i) People offered gifts to God, but God said they did not please Him.
2) When we turn to the New Testament, we find a similar thing.
3) According to Jn. 2, there were “money changers” in the temple.
4) John tells us that what he recorded happened on a Passover (Jn. 2:13).
5) People were selling sacrificial animals to worshippers.
6) I have little doubt that these people thought they were offering a service.
7) Their reasoning may have gone something like this.
a) “People need the correct currency to worship at the temple.
b) “Jews from out of town (our brethren) have the wrong kind of money.
c) “We exchange foreign money to local currency and help God’s people.”
d) Jesus said these people were doing business in His “Father’s house.”
e) These traders had turned God’s house into a “den of robbers.”
f) These points are found by combining Jn. 2:16 and Mt. 21:13.
8) People thought they were doing some kind of service to and for God, but they were wrong.
9) God has not always been willing to accept man’s service and giving.
10) In fact, God’s rejection of these matters goes all the way back to the beginning of time.
11) Cain and Abel both brought offerings to God, Gen.4:4-5.
12) Cain’s offering was rejected but Abel’s was accepted.
13) All the passages introduced thus far leave us with an indisputable face:
14) Not all giving, sacrifice, or service has God’s approval.
15) Acceptable giving is associated with certain conditions.
16) Tonight we want to explore these conditions.
17) A good starting place is this: “who should give?”
18) Should giving to God be from both Christians and non-Christians?
19) Should our contributions come from the extra wealthy or everyone?
20) A study of the New Testament places the responsibility of giving upon Christians.
a) Over the years I have heard a common complaint from people.
b) This complaint involves money.
c) Non-Christians have said, “all I hear from religious people is money, money, money.”
d) When this is said, the person usually does not have in mind the Churches of Christ.
e) A main line denomination is usually the object of the complaint.
21) Denominations often try to extract money from anyone and anywhere they can.
22) This kind of thinking is not what we find in the New Testament.
23) Two verses are going to be read.
24) The first is 3 Jn. 7.
25) From there we will head over to 2 Cor. 6:14.
26) John’s words are more pointed, but both references demonstrate the same point.
27) 3 John is a short book (only one chapter), so it only the verse was given.
28) Here is how verse 7 reads – READ.
29) Here was a case where Christians needed money.
30) John also says that people (Christians) “went forth.”
31) These Christians didn’t take anything from the “Gentiles” (the unsaved).
32) If the unsaved didn’t contribute to the expenses, who paid the bill? Christians.
a) In verse 5 John noted how the recipient of this book had taken care of “brethren.”
b) Christians had their needs met by other Christians.
c) No funds were taken from non-Christians.
d) Verse 8 says God’s people are to “welcome” this type of arrangement.
e) If we are going to give and sacrifice to God, it is we who sacrifice.
f) If Christianity is a cause we believe in, it is only right for us to support it.
g) Trying to get money from non-Christians is a mindset that is pure secularism.
33) Now it is time for our second passage - 2 Cor. 6:14 – READ.
34) What “fellowship” do righteousness and sin have? None.
35) From this verse we can take a principle related to giving.
36) If a congregations needs funds—and all do—where are we to go?
37) If a congregation consists of God’s people, do we seek out people of the world?
38) Christians support their cause by their incomes.
39) At times preachers have rightly said to non-Christians, “We do not want your money.”
40) “If you are not part of our group, do not contribute.”
MAKING A CORRECT SACRIFICE TO GOD MEANS THAT WE ARE THE ONES ON THE HOOK FOR GIVING, AND THAT OUR GIVING IS TO BE IN THE FORM OF FREE WILL OFFERINGS. THIS IS PART OF BEING A GOOD MANAGER (GOOD STEWARD).
a) If we are the ones to make the sacrifices, this implies planned giving.
b) Sacrifices usually involve planning, and giving is no exception.
2) Yet, when it comes to giving, there are Christians who may not plan.
3) Especially among younger Christians can we find this problem.
4) Can we envision a young Christian reasoning in this manner:
i) “I owe a lot of money—kids, college, a house, cars…the list goes on and on.
b) “We want to give and give well some day, but right now is the wrong time in our lives.”
c) Many young Christians have reasoned in this manner.
5) More than 20 years ago a wife had a conversation with me.
6) She was in her 20’s, married, and had 2-3 kids.
7) She said to me, “When we got married, I was shocked to see my husband write out a collection check.”
8) In her mind the family debts suggested a very limited contribution.
9) Her husband should have talked to her in advance about giving, but part of his thinking was correct.
a) We can demonstrate his attitude in this way.
b) Suppose that half of all American households have a substantial amount of debt.
c) Tax time comes.
d) Will the government say to half our country, “You are in debt so your are exempt from paying taxes?”
e) We recognize taxes as a part of life and we structure our income to pay them.
f) Giving is in this same kind of category.
10) Another point to consider is this:
11) What is our first financial responsibility?
12) What is the first debt we incur?
13) It is not to Visa, a mortgage company, or Uncle Sam’s taxes.
14) We sin, Christ redeems us, and we pledge to serve Him.
15) As Christians we seek to give God the best sacrifices in every area of our lives.
16) This includes our time, money, talents, and everything else.
17) In both testaments this point comes through quite clearly.
a) Solomon had some things to say about sacrifice and God.
b) If we want to offer acceptable sacrifices to heaven, these passages offer some guidance.
c) We know what Jesus said in Mt. 6:33 – seek the kingdom first.
d) Sacrifices come from our own lives, and we give the best we can.
e) Solomon’s instructions are found in Prov. 3:9-10 and Eccl. 11:1.
f) I will read Prov. 3 but not Eccl. 11:1 because the sentiments are similar.
g) Prov. 3:9-10 says, - READ.
h) If it can be said that we “owe” God anything, He is our biggest debtor.
i) Our first and biggest debt is to Him.
j) Solomon says that God accepts sacrifice, and that He gives back.
IF WE HAVE ANY INFLUENCE WITH CHILDREN OR NEW CHRISTIANS, ONE OF THE AREAS IN WHICH WE SHOULD SEEK TO HELP THEM IS MAKING ACCEPTABLE OFFERINGS TO GOD. IF WE DO NOT TEACH PEOPLE THIS, WHO WILL?
a) Too, we have an example of people being taught this very thing because God decreed it.
b) I am turning back to the second book of the Old Testament, Ex. 23:15.
c) God told His people to observe three annual feasts.
d) One of these feasts was the “Unleavened Bread.”
e) Periods such as this were times to honor and serve God.
f) At the end of Ex. 23:15 we have these words – READ.
g) I am not going to read Deut. 16:16, but I will tell you what this second passage says.
h) Deut. 16 says that there were three annual feasts just as I stated.
i) God then told His people, “don’t come empty handed to any of my feasts.”
j) It was not just the Unleavened Bread—it was every feast.
2) When a family comes together to worship, there is a sense in which we are individuals.
3) A father cannot sing for His family. A mother cannot take the Lord's Supper for her children.
4) Why not apply this same principle regarding giving?
5) Each person in a family can be encouraged to contribute and actually contribute.
6) Listen to a verse we have heard so often – 1 Cor. 16:2 — “Let each one of you.”
a) When babies are born, they are typically selfish.
b) Human beings need to be taught to share.
c) One way to teach sharing is encouragement to give and sacrifice.
7) I have said that in my growing up years, not many Sundays were spent attending services.
8) I didn’t go too many times, but I do remember something.
9) The few times I went, I gave a quarter (maybe less).
10) Giving that amount conveyed a subtle message to me: giving was not that important.
11) I offered .25 but would eat four hamburgers for lunch for $1.00.
12) My lunch expenditure was four times the amount I gave to God.
13) In my youthful religious services maybe I once or twice gave a whole dollar.
14) I was so poorly taught that my giving was less than the price of a complete fast food lunch.
a) Teresa and I started our Christian life with very few assets.
b) Our giving during those years was miserable.
c) Even on a low income, our giving was pathetic.
15) Little by little we learned better because of what we found in the Bible.
16) I could have already learned these lessons had things better different in childhood.
17) Maybe when I was 2-3 years old, my parents could have given me a quarter to contribute.
18) A little later, it could have been a dollar, then $5.00, and then $10.00 or more.
19) We teach our children about giving (directly or indirectly), and these lessons last.
20) Some are incorrectly taught and they develop a habit that is never broken.
21) Acceptable giving means that Christians give, and that we seek to honor God with our best gifts.
22) Is this how we are living?