YourFirstStepsinDiscipleship:ThirteenDiscipleshipEssentials

Dr.RandallJohnson

Pass The PlateGiving Doyouusuallygivetothehomelessguysstandingonstreetcornersoreventhefiremenpassingaroundbootstocontributemoney?Whyorwhynot?

Bible Exploration

On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. – 1 Corinthians 16:2

FirstThoughts…

ManypeoplehavereportedtryingtotalktosomeoneaboutChristianityonlytohearthepersoncomplainabouteverytimetheyattendachurchthepreacherisaskingformoney.WehavepossiblyheardthetelevangelistsmakefabulousclaimsabouthowalittleseedmoneysenttothemwillbemultipliedbyGod.AndmanypreachthatGodiscommittedtomakingusfinanciallywealthyifwe’llonlybelieve.

Butthebiblicalteachingismuchmoresoberandchallengingthanthat.FromGod’sperspectiveallthatwehaveisreallyonloanfromHim.Wedonotownit,Hedoes.HeletsususeittodemonstratehowfaithfulwearetoHim.Thisisalifelonglearningexperience.WewanttoclingandHewantsustoreleasetoHim.

Read 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 and answer the following questions:

1. The “collection for God’s people” that Paul is referring to is one he initiated for the believers in Jerusalem (mostly Jews). He wanted it to come from their Gentile (non-Jewish) brethren in the churches Paul had planted. He wanted it to be a testimony of the unity of the church throughout the world. Why do you think Paul wanted his friends at Corinth to save some money each week for this offering instead of making a collection when he came?

2. What do you think might be the benefit of doing our

giving to church on a weekly or monthly basis instead of just once in a while in a lump sum?

3. Paul says each should give according to his income

(KJV, as God has prospered him). Why does he need to say this?

4. How do you explain Paul’s concern to have men the

Corinthians approved to take the gift to Jerusalem?

5. Why do you think Paul leaves open the possibility that he might accompany the gift and the Corinthian men to Jerusalem?

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YourFirstStepsinDiscipleship:GIVING Dr.RandallJohnson

How much time or moneyshouldIgivetothechurch?TheNewTestamentdoesnotspecifyanamount. However, the understoodamountfromeventhedaysofAbrahamwas ten percent. In Genesis 14 afterAbraham rescued his nephew Lot andtook a lot of spoils of war from thedefeatedkingswhoenslavedLotandhisfellow citizens, he gave 10% of it toMelchizedek, the priest‐king of Salem(formernameforJerusalem)asawayofgivingittoGod.Thetithe(tithemeansatenth) became at some point in historythe understood representation of howmuchofour incometogivetoGodasasymbolthatHeownsallof it. Inthe legislationofMosesthetithewasusedtoprovidefortheLevitesandpriestswhodidnotget land intheconqueredholylandandservedinthetabernacleandlaterthetemple, and itwas used to help support thepoor(Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21‐29; Deuteronomy12:6‐18;14:22‐29;26:12).Though there is no requirement given in theNewTestament to tithe, ten percent is a goodbenchmarkforourgiving.PaultoldtheCorinthianstoputasideweeklyanamountinaccordwiththeirincome(1Corinthians16:2).Thisprincipleappliestothose on the ends of the spectrum financially inthat thoseon the lowerendmightnotbeable togive asmuch as 10% and those on the higher end

cangivemore. Godhonorsourheartbeyondthe amount line on our checks (2 Corinthians8:1‐5,13‐15;9:7),butHealsohonorsagenerousspirit(2Corinthians9:6‐11).

Asfarasgivingourtimegoes,thistoomaybethought of in terms of a tithe, but the issueconcernshowwerecognizedall theprioritiesGodhasforus.Aparentorspousemayneedto give more time to his family or mate atcertaintimesandfindmorefreedomatothertimes to spend in church related ministry.Americanshavedoneabad jobofprioritizingtheir time and have become the busiestpeopleonearth,with littletimeforreflectingorspendingwithpeople,whichisGod’sheart.

FWQ: Frequently Wondered Questions (but not often asked)

• Pickoneortwoanddiscusswhetheryou

agreeordisagreewiththeanswerandwhy.

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YourFirstStepsinDiscipleship:GIVING Dr.RandallJohnson

Agenerousmanwillprosper;

hewhorefreshesotherswillhimselfberefreshed.

~Proverbs11:25

IsthereadifferenceinGod’seyesbetweengivingtothechurchandgivingtootherministriesortheneedyoutsideofchurch?God’sultimategoalisforustorecognizethatourmoney,aswellasourtalentsandtime,arenotourownbutHis.Hissecondarygoalisforustobewiseintheinvestmentofourtime,talentsandmoney.Achurchshouldbemonitoringthosecausestowhichitgivestoensurethatthemoneyisbeingusedwisely.Whenyougivedirectlytoaministryyoumayhavelessaccountabilityforhowtheirfundsareused.PaulmadeabigdealofaccountabilityinthefundshewasraisingfortheJerusalemchurch(1Corinthians16:1‐4).Ifyourchurchdoesnothaveastrategyfortheuseofitsfunds(ministryathome,missions,etc.),youshoulddeviseyourownbasedinwhatGod’sWordsaysshouldbepriorities.Spendingitallonyourselfiswrong.SeeingtheimportantwaysGod’skingdomcanbeadvancedstrategicallyisright.

DoestheBiblepromiseprosperitytothosewhogivegenerously?No.ThereareanumberofproverbsinthebookofProverbsthatindicatethatthenormalpatterninGod’sworldisforthegeneroustoprosper(Proverbs11:25)butScripturealsoseesthepossibilitythatGod’sgoodpeoplecanexperiencepovertyeventhoughtheyhavefaith(Mark12:44).TheCorinthianshadcometobelievethattheirsuperiorfaithandspiritualitywouldmakethemwealthyandbecameembarrassedthatPaultheapostlewasnot,buthewashonoredtobeconsideredthe“refuseoftheworld”forChrist’ssake.Ifeventheapostleswerenotenrichedmonetarilybytheirfaith,whyshouldweexpecttobe?Paulurgedgenerosityofspiritandsaidthat“Godisabletomakeallgraceaboundtoyou,sothatinallthingsatalltimes,havingallthatyouneed,youwillaboundineverygoodwork”andthat“hewhosuppliesseedtothesowerandbreadforfoodwillalsosupplyandincreaseyourstoreofseedandwillenlargetheharvestofyourrighteousness”(2Corinthians9:8,10),notyourpocketbook.

YourFirstStepsinDiscipleship:SPIRITUALPRIORITIES Dr.RandallJohnson

LivingItOut

1. Evaluatehowmuchyouaregivingannuallyanddeterminewhatpercentageofyournetincomethatis.

2. DeterminebyGod’shelptoincreaseby2%theamountyougiveoverthenextthreemonthsandseehowGodworksinyourlife.

3. Keepincreasingby2%everythreemonths

untilyoureach10%ifyouarenotalreadythere.MonitoryourdiscomfortorlackthereofandseektheLord’sheartasyoumoveinthisdirection.Aretherethingsyouhavehadtogiveup?Doyoumissthemoneyyouhavegiven?HasitchallengedyoutotrustGodmore?Haveyoufeltalooseningofyourgriponwhat“belongs”toyou?

Forfurtherstudy:

Giving;JohnOrtberg,LauriePederson,andJudsonPoling

Scripturetomemorizeforthisweek:

2 Corinthians 9:7

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.