The Church in Action

Lesson 11

Lesson Text—I Corinthians 16:1-2

I Corinthians 16:1-21 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Lesson Text—II Corinthians 8:1-2

II Corinthians 8:1-21 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

Lesson Text—II Corinthians 9:5-6

II Corinthians 9:5-65 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Lesson Text—II Corinthians 9:7-9

II Corinthians 9:7-97 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

Lesson Text—II Corinthians 9:10-11

II Corinthians 9:10-1110 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

Focus Verse—II Corinthians 9:7

II Corinthians 9:7Every man according as he

purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a

cheerful giver.

Focus Thought

The early church consisted of a giving people who

appropriately aligned their Christianity with the nature of

God.

I. The Stewardship PrincipleIntroduction

The church is the body of Christ, and He is the head of that body. This mystery revealed in the New Testament provides us with both staggering blessings and sobering responsibilities. As His body, it must ever be the church’s quest to live in such a manner as the head would desire. His priorities must become our priorities, and His concerns must supersede our concerns. His desires must replace our desires, and His will must displace ours.

I. The Stewardship PrincipleThere are many areas of life that

act as clear barometers of our progress in this process, but perhaps none does so more accurately than how we respond to the Christian discipline of giving. One man suggested that the billfold, not the eyes, is the window to the soul. The manner in which one approaches the act of giving of finances to the work of God demonstrates either a significant connection with Jesus Christ and His ways or a significant disconnection from Him.

I. The Stewardship PrincipleGod is by His very nature a giver, and those who are intimately connected to Him also will give.

The act of giving further shows how connected the contemporary church is with its roots; even a cursory study of the early church reveals that liberal giving marked the early believers. They gave to corporate causes. They gave to the needy among them. They gave to support ministry. This was a common trait from the earliest days of the church in Jerusalem.

I. The Stewardship PrincipleIn that it is a reflection of God Himself, this characteristic continued to manifest itself as the church spread across the known world. Further, giving should continue to manifest itself today among those who serve the Lord.

I. The Stewardship PrincipleThis lesson will address the topic

of a giving church. We will examine three principles from Scripture. First, God owns everything and we are blessed to be stewards over some of His possessions. Second, part of our stewardship involves the giving of His possessions for His work. Finally, when we give we are sowing seeds for even greater blessing to come.

I. The Stewardship PrincipleThe Stewardship

PrincipleWe must clearly establish a

foundational truth before our giving can possibly come into alignment with God’s plan: we are stewards of God’s possessions. Unless we first can grasp that underlying principle, giving will remain odious and difficult. On the other hand, understanding this principle revolutionizes our giving, and we begin to experience the joy of giving.

I. The Stewardship PrincipleThe Scriptures clearly reveal

that we are stewards who are accountable to God.

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and

stewards of the mysteries of God” (I Corinthians 4:1).

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one

to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God”

(I Peter 4:10).

I Corinthians 4:1 A steward is an unfamiliar concept in modern North American culture. There is no perfect parallel in our current economic and employment structure. A steward was often a slave, but he was far more than only a laborer and often was compensated well for his efforts. However, his position was far different from that of an employee, for he could not quit and seek a different position at his own choosing.

I Peter 4:10 A steward generally oversaw the

affairs of his master’s possessions, but he was more than a supervisor because his authority to conduct business was equal to his master’s. He never considered himself a partner, however, for at all times he remembered that all the possessions in his control belonged to another. Perhaps it is best summed up that a steward was an empowered servant who had access to all the property of his master and had the responsibility to manage it and to conduct business on his master’s behalf and for his master’s pleasure.

I Peter 4:10 In similar fashion, we are servants of God, but He has empowered us to conduct His work. We have the responsibility to manage all God has placed under our oversight with the constant awareness that it is not ours and must be used for Him and His pleasure.

A. God Owns All A. God Owns All

We tend to be rather possessive in our speech. We speak of “my house” and “my car” and “my clothes” and “my money” and “my possessions.” This is completely antithetical to the concept of stewardship. Stewardship starts with the understanding that nothing I have is really mine. Everything belongs to God (Psalm 24:1).

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm

24:1).

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh

down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither

shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

James 1:17 The possessions to which we cling tenaciously are not really the result of our hard work or ingenuity. God has given us life and health to work for them, and it is God who empowers us to gain them in the first place. They are His and He has merely put them in our hands.

One aspect of the new birth involves laying down everything we possess for the privilege of being a part of Christ’s kingdom.

James 1:17 In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus stated, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

A person must be willing to forfeit everything to enter the kingdom of heaven. We surrender ownership of our time, our treasure, and our talents. We release to Jesus Christ those things we believe are ours. Our family is no longer our own; our very breath is no longer our own.

James 1:17 Indeed, we release to the Lord the full ownership of ourselves. Paul wrote, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Corinthians 6:19-20). Everything belongs to God!

B. God Grants Privilege of Management

B. God Grants Privilege of Management

The second aspect of the principle of stewardship that we must understand is that God has highly favored us by granting us the privilege of managing His possessions. To be selected by God to control, to use, and to manage some of His kingdom assets is a humbling distinction.

B. God Grants Privilege of Management This is a greater responsibility than to be elected to high political office or to be promoted to the highest levels of corporate structure. We are authorized to handle the property of the very King of kings!

One aspect of stewardship is the fact that a steward was empowered to do what needed to be done. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the servants were not specifically instructed as to what to do, but they were empowered to do what they understood to be their master’s wishes.

B. God Grants Privilege of Management When Abraham dispatched his steward, Eliezer, to find a bride for Isaac, Eliezer secured ten of Abraham’s camels, loaded them with treasures and supplies, and set off to accomplish his master’s desires. (See Genesis 24:10.)

The sobering aspect of the authority we have been given is that we each will answer for our diligence or lack thereof as a steward. God does not hand out His resources and empower us to use them without accountability.

B. God Grants Privilege of Management The principle of stewardship is closely linked with answering to God for our conduct. Paul wrote, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (I Corinthians 4:2). The Scriptures do not say only that a steward must be faithful, but that he must be “found faithful.” The day will come when the Master will come for an accounting of what we have done with His resources and to check on our faithfulness.

Matthew 25:19 “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and

reckoneth with them” (Matthew 25:19).

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

Romans 14:12 We will answer to God for every

aspect of our stewardship including our giving of tithes and offerings.

When it comes to stewardship of our finances, the baseline or absolute minimum starts with tithing, or the practice of giving 10 percent of our increase into God’s work. The Scriptures clearly establish the principle of tithing. It is not a matter of God demanding 10 percent of our money; it is the blessing that He allows us to keep 90 percent of His. No person can be truly committed to God’s kingdom and withhold the Lord’s tithe.

Romans 14:12 This practice predates the law of Moses, for Abraham paid tithes to the King of Salem in Genesis 14:20. It was a fixture of the law as seen in Leviticus 27:30. Jesus referenced it in the New Testament in Matthew 23:23. Tithing is a fundamental aspect of how God has chosen to have us manage His funds.

Romans 14:12 It is amazing to observe some individuals chafe at this mandate from God. Either they have failed to recognize that all their funds belong to Him in the first place, or they have not understood the blessings that come to those who tithe. (See Malachi 3:10-12.)

Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be

meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the

windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not

be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

Malachi 3:11-12 “And I will rebuke the devourer for

your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground;

neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all

nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land,

saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:11-12).

Malachi 3:11-12 Beyond the practice of tithing, God has called us to give additional offerings. While percentages for offerings are not specified in Scripture, we would do well to remember that God does not judge us by what we give but by what we have left after giving.

Many individuals can testify that God pours out blessings on faithful givers.

Malachi 3:11-12 J. L. Kraft, founder of Kraft

Foods and a wealthy man, consistently paid tithes throughout his career. He said, “The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord.” Peter Marshall once said, “Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving.” J. D. Rockefeller said, “I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”

Malachi 3:11-12 Over the course of his life,

John Wesley became one of the wealthiest men in England, but we should be challenged by his practice of living and giving. In this pattern is the testimony of a steward.

Income Living Expenses To the PoorFirst year:30 pounds 28 pounds (93%) 2 pounds (7%)

Second year:60 pounds 28 pounds (47%) 32 pounds (53%)

Third year:90 pounds 28 pounds (31%) 62 pounds (69%)

Fourth year:120 pounds 28 pounds (23%) 92 pounds (77%)

Later: over 1,400 pds 30 pounds (2%) over 1,400 pounds (98%)

II. The Giving PrincipleThe Giving Principle

Giving is a subject that seems to make some people uncomfortable. The reasons for this may be many, but generally they loosely fall into two areas. The subject is uncomfortable for those who do not give, for it causes them to experience conviction. Because of some individuals’ humility, the subject is uncomfortable for those who do give. Those who do not give want to be thought to be givers and those who do give would rather no one know.

II. The Giving PrincipleAn insightful story was related in

the March 3, 1992, issue of Bits and Pieces. The American industrialist, Henry Ford, once was asked to donate money for the construction of a new medical facility. The billionaire pledged to donate $5,000. The next day in the newspaper, the headline read, “Henry Ford contributes $50,000 to the local hospital.” The irate Ford was on the phone immediately to complain to the fund-raiser that he had been misunderstood.

II. The Giving PrincipleThe fund-raiser replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the following day to read, “Henry Ford reduces his donation by $45,000.” Realizing the poor publicity that would result, the industrialist agreed to the $50,000 contribution in return for the following: That above the entrance to the hospital was to be carved the biblical inscription: “I came among you and you took me in.”

A. The Pattern of Giving A. The Pattern of Giving

Giving is, in its very essence, a spiritual act, for God is a giver. There is possibly no better summation of the heart of God than the beloved words of John: “For God so loved the world, that he gave . . .” (John 3:16). “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (II Corinthians 8:9).

A. The Pattern of Giving

He gave Himself on Calvary, He gave salvation to us, and He continues to enrich our lives daily. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (II Peter 1:3).

A. The Pattern of Giving In that the Lord is a giver, we manifest His nature in our lives when we give. If we understand His love by what He has given to and for us, then certainly we demonstrate His love to others by what we give to them and for them. Our giving patterns either testify to the abiding character of God in our lives, or they bear witness to its absence.

I John 3:17

“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (I John

3:17).

I John 3:17

As we have been blessed by God’s giving, He also has called us to bless others with our giving. “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).

B. The Prerequisite for Giving B. The Prerequisite for Giving

Giving does not start at the wallet or pocketbook; it starts at the altar. Giving is an outflow of a life that is consecrated wholly to God. The Scriptures teach us that a person’s giving reveals the location of his heart. (See Matthew 6:21.) A person’s heart first must be sanctified to the kingdom before his giving can align with the purposes of God. Giving money is easy when one has already given himself.

B. The Prerequisite for Giving Giving involves more than just

money. If a life is consecrated to God, then money is only one aspect of giving. God has called us to give our time to His work and invest our talents in His kingdom. We should spend our emotions in praise and worship, giving our energy first to Jesus Christ. Every aspect of a committed life must honor the One who gave everything for us.

C. The Pleasure of Giving C. The Pleasure of Giving

Some people view giving as painful; but when done with the right motives, giving is a delightful form of worship. In her effort to teach this to her daughter, a young mother gave her little girl a dollar and a quarter before service. She told her that she could place either one she wanted into the offering and keep the other. After church, she asked her daughter which she had given.

C. The Pleasure of Giving The little girl replied, “Well, I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did.”

Giving is a pleasant discipline when we understand that giving pleases God. We are not engaging in something about which God is ambivalent. When a steward of God’s possessions wisely and cheerfully invests God’s treasures in His work, the master takes note and smiles.

C. The Pleasure of Giving Some people’s attitudes about giving stink, but Paul went so far as to say that when the saints of Philippi sent an offering to support his ministry, God enjoyed the aroma of the act. (See Philippians 4:18.) Giving is pleasurable when we recognize that by doing so we are manifesting to others God’s nature. Giving is a distinct opportunity to allow the goodness and blessings of God to flow through us to the point of need.

C. The Pleasure of Giving We become the conduit for miracles, answers to prayer, and divine intervention in the lives of others. How can that not be a pleasurable experience? Waldo Weaning once said there are three levels of giving. You have to; that’s law. You ought to; that’s obligation. You want to; that’s grace. 

III. The Sowing PrincipleThe Sowing Principle

The third principle in today’s lesson is the principle of sowing and reaping. Simply stated, there is a connection between what we sow and what we reap both in substance and in quantity.

II Corinthians 9:6

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap

also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap

also bountifully” (II Corinthians 9:6).

Galatians 6:7-9 “Be not deceived; God is not

mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh

shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit

shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due

season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:7-9).

Galatians 6:7-9 Galatians 6:7-9 is not primarily a threat, but an encouragement. It testifies to the fact that faithfulness in sowing leads to faithfulness in reaping. The only thing that can prevent reaping is a failure to faithfully sow. A farmer can readily understand that the expected harvest is directly linked with the amount of seed sown. Plant a little and reap only a little. If one plants much, however, he also can expect to reap much.

Galatians 6:7-9 We should never view our giving as an avenue to gaining riches, and our motive must not consider what we will receive in return. Giving is not a get-rich-quick scheme as some false prophets in the current media proclaim. We are merely stewards, not owners, and if more comes our way, that only means we have a greater responsibility to our Master. Yet the principle of sowing and reaping clearly is connected with our giving.

A. Sowing Presupposes Faith A. Sowing Presupposes Faith

Sowing is an act of faith. When a man puts a seed in the ground, it requires faith. He certainly cannot make the seed grow. He cannot control the weather, the temperature, the soil, and all the other elements upon which the seed depends. He cannot instruct the genetic coding in the seed to cause the seed pod to burst and the small plant to press its way to the surface of the earth.

A. Sowing Presupposes Faith He cannot cause the roots to grow downward and to begin to draw in nutrients and water. He cannot force the complex process of photosynthesis to begin. He probably cannot even explain how these miraculous events occur. Yet he fully believes they all will happen if he plants the seed. That is faith.

A. Sowing Presupposes Faith It really does not make fiscal sense that a person can live better on 90 percent of his income than on the full amount, but the Word of God teaches the principle of the tithe and life experiences reveal it to be true. When the idea of giving is new, however, it takes faith for the theory of giving and the promises of sowing to become practice. Gratefully, we are not required to completely understand the miracle of sowing to enjoy the blessings of reaping.

B. Sowing Presupposes Loss B. Sowing Presupposes Loss

When the farmer purchases the seed and places it in the ground, he understands that he may not see it again. He is for a season poorer than he was. He cannot dig that seed up and use it for his own food. Once it is planted, it is gone from him.

We must maintain a right motive in our giving. Some individuals give, but they keep “peeking into the soil” in giddy anticipation of what God is going to give back.

B. Sowing Presupposes Loss Instead, the faithful giver gives with an attitude that says, “When I give something to God, it is His without reservation. If I never get it back, I’m still glad I gave it.”

The apostle Paul had given up much to be a part of God’s kingdom. Prior to becoming a Christian, he had notoriety, position, wealth, popularity, and a pedigree. He had surrendered all these things to God, but he did not maintain a cavalier attitude toward them.

B. Sowing Presupposes Loss He wrote, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Even though he had given up much of this world’s possessions and power to serve God, He counted himself richly rewarded by the privilege of serving Jesus Christ.

B. Sowing Presupposes Loss God is a debtor to no man.

Reaping is certain, but perhaps the crop is not what some are looking for. God knows that some individuals could not handle great wealth. Would He be blessing a man by giving him riches that would divert his soul away from a redemptive relationship? Often the reaping comes in a harvest more valuable than money. We are blessed with crops of joy, baskets of peace, and yields of righteousness. The worth of these is beyond calculation.

C. Sowing Presupposes Grace C. Sowing Presupposes Grace

Any harvest we enjoy is the work of the Spirit and the grace of God in our lives. No one can claim that we merit the favor of Jesus Christ, for if we deserved the blessings we receive, they would be only wages. However, we are blessed because of God’s grace.

Grace works in the absence of our own ability and supply. Further, grace can work only when we have divested ourselves of our own resources and ideas.

C. Sowing Presupposes Grace If we can produce the harvest, then God will not get the glory. If we clearly cannot do it, then God will receive all the praise when the blessings come forth. The scriptural evidence is overwhelming.

The starving widow in I Kings 17 had too much meal and oil to receive a miracle. She had to divest herself of her own capabilities in order for God to manifest His supply. Gideon had too many men for God to use. God had to strip him of his natural resources before blessings of victory came.

C. Sowing Presupposes Grace Sarah had too much life in her barren womb. God chose to wait until that life had died so that His grace could bring about the miracle He had planned for them. Even Jesus emptied Himself according to Philippians 2:8 and poured Himself out unto death in order to create the vacuum and capacity necessary for the glorious resurrection miracle. Sowing may empty us. We may feel helpless and without the resources that would make us comfortable in our situation, but grace steps in when our abilities are gone.

D. Sowing Presupposes a Harvest

D. Sowing Presupposes a Harvest

While our motives in giving must be pure, still we would be foolish not to realize that no person sows just to be out in the field. It is not a hobby; it is labor. Every gardener understands this. When he is laboring with tilling, planting, and cultivating his vegetable patch, he is dreaming of sweet corn and fresh tomatoes. It is the promise of the harvest that keeps him faithfully on his task.

D. Sowing Presupposes a Harvest We are stewards and we give

because it pleases our Master and blesses others. But we are given the promise that a harvest follows faithful sowing. It is the promise of blessing that keeps all of us faithful to the tasks at hand. The blessings occur in two spheres. We are blessed here, and we are blessed in the life to come.

Matthew 19:29 “And every one that hath

forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or

mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting

life” (Matthew 19:29).

Matthew 19:29 A generous and greatly blessed Christian from Philadelphia once was asked how he could give so much to the Lord’s work and still possess great wealth. The man replied, “Oh, as I shovel it out, He shovels it in. The Lord has a bigger shovel.”

Matthew 19:29 Conclusion

Abraham Kuyper, Dutch statesman and theologian, once said, “In the total expanse of human life, there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, ‘That is mine.’” When embraced, this great understanding that all we think we own we merely oversee for the One who owns everything will revolutionize our thinking about giving. We are stewards of that which belongs to God.

Matthew 19:29 In that capacity we are to reflect

the nature of our master, and God is a giver. He gives life and blessing to all who follow Him. We therefore must pattern our lives to be givers, which first is accomplished by giving ourselves to Him. As Pastor John S. Bonnell wrote, “It is an anomaly of modern life that many find giving to be a burden. Such persons have omitted a preliminary giving. If one first gives himself to the Lord, all other giving is easy.” When a heart is consecrated first to God, the true joy of giving in all areas of life becomes tangible.

Matthew 19:29 Part of that joy is found in the knowledge that sowing the right kind of seed produces the right kind of harvest. Pleasing God and blessing others is the pure motive for giving, but the expectation and hope of a harvest certainly is a scriptural promise. When we exercise faith by planting seed, accept the loss of that seed, and trust in the grace of God, a harvest will come. Reaping follows sowing.

Matthew 19:29 We may never be more like the

Lord than when we give—liberally, selflessly, generously, joyfully. Such giving is the mark of a life in harmony with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the action of a body working well with its head. It is the characteristic of a steward faithful to his master. It is the hallmark of the church submitted to its Lord.