SERMON: “Giving and Worship” (2 Cor. 9:6–15)
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“Giving and Worship” (2 Cor.
9:6–15)
Series: Topical Text: 2 Cor. 9:6–15
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date:
May
5, 2024
Venue: Living
Water Baptist Church Occasion:
AM Service
I.
Introduction
People
don’t like it when pastors talk about money, partly because some churches and
ministries become obsessed with it. For
instance, big-box churches are always announcing the next big project, asking
for donations for another building project because they’re running at 80–90% of
their budget already (something manuals tell them is the best way to keep
people excited and giving). There are
other churches that twist theology, selling false promises about giving more to
become rich (and usually, the pastor is the one getting rich). There are still others with a warped fundamentalism
browbeating people who they deem are not giving enough. Bad apples like these cause the rest of us to
not want to talk too much about the topic of money!
Yet,
pastors need to talk about money every once in a while. One reason is because the Bible talks about
it. Another reasons is to confront why other
people don’t like it when pastors talk about money: people serve and worship it. Yes, pastors and churches can do it, but so
can everyone else.
We've
been going through the book of John on Sunday mornings, we just considered how
the Holy Spirit helps us and empowers us to do good works. We spoke generally
of good works, many of us could think of things we could do which require the Spirit’s
presence — things such as evangelism, overcoming sin, and the like. We don't
always think of how the spirit might move us to give.
Our
usage of money is a good work which flows directly from our worship of God. So, starting next week, we are returning to a
common practice in our worship services: the offertory, a time where we pass
the plate as part of our worship service. This morning, we’re taking a break to consider
everything the Bible has to say about this act of spiritual worship.
II.
The Misunderstandings of Giving
You
might expect me to start talking about tithing, but our Lord does not require tithing
of Christians. That might strike you as
controversial. That’s because of
misunderstandings about this subject.
God
does adopt the requirement of the tithe for the nation of Israel. Under the Law of Moses, the tithe was a tax,
a civil responsibility. The tithe “of the
land” was holy and went to the Levites (Lev. 27:30).
But,
that wasn’t all; the tithe came in multiple parts. Along with the first 10% offering, as the MacArthur
Study Bible explains, “there were two other OT tithes which totaled about
23 percent annually (cf. the second tithe—Deut. 14:22; and the third tithe
every 3 years—Deut. 14:28, 29; 26:12).”[1] So,
the tithe was more than 10%, and it went to help feed the orphans, widows, and foreigners
(Deut. 14:29).
The
people in Israel were required to pay tithes (plural), and these taxes were
more than 10%. The first tithe went to
the priests and Levites. The second
tithe supported the social and religious life of the nation. The third tithe, paid every third year, was
for the welfare system. None of these
were freewill; they were all required and totaled some 22% or more.
That
wasn’t all the Old Testament saints gave, either! For instance, we haven’t said anything about
the fact that farmers were forbidden from harvesting the corners of their fields
so the poor will have extra (Lev. 19:9).
Moreover, Exodus 30:13 requires a half a shekel from everyone for the
funding of the sanctuary. They were also
required to allow their land to rest every seventh year, forfeiting a year of potential
earnings. And there is much more to
consider there which pushes the required giving in Israel higher. And then, after such requirements as these,
there were the freewill offerings they brought before the Lord.
The
New Testament never requires the tithe of believers. We never see the apostles going to the
Gentiles and telling them that they had to pay a tithe, though they did talk
about giving. Why would the Gentiles
outside of Israel give money to the system that rejected Jesus and help pay for
works within Israel? To import the requirement
for tithing into the church is a practice without biblical precedent.
The
misunderstandings are numerous. Some pastors
think they are the New Testament version of the Levites, which isn’t exactly
correct. Some pastors teach that all the
laws of Israel apply to the church. Some
teach that, if you give, you are holding God to promises He made to Israel to
give back. Some simply desire to manipulate
people, and even ask for the W2s of church members to verify that they are giving
the full 10% of their income (these are wolves devouring widows’ houses). All these teachings make us misunderstanding the
point of the Old Testament tithe.
We
don’t want to misunderstand. So, the New
Testament provides different principles.
And that’s where we turn next.
III.
The Principles for Giving
Christians
should obviously give, just as God gave to us greatly in Christ. So, as we look to the Old Testament, we might
consider what the tithe teaches us. Certain
eternal principles arise there; it implies we should pay taxes, and Jesus did (cf.
Matt. 17:24–25; 22:21). The tithe also considered
all income — livestock, produce, and landowning — and it called for
giving God the best. Tithing was
consistent giving and regular, which we’ll revisit in a little while. Tithing also funded the ministry of the Lord
and protected the needy.
These
are important principles for us to bring into the NT era. Yet, NT giving is broader than a simple tithe. Rather than laying down a required amount, God
calls Christians to give everything. He
calls us to a joyful, living, freewill offering of ourselves. That lack of requirement is both an
opportunity and a test of our character — will we worship God with our money?
Let’s
consider three principles which should guide our giving. Our giving first comes from God’s wealth, and
then it helps to meet the need of the poor and the ministry. Let’s consider each.
A.
First, Our Giving Comes from God’s Wealth
Our
giving comes from resources the Lord already owns. As Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world,
and those who dwell in it.
Every
paycheck you receive comes from the Lord.
He provides you the work, and sometimes, He gives from unexpected sources. That’s why we’re told not to worry about our
resources, like what we’ll eat, drink, or wear, for He lovingly provides (Matt.
6:31–32). He always provides, and
because of that provision, we can give some back.
That’s
why it’s important for us to be good stewards of our money. We don’t spend every dime we have on ourselves
or on frivolous pursuits. We want to “seek
first His kingdom and His righteousness (v. 33), having our dollars help
advance His kingdom and purposes. We
should oversee what the Lord has granted us with wisdom.
Of
course, the question is: Do you believe this is God’s money you handle? We must consider all money as His as we
give. We also must consider what we’re
giving to, bringing us to the next point:
B.
Second, Our Giving Meets the Need of the Poor
Christians
care for the poor. Here, we have food
and clothing drives. People volunteer
there time in various ways.
That
care, though, goes beyond the material.
That brings us to the final principle to consider this morning:
C.
Third, Our Giving Meets the Need of the Ministry
Just
like in the OT, ministry work continues only through generous donations — the
only way pastors can keep preaching, the doors of the church stay open, and
missionaries can continue in foreign fields.
Of course, we might have to briefly address the question as to whether
pastors should get paid. Some see the Apostle
Paul’s occasional example of engaging in tent-making or bi-vocational ministry
as normative. However, Paul also said
that it is right for a minister to making his living by the gospel (1 Cor. 9:3–14;
1 Tim. 5:17–18). God’s people who
benefit from the ministry of God’s work should contribute to its continuation. And your gifts fund much more than pastoral
salaries.
Hopefully,
you have seen plenty in Scripture about giving at this point. There are misunderstandings out there concerning
tithing, but Christians still give, which the NT demonstrates. Of course, Scripture has much more to say
about giving, particularly about our attitudes.
That brings us to the final point:
IV.
The Attitudes for Giving
There
are several biblical attitudes we’ll consider as we wind down here. I’ll try not to spend much time on each point
because we have already considered the guiding principles we need. In no particular order, our Spirit-guided
attitudes we should have as we give is generosity, joy, faith, sacrifice, love,
discretion, and regularity (those of you who just went through our new members’
class will recognize these). Let’s
consider these one at a time.
A.
God calls us to give with a generous attitude
The
Lord is promising to provide what we need.
In Luke 6:38, Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you.” He can certainly give back what you give, and
often, people find that God does just that.
Sometimes,
though, He tests us so we can mature in our attitude. With His grace, we can become more generous,
and we can even enjoy giving. That
brings us to the next point:
B.
God calls us to give with a joyful attitude
Some
people find joy naturally in giving; they have open hearts and wallets! We’re thankful for them, because others seem naturally
tightfisted. Others of us want to give,
but some find it difficult to feel good about it.
One
key is remembering the principles for giving.
God owns everything; we’re just stewards. If you ever find yourself thinking that you’re
in control of your financial future, you’ll be less willing to give. If, however, you see your resources as a gift
from God that you only temporarily have, you’ll have a different mindset.
Another
key is prayer. Simply ask that the Lord
help you to see how you contribute to helping others and advancing His kingdom. Then, give in faith.
The
Lord wants us give joyfully. In 2
Corinthians 9:7, He says, “Each one must
do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
We shouldn’t feel guilted in giving; we should feel privileged!
One
reason we might still lack this joy is because we haven’t purposed in our
hearts what we can give. In Deuteronomy
16:17, God commanded, “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the
blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.” This is why I said you should consider your
resources — while there are times of great need which requires us to give a bit
beyond our ability, it’s good for Christians to take stock of their own needs
and budget a reasonable amount for the work of the Lord.
When
we know that God is in control of our finances, and we prayerfully consider
what we can give, the Lord will begin supply the necessary excitement we need. We can give with cheerful hearts, not
worrying about Monday’s bills or whether we gave enough. Free from anxiety, we’re exercising faith in
our giving, bringing us to the next point:
C.
God calls us to give with a faithful attitude
Scripture
warns us about our attitudes concerning money.
For instance, 1 Timothy 6:9 warns that a desire to get rich can ensnare
us, prompting ‘many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and
destruction.’ ” That’s followed by one
of the most misquoted verses of Scripture, where God says, “For the love of
money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered
away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim.
6:10). God doesn’t say, “Money is the
root of all evil” — we need money, and it can be a blessing to others. He warns that loving money causes
people to apostatize from the faith and other kinds of problems.
An
idolatrous view of money will keep us from joyful giving. We think more money will fix our problems,
but Scripture warns in 1 Timothy 6:17 not to fix hope “on the uncertainty of
riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” Some Christians hate pastors talking about money,
though, because wealth is their idol and their hope. However, as Jesus warned, “No one can serve
two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be
devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matt.
6:24). We must consider whether we are
seeking God first in our hearts.
As
we let go of our money in obedience to God, He gives us the strength we need to
place our faith in Him. As Philippians 4:19
says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory
in Christ Jesus.” We begin to trust that
God will take care of all our needs.
We
can even learn to trust Him by giving above our ability at times. That brings us to the next point:
D.
God calls us to give with a sacrificial attitude
Before
Paul was talking about giving in 2 Corinthians 9, he was talking about how the
Macedonians gave in chapter eight. They
were an impoverished people, but they dug deep into their pockets when they
heard about the famine in Jerusalem. Their
“poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality” (v. 2) and gave “beyond
their ability” (v. 3). We see an example
there of going beyond ability and sacrificing wants and needs to help with the needs
of others.
We
tend to think that, if we’re giving to God, we can’t spend money on
recreation. God calls us to rest from
our labors, even giving a whole commandment about it! Some people go on vacations, some go to sporting
events, others play games, others go hunting, or some combination of all the above. Investing in rest isn’t a waste in and of
itself.
Still,
we need to consider how much money we give to our recreations and amusements. Sometimes, we spend too much. We should consider whether God would have us
give up spending money in one area and give to another, if only to prove we are
not addicted to our pleasures and comforts.
We don’t want an idolatrous view of some amusement! We can give up quite a bit and still live
good lives.
We
must all prayerfully consider this at times, for the love of the saints and
ministry. That brings us to the next
point.
E.
God calls us to give with a loving attitude
We work to support our own families because we love them. We save for the same reason; as Proverbs 30:24–25 says, the ants are “exceedingly wise” because they “prepare their food in the summer.” We also invest because, as Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” We think through these things because we love our families.
When
we think about our purchases and how we handle our savings and investments, we think
about this for the glory of the Lord, as well.
Giving is a demonstration of the “sincerity of your love” (2 Cor 8:8). Giving is a conduit, in fact, of the love of
God working through us toward others. In
fact, it’s our love for the Lord and others that can evoke joy in our giving.
If
we are giving for the love of others, then we should not be drawing attention to
ourselves. That brings us to the next
point:
F.
God calls us to give with an inconspicuous attitude
Jesus
said that the hypocritical Pharisees sounded trumpets as they gave (Matt. 6:1–4). They were practicing their righteousness
before men. They wanted the honor of
men. Jesus said that they have their reward
in full.
We,
on the other hand, want to store up our treasures in heaven. So, Jesus said, “But when you give to the
poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that
your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (vv. 3–4). We can drop our offerings in the plate, or in
the box in the back, without wondering if people will see and congratulate us for
being good givers.
In
fact, I’ll say that I make a point of not knowing what people give. Sometimes, people give less in their weekly offering
to send the pastor a passive-aggressive message; I won’t know. Besides, if you give to be noticed by me, you
are giving for the wrong reasons. You
should give in secret.
Speaking
of a weekly offering, let’s consider the last point:
G.
God calls us to give with an attitude of
regularity
We
meet on the first day of the week because that was the practice of the early
church, in honor of our resurrected Lord.
We also take a collection every week because that was practiced in the
New Testament context (1 Cor. 16:1–2). This
was part of the worship, so that is why many churches pass the plate (and the
reason we are returning to the practice).
Not
every gets paid weekly, though. Giving
regularly is going to mean different things to different people. Some might only be able to give once a
month. Others can give every week. Whatever the frequency your able, keep it
regular. Every church has ups and downs
in giving throughout the fiscal year, and that creates challenges in budgeting
and finance. Imagine your employer giving
you 130% of your salary one month, 70% the next, 60% the third month, and 140%
the fourth. The bills remain the same,
missionaries still need their giving, but there are times where we wonder if we
can meet the end of the month. It is
vital to give with regularity.
V.
Conclusion
Your
money handling does reveal a lot about your priorities and the inclination of
your heart. We should give. To encourage that, we are resuming the
offertory portion of our worship service.
We’ll have envelopes for you if you want to use them for receipt of the
cash you put into the plate. If you feel
more comfortable continuing to give online or through whatever automation you
use, that is fine to continue. Just continue
to consider your giving as an act of worship.
If
you find that you lack the proper attitudes of giving, prayerfully consider
why. Have you placed money above God in
your heart? Are you are afraid to trust
God with the future? If you’ve never
practiced generosity, prayerfully start small and watch as God opens your heart
to others! Remember that you’re handling
God’s money, and He will help you sort through the rest.
[1] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic
ed., (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 194.
[2] Olivia B. Waxman, “Unveiling America’s First Public
Monument to Atheism,” June 28, 2013, https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/06/28/unveiling-americas-first-public-monument-to-atheism/
[3] John S. Dickerson, “Christianity and the Origins of
Hospitals and Modern Medicine,” Oct 18, 2021, https://www.equip.org/articles/christianity-and-the-origins-of-hospitals-and-modern-medicine/