Principles in Kingdom Giving

Article by

Randall Caselman

Principles Of Kingdom Giving

Reading

2 Corinthians 8.1-7 & 9.6-11

Well... How can we meet such an ambitious budget?

Are there some Biblical Principles that will help us?... Of course!!

God did not leave us without instructions on how to accomplish His work

You see Church... my giving and yours... does not amount to all that much. Individually we are pretty insignificant. But... but... when you put us together... and you give our combined gifts to God...

- He blesses our giving, and...

- He empowers our giving to accomplish His work.

This is the significance of this budget this morning. This presentation is more than just abstract figures... It is the power of God at work in our world. Believe that... and we will accomplish all that God asked of us. Disbelieve... and rely upon ourselves, and our own ability with money and we will fail... and fail miserably.

Before I get into the Biblical principles for giving, I just want to say something about what an exciting time to be a part of the Bella Vista Church of Christ. Audience, do you have any idea how much of our world has been touched by this church... and by your generous giving? If you go to Africa, you'll find dozens of churches that have been started or strengthened by your giving.

We just completed a workshop in Cape Town and Johannesburg. In attendance were over 400 people from over 20 different congregations... three of which were from Namibia. You could go to Nigeria... where we have supported the Nigerian School of Preaching for over 18 years. Today, we continue to support Matt and Andrea Miller... who work with the French speaking people of Togo... on the West Coast of Africa.

In South America, we are the only support for three preachers in Bogota, Colombia... in Santiago, Chili... and in Honduras. In Quito, Ecuador... we provide the total support for two preaching students in the School of Preaching. Robert Miranda works with congregations in Mexico... Central America... and South America. And we support his work at $18,000 a year.

We are in Tver, Russia through the Baldwin congregation in Fayetteville. Tens of thousands of people in Ukraine hear the Gospel preached each day on television... made possible by your generous giving. We are in India though Russell Bell who makes two extended teaching and preaching trips there each year.

And of course... through Gospel Tracts International... people all over the world read about Jesus and His church through the almost two-million tracts printed each year... distributed to 60 different countries. I help raise funds for Gospel Tracts... and I know of no other congregation who gives to this preaching and teaching effort any more than those in this church.

Then back on this side of the globe... our Bulletin and Tape Ministries reach so many. And not only does your giving make these ministries possible, many of you work to see that these ministries are carried out... Thank you so much.

- One man writes... Our congregation has not had Gospel Preaching for several months... But now with your tape ministry, we have two sermons each and every Lord's Day... Thanks!

- Another says... My mom is in a nursing facility in California and has not been able to attend church for several years... But now she enjoys your sermons... the prayer and songs each week.

- Another says... I hope you don't mind us sending your tapes other places when we are finished with them. Some we hate to part with... but most of them are sent to India... to Singapore... and Malaysia.

And listen to this: This past year this church expended $28,720 in Benevolence... Most of that above what was budgeted. And... and.. over $20,000 of that was made available to those in our own church family.

Plus... there are so many of you who give of your own money to help others... in and outside the church. This kind of giving is never recorded anywhere except in heaven. Just this week we will send over $4,000 to the church in Indonesia to help with those devastated by the Tsunami.

INDEED!!... INDEED!!!... What an exciting time to be a part of this church!

You see, this budget is much more than just some abstract figures on a piece of paper... It is the will and power of God working through His people.

OK... What Biblical Principles Are There That Will Enable Us... As a Church... To Meet This Budget?

FIRST... WE MUST GIVE AS GOD HAS BLESSED US... PROSPERED US.

I believe that this is consistent with what James says... "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above... coming down from the Father of lights."

Church... our giving is based... in part... upon how God has blessed us.

When you put Paul and James together... they seem to be saying... Count your blessings and then give accordingly. Did we do that last Sunday? Today? Every Sunday? Folk... when we do this... our Elders will not have to struggle with how to distribute all the money... AMEN??

SECONDLY... WE ARE TO GIVE LIBERALLY... GENEROUSLY.

Paul warns... "If we sow sparingly... we will reap sparingly. But, if we sow generously... we will reap generously." Jesus said... "Give and it will be given unto you... shaken down and pressed together." Jesus is saying that God watches our giving... and then rewards us accordingly. May God help us to count our blessings and then give liberally... generously.

GOD ALSO WANTS US TO GIVE CHEERFULLY.

Our offering to God is to be voluntary... Not as if we had to. God does not want us to give grudgingly... or to give under compulsion... out of NECESSITY... But freely... cheerfully. Church... if we can't feel good about the amount we are giving... then we are under New Testament commandment to change that amount... either up or down. God wants us to feel good about the way we give to Him... and the work in His Kingdom.

WE ARE TO GIVE SACRIFICIALLY.

Even the casual Bible student knows that sacrificial giving has been a part of God-required worship from the beginning of time.

- The first time worship is mentioned in the Bible... it had to do with sacrificial giving by Cain and Able...

- Noah sacrificed...

- As did Abraham...

- Sacrificial worship played a major role in worship under the Law of Moses.

Paul and the Hebrews writer both tell us...

- That one... God was never pleased with dead sacrifices...

- And two... Worship which pleases God today... is our offering ourselves as living sacrifices... instruments of righteousness.

Then, Paul lets us know in our text that when we give ourselves as living sacrifices then our first day of the week giving will be right. The Macedonian church gave correctly... sacrificially... because they first gave themselves.

WE ARE TO GIVE AS WE HAVE PURPOSED... PLANNED.

Paul says... "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give� as he has purposed." Folk, genuine New Testament worship to God is our Proposing... Vowing... Pledging to God... to give a certain amount or percentage to Him... and then just doing it. This is Bible.

AND THEN... OUR GIVING IS TO BE REGULAR... SYSTEMATIC.

Paul tells us in First Corinthians 16.1 & 2... "Now concerning the collection for God's people... do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income."