Training For Service (5)
Giving To The Lord
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n addition to serving the Lord’s Supper, men are also asked
to serve in collecting the contribution. There are those who are confused in
many ways in regard to the whole process of giving and gathering the collection
on Sunday. Therefore, would you first of all, give your sincere attention to a
mistaken idea that may surround the thinking of some Christians as they give to
the Lord and His work? Then we will study God’s way of giving for Christians
today.
(1) Giving Under Christ Is NOT Tithing
The
majority of religions in this nation today teach the Old Testament system of
tithing as God’s plan for Christians to give today. However, this is
scripturally false!
The
idea of tithing comes from the Law of Moses (Old Testament) for Jews only. As a
nation, tithing (along with other types of giving) was a form of taxation. The
nation’s laws served both their civil and spiritual needs. Whether they wanted
to tithe or not was not the issue—they were required to do so. When they failed
to tithe, they were guilty of robbing God.
Malachi
wrote to God’s people: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you
say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8).
They
were required to give a tithe of their produce, animals, and everything.
“As
soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in
abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the
produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything” (2 Chronicles 31:5).
However,
under Christ, we are not under the Law of Moses, the old covenant! When the new
covenant came into existence, God chose NOT to restate the law of tithing in
it. He certainly could have, but He chose a superior way of giving. Thus, we
must seek God’s plan for giving under Christ.
(2) True Giving Under Christ
Paul
outlined God’s basic plan for Christians (in the church at Corinth) to give, in
the following instructions:
“Now
concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the
churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each
one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no
collections when I come” (1
Corinthians 16:1, 2).
Let
us analyze the teaching of these verses:
It Was A Collection
The
giving that Paul mentioned in these verses was a collection for a purpose—to
help the poor saints in Jerusalem (vs. 3; Romans 15:26).
When
you men are chosen to pass the collection plates to the congregation, you are
helping them meet the challenge to obey God. These works include preaching and
teaching the gospel locally and in other places in the world, in helping the
needy, maintaining a place for worship, and all the other works that are
supported by the church. Therefore, Paul gives us a New Testament example of
how we are to do this important work.
The Exact Day To Give
Paul
also taught these Christians the exact day to make this collection. It was to
be done on the first day of the week—Sunday. There could not have been a more
appropriate time for them to give. It was the same day that the disciples
gathered to break (Acts 20:7), and “proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Christianity
is a religion of giving! It began with God giving His only begotten Son (John
3:16), and Jesus giving His life in sacrifice on the cross (Mark 10:45). Thus,
those who surrender their lives to Jesus will also have the spirit of giving.
Each One Of You
In
Paul’s instructions to these Christians at Corinth concerning their giving, he
said, “let each one of you.” This
statement includes every Christian in the church. Paul did not say, “If you
have a good job,” or “If you are older,” or “If you are married,” but he said, “each one of you.” When one is old enough to be a Christian, he or she
is old enough to give!
As He Has Prospered
Here
is the answer to the question, “How much is a Christian commanded to give?”
Paul did not say, “Let each one give a tithe or one tenth,” but rather to give
as one has prospered!
What
does this mean? It means that one, who earns more, is required to give more,
and one who earns less, is expected to give less. However, faithful Christians
will desire to give as much as they can, whether rich or poor, because they are
motivated by other biblical principles.
Paul
later wrote to the church at Corinth about some very important attitudes that
Christians must have when giving to the Lord.
“So
let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity;
for God loves a cheerful giver” (2
Corinthians 9:7).
Let
us also consider these:
Important To Purpose
Each
faithful giver will purpose in his or her heart. After considering the amount
that they have prospered, they will plan or decide in their hearts what they
can give to the Lord.
Love
will also motivate them to give; therefore, their giving will not be done
grudgingly. Neither will they give just because it is necessary. Yes, they will
know that giving to God is necessary to promote good works, but this will not
be their main motive for giving!
A Cheerful Giver
As
Christians purpose from their hearts of love, they need to know that God loves
a cheerful giver, and this should be the kind of giver that they want to be.
Some
people under the Law of Moses may have resented giving their tithe (one tenth),
but they were still commanded to give it. However, God wants Christians to be
cheerful and happy in their giving to Him.
A Blessing From God
Finally,
true Christians know that God will bless their generous gifts of love. Jesus is
quoted as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Paul also wrote: “But this I say:
He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully
will also reap bountifully” (2
Corinthians 9:6). Remember, when you are chosen to serve in collecting the
gifts of Christians to the Lord, you are honoring God and his wonderful works!
The
Bible does not give an exact example of offering a prayer of thanks before
collecting the offering. In fact, some elders choose NOT to do so. However, the
principle of thanking God for all that He gives us is certainly found
throughout His word. Therefore, because of this principle, most elders ask the
men who are serving, to thank God in prayer.
Please
keep in mind that the collection is not part of the Lord’s Supper. Since the
Lord’s Supper and the collection are often initiated from the same table with a
prayer before each one, some have concluded that they are the same. This is NOT
true! Therefore, efforts are often made to keep these two separated. This is as
it should be. Both remembering the Lord’s death and giving are important, but
they have different purposes and must be kept separated.
The
prayer before the collection is also important and can serve two purposes: (1) It is a beautiful way of honoring God for all His
blessings. (2) It can help the
givers to have the right attitude toward their giving.
Please
study some examples of the kind of prayers that can be appropriately led before
our giving to God:
Prayer
No. 1
Our
Father in Heaven
We come now to honor
You as the only true and living God of our lives. As we give, help us to
realize that You are the source of all giving.
In
Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer
No. 2
Divine
Father
Thank You for
providing us with health and strength to earn money, so that we can have the
privilege of giving. We ask that we will be blessed by giving, and that Your
work will prosper. Father, please multiply our giving to Your glory.
In
the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Prayer
No. 3
Holy
Father
We come to recognize You as the One in whom we live and move and have our being. We are thankful, Father, that You have provided us a way to express our love by giving. We honor You, Father, as the perfect example of the giver of all things, and especially Your Son. We seek Your blessings Father, as we give. In Jesus’ name.
May
God help all of us who serve in helping Christians to give, recognize the
importance of the service we are doing for God! —BBBristow