Stewardship Articles
To the Congregation:
As Council, we have been concerned about the lack of, or shortfall in financial giving which is evident in some within our congregation. After having discussed this at a Council meeting, we, the Financial Stewardship Committee were encouraged to engage the congregation in a dialogue about what stewardship means. This short introduction serves as the beginning of this dialogue. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to pass them on to the council and the Financial Stewardship Committee will, with council attempt to address them.
When we examine the issue of stewardship, we will be looking at two broad areas. First, we will examine the Biblical principles that undergird stewardship. Second, we will also discuss and outline the practice of stewardship and how stewardship might look in a Christian home.
First Principle – Whose Is It Anyway?
When discussing stewardship, really what we're examining is what to do with our time, our material possessions, and the world God gave us to live in. The first, and perhaps most important principle to keep in mind is that everything belongs to God. David reminds us in Psalm 24 that:
The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
God created this world and placed us in it as stewards to care for it. Our sinful nature leads us to deny this already at a very early age. A two-year-old cries, "It's mine!" Our tendency is to repeat that phrase the rest of our lives. We need to grapple with the fact that none of it is ours. Everything we have is on loan from our Creator.
The question we need to ask ourselves is this. How will this knowledge affect what we do with what God has given us?
Why Should we Give?
Last week we discussed the important first principle that everything belongs to God. This week we will begin a discussion of why we should be giving. (Much of this has been gleaned from an article by John Stott entitled Ten Principles of Christian Giving, (available online http://www.castlechurch.org.uk/Stott 10 Principles.pdf.)
Scripture gives us a number of reasons for giving. We will examine in particular 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, where Paul gives us many reasons to give. The overarching theme in these chapters, and therefore these articles, is that our giving is a practical demonstration of our understanding of the relationship between the grace of God, the cross of Christ and the unity of the Holy Spirit.
First, giving is an expression of God's grace. Paul uses “the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches” as an example for the Corinthians. But he makes it quite clear in this first verse of chapter 8 that the giving of the Macedonians came from God’s grace. When we give, we are allowing God's grace to work in our lives.
Second, we are supposed to be good at giving. Paul says to the Corinthians, in 2 Corinthians 8:7, "See that you also excel in this grace of giving." It is a gift of the Spirit, and therefore is something for us to pray for and do. It takes practice, prayer and grace to become good at it.
Third, Christians should be giving to follow Christ's example of self-sacrifice. Paul encourages the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 8: 8, 9 to give to the needy churches as Christ gave to us. He ends his encouragement with the following: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).
In conclusion, then, we give to allow God’s grace to demonstrably work in our lives, because, as Christians, with the Spirit’s help we're supposed to be good at giving, and, lastly, to follow Christ's example in giving good gifts, sacrificially, thankfully and obediently.
Why Should We Give? – Part 2
A few weeks ago we began a discussion of why we should be giving. We concluded that there are three reasons why we should be giving generously. We give, first, to allow God’s grace to work in our lives, second, because, as Christians, we're supposed to be good at giving, and, third, to follow Christ's example in giving good gifts. This week we will continue examining reasons why we should be giving.
A fourth reason to give is because giving is like planting seeds. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:6 that "whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." A farmer can’t expect a rich harvest if he doesn’t put enough seed in the ground. We can't expect to see a generous harvest of righteousness in our lives if we don’t give liberally.
Fifth, Paul also encourages us to give because our giving will cause others to be thankful to God (2 Corinthians 9:11). True Christian giving will result in praise and thanksgiving being made to our God and Father for the gifts we have given. "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"
Finally, by giving we show where our true allegiance lies. Jesus tells us in Luke 16:13 that no one can serve two masters. We cannot serve God and money. If we struggle with giving, then we are struggling with this issue. By giving generously, we are demonstrating to God and to ourselves who we truly serve.
In conclusion, then, there are three more reasons to give generously. We give to allow a harvest to take place. We give because it increases thankfulness and praise to God in others. And finally, we give because it demonstrates who we truly serve.
How Should We Give?
During the last few weeks we’ve been discussing the principles to keep in mind while we are giving our gifts to the Lord. In our first week, we noted that we don’t give because the Lord needs it, because everything is His already. The last two articles developed the principles of why we should be giving. The central point was that we should give because spiritually it’s beneficial for us to do so. This week we will focus on how we should give. We will look at three things that should affect our giving.
First, we should give willingly (2 Corinthians 8:3, 2 Corinthians 9:7). Paul commends the Corinthians in this passage for giving without being compelled to do so. In fact, they pleaded with him for the opportunity to give so that they could be of service to others and do the Lord’s work. We have a great opportunity to be of service to others with our gifts. We’ve also been given the great honour of helping our Lord build His kingdom. Let’s make use of the opportunity with joy.
Second, we should give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7). We need to give without being compelled to; out of heartfelt thankfulness, which makes it a joyful occasion for us. Don’t give because it hurts. Give because of the opportunity you have to serve others with your gifts, because of the positive benefits you’ll reap in your spiritual health.
Last, we should give quietly and not for social approval (Matthew 6:2-4). Our Lord Jesus makes it quite clear that we should give only for the approval of our Father in heaven, and not for the approval of men. He even states that if we give for the approval of men, then that is the only approval we will get. Our gifts should be “under cover”, with as little fanfare as possible.
To wrap up our examination of how to give gifts, we note three things. Our gifts should, first, be given willingly, second, cheerfully, and third, to seek the approval of God, not man.
Who Should Give?
Last week we reflected on how we should give. We came to the conclusion that we should give willingly, cheerfully, and for God’s approval and no one else’s. This time we will look more closely at who should give. We will look in particularly at two passages from Scripture, one from the Old Testament, and one from the New Testament.
The first passage that we will examine is Exodus 25:1-9. In this passage, the LORD tells Moses to build a tabernacle. To build a tabernacle, you need goods with which to build it. Where were those goods to come from? They were to come from everyone. They ESV translates the passage as “The LORD told Moses, ‘From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.’” Some less literal translations say “everyone” or “every person”. Exodus 35 records the response of the Israelites and it states that men and women responded with their gifts. Either way, it’s quite clear that everyone was expected to give to the work of the LORD as his or her heart was led to give.
The second passage we will study is Mark 12:41-44. This is the well-known passage where Jesus observes a widow placing her life savings into the temple treasury. He commends her for her gift, pointing out that He gave much more than anyone else. Note that he commended her, evidence that He thought highly of her giving.
What can we learn from these passages?
First, it’s quite clear that everyone is called to give, whether rich or poor, part-time or full-time, retired or just starting a career. Someone might argue, “I just don’t feel it in my heart to give.” As we have seen earlier, it is spiritually beneficial to give. If we don’t feel called to give, then we ought to pray that we will feel led to give.
Second, financial need should not be considered a hindrance to giving. In fact, Mark 12 indicates that our Lord will think highly of you if you give out of need. Don’t let your own personal financial situation keep you from bringing your gifts generously before the LORD. Trust Him that He will reward you, not necessarily, or only, in a financial or material sense, as He has promised us in His Word.
It is probably appropriate to mention at this point that it is important for parents to teach their children to give as soon as they begin making an income. If we are receiving financial blessings in any way, whether from clearing snow, or babysitting, it is fitting for us to begin to learn the joys of bringing our first fruits to our Lord.
In conclusion, when we examine the question of who should give, we see quite clearly that everyone who receives blessings from the Lord is called to give to Him of these blessings.
How Much Should We Give?
In our last article we reflected on who should be giving. We came to the conclusion that giving is a responsibility and privilege given to everyone in the covenant community. This week we will look more closely at how much to give.
Much of the discussion about how much to give centers around whether the tithe, that is, giving 10% of our income, is still mandated for Christians in the new covenant. It is helpful, then, to examine the arguments for and against the tithe.
Those who argue against the tithe point out that the tithe was given by the people of Israel to the Levites (as noted in Deuteronomy, Numbers, and Leviticus), and is therefore part of the ceremonial laws of Moses. They conclude from therefore that we're no longer obligated to bring a tithe to the Lord and that our giving should be guided by grace. This type of giving is sometimes referred to as “grace giving” as opposed to “giving the tithe”.
Those who argue in favor of the tithe respond by noting that the first mention of a tithe in Scripture is well before Moses appeared on the scene, that is well before the law was given. The first time the tithe is mentioned is in Genesis 14. This chapter describes Abram’s defeat of the four kings who carried his nephew, Lot, away as a captive. Upon his return, he was met by Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God and king of Salem, the city that would become the city of David. Melchizedek gave Abraham bread and wine and blessed him. Abraham responded by giving a tenth of the spoil, the tithe, to Melchizedek.
Why would this be significant for us today? Those in favor of tithing observe that the author of the book of Hebrews proclaims to us in chapters 5 through 7 that Jesus Christ is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. In Romans 4 Paul indicates that Abraham is our spiritual father. Jesus is a priest in the same order as Melchizedek, and yet greater than Melchizedek. If Abraham brought a tithe to Melchizedek, then why would we not bring a tithe to our great king and high priest, Jesus Christ?
As you can see, the biblical argument for tithing is quite strong. As council we have come to the conclusion that the principle of the tithe is good guide when determining how much of our income to give. Next time we will examine some New Testament principles that can be used to guide our giving.
New Testament principles that can be used to guide our giving.
In our last article we reflected on how much to give. We came to the conclusion that giving the tithe (10%) is an appropriate guide to use for all members of God's church. It is important to note here that the church is not like a club with a certain membership fee. As individuals we shouldn’t take the budget and divide by the number of communicant members in order to calculate what we owe. Why? Because such a calculation serves only as a rough guide for you to understand what kind of giving is required on average It is not necessarily relevant to your own personal situation. Rather, God has ordained that giving is based on a more equitable basis, namely a certain percentage of each person's income. This way the poor won't feel guilty for not giving enough, nor the rich content at giving just enough to cover their "quota". Much wisdom can be gained from I Corinthians 16:2, where Paul states “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 collection will have to be made.’ This passage illustrates the following points very clearly, namely that our giving should be:
Prioritized: “on the first day of every week”
Our giving should be a first call on our disposable income. We give what’s right, not what’s left over.
Planned: “each one of you should set aside”
We need to plan and review our giving to God through the ministry of this Church on a regular basis. We should make this giving a regular part of our financial routine.
Proportionate: “a sum of money in keeping with his income”
God blesses us with all we have and our giving should reflect his generosity to us. We should consider giving a proportion of our income. If you are not convinced yet that the tithe is a good guide, then whether you give 2%, 5% 10% or beyond, it is quite clear that our giving must be proportional to our income.
Practical: “so that when I come no collection will have to be made.”
Paul advises against last minute, embarrassed catch-up collections from the unprepared Christians in Corinth!
So from this text we learn that our giving should be prioritized, planned, proportional and practical. For our final installment, considering that giving is both a blessing and a privilege, we will wrap up our series by examining the practical question of how we should live in order to ensure that we can give generously.
How shall we then live?
As you may recall, our last article came to the conclusion that biblically our giving should be proportionate, planned, prioritized and practical.
As promised, this week we hope to end our series of articles with a discussion of how we can live so that we can give generously. Haggai cautioned, “give careful thought to your ways”. The Isrealites were living in their “paneled houses” while the Lord’s “house remains a ruin” (Haggai 1:4 and 5). We read in the short report a couple of months ago how there were quite a few envelope sets with zero sum contributions. This should simply not be. There were also sets with insignificant contributions and again this should not be a common occurrence. Sometimes we complain how little impact the Church has on contemporary society. Think about how much more impact the Church would have if every Christian gave abundantly to their local church. Where would we be now if we had had sufficient funds to hire a second pastor, to spend more resources on missions, outreach, and to plant more churches? Remember, the Church is the most important institution that there is and will be. History revolves around the Church.
Therefore, if we want to begin to give, or give more, then perhaps we should consider living with less. Pastor Bill DeJong eloquently pointed this out to us in his “grace in giving” presentation at the kick-off meeting on September 22nd. This active doing with less is called fasting. We can “fast”, so that we can give. When we do with less, we can give, or give more. God was looking for exactly this kind of fast from his people. Israel however had distorted fasting to a pagan act focused on themselves, in order to win God’s favour (Isaiah 58:1-12) rather than fasting to enable one to “share... food with the hungry”. Maybe we could reduce spending by fasting on entertainment, cell phone packages, cable packages, coffee runs, cigarettes, alcohol or dining out. Scrutinize your spending habits and see if there are areas where you are willing to fast in order to give.
It's also easy to convince ourselves that we need a newer vehicle, a faster boat, or a bigger house. While none of these things are wrong in and of themselves, as council we ask you to please ensure that when you purchase a home, a car, vacation package, or anything of significant value, that you leave enough space in your budget that you are able to continue giving abundantly to the church. Please also take the time to instruct your children in such matters too. As young people move out of their parents’ homes, they will need to know that it's not necessarily wise to spend as much on a home as the bank will allow you to. You want to make room in your budget to be able to give. Unfortunately, high mortgage payments can make giving a low priority.
So how do we live financially responsible lives? There are so many ways that money can flow out of our pockets without us even realizing where it is going and how much is being spent. An excellent way to begin to understand how to best manage your financial affairs is to monitor your spending carefully, and set up and stick to budgets. Another quick way to get many good ideas on how to be good stewards of your resources is to attend seminars or workshops, like the financial workshop Cornerstone is hosting on October 16th. Look into this and plan to attend. Other sources of financial wisdom may be found by speaking to family members, your pastor, elders or deacons. Talk about financial matters, get information, ask questions and let’s ensure our priorities are properly ordered.
Remember that being good stewards of our blessings is a huge responsibility, and one that should constantly engage us; for out of the abundance of his grace, we live day by day, and our giving, in a cheerful manner, reflects the nature of our heart and our thankfulness.
"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Tim 6:11
The series above were based on articles that were generously provided by the deacons of Providence Canadian Reformed Church of Hamilton