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Principles for Giving

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Last Sunday’s sermon came from 2 Corinthians 9. As we listened to Paul’s appeal for the Corinthians to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem, we found three life-changing principles of “giving for the harvest”:

  1. We are to give humbly (2 Cor. 9:10). All our money – indeed, everything in life – belongs to God. He is the One who gives us life, breath, time, strength, family, jobs, possessions, etc. Thus, when we give, we should have a heart of humility, thanking Him for the honor of giving back a portion of what is already His.
  2. We are to give generously (2 Cor. 9:5-6, 8, 10-11). God expects us to give bountifully and sacrificially. He makes us rich so we can in turn be generous toward others. But since few of us feel rich and able to give generously, we must learn to see giving as an act of faith, taking a step of obedience, even though we may not know how God will provide. If we wait to give until we have the money, we will never give.
  3. We are to give joyfully (2 Cor. 9:7). God does not want our giving to be with a heart of sorrow, or under pressure, but out of a cheerful (hilarious!) heart. Giving should not be a duty, but a delight, for several reasons: (A) It is an act of worship; a love offering. (B) It is an act of obedience, which brings joy. (C) It is a reminder of Christ’s gift to us (2 Cor. 8:9). (D) It is seed planted for a spiritual harvest, caring for the poor, supporting gospel ministers, and reaching the lost with the gospel. (E) It is a guaranteed investment for eternal reward (Matt. 6:20-21).

Questions for thought and discussion (the first four questions come from an article entitled “Money Power,” published in Discipleship Journal, Issue 12, 1982):

  • On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 is lowest and 5 is highest), rate yourself in the following areas: How much of a giving person am I? How wisely do I use my wealth? How willing am I to provide financial support to ministers of God? How willing am I to provide financial support to help the poor? How well do I plan my expenditures? How sacrificial am I willing to be in order to give to others? On a typical day, how grateful am I for what God has given me?
  • What are some ways I am using my money and possessions to help bring people to Christ and extend the kingdom of God?
  • Are there any ways in which I may not be using my money wisely in God’s sight? What are they?
  • What changes could I make in order to be wiser and more generous in the way I handle my wealth?
  • Am I being a good steward of all the possible sources of income and “seed for the harvest” God has entrusted to me? (e.g. salary, investment returns, tax refunds, Social Security, alimony, gifts and inheritances, income from sale of assets, etc.).
  • Have I considered setting up a charitable trust and reserving a portion of my estate for God’s work?

(Sunday’s sermon will be uploaded soon to our podcast site and will be available for free download or to listen online.)

May God help us apply His Word this week in our hearts, in our words, and in our actions.

SBC

Pastors: the key to a great commission resurgence

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No doubt about it, there are some exciting things going on in our Southern Baptist Convention.

I’m very pleased with the recent Great Commission Resurgence document drafted by Johnny Hunt and certain leading members of the SBC. I read through it carefully and finally signed it this morning. I believe it gives a healthy wake-up call to our convention and lays a sound philosophy of ministry for the future of our convention beyond the doctrine articulated in the Baptist Faith & Message.

I appreciate that leaders recognize a true Great Commission Resurgence will not happen merely through a top-down approach from our seminaries, the executive office, or Lifeway, but through a grassroots movement among local churches, and particularly among local pastors.

Thus, the Annual Meeting will focus this year on pastors, local church, and denominational health rather than a reaction to national politics. In a recent interview with the Florida Baptist Witness, Johnny Hunt said:

…the annual meeting focus should be on how to turn around the denomination, which he said begins with the pulpits.

“There is no evangelistic church without an evangelistic pastor. There is no mission-minded church without a mission-minded pastor. There is no generous church without a generous pastor,” he said.

Although many pastors proclaim the right truths about evangelism, they are not emulating those truths.

“I really believe it’s more of a real work of God in the life of us pastors” that is most needed in SBC life, he said, rather than focusing on denominational entities and executives.

Speaking as a pastor, Hunt said the focus “is going to be on us.”

Related posts:

Teaching

Tabloid archaeology

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Gordon Franz writes,

One day a friend sent me an invitation to a church meeting and asked me if I knew anything about the subject. On the flyer was a picture of a human skeleton with crooked teeth and a rock embedded in his forehead. The title above the skull read: “They’ve Found Goliath’s Skull!”

Has Goliath’s skull really been discovered? To find out, you’ll have to read rest of the story here.

This is a good example of what Franz calls “Tabloid Archaeology,” and unfortunately, many Christians buy into this stuff hook, line, and sinker. If it sounds good and seems to give credibility to the Bible, then no matter its source (email, blog, tabloid, video) or level of scholarship, we assume it must be true and with great excitement pass it on to our friends.

To avoid future embarassment, we can all be grateful for a new website Franz has developed called Life and Land Seminars. It has a lot of material on Bible backgrounds, but some articles deal specifically with sensational theories and discoveries. The site is formatted like a blog, so navigation can be tricky. But if you use the search bar in the top right corner, you should be able to search and find any pertinent articles quickly. Think of it like a “Snopes” for biblical archaeology. Here’s a few other debunking articles Franz has written:

Does “The Lost Shipwreck of Paul” Hold Water? – A critique of the theory of Robert Cornuke.

Mount Sinai is Not at Jebel Al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia (and parts 2 and 3) – A careful refutation of the theory of Ron Wyatt that has captivated many gullible Bible believers.

Did the BASE Institute Discover Noah’s Ark in Iran? – The historical and geographical problems with a recent theory promoted in Christian circles.

The So-Called Jesus Family Tomb “Rediscovered” in Jerusalem – A lengthy analysis of the Talpiyot tomb that recent movie producers have claimed belonged to Jesus of Nazareth.

HT: Todd Bolen

Teaching

The High Calling of a Mother & Grandmother

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In honor of Mother’s Day last Sunday morning, we considered the “High Calling of a Mother & Grandmother.” Here was my sermon outline:

  1. Four people in a family – 2 Timothy 1:5 and Acts 16:1-2 introduced us to a family of four: Lois, a believing grandma; Eunice, a believing mom; Timothy, a believing son; and Timothy’s father, an unbelieving dad. We were encouraged to see how God used a mother’s and grandmother’s faith to be instrumental in saving young Timothy.
  2. Four areas of training children – From the description of Jesus’ development in Luke 2:52, we saw four areas that every mother should train her child: mental, physical, spiritual, and social.
  3. Four kinds of people in our church – We concluded by considering how these truths would apply to four groups of people in our church: moms, grandmas, women without children, and men.

Thought & Discussion Questions:

  • Are there any similarities between Timothy’s spiritually “mixed family” and mine? Are there people in my household who do not share my passion for God? What can I learn from Eunice’ example?
  • Mothers, do you pray regularly for your children? How are you doing in training your children in these four areas of mental, physical, spiritual, and social? Where do your children naturally excel? Where do they struggle? What is one area you can begin to improve immediately?
  • Grandmothers, are you loving and serving your children as they now raise their kids, and supporting other younger moms in the church? Read Titus 2:3-5 and consider how you should apply this. Who is one young mom in the church that you can specifically pray for and encourage?
  • Women without children, do you feel disappointed that you do not have children of your own? What is your attitude toward mothers and grandmothers? Are you joyful and content in your present circumstances? Has God called you to consider adoption, or to help other moms who are raising kids?
  • Men, what is your mindset toward child-rearing? Do you consider it primarily a woman’s duty, or are you providing spiritual leadership in the home and church? Are you serving and praying for your wife? Are you teaching your daughters to become future moms and women of God? Could you serve more faithfully in children’s ministry so that moms can have their spiritual batteries recharged?

Sunday’s sermon has been uploaded to our podcast site and is now available for free download or to listen online.)

May God help us apply His Word this week in our hearts, in our words, and in our actions.

Uncategorized

Praying for our leaders

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Today is the National Day of Prayer, a special day set aside each year to gather publicly and intercede for our nation and leaders. Our local ministerial sponsored a community prayer service this morning at the local park to honor the occasion and lift up our praises and requests to God.

Not sure how to pray for the nation? Why not begin with 1 Timothy 2:2, which says to pray “for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

If God guides and blesses our leaders, it will result in peaceful life where the gospel can spread more freely. John MacArthur writes on this passage, “When it manifests love and goodness to all and prays passionately for the lost, including rulers, the church may experience a certain amount of religious freedom. Persecution should only be the result of righteous living, not civil disobedience” (MacArthur Study Bible, note on 1 Timothy 2:2)

Gary Bergel shares 30 ways to pray for people in authority:

1. That they be God fearing and recognize that they
are accountable to Him for each decision and act
(Prov. 9:10).
2. That they be granted wisdom, knowledge, and
understanding (Jas. 1:5).
3. That they be presented with the gospel and a loving
Christian witness (Ro. 10:14).
4. That, if unsaved, they be drawn to a saving encounter
with Christ; if born-again, they be strengthened and
encouraged in their faith (1 Tim. 2:4, Eph. 1:17-23).
5. That they recognize their own inadequacy and pray
and seek the will of God (Prov. 3:5-8, Lk. 11:9-13).
6. That they be convicted of sin, transgression, and
iniquity (Ps. 51:17, Jn. 8:9).
7. That they heed their conscience, confess their sins,
and repent (Prov. 28:13, Jas. 4:8).
8. That they read the Bible and attend prayer meetings
and Bible studies (Ps. 119:11, Col. 3:2).
9. That they value and regard the Ten Commandments
and the teachings of Christ (Ps. 19:7-11, Jn. 8:31-32).
10. That they respect and honor their own parents if
living (Eph. 6:2-3).
11. That they respect authority and practice
accountability (Ro. 13:1-7).
12. That they be given godly counsel and God-fearing
advisors (Prov. 24:6).
13. That they be honest and faithful to spouses and
children (Mal. 2:15-16).
14. That they be practicing members of local
congregations (Heb. 10:25).
15. That they desire purity and avoid debauchery,
pornography, perversion, and drunkenness
(1 Cor. 6:9-20, Titus 2:12).
16. That they be timely, reliable, and dependable
(Mt. 21:28-31).
17. That they be honest in financial, tax, and ethical
matters (1 Cor. 6:10, 1 Tim. 6:6-10).
18. That they seek pastoral care and counsel when
needed (Heb. 13:7).
19. That they seek out and nurture godly friendships
(Ps. 1:1-3).
20. That they have thankful and teachable spirits
(Ro. 1:21).
21. That they be generous and have compassionate hearts
for the poor and needy (Ps. 112:9, Lk. 10:33-37).
22. That they redeem their time and know priorities
(Eph. 5:15-17).
23. That they desire honesty, integrity, and loyalty
(Psalm 26, Prov. 11:3).
24. That they have courage to resist manipulation,
pressure, and the fear of man (Prov. 29:25, 2. Tim. 1:7).
25. That they be shielded from occultism, New Age cults,
false religions, and secret societies (Is. 1:29, 2:6).
26. That they be presented with biblical worldviews and
principles (Eph. 3:10).
27. That they endeavor to restore the sanctity of life,
families, divine order, and morality in our nation
(Eph. 5:22-6:4).
28. That they would work to reverse the trends of
humanism in our nation (1 Chron. 12:32, Is. 59:19).
29. That they desire humility and meekness and be
willing to serve and cooperate (Jn. 13:14, Titus 3:1-2).
30. That they be prepared to give account to Almighty
God (Heb. 9:27).

(You can order copies of this, and many other helpful prayer cards, through the Navpress website.)

Let’s follow God’s call to pray for our nation and leaders not only this day, but every day. He alone can bring repentance and true reform in the hearts of all who need Him.

Thoughts on Life and Leadership