October 01, 2010
Disposable
In some cases church leadership frowns on members giving tithes and offerings with strings attached. I’ve known a church that returns offerings which are designated to any project other than a leadership sanctioned project. I find it somewhat disconcerting that the Lord would accept my offering, but the elders would reject it. It sort of makes you feel like if you dare to designate, then you are somehow sinning. As Peter chastised Ananias for his deception, he also reveals that we’re stewards of our own money. “Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?” (Acts 5:4a NIV)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Gail;
-----Ananias, Sapphira, and the others were giving their money into the hands of the apostles. The offerings that Paul took up from the Macedonians, Corinthians, and others were also given into his care. On the surface it would seem the church leadership is correct. We give our money into their hands for their discretionary use of it for the Lord. But life does not proceed from the surface, it only flows through the surface. Both the moneys laid at the apostles feet and the moneys Paul collected were for the support of the Christians in Jerusalem. In discussing his decline of support for his missionary journeys, Paul indicated that other good missionaries properly did receive support for their journeys. These monies were not for the support of a general Christian populace, but rather were for the spreading of the gospel and the reinforcing of its attitudes. In each instance, the people giving knew the purpose for which they gave and had the opportunity to give to the one purpose or the other. Furthermore, we find no instance in the Bible of giving for the construction and maintenance of church buildings or the supplying of gatherings with coffee and tea, Sunday school materials, or sound systems and pews. Yet that does not preclude our choices of supporting the comfort and effectiveness of our gathering together. The choices involved in supporting His kingdom have indeed become many.
-----But if our choice for support is sliced off at the hand holding the collection plate, what does that say about Rom 12:4-8 and I Cor 12:1-26? It says that the variety of our spiritual gifts does not reflect upon the efforts we can make with our financial gifts. It says that what the Holy Spirit has made each of us to be in the Lord is welcome only in our actions, but not in our interests. That is a subtle message about the distribution of knowledge in the Lord’s body. This message is saying the church leaders have it, the church givers don’t. The final equation is a church body controlled by leaders rather than served by leaders.
-----But not so in the body Christ has made. In it He is the head. The distribution of His leading is to all who receive Him, meaning the distribution of the knowledge of the Lord is also to all who receive Him. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5) That means each of us bring into the body a piece of knowledge and ambition that is systemically tied to the gifts the Holy Spirit develops within us. As a result, the expression of those gifts being in all that we do for Him will also be in the finances we make available for His use more than for the leaders use.
-----I like Lisa S.’s suggestion made at your Sept. 29, 2010 blog, “...if we would just do as the Lord commands and trust in His words then we wouldn't have some of the trials we do endure.” God has a couple directive words for church leaders, “Tend the flock of God that is your charge...not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock,” (I Pet 5:2-3) and, “I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brethren, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written.” (I Cor 4:6)
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Tithing is one tenth of your increase...anything else is just a donation. The widow truly sacrificed when she gave her tithe, because it was all she had. In order for us to grow we must be willing to sacrifice our comforts to know the will of the Lord for our life. anything less is just a donation.
Lisa
I like your use of the word donation. I think of making a donation to the Salvation Army, but to the church we’ve been conditioned to call it a ‘love offering’. Even though they are one and the same, it’s an interesting thought to reverse the two and give ‘love offerings’ to the Salvation Army and donations to the church.
Gail
Lisa;
-----I have had more than one discussion of giving ended quite interestingly by people who advocate tithing. All I did was mention I John 3:17, “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need,” Jesus’ teaching about giving your second coat to another who has none, and the habit of the early church to sell everything and share all alike. Immediately tithing became not a goal to reach but a cap excusing any further giving. Some of the stuff in the Bible can be pretty scary if you have a second home and happen to meet a homeless brother.
Steve
Post a Comment