Blessed Giving

Blessed Giving

Elder Ong

06/12/2009 1045

(Note: there is no evidence that tithing in the OT is renewed in NT.)

American’s giving is 2% of GDP, which is USD 307 billion (Malaysia’s GDP is USD 200 billion). 34% of the it is given to church.

Elder Ong shared on three periods in the OT: Patriarch, Law and Return from Exile.

Today, he is going to share from the NT – the teachings of Jesus and Paul.

There are three types of giving:

1.       Tithes – mandatory

2.       Alms – help the needy.

3.       Freewill offering

A priest said he would draw a circle on the ground and toss his money. Anything that fell into the circle would be given to God. Anything fell outside he kept. A rabbi said he’d just toss his money, anything that God kept belong to God, anything that fell to the ground he kept.

Jesus’ Teaching

Mat 23:23  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

The law stipulates that 10% of the crops and cattle are to be given to God. Pharisees extended that even to the garden. But they neglected what was more important.

Giving with expectation of return is giving with wrong motive.

Mat 6:1-3  "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.  (2)  "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  (3)  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

Jesus gave three examples of a righteous living, including giving alms to the needy, prayer and fasting. Giving is accorded the same importance as prayer and fasting.

Sometimes giving money is not the solution. For example, if we give money to an alcoholic will just make them fall deeper in their vice.

The needy mentioned in the Bible are widows or orphans, who did not brought the poverty on themselves by bad habits but rather victims of circumstances.

Jesus taught us that we are not to boast of our good works. Do it often but do not remember them. God remembers and He rewards accordingly.

Jas 1:27  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Jas 2:15-16  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  (16)  and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

When we see a need, let’s try to help.

Mar 12:41-44  And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.  (42)  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.  (43)  And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.  (44)  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

This is a familiar passage. The same incident is also recorded in Luke. That shows the significance of this incident. Jesus only had 3.5 years in ministry. Every moment counts. Yet, he gave his attention to this because he saw an important lesson for his disciples here. God doesn’t look at our giving the way we measure it.

God doesn’t look at the amount but rather the portion. Man looks at the amount because we don’t know the income. God knows.

When a person learns to give 10% of his allowance, he will continue to give 10% of his salary when he starts working.

Sometimes we may wonder why does God want our money.

Psa 50:9-13  I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.  (10)  For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  (11)  I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.  (12)  "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.  (13)  Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

What we gave to God is to bless those who are in need.

Paul’s Teaching – Planned Giving

1Co 16:1-2  Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.  (2)  On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

10 Jan 2010 is the annual thanksgiving giving week of DUMC. The target this time is RM250 million. It’s difficult to take the money out in a short time. Paul advised us to plan beforehand.

2Co 8:7-8  But as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you--see that you excel in this act of grace also.  (8)  I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

Paul commended the Corinthian church of their faith, their speech, their knowledge and in their earnestness. But he wanted them to do a bit more. Paul is in effect challenging them to put they money where their mouth is.

John Wesley said there are always two areas of change – the faith and the wallet.

Paul said our grace should be at par with our faith.

2Co 8:9  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

The main reason we give is to imitate God and Jesus. God gave us Jesus. Jesus gave us His life. He gave His all. There was no room for Him when He came. He had no place to lay His head. When they needed to pay the temple tax, He asked Peter to catch a fish to pay the tax. When He died, the only garment He had was taken by the soldiers. He had no grave. He was put in another person’s tomb.

We received abundant grace from God all because of Jesus’ willingness to be poor for us.

When we give, we are learning to be like Jesus.

2Co 9:7  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

This verse is talking about freewill offering. Tithing is just a beginning. God wants us to add on freewill offering.

2Co 9:6,8  The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. …  (8)  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

The Example of the Macedonian Church

2Co 8:1-5  We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,  (2)  for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.  (3)  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,  (4)  begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints--  (5)  and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

The Macedonian church was not in a good situation. They could be under tremendous persecution and they were poor. Despite enduring hardship, they gave abundantly on their own initiative. And they were full of joy because they truly love God. They understood God’s will and they gave themselves to God.