First importance

 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. - 1 Corinthians 15:3

God not only cares about how many people will be in the choir singing praises to the Lamb, He cares from what people group they came from too.

 They sing a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God
    saints from^[a] every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving^[b] our God,
    and they will reign on earth.” - Revelation 5:9-10

John himself was overwhelmed -

 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.- Revelation 7:9

Most of you will remember Nate Saint as the team pilot for the group of five who went to bring the gospel to the Auca's. He was martyred along with the other four.  On December 18th, 1955 a few weeks before his death, he wrote this Christmas Letter to his friends and family --

“As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages? As we ask ourselves this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts we feel that it is pleasing to Him that we should interest ourselves in making an opening into the Auca prison for Christ.
As we have a high old time this Christmas, may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christless night without ever a chance. May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of darkness. Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha. May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost and our responsibility.
Would that we could comprehend the lot of these stone-age people who live in mortal fear of ambush on the jungle trail . . . those to whom the bark of a gun means sudden, mysterious death . . . those who think all men in all the world are killers like themselves. If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas from a comprehension of Christmas and Him, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich.”

Many of us make a big thing out of those who do not believe in hell.  But we are missing the greater shame - that we who do believe in hell make so little effort to keep others from going there.

 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?  And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” - Romans 10:13-15

I am afraid that we have assumed that God has multiplied our assets so we can keep them, when in fact He has multiplied them so we can distribute them.

 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,^[a] cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.- Matthew 10:8

The dead do not hear the gospel - to allow people to die or suffer is unconscionable.  On the other hand, people who do not hear the gospel cannot go to heaven, so to feed them is right but to neglect to share the gospel is wrong.

Caring for the poor

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God. - Leviticus 19:9-10

Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.  Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.” - Deuteronomy 15:10-11

 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
    and will be repaid in full. - Proverbs 19:17

Those who are generous are blessed,
    for they share their bread with the poor. - Proverbs 22:9

Those who are generous are blessed,
    for they share their bread with the poor. - Proverbs 28:27

 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?  If you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually,
    and satisfy your needs in parched places,
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters never fail. - Isaiah 58:7, 10-11

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” - Luke 4:18-19

Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. - John 13:29

He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.  And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” - Luke 14:12-14

At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius.  The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers^[a] living in Judea;  this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. - Acts 11:27-30

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas.^[a] She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. - Acts 9:36

 He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.  One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.”  He stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” He answered, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.- Acts 10:2-4

 They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was^[a] eager to do. - Galatians 2:4

 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. - James 1:27

 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,^[a] if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?  If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?- James 2:14-16

 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.  How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister^[a] in need and yet refuses help?  Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.  And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him - 1 John 3:16-19

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;  for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. Matthew 25:34-35, 41-42

There is a priority set to care for the needs of those who follow Christ.

 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. - Galatians 6:10

When Saul was persecuting Christians, Jesus appeared to him.

 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” - Acts 9:4

How can we eliminate poverty? The answer is, we cannot. Jesus said that the poor would always be with us. Should we give up? Of course not.

The poor need not only our provisions but also social justice.

You shall not abuse any widow or orphan.  If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry. - Exodus 22:22-23

Nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit. You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits. You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. - Exodus 23:3,6,9

 The prophets were particularly concerned about the exploitation of the poor.  James warns the church against courting and favouring the rich over the poor.

 I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy,    and executes justice for the poor. - Psalm 140:12

I need to determine a salary that I need to live on, then give back to God every dime He entrusts to me beyond that, so every day I work and earn income is a day that will help the poor and reach the lost.

Coming to grips with the needs of the poor and the lost

Naked did you not drop from the womb? Shall you not return again naked to the earth? Where have the things you now possess come from? If you say they just spontaneously appeared, then you are an atheist, not acknowledging the Creator, nor showing any gratitude towards the one who gave them. But if you say that they are from God, declare to us the reason why you received them. Is God unjust, who divided to us the things of this life unequally? Why are you wealthy while that other man is poor? Is it, perhaps, in order that you may receive wages for kindheartedness and faithful stewardship, and in order that he may be honored with great prizes for his endurance? But, as for you, when you hoard all these things in the insatiable bosom of greed, do you suppose you do no wrong in cheating so many people? Who is a man of greed? Someone who does not rest content with what is sufficient. Who is a cheater? Someone who takes away what belongs to others. And are you not a man of greed? are you not a cheater? taking those things which you received for the sake of stewardship, and making them your very own? Now, someone who takes a man who is clothed and renders him naked would be termed a robber; but when someone fails to clothe the naked, while he is able to do this, is such a man deserving of any other appellation? The bread which you hold back belongs to the hungry; the coat, which you guard in your locked storage-chests, belongs to the naked; the footwear mouldering in your closet belongs to those without shoes. The silver that you keep hidden in a safe place belongs to the one in need. Thus, however many are those whom you could have provided for, so many are those whom you wrong. - St. Basil the Great, Sermon to the Rich

 But obedience to the Great Commission has more consistently been poisoned by affluence than by anything else. The antidote for affluence is reconsecration. Consecration is by definition the "setting apart of things for holy use." Affluence did not keep Bordon of Yale from giving his life in Egypt. Affluence didn't stop Francis of Assisi from moving against the tide of his time.- Ralph Winter, Money and Mission

 Wealth is not limited - it can be produced and enlarged.

 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. - Deuteronomy 8:18

Wealth is being produced every day as a result of ingenuity and hard work.

If we have indeed exploited the poor then we need to face up to it.  We should adopt the posture of Zacchaeus who determined to pay back fourfold those whom he had cheated.

We are to feel responsible to compassionately and wisely use our abundance to help the less fortunate.  Every person is our neighbour, and we are to show mercy and care for each in their need.

There is a letter from Roman emperor Julian to Arsacius, the High-priest of Galatia when he was on his way to Antioch.  He makes some interesting comments, but this one compliment was an interesting sentence --

"For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galilaeans support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us."

 Third-century Christian author Tertullian observed,

“It is our care for the helpless, our practice of loving kindness that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. ‘Only look,’ they say, ‘look how they love one another!’”

So there was a hope and peace in Christians that was nurtured by the Holy Spirit. There was an attitude of outgoing love even in the sore trial they faced. Around A.D. 260, at the time of the plague, Dionysus wrote:

Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty; never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains. Many, in nursing and caring for others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead…. The best of our brothers lost their lives in this manner, a number of presbyters, deacons, and laymen winning high commendation so that death in this form, the result of great piety and strong faith, seems in every way the equal of martyrdom.

John Wesley came up with rules for church stewards and here is one of them --

If you cannot relieve, do not grieve, the poor. Give them soft words, if nothing else; abstain from either sour looks or harsh words. Let them be glad to come, even though they should go empty away. Put yourself in the place of every poor man, and deal with him as you would God should deal with you.

John Wesley personally practised what he preached.  He limited his expenditures by not buying the kinds of things generally considered essential for a man in his station of life. In 1776 the English tax commissioners inspected his return and wrote back,

“[We] cannot doubt but you have plate for which you have hitherto neglected to make entry.” They assumed that a man of his prominence certainly had silver dinnerware in his house, and they wanted him to pay the proper tax on it. Wesley wrote back, “I have two silver spoons at London and two at Bristol. This is all the plate I have at present, and I shall not buy any more while so many round me want bread.”

When we give generously

God, even if it happens in a third party kind of way, blesses us financially when we give.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.  Luke 6:38

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. - 2 Corinthians 9:6

Have you ever asked yourself - why has He provided so much?

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.^[a] You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us - 2 Corinthians 9:10-11

God entrusts me with His money not to build my kingdom on earth, but to build His kingdom in heaven.

Your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.  As it is written,

“The one who had much did not have too much,
    and the one who had little did not have too little.” - 2 Corinthians 8:14-15

He does not want us to have too little or too much. When those with too much give to those with too little, two problems are solved.

I just finished writing some copy for an appeal that a major children's charity will be sending to their donors.  I tried my best to describe to the potential donor what their gifts will do for children in a particular community in Nicaragua. I believe there is no greater joy than for the donor to see the fruit of their gift. Seeing people blessed - the giving is the blessing - but the deepest joy comes when they see the fruit.  This in why I recommend people take trips that allow them to see some of the faces and meet some of the people touched by their giving.  A major giving family in the US who also give to Canadian ministries said that they were hooked on giving when they saw first hand what missions was doing.  They knew where to give and where their giving would make a difference for eternity.  Today, they sold their family business and have created one of the largest Foundations in the US.

 R.G. LeTourneau is known for inventing the Catarpillar brand of earth moving machines.  His spiritually journey had him and his family at a place where they gave 90% of their income to the Lord. "I shovel it out,” he would say, “and God shovels it back, but God has a bigger shovel."

But there are, as I said earlier, third party type of blessings.  The washing machine that is twenty years old and should have stopped working years ago keeps on working.  A car with 350,000 km keeps running with hardly the need of repairs other than tires and oil changes. A checking account that should have dried up before the end of the month and yet it makes it through. Or the prayer for healthy teeth because there is no dental plan and not even one tooth decay.

Have you ever noticed that excess money just seems to dissipate in a multitude of directions?  

 Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider how you have fared. You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes. - Haggai 1:5-6

God said that because the nation of Israel had given to themselves and not to Him, He had minimised and dissipated their profits so they didn't come out ahead.  We need to give careful thought to your ways, asking oursevles if we'd do better to give more to the Lord and ask Him to maximise what we keep.

But no matter how far we move on in the grace of giving, Jesus Christ remains the matchless giver --

For you know the generous act^[a] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.- 2 Corinthians 8:9

 

NT Guidelines: Give generously

When a grateful woman anointed Jesus with a costly ointment, some observers rebuked her.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. - Mark 14:6

 Some people may consider generous giving as fanatical, but Jesus called it love.  In fact, He was so moved by the woman's giving that He vowed --

"Truly I tell you, wherever the good news[a] is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” - Mark 14:9

Those who are more calculating usually give less.




Guidelines for Giving
The New Testament Standard of Giving

God's Guidelines for Giving

Giving God’s Way

Biblical Guidelines for Giving

Guidelines on Giving

Tithing in the Bible - Is Tithing for the New Testament Believer?

The New Testament Pattern of “Giving”

 

Ten Principles of Christian Giving

The tithe is recognized as God's

The Old Testament emphasised "freewill offerings" --

The Israelites, all the men and women whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work which the Lord had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill (voluntary) offering to the Lord. - Exodus 35:29

These were voluntary contributions beyond the tithe.

When the temple needed to be rebuilt, people were asked to provide freewill offerings --

Then the heads of the fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites, all those whose spirits God had stirred up,[a]arose to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.  All those who were around them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle, and with valuable things, in addition to all that was given as a freewill offering. - Ezra 1:5-6

 The Israelites got caught up in the thrill of giving --

And all the skilled men who were doing all the work on the sanctuary came, each one from the work which he was doing,  and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to do.”  So Moses issued a command, and it was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the sanctuary offering.” So the people were restrained from bringing anything more;  for the material they had was sufficient and more than enough to do all the work. - Exodus 36:4-7

The emphasis here is not on the amount of the offering or the cause for it, but the willingness of each person's heart.

Voluntary offerings were a demonstration of love, joy, and worship.  The grace of giving transformed a pack of gripers and whiners into joyful worshippers.

Moreover, because I delight in the house of my God, the [personal] treasure that I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, in addition to all that I have already provided for the holy house - 1 Chronicles 29:3

Then the rulers of the fathers’ households, and leaders of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with the overseers of the king’s work, offered willingly  and gave for the service of the house of God: 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, and 10,000 talents of silver, and 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron.  Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole and blameless heart they had offered freely to the Lord. King David also rejoiced greatly. - 1 Chronicles 29:6-9

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.  For we are [a]sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope [of remaining].  O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy Name, it is from Your hand, and is all Your own.  I know also, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness and integrity. In the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. So now with joy I have seen Your people who are present here, make their offerings willingly and freely to You.  O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the minds of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You - 1 Chronicles 29:14-18

David measured the people's loyalty to God by their willingness to freely give to God.

Tithing and Systematic Proportionate Giving

“The Jews were constrained to a regular payment of tithes; Christians, who have received liberty, assign all their possessions to the Lord, bestowing freely not the lesser portions of their property, since they have the hope of greater things; as that poor widow acted who cast all her living into the treasury of God.” Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202) in Against Heresies 

A few hundred years later, Augustine indicated that tithing was still practised --

“Tithes are required as a matter of debt, and he who has been unwilling to give them has been guilty of robbery. Whosoever, therefore, desires to secure a reward for himself . . . let him render tithes, and out of the nine parts let him seek to give alms.”

Note the clear distinction between the mandatory tithe and the voluntary offering of almsgiving.  Alms were to be given -- above and beyond the tithe.

Jerome said --

 “If anyone shall not do this [pay tithes] he is convicted of defrauding and supplanting God.”

Like Augustine, Jerome believed and taught that it is possible for New Testament Christians to “rob God” by withholding the tithe, just as it was for Old Testament believers. For the first four hundred years, the Church often, if not normally, considered the practise of tithing a minimum standard for giving.

And all the tithe (tenth part) of the land, whether the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. - Leviticus 27:30

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings [you have withheld].9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, this whole nation! 10 Bring all the tithes (the tenth) into the [a]storehouse, so that there may be [b]food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you [so great] a blessing until there is no more room to receive it. - Malachi 3:8-10

There were three tithes for Israelites.  One tithe supported the the priests and Levites, another provided for a sacred festival and the third tithe supported orphans, widows and the poor.

The practise of tithing began long before the law of Moses.  Abraham tithed to he high priest Melchizedek.  Jacob promised a tithe to the Lord.

Honor the Lord with your wealth
And with the first fruits of all your crops (income) - Proverbs 3:9

Reconstructing a Biblical Model of Giving: a Discussion of Relevant Systematic Issues and New Testament Principles

A BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF TITHING: TOWARD A THEOLOGY OF GIVING IN THE NEW COVENANT ERA

Understanding the Grace of Giving

THE TITHE IN SCRIPTURE

Christian Proportionate Giving

Proportionate Giving

7 Biblical Guidelines for Giving to God

Should Christians Tithe?

Inspiration, Encouragement, Challenge

All of us need to hang on to a group of friends who will inspire, encourage and challenge us to greater accomplishments for God's kingdom causes.  That's why we all desperately need to be part of a local body of believers where God's Word is taught and His Son is worshipped.  Today's churches can trace their heritage back to the ancient body of Christ and heroes of the faith as seen through the eyes of the writer of the Hebrews.

As children of God, we are prised, chosen by Him to reign at His side. Yet, beautiful and beloved as we are, we go right on living in drudgery as citizens of a second-class country, forfeiting heavenly treasures by clinging to earthly ones.

At death, a Christian doesn't leave home.  We go home.

We are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. - 2 Corinthians 5:8

Consider the paradox - our true home is a place we've never been!

C. S. Lewis captured this idea perfectly with one of his memorable metaphors. Let me quote from his book The Problem of Pain:

“The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.”

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge

A Christian Thought for the Day

Encouraging Bible Verses

Stories about Stewardship

The story of the shrewd manager shows that each of us should carefully invest our financial assets, gifts, and opportunities to have an impact on people for eternity, thereby making preparations for our own eternal future.

The story of the coins shows that we're each entrusted by God with different financial assets, gifts and opportunities and we'll be accountable to God for how we've invested them in this life.

The story of investments shows that those with comparable gifts, assets and opportunities will be judged according to their faithfulness and industriousness in investing them in God's kingdom, and consequently will receive varying positions of authority in heaven.

The master may deal with other servants however they wish.  Each servant must do the job and be prepared to give account to one from whom nothing can be hidden.

The inevitability of consequences for all our actions - the law of the eternal harvest is more certain than the laws of physics --

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap. - Galatians 6:7

The meaninglessness of everyone else's evaluation of the steward compared to the judgement of our one and only master --

Who are you to judge the servant of another? Before his own master he stands [approved] or falls [out of favour]. And he [who serves the Master—the Lord] will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. - Romans 14:4

 From the beginning to end, Scripture repeatedly emphasised God's ownership of everything --

Behold, the heavens and the highest of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth and all that is in it. - Deuteronomy 10:14

The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; you are [only] foreigners and temporary residents with Me. - Leviticus 25:23

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion and kingdom, O Lord,and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honour come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand is power and might; and it is in Your hands to make great and to give strength to everyone. - 1 Chronicles 29:11-12

"Who has first given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. [Who can have a claim against Me who made the unmastered beast?] - Job 41:11

The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it, The world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the streams and the rivers. - Psalm 24:1

'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the Lord of hosts. - Haggai 2:8

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honour and glorify God with your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Not only does God own everything, but He determines how much of His wealth He will entrust to us --

But you shall remember [with profound respect] the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore (solemnly promised) to your fathers, as it is this day. - Deuteronomy 8:18

The Lord makes poor and makes rich;He brings low and He lifts up. - 1 Samuel 2:7

Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand is power and might; and it is in Your hands to make great and to give strength to everyone. - 1 Chronicles 29:12

When I grasp that I'm a steward, not an owner, it totally changes my perspective.  Suddenly, I'm not asking, "How much of my money shall I, out of the goodness of my heart, give to God?"  Rather, I'm asking, "Since all of 'my' money is really Yours, Lord, how would you like me to invest Your money today?"





Stewardship Stories

Learning and Teaching Stewardship

Inspirational Christian Stories and Poems

Sermon Illustrations, Humor, and Stories on Finances, Generosity, Giving, Tithing, Offerings
Journey to Generosity True Stories

"Lord, You Can Use My Boat"

STORIES

Changing the Way People Think About Generosity

The Master has plans

We have not linked the stewardship of property with the consecration of the stewardship of life. A widespread revival of the teachings of Christian stewardship will not only insure an adequate support of the cause of Christ, but will bring about a deepening of the spiritual life of the church as its principal result. This is what Horace Bushnell meant in his oft repeated but never trite prophecy --

“One more revival, only one more is needed; the revival of Christian stewardship, the consecration of the money power to God. When that revival comes, the kingdom of God will come in a day.”

Finney goes into details --

God is, in an infinitely higher sense, the Owner of all, than any employer can be said to be the owner of what he has. The Church of Christ never will be disentangled from the world, never will be able to go forward without these continual declines and backslidings, until Christians, and churches generally, hold the ground that it is just as much a matter of discipline for a church member to deny his stewardship by his practise as to deny the deity of Christ, and that covetousness, fairly proved, shall just as soon exclude a person from the Communion as adultery. - Charles Finney

 Once, a distraught man rode his horse up to John Wesley, shouting, "Mr. Wesley, something terrible happened! Your house... it's burned to the ground!" Wesley weighed the news, then calmly replied, "No. The Lord's house burned to the ground. That means one less responsibility for me." God is the owner of all things, and we are simply his stewards.

Wesley's words sprang from life's most basic reality - that God is the owner of all things, and we are simply His stewards.

 After successfully establishing a restaurant chain, two banks, a ranch, farm and real estate ventures, Jerry Caven says that’s when the real fun started. At age 59, Jerry and his wife Muriel were headed into retirement, looking for a nice lake home. Then God changed their plans and led them to put their money and time overseas. “It’s been exciting. Before we gave token amounts, now we put substantial money into missions. Our hearts are in India now. We visit and minister there often.” What changed the Cavens’ attitude toward giving was realising God’s ownership. “Once we understood we were giving away God’s money to God’s work, we had a peace and joy we never had back when we thought it was our money! After seeing the way poor Christians in India trust Him, we’ve asked God if he wants us to give away all of ‘our’ money. He hasn’t led us to do that yet. But we’ve meant it when we asked.” Jerry says, “A non-christian couple saw us giving, and saw how much it excited and changed us. Then they started giving too, even before knowing Christ. They saw the joy and they wanted in on it!” When we give an offering with that attitude, people will see our joy and desire to be “in on it!” Perhaps that is the best reason to give an offering. 

the master plan

Motivation

Randy Alcorn asks a question that no believer can simply dismiss. The question is this: “Why should I follow Scripture’s teaching on money and possessions when it’s so much fun to have all the nice things I want and do whatever I please with my money? I’m a Christian, and I know I’m going to heaven anyway, so why get radical about the whole money thing? why not have the best of both worlds, this one and the next?”

The missing ingredient in the lives of many Christians today is motivation. Given our false assumptions that what we do in this life won't have eternal consequences (apart from our decision to place our trust in Christ for salvation), it's no wonder we're unmotivated to follow God's directions regarding money and possessions (and everything else).  The doctrine of eternal rewards for our obedience is the neglected key to unlocking our motivation.

He (Moses) considered the reproach of the [a]Christ [that is, the rebuke he would suffer for his faithful obedience to God] to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt; for he looked ahead to the reward [promised by God]. - Hebrews 11:26

Motivated by long-term reward, Moses chose short-term disgrace.

Paul ran his life's race with his eyes on the prize, which motivated him to run hard and long.

[a]Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! 25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a [b]crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. - 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Paul was unashamedly motivated by the prospect of eternal reward, which he affirmed freely and frequently.  He encouraged all believers to be motivated by rewards.  

Another model of motivation by reward is Christ Himself.

[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross,[a]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. - Hebrews 12:2

Jesus humbled Himself, knowing that He would ultimately be exalted.

But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind, 14 and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the[a]righteous (the just, the upright).” - Luke 14:13-14

Our instinct is to give to those who will give us something in return and not to those who won't.

What a motivation this is when we feel our labours are unappreciated by others! We can be freed from the burden of concern about whether others overlook our deeds, because God assures us that He will not overlook them. When we understand what it means to be promised a reward from God, any prospect of reward from others - or any bitterness for not being rewarded by them - will shrink in comparison. 

But love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, and do good, and lend, [a]expecting nothing in return; for your reward will be great (rich, abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High; because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the ungrateful and the wicked. - Luke 6:35

Christ sought to motivate us to do good works by the promise of rewards.

Despite prevailing opinions to the contrary, the prospect of rewards is a proper motivation for the Christian's obedience - including the generous sharing of our money and possessions. Since God does not tempt His children, it's clear that whatever He lays before us as a motivation is legitimate.  It's not wrong for us to be motivated by the prospect of reward.  Indeed, something is seriously wrong if we are not motivated by reward.

These are tangible motivators that may be personal, social, spiritual, physical or financial.  By God's own design, all of us need incentives to motivate us to do our jobs and do them well.  Motivation by reward is not a result of the fall, but God's original design for humanity.

God made us to need incentives to motivate us to do our jobs and do them well.

God will reward those who suffered while trusting Him, and those who helped the ones who were suffering.  He doesn't have to - He wants to - He will.

“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;  for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centres] will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

At this point you should realise that reward cannot be our only motivation.  We should be motivated by gratitude to serve God.  We should be motivated by our ambition "to be pleasing to Him." But these motives are never in scriptural conflict with the motive of reward.  The same Bible that calls upon us to obey God out of our love for Him as Faithful also calls upon us to obey out of our fear of Him as Judge and out of our hope in Him as Rewarder of those who serve Him.  Each of these motivations is legitimate, and each complements the other.  This isn't a matter of mixed motives (some good, some bad), but of multiple motives - multiple righteous motives.

We should share our faith out of our love for God - our love for other people should motivate us too - our example from Christ and the NT men and women of faith should show us how.

For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the [a]judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or [b]bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord [and understand the importance of obedience and worship], we persuade people [to be reconciled to Him]. But we are plainly known to God [He knows everything about us]; and I hope that we are plainly known also in your consciences [your God-given discernment]. - 2 Corinthians 5:10-11

The prospect of being praised by others is a strong motivator.  Children are motivated by the hope of being praised by their parents.  The prospect of hearing my Father say to me, "Well done," should be tremendously motivating.

How should we respond to the adversity for the sake of Christ?
Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for their fathers used to treat the prophets in the same way. - Luke 6:23

 Consider these words --

Do not weary yourself [with the overwhelming desire] to gain wealth;
Cease from your own understanding of it.
When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies to the heavens. - Proverbs 23:4-5

God has created each of us with certain desires that correspond to certain motivations. The desire for pleasure can degenerate into hedonism, desire for possessions into materialism, and desire for power into egotism.

For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. - 1 John 2:16

Satan tempted Jesus to make bread for the pleasure of eating, to worship Satan for the possession of all the world's kingdoms, and to cast Himself from the highest point of the temple for the power of commanding angelic intervention.

The draw to pleasure, possessions and power cannot be rooted in our sin nature, because Satan appealed to there desires in Adam and Eve before they were sinful.  Christ had no sin nature.  Satan knew this, yet he sought to tempt Jesus on these same three grounds - pleasure, possessions and power.

God Himself appeals to each of these desires in us!  He offers us the reward of power in His eternal kingdom, possessions in His eternal kingdom,  and pleasures in His eternal kingdom.

Rewards

When John Calvin was exiled from Geneva, he said, "Most assuredly if I had merely served man, this would have been a poor recompense; but it is my happiness that I have served Him who never fails to reward His servants to the full extent of His promise."

God promises great reward for all who have served Him faithfully.  He will reward every loyal servant for works done in this life --

So do not go on passing judgment before the appointed time, but wait until the Lord comes, for He will both bring to light the [secret] things that are hidden in darkness and disclose the motives of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. - 1 Corinthians 4:5

God rewards generously, promising a return --

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [d]or children or farms for My name’s sake will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. - Matthew 19:29

God rewards us for doing good works, denying ourselves, showing compassion to the needy and treating our enemies kindly.  He also grants us rewards for generous giving --

Jesus answered him, “If you wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” - Matthew 19:21

 Rewards are promised to those who endure difficult circumstances while trusting in God, and to those who persevere under persecution.  A life of godliness will be richly rewarded.

Paul reminds us there's a timetable for the harvest --

Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in. - Galatians 6:9

The believer's compensation, just like the unbeliever's, is usually deferred.

A picture of all people

The five-hundred year-old play Everyman is a picture of all people. Some balk at such a picture --

Then I heard [the distinct words of] a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘[a]Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes, [blessed indeed],” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest and have relief from their labors, for their deeds do follow them.” - Revelation 14:13

Our Lord enthusiastically commends works done for the right reasons. Immediately after saying our salvation is not by works, Paul adds --

For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;  not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].  For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. - Ephesians 2:8-10

 Scripture ties God's reward-giving to His character --

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God’s people), as you do. - Hebrews 6:10

 The verses that follow tell us that if we are to inherit God's promised blessings we must not become lazy but diligent in our God-given works.

James repeatedly states that good works are essential to the Christian life --

Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him by his good conduct show his [good] deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom. - James 3:13

God gives us eternal rewards for doing good works, persevering under persecution, showing compassion to the needy and treating our enemies kindly.   He also grants us rewards for generous giving --

Jesus answered him, “If you wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money]to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me[becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” - Matthew 19:21

 We know Christ will say to some believers --

‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’ - Matthew 25:21

Not "well said," or "well believed," but "well done."  What separates the sheep from the goats is what they did and didn't do with their God-entrusted resources of time, money and possessions.

What a powerful encouragement this is to saints who sacrifice in this life to prepare for the next ---

Therefore, believers, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you [be sure that your behavior reflects and confirms your relationship with God]; for by [a]doing these things [actively developing these virtues], you will never stumble [in your spiritual growth and will live a life that leads others away from sin];11 for in this way entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provided to you. - 2 Peter 1:10-11

Two eternal judgments

The Bible teaches two eternal judgments, one for unbelievers and one for believers.  All believers will enter into new life because of their faith in Christ.  All unbelievers will fail the judgment of their faith in Christ since their names are not written in the Book of Life. 

Scripture repeatedly states that all will be judged for their works.

Scripture teaches with unmistakable clarity that all believers in Christ will give an account of their lives to their Lord.  We will be judged by Him according to our works, both good and bad. The result of this will be the gain or loss of eternal rewards.

Scripture presents it as a monumental event in which things of eternal significance are brought to light and things of eternal consequence are put into effect.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of[a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us - Hebrews 12:1

God wants us to have eternal rewards - and He has given us every resource in Christ to live the godly life that will result in those eternal rewards.





What Does the Bible Say About Eternal Judgment?

Eternal Judgment

44 Bible Verses about Eternal Judgment

God’s Righteous Judgment

Two Judgments

What heaven is like

As He was about to leave this world, Jesus said to His disciples --

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. - John 14:2-3

For Christians, heaven is our home.

So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]— we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. - 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

This city will have all the freshness, vitality and openness of the country with all the vibrancy, interdependence and relationships of a city.

For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has foundations, [an eternal, heavenly city] whose architect and builder is God. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. But the truth is that they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. For that reason God is not ashamed [of them or] to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]; for He has prepared a city for them. - Hebrews 11:10,14,16

Heaven will have an endless supply and we'll meet and converse with other inhabitants.  We'll open our dwelling places to entertain people. Heaven will offer much-needed rest to the weary.

We'll reign with Christ. Reigning implies specific delegated responsibilities for those under our leadership.  We'll rule over the world and even over angels.

When God brings heaven down to the new earth --

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the [a]former order of things has passed away. - Revelation 21:4

People of every tribe and nation and tongue will worship the Lamb together.

Heaven is the Christian's certain hope, a hope that can and should sustain us through life's darkest hours.  But this doesn't happen automatically.  We must choose to think about heaven and centre our lives around it --

Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. - Colossians 3:1-2

Death

And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment - Hebrews 9:27

The old saying, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes," is only half true, since there are tax evaders, but no death evaders.

This judgement is for all people, not some.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. - Apostles Creed (A.D. 250)

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. - Nicene Creed (A.D. 325)

From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. - Athanasian Creed (A.D. 400)

Scripture confirms this inbred human expectation of judgement. It says that God will judge everyone, and He will judge fairly. Specifically, He will judge us according to our deeds --

“I, the Lord, search and examine the mind,I test the heart,To give to each man according to his ways,According to the results of his deeds." - Jeremiah 17:10

If you [claim ignorance and] say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs and examines the hearts and their motives?
And does He not know it who guards your life and keeps your soul?
And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works? Proverbs 24:12

But these [false teachers], like unreasoning animals, [mere] creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed, reviling things they do not understand, will also perish in their own corruption [in their destroying they will be destroyed],13 suffering wrong [destined for punishment] as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a delight to revel in the daytime [living luxuriously]. They are stains and blemishes [on mankind], revelling in their [e]deceptions even as they feast with you.                     2 Peter 2:12-13

But they will [have to] give an account to Him who is ready to judge and pass sentence on the living and the dead. - 1 Peter 4:5

And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account. - Hebrews 4:13

But I tell you, on the day of judgement people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak.           Matthew 12:36

For God will bring every act to judgement, every hidden and secret thing, whether it is good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:14

God knows the motives of people's hearts and judges us in that light.

We are all sinners and the wages of sin is death.  But an all-holy God, out of love for us, judged Jesus for our sins.  Only by embracing Christ's atonement for our sins can we escape the everlasting punishment due us.  God's justice was satisfied, but only at the cost of His own blood.

He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost. - Revelation 21:6 -- without cost to us, but at unimaginable cost to Him - a cost visible for eternity, as we behold His nail-scarred hands and feet.

Grace is not cheap because it is free, but, because it is free, by some it is held cheap.