Hospitality

Assuming we have houses, beds, chairs, food, drink, medicine and other provisions to share with others and the needy, we are encouraged to be hospitable. 

Dear friend, you have always been faithful in helping other followers of the Lord, even the ones you didn’t know before. They have told the church about your love. They say you were good enough to welcome them and to send them on their mission in a way that God’s servants deserve. When they left to tell others about the Lord, they decided not to accept help from anyone who wasn’t a follower. We must support people like them, so that we can take part in what they are doing to spread the truth. - 3 John 5-8

Paul and his traveling ministry team were deeply grateful for the hospitality that facilitated their ministry.  Without the support of those disciples called by Jesus to have and share possessions, those called to leave possessions behind couldn't carry out their mission.

We have three good instructions regarding our attitude towards wealth.

Don’t store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them.- Matthew 6:19

Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have.  This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like. - 1 Timothy 6:17-19

 Any of God’s people who are poor should be glad that He thinks so highly of them. - James 1:9

Believers who lived in humble circumstances were not second class but of equal importance - some, because of persecution, lost their possessions and social status and became poor.

Since God hates partiality, the affluent do not marginalise or look down on the less affluent.  It is why ministries to do not court flatter the wealthy or court donors.

Here are five good reasons to be careful when we find ourselves with more than we need.

People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them.- 1 Timothy 6:9

God blesses his loyal people,
    but punishes all who want
    to get rich quick. - Proverbs 28:20


 Jesus said to his disciples, “It’s terribly hard for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven!- Matthew 19:23

But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. - Mark 4:19


Don’t trust in violence
or depend on dishonesty    or rely on great wealth. - Psalm 62:10

 We should not be preoccupied with God's plan for others.

Jesus answered, “What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return? You must follow me.” - John 21:22

May we have not so much that we become proud and independent of the Lord and not so much that distracts us from our purpose or insulates us from our sense of His need and dependence on Him.

Make me absolutely honest
and don’t let me be too poor
    or too rich.
    Give me just what I need. If I have too much to eat,
    I might forget about you;
if I don’t have enough,
    I might steal    and disgrace your name. - Proverbs 30:8-9

 Giving is the safety valve that releases the excess pressure of wealth.


 

As stewards...

We need to do some homework before we give.

Asking those in leadership in our church for advice, checking carefully a ministry's publications and financial statements, meeting ministry representatives, visiting one of their offices and better still, observing the work on the mission field are how we can gather better intel on what a ministry looks like.

Unfortunately most of us do not have the opportunity of meeting some of the staff that normally do not appear in a public setting - the database coordinator, the mail room clerk, the website developer etc - and there you might find the real nature of the ministry.  Do they demonstrate a servant-heart concern for those who are receiving ministry? Do they demonstrate a sense of unity, camaraderie and mutual respect? For those who have left the ministry - what happened and why? Is the ministry Biblically sound and Christ-centred? Is prayer present and are they asking the Lord for His guidance and the Holy Spirit's empowerment? Do the leaders demonstrate integrity, purity and humility?  Are they open to input to improve or become more strategic? Can the expenses of funds into administration and fund raising make sense? Does the ministry really understand the cross-cultural factors based on how the flow of money is managed?  Does the ministry speak well of others in their same field of work and do they cooperate with them? Does the ministry have an eternal perspective?

Of course, if you are not interested in supporting a Christian ministry, many of these questions would not need to be answered. 

Buying and selling the spiritual

 Simon noticed that the Spirit was given only when the apostles placed their hands on the people. So he brought money and said to Peter and John, “Let me have this power too! Then anyone I place my hands on will also be given the Holy Spirit.”

 Peter said to him, “You and your money will both end up in hell if you think you can buy God’s gift!  You don’t have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn’t right.  Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask God to forgive you.- Acts 8:18-22

What makes us think that God has changed His opinion of attempts to profit under the veil of ministry?

I think that our motives of our heart will be examined in how we give including how much truth and sincerity we speak on behalf of the support required in our ministries.

Gideon was a man who definitely put out there his desire not to rule.

“No,” Gideon replied, “I won’t be your king, and my son won’t be king either. Only the Lord is your ruler. - Judges 8:23

 Why did he have to ask everyone to give a gold earring from the share of the plunder? So what? That seems like a small price for people to pay, they definitely would not miss it and Gideon certainly earned it. But what he did with the gold is melt it down and made a gold ephod which he placed in his hometown.

 Gideon returned to his home in Ophrah and had the gold made into a statue, which the Israelites soon started worshipping. They became unfaithful to God, and even Gideon and his family were trapped into worshipping the statue. - Judges 8:27-28

If we would be ashamed or embarrassed by full disclosure of our finances - everything from our salaries and all other sources of income to our proportion of giving - it's an indication we should be living differently.

NT Guidelines: Give voluntarily

When Moses was tasked to lead the building of the tabernacle, the recorded attitude among the people who came to give involved a moved heart that came to give freely and willingly.  Likewise, for the special offering to the needy saints, Paul said --

Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7

We might today be more inclined to give when we feel like it and unfortunately 4 out of 10 churchgoers have never felt like it.  In contrast the Macedonian believers --

begging us earnestly for the privilege[a] of sharing in this ministry to the saints - 2 Corinthians 8:4

When we catch a vision of God's grace, we will give voluntarily - beyond our duty.





Guidelines for Giving

Old Testament Tithing vs. New Testament Giving