Are We Ready To Give?
I Timothy 6:18
Preached by Pastor Tony Miano
Pico Canyon Community Church
February 18, 2001
Introduction: We’re going to continue our study on giving this morning. Last week we looked to God’s Word for some perspective about what a rich person actually looks like, and we considered if it was possible to be too rich to give. This morning we’re going to get into more of the nuts and bolts of the subject of giving as we try to answer the question, “are we ready to give.”
Our text, again, for this morning, will be First Timothy 6:17-19. But our focus is going to be on verse eighteen. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life in deed.”
Last week we considered our attitude toward giving. This week we’re going to consider our aptitude for giving. Noah Webster, in the 1828 edition of his dictionary, defined “aptitude” this way: “A natural or acquired disposition for a particular purpose, or a tendency to a particular action or effect.”
I want to spend a few minutes taking a closer look at this definition and how we can related it to giving, because I think it will help set the stage for the rest of our study. Some people are predisposed or gifted as givers. Others learn to give as a result of teaching or modeling in the area of giving. Still others are the type of people who just have a tendency to give.
Those who have a predisposition toward giving are those who God has wired to be that way. When speaking of Christians, these would be the people who have given from the moment they came to faith in Christ as if it were something they had always naturally done. In Romans 12, we see giving listed among the spiritual gifts. In verse eight we read, “or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” (Rom. 12:8).
The NASB uses the word “liberality,” which more literally translates as “simplicity.” Those who have the spiritual gift of giving make giving look simple. For these people, giving is easy. They do it without grumbling or disputing. They do it without ulterior motives or placing conditions for how their giving is used. They give whether or not anyone is watching them or anyone notices the size of the gift. They can be counted on to give whenever a need arises.
A second group of people with an aptitude for giving is those who have been taught how to give. For most people, giving is a learned response to the meeting of needs. The idea of sacrificial giving to a church or participating in other forms of benevolence is not a natural thing for most people. Most people, probably most of us here today, give because we were taught that it is the obligation, responsibility, and privilege of the believer to give to further the Lord’s work.
The third group of people with an aptitude for giving is probably the most inconsistent of the three. These are the people who have a tendency to give. Now, the word “tendency” means to drift toward a particular goal or action. Believers who fall into this group probably lack a certain amount of maturity in their faith. They may be new believers who are in the process of learning the importance of giving and stewardship.
Those who only have a mere tendency to give will often give when they’re compelled to do so. They give because they see others giving. Those who have a tendency to give will often have a tendency to stop giving if there are negative changes to their comfort level or if they decide that something they want is more urgent than giving to the Lord’s work.
I want you to keep these definitions in mind as we go through our study. I want you to do an honest self-assessment and decide into which group you would place yourself. Do you have the spiritual gift of giving? Have you learned to give consistently and cheerfully? Or do you have a tendency to give inconsistently.
In verse eighteen Paul gives us four things each of us should do if we want to develop an aptitude for genuine giving in our lives. We’re going to use the word “salt” as an acrostic to help us remember these very important principles.
Following the beatitudes, Jesus tells the people that true believers, true followers of Jesus Christ, “are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). Jesus uses salt in a metaphorical sense. Just as salt was used then, and is still used today, as a preservative for food, Christians are to serve as preservatives of what is good and enemies of whatever causes decay—namely sin. One way for us to be the salt of the earth is to be ready to give our time, tithes, and talents to the Lord’s work, whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Give Sacrificially
After explaining how one can avoid being too rich to give in verse seventeen, Paul gets right into the practical application of his teaching by explaining how the people should give. He begins by telling Timothy to instruct those who have more than the basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter “to do good.” In this first phrase, Paul is referring to doing what is good in a noble and excellent way. These qualities are best seen in the person who gives sacrificially. There is nothing superficial about it.
As many of you know, Michelle had some very serious health problems when she was younger. My daughter has endured multiple surgeries on her spine, and heart surgery as well. The Lord has seen her through much.
With the surgeries and some unexpected complications, Michelle had to spend a great deal of time in the hospital. She had a myriad of health concerns up to that point in her life, so I was frequently taking off work to tend to her needs. I was never one to rack up a lot of vacation or holiday time on the books.
By the time we got to Michelle’s final back surgery, I was completely out of time. I had used it all being with Michelle in the hospital. I had to either go back to work or start forfeiting my pay for the days I missed.
The other deputies got wind of my situation, which, because of my own stubborn pride I didn’t reveal very easily. Before I knew it, deputies were lining up to donate their own sick, vacation, or holiday time so I could stay at the hospital with my little girl. My brothers behind the badge took their time and money and donated it to me so I could spend the needed time with my family. They quietly made a sacrifice for someone in need. I’m sure many of you can think of times when someone has given to you in a sacrificial way.
Moments ago I mentioned that the kind of good Paul was referring to was that which could be considered noble, even praiseworthy. It’s important to note that Paul wasn’t referring to the one-time gesture. He’s talking about that kind of giving which is done as a matter of course. The instruction “to do good” is in the present tense. This means that giving which is best considered noble and sacrificial must be done regularly and continually.
Sacrificial giving is a mark of a mature faith. Sacrificial giving is that which is done when we don’t see in an immediate or tangible way how God is going to replace that which we no longer have. It is the kind of giving that has its genesis in the belief that God is already providing for all of our needs, and promises to continue to do so; so we needn’t worry that we are giving away too much.
Robertson McQuilkin writes that both the way and the attitude with which they give to the Lord’s work can measure the maturity of Christians. He suggests these classifications:
Infancy level maturity is marked by non-giving. We see this illustrated in the parable of the rich landowner who hoarded his wealth.
“And He told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many good laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’”
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21).
Kindergarten level maturity is characterized by impulse giving. Zaccheus gives us a good example of this in Luke 19:8.
“Zaccheus stopped and said, Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much’” (Luke 19:8).
Elementary School level maturity is characterized by legalistic giving. The Pharisees were examples of this kind of giving.
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others” (Luke 11: 42).
High School level maturity is characterized by giving which is in keeping with honest management, like the good stewards in Luke 16.
College level maturity is characterized by what can be described as love giving. We saw one of the best examples in Scripture last week when we looked at the way the poor widow gave at the treasury (Mark 12:41-44).
Finally, Graduate level maturity is characterized by what can be described as faith giving. We can find Jesus teaching His disciples about this kind of giving in Luke 12:28-34.
“But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.”
“But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:28-34).
Mature believers are ready to give and they do so sacrificially. When we give sacrificially, our first thoughts should not be on what the giving will do to or for us. Our first thoughts should be on what our giving will do to or for someone else and how it will bring honor to God.
This is a theme that runs through the entirety of verse eighteen. Those who are rich, those who have more than what they need, are to give of themselves and of their possessions for the benefit of others.
Although God promises great and eternal blessings for those who give sacrificially, the motive should never be “what’s in it for me.” One of the greatest baseball movies ever made, at least in my humble opinion, is “Field of Dreams.” There’s a very poignant scene toward the end of the movie that illustrates this “what’s in it for me” mentality.
Now granted, you certainly wouldn’t want to base any of your theology on the movie’s premise, but that wasn’t the intent of the movie. It was simply a fantasy built around the love for baseball and the broken relationship between a man and his father.
For those of you who may be too young to remember this modern day classic, Kevin Costner plays a small-time farmer in Iowa. One day while working in his cornfield, he hears a voice that eventually directs him to plow under his corn and build a baseball field. To make a long story short¾he builds the field, drives around the country collecting baseball refugees, and returns home to find the ghosts of baseball legends reliving their youth on his field.
James Earl Jones, who plays a writer from the sixties now in seclusion, is asked by none other than Shoeless Joe Jackson if he wants to follow the players to see what lies beyond the mysterious cornfield. Kevin Costner interjects by saying, “Hey! Wait a minute! I built this field. What’s in it for me?”
Shoeless Joe looks at Costner and shifts from the uneducated, old-time baseball great to a modern day philosopher. He tells Costner that if he built the field to get something out of it, out of some sort of selfish ambition, then he built it for the wrong reason. It all works out for Costner in the end with a closing scene that never leaves my eyes dry.
If our motive for giving is personal gain, then we are not really giving sacrificially. There is nothing particularly noble about giving for the sole purpose of insuring some sort of personal return. If that is ever our motive for giving, then we are merely trying to achieve a selfish goal under the auspices of something higher.
Give Abundantly
In the second phrase of the verse, Paul uses a small play on words to make a huge point. Paul writes, “to be rich in good works.” Here we find the second letter of our acrostic¾A. Paul is telling the rich members of the church to give Abundantly.
The play on words comes in the form of the word “rich.” In verse seventeen, Paul used the word to refer to the financial condition of people in the church. Here Paul uses the word rich not to describe the material wealth, but to emphasize what should be done with that wealth.
This whole idea builds upon what Paul had just said about sacrificial giving. In order to give sacrificially we must be people who give abundantly. But giving abundantly is not determined solely by the amount given. In the eyes of Scripture, a person is truly rich when they have the maturity of faith to take the wealth they have acquired and richly give it to the work of the Lord and to those who are in need. Their wealth is expressed not in how much they keep for themselves, nor simply in how much they disperse to others, but in the heart-felt thankfulness they have for the God given opportunity to do something for someone else.
This idea of being rich in good works can also be seen as doing something quite beautiful for someone else. Take for example what Mary of Bethany did for Jesus not long before He was executed. We find the story in Matthew 26, beginning in verse 6. I’ll be reading from the New International Version.
“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ They asked. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me” (Matt. 26:6-11).
The word translated as “beautiful” in this passage is the same as the word translated as “good” in the phrase we’re looking at in verse eighteen.
The perfume Mary poured on Jesus was worth about 300 denarii, a large sum of money at the time. But the beauty of what she did was not marked by the monetary value of the perfume. What made what Mary did so beautiful was the fact that it was a sacrifice of personal possession, “prompted by thankfulness of heart” (Hendriksen, p. 900). Her giving expressed her thankfulness for the Lord’s provision in her own life and recognition that everything she had belonged to Him.
You have often heard me say, and you will continue to hear me say, that giving is an act of worship. This idea is beautifully expressed when we give sacrificially and abundantly to see the Lord’s work accomplished through the church.
When we sing praises to the Lord, if we come away saying to ourselves, “You know, I didn’t get much out of worship today,” then we didn’t come before the Lord in the first place with the intention of our heart being to offer something to Him. And that’s what true worship is.
True worship is coming before the Lord knowing that we were created for this purpose--to worship and glorify Him. True worship is lifting our voices in praise and thanksgiving with a heart attitude that says, "Lord, I’m giving You everything I have and I want to give You more.” True worship is the recognition that we are only allowed into His presence because our very lives have been purchased by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
This idea that worship has to be entertaining to be meaningful, that it has to provide us with something in order for it to be valuable, is a man-centered philosophy. And if that is our attitude when we come before Him with singing, then we can’t rightly call what we’re doing a sacrifice of praise. We might as well be asking the Lord to pay us for services rendered, as if the Lord owes us something for taking the time to sing to Him.
If giving is also an act of worship (and it is), then we should approach those opportunities to give as a time to beautifully express to the Lord our thankfulness for who He is and what He has done in our lives. Our motivation should not be what we might get in return. Our motivation should be to give abundantly unto the Lord out of what He has already graciously given to us.
Give Liberally
The next item in the list of instructions is for those who are rich “to be generous.” The Greek word translated as “generous” literally means, “liberal” or “bountiful,” and it appears nowhere else in the New Testament. If you are truly ready to give, then you are going to be a person who gives liberally.
When we first think of the word “liberally,” we might think of giving to everything and anything, or a wide variety of things. At least that was my initial thought of the word’s meaning. But that’s not what the word means here. The idea of giving liberally expresses a freedom to give. I found this very interesting.
Now certainly, giving liberally is closely associated with giving abundantly, even to the point of giving beyond what we think we can. One of the best examples of this kind of liberal giving is found in First Chronicles 29:1-17. In the passage we find the story of the Jews giving to build Solomon’s Temple. The people’s giving was so liberal, so generous, that they had a surplus of resources and materials well beyond what was needed to complete the temple.
But I want to spend a little time talking about this idea of freedom in giving. I think many people, and maybe some of you here this morning, do not give to the extent you think you should, do not give generously, because you lack the freedom to give. Maybe there is something in your life that is restricting your freedom to give.
The New Testament is filled with references to freedom in Christ. For instance, in John 8:31-32 we read, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” In Romans 6:23 we’re told, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Although we can never lose our freedom in Christ—our salvation can never be taken away or lost, there is one thing that can affect the level of freedom we experience. It’s sin. If there is anything in our lives that can affect our ability to give generously, it’s sin.
Just a few verses prior to the passage we’re looking at today, Paul wrote something probably familiar to many of you. “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (I Tim. 6:10).
There is nothing wrong with being wealthy. There is nothing wrong with working hard and receiving the just rewards for a job well done. But are we working hard and acquiring wealth and possessions for the right reasons? Are we doing it because we love money? Are we doing it because we want to keep up with the Joneses next door?
Now, before you rush to answer, “no,” take a look inside your checkbook. What does your check register say about the liberality, the generosity, the freedom with which you give? It’s been said that you can tell where a person’s heart is by looking at their checkbook. In fact, during announcements I had Paul go around and collect all of your checkbooks and we’ll have those up on the screen in just a few minutes. Just kidding.
Before you can be ready to give, you must first order your finances so that the Lord receives the first fruits of everything He gives you. In order to experience freedom in your giving, you must live your life in such a way that you are not a slave to your possessions or to your lifestyle. You may not hear this in many churches today, but if the desire to have the things of this world overshadows your desire to give generously to the Lord, then it is a sin issue in your life.
Just as Paul said—“some by longing for it (money) wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” To wander away from your faith, to turn to anything or any way of life that is contrary to God’s Word and His will for your life, is sin.
One sign that may indicate that you are longing for money in an unhealthy way is what happens to your giving and your living expenses as your income increases. If you’ve ever heard someone vow, “If I were rich, I’d give away most of my money,” don’t bank on it. The stats show that people with higher incomes give away a smaller percentage of their wealth.
INCOME GIVEN AWAY
Under $10,000 3.6%
$10-19,999 3.4%
$20-29,999 2.5%
$30-39,999 1.8%
$40-49,999 2.3%
$50-74,999 2.0%
$75-99,999 1.9%
$100,000 and above. 2.5%
Ron Blue, Storm Shelter, Thomas Nelson Publ., quoted in New Man, March/April 1995, p. 16
John Wesley, a great preacher from two centuries ago, was eventually one of England’s most wealthy citizens. Yet, as his income sharply increased, look at what happened to his spending habits:
Income Living Exp. To the Poor
First year: 30 pounds 28 pounds (93%) 2 pounds (7%)
Second year: 60 pounds 28 pounds (47%) 32 pounds (53%)
Third year: 90 pounds 28 pounds (31%) 62 pounds (69%)
Fourth year: 120 pounds 28 pounds (23%) 92 pounds (77%)
Later: over 1,400 pounds 30 pounds (2%) over 1,400 pounds (98%)
(From The Accountability Connection by Matt Friedman, Victor Books), New Man, July/August 1994, p. 12.)
I am not a financial expert. I continue to work toward the place where I am completely free to give liberally whenever the opportunity presents itself. As I shared with you last week, what I can tell you is that when I put the Lord first in my finances, He blesses me with an incredible amount of freedom to give liberally.
A formula that Mahria and I have found helpful is the 10/10/80 formula. The way the 10/10/80 formula works is that you give the first 10% to the Lord, the second 10% goes into savings, and the remaining 80% is for living expenses.
Mahria and I are presently giving about 13% of our income to the church each month. I share that with you without any pride. I just feel that in order for me to speak about something as important and sometimes touchy as giving, I need to have enough integrity to be honest about my own finances and lead you by example.
Making it a priority to give to God first will ultimately bring greater financial freedom and blessing into our lives and to the ministries we want to support. Here are ten reasons why. Don’t worry about writing these down. I’ve provided them for you in the worship folder. I want each of you to spend some time this week reading, studying, and praying over the Scripture references.
1. It is a tried and proven pattern of giving by godly people throughout the ages (regardless of cultures and income levels). Genesis 14:17-20, 28:16-22; Leviticus 27:30; Proverbs 3:9, 10; Malachi 3:7-15; Matthew 23:23
2. It will help you revere God more in your life. Deuteronomy 14:23
3. It will bring God’s wisdom and order to your finances and will help you [overcome the sin] of materialism. Matthew 6:19-21, 24-34; Luke 12:16-21; 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19; Ecclesiastes 5:10
4. It will serve as a practical reminder that God is the Owner of everything you have. 1 Chronicles 29:11-18; Psalm 24; 1,2; Psalm 59:10-12; Haggai 2:8
5. It will allow you to experience God’s creative care and provisions in ways you would not otherwise experience. 1 Kings 17; Proverbs 3:9,10; Malachi 3:7-15; Haggai 1:4-11, 2:15-10; Luke 6:38; Deuteronomy 14:23; Proverbs 3:5,6; Malachi 3:8-10; Haggai 1:4-11, 2:15-19; 2 Corinthians 8:5
6. It will encourage your spiritual growth and trust in God. Deuteronomy 14:23; Proverbs 3:5,6; Malachi 3:8-10; Haggai 1:4-11, 2:15-19; 2 Corinthians 8:5
7. It will ensure you of treasure in heaven. 1 Timothy 6:18, 19; Matthew 6:19-21; Hebrews 6:10; 3 John 5-8
8. It will strengthen the ministry, outreach, and stability of your local church. Acts 2:42-27, 4:32; 2 Corinthians 9:12,13
9. It will help provide the means to keep your pastor and missionaries in full-time Christian service. 1 Corinthians 9:9-11,14; 1 Timothy 5:17,18; 3 John 5-8; Philippians 4:15-19; Galatians 6:6; Luke 8:3; 2 Kings 4:8-10
10. It will help accomplish needed building projects, renovations, [and acquire tools necessary for ministry]. 2 Chronicles 24:4-14; Exodus 35, 36; 2 Kings 12:2-16; 1 Chronicles 29:2-10; Ezekiel 1:4-6
(Brian Kluth, Dimensions, Vol. 20, Fall, 1997, pp. 1-2, reprint by permission: Christian Stewardship Magazine)
Having given the first 10% to the Lord, the next step is to put the next 10% into savings. Mahria and I, especially since we started the church have struggled with this one. But the benefits far outweigh any inconvenience in the here and now. Consider the following example.
Let’s say your income is $36,000 and you were to put 10% into savings each month. That would be $300 a month. Let’s say you were to put that $300 into a safe, low risk, no penalty money market account. With the current interest rate at about 6%, here is what your savings would look like over time.
5 years $ 20,931
10 years 49,163
15 years 87,425
20 years 138,612
25 years 207,898
Some of you are in a position to put this formula to work today. Others of you, if you are like me, may need time to work up to this level of giving and saving. The formula is not a quick fix for years of poor stewardship, nor is it a guarantee for future wealth. But if we treat our giving as an act of worship and our saving as an act of love for our families and good stewardship of the resources the Lord has given us, we will experience the freedom to not only give obediently, but to give generously, too.
Something else you will find through generous giving to the Lord is that you will find yourself having the freedom to give to other important ministries or other people in need outside the church. Things that you may have once considered as a poor investment of your leftover dollars now may seem to have merit and are worthy of your generosity. You may find yourself giving to others just out of the sheer joy found in the act instead of dissecting the moment to determine the extent of the personal return or reward.
Give Tenderly
The last letter in our acrostic is “T.” After commanding his readers to give sacrificially, abundantly, and generously, he finishes verse eighteen by commanding they be “ready to share.” Where generosity expresses a freedom to share, being ready to share expresses a willingness to share. Paul is telling his readers to give tenderly.
In this last phrase, Paul uses an adjective that is found nowhere else in the New Testament. The Greek word koinonikous, comes from the Greek word koinonia, which means, “fellowship.” What Paul is saying here is that those who give should not just do so from a distance. They should do so within the bonds of fellowship, communion with brothers and sisters in Christ. Not only should they share their material wealth, they should do so with their hearts. Paul recognized that they would only be able to do that if they were giving of themselves along with their money. The same is true for us.
In planting this church, I have found myself looking closely for signs that we are moving in the right direction and are maturing as a body and as a family. It’s so important for me and for our leadership team in these early stages of the life of our church to find those examples of healthy, biblical growth and nurture them toward maturity.
One thing, which may seem silly on the surface, which really encourages me each week, is the way more and more people pitch in to help clean up and put things away at the end of the service. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t have to say a word and the work gets done. This blesses me with the opportunity to spend time with visitors or members of the family who want to talk.
It may seem like a small thing to key on, but I think it’s a good example of tender giving, a willingness and readiness to share. If you don’t see it the way I do, well, you need to. Because what I see each time someone picks up a folding chair, or helps with clean-up in the kitchen, is someone who cares enough about what we’re doing here to give of themselves. I see someone who has connected with the church family to the point that they want to be involved in the seemingly mundane aspects of ministry because that’s what family members do.
For those of us who enjoyed the fellowship after church last week, we all got to experience tender giving. We threw the Dyers a baby shower, not because we had to, not because any book on church planting told us to, but because we love Lance and Heather and we’re going to miss them a great deal when they move to Colorado.
We’re not going to miss Lance and Heather because their leaving will mean two less people in an already small church. We’re going to miss them because they are members of our family. We’re going to miss the blessing of fellowship with them on a daily basis.
Giving tenderly means you give out of a sense of mutual care and concern. This means you give, not to round out your 10% for the month, not because you were compelled to do so by a sermon series, but because you truly care about who or what you are giving to.
I heard a story of a certain Christian lady who once said to a friend, "Our church costs too much. They are always asking for money."
"Sometime ago a little boy was born in our home," replied her friend. "He cost me a lot of money from the very beginning: he had a big appetite, he needed clothes, medicine, toys, and even a puppy. Then he went to school, and that cost a lot more; later he went away to college, then he began dating, and that cost a small fortune! But in his senior year at college he died, and since the funeral he has not cost me a penny. Now which situation do you think I would rather have?”
In order to be ready to give, we must be willing to give tenderly. In order to do that, instead of looking at the cost of giving, whether it is our time or our tithes, we should look at the cost of not giving. Will there be times when we think that Pico Canyon costs too much? Will there be times when the work seems to outweigh the reward? Maybe.
But what situation would we rather have?
I believe God has called us to plant this church because He has great things planned for us. I believe He has great things planned for our community and He is going to use this church to accomplish those things. God will fulfill His sovereign plan with or without our help. But I, for one, don’t want to miss that ride. What about you?
Are you ready to experience the hand of God on your life through a fuller understanding of His Word, a level of intimacy in worship deeper than what you may be use to, and fellowship that goes beyond a meeting of a group of people to the meeting of the needs of a family? Are you ready to be used by God to reach the lost, the tens of thousands of people just outside the doors of this clubhouse who don’t know Jesus Christ? Are you ready, not to re-invent the wheel, but to build another church that is obedient to the Word of God, whose members love one another in an authentic and biblical way, and whose hearts break over the idea of a single person, whether we know them or not, dying without a relationship with Jesus?
If you answered “yes” to those questions, then you must ask yourself, “Am I ready to give? Am I ready to give my tithes, time, and talents to be used by God to build His church—a church I want to be part of?” God is sovereign. In His sovereignty He has chosen to use people to fulfill His perfect will. May we be a church that He uses because we are ready to give Him everything, because He alone is worthy. Let’s pray.
