Ekklesia | Giving
Ephesians 4:1-6
4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:11–16
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers,[b] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[c] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Where is your heart?
Matthew 6:21
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Genesis 6:5
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Jeremiah 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
The human heart is a factory of idols -John Calvin
Where is your heart?
Luke 16:14–15
14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
Generosity isn’t about dollar signs. It is about the heart. It is about holding the gifts of God in an open hand rather than clinching our fists around them and holding on for dear life. -David Jeremiah
Giving is an act of worship and trust
Giving is an act of worship and trust
Old Testament Law (Crops and Livestock )
Leviticus 27:30–32
30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord.
Giving is an act of worship and trust
Old Testament Law (Tithing to the Levitical Priests)
Numbers 18:21–23
21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, 22 so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Giving is an act of worship and trust
Old Testament Law (Giving to the poor)
Deuteronomy 15:11
11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
The call to give in the OT meant giving food to the priests, money to the priests, and taking care of the poor.
Giving is an act of worship and trust
New Testament command
2 Corinthians 9:6–9
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully[a] will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency[b] in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
Giving is an act of worship and trust
In the NT, the church is not bound by a percentage, but by their very hearts
Point: Giving is evidence of our worship and trust because it shows our hearts truest treasure is God not the world.
Generous giving accomplishes the work of God and sustains the people of God
Generous giving accomplishes the work of God and sustains the people of God
Your giving allows us to maintain and upkeep two campuses
Your giving allows us to support a staff of over 20 people engaged in working toward our mission of leading our city into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ and his church.
Your giving allows for us to support nine local and international missionaries committed to bringing Jesus Christ to the nations.
Your giving allows for us to plan, prepare, and lead over 100 community groups over the last year.
Your giving allows for us engage and support with families in great need around our city.
Your giving allows for us to engage in ministry across the life span for all of Grace Bible Church.
Generous giving accomplishes the work of God and sustains the people of God
Grace Bible Church seeks to invest in God’s Kingdom not our own.
Where is your heart?
Matthew 6:21
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.