What is The Contribution?
One of the first things we will notice as to the Biblical reasons we should contribute is to help our brothers and sisters in Christ who may find themselves in temporary position of poverty or special needs. We are to give because we care about the needs of those in the Church who are in a situation where they need help. We also need to give because it is a command of God. We realize God’s commands are given for our good and we want to please God. It is important to notice God’s command to give is tied to how we have been prospered. For us to fulfill this command properly, we need to sit down during the week and count our blessings. I believe this is essential for a Christian to receive the blessings God has in store for us as we partake of this part of the worship service.
In my opinion, based on my study of the Bible and also of human nature, one of the biggest reasons Christian’s get discouraged and fall away from the Lord is they begin to take God for granted and quit appreciating the shower of blessings God gives to them each and every day of their lives. I firmly believe one of the reasons God has for basing what a Christian is to give on how they have been prospered is so we will take the time to at least try to count the blessings God gives us.
I have advanced Parkinson’s disease and I learned very quickly if I concentrated on the few problems in my life, I could quickly become discouraged. One of the problems many Parkinson’s patients struggle with is depression. It is a path for about a year I found myself slipping down. There are physical reasons why Parkinson’s patients are prone to depression, for example, the body’s production of dopamine is affected. Dopamine is the chemical the body produces that seems to be involved in being happy. Besides it becomes easy to be worried about the possible future when one reads about all of the things that can go wrong when one has Parkinson’s or any other degenerative disease.
Fortunately through the grace of God, I found if I just put my future in the hands of God and trusted in Him depression does not have to be one of the symptoms. If I start off my day concentrating on the few problems in my life, those problems get blown out of proportion and I can become consumed with my problems. But if I start off counting my blessings, I never finish counting them, so I do not even have the time to worry about the few problems that are in my life today, let alone have time to begin worrying about possible problems in the future.
I am blessed so far above my ability to count and when I realize this, I will be less likely to take God and the blessings I receive from Him for granted. When we truly realize how much we have been blessed, then our appreciation for God will show forth in our giving. I firmly believe that is why Paul could boast about the churches in Macedonia even though they were in great poverty how they gave liberally to help the brethren in Jerusalem. They had counted their blessings first and therefore even though Paul knew their poverty, they thought of themselves as rich and they trusted God to supply their needs, thus they could give as if they had a tremendous bounty.
Another reason we give is so when the need arises, the need can be met without having to take up a special collection. Can you imagine the humiliation that would arise if every time there was a need for let’s say, Brother Joe Smith, we had to stand before the Church, take up a special collection and say Brother Joe Smith, needs $200.00 and have a public debate over the issue. God in his infinite wisdom has commanded us to take up the collection on the first day of the week so this and other problems will not arise.
Another side note, I personally find it very humorous the very denominations that will argue and fight against having the Communion every first day of the week or even that every Christian should assemble together every first day of the week, have no problem taking up a collection at a minimum of every first day of the week, plus more often if they feel they have not received enough in the collection.
2 Corinthians 9:1-11 "For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God."
Paul reminds us one reason we give is because it is part of our responsibility to minister to the saints. How could any of us call ourselves Christians and claim to love our brothers and sisters in Christ and shut up our bowels of compassion for a brother or sister in need when we realize how much God has blessed each of us with great bounty. Also we give because we trust in God who has said “as we sow so shall we reap”. We give the amount we give because it is the amount we planned on giving after we have counted our blessings and it is an amount we can give cheerfully. We give the amount we give because it is based on the blessings we receive from God. We give the amount we give because it shows our thankfulness to God. In addition we give an amount that is also based on what is needed to support those who have ministered to our spiritual needs.
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
We as individual Christians and collectively as a local congregation have been commanded by Jesus Christ to spread the gospel in every generation to all nations. We are told to baptize those who believe. This baptism is to be in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. We as Christians are also commanded to teach those who are baptized they have a responsibility to obey all of the commands of God. This takes men who have dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ. These men have the right to have a family also have a responsibility to provide for that family. This means the Church has a responsibility towards those who minister to the gospel.
Another reason we give is so the Church can fulfill its responsibility to spread the gospel. The Bible also teaches us when evangelists and teachers are involved in conversions and doing the work of the Lord and are supported through funds we have contributed, we as individual Christians and the local congregation that is supporting the work, we share in the rewards that come from those conversions. So every time we contribute, we in turn receive spiritual treasures in Heaven. We give because supporting the gospel is necessary for the work to get done.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Giving is a natural expression of love. The more a person gives of themselves the more love is shown. Do you know how much God loves us? God's love was shown through the fact he gave his only begotten Son to die in our place, so we could have a hope of eternal life. I know several people I love enough if the choice had to be made, I would give my life for. But I do not know anyone I love enough to give the life of one of my children or grandchild for. It sends shivers up my spine to realize God loved me enough to not only let His Son die for me, but to also suffer as Jesus did. Every stripe He took, He took for me.
This brings us to another very important thought. If giving is a natural expression of love, how much am I demonstrating that I love God by the amount I give on the first day of the week? One reason we give is because giving demonstrates the love we have for God, Jesus Christ and the Church. I try to answer that question when I am determining how much I am going to give. We need to realize the attitude in which we give also demonstrates the love we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I think we need to realize our attitude matters whenever we give and make sure we are giving cheerfully.
HOW WE GIVE
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
One of the reasons for assembling upon the first day of the week is because God has commanded us to give of our means on that day. We are to give as God has prospered (blessed) us. This means it is not just a “reach in your pocket and give what you happen to have event.” For me to give as I have been prospered means I MUST know how I have been prospered. This implies ahead of time, I need to sit down and determine how much God has prospered me. Then I need to determine the amount I am going to give. I personally think it is best to do this on the day before which is on Saturday. I have found if I wait until Sunday morning to do this, I usually start running behind and start getting stressed which is not conducive to being properly prepared for the worship service.
I try to count all of the blessings God has given me which includes monetary blessings, physical blessings such as health, family, transportation and spiritual blessings such as our brethren, salvation, how God has answered our prayers and etc. One of the reasons I believe this is important is God wants us to remember these blessings come from Him. I personally still find myself not appreciating everything God does for me, so I can imagine how easily it would be to take these blessings for granted and to stop appreciating how much God does for us every day of our lives.
Another thing I find very important I do not believe is stressed enough is in the contribution, the attitude we have in giving affects our worship service to God. In other words, the amount I give, the attitude I have during the collection, shows reverence, respect, love and trust towards God. We need to stop and realize this while we are counting our blessing and determining how we have been prospered and while we are deciding the amount we can and will give cheerfully.
Matthew 25:14-18 "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money."
In this parable, Jesus portrays himself as a man who is taking a long trip to a far country. He has many goods. Before he goes on this trip, he divides up his wealth and entrusts it to the care of his servants accord to their ability to handle it. When he returns, he calls in his servants and demands an accounting of how they had used what he gave them. He then rewards them based on how they had used his goods. He is happy with how they used his goods until it comes to the servant who received one talent. This man had been so afraid of losing his master’s wealth that had been entrusted to his care he had buried it and he returns the original amount. If you read the full parable you will see the servant is called an unprofitable servant and is cast into the lake of fire. God is teaching in this parable we will be held accountable for several important things. The first is God expects us to use what he has given us to the best of our abilities. God wants us to develop the abilities we have. Secondly God will only hold us accountable for what we have the ability to do. What do you think would have happened if the one talent man had used the one talent to the best of his ability and through a bit of bad luck had lost it? I firmly believe God would have told the one talent servant, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” God is not judging these men according to what they returned to him, but rather, he is judging them according to how they put forth the effort to fulfill their responsibility.
The same Master, who divided his wealth according to his servant’s abilities, teaches us it is He, God, who gives the increase. Otherwise, Noah would have been considered a failure because we have no evidence in 120 years of preaching and warning the world, he was able to convert anyone. Yet Noah is listed as a man of great faith. Why? Because in the 120th year of his labor, Noah got up and worked on the ark and warned the people the same as he had in the first year. He is a shining example of what God wants us to do, cast the seed.
The third point I believe God is teaching is every Christian has been entrusted with talent, ability, and things of great wealth. The one talent man was given 1 full talent, which depending on whether it was a talent of silver or a talent of gold was worth in today’s currency depending on which scholar you ask anywhere from $15,000.00 to $100,000.00 if it was a talent of silver and a talent of gold was worth anywhere from to $180,000.00 to $2,500,000.00 (2.5 million dollars). This is no small amount. God does not consider any Christian as not worth much. God expects all of us to use what we have for him and He will hold us accountable.
OUR ATTITUDE CONCERNING GIVING
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
We see we are to give from WHAT GOD has given us. This means we need to realize everything comes from God. I used to know a man who claimed God did not give him anything, he earned everything he had. And for some strange reason he was an unhappy bitter old man. I believe if we do not realize how much we depend on God, we can never truly appreciate what we have. I used to think I understood that fact, I thought I appreciated what I had. Then one day approximately eleven years ago, the doctor diagnosed me with Parkinson’s and I learned how much I had been depending on my own strength rather than the Lord.
Another thing having Parkinson’s has done for me, I count my blessings more and appreciate them more and am able to give much more cheerfully which is the main thing is pleasing in the sight of God. We also want to notice we are to give as God has prospered in order when the need arises, funds will be available to take care of that need.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:"
An important fact we learn from the Bible is not only are we to give an amount we can give cheerfully, but we are not to be stingy about our giving. We are to give because we want to, not because we have to. God loves a cheerful giver. The Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit uses a natural law to teach an important spiritual truth when he says, “He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” Can you imagine a farmer bragging ahead of time about the bountiful harvest he is expecting and someone saying, “You must have sown a lot of seed.” The farmer replies, “No, I only sowed one ear of corn, but I got a feeling I am going to have a big harvest because I am trusting in God.” Trusting in God means one sows a lot of seed, not they sow only a little, just in case the harvest is not good, so they will still have something to eat.” Reaping as we sow means we will be blessed as we have given. We also need to keep in mind, as we give, God has promised to make sure we have everything we need. To sum up everything this verse is teaching, we need to give an amount we decide we need to give based on how we have been blessed and how we trust God to take care of us.
Luke 12:33-34 "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
One of the most important things a Christian needs to know is material possessions are temporary and not important and heavenly treasures last forever and are most important. We can tell where our heart is by where we put our treasures. If we love the Lord, it will show in how much we give and the attitude we have in our giving. We should feel cheerful and willing with our giving. If we want to make sure we keep our heart on spiritual things, we will make sure and lay up spiritual treasures in Heaven, where we do not have to worry about them being stolen or wearing out.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
We have heard giving is a measure of love. We should be astounded then because God loved us so much He gave His son for us. There is no question about how much God loves us. The only question we should have is how much do we love God? If God loved us so much He gave His son to die a humiliating cruel death on the cross, what does the attitude we have when we give and the amount we give say about how much we love God?
Matthew 6:1-4 "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."
We learn an important truth here in Matthew. The amount we give should reflect how we have been prospered and shows the love we have for God. But the amount we give should remain between us and God. We should not give because of what people may think of us. We are told what we give should be a secret between us and God. We are to give in such a way others do not know the amount we give. If we give in secret, God will reward us openly. If we give in order to be seen of men, then that will be the only reward we receive, because God will not have a good reward for us. We should give generously, cheerfully, and out of love as we have planned ahead of time
One more side note, in today’s environment where checks are the primary means of giving and is required for tax purposes, it is essential, whoever counts and records the collection, needs to be quiet about anything they inadvertently learn about the amount any person contributes.
HOW MUCH ARE WE TO GIVE
1 Corinthians 16:2 "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
We are to lay by in store as God has prospered us. The Bible stresses this fact. If we do not think we have been blessed or prospered by God, then God does not want anything from us, even though I doubt if any of us really have not been blessed by God. If we want to be pleasing to God we are to count our blessing, to determine how we have been prospered. Then we are to decide for ourselves, what we are going to give. If we do this properly, at least once a week we are reminded of the blessings we have received from God. I believe this is one of the most important reasons God has us lay by in store in the first place. If we do this at least once a week it will help us to not take God and His blessings for granted.
Deuteronomy 14:22-23 "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always."
While we know the Old Testament is not something we are to follow anymore, we do know it was given for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. The Old Testament was given as an example. If we use it properly, it will help us to avoid making mistakes and sinning. Israel was commanded to give 10% of the increase of their goods. They were prospered by whatever increase came in their goods. If they planted 1 bushel of wheat and they harvested 11, they were prospered 10 bushels of wheat and they were commanded to give 1 bushel back to God. So we see we are prospered by whatever we are blessed with. I receive a paycheck. Whatever the amount of the paycheck is, that is how much I have been prospered.
Romans 12:8 "Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
Paul, in writing to the brethren, lays down a very simple guideline regarding the way we are to determine what we are going to give. We are to keep our giving simple. If we need a lawyer to figure out what we are going to give, it is becoming too complicated. We are to decide what we are going to give based on what we receive. One of the simplest ways is a simple percentage basis. We determine if we are going to give 5%, 10%, 15% or whatever and give.
2 Corinthians 9:5-7 "Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
This means we need to realize is how much we are blessed by God. We are blessed in this United States in a material way probably more than any other nation in history. We are so blessed and yet we do not appreciate our blessings like we should. We have such abundance the biggest health problems in our country stem from having too much, being overweight, and eating so much junk food. We truly have a bounty and only when we realize it and appreciate the blessing God has showered down up on us, then and only then can we give in such a way we are pleasing to God. It is only when we realize we have been blessed with abundance we can give of our bounty. The amount we give is to be determined by the amount we receive. Our blessings are affected by the attitude we have and how we give. The amount we give is to be an amount we can give cheerfully. We are to give as we determine ahead of time, after we count our blessings. We are not to give in a grudging manner. We are to remember God loves a cheerful giver.
Malachi 3:6-10 "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
Here God through the prophet Malachi tell us people forsake God when they quit following his commandments. We see also it is possible for us to rob God. We rob God if we do not give as he wants us to. We also learn the blessings we receive is partially dependant on how we give. The attitude we have in our giving or rather should I say in not giving properly can cause us to rob God.
WHEN SHOULD WE GIVE
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
Christians are commanded to give on the first day of the week, Sunday, the Lord’s Day. One reason we should give every first day of the week is when the need arises, the money will be there to help take care of that need.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE CONTRIBUTION
1 Corinthians 16:1 "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye."
One purpose for the collection is to help the needy saints. It is a command of God we help the Brethren who are in need.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward."
The Elders in a local congregation have a right to be supported, if they rule well. The congregation has a responsibility to support or to provide for the needs of those who serve the congregation. The leadership in a congregation has a right to be supported because the labourer is worthy of his hire. In other words, the congregation has a responsibility to those who labor among them because if someone is working hard for the Lord, they have a right to be supported because you do not muzzle the ox that treadeth the corn.
1 Corinthians 9:7-14 "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."
We see the Bible teaches those who preach the gospel have a right to be financially supported by the gospel. This does not mean they have a right to live high off the hog, but neither does it mean they should be living below the poverty level. My own personal opinion is those who are being supported by a congregation should be supported at about the average for a family in the congregation, if they have no other means of support. The Bible clearly teaches in 1 Corinthians those who sow to the spirit have a right to receive carnal blessings from those who are blessed spiritually. Why? Because God commanded the mouth of the ox that treadeth the corn is not to be muzzled. Paul quoting from the Old Testament shows the reason God had commanded the Israelites not to muzzle the ox they used to tread the grain, was not because of the ox, but because God wanted the example clearly shown if the ox was expected to be able to eat of the grain we as Christians could realize we have an obligation to make sure those who labor in the gospel are to be taken care of. Again we see the example given. Is a soldier expected to pay for his own equipment and salary? NO! The soldier has a right to expect to be paid. We can sum it up by saying the contribution can be used for all things that are necessary in the spiritual fight, that are expedient and are not wrong.
Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
The Church has a responsibility to spread the gospel, baptize believers, and strengthen them. We see then the contribution is to be used to spread the gospel and can be legitimately used to do so. The contribution can be used on anything in this category, as long as it is not wrong. So we can use the contribution for such things as supporting the preacher, buying advertising time in a newspaper or TV, buying bibles for those who have been baptized, buying song books, grape juice or etc.
How the Religious World Has Changed The Contribution
The religious world has changed the way money is raised in much the same way they have changed the rest of the worship services of the Church. Anything that is successful monetarily is fine for them religiously. The only way the Bible shows God authorizes for his people to raise money is through the free-will offering. But the world has changed this until it has no semblance of the simplicity God gave.
The way some religious organizations have changed the giving, range from instead of relying upon the will of the members, the church dictates the amount each member is expected to give. It has become so bad the purpose of many of these religious organizations is to raise money. The purpose of the Church is to spread the gospel. Raising money is incidental to the mission of the Church. Most religious organizations have bought stock in companies because they have forgotten everything God has said about what He wants. The business of many religious organizations has changed from the concept of primarily spreading the gospel to one of primarily raising money.
Chapter Summary
- 1. On a regular basis we count our blessings.
2. Because we count our blessings, this helps us to appreciate what God does for us.
3. Because we count our blessings, we don't take God for granted.
4. We give because it is the command of God.
5. We give because when we obey God, it is counted unto us for righteousness.
6. On a weekly basis we are reminded of how greatly we are prospered.
7. We are reminded of what God does for us.
8. We get a chance to show our appreciation to God.
9. The work of the church is blessed.
10. The needy saints are helped when the need arises.
11. We get a chance to give back to God, based on our love for him.
12. The gospel is spread throughout the entire world.
13. Those who minister about the things of the gospel have their needs taken care of.
14. We are blessed and prospered based on how we sow.
15. We learn to be cheerful and generous with our giving.
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