Sunday, January 27, 2013
pm
THE CHRISTIAN AND MONEY
The Church’s Finances
a.
As we have noted.
Money is morally neutral (neither
good nor bad). It is what
you do with it and your attitude that determines whether you are
pleasing to God or not.
WE live in a society that requires the exchange of money to function.
And such has always been the case.
Rome had a monetary system and the church developed within that
society.
Paul gave instructions concerning money and the church, as we shall see.
b.
The fact that the church
has responsibilities authorizes the resources necessary to carry out
those responsibilities.
c.
How is the church to
“raise money”? 1 Cor.
16:1-2. In the Bible we find
the only example of saints receiving resources was through the
collection on the first day of the week.
2 Corinthians 9 describes the attitudes of members as they give.
We discussed that in our last lesson.
Churches did not own businesses, have “fund raisers”, book stores,
ticketed events, selling the gospel, etc.
d.
Churches can have
improper attitudes
i.
Like individuals churches can be materialistic
– more concerned about their building and externals that their work,
their status in the “brotherhood”, a large bank account, etc.
Consider Laodicea in Rev. 3:15-18 – they were described as saying, “I am
rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.
Consider James 2:1-4 where a church shows personal favoritism to the man
with wealth and shuns the poor man.
Sometimes churches are “run by” materialistic leaders and influential
members who place unscriptural demands on the funds received.
ii.
They can make merchandise of the kingdom of heaven
– particularly in the denominational world there is always some
enterprising entrepreneur who is looking for a way to make money out of
spiritual things. Much like
the money-changers and those who sold animals at feasts in Jerusalem,
they look for a way to get brethren to support their ventures.
We see the “making merchandise” of the “kingdom of heaven” often now.
Examples: WWJD,
spiritual jewelry, 40 days of purpose program, movies, music and other
entertainment, “the prayer of Jabez”, “the love dare”, etc.
It is one thing for individuals to do these things (and this is
not an endorsement of such), but often churches get caught up in them as
well, sometimes for profit, and they might compel members to
participate.
Television evangelists push their
products and the gospel offering you cds and book for a “donation”.
For example: Joel and Victoria
Osteen, ministers of the Lakewood church in Houston, TX, when he and his
wife go on tour, will charge admission to hear their events.
In an upcoming event in Las Vegas, tickets are $18.00. In Little
Rock, AR – they are $15, plus another $7.85 in fees.
(We will deal more with that in
our next lesson on the “health and wealth gospel”)
iii.
They can use their resources for unauthorized purposes.
Sadly the church has been turned into so many things we find no
authority for in scripture.
In the name of good works, churches will do just about anything from
providing entertainment, to relieving social needs, to political
activism, etc. They often
build Para-church organizations (organizations external to the church)
of which we find NO example or authority in scripture.
In so doing, the true mission of the church becomes lost in
social pursuits.
iv.
They can be indifferent and FAIL to fulfill their responsibilities.
As we study the Bible we find there are things churches ought to
be doing, and other things they CAN do according to their blessings.
Yet, there are times churches fail to do these things or they do
them inadequately.
Furthermore, at times churches are limited in their abilities because
members fail to give as they have prospered.
Personal materialism can affect the church!
v.
They can lack faith in doing the work given them to do.
Some churches do nothing or very little.
They have assumed a defensive posture and hardly ever go outside
the building. Some see no
real local need and do nothing.
Others see failure before they even try.
We know Christians are to have faith.
But should churches act with faith? (That is, should they do
things trusting God to give the increase as they plant?).
Consider, 1 Thess. 1:2-4, “We
give thanks to God always for you, making mention of you in our prayers,
remembering without ceasing your
work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus
Christ in the sight of our God and Father…”
Even corrupt Thyatira was recognized for their works, love, service,
patience and faith (Rev.
2:19).
Paul, in writing to the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 8-9 challenged them to
have faith as they took steps to give for a need in Judea.
An illustration – a church in Orlando, Florida had a television program
with a budget to operate for only a few years.
There was some success with the program in reaching the lost.
As the time for “renewal” came around, they were not sure if they
had enough money to make the commitment for another television contract.
It was decided that the work was important and if need be, they
would get a loan to finance it (reasoning that if the building needed
repairs they would take a loan if needed – and they saw reaching souls
as more important than building maintenance).
The program continued and not ONCE did they have to borrow money
to fulfill the work!
e.
Members with access
– the preacher, treasurer, elders, deacons, etc. can act dishonorably
with the resources they are entrusted to oversee.
Sadly, it is not unheard of for members to embezzle, steal or
misuse funds for personal gain.
And there are churches that have kept their financial dealings
secret, including from the membership.
Wise stewardship will put in safeguards, with transparency and measures
of accountability. We need
to remember that it is the Lord’s money and we should take special care
to be good stewards and protect it.
While we are ALL stewards, individual Christians have greater liberty
than the local congregation when it comes to how money is used.
Recall how Paul, in discussing the collection told the churches
they could choose their own messengers. (1 Cor. 16:3-4)
2 Cor. 8:16-21, where Paul is reminding the brethren in Corinth of their
previous commitment sends to them Timothy and Titus (and others).
He notes that several congregations had chosen them as a part of
the party that would deliver the needed gift to Judea.
Then he states, “and not
only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us
with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord
Himself and to show your ready mind, 20
avoiding this: that anyone should
blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us— 21
providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also
in the sight of men.”
a.
It is important that as
the Lord’s church we uphold the purpose He intended for her.
We need to respect God’s word, both in what we do and what we
don’t do as His church.
Today, the real mission of the church has been lost in a bureaucracy of
programs and organizations foreign to scripture.
THAT having been said, the church does have a work (e.g. mission) and it
requires resources, including monetary, to carry them out.
b.
Worshipping God We are expected to assemble to worship God (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor.
11:18, Heb. 10:25). In these
commands we find authority for a meeting place and the things necessary
to maintain it (utility bills, pews, rest rooms, etc.), as well as
resources to carry out authorized acts of worship (i.e. song books,
communion containers, Bibles, class materials, etc.).
As these are authorized, it is authorized for funds to be
collected and used to carry them out, “decently and in order.” (1 Cor.
14:40)
c.
Evangelism
– one purpose of the church is to support the truth of God’s word (1
Tim. 3:15) and to carry the gospel to the lost (1 Thess. 1:8).
Churches supported Paul and others as they carried the gospel to
the world (2 Cor. 11:8, Phil. 1:5, 4:15—17).
Churches are authorized to have a located preacher (Acts 20:31, 18:11, 1
Tim. 1:3, etc.)and to support him (1 Cor. 9:14, 8-12).
In these examples we can see churches using money to carry out this most
important work.
d.
Benevolence – while there are very strict limitations on the work of the
church in this area (always for needy saints – 1 Tim. 5:11-16, Acts 6:1,
11:29-30; temporary in nature – to fulfill an immediate need, NOT as a
means of evangelism, etc.), when a need arises, the church CAN help its
own, as well as brethren in other places.
The collection Paul was writing to the Corinthians about was a
need in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:25-26, 1 Cor. 16:3, etc.)
Again, we see churches using money to carry out these works.
e.
Authority for a treasury.
In 1 Cor. 16:1-2 Paul gives instructions for how funds are to be raised.
He notes that they were to lay something aside on the first day
of the week “that there be no collections when I come.”
This is authority for a church treasury.
This is the scriptural method to gain resources to do the work we
are commissioned to do.
However, it is my hope that we clearly see the limitations of this
treasury to those works which are authorized as we have briefly
mentioned.
f.
NEVER do we read of
resources being used for edification – (unless you are including worship in edification – 1 Cor. 14:12, 26).
My point is that churches in the first century did not build
gymnasiums, fellowship halls with kitchens, family life centers, enact
social programs, etc. It was
simply NOT a part of God’s pattern.
g.
The church was NOT
involved in the entertainment business. Yet that seems to be the
priority today in too many churches.
In Ephesians 3:10-11 we see that the church is a manifestation
of “the manifold wisdom of God.”
God knew what He was doing in establishing the church.
We ought to respect His boundaries.
With whatever resources we have been blessed with, let us use
them as wise stewards seeking to please Him first. Think about it!