I spent time last week with three long-term church members who have been unable to attend services, yet still participate every week.
I mention these three, specifically, because although they’ll tune into the services online, they never fail to participate financially, as well. Meaning, they give to the Lord without fail.
I sometimes marvel at the faith of saints who just choose to believe the Bible about giving. Here are three families that cannot be a part of the fellowship of the believers, cannot sing together with other Christians, cannot benefit from the body’s spiritual gifts toward them, and all the other things that go into in-person church membership, yet they still give faithfully.
To any secular accountant, it looks like “throwing good money away.” Someone might very well ask, “What are you getting out of this money?”
Well, through biblical church membership, we do in fact receive plenty from God and one another, but that is never really the intended goal. Biblical church membership is about edifying the body, and each of these that I talked to of course wished they could do more, yet were hindered at the moment.
Today’s sermon about giving is simply the next set of verses as we preach through the Bible. I haven’t preached much about money since we were in chapter 12 and the gift of giving (August), and before that I think it was the Missions Revival in May. When it comes up in the Scriptures, we talk about money, and I see it as a GOOD thing! If God says, “Let every one of you lay by him in store,” I just figure God knows what he’s doing when he asks all of us to give something. It must be good for us!
A Bible sermon about money is not about money. It’s about whether we trust God with our stuff or not.
In verse 3, “liberality” means “grace, that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude.” Giving liberally is a joyful response to a generous God!
I suppose the people I talked to last week understand that.
Glory to God.
–Pastor Ryan