The Facts About Church Giving
Giving Under Grace (The Example)
There are many different views of God’s behavior out there. Some see the God of the Old Testament as different from the God of the New Testament. One is viewed as being vindictive, judgmental, and quick to punish, while the other is seen as more loving, compassionate, and forgiving.
The God of the Old Testament is the same God as the God of the New Testament. Yet many picture God the same way Muslims picture the god they refer to as Allah: distant, dispassionate, and more an observer than an interactor with us.
They say this because of all the bad in the world, and they’ll say that a loving God wouldn’t allow this to happen, so let’s first see why this occurs. This is a combination of free will and the three laws of the harvest.
Free will is easy to explain. God isn’t withdrawn, but He allows us to make our decisions without His interference, and this right that we have has a caveat, and that is the three laws of the harvest.
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The Facts About Church Giving
The Three Laws of the Harvest
If I were to take a handful of wheat seed and plant it, I would expect my crop to be wheat, because that is what I planted.
Law #1) You reap what you sow. Some think this is the only law.
If I got out the next morning to get my wheat, I will be greatly disappointed, because there will not be a wheat crop waiting on me to reap.
Law #2) You reap later than you sow.
When the crop is indeed ready, I know I planted a handful of seed; if I expect only a handful of wheat, what I find will be overwhelming.
Law #3) You reap greater than you sow.
So many sow tares, and cannot understand why they don’t reap wheat. Some knowingly sow tares, and pray for crop failure. Then when all is said and done, they want to blame God for what has happened to them. They do this instead of looking in the mirror or around them at what they as well as their friends and associates are sowing. This gives them a wrong view of God.
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The Facts About Church Giving
God made sin possible by giving us free will.
Without free will, we would blindly obey without choice.
Free will isn’t a bad thing. He did not make Adam sin, but He permitted it. He allows us to live by the laws of the harvest, but He provides a way of escape from the sowing of tares by revealing how to sow wheat instead. And still, He doesn’t force this upon us.
He doesn’t force salvation upon us either. Although He did make it the simplest act in the world, to simply believe to avoid eternal damnation.
He did this by Jesus leaving His throne, coming here, living a perfect life filled with prophetic proofs of who He was, allowing Himself to be captured, tried, and executed, then raising Himself on the third day.
This was the Greatest gift anyone could give, allowing your One and Only Son to be beaten, spat upon, mocked, shamed, and then to watch Him die while He was screamed at and mocked. All this for people who hated Him.
One wonders who this was tougher on, the Son for all the excruciating pain, or the Father for not wiping out mankind when this happened.
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The Facts About Church Giving
This greatest gift was made possible because of an even greater love for every person who has ever, and will ever, live.
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of
God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
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The Facts About Church Giving
Conclusion
When the collection plate comes around, remember the words of Christ from Matthew 10 verse 8: “Freely ye have received, freely give.”
Simply stated, do not give because you feel obligated to. You are not.
This isn’t an Old Testament commandment written into the law. We aren’t under the law; we are under Grace.
The local New Testament church does have its right to pay its pastor, and its bills; the trustees appreciate this. Its greatest responsibility, however, is to reach the lost, both through this same local church, and its mission work.
It is your voluntary giving that makes you a part of the mission work both here and abroad, and your rewards for this will be greater than what you give: in fact, the greater your gift, the greater your reward.
Do you want to be blessed? Who doesn’t? This promise of God guarantees you a blessing. The operative word here is guarantees. He wants you to prove Him. You’ll never prove Him wrong; you’ll only confirm His promise.
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The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
In this study, we are going to look at βάπτισμα
(bap·tis·ma) and what scripture says about it; both what it does accomplish, and what it doesn't. We’ll also take this time to explain what the word means, but we’ll begin by what it doesn’t mean.
The word ραντιζω (rhan·tid·zo) or sprinkling is mentioned four times in the New Testament, three times in Hebrews and once in 1 Peter; all speak of the sprinkling of blood, not water.
Neither did John εκχεω (ek·khe·oh) or pour his followers; he didn’t pour water over their head; if that were his method, he’d probably be known as John the Pourer.
The word βάπτισμα comes from the root word βάπτω
(bap·to), which means to cover completely with a fluid. You can neither sprinkle or pour on someone and meet this scriptural definition.
In Bro. Joe Roberts’ book Church History Through the Trail of Blood, we see that the irregular churches considered immersion too inconvenient. So, they went even more unscriptural by both re-defining how baptism was performed, and what its purpose is.
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The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
In this study, we’ll learn the differences between errant teachings and the unerring Word of God.
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The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
Jesus’ Example and the Trinity
The entirety of Jesus’ life was an example to us. He demonstrated how to overcome temptation, and that fasting is a New Testament teaching as well as an Old Testament one.
As well, His being baptized was His stamp of approval of it. He wasn’t baptized as an infant, and He certainly wasn’t baptized as a sinner.
John the Baptist set the precedent. “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” John spoke of Jesus before he met Him. He said Jesus was one whose shoe laches John wasn’t worthy to loosen.
When Jesus appeared, he made a wonderful announcement. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
He wasn’t even sure that he should baptize Him; he felt unworthy, but Jesus told Him to. The first ordinance of the church had to be established, and Jesus had to be an active participant in both ordinances as an example of their importance.
There are many things Jesus did in His life that we cannot do. We can’t be born of a virgin, turn water into wine, 70
The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
calm the sea, raise the dead, or forgive sins. Only He can do those things. But when He does do something that we can emulate also, it would be wise for us to follow His example.
And the first example we should follow is to be scripturally baptized.
The fact that the Father chose to speak here signifies its importance. But first, we’ll begin with what the Father didn’t say.
He didn’t say “This man is now my Son”. The act of baptism doesn’t change your standing with God. If you went into the water as a sinner, you will still emerge as a sinner, just a wet one.
Some religions believe that Jesus received a promotion for His baptism; that this was when He became the Son of God. But Jesus has always been the Son of God, just as He has always been God the Son. No one else who was ever baptized has ever been declared a “son of God”.
We receive that title when we are saved, not when we are baptized. Baptism is a testimony of our salvation, not a means of it.
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The Facts About Scriptural Baptism
It is a requirement for membership in a New Testament church; but being a member of a New Testament church won’t get you into heaven either.
The witness of the Trinity occurred at the Jordan River, and was a wonderful validation of Jesus to all who were being baptized that day.
The Spirit descended as a dove, lighting on Jesus after He came up out of the water. Turtle doves were an offering in the temple; Noah used a dove to find out if dry land had appeared after the Great Deluge; doves had a historical and religious significance. As a rule, they didn’t land on someone, much less someone soaking wet.
Usually when God speaks, it is the voice of the Son; it is He who is the Word of God. But this time the voice of the Father was heard.
Matthew 3
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went
up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the
heavens were opened unto him, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from
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heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in