Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

January 26, 2003

 

*Intro:* Paul makes another abrupt change in the subject matter of this

         letter to the church @ Corinth.

*A-  **He has gone form:*

1-   Division in the church, Public prayer, communion, the Holy Spirit, and the gifting of the H.S., True Christian love, to the resurrection,  and now to Christian giving.

a-   When teaching on the future it’s always important to bring it back to the present.

-         The Christian is to not love for tomorrow BUT to live for today because of a glorious tomorrow.

*Read 2 Peter 3:11-14*

*B-  **Paul seems to be responding again to a question, possibly  a series of them, that someone in the church had written to him.*

*1 Corinthians 7:1*, Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: …

*1-   **The next answer is to the question of what is proper concerning how a Christian should honor God with finances.*

*1 Corinthians 16:1*, Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:

A-  “Now concerning the collection”

1- Something already known about      

a-   a reference made to a collection that Paul was making on his 3rd missionary journey.

*Romans 15:25-27*,  But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.26

For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.27

It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors.

For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.

*B-  **There had been a severe famine in the area of Jerusalem.*

1-   Provisions in general were in short supply and the church was at the bottom of the food chain.

*a-   **Many in the church were:*

-         Being persecuted already,  Lost jobs,  Wives abandoned, imprisoned.

·        *Bottom line:* THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM AS IN NEED.

2-   You may ask “Why was God not providing”????

a-   He was.

-         And He was using the gentile churches to do so.

*Turn to Ephesians 2:17-22          *

·        *The physical and Spiritual go hand in hand, everyone does their part.*

* Read Verse 1*

*A-  **What is the 1st financial and Spiritual responsibility of the church??*

1-   *The saints* = members of the church

a-   Our church, because of the faithfulness of some, has met all needs.

-         Even some we should not have.

*2 Corinthians 9:10-15*

b-   The measure of financial spirituality is gauged by the heart and not amount.

*Mark 12:44*,  “for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

*Luke 12:20*,  “But God said to him, ‘Fool!

This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

*B-  **We have been commanded to use our wealth wisely.*

1-   *Jim Elliot: *“It is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

a-   At some point ALL of our earthly treasure will be lost to us.

-         By an unseen event (Great Depression)

-         By my death

·        You can’t take it with you

·        *BUT you can send it ahead.*

*Psalm 49:16-17*,  Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.

*Matthew 6:19-21*,  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;20 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

C-  The proper order in giving is: Home church,  para-church and individuals.

*SIDEBAR:          Reason and amount in giving*

*#1- Reason: God said*

*A-   **Natural (economic) Theology*

1-   Trues test of your heart

*a-   **look at all money represents:*

-         Your labor, future, security, power, social standing

*Luke 12:34*,  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

B-    *Look at it from a common sense standpoint*.

*1-   **If people stop giving or give less:*

a-   Less time for the Pastor

-         *A staff member* = serves for free long enough that we need to pay him to do more.

b-   No offering no:

-         Air cond, Utilities, building.

c-   Everyone who enters into this building cost the church money.

-         Air, utilities, bathroom, hospitality, music sheets…

d-   No money no outreaches.

-         To not give is to hinder the H.S

*#2- How much?

Being as the tithe is not commanded in the N.T.*

            A- Tithe = 1~/10

*            **1- A man of faith gives 10% and keeps 90%, a man of *

*            **   great faith gives 90% and keeps 10%.*

a-This is the only area that we have been told to “test”

               God.

*Malachi 3:10*,  Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts,

“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

-         Are you able to trust God in this area?

·        We trust our bosses, banks, investments so easily.

*1 Corinthians 16:2*,  On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

Ø *4 Guidelines for the church concerning giving*

*#1- On the first day of the week*

*A-  **2 Things *

1-   The early church met on Sundays

2-   And they received an offering at each Sunday service.

a-   This is why we receive an offering only on Sundays

-         Some churches make multiple offerings.

·        Any form of worship done out of proportion

·         is not of the Lord.

*#2- “let each one of you” *= Everyone (family)

*A-  **What if I can’t afford to give?*

1-   The widow gave ¼ cent and Jesus blessed it.

2-   The rich are commanded to be generous.

*a-   **We all fall somewhere in the middle*

*2 Corinthians 8:2-5*,  that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.3

For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.5

And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

*#3- “lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper”*

*A-  **God does not expect you, because of your giving, to not:*

1-   Eat, do without necessities, housing.