Today, Pastor Marc shares with us some highlights from the recent sermon series to accompany our capital campaign:

Over the past several weeks we have studied what the scriptures have to say about stewardship, tithing, generosity and sacrificial giving. I’d like to highlight some of what we learned as we continue to consecrate ourselves in prayer regarding this campaign.

Biblical Stewardship

Biblical Stewardship means using everything that God has entrusted you to steward for God’s own glory and honor. We base our stewardship on three foundations:

1. That everything you have belongs to God.
2. That you are a manager over ALL that God has given you.
3. That you will be accountable to God for your stewardship over every resource God has entrusted to you.

These foundations should lead us to practical steps of giving. EACH one of us are to give as a regular part of our worship on Sunday mornings. We should give a sum of money that we have set aside for the Lord and the amount we give should be in keeping with what God has entrusted to us. Practically, Scripture leads us to give ten percent of our (God’s) income to our local church.

Ultimately, giving is a matter of the heart and NOT a matter of money.

The Question of Generosity 

Tithing asks the question, how much should I give? Generosity asks the question, how much do I need to keep?

Here are six marks of Generous Kingdom Giving:

1. Generous kingdom giving reaps a harvest of bountiful kingdom blessing.
2. Generous kingdom giving is a matter of the heart for everyone.
3. Generous kingdom giving is not obligated giving, but rather cheerful/joyful giving.
4. Generous kingdom giving is sanctifying – it makes us more like Christ.
5. Generous kingdom givers realize that increased material blessing from God is actually designed to be given away.
6. Generous kingdom giving meets needs and results in over owing thanksgiving to God.

Sacrificial giving means giving that is above the tenth and requires you to give up something you want, or to go without something you need.

II Corninthians 8 gives us the example of the Macedonian Believers who were in the midst of a severe test of affliction and extremely poor, yet they had an abundance of joy to give generously. They begged for the privilege to give and gave willingly and sacrificially.

The Grace Principle of Sacrificial Giving

The Grace Principle of Sacrificial Giving teaches us that it is the grace of God given to us which compels us to give sacrificially to Christ’s church and kingdom work.  We look to the Sacrificial Grace of Christ as our ultimate example.

1. The Pre-Incarnate Christ dwelled in abundance, glory and splendor – Jesus was the King of Heaven with all that brings.
2. The sacrifice of Christ was one of gracious benevolent love – Jesus left the glory and splendor of heaven to become human flesh, suffer and then die for us.
3. It was the sacrifice of Christ, giving his life for us, that makes us rich.

A Myth to Dispel: poverty and affliction are reasons to not give sacrificially. We should see them as opportunities to give sacrificially in the way that Christ gave sacrificially for us. This also leads us to a Truth of Sacrificial Giving to Embrace: sacrificial giving proves our love for God and others.

This campaign is not asking for equal gifts, but it will require equal sacrifice. However, none of us will sacrifice in the way Christ has already sacrificed for us.