2 Corinthians - Lesson 8C

• Alright folks, good morning and welcome back on this beautiful October 1st morning and praise the Lord for the relief from the heat.

  • Last week, we somewhat (kind of, sort of, but not really) delved into the 8th Chapter of the book or letter of 2 Corinthians. I say somewhat because I spent most of the lesson setting up what would be the biblical teaching on giving.

  • Along with that I wanted to debunk a few myths around this topic while also debunking a few myths about the church as well. The reason for this was simple. Once you understand the purpose of the church, specifically the reason God created it, once you understand that it will help clear up a lot of the controversy around the concept of tithing. And shortly, you will see what I am talking about.

    • Anyway, so as I said, our teaching last week turned out to be a little controversial, and the result of that was I received a few phone calls from some “concerned citizens”, or maybe we should call them some “concerned believers” regarding some of the things I said.

    • Which is okay. I love mixing it up. It’s healthy and I love the fact someone actually listened and then cared enough to call. Having said that, when I asked these “concerned believers” what they believed about what I said, some said not sure, I’ll have to study it and get back with you. Some said, I don’t know, while others said, well, I’m going to wait to respond and see what you say next week.

    • Well, if that’s your response you’re in luck, because today is next week and (we made it) and you’re going to find out why I said what I said.

• Before we do that though, I will say the responses I received highlight (what I feel) is a bigger and more systemic issue, which is you need to know the why behind why it is you believe what you believe. You see, all believers should adhere to the concept of what Dr. Chuck Missler calls the “Berean Way”. And what is the Berean Way?

  • Well let’s read about it in Acts 17:10-11:

Acts 17:10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Acts 17:11 Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 

• So, the Bible says those in Berea were more noble-minded (meaning of higher stature), at least as it relates to their thinking. And why? Because “they received the word with great eagerness (the Greek says - with great readiness), examining the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

  • So, what exactly does that mean? It means these folks didn’t just take someone’s word for it. As a matter of fact, they didn’t even take Paul’s word for it. Instead, they examined the scriptures daily to find out if what they were being told was in fact the “truth”.

  • It was real simple, these folks wanted to know did God say it or did man say it? Which is interesting because that’s the whole reason Paul is writing 2 Corinthians in the first place. Remember, these folks have gotten off track because they listened to some man, a non-believer, who eased his way into their fellowship and started all this trouble.

    • He did so by telling people that Paul wasn’t really a true Apostle, that he didn’t have Apostolic authority, that he lied to them. And so, rather than listening to Paul and ultimately God’s word, they began listening to this man, which then took them down the wrong path. And, by the way, this is still happening today.

• And so, the question is, why? Why are people so susceptible to being led off track? Because people simply don’t know what it is they believe. But why is that? Because they aren’t being fed. Fed what? Sheep food. And what’s sheep food for the believer? It’s God’s word, which should be administered in healthy doses by the Pastor/Teacher.

  • As a matter of fact, this is the primary job of the Pastor, and this was even highlighted by Jesus Himself when He told Peter this very thing in John 21:15-17:

John 21:15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend (feed) my lambs.”
John 21:16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd my sheep.”
John 21:17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend (feed) my sheep.

• And so, Jesus himself says to Peter, if you love me then you will do something. And what was it? FEED/SHEPHARD my sheep. The meaning of the word feed here in the Greek literally means to feed (graze), pasture, just like grazing sheep in a pasture. And so, the fact that the Pastor isn’t feeding the sheep is one reason people don’t know what they believe.

  • But the other is they aren’t studying for themselves so they can “see if these things might be true.” This is an issue, and as I said, it’s systemic inside the church and it’s one that needs to be resolved, because people are confused, and it shouldn’t be this way. God left us His word so that we wouldn’t be confused, but it’s up to us to dig in and receive clarity through the Holy Spirit, and through seeing the consistency of how God operates through the pages of His own memoirs.

  • But how do I know this problem is as bad as I say it is? Because I talk to people all the time about all sorts of Biblical topics. That’s how I know. Which, as I said, was highlighted by the conversations I had this past week surrounding last week’s teaching.

    • One more thing, just an FYI. Not all the discussions I had this week were with people from our church. Some were with friends and listeners, but still the central theme of our discussions revolved around why do you believe what you believe?

    • And the overwhelming response that I received from folks when I asked them this question was, well, I can’t necessarily give you scriptures to back up what I believe but that’s what I have been taught my whole life, and I highly doubt my Pastor would have lied, or for that matter, I highly doubt our entire denomination got it wrong.

  • Pretty scary statement when you stop to think about it, isn’t it, and it’s one a believer should never make. Remember, when it comes to anything I teach, I always want to remind you, don’t take my word for it, instead follow the “Berean Way” - study for yourself and find that these things might be true.

  • That’s exactly what I did some 20 years ago. I began studying for myself, all because a Pastor told me something that I discovered was not true. One day, when I asked this man a question relating to baptism, instead of answering my questions from the basis of scripture, he gave me denominational rule.

    • Which, as I discovered, turned out not to line up with the Bible. It was actually right the opposite of what the scriptures taught. Which then led me to question everything. It also led me to say, well, if he was wrong on that issue then what else might he be wrong about?

  • And so, I began to study, and I was shocked with what I discovered. The more I dug in and questioned, the more I found what I call denominational preference, or plain old tradition. Tradition turned out to be more important than what the Bible taught, which obviously was an issue.

• Now having said that, let me also say all of these denominational preferences started out the same way, with good intent. But unfortunately, many of them ended up in the same place. Which was where? In no-man’s land. And in some cases, not all cases, but in some, It actually turned into Hersey. And what is Heresy? It is a teaching that teaches or twists what God’s word says, and in its place blends or meshes it into what the church or denomination prefers it to say.

  • So, my word to you is, believer beware because many of the current church’s practices and traditions of today are not grounded in truth of scripture. Now in keeping with the spirit of the “Berean Way”, let me say, I said something last week that was incorrect (I know that’s a shock but it’s true).

  • And so, for that reason, I want to speak a retraction (if that’s even a thing). And what was it that I said that was wrong? Well, before I tell you let me say, first of all, it didn’t have anything to do with the obvious statements I made last week.

    • Statements like giving 10% is not a requirement, that 10% is an Old Testament teaching not a New Testament teaching, or that nowhere in scripture do we see the “give to get” concept being taught. It wasn’t one of those out-front obvious statements I made.

  • Also, let me say one more thing, no one brought this mistake to my attention. I caught it myself when I went back through and listened to the teaching. And so, what was it? What was the mistake?

  • It centered around something I said when I quoted Acts 2:41-42. Before I quoted Acts last week, I said let’s see what Paul said. The problem is, Paul didn’t write Acts. Who wrote Acts? Luke, so that was my mistake. I mentioned Paul as the writer because Paul is mentioned in that particular section of Acts.

    • And so anyway, I’m proving my own point. I even have to check myself “to see if these things might be true.”

• Moving on, so last time we were together I made a few statements, some of which turned out to be a little controversial. And as I said last week, I will always back up what I say with scripture. I also said if you want to hear my proof (from the basis of scripture) then you will have to come back next week, which is this week.

  • This week is here, and before I address those statements, I would like to back up and re-read the opening verses of Chapter 8 for context purposes. And here’s what Paul wrote  "Great Generosity"

2 Cor. 8:1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,
2 Cor. 8:2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
2 Cor. 8:3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
2 Cor. 8:4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,
2 Cor. 8:5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
2 Cor. 8:6 So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.
2 Cor. 8:7 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
2 Cor. 8:8 I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
2 Cor. 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 

• As I said, the somewhat controversial statements that I made last week came on the heels of the topic of ‘giving’. And as I stated last week, in the 10-year history of this church I don’t think I have ever really taught much on the topic of giving. And why? Because I teach book by book, verse by verse, and chapter by chapter, and the topic never came up.

  • But here we are, and in an effort to set the foundation for this section of teaching, I mentioned a few things which were true.

  • First of all, I said the Bible never teaches a concept of ‘giving to get’, or ‘giving to receive’. An extreme example of this being, ‘give $10 and you will receive $20’ type of thing. I don’t think anyone here today subscribes to this line of teaching per se.

  • But I will tell you this is a very prominent teaching inside the church of today, and it is false. As a matter of fact, it is heresy. Remember, as we discussed last week, your giving is an obedience issue. God doesn’t need your money. He’s not broke. But He does ask you to examine your heart and give based on how you have been blessed. And this is the case for at least two reasons:

    • 1 – It shows sacrifice and obedience on your part, not to mention it shows the faith and trust you have in Him as well. Also, your giving is what, 2 – supports the fellowship. Now, based on these statements, that led me to say supporting your fellowship is part of God’s plan.

    • But that doesn’t mean the preacher or ministers should receive the bulk of the proceeds given to the church. Let me say this one more time. I’m not against the preacher or ministers being paid, but I do feel since the advent of the preacher receiving his sole compensation from the church, which has constituted what we call a full-time preacher (which is humorous because all preachers are full-time, or at least should be).

  • This full-time preacher concept has caused a lot of issues, specifically as it relates to the rest of the body working and doing their part inside the fellowship. One of the byproducts of this movement is that most folks have simply sat down, and therefore have become spiritually stagnant.

    • And as I have previously stated, this happens because the people feel as if the preacher is the one being paid so he should do the work. Which means, in part, the body doesn’t have to work. And once again my friends, that is not the testimony of scripture.

• The Preacher/Pastor/ Teacher is an elder gifted to teach. He has a job - study and shepherd and feed the sheep. He shouldn’t be focused or involved in all the other church stuff. And let me say, the Pastor is just one piece of the puzzle. Collectively, the body is to work together and minister to each other first. Take care of each other’s needs first and then once they are healthy, the natural biproduct of spiritual health will be to reach outside the walls of the church and have an influence on others.

  • But the church of today has got this backwards. Oh, really preacher? Yes really, and let me prove it to you, and to do that let’s go back to where it all began. And where did it all begin? On the day of Pentecost. That was when the church was first formed.

Acts 2:43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
Acts 2:44 And all the believers were together and had all things in common;
Acts 2:45 and they would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need.
Acts 2:46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
Acts 2:47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

• Now, you may recognize these verses, but the question is do you recognize what’s really being identified in these verses? First of all, look really closely at who the subject of these verses is. It’s not unbelievers – it’s believers.

  • Guys, just a side note. The Church was never supposed to look to the world for support. We are to take care of our own. Remember that we should never look to the government or any other outside organization for support. That is the responsibility of our local fellowship.

    • I remember a few years ago having a conversation with a lady whose husband abandoned her. She stayed at home and raised their children. And so, when her husband left, she and her children struggled mightily. The crazy thing is, she was part of a big church. So why didn’t the church help her? Why didn’t they take care of one of their own?

    • Because we have been programed to look outside the church and spend the church’s monies trying to reach the world. Folks this is wrong. We meet the needs of the church first! I digress, but to prove my point, look at how verse 43 starts out. It starts out with ‘everyone’.

  • This ‘everyone’ is referring to those who believed, and if you will back up and read the text, you will see that what I am saying is true. So, ‘everyone’ is believers, and this same theme continues all the way through to verse 47. Look at it, the ‘everyone’ in verse 43 is speaking to all the believers. Highlighted again in verse 44, when it says they had all things in common.

    • And then in verse 45 it says they would sell their property and possessions, and share them with all, and they would do so, “to the extent that anyone had need.” What’s happening here is crystal clear. They are taking care of one another, not the outside world.

• Next, moving on to verse 46, it says day by day they continued in one mind. They were also breaking bread – eating together. And then, here is the kicker. They were praising God and finding favor with all the people. This phrase, finding favor with all the people, is a reference to God’s people, not the world.

  • But wait preacher, what about outreach? What about sharing the gospel, or what about seeing people saved? What about it? One more time, outreach is a natural biproduct of spiritual health, and it works opposite of what we have seen and been taught in the Church of the 20th and 21st century. Look at verse 47 one more time,

Acts 2:47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

• Who was adding to their fellowship? The Lord was adding to their numbers day by day those who were being saved. It appears that as the fellowship takes care of the needs of one another, and as they praise God, God adds to their fellowship!

  • What? Here’s how it works folks. When we are healthy (spiritually speaking) God uses us to draw men to Himself. When we are not healthy, we are sidelined and when we try and skip what it takes to become healthy, and go ahead and commence with “outreach”, we do more damage than we do good.

  • And why, because we are trying within ourselves to reproduce the work of the Holy Spirit by forcing the end result. And that’s the reason we do more harm than good, because we haven’t paid the price required for spiritual maturity. And by the way, the world knows this is the case. They see it in our behavior, and when they see it, our behavior actually creates the opposite effect of reaching people for Christ. It pushes them away.

    • So, based on the testimony of scripture, we must take care of one another first. Support one another in every way. Not just financial but in all ways, and once we have taken care of one another, and we become mature and healthy, then God will use our lives to reach outside the church walls.

  • Now, I realize this might rub you the wrong way and I could spend the rest of the service proving my point to you from the basis of scripture, but I have to move on because I have a few other topics we need to touch on this morning. Having said that, if you are still struggling with this then I encourage you to take a closer look at the church and its structure inside God’s holy manuscript and study for yourself so that you can “find that these things might be true”.

• Moving on, let’s conclude our teaching today by talking about the “tithe”, And specifically whether or not it is the mandate or requirement of scripture in the New Testament. I told you last week that 10% is not a requirement, but am I correct, or did I just make that up? Let’s dig in and see if what I say is true or not?

  • First of all, let’s look at the word tithe; what is it and what does it mean?  The word tithe is a Hebrew word that means tenth, and the tithe appears in the Old Testament. Let me be clear, tithing is an Old Testament concept. The tithe was a requirement of the Law, in which the Israelites were to give 10 percent of the crops they grew as well as the livestock they raised to the tabernacle/temple (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5).

    • If you want to get down to the truth of the matter, the Old Testament law actually required multiple tithes, one for the Levites, one for the use of the temple and the feasts, and one for the poor of the land, which would have pushed the total to around 23.3 percent.

  • Some have understood the Old Testament tithe as a method of taxation to provide for the needs of the priests and Levites in the sacrificial system.

  • Having said that, after the death of Jesus Christ the Law was fulfilled, and nowhere in the New Testament do we see a command, or even recommendation, for the Christian to submit to a legalistic tithing system. Also, nowhere in the New Testament do we see a designation for a percentage of an individual’s income to be set aside as a tithe.

    • The only thing we see written or mentioned about this topic in the New Testament is that our gifts should be “in keeping with income” (1 Corinthians 16:2). Or, as the NASB says it, we are to give as we have been prospered or blessed.

1 Cor. 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also.
1 Cor. 16:2 On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.
1 Cor. 16:3 When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem;
1 Cor. 16:4 and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.

• Notice Paul didn’t collect gifts for himself, he collected them for the poor church in Jerusalem, specifically for the believers in that church to once again help take care of their needs.

  • Anyway, so some in the Christian church have taken the 10 % figure from the Old Testament tithe and applied it as a “recommended minimum” for Christians in their giving. But that is not a New Testament teaching. Having said that, although no tithe is demanded of the Christian, the New Testament talks about the importance and the benefits of giving.

  • Once again, we are to give as we are able. Sometimes that means giving more than 10 %, sometimes that may mean giving less. It all depends on the ability of the Christian and the needs of the body of Christ. Once again, we are to take care of each other first.

    • James tells us that every Christian should diligently pray and seek God’s wisdom on this matter, and remembering that above all, offerings should be given with pure motives and an attitude of worship to God and service to the body of Christ.

  • Paul also says this in 2 Corinthians 9:7 about this topic. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

• Now, last week I also said I wanted to debunk another myth around giving, and that was, if you give elsewhere, outside your fellowship, can that replace the responsibility you have in giving to your local fellowship/church? I say no, but why?

  • Well, we just studied how we are to take care of the needs of the body first, then move to the outside world. So, if you give somewhere else outside your fellowship, then how can you help fulfill both the needs of your church and the needs of some other ministry? You can’t, but there’s nothing keeping you from doing both.

    • Guys, let me just say this on this topic. If God lays it on your heart to give to someone else, or to give to another ministry, do it, but never look at it as a trade-off. Don’t look at it like negotiating with your kids. You know, don’t say okay Lord I will give to this other ministry or fulfill this other person’s need, but it’s one or the other, I can’t give to the church and give to this other ministry. So, God you choose, but we can’t do both.

    • That is not how it works. Guys, I wish I could take my experience as it relates to giving and superimpose it into the life of every believer. I wish I could play the movie of my life relating to this topic, specifically for those who struggle with the concept of giving. If I could, I promise you would never worry or even check up on giving again.

  • I can honestly say this, the more Daffney and I have given throughout the years, the more God has given back to us, which by the way, He expects us to give back again. It’s cyclical, and the more we have given the more he has blessed us!

  • And never forget, everything belongs to God. It’s not ours. As I said last week, we are simply “Spiritual Sharecroppers”, tending to what God has entrusted us with until either A) He returns, or B) we die. Either way, we can’t take it with us.

• Let me say a couple more things on this topic. As I have plainly stated in the past, giving to get is not a thing in God’s dichotomy. It’s not a teaching of scripture. But when you give, God always returns what you give in one shape, form, fashion, or the other. Sometimes it is financial, and at other times it is through peace, joy, and true contentment.

  • Whatever it is, I can assure you, you will be blessed through your commitment and sacrifice of giving. Next week we will touch a little more on this topic and then move on.