Giving to God is a part of worship.

Psalm 96:8 "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come into His courts."

This principle is taught in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament.  The principle of planned giving should be followed in our lives.  Planned giving is regular giving.

I Corinthians 16:1-2 "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

Tithing is returning to God the first tenth of our income.  This is to be done through the local, New Testament Baptist church where one is a member.  It is to be done on the first day of the week after the income is received.  The Bible not only instructs us to give a tithe, but we also are told to give an offering.  Offerings are gifts required by the Lord.  This is God's plan for maintaining the church and its ministers.

Matthew 23:23 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:  these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

When offerings are not given, the Word of God charges us with being robbers.

Malachi 3:8-10 "Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed me.  But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings.  Ye are cursed with a curse:  for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Giving to God should also be an expression of our love.  Paul tells us to let it prove the sincerity of our love.

II Corinthians 8:8  "I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love."

We should enter into this portion of worship with a sense of purpose and understanding.  When we let God speak to us by submitting to His Lordship, we are as committed as the missionaries and become co-laborers with God along with them.

II Corinthians 8:5   "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first give their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

I Corinthians 3:9 "For we are labourers together with God;  ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."

Our giving should be planned, regular giving.   If giving of faith promise is to be planned and regular, then why call it faith promise?  It is called faith promise because it is a free-will offering that we promise to give to God.  Faith promise is neither a pledge to the church nor a requirement from God.  We will not be asked by anyone to "make good" on our promise; it is entirely between us and God.  However, when we make a vow to God, He expects us to keep it.  God will never ask us to do more than He will enable us to do.  Faith promise is not figured by percentage, as the tithe is figured.  Neither is it a gift for one special need in the church, as the offering is.  It is an amount set between us and God to be given through our local church throughout the coming year.  Faith promise giving is described and explained to us in II Corinthians, chapters 8, 9, and 10.

In our giving to God, we have many benefits which enrich our lives.

1. Faith promise allows us to evaluate our priorities each week.
   
   
   • Are we committed to God, God's man, and God's work?

     II Corinthians 8:5  "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first give their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

     Acts 13:3-4  "And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.  So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia;  and from thence they sailed to Cyprus."

   • What is our most important priority?

     John 9:4 "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day:  the night cometh, when no man can work."

2. Faith promise allows us to examine our motives each week.
   
   
   • What kind of harvest do we want?

     II Corinthians 9:6  "But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly:  and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

   • Do we give to get, or do we give to get to give?

     Luke 6:38  "Give, and it shall be given unto you;  good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom,  For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

   • Are we giving to glorify ourselves?

     Acts 5:1-10  "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.  And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?  While it remained, was it not thine own?  and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?  why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?  thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost:  and great fear came on all them that heard these things.  And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.  And it was about the space of three hours after;  when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.  And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much?  And she said, Yea, for so much.  Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?  behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.  Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost:  and the young men came in, and found her dead and carrying her forth, buried her by her husband."

3. Faith promise allows us to give evidence of our love each week.
   
   
   • How much do we really love Christ?

     John 21:15-17  "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord;  thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith to him, Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?  He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord;  thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?  Peter was grieved because he saith unto him the third time, lovest thou me?  And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things:  thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."

   • Do we abound in the grace of giving?

     II Corinthians 8:7-8  "Therefore, as ye abound in every thing in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.  I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love."

     John 3:16  "For God so so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

4. Faith promise allows us to be part of reaching the world each week.
   
   
   • The administration of this service supplies the needs of the saints.

     II Corinthians 9:12-13  "For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;  Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men."

   • Giving will bring the blessing of increased faith.

     II Corinthians 10:15-16  "Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours;  but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundanlty.  To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand."

God never asks us to do something He will not enable us to do.  When God leads us to make a promise for world missions, He employs many ways to provide the money.  He is able to:

1. Increase our supply.
2. Decrease our spending.
3. Give us wisdom to be good stewards.
4. Give us grace to sacrifice.
5. Perform the supernatural.

When our interests involve world evangelization, we can always count on God's blessings!

First Baptist Church
14400 Diamond Path W.
Rosemount, MN 55068
(651) 423-2271
FAX (651) 423-4471
Dave Clear, Pastor