Drawing Closer to God

Worship - Giving

 

Throughout this year we have been studying how to draw closer to God.  I am using a Cruise Line metaphor.  We have been traveling, metaphorically, to different destinations to see how we can draw closer to God.  What is nice about this is, because each of us are wired a little different, we can find the place which helps us best connect to God.  I hope you find your happy place.

 

We began on…  The Island of Simplicity.  This is still one of my favorite places, especially after a busy summer.  We learned:

 -More is not better.

-Busy does not necessarily make you important.

-We should not fear the “What if”.  We live in simple trust of God.

 

Then we visited… The Port of Service.  There we learned how service connects to the heart of God.  Richard Foster told us where this service comes from:

-"True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside.  We serve out of the whispered promptings; divine urgings."  - Richard Foster –

 

Then we docked in a Placed called Presence.  We discovered we can live at God's House.  "Hey congregation, where do you want to live?"  "At God's House!"  We bring all of our stuff and we move in.  We bring all of our stuff in Simple Prayer to God.  We learned to ponder in God’s presence.  We attempted to live in God’s house constantly through breath prayer.

 

Then we spent some time in the space between destinations.  All of our life doesn’t happen either in the storm or in a great place.  Most of our lives just occur.  But that is…

-where we Do the Lord's work.  That is where we are faithful. 

-It is where we use the gifts of who God made us to be.  We do who we are.

-When you Do Your Best and Forget the Rest, you will enjoy the cruise! 

 

We are now spending the summer in a great place; The Thin Place of Worship.  This is where, in worship, we can see through the veil into where God is.

-When we each engage in praise-synergy, we create a Thin Place Spiral which draws us closer to the thin place.

-When our voices join in song, we catch glimpses into heaven.

-When we listen to Scripture, we connect to generations of Christians.

-When our hearts connect in prayer, we make a difference because we are close to God.

-When we commune together around the Table, we create the church.

-During the preaching, we connect to God in faith.

 

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That brings us up to date; after today we are off to a new spiritual destination.  Next Sunday our Cruise Ship will be in… You will need to come back next Sunday to find out.

 

 I want to talk about one more thing we do when we are together in worship.  I debated whether to do giving, or not.  Don’t get me wrong, I think the kids’ collecting our giving is one of the coolest/unique things we do.  The question I debated is, “Is giving a part of our synergy-worship?”

 

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Let’s begin with a little history.  I suspect most of you are going to know this history.  But we do have some new members and I don’t think this is going to hurt the rest of us to remember why we do our contribution the kid way.

 

I grew up in the church of Christ.  I discovered we liked 5’s.  There were “Five steps to salvation”.  Hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized.  This is great.  It is a process which we move towards a commitment to God.

 

But we also had the “Five Acts of worship”.  Which are: singing, praying, scripture, preaching and giving.  We didn’t count announcements, although we had lots of them.  We didn’t count baptisms, although they were important.  We didn’t count “going forward during the invitation song”, and some other things but we did count.  But giving was one of the five. 

 

We took 1 Corinthians 16 literally. 

 

1 Corinthians 16:1-2   Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.  On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

 

That sounds a whole lot like a rule, so, we followed it.  We would pass the plate around and everyone was expected to put something in, according to how much they made.  Then we used to put the attendance and the contribution on a board in the front so everyone could do the math and see what the money per individual was.  If you did more than 1/10 you were doing well.

 

This passing the plate was “Separate and apart from the Lord’s Supper” although it was actually neither.  It was done by the same men, at the same time, and was considered one of five acts of worship.  That was the way it was for many years.

 

Then came electronic banking.  David Kratzer likes electronic banking.  People make their contributions regardless of whether they are here or not, or forgot their checkbook or not, or were having a tight week and couldn’t afford it.  It is regular.  It is consistent.  It is easy.  But there was less and less money being put in the plate.  I know I felt strange not putting money in the plate.  It somehow felt wrong.  I should be doing 1 Corinthians 16:2 and laying by in store.  What will people think?   

 

Then came the United Way Matching Funds.  David Kratzer really likes the United Way Matching Funds.  It turns contributions from Lab employees into more money.  It is not quite 2 for 1 but it is good deal.  But, those contributors are giving to the United Way instead of the Church.  We get a check from the United Way every quarter.  So, we encourage our Lab employees to sign up and use the United Way matching Funds.  That has led to even less money in the plate which was passed around on Sunday morning.

 

So, several years ago I asked, “Why are we passing the plate, at all?”  Most of us are giving electronically and it would be better if everyone did and that would save 5 minutes.  We could sing two more songs or do something else more exciting.  At the time Wade was here.  Wade was thinking kids.  He argued if we did it all electronically the kids would not have a clue that their parents gave at all.  Or that anyone did.  He was concerned about what that would teach the kids

 

If we are just doing it for the kids… great idea was born… then let’s let the kids do it.  We commissioned Wade’s dad to make this coffer and we begin singing, “It is in Giving” while the kids collected the money.  In November of 2007 the collection went from dullest part of our service to the most fun part.

 

Great history lesson?

 

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But that still leaves me with the question, “Is giving part of our corporate/synergy-worship?”  Is it something which creates the thin space?  Do we draw closer to God when the kids put the money in the coffer?  Or, is it just a teaching exercise for the kids?  It is worth it, just for that, but do we connect in worship during the giving? 

 

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Let’s begin to answer the question by doing some exegesis in 2 Corinthians.  There are two spectacular chapters on giving; 8 & 9.  Paul had told the Corinthians about a collection for the poor in Jerusalem in 1 Corinthians 16, which we read earlier.  Now in 2 Corinthians, Paul is writing back to the Corinthians reminding them about this collection for God’s people. 

 

In the preceding seven chapters, one of the major themes in 2 Corinthians is the power of God in our weakness.  Remember, last week we talked about the message of God in jars of clay.  That is the flavor of 2 Corinthians.  Chapter 8 begins with the Macedonians demonstrating the power of God in their weakness; financially. Let’s read chapter 8.

 

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.  Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.  And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.

 

Notice the attitude: overflowing joy, rich generosity, on their own, privilege of sharing, gave themselves first to God.  Out of their financial weakness they joyfully demonstrated God’s power in giving. 

 

2 Corinthians 8:6-8 So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.  But just as you excel in everything-- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving.  I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

 

The Corinthians were encouraged to match the Macedonians with their giving.  Paul tested their love by comparing it to others.  Their sincerity would be compared to the earnestness of the Macedonians.  This is moving toward our answer about kids collecting the contribution, is it worship.

 

2 Corinthians 8:9-12 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.  And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.  Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.  For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

 

Jesus is our example in giving.  Out of his poverty, we become rich.  There should be willingness, eagerness about giving.  We are getting closer to our answer.

 

2 Corinthians 8:17-19   For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.  And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.  What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.

 

Eagerness is contagious.  Paul is excited.  Titus is excited.  The other brother is eager. 

 

2 Corinthians 8:23-24 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.  Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.

 

The Corinthians giving would be seen by other churches and encourage them to give.  The same thought continues into chapter 9.

 

2 Corinthians 9:5-8 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised.  Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.  Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

 

God loves a cheerful giver.  God turns cheerfulness into abounding good.  God turns our giving into grace.  That giving-grace then leads to every good work.  That sounds like an escalation; perhaps even a spiral.  Now, let’s get to the answer.

 

2 Corinthians 9:9-13 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."  Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in… thanksgiving to God.  This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also… overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will… praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

 

Giving not only supplies a need, it brings praise to God!  Ah ha!  Giving leads to praise!  I think that is our answer.  One person giving leads to others praising.  Our example in giving leads us closer to God in thanksgiving.  The demonstration of giving creates praise for God!

 

As we watch our kids give joyously… and generously… and cheerfully… and willingly… they can hardly wait to stuff their money into the coffer… they set an amazing example for us.  We should be moved to give… like the kids give!  Here is the answer: The kids’ enthusiasm for giving leads us to praise God!  Am I right?  It is a joy to see them anxiously give!  Certainly, as we watch the kids giving, with all their simple joy, we can see through the thin space and see God smile!  Kid giving draws us close to the heart of God, because God loves a cheerful giver!

 

The kid’s cheerfully giving is a Thin Place of worship!

 

Tim Stidham

Los Alamos Church of Christ

August 21, 2011