FAITH GIVING

FAITH GIVING

Philippians 4:1-23

Philippians chapter four could be said to have two major themes

·  The first is dealing with worry and the way to avoid it.

·  This section is consumed with principle of faith giving.

I would like to suggest that the two themes are not unrelated.

After all, what is worry but the opposite of faith?

The chief way to learn not to worry is to grow in faith - when you believe God, you have no reason to worry.

We can learn, to believe and trust the Lord through the faithful practice of giving to His work through faith.

We have two main texts in the Word of God on the issue of faith giving.

·  The first is 2 Corinthians 8-9 and the context is giving to meet the needs of the struggling believers in Jerusalem

·  The second, in Philippians 4, is dealing specifically with giving to a missionary church planter.

Which leads me to believe that the lessons apply to any Christ honoring reason for giving.

In Philippians 4:10-19, Paul acknowledged gratefully, the financial support he had received from these Christians.

Let me show you four things he says about giving here:

I. THE MEANS OF FAITH GIVING 

Philippians 4:15 (KJV)

Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

Which is through the local church.

A. This is a letter written to a local church.

B. Paul thanks them for their gift, given to him collectively, as a local church, not as individuals.

How much more we could do for the work of the Lord if we would do our giving through our local church.

1. I am not talking aboutyour deciding you want to give to "Cause X" so you give it to the church and designate it for that cause.

2. I am talking about giving to the ministry of thechurch to be used as the church as a whole determines under the leadership of the Pastor.

·  Millions of dollars are given each year to causes that are ungodly,

·  One of the things the church and especially the Pastor is given for is to protect your from wolves in sheep's clothing.

And one of the things that needs protected is the dollar you have to give.

C.  All members of the church that giveget to receive a portion of the benefits of the giving.

This is why each member of the church should learn to practice the grace of giving.

Only those who give get the benefits of giving.

Secondly note

II. THE RECEIVER OF THE GIFT

Philippians 4:11-13 (KJV)

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know both how to be abased,and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Two thoughts from these verses

A. Paul was not in the ministry for money.

While there are people like Jim Bakker, and the like

For the most part, those who are in the ministry are not there for the money.

That is especially true of those in Independent Baptist Churches.

·   We have gone without health insurance

·   We rent the lowest cost houses we could find.

·   We worked secular jobs at times to make ends meet.

And most preachers I know have done or are still doing the same right now.

We are not in this for money, and when we ask people to give, it is not because we are money hungry people.

It is because we love the ministry and desire to see 

·   The things of God flourish

·   Souls saved, and 

·   Lives changed

B. All Christians would be happier Christians if they would learn to be content in the state they are presently in.

Rather than being jealous of the guy who makes more than you do.

Or being covetous to buy something you can't really afford.

If we could only learn to be content in the case that God has us in today.

When He chooses, and we are faithful, He is more than able to provide more abundantly for us!

When we decide we can't afford to 

·  Tithe, or 

·  Give to missions, or 

·  Give extra to special needs of the church, 

All we are really doing is choosing to live on the strength of ourselves --

AND WE LOSE THE BLESSING OF BEING STRENGTHENED BY THE LORD!

III. THE BASIS FOR FAITH GIVING

Philippians 4:17 (KJV)

Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

When we give to the work of the Lord we are actually 

·  Becoming partakersof the fruit of that ministry.

·  We become partnerswith the laborer of the Lord and 

·  We become partly responsiblefor every soul saved through that ministry

God records all the fruit of that ministry to our personal accounts.

Matt 6:20 says

"Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where theives do not break through nor steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Giving to the work of the ministry is one way to lay up those treasures.

IV. THE PROMISE OF FAITH GIVING

Philippians 4:19 (KJV)

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

A. God's number one work is that of sending people out to preach the Gospel.

When we give to finance the preaching of the Gospel, God promises His blessings.

It is true that giving to the work of the Lord can drastically reduce a person's spending money.

Paul knew this was true, but he didn't tell the people not to give because of it...

B. He just promised that God would supply all their need according to God's own riches 

WHICH ARELIMITLESS!

When we see to it that God's work is provided for

GOD SEES TO IT THAT WE ARE PROVIDED FOR.

Some Christians never see the supernatural provision of God, because they never sacrifice to give to the work of God.

To summarize

·  The means of giving - through the church

·  The receiver of the gift - is not just after money

·  The basis of giving - fruit added to your account, and

·  The promise of giving - God will bless

WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?

WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?

1 Corinthians 1:10-31

After Paul had pretty well established for these people that he thought they were saved, and had assured them that once they were saved, they could not loose their salvation,

He jumped right into their backsides. 

The rest of the book of 1 Corinthians will be "hell fire and brimstone" preaching if you will, about the sins and false doctrines in the Church at Corinth.

There are three issues that come up in the first chapter, but first,

Notice with me verse 11.

Paul had found out about the things going on in the church by a certain party of believers. Paul wasn’t afraid to mention their names.

There are two clear messages here:

First, 

If you know of a problem, or a sin in someone in this church's life, that could affect this church, you need to tell me.

I have had several come to me and say that they knew about certain things, but did not want to tell me because they didn't want to gossip, or sow discord.

It is doing neither to tell the Pastor.

You do not need to tell anybody else, but you ought to tell it to the pastor.

It may be that I will not feel like I should take any action on the information. I usually think that God is pretty good at dealing with things Himself. However, I still need to know if it is something that I should deal with or not.

Secondly, 

Paul gave the name of the persons who had told him.

Please don't ask me to deal with an issue of any sort and not say you were the one who told me about it.

I have had people ask me to go to a friend's house and try to win them to the Lord, but they did not want me to say they had asked me to go!  I refuse to go under those conditions.

For one thing, if I accidentally slip and mention their name, then I have the person I am witnessing to ANDthe person who asked me to go mad at me.

*I. THE ISSUE OF DIVISIONS 

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 (KJV)

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Although this issue motivates much of what Paul says in the first three chapters, I will give it special attention here.

There are two words mentioned in the passage.

A. Divisions

The word means, a gap, or a schism. We could use the word clique.

This was obviously a rather large church, and within it, there had grown up groups of people who had the same types of backgrounds and interests, and they had formed their own little circles in the church.  Some of them thought they were better than others.

And these divisions were causing

B. Contentions

It simply means, quarreling

The church folks were fighting each other over their cliques.

Paul's answer was to, 

C. Beg them to be perfectly joined together.

And that can only happen...

If we put aside all of our own views and ideas and opinions, and put on the mind and judgment of Jesus Christ.

By the way, I know that is possible because,

Galatians 3:28 (KJV) says:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

*II. THE ISSUE OF BAPTISM 

1 Corinthians 1:14-17 (KJV)

I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

In their church, one of those causes of divisions was over who had baptized them. This church had had different Pastors, and obviously that would have meant that some of them had been baptized by different people.

They were dividing over the issue of who had been baptized by whom.

A. These verses are not saying baptism is unimportant

There are those who use these verses to try to teach that baptism is not important and should not be practiced.

May I point out that Jesus and Paul were both baptized?

Baptism is not part of salvation, but it is still the first step of Christian obedience. And it is vitally important in Scripture.

I have never known a believer to grow in Christ who has not been baptized.

B. It is important that a person be Scripturally baptized

Another person would try to argue from this passage that it does not matter how or who baptized us as long as we are baptized.

Again, that is not the message of this passage. You MUST compare Scripture with Scripture.

Other passages make it clear that baptism must be properly performed in order to be Scriptural baptism.

Luke 7:29-30 (KJV)

And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

To not get baptized of John the Baptist, was to reject the counsel of God.[1]

1. Proper Candidate. Saved

2. Proper Mode.. Immersion

3. Proper Reason... Obedience, (picture not for salvation)

4. Proper Authority... A church authorized by God.

Baptists have historically agreed that any church that was founded by man did not have the authority to baptize.

Any church denomination which traces its roots back to Protestantism Is not Biblically authorized to baptize.

Only those churches that find their roots outside of the Catholic system, those churches historically called Anabaptists and later, Baptists have that authority.

C. This Passage teaches that, as long as it is Scriptural, it does not matter which preacher actually dunked you

*III. THE ISSUE OF PRIDE 

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (KJV)

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Paul had already acknowledged that these people came behind in no gift.[2]

The kind of divisions that the church had certainly indicates a pride about them.

Now, see what Paul says in this passage:

A. Those who exercise God's wisdom will be called foolish by the world.

1 Corinthians 1:18-24 (KJV)

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

It does not matter how educated you are, how intelligent you are, or what kind of credentials you have. If you accept God's teachings the world will brand you a fool and discount what you have to say

B. God chooses those who are already considered foolish and weak by the world to accomplish His work.

1 Corinthians 1:24-28 (KJV)

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

Christianity has always been a faith belonging to the poor and middle class.

While it is true that there have been those who were of royalty, those who were wealthy, and those who were very educated that have embraced the faith, for the most part, Christianity has been embraced by those who did not have so much in this world.

And the fascinating thing about that is, Christianity has still been the single most influential thing ever on world society.

God does not need our influence, wealth, or education.

He is able to take anybody who is dedicated and accomplish great things with him.

And the lessonof all that is this;

C. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord

Because, the truth is, we don't have too much to brag about otherwise.

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[1]And John wouldn't baptize anybody who was not already right in their heart with God.

[2]1 Corinthians 1:7 (KJV)

So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: