Giving By Grace (2 Corinthians 9:6)
The Bible has a lot to say about money. Much of our life revolves around money, whether it is earning, saving, spending, or investing. It makes sense then that there are more references to money in the Bible than almost any other topic. It also explains why people can be so defensive whenever money comes up for discussion.
The Biblical perspective on money is recognizing that everything we have comes from God, including our finances and possessions. God has entrusted them all to us and expects us to be good stewards of what He has given us. We are to do with our money what He has told us in the Bible to do with it. Among other things, that means giving some of our money in tithes and offerings to the Lord.
2 Corinthians 9:6 gives us this principle about giving generously: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” God never promises us earthly wealth, but He does promise that if we give generously, He will see to it that we always have what we need and often have more than we need. God’s grace will work in our lives, enabling us to continue to honor Him with our generosity.
This truth applies to all kinds of generosity, including our mission giving. God will sustain us by His grace if we give bountifully to the work of missions. His
provision may not always be obvious, but He will make sure that we always have "all sufficiency in all things."
provision may not always be obvious, but He will make sure that we always have "all sufficiency in all things."
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- Oct 29, 2023Giving By Grace (2 Corinthians 9:6)
Giving By Grace (2 Corinthians 9:6)The Bible has a lot to say about money. Much of our life revolves around money, whether it is earning, saving, spending, or investing. It makes sense then that there are more references to money in the Bible than almost any other topic. It also explains why people can be so defensive whenever money comes up for discussion.The Biblical perspective on money is recognizing that everything we have comes from God, including our finances and possessions. God has entrusted them all to us and expects us to be good stewards of what He has given us. We are to do with our money what He has told us in the Bible to do with it. Among other things, that means giving some of our money in tithes and offerings to the Lord.2 Corinthians 9:6 gives us this principle about giving generously: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” God never promises us earthly wealth, but He does promise that if we give generously, He will see to it that we always have what we need and often have more than we need. God’s grace will work in our lives, enabling us to continue to honor Him with our generosity.This truth applies to all kinds of generosity, including our mission giving. God will sustain us by His grace if we give bountifully to the work of missions. His
provision may not always be obvious, but He will make sure that we always have "all sufficiency in all things." - Oct 22, 2023The Church’s Role in Missions: The Church Supports the Missionaries (Philippians 4:19)
The Church’s Role in Missions: The Church Supports the Missionaries (Philippians 4:19)Missions is the mission of the church. God has commanded the church to “teach all nations.” We cannot be everywhere at once, so God calls some to leave where they are and go somewhere else to fulfill the great commission. We call these people “missionaries.”The church supplies the missionaries. As we reach the lost and make disciples, God calls some of them to this special ministry. The church sends the missionaries. The Lord works through the local church to confirm His call, and missionaries are sent out of the local church.Once the church supplies and sends the missionary, it plays the vital role of supporting the missionary. The missionary needs help from God’s people if they are going to accomplish God’s work. They need material support in the form of finances and physical resources. They need spiritual support in the form of regular, fervent prayer for their ministry and encouragement through communication and responsiveness.We should give sacrificially to support missionaries. We should give of our money, even if it means making do with less, trusting that God will provide. We should give of our time and energy to lift missionaries up in prayer, stay in contact with them, and take opportunities to respond to their needs. And for those who support missionaries, God has given a special promise: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
- Oct 15, 2023The Church Sends The Missionaries (Acts 13)
The Church Sends The Missionaries (Acts 13)It is common in our modern era for missionaries to use mission boards to help them get to their field of service. It is an application of the Biblical pattern of many churches working together to fund and support Christian workers who are going out to plant new churches in faraway places.When used properly, mission boards can be a great blessing by collecting and distributing the funds for the missionary and providing much-needed advice and practical assistance. But mission boards can be misused, and one of the primary ways a board can go wrong is when that board becomes the sending agency instead of the local church.God has chosen to use the local church in this age to be the organization that distributes the gospel around the world. Souls are evangelized, edified, and equipped for service through the ministry of the local church. And it is the local church that has the privilege of confirming God’s call on a person's life and sending them out to accomplish God’s specific will for their life.The church cannot rely on outside groups to do their job. They cannot delegate their responsibility to a para-church organization. The church must supply and then send the workforce for worldwide evangelization.
- Oct 8, 2023The Church Supplies the Missionaries (Acts 13)
The Church Supplies the Missionaries (Acts 13)Where do missionaries come from? They certainly do not grow on trees. Nor should they come from Bible Colleges or Christian Schools. God’s plan is for missionaries to be cultivated through the ministry of the local church.We find this pattern clearly demonstrated in the New Testament. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were ministering in a local church when God moved through that assembly to direct them to go out and plant churches from city to city. In Acts 15, Silas was chosen to travel with Paul because of his good testimony among the brethren. In Acts 16, Timothy was recommended to the ministry of missions by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. In each of these instances, local bodies of believers played an instrumental role in supplying Missionary’s.The purpose of the local church is to evangelize the lost and edify the believer, so that the work of the ministry can continue on. Part of that work is taking the gospel to foreign and remote regions. While it is not God’s will that every believer be a foreign missionary, it is certainly God’s will that some be. It is the responsibility of the church, then, to train and encourage believers to be willing to go wherever God would have them go to share the gospel with whoever needs it.We cannot rely on parachurch organizations to supply the workforce to accomplish world evangelization. It is the duty of the local church to supply missionaries.
- Oct 1, 2023The Mission of The Church, A Biblical Philosophy of Missions (Acts 1:8)
The Mission of The Church, A Biblical Philosophy of Missions (Acts 1:8)The Mission of The Church, a Biblical Philosophy of Missions.