EPISODE · Mar 26, 2022 · 37 MIN
Why Giving Money To The Church Is Important
from Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) · host Brad Mills
Why Giving Money to the Church is Important (Nehemiah 10:32-39) I recently watched a talk by Sinclair Ferguson on three lessons from 42 years of ministry. He referenced his appreciation for William Still, whose book The Work of the Pastor has been an encouragement to me. Ferguson mentioned that every pastor should read the book every year, at least. So, I picked it up for only the third time and came across this quote where Still discusses church revival: There will soon The post Why Giving Money To The Church Is Important appeared first on Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA).
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Why Giving Money to the Church is Important (Nehemiah 10:32-39) I recently watched a talk by Sinclair Ferguson on three lessons from 42 years of ministry. He referenced his appreciation for William Still, whose book The Work of the Pastor has been an encouragement to me. Ferguson mentioned that every pastor should read the book every year, at least. So, I picked it up for only the third time and came across this quote where Still discusses church revival: There will soon be evidence that God is at work—and the devil will rouse himself too! The first sign may be that believing folk who may have grown cold and worldly, will begin to loosen their purse strings out of thankfulness to God for His living Word, and the finances will improve. This is the least of the signs, but it is almost always the first to appear in the reviving of a church. One sign of revival is generous giving. Last week we mentioned “Why Church Membership is Important” (Nehemiah 10:1-31). I intended to pack this chapter into one sermon with the following outline: Church Membership Reveals Our Commitment to Adopt God’s Convictions (1-29)Church Membership Reveals Our Eagerness to Accept God’s Restrictions (30-31)Church Membership Reveals Our Willingness to Obey God’s Obligations (32-39) But, as I began my study, I decided there are plenty of landmines to step on in this last section. So, it might help to walk through it slowly and carefully. We either tend to overemphasize money (in growing and shrinking churches), or we blissfully ignore it altogether. Giving Reveals What We Value When I was in the early stages of strategizing for this church plant, I briefly toyed with the idea of not taking an offering during the service to show visitors that money was not the driving motivation here. I know several churches who do that, and it seemed like a considerate thing to do. But, open the Bible at any point, and you won’t get very far before coming to the theme of money or possessions. Because it is such a frequent theme, we need to spend adequate time here. I have called what was taking place in Israel under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah a revival. They rebuilt the temple, then followed that up with rebuilding the walls, and now they are experiencing reformation in their values and habits. The community elevated the Word of God in their minds and made worship central to their fellowship. Both of these principles contribute to their interest in giving money for temple worship. We give money to the things that we most value, and oftentimes those things are temporary and fleeting. A typical budget reveals that we value our homes, transportation, and entertainment. What we give to the church is indicative of the longing we have for the glory of God. Genuine spiritual revival typically occurs in conjunction with a generous increase in our giving. Read Nehemiah 10:32-39 A Commitment to Give Money Regularly (32-34) Everyone commits to giving a third part of a shekel annually for the work of the temple (32-33). It was the same amount for the rich and the poor. It does not appear to have been a massive sacrifice, but it was in addition to all of their other offerings. Still, this was a meaningful offering. They reflected God’s redemption of each member of the covenant community (Exodus 30:11-16). This “atonement money” was then used “for the service of the tent of meeting.” The decree of Darius provided funds for such purposes (Ezra 6:8-10), but the Israelites could not rely upon foreign kings to support their worship indefinitely. One third is less than the one half shekel mentioned in Exod. 30:13. Some have used this discrepancy to suggest that the community was less committed to the centrality of worship. This could be that Nehemiah refers to an annual gift, while Exodus refers to a particular (1x) gift at the time of the census. The different obligation may also have to do with a different monetary system in Persia. Ac
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Why Giving Money To The Church Is Important
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