Giving is Spiritual Discipline

(Trusting God in Tough Times)

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

Every year our church dedicates a few Sundays to the topic of stewardship. This year’s stewardship series is called “Trusting God in tough times.” Last week’s sermon “Facing the Giants” focused on the “giants” that we all face in our lives. 2009 will be a tough year. We saw that to trust God means to know Him personally and obey Him.

Today’s passage is from 1^st Corinthians. In 2007, we did a whole series of sermons studying the First Letter to the Corinthians. Today I am going back to the last chapter of the book and I will present important principles Paul taught his fellow believers in the city of Corinth.

Let me mention here that throughout the Bible chapter and verse numbers were added later on. Chapter 15 describes the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its effect on our lives. In describes the sound of the trumpet and resurrection of the dead. The chapter ends with one of my favorite verses: “Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs. 55-57)

After these words Paul finishes that chapter, but in fact starts the next chapter with a word of encouragement: “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”(vs. 58)

Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to keep up the work, the labor. He says that nothing goes in vain. However, immediately after that he talks about collection and giving.

Therefore according to Paul, giving is not just an economic issue; it is a spiritual reality and priority. We will elaborate this later on.

The collection Paul talks about was sent to Jerusalem for the needy, for the troubled. Paul brings forth several basic principles of giving in these four verses. Paul encourages these newly-established churches of gentile background to help the believers in Jerusalem. (Read Acts for further details).

1. All the churches Paul established were taught to give.

“Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.” (v 1)

Everywhere he went, Paul taught the new churches to give, because giving is an essential part of Christian living. You see, we need to learn that whatever we have does not belong to us; it is God’s and we are giving back to Him.

Jesus said in Matthew 10: 8 “…Freely you have received, freely give.” Do we recognize that we received so much from Him? Our salvation, our forgiveness from our sins, our marriage, our church, our nation. You name it. We received and we give back whatever we have.

Again, giving is a matter of trust. Do we trust God?

King David said, “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust.” (Psalm 40:4)

Isaiah said to his people: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)

Why shall I give to others? Why shall I spend more time with the Lord? Why shall I spend time in prayer? The days are tough; why shall I tithe to the Lord?

Do we trust God?

To be continued in English.