I Corinthians 16:1-19         Giving                   August 24, 2008

     The biography writer, Godfrey Davis, told one of his secrets for researching the lives of famous people.  He discovered this secret while writing a biography about the Duke of Wellington.  Davis said, "I found an old account ledger that showed how the Duke spent his money. And I found it was a far better clue to what he thought was really important than the reading of his letters or speeches."  How we handle our money reveals much about what we value and the depths of our commitments. Godfrey Davis is right.  That's why Jesus often talked about money. Did you know that one out of every three parables, touches on stewardship?  How we give shows much about how we live.

       This morning I want to look at I Corinthians chapter 16 where Paul talks about the giving and sharing of three different areas of our lives—Money, Time, and People.   Our most natural selfish response in life is to keep everything for myself.  To live for myself and by myself.  But what a lonely and unfulfilled life.  The Word of God shows us that a giving life is a life worth living.  It was this sharing life of the early church that we find in the Bible.

       What do we learn in this chapter about the early church that existed just twenty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus?   It was an international church that had spread throughout the Roman Empire in a very short time.  In this chapter, at least five Roman provinces are mentioned, reflecting different cultures and conditions.  Just twenty years after its beginning, the church was European and Eastern, Jew and Arab, Greek and Roman, city and country.  It was truly a catholic—meaning universal—church.  The gospel had a power to change lives in every situation.  And while each church had its own local leadership and ministries, this church was interconnected across the ancient world, sharing in its money, time, and people.  There were no independent churches.  The church of Jesus Christ was meant to be a united church.  And we as individual believers are meant to be connected to one another because a connected life is a full life.  How do we become connected?

      We are connected first as we share our financial resources.  In the mid- first century, there was a famine in Jerusalem and Paul was collecting funds to aid the people there.  Now the Corinthians knew that Paul was collecting this money and it is greatly to their credit that when they wrote to him, they asked about what they were to do to give to this collection.  They wanted to know how to give.  I remember sitting in the living room with one couple in our church a few years ago and they told me that they had been saving their tithe money while they were visiting churches.  Since they were joining Augusta Road, they would be giving that money because it was God’s money.  They wanted to know where best to give that money.  That is what the Corinthians wanted to know.  How to give.   You know, I usually sit with people who ask me what our church can do for them.  What programs we have for their children.  What events we offer.   We too often visit churches, looking for what the church can do for us.  And we wonder why we find so little satisfaction.   The joy of life is when we ask what we can give.

      The Word of God gives us three directions for giving of our money.  1.  Giving is an act of worship.  Vs 2 says “On the first day of every week—that is on Sunday—set aside a sum of money.”   When we come to the Lord’s Day to worship, giving is part of that worship.  We do not pass the plates just to pay the pastor and the building mortgage and the light bill.   We give in worship as an act of worship.  I am changed as I give to God and to His church.  My heart is made bigger and my life is full as I give.   2. Giving is to be systematic and individual.  Paul tells us to set this money aside and save it up to give.  Too often, we give to God what is left over.  We give to God when we feel touched by the worship service.  We give erratically with no plan.  But the Word of God tells us to have planned giving.  And giving is to be from “each of us.”  The Word says “each one of you.”  It does not say “those who are rich.”  It does not say “those who can afford it.”  The Word of God says “each one of you.”  Many of us imagine that it is the rich who give.   According to a Gallup survey, almost half the total charitable contributions in the US come from households with incomes of less than $45,000.   Jesus praised the poor widow who gave to the temple.  Rich and poor alike are asked to give.    3. The Word of God says that our giving is to be “in keeping with our income.”  Giving is to be proportionate.   Those who have more will give more and those who have less will give less.   But blessings come to us as we learn to give.  And many people miss out on those blessings because they have decided that they cannot afford to give.    But in giving, we grow to be better people, happier people, more connected to one another.

      The second area where we can give to connect us is our time.  In vs. 5-9, Paul gives a lengthy account of his travel plans.  He hopes to spend some good time with the people in Corinth, if the Lord permits.  Did you hear that?  If the Lord permits.  You see, Paul did not make his own plans with his time.  The Lord was in charge of Paul’s time.  Paul had given his time to God.   Now the biggest complaint of Americans today is that we are too busy.  We are rushed with no time for anything.  Ask anyone how they are doing and 80% will respond, “Well, I’m so busy.”   Listen, we are busy with things that do not matter in the long run.  We are rushing and fuming and fussing over our lack of time, but we have plenty of time.  We have been given plenty of time.  But not plenty of time to waste with things that do not matter.  In October and November, we are going to do a study on Spiritual Gifts to help you better see where your gifts are.  Listen.  As you discover your gifts, you can better devote your time to what you are best at and what will fulfill you.  And you can get away from those thongs that do not fit you which are draining your energy.  Give your time to God.  Connect your time with the people of God.  And you will have enough time. 

      Finally, the Word of God tells about sharing of people.  In vs. 10-24, Paul mentions various people, men and women, who were part of the ministry of the early church.  Paul often does this at the end of his letters.  He tells the Corinthians that Timothy and Apollos were coming to them and would help in leading.  Paul also thanked them for the people they had sent to him and other churches to help in the work.  Once again, this was no independent church.  The early church was connected and shared in the work of God.  Every local church was part of the whole church that was touching the Roman Empire.  Our work here at Augusta Road is a world wide work.  When we get narrow and focused only on ourselves, we will shrink in spirit.  Our vision is world wide.   So we share in work with nearby churches.  We involve ourselves with UM churches around Greenville County and throughout South Carolina.  And of course, our pastors move about, going from one church to another.  Why do we do all this?  Because we want to impact the world.

       It is easy in our day to become narrow and focused only on ourselves.  Money is tight for many people.  We are rushed and busy.  We want what is best for our church first.   But the more narrow we become, the more we loose.   The tighter we hold on to our lives, the more it slips through our hands.   It is by giving, sharing, opening up, letting go, that we discover full life.  We find connection with other people.  These Corinthians wrote to Paul to ask him, “How can we give?”   How about us today?   If you want to live, learn how to give.   Amen.