Christian Podcast Central
In this PODCAST, you will learn one singularly simple concept which, if you take it to heart, will change your life forever.
It is my sense that in contemporary Christian culture in America, we have lost sight of the elegant simplicity spoken of in the New Testament. And consequently, we have lost so much of God’s blessing in the process.
So here’s to simplicity, with the hope that your life overflows with God’s bountiful blessing as we together apply this principle to our lives.
When we give money, time and resources to those who need it, God considers it a holy, just, righteous thing.
However, there seems to be a trend in many organized religious institutions to practically beg for money in order to further their missional progress. Sometimes even laying out dire consequences if we fail to donate or promoting incentive programs dependent on the size of your donation.
Is this what God intended regarding the method that His redemptive plan should unfold?
Now please don’t misunderstand. I don’t find any fault in anyone who feels prompted by God to send out a letter to raise funds to support their ministry. I’m merely speaking of the financial model that we have chosen based on how we feel led by the scriptures as they pertain to our ministry.
The only time we mention money from our pulpit is when the scripture we cover addresses the topic.
Therefore, what I will endeavor to do is to address some commonly held, frequently taught views, but in my opinion misconceptions about money.
In Judaism, in the lives of the early Church, and in our Christian lives today tzedakah ought to be central to our living a full and fulfilling Spiritual live. In fact, in Judaism, tzedakah is assumed universal no matter how much money someone may or may not have with the purpose of eliminating any sense of entitlement. It’s understood that if everyone is a giver, then everyone is obligated and privileged to find someone who is less fortunate than them and to give according to their ability.
Eventually, through exhibiting a lifestyle of tzedakah, giving becomes an utter reflex.
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed the corruption that he saw in his day in reflection of tzedakah.
Matthew 6 (CJB)
6 “Be careful not to parade your acts of tzedakah (charitable deeds) in front of people in order to be seen by them! If you do, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So, when you do tzedakah, don’t announce it with trumpets to win people’s praise, like the hypocrites in the synagogues and on the streets. Yes! I tell you, they have their reward already! 3 But you, when you do tzedakah, don’t even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Then your tzedakah will be in secret; and your Father, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you.
Tzedakah, by its definition, are selfless acts of generosity, performed without fanfare, recognition, applause or praise – so much so that your left hand doesn’t even know what your right hand is doing. Jesus even promises that the Father will reward you, when it is done in secret. No act of secret blessing will go unnoticed by God.
Given Jesus words in His sermon on the mount, doesn’t it become clear that even today, tzedakah should be as vital a part of our daily spiritual lives as it was for our Jewish friends? Given the grace the God has abundantly given to us, shouldn’t we tangibly abundantly give to others?
Here are some examples of tzedakah in its perfect form throughout the New Testament:
2 Corinthians 8:2-4 (CEV)
2 Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. 3 They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. 4 They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God’s people.
Ephesians 4:28 (NLT)
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
Philippians 4:18 (NLT)
18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (CEV)
17 Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. 18 Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have. 19 This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like.
In each of these examples, tzedakah is generosity given to individuals – people. Poor people are instructed to give, rich people are instructed to give. Groups of people are to give as well as individuals.
But who should be the focus of our generosity in today’s context of these verses?
I’m afraid that in our contemporary Christian culture, we have actually missed the meaning and purpose of these verses and money in general.
If we abandoned all our preconceived ideas toward money – relative to the Christian community – and merely looked at what scripture says regarding the matter, what conclusions would we draw?
I believe that there are two significant commonly held, yet errant beliefs regarding money that are often taught.
The first pertains to the word “tithing”. The allegedly Biblically mandated giving of 10% of our income to the Church. I do not find the concept of tithing taught anywhere in the New Testament. As I understand it, tithing was an “Israel living in the Promised Land” specific concept, similar to a tax under the context of God’s people’s theocracy.
It doesn’t have anything to do with tzedakah, generous giving or even giving to the Church.
Tzedakah is not a mandated tax. It’s voluntary. It’s sacrificial. It’s generous. It’s directed at a specific person in need.
Rather, in 1 Corinthians 16:2, we see the following regarding giving financially:
2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income
In other words, you give what you are able to give.
The word “tithe” appears in the New Testament eight times. Three of these are from Jesus criticizing the Pharisees for tithing hypocritically. The other five times are in the Book of Hebrews, referring to the Old Testament practice of tithing and having nothing to do with the New Testament practice of giving to the Church.
The word “tithing” doesn’t appear in the New Testament at all.
So, as I see it, we are not bound by the tithe. For some it’s too much. For others it’s too little.
The second errant belief that I see running rampant in today’s American Christian Church is this:
By my reading of the New Testament, it is a foreign concept to give money to support organizations like Churches. I can’t find where that was ever done in the New Testament. Tzedakah – giving – was always given to specific people.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about this as though it is a sin issue.
All I’m saying is that this type of giving is non-Biblical. Not un-Biblical, but simply not there.
Therefore, I believe that it would be errant to incorrect and out of context to teach on giving to the organizational Church in the context of passages like Matthew 6:1-4.
So, when did the ministry become so much more like a business and less about shepherding people?
There’s got to be a better way, don’t you think?
So, here’s the question that I think we should all ponder: What would the American Church look like today if we were all about individuals giving their money generously to individuals who were hungry and homeless? If we gave to be a blessing to people rather than toward building buildings?
Sadly, that bird has flown the coup. That’s just the way Church is done today.
But what about supporting missionaries?
The ones I read about in the New Testament were universally “tent makers”. Paul writes to this explicitly to tell his readers why so that he would not be a financial burden on the Believers.
Contrast Paul’s “business plan” with this fact: Today, it’s recorded that it takes $80,000 – $100,000 per year to sustain a family on the mission field for one year.
Never did Paul in any of his epistles, ask for the churches to give him money for himself. Yes, he thanked them for their tzedakah, but he never solicited.
He actually said in 1 Corinthians 16 that the Church should gather money – based on each individual’s ability to give – to go to the individuals in Jerusalem who were in need, so that he wouldn’t be put in the position of asking anyone for money. It wasn’t his job as a missionary to ask for money.
Then, in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”[d]
Now, if tithing were the standard, why would Paul leave the decision up to the individuals?
There are three groups who Jesus had in mind when he taught in Matthew 6:
1) The poor. Those who are in need financially. In Acts 9 and 10, we meet Tabitha and Cornelius who serve as examples on devoutly giving to the poor.
2) Those who faithfully teach us God’s word. In 1 Corinthians 9:14, we read:
14 In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.
And in Galatians 6:6, we read:
6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
3) Members of our own family. 1 Timothy 5:8 says:
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
These are the three significant groups of individuals who should be recipients of our tzedakah.
HAPPY LISTENING.
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