1 Corinthians 16:1

Now concerning the collection for the saints, I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do you. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay up by him in store, as God has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever you shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality to Jerusalem. And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

Why God talks so much about money — not to raise our funds, but to raise His children.

God Talks About Money Because We Do

One of the most often-discussed topics in the Bible is money and possessions, yet it tends to be one of the least discussed topics in Bible-teaching evangelical churches in America. It's an uncomfortable subject, but the Bible does not avoid it. More than 40% of Jesus' parables deal with money or possessions. One-tenth of the New Testament is aimed directly at the subject, and there are 2,350 verses on money, possessions, wealth, and giving.

Considering those numbers, one might conclude that God is obsessed with money. The reality is that God is not obsessed with money, but He knows we are, and therefore He talks quite a bit about it. He addresses giving not because He is seeking to raise money, but because He is seeking to raise us, His children.

A Father's Warning About Riches

God knows that people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction, exactly as Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:9. God is a good and loving Father, and just as parents desire that their children would not be trapped and ruined, our God in heaven feels the same toward us.

So He tells us things like what Jesus said in Mark 4:19 — that riches are deceitful — and what Paul says in 1 Timothy 6, that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The desire for possessions often possesses the desirer. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "Where your treasure is there, your heart will be also." And in Mark 10 He said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

We can respond as the disciples did — "Who then can be saved?" — but we know there are many wealthy people who are righteous in Christ. With God it is possible. Yet in bringing us into His kingdom, we recognize there is a clear difference between what is valued in His kingdom and what is valued in ours.

We Are the Wealthy

Money and wealth have been at the forefront of our nation, especially in recent years. In the last three years many Americans have lost a significant percentage of their wealth in the economic downturn, and an animosity has developed toward those perceived to be rich. For six weeks protesters have occupied Zuccotti Park in the Occupy Wall Street movement, fed up with perceived social and economic inequality and corporate greed. These protests are no different than those in 2008 over TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or in 2009 over the $787 billion stimulus package. Clearly, money is on our minds.

Wealth is often viewed through one of two lenses. The first is prosperity theology, which says God loves rich people more than poor people, as evidenced by their blessing. The second is poverty theology, which says God loves poor people more than rich people, who are vilified as greedy thieves. Both miss the truth that even we who may not be as wealthy as others still sit among the wealthiest 10% in the world.

A family of four making $50,000 a year — the average income for Escondido, the lowest-income city in North County — has 11 times more wealth than the typical person in the world. Americans are only 2.5% of the world's population but hold 40% of the world's wealth. Three billion people, nearly half the world, live on less than $2.50 a day, less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

We who consider ourselves the 99% are really the world's 9.9%, and we spend more on weight loss every year — $60 billion — than the gross domestic product of 125 of the 190 nations of the world. We spend $20 billion a year on pets and $40 billion on cosmetics. Numbers like that should cause us to question whether it is reality to get angry at the 1%.

What Will We Do With What We Have?

We need to reevaluate the metrics by which we establish what is rich and poor, but more than that, we need to ask what we will do with what we have. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:7, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." Job said the same: naked I came, naked I shall go; blessed be the name of the Lord.

We brought nothing in and will take nothing out, but during this life we have been blessed like no other people in history. With that wealth comes an awesome responsibility, because the Christian recognizes that what we have comes by the providence of God. We say things like "I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps" and "I am the captain of my own destiny," but the reality is that just by being born in this nation you stand among the world's wealthiest before you ever got an education or built a single thing.

James 1:17 says every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights. The very ability to earn wealth comes from God. He told Israel in Deuteronomy 8:17, "Beware, lest you say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand has gotten this wealth for me. You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth." And just as with the talents and gifts we've been given, we will give an account of how we used them. To spend it on greed and to hoard it is at least irresponsible, and at worst it could be called wickedness.

First: Repent of Greed

How do we deal with greed? I submit that the best way is threefold: first, repent of it in our own hearts; second, recognize that what we have is not our own but God's; and third, resolve to give sacrificially.

Greed is an intense, selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or possessions. We are very good at identifying greed in others. Driving through Hope Ranch in Santa Barbara or Mill Valley near San Francisco — some of the wealthiest areas in the nation — it's easy to look at the extravagant homes and say, "Look at all this; they're so greedy." But we fail to identify the greed in our own hearts, which presumes they are greedy and then goes further to say, "Those rich people need to give me what they have; I'd do so much better with it."

Many wealthy people I've met are themselves amazed at their wealth. When I was a teenager working at Castle Creek Country Club, one member who played golf every afternoon turned out to be the inventor of the Super Soaker. He'd seen kids squirting seltzer bottles at each other, had the idea, and became a multimillionaire — and he could hardly believe it. Many people don't even recognize how wealthy they are, which is true of us this morning.

When we get angry that someone has something we do not — wealth, power, position, possession — it is an indication of the greed in our own heart. Greed is the root of covetousness. If you find yourself coveting what others have, it grew out of the manure of greed. It came from within our own hearts, and we need to repent of it. Repentance is a change of thinking that results in a change of action.

Second: Recognize God as Owner

The change of thinking is this: God is the owner of all that I am and all that I have, and He has allowed me to be a manager or steward of what I hold. The Scriptures are replete with this truth. Deuteronomy 10:14 says the heaven of heavens is the Lord's, the earth also and all that is in it. David said in Psalm 24:1, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." In Psalm 50:12 God says, "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine." Psalm 89:11 says the heavens and earth are His, for He made them.

In Haggai 2 God says, "The silver is mine, the gold is mine." Though that speaks specifically of the temple, it is no over-extrapolation to say all the silver and gold of the world belongs to God. There are many today saying you should buy silver and gold; whether or not you do, recognize that whatever you buy is actually God's, and you won't take it with you. In 1 Corinthians 10:26 Paul quotes David: "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof."

If everything belongs to God, then all we have is His, and we are stewards of His goods. A steward is a manager of another's property, and the Bible makes clear that one day we will give account. In Matthew 25 Jesus tells of a master who gave five talents, two talents, and one talent to three servants. When he returned, the one with five had gained ten, the one with two had gained four, and both were rewarded and brought into the master's kingdom. But the one who buried his one talent was reproved for his wickedness. Our stewardship will be rewarded or reproved.

Stewards of Time, Talents, and Treasure

This is not just for the Christian; it is for all humanity. Our stewardship extends well beyond finances. God has entrusted to every one of us time, which tends to be our most valued asset. He has given each of us certain giftings and talents, and beyond that, treasure.

Our treasure is more than money. Husbands, the Bible says your wife is a treasure from the Lord — how are you stewarding her? Parents, children are a heritage and gift from the Lord — how are you stewarding the time you have with them? Christian, the gospel is a treasure given to you — how are you stewarding it today? Stewardship is holistic; the whole of our lives is involved.

For the Christian it goes further, because 1 Corinthians 6 says we are not our own; we have been bought with a price. He is our Master — that is why we call Him Lord. What is He looking for? Not necessarily a 100% return like the parable. He tells us plainly in 1 Corinthians 4:2, "It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful." Are we faithfully using, not abusing, not hoarding, what God has given for His glory? And in Luke 16:10-12 Jesus implies that God rewards the faithful steward in this life with added resources to be responsible over.

Third: Resolve to Give Sacrificially

Greed is the root of covetousness, and covetousness is the stock upon which theft grows. Paul says in Ephesians 4:28, "Let him who steals, steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that has need." Another translation puts it simply: if you're a thief, quit stealing, get a job, do what is good, and then give generously to those in need.

Many sociologists believe theft is caused by inequality and could be removed by a more egalitarian society — if we just redistributed wealth, theft would vanish. I wonder if any of them have ever observed toddlers. Give five identical balloons to five toddlers and you will not have five happy, thankful toddlers; you'll have five toddlers trying to steal the others' balloons. It's the nature of man.

James 4:1 asks, "From where do wars and fights come? Do they not come from your own lusts that war in your body?" Jesus said in Mark 7:21 that from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, theft, covetousness, and pride. These are not the product of society but of a wicked heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart of man is desperately wicked. Greed leads to covetousness, which leads to theft.

So we identify the greed in our own hearts, repent of it by recognizing that what we have is God's, and then act on that recognition by resolving to give sacrificially. How do we cut out the root of greed? One of the best ways is to give. Giving is a Christian responsibility and privilege like prayer, worship, and fellowship.

The Joy of Giving

I recognize this teaching can sound self-seeking, but I am only speaking what God has revealed in His Word — and He has revealed it because He knows that if we do what He says, we will experience the greatest joy. We're about to finish 1 Corinthians and begin a series on joy, and one of those messages is the joy of giving. Is it really true, as Jesus said, that it is more blessed to give than to receive? That is what the Bible says.

God wants more joy for us than we want for ourselves. We see this with our own children: they think happiness is found in some thing, but because we have experience, we know it isn't. Why is it that in the wealthiest nation in the world we have the most depressed people? At least that should indicate that the thought "if I just had that, I'd be happy" is not true.

Paul charges the rich — that's us — in 1 Timothy 6:17 not to be high-minded, thinking they gained it all by their own bootstraps, and not to trust in uncertain riches. The last three years have proven that riches cannot be trusted. Instead we are to trust in the living God who gives us all things richly to enjoy. It is not sinful to enjoy what God has given, but to find our enjoyment only in those things is sin.

Verse 18 says the rich are to do good, be rich in good works, ready to distribute, and willing to share. Then verse 19: "Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come." By being rich in good works and willing to share, we are paying it forward — making deposits in the bank of eternal life, laying up treasures in heaven where moth, rust, and thief cannot reach. God told Abraham in Genesis 12:2, "I will bless you... and you shall be a blessing." We have been blessed to be a blessing. So we must plan to give, prepare to give, and practice giving.

The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Giving

We finally come to 1 Corinthians 16. "Now concerning the collection for the saints" — the "now concerning" indicates Paul is answering a question the Corinthians had asked in a letter, the last of many he answers in this epistle. The collection for the saints is the receiving of offerings for the church, for those in need, but offerings also extend to supporting the work of ministry, the building up of the body, the evangelization of the lost, and the social responsibilities of the church.

The where: Paul says he has given this same order to the churches of Galatia, so it is a general rule for all the churches he planted. The when: "upon the first day of the week" — giving is to take place regularly and with frequency. Some say, "I'm only paid once or twice a month," but the issue is regularity. Is giving — of time, talents, and treasure — a regular part of your life, or have you said, "I gave a good amount ten years ago"? You can tell a lot about a person by their checkbook and their calendar. What does our bank statement and calendar say about who we are?

The who: "let every one of you" — every member of the body, old and young, rich and poor, has a responsibility to give. The what: "lay up by him in store," or set aside a portion. Each of us, or as husband and wife, should decide before we come together how we will give of our time, talents, and treasure. Most people who don't give simply never planned to. Studies since Barna began in the 1980s show that about 30% of the church gives, and that 30% gives on average just 2% of their income.

How Much, and How

How much should I give? In Genesis 14 Abraham gave a tithe — 10% — of all he had received, and that was 430 years before the law. Under the law, when you balance all that Israel was to give, it actually came to about 23% a year. So you decide: Abraham's method or Moses'? Some say we're not under the old covenant, but Jesus speaks of the tithe in Matthew 23:23, telling the Pharisees they carefully tithe but ignore the weightier matters — justice, mercy, and faith. Yet notice He says, "yes, you should tithe, but do not neglect" the more important things. We cannot just give and assume that makes us Christians; the tithe should represent a heart for God expressed in love, justice, and mercy.

So the ultimate question of how much is between you and God, but we must give willingly and cheerfully. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 that the one who plants generously reaps generously, and "you must each decide in your own heart how much to give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver." If you can't give cheerfully, don't give it, because it won't be honoring worship to Him. And giving is ultimately worship to God.

The how: "as God has prospered him" — from our abundance. First, God has prospered us; everything we have is from Him. Many say, "I'll give as soon as I get a raise, or my inheritance, or win the lottery," but that fails to recognize all God has already given. Second, we give in proportion to what God has given us — not just our income, but what He has given us in Christ. The more we see of the greatness of God's gift, the more we are willing to give. Our giving should not be "I have to" (law) or "I need to" (obligation) but "I want to" (love).

In Luke 7, when a woman poured out her all upon Jesus at Simon the Pharisee's house, Jesus said, "To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Those forgiven much love much, expressing it in what they give of time, talents, and treasure. Some say, "I'll give money, but let others do the work." What does our calendar and checkbook say about our life as Christians?

Why: That There Be No Lack

Finally, the why: "that there be no gatherings when I come" — that there be no lack. A young professional promised God he would give 10% of his income. He rose quickly, earning $10,000 a month and giving $1,000. But when his income climbed to $50,000 a month, that 10% suddenly seemed too large, and he asked his pastor to release him from his promise. His pastor laid hands on him and prayed, "Lord, bring his income back to $10,000 a month."

What is my life? The way I spend what God has given me — my time, talents, energy, and treasure — what does it say about my devotion to God? I don't say this to compel you to do more than you currently do; we will not take another offering this morning. But if we have been bought with a price, and we recognize that God owns all we have and all we are, it will change the way we live and make us a bright, shining light to the world.

Ultimately, God is seeking not to raise money but to raise children, and He is the most giving Father that ever could be. He spared not His only Son, but loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that we might be His prized treasure.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You for Your Word. It is convicting and challenging, but Lord, would You work these things in our lives. Help us, as we've been looking at over the last several weeks in chapter 15, to have that mindset toward eternity, and not hold so tightly to this life which is soon to pass. Work in us, Lord, both to will and to do Your good pleasure. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.