Church Stewardship

Haggai 2:8 I Corinthians 9:11, 14 Proverbs 11:25

Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running
over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye met withal it shall be measured
to you again. Luke 6:38

A Message to the Saints,

The ministry of giving is not a subject to be shunned or spoken of every now and then when specific
needs arise. The Old and New Testament place a great deal of importance on the subject of giving. There
are commands, examples, warnings, and exhortations concerning this valuable ministry. Stinginess and
greed are condemned while liberality and hospitality are praised. Furthermore, giving is referred to as
being one of the spiritual gifts (Romans 12:8). It is a gift which is available to all of us, to be exercised
regardless of our financial status.
Therefore, stewardship of our finances is as important as stewardship in any other area of our lives.
Besides, how we manage our finances will have a significant effect on our spiritual growth. Jesus said in
the parable of the steward, If you have not been faithful in the righteous mammon, who will commit to
your trust the true riches? If you havent been faithful in that which is another mans who will give you
your own? (Luke 16:11, 12). Thus, it is absolutely necessary for us to be mindful of the fact that our
money, whether little or much, is not our own but has been entrusted to us by God (Haggai 2:8). So, as
good stewards, we should dedicate a portion of it back to God. With this in mind, the following lesson
will explore the principles of stewardship
Elements of Stewardship
WHO SHOULD GIVE? Mark 12:41-44
Giving is the responsibility of EVERY Christian. No one is exempt. Some Christians say, Im very
poor so I cant give. If you have anything at all, you have something to give. Consider the widow and
her mites. Jesus said of her, She has given more than all of you. Remember, God knows your
circumstances, and also, the intent of your heart. Your giving is accepted according to what you have,
rather than what you do not have.
WHY GIVE? 1 Corinthians 9:11, 14 I Timothy 5:17; Proverbs 3:9
(a) To Support the Church: The ministries of the Lord that are carried on in the local churches should
be supported by its members. How else would there be meat in Gods house to sustain its
physical and spiritual needs if its members do not give?
(b) To Support the Leaders of the Church: Actually this is not a separate entity in itselffor when
one supports the church, he also supports the Leader (Pastor), the churchs under-shepherd. They
which preach the gospel should live of the Gospel.

(c) Gods Word Exhorts us to Give: As stated earlier, the Bible is not at all silent on giving. As this
lesson continues to unfold, you will be reminded of some of the many places in the Bible that
encourages us to give. So, lets honor the Lord with the first fruits of our substance.
HOW SHOULD WE GIVE? Matthew 6:1-6; Proverbs 11:25
(a) Giving Should be Secret: This simply underlies your motive and purpose of giving. One
should give to the glory of God and not to be seen of men. If you give for the sake of men
you will have your reward and not Gods. Remember, Thy father which seeth in secret will
reward thee openly.
(b) Give Willingly: In Pauls letter to the Corinthians he writes, For if there is first a willing
mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
If we, too, give willingly, God will bless the fruit of our efforts. Remember, God loveth a
cheerful giver.
(c) Give Liberally: He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. The latter speaks of whole-hearted giving. An
openness of heart results in openness of hand. For the liberal soul shall be made fat: and he
that watereth shall be watered also himself.
(d) Giving Should be Systematic: 1 Corinthians 16:2: In Pauls exhortation to those early
Christians, he evidently wanted them to always be mindful of the importance of systematic
giving. That is why he said, On the first day of the week each of you should lay something
aside as God has prospered you. It goes without saying, we too, should give to the work of
the Lord on a regular basis rather than sporadically. If we properly discharge our stewardship
duties on a weekly basis, when needs arise in our church, they can be easily met because
weve been faithful in giving.
METHODS OF GIVING. Malachi 3:10, Exodus 35:4, 5, 21; 36:3, 5-7
(a) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house. Tithing is a
fundamental part of Gods plan for the support of the various ministries of the Church. Lest one
thinks that tithe paying was for Israel only it is important to note that the one thing for which
Jesus commended the scribes and Pharisees was their tithingthus approving the practice
(Matthew 23:23) In this passage, Jesus is emphasizing the importance of a balanced life.
Neither of the two matters should be left undonetithing or judgment, mercy and faith. Hence,
tithing is incorporated into both the law of Moses and the New Testament. So, If ye be Christs
then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. The Spirit of Christ will
constrain us to do whatsoever Christ says we ought to do.
(b) Freewill Offerings: In addition to paying tithes, a part of Gods plan for giving includes freewill
offerings. Note the results in Exodus 35 and 36 when Israel responded to Gods command to give
an offering. And they came with a willing heart and a stirred up mind and brought the Lords
offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all His service. The people
were so liberal in giving their offering until Moses had to restrain them from bringing any more
for the continual offerings they brought were enough were enough for Gods work.

Wouldnt it be wonderful in our day if we too would give with such liberality that our church on a
particular Sunday would be able to proclaim the same.
APPLYING THE KNOWLEDGE
Along with studying these several principles of giving, the greater emphasis of teaching financial
stewardship should be geared to the importance of our need to be obedient to God in all things and in all
areas of our lives rather than supporting specific areas of our ministriesfor when were sold out to God
in complete obedience to His will and purpose for us, giving will become integral part of our lives and the
needs of the church will be automatically met.