Christian Giving in God’s Word

Mercy Forever
Volume 4, Issue 9
Inside this issue:
From the Pastors
1
October Highlights
2
News & Notes
3
From the Faculty
3
October 2014
From the Pastors
Christian Giving in God’s Word
Dear Brothers and Sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ,
This month you will be asked to fill out a commitment card as a member of Trinity Lutheran
Church. One line on that card has to do with what you intend to give for your weekly offering. This information is needed in order for proper planning of Trinity’s work program and
budget. Rev. Dr. Richard P. Bucher, a fellow pastor in the LCMS, reminds us what God’s word
has to say about giving in the church.
“The sermon concludes. The offertory is sung. The offerings are gathered. Giving money to
the church on Sunday morning is at least as old as the Christian Church. St. Paul speaks of it,
charging the Corinthians to give a certain amount on the first day of the week. It was the apostolic norm in all the congregations of that time (1 Co. 16:1-2). Of course, it is also true that
the giving of one's possessions to God is as old as the people of God. We find examples of it
in Cain and Abel's sacrifice (Gen. 4:3-4), Abraham's tithe (Gen. 14:18-20), and the contributions of the Israelites to the tabernacle and then the temple.
The purpose of this article is to present what the Scriptures teach about giving money to the
Church. In our day there is both confusion and hostility surrounding this subject, no doubt
due to infamous televangelists who have fleeced their followers in recent years. On the basis
of holy Scripture, I would like to try to answer four questions to clarify what God's Word
teaches about Christian Giving. (1) Do Christians Have to Give? (2) To Whom or What Should
We Give? (3) How Much Should We Give? (4) What Should Motivate Us to Give?
Trinity Ev. Lutheran
Church and School
824 Wisconsin Avenue
Sheboygan, WI 53081
Church Phone:
920-458-8246
School Phone: 920-458-8248
Fax: 920-458-8267
Web site:
trinitysheboygan.org
Trinity Lutheran
Ministry Center
Kindergarten: 208-1123
3K/4K & Childcare:
208-7955
Divine Services:
Sunday at 8:00 & 10:45 am
Monday at 6:30 pm
Family Education Hour
9:30 am
Bible Classes
(throughout the week)
1. Do Christians Have to Give?
Is giving money to God optional? Absolutely not! Christians are commanded by God to give of
their possessions to the work of God. I'm not referring to the laws of tithing which God imposed upon the Old Testament believers. These will be discussed later. I'm referring to the
moral law of the Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal. The Seventh Commandment is
not merely about stealing--it is about stewardship. The Seventh Commandment reminds us
that God is the owner of everything. ‘The earth is the LORD's, and all its fulness, the world
and those who dwell therein’ (Ps. 24:1) is the constant refrain of Scripture. When we steal
from our neighbor we are ultimately stealing from Him who gave to our neighbor in the first
place (James 1:17). Since God owns everything, it follows that we own nothing: we are merely
stewards (managers) of God's possessions. Our possessions have been lent to us by God and
He expects us to use them wisely as good stewards (Read the "Parable of the Talents" Matt.
25:14-30). The Christian views everything that he has or is, not as ‘mine,’ but ‘Thine.’
It is only in this context that giving money for God's work can be correctly understood. The
reason Christ and the apostles can so matter-of-factly command us to give (e.g., Luke 6:38;
11:41; Gal. 6:6) is because it is only natural that we would give back to God what He has first
given to us. No one is exempted from this command to give. It has nothing to do with income
or means (remember the widow -- Mark 12:41-44!). Everyone can give something for everyone
has something from God -- no matter how little. Not that we are actually giving to God, as if
He needed our gifts. Rather, we give to support His work here on earth -- and that leads to the
next section.
2. To Whom or What Should We Give?
When we bring our offerings to God, who or what are we giving to? In general, as mentioned
above, we are giving to our neighbor (Lk. 6:38; 11:41), especially the needy. More specifically,
we give to other Christians. In the apostolic church, Christians took collections and shared
them with other congregations in need throughout the world (2 Cor. 8-9).
But the bulk of the Biblical data on giving points in another direction. The main thing that
believers of the Old and New Testaments were instructed to give to was the Public Ministry,
that is, the work of the Gospel that proceeded from the pastoral office. It is well known that
Page 2
Old Testament believers were commanded to tithe. But what were the tithes used for? To a large extent they were used to
support the Levites and Priests in their work of Service before God (Numb. 18:20-24; Deut. 14:22ff.; 26:12ff.; 2 Chron.
31:1-20; Heb. 7:5). Not surprisingly, then, we find in the New Testament various commands to support the work of the
Gospel by supporting the called Minister: ‘Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who
teaches’ (Gal. 6:6); ‘Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those
who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the
gospel should live from the gospel’ (1 Cor. 9:13-14); ‘Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.’ For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out
the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages’ (1 Tim. 5:17- 18).
The Christian gives primarily so that ‘those who preach the Gospel should live from the Gospel.’ In other words, the
Christian gives so that Christian pastors, missionaries, and congregations have what they need to effectively preach the
Gospel and administer the Sacraments (cf. Phil. 4:10-19). Then the Christian gives secondarily so that the needs of fellow
Christians (Rom. 12:13) and other neighbors are met as God gives the opportunity and the means. Obviously the word
‘effectively’ is open to interpretation. Each congregation must prayerfully determine what in their situation is necessary
for effective Word and Sacrament ministry.
3. How Much?
This is the big question. In the Old Testament, the answer was simple: 10% of one's possessions was commanded by God
(Lev. 27:30-32). In the Hebrew, the word for tithe means ‘a tenth’ of something. New Testament believers, however, are
under no such law. Not only is there no direct command in the New Testament to tithe (give 10%), but the opposite teaching is found. The principle of New Testament giving is summed up by this word of Paul in 2 Co. 9:7: ‘Let each one give
just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.’ Each Christian
is to decide in his own heart ‘how much’ to give and to give it cheerfully. In the New Testament, Christians are commanded to give, but are not told how much to give.
But what happens when a Christian is cheerfully giving next to nothing? What happens when a Christian is very happily
giving the same amount that he gave 20-30 years ago? To such Christian the following needs to be said. First, why did
God choose 10%? God is a fair and loving God. Most Old Testament Israelites were much poorer than we are today--they
were paupers in comparison to us. Yet God commanded that they give 10%. God must have known that such a percentage
was not too much -- for He is a fair and loving God. For this reason some Christians today do give 10% -- not because they
are commanded to -- but in freedom, because they deduce that God must have known that 10% was a fair amount to give.
Unfortunately many Christians today give far less than 3% of their income. Second, remember that Jesus praised the widow very highly precisely because she gave a higher percentage of her possessions (all she had! Mark 12:41-44). And immediately before St. Paul writes that ‘God loves a cheerful giver,’ he writes, ‘But
this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully’ (2 Co.
9:6).
Third, if everyone in the church gave as you do, would the church survive? Would there be a pastor? Are you loving your
fellow Christians, when by your tiny giving you force a few members to ‘carry’ the church? You say you don't have much
to give; yet what percentage of your income do you spend on other pleasures, toys, etc.?
Finally, there is this practical bit of advice. Many Christians have found it helpful and God-pleasing to decide at the beginning of the year what percentage of their income they will give each week. They then stick to that amount come what
may, trusting that God will supply their other needs. This ‘discipline’ helps them to give regularly, rather than sporadically giving whatever is ‘left over.’ These Christians find it impossible to give ‘left overs’ to a loving God who has given
them so much!
4. What Should Motivate Us to Give?
What should motivate the Christian to give? Though at times Christians need to hear the Law (if they are giving nothing
or next to nothing and hence this article), normally it is the Gospel that should motivate them and not the Law. This Gospel motivation is summed up beautifully by St. Paul when he writes to the Corinthians: ‘For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Co. 8:9). We give because we have been given to. We give because we have been made rich beyond belief in
Christ. And because of this we want to give, freely, cheerfully, generously. It is the least we can do for Him who has done
everything for us. I hope this short tract has proven helpful. May God motivate you by His grace in Christ to generously
and cheerfully give for the proclamation and defense of the Gospel.”
Pastor’s Table Talk
In Christ,
Rev. Timothy J. Mech,
Senior Pastor
Rev. John M. Berg,
Associate Pastor
Wednesday,
October 22
Noon
Pete’s Little Chicago
1402 South 8th Street
Page 3
October
Highlights
Sundays: Weekly
∗ Divine Services at 8 am, 10:45 am
∗ Education Hour at 9:30 am
Mondays: Weekly
∗ Divine Service at 6:30 pm
Wednesdays: Weekly
∗ Chapel at 10:00 am
∗ Midweek Confirmation Class 2:30 pm
Thursdays: Weekly
∗ Handbells 6:30 pm (MR)
∗ Mixed Choir 7:35 pm (MR)
Wednesday, October 1
∗ Board of Elders 7:00 pm (MC)
∗ Board of Christian Day School 7:00 pm
(Computer Room)
Monday, October 6
∗ Stephen Ministry Support 4:00 pm (MC)
Wednesday, October 8
∗ Trinity Grandparents Day
Saturday, October 18
∗ Trinity Fun Walk/Run & Pancake Breakfast
8:30 am (LHS)
Monday, October 20
∗ Senior Breakfast 8:30 am
∗ Stephen Ministry Support 4:00 pm (MC)
Tuesday, October 21
∗ Celiac Support Meeting 6:30 pm (MC)
∗ Trinity Fall Family Fun Night
Wednesday, October 22
∗ Pastor’s Table 12:00 pm (Pete’s Little Chicago)
Thursday, October 23
∗ Altar Guild 1:30 pm (FH)
Sunday, October 26
∗ Reformation Celebration 3:30 pm (Weill Center)
(MC– Ministry Center, FH - Fellowship Hall)
Reformation
Celebration
Sunday, October 26
3:30 pm
The Stefanie H. Weill Center
From the
Faculty
Trinity Lutheran School
Making Known the Love of Christ
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but
to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many.” (Mark 10:45)
Trinity Lutheran School’s theme is based on the above
verse. Jesus the Son of Man came to earth to show
love and bring mercy to us. That beautiful and comforting message is shared with our 163 students everyday. Thank you for your support of this important
ministry.
You support our school in many ways: kind words,
encouraging comments, generous gifts, and volunteering. We especially ask for your prayers, asking our
loving God to guide, protect, and lead our children.
Pray that our parents have the wisdom and patience to
do what is best for their children in this world that
provides so many challenges for their children.
Also, please pray fervently for our teachers and staff
who daily interact with the children of our school, providing them with care and Christian role models.
These adults care deeply about the children, their education, their future lives of service to the world, and
their entrance into heaven. Here are the names of
those special adults. Post the list in a prominent place
so that you are reminded daily to pray for them.
Greg Becker, Principal
Ken Howard, Grade 8
Melissa Hauch, Grade 7
Terry Stenklyft, Gr. 5 & 6/Athletic Dir.
Jill Meador, Grade 4
Karen Howard, Grade 3
Carla Becker, Grade 2
Kim Roethel, Grade 1
Lisa Menzer, Kindergarten
Kathy Gruben, 4K
Amy Janke, 3K & Childcare Director
Christel Miske, German
Jenny Goodman,
Spanish
Weekly
Adult Bible Classes
Brian Heinlein, Music & Choir Director
Colleen
Rindt, School
Wednesday:
8:15 Secretary
am & 9:00 am (MC) - Mixed
Erin
Mueller,
Teacher
Aide
Thursday: 8:45 am (MC) - Women's
Laura
VanDerPuy,
Teacher
Aide- Men’s
Friday:
7:00
am (MC)
Ann Rahn, Childcare Aide
9:30 am (MC) - Women’s
Chrissy Schmidt, Childcare Aide
Sunday:
9:30
am (gym) - Mixed
Geoff
Schuh, Band
Instructor
Mary Niesing, Before/After School Care
Sue Leibham, Hot Lunch Coordinator
Rev. Timothy Mech, 8th Gr. Confirmation
Rev. John Berg, 7th Gr. Confirmation
Roger Buck, Algebra/Dir. Outreach
Chris Melcher, Church Office Manager
Tim Puksich, Maintenance
Trinity Lutheran Church
824 Wisconsin Avenue
Sheboygan, WI 53081
October 2014
Return Service Requested
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 686
Sheboygan, WI 53081
Trinity Lutheran School
Grandparent’s Day
Second Annual Trinity
Fun Walk/Run at LHS
Wednesday, October 8
Saturday, October 18
Join us for Chapel at 10 am,
see the classrooms and end
your visit with lunch in the gym. Whether
you have a grandchild or not, come out
and enjoy your Trinity Lutheran School!
Call the school office to sign-up (4588248).
Trinity’s Annual
Scholastic Book Fair
October 5-12
Registration at 8:30 am
Walk at 9:00 am
Pancake Breakfast to follow!
Everyone, walking or not walking, please
come and enjoy pancakes & sausage beginning at 10 am at LHS. Tickets for the breakfast will be on sale between services October 5 & 12 for $5. If you are
a registered walker/runner,
the breakfast is included!
Books make great
birthday and Christmas gifts!
NEWSLETTER SPONSORS
PATRONS:
Mr. & Mrs. Randall Hake
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Senkbeil
SPONSORS:
Mr. & Mrs. Russ Rindt
CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:
Anonymous (2)
Tim Ellis/Compu-Tek Accounting
Robert Thomack/Senior Insurance
Products
Thank you for your support!
SUSTAINING SPONSORS:
Mr. John Ballhorn
Marianne Voss/Quality Metal Polishing Co.
Sue Toerpe/Shorewest Realtor
Robert Holler
Robin Barrow/The Mane Production Studio of Hair Design
Lutheran Cemetery
Greg Boehlke/Boehlke Chiropractic
Mary Eissner, Aprive’ Salon & Spa
Let’s make it a
family fun day!
If you would like to become a Messenger sponsor you are invited to join at the following annual levels:
Patron ($500);
Sponsor ($300);
Sustaining Sponsor ($100);
Contributing Sponsor ($50)
Other donations of any amounts always welcome.
Please call the church office at 458-8246 for details.
For more happenings at Trinity
and updated calendar information,
go to www.trinitysheboygan.org