Sunday School Class: Proverbs 25:16 & 17 Too much honey or too much of you...making people
sick.
Choruses: He who began a good work (F); We
are standing on Holy Ground (C); He was there all the time (C); And He’s ever
interceding (C); Turn your eyes upon Jesus (F)
Scripture reading:
#690
Sunday evening: Ice Cream Social @
Wednesday Study Class
Whatever measure you
deal out...
7. Ever since the time of your forefathers
you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and
I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, `How are
we to return?' 8. "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask,
`How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.
9. You are under a curse--the whole nation of
you--because you are robbing me. 10. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,
that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty,
"and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so
much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
11. I will prevent pests from devouring your
crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the
LORD Almighty. 12. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours
will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. 13. "You have
said harsh things against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, `What have we said
against you?'
14. "You have said, `It is futile to
serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about
like mourners before the LORD Almighty? 15. But now we call the arrogant
blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God
escape.'"
16. Then those who feared the LORD talked
with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was
written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his
name.
17. "They will be mine," says the
LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a
man spares his son who serves him. 18. And you will again see the distinction
between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who
do not.
9. You are under a curse--the
whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. (Malachi 3.7-18)
Traditionally this text is used during some fund raising or 'stewardship'
campaign by churches needing money. That isn't the case here. Fortunately, our
church does quite well in having resources to meet the demands. This is
intended to be an introspective assessment of a spiritual topic with very
personal application that
goes beyond whether or not one tithes.
If there are two kinds of
people in this world - those who give and those who take; what kind of person
are you?
This isn't meant to be harsh. Are you seeing yourself as one who prefers
to be the 'giver' in a situation?
We live in a society where the majority of people are 'takers.' It isn't
new. Jesus even had to chide the disciples for their 'taker' attitudes when it
came to taxation. Jesus told them it was important to give to the government
AND to give to God.
I believe that churches and governments need to be actively involved in
meeting people's needs. I also believe that it is impossible for churches or
governments to meet the needs without revenues. There will probably always be
dialogue (if not open debate) about governmental bodies needing more revenue
(those taxes that Jesus was talking about to His disciples).
There are school districts currently talking about millage increases.
Probably most school districts wouldn't actually need more 'mills' if there
were more dollars attached to each 'mill.' I think the same thing is probably
true about churches and the portion of their budgets assigned to benevolences
and missions needs - they wouldn't need folks giving more if more folks were
giving.
If a school district had an expanding economy with new businesses and
factories coming in, the amount of tax money coming in for each assessed 'mill'
would increase dramatically and no one living in the school district would have
to pay additional taxes on their home.
Likewise, if more folks who see value in the work and mission of the
church would participate in giving toward meeting the needs of those being
touched by the church, the financial load would spread out and needs could be
met without strain on the rest of the budget.
So churches and governmental entities both need expanding economies. That
only happens when the communities being served have expanding attitudes of
benevolence (producers) to offset the continual demands of those who are needing services (consumers).
Perhaps we should reframe our conversation by asking ourselves, "Am I producing for the
community with which I have attached myself, or am I merely consuming its
services?"
I think that Jesus intended that we be good, productive, giving
benefactors for the sake of those around us and for the sake of eternity.
How do I define ‘the community with which I have attached myself?’
·
Does that include the family?
·
How about my job?
·
Certainly it would include the town,
·
but
what about the county, state, country, continent…globe?
·
What about your community of faith?
Whatever measure you deal
out...
Don't rob God and don't short
your community.