Theme: THE CHURCH
Lesson : THE CHURCH, A GIVER GROUP
Scripture Reference:
Eph. 5:1,2
The Church has a role model in God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ. God’s desire is that we are like Him in heaven. According to ‘Matt. 5:48’, we are God’s dream children (those of us who have believed in Him through Jesus Christ).
Although there are many characters in Scripture who obeyed God in their ages, the perfect model God has recommended that we imitate is Himself and His Son, Jesus Christ – cf. Heb. 12:2.
Divine providence has given us the terrestrial world and all the resources therein for our corporeal well-being (Acts 17:24,25) and Jesus as a sacrifice for the salvation of our soul after this life. (See John 3:16,17)
Such giving is not compelled by law but love and given to meet need; not to keep law.
The kind of giver our Father in heaven is leaves much for us, His children, to learn here on earth as we live daily to reveal Him – an invisible Person. Fellowship with God as with every other person is in ‘giving and receiving’ (cf. Phil.4:15) but it must be motivated by a principle.
Today, our giving to God cannot be done directly and God Himself does give to us indirectly except spiritual blessings: Where the Bible says that God cannot be served by human hands in ‘Acts 17:25’, we are reminded that serving God (giving to Him) can only be done indirectly. (See Matt. 25:31-46; 1John 3:17-19; 4:20,21) Jesus and/or the Father can be hungry and could be fed by us; naked and could be clothed by us; strangers and could be hosted by us when we give those services to anybody God made in His image who lacked them out of love for Him.
When God stipulated sacrifices in the Law of Moses, all were not burnt offerings. They were also intended to be agents of the revelation of God’s mercy to mankind – cf. Matt. 12:1-7. To be able to be a giver group, we must be prosperous: That is when we make profit from our business investment but not to engage in profiteering. If we engage in profiteering in order to give, we are using God’s resources to destroy God’s supreme property – mankind. No one is successful in the sight of God if his business impacts negatively on fellow human beings: This is where we know that King Solomon was not truly prosperous because, to be rich as he was, he heavily taxed his countrymen (profiteering) and conscripted them into forced labour. As we read about what transpired after his death and the beginning of the reign of his son, Rehoboam, in ‘1Kgs 12:1-20’, we can be sure of this. But God was not the cause.
As already stated, looking up to Jesus as our giver model, one discovers that we are rich, not because of what is in our custody as owners, but what has been passed by God through us to others in need.
The Church in Smyrna (Rev. 2:8,9) knew, by God’s grace, it is the ‘means that justifies the earns’ and not the vice versa as is almost generally believed. Because the world system’s yardstick was used to value them, they were a suffering and a poor people. But Jesus’ value of them in heaven was the otherwise: In God’s treasure house above, Jesus saw their riches and said that they were rich. That is not unconnected with what we have established already that even though the evidence of the prosperity is not resident with us or being controlled by us, but in the lives of those God has used us to uplift, it is still counted for us.
This is contrary to what we see among the group of believers in Laodicea. (See Rev. 3:14-17) These were a people who saw themselves prosperous and lacking nothing, whereas, Jesus saw them as ignorant folks who never realized that they were wretched, miserable, naked, blind and poor.
There is a lesson herein that believers in Christ never likely look for helpers around as they are aware that they are more blessed when they give than when they receive – See Acts 20:35. Instead, they look for those to help (the helpless) with what they have – either with the word spiritually or with alms physically. They also go to God in prayer as victors and not beggarly which expresses fear – not faith. In which category are you? I pray for you.
EVALUATION
1. It is more blessed for God to give THROUGH you than TO you. (True or False) Why?
2. There can be no time that valuers in this world will see us as the richest because everyday we use any opportunity we have to do good – cf. Rev. 2:8,9 & Luke 3:11. (True or False)
3a. What is the difference between ‘making profit’ and ‘profiteering’?
b. Who is a racketeer?
4. What does Jesus teach us when, for forty days hungry, would not use His power to produce food for Himself but did so when people who listened to His preaching were hungry for a few days? (cf. Matt. 14:13-21)”
Conclusion
Let’s strive to be a giver group, reflecting God’s heart and generosity. Our prosperity isn’t just about accumulating wealth, but about using our resources to bless others and reveal God’s love.
Benediction
May God empower us to be channels of His love and generosity, bringing glory to His name. May we be blessed to be a blessing to others.
Evaluation Questions’ Answers
1. True. It’s more blessed for God to give through us, as it allows us to participate in His work and reflect His heart (Acts 20:35).
2. True. As we prioritize doing good and serving others, we may not be seen as rich by the world’s standards, but we’re rich in God’s eyes (Rev. 2:8-9, Luke 3:11).
3a. Making profit is a legitimate business goal, while profiteering involves exploiting others for personal gain.
b. A racketeer is someone who engages in profiteering or exploitative practices.
4. Jesus teaches us to prioritize serving others’ needs over our own, trusting God to provide for us. He showed compassion and generosity to the hungry crowd, demonstrating God’s heart for the needy (Matt. 14:13-21).
VIA:
Michael James Ekperikpe (MSN)
CEO, Read and Reap Bible Enterprises, a Bible-based Mental Engineering Initiative domiciled in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
