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TITLE: Sharing the Burden TEXT: II Corinthians 8:13-24 THEME: The one who has plenty is to assist the one who has little. OPENING SENTENCE: It seems there are thousands of people who want nothing better than to separate you from your money. INTRODUCTION: Almost every day I get an email promising me millions of dollars from some deceased dignitary in Nigeria who wants to leave his estate to a worthy cause- fortunately I was selected by him to be the worthy cause. All I have to do is to send them my name, bank account number and social security number. Then I just wait for the money to be deposited into my account. For some reason I have failed provide those things causing me to miss out on the riches promised to me. The fact that 2 million other people got the same e-mail and the fact that it has come in my junk mail causes me to suspect that I may not have been selected because of some virtue I possess. If at one point I had wondered if just maybe I should have acted on the offer I learn that Nigeria has become known for its scams and has bilked thousands, especially seniors, of their life savings. No sooner than these scammers get the information they request they use it to drain the accounts of all funds. I have learned enough over the years to suspect that if sounds too good to be true it probably is. There are numerous examples of such scams. One source estimated than more than 60% of all requests for emergency funds after Hurricane Katrina were scams. The same is true for the earthquake in Haiti last year. The Better Business Bureau, says con artists set up websites within hours of the Haitian earthquake to try to take advantage of well-meaning donors. “Scammers who are purporting to be from the Red Cross hoping that people will make a contribution,” Hegarty says. “It’s not going to go to the Red Cross. It’s actually going to go to the scammers.” He says the con artists are also sending out mass e-mails, claiming they’re with a relief agency and seeking donations It happens in Schools. When I was in Oregon a school financial manager embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars. Vaunda and I provided a home for her daughter for six months after she went to jail and so her daughter could finish high school in the area. The poor girl was devastated and embarrassed when she learned of what her mother had done. It happens in Churches: Legion are the stories of a secretary or treasurer who absconded with the churches funds. It happens in life. The probability is high that you have been scammed by someone you trusted and have lost money and pride for having been duped. 1 TRANSITION SENTENCE: The problem with all these scams it that it makes people sceptical and reluctant to give to legitimate needs- it is sometimes easier just not to give than to figure out what is legitimate? TRANSITION: There are three possibilities when someone is requesting money for something. Legitimate approaches offer something of value in return. The value can be products like a car, TV or food or it can a need that is satisfied. Questionable exchanges can be like the used car salesman who sold you a car but did not share all the details of its conditions or a person who lives in perpetual poverty due to their own making. Giving enables them to continue on that path. Some, as we have seen, are scams or outright theft. SAY WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY: This morning I want us to see that the Bible gives us some guidelines of how we can manage our money well- especially in regards to the church. We will ask, “How is the church to administer the funds given by God’s people?” We will consider three responses intended to assure they are used for legitimate ends. 1. It is to be administered to fulfill its stated purposes, 2. It is to be administered carefully and, 3. It is to be administered by reliable and responsible people. TEXT: II Corinthians 8:13-24 THEME: The one who has plenty is to assist the one who has little. EXPLAIN SETTING: Last week we learned Paul has just introduced the principle of proportional giving. Three things we should note about proportional giving are: 1 Jesus' taught the principle that we are responsible in direct proportion to how God has blessed us: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded" (Lk 12:48). 2 Needs are to be met out of a person's surplus, not necessary income (that which one needs for life's basic necessities; v. 14). 3 Third, there must be a genuine need. But what constitutes a genuine need? Some today think of themselves as needy if they lack private means of transportation or the funds for a college education; or perhaps their earnings fall below the governmental criteria for the poverty level. Paul, on the other hand, defines need as a lack or shortage of life's necessities (1 Tim 6:8). In the first century this amounted to a want of food, clothing or shelter (2 Cor. 11:27). How is the church to administer the funds given by God’s people? I. It is administered to fulfill its purpose. (12-15) 13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” 2 A. To share the burden. No one church was expected and asked to address the urgent need that was present in Jerusalem- it was shared among the churches. It was also true that is was expected that someday the Jerusalem church would no longer have a need and at such time they may be called upon to assist others in a time of needincluding the Corinthian church. There were no government safety needs or bail-out systems in place at that time. The church needed to take care of its own. B. That there might be equality. What is meant by equality? Paul is not putting forward a kind of biblical socialism, a leveling of rich and poor. Some have mistakenly understood him to be advocating just this. Equality of provision so that there is neither surplus nor deficiency is often taken as the aim. The word used here denotes what is "equitable" and "fair." So it is equity and not equality that is at issue here. The TEV's "It is only fair that you should help those who are in need" captures the idea. Paul is not saying that possession of a surplus of material goods is wrong for a Christian. It is actually those who do possess a surplus who are in a position to meet existing economic needs. For some Christians to be living in luxury while other Christians go without food, shelter or clothing smacks of gross inequity. To illustrate the need for equity Paul turns to the account of God's miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness (v. 15). As it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.” The quote is taken almost verbatim from Exodus 16:18 The context says is that God made certain that no one had more or less than their fair share ("each one gathered as much as he needed." Even though some gathered more and some less, the needs of all were fairly met. In the wilderness it was God who ensured such equity. Today it is the responsibility of each believer. ILLUSTRATE: The urgent need for which the Jerusalem Collection was taken was communicated without using coercion, deception or grandstanding to motivate people to give. If the need is real and communicated clearly God’s people will respond willingly When I was in Brownsville, OR we asked Nehemiah Ministries to come and help us raise funds needed for a building program. We called them because they understood this principle. Communicate the need and ask people to respond. In that campaign we never used guilt, coercion or manipulation yet we raised over half of what was needed before we started the building. Our new building was build and paid for in seven years. APPLY: If the purpose and need are made clear and God is behind it I believe the money will come. Hudson Taylor- When God’s work is done in God’s way for God’s glory; it will not lack God’s support. THEME: The one who has plenty is to assist the one who has little. 3 How is the church to administer the funds given by God’s people II. It is administered carefully. (16-21) 16 Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man. Three criteria are given regarding the Paul and the men called to oversee the collection. A. By people committed to the cause. Titus did not need much persuasion by Paul to come the Corinth to begin the collection process for the money. He himself and the need and was committed to it and the spread of the gospel in general. This reduces the likelihood of abuse of the funds. Titus was also well known by Paul and the church for his integrity and service. B. To avoid criticism. Paul was aware that the handling of such large sums of money needed to be handled carefully. Misappropriation of funds, poor accounting, questionable record keeping, etc. could all bring into question could all least to criticism and diminished giving. The ability to address the need could be reduced because the money was not handled well. C. To do what is right before God and others. Paul was more concerned that the money be manage well for the sake of God. He knew it was for God and God was aware of how it was managed. He wanted to make sure God was pleased. ILLUSTRATE: Author Mark Mittelberg tells about a man named Jim who wanted to do things God’s way. Jim had a passion for God, a love for people, and a burden to share the message of God’s forgiveness with people who had not heard. The big question for Jim was, “How can I get unchurched people who are so different from me to see how much God loves them?” Well, he decided to take some risks and really try. So, he went all out! First, he shaved his head right down to the skin- all except for one little patch of hair which he grew out long. He started wearing it in a pigtail and even dyed it a different color, trying to fit in with the customs of the crowd he was trying to reach. Jim changed the way he dressed, what he ate, and even the way he talked so he could communicate God’s love to this group of people. He read the books and literature they read and did everything he could do to establish common ground with them. In fact, he even moved into the same neighborhood and tried making friends with them. Unfortunately, Jim faced outright rejection from the very people he cared so much about; not only from them, but also from his own church family. Instead of getting behind him and 4 encouraging him, they actually started saying bad things about him. Only a few close friends stuck with him and supported his efforts. Jim wanted to do things God’s way. Just as Jesus came into this world and became one of us in order to show us God’s love, so Jim tried to do. He faced loneliness, weariness, and discouragement, but he remained faithful to do what God had called him to do. If you’ve ever read about James Hudson Taylor, who ministered in China over a century ago, then you know what kind of criticism and opposition Jim faced. Yet, as a result of Hudson Taylor’s ministry (China Inland Mission), thousands of beautiful Chinese people came to know Jesus. APPLY: In Yorkshire, England, during the early 1800s Hudson Taylors older brother set out to make a name for himself by entering Parliament and gaining public prestige. For that son, however, there is no lasting monument. When you look in the encyclopedia to see what the other son has done, you find these words, “the brother of Hudson Taylor.” “. . . he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17). In most cases you can tell when a person is committed to cause of Christ. The level of sacrifice by Hudson Taylor was so great none could question his integrity. The criticism he received was not for abuse of money but the level to which he took his devotion to reaching the lost THEME: The one who has plenty is to assist the one who has little. How is the church to administer the funds given by God’s people? III. It is administered by reliable and responsible people. (22-24) 22 In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24 Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. A. Who have the trust of the church. Paul is sending with Titus other men who represent the different churches who are committed to this cause. They provide a system of checks and balances. They are there to assure the proper handling of the funds. They are there to report back their respective churches and others how much was raise and where the monies went. B. Who honor Christ. These were all men who were committed to Christ and to his people. They were personally committed to furthering the cause of Christ and helping His people. C. Who merit our support. There were no scoundrels or scammers whose integrity was in question. They were selected by Paul and the other churches because they were well known for the character and had proven themselves. These were not fly by night con artists who had no previous history. They had a pedigree that could be inspected. 5 ILLUSTRATE: Paul’s point is that church finances should always be handled with superior financial accountability. There should be checks and balances so that the enemies of Christ’s church can never point to financial scandal in the church. When Dr. Billy Graham was a young evangelist, his work was financed entirely by a love offering received at the end of each crusade. From this offering he had to take care of his living expenses and those of his team members. As the costs of the crusades grew and the offerings got larger, Dr. Graham became concerned that the way in which the money was handled would become a source of criticism. So, upon the advice of an older minister, he formed a board of Christian businessmen to handle all the money. Then everyone in the crusade organization was put on salary and the organization’s books and Dr. Graham’s personal finances were audited and the results made public each year. As a result of his sensitivity and care, his operation has been a model of accountability through the years. APPLY: It is our desire to handle the money that you entrust to us with accountability. Whether you give to the General Fund, the Benevolence Fund, the Church Growth Fund, or to some other designated cause, we want to model accountability in our finances. THEME: The one who has plenty is to assist the one who has little. SAY WHAT YOU HAVE SAID: This morning looked at an example of how to manage our finances well so that God’s funds are used for their intended purposes. We asked, “How is the church to administer the funds given by God’s people?” We considered three responses intended to assure they are used for legitimate ends. 1. It is to be administered to fulfill its stated purposes, 2. It is to be administered carefully and, 3. It is to be administered by reliable and responsible people. TIE INTO OPENING SENTENCE: There are also people who want to separate you from your money and while some are legitimate others might not be. Once a real need is evident we should give generously and willingly but that does not mean we give naively or foolishly. APPLY TO SPECIFIC AUDIENCE: 1. Give generously but don’t give naively. Check the credentials of the organization you are giving too. 2. Give proportionately as God has blessed you. 3. As a church we must be careful how handle our money with appropriate checks and balances. We have yearly reviews and an upcoming audit, we have financial policies in place and an administration who carefully tracts the use of our resources. 4. We have a financial need because we trusted God in increasing our budget and calling an additional staff person. HAYMAKER: I know that sometimes it seems that everybody and his brother want something from you. 6 It had been a hard winter in the Rockies. The snow piled deeper and deeper. The temperatures dropped below the zero and stayed there. The river froze over. People were suffering. The Red Cross used helicopters to fly in supplies. After a long hard day, as they were returning to their base, the rescue team in a helicopter saw a cabin nearly submerged in the snow. A thin wisp of smoke came from the chimney. The men figured those people in that cabin were probably critically short of food, fuel and medicine. Because of the tress they had to set down about a mile from the cabin. They put their heavy emergency equipment on their backs, trudged through waist deep snow, and reached the cabin exhausted, panting and perspiring. They pounded on the door and a thin gaunt, mountain woman finally answered. The lead man panted, “Ma’am, we’re from the Red Cross.” She was silent for a moment, and then she said, “It’s been a hard long winter, Sonny, I just don’t think we can give anything years.” For some we feel we are only being asked to give- but remember that sometimes it is us who receive- but like this woman we do not see that side. THEME: The one who has plenty is to assist the one who has little. 7