Would it make a difference to anybody if we closed our doors tomorrow?
1I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem 2For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving. 3But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you. 4We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them! 5So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.
6Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need, and plenty left over to share with others.9As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
10For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
13As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9 NLT)
This scripture, like no other, teaches us about the spiritual principle of giving. It is a very powerful teaching that describes giving as a free-will act of worship through generosity – an act that demonstrates the faith of the believer relative to what we hold to be most precious to us on earth – our wealth. It is a fair challenge for us to undertake because even if we are not “greedy” and hording wealth – we are still taught that our private property is ours, that we need it for a variety of reasons, and that we have every right to accumulate it and dispense of it as we see fit.
All of these things are true and none of these things are inherently wrong or evil. God simply challenges us through those earthly feelings to compare how much we trust Him with how much we trust in our own selves.
It is from this scripture that we get the, somewhat, biblical notion of “give and you shall receive.” Unfortunately, this notion has been both used and terribly abused by church leaders in their efforts to “receive” as much as they could from their congregations.
The principle is sound, as you can read; God does indeed promise through Paul’s teaching that those who give by faith, of their own free will, with no expectation or strings attached, will thrive in God’s own economy. It is not God’s “get rich quick” scheme or a way that we can pull the wool over God’s eyes so that we can milk Him for everything that we want – for God knows our hearts. He knows the attitude we have as we enter into our giving and whether or not our giving truly is an act of worship – or a perceived transaction with God Himself so that we get something in return.
All of this is the foundation, not only of our Fifth Sunday Celebration giving, but the foundational spirit of generosity that flows through the people of Churchtown.
We are so blessed.
What we do through the Churchtown church of God should be impossible. There should be no way that such a little church seeded in a little town in South Central PA should make such an incredibly powerful impact in her community, in her nation, and in the world.
But we do.
Churchown gives as freely as she receives, and it makes a difference in the world around us.
This Sunday is a Fifth Sunday Celebration and what we receive will be given. This month, we will be giving to: Carlisle Christian Academy, Child Evangelism of Carlisle, His Hands Ministry, and the Pennsylvania Food Bank.
Let me share with you how our secretary, Audrey Aungst, shared this information:
Carlisle Christian Academy: Luke 2:52, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and all the people.”
CCA provides a Christian Atmosphere of learning for student. They are a source of sound education for children from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Child Evangelism of Carlisle: Mark 9:37, “And Jesus said, Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Their mission is to reach children of all backgrounds with the gospel of Jesus Christ through after school programs and summer camps.
His Hands Ministry: 1 Peter 4:10, Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its forms.
This ministry (in Carlisle) provides affordable car repairs to financially challenged people within the community.
Pennsylvania Food Bank: Matthew 14:18-19, “Bring them to me, he said. And he directed the people to sit down and the grass. Taking the five loaves and two fishes and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave then to the people.”
They serve 27 counties across central PA. They are committed to ending hunger – serving more than 1,100 local agencies making certain that all who need are served.
This is but the first of the Fifth Sunday Celebration, there are five in 2023. Over the course of the year we will be serving ministries ranging from Christian Education and local homeless and food ministries to veterans organizations and global outreach.
Last year, this little church gave $40,000 through Fifth Sunday giving alone! And this is just a portion of what God has made possible for the Kingdom through YOU! Overall, we share over 30% of what we take in with those who need it to do good work in this wicked world.
We always ask the question, “If the Churchtown Church of God were to close her doors tomorrow, would anybody outside our doors notice?” The answer is Yes.
What we do in and through this little church should be impossible; and I am absolutely correct.
Because we are not doing it. 😊