Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg
Building Blocks – Giving
Hold all that you have loosely, give all that you have freely.
Today we conclude our series entitled ‘Building Blocks’. We are answering the question, ‘what are the foundations of our faith?’
Our first four weeks focused on Prayer, Sabbath, Worship & Community.
Today we focus on Giving.
Acts 2:44-47
All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Generosity is at the very foundation of the New Testament Church.
But why?
The DNA of God’s Spirit at work was a willingness to give generously, sacrificially, obediently. Why?
Why does the presence of the Spirit of God immediately turn their hearts toward generosity?
Because as people, with a nature bent towards self, we are inherently selfish. We almost always think of me first.
As the Spirit of God truly moves in the hearts of believers, not just in the early church, but today, we break free from selfishness and from the chains of being enslaved to money and to stuff.
And one way we celebrate that freedom is by giving, by having a freedom to not hold so tightly to our stuff.
2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
-Our attitudes as we give matters. Having a reluctant attitude or giving out of duty is not the kind of giving God desires. He desires a cheerful giver.
-God is able to bless you, but not for your gain, so you can get what you want. But He is able to bless you so you will abound in giving to others.
-From God’s perspective, wealth is not a reward. It’s not intended to be accumulated and hoarded and used to gain more. Anything we have been given comes with the expectation that we give.
When we focus on giving, we have all kinds of questions:
-How much do I have to give?
-How much is enough?
-Who should I give to? How often?
-Do I have to give money? Can I just give my time?
But for the early church, the focus isn’t on giving as a requirement or even as an expectation, rather the focus is generosity.
” You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11
The real question today isn’t, “Does God want my stuff?”
The real question is: “Does God have my heart?”
Matthew 23:23
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
-The Pharisees and teachers of the law were experts at tithing. But Jesus knows that generosity begins in the heart.
-The New Testament church wasn’t just about giving a tithe, it was about giving all.
Hold all that you have loosely, give all that you have freely.
Updates on the new Waynesboro campus
God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!
Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.
Giving at COTN
If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org
Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!