The Spirit of Giving
This week, our church is celebrating its 140th birthday...and to celebrate, pastor Piper has challenged our body to give one million dollars the evening of the celebration to fund the building of the Bethlehem Baptist South site.
Now, in my mind, this sounded outrageous and impossible, not to mention untimely. I mean, aren't we all thinking about Christmas presents to buy, and isn't the church thinking about the deficit they need to make up before the end of the year to cover all the spending costs that they are already behind on?
Well today I was reading Desiring God by John Piper - sad to say because it is required reading - nonetheless, I was reading the chapter about money, and oh how I needed to hear it. Here are just a few quotes that cut to my heart, and showed me that I need the Lord to guide my spending and giving this Christmas season.
"...there are three levels of how to live with things: (1) you can steal to get; (2) or you can work to get; (3) or you can work in order to give. Too many professing Christians live on level two." p.172
"...a wealth-and-prosperity doctrine is afoot today, shaped by the half-truth that says, "We glorify God with our money by enjoying thankfully all the things he enables us to buy. Why should a son of the King live like a pauper?"... The false half is the subtle implication that God can be glorified in this way by all kinds of luxurious purchases." p. 168
"...we should be content with the simple necessities of life because we could invest the extra we make for what really counts. Three billion people today are outside Jesus Christ. Two-thirds of them have no viable Christian witness in their culture. If they are to hear - and Christ commands that they hear - then cross-cultural missionaries will have to be sent and paid for." p. 163
All that to say, that we haven't left yet, and though we hope to soon, we are still here, making a choice to live at 'level two, or level three'. Oh Lord, may your Spirit give us the grace to store up treasures in heaven, and not here on earth. And may Bethlehem have your Spirit of lavish Giving, to bring the gospel to the South side of the Metro!
Now, in my mind, this sounded outrageous and impossible, not to mention untimely. I mean, aren't we all thinking about Christmas presents to buy, and isn't the church thinking about the deficit they need to make up before the end of the year to cover all the spending costs that they are already behind on?
Well today I was reading Desiring God by John Piper - sad to say because it is required reading - nonetheless, I was reading the chapter about money, and oh how I needed to hear it. Here are just a few quotes that cut to my heart, and showed me that I need the Lord to guide my spending and giving this Christmas season.
"...there are three levels of how to live with things: (1) you can steal to get; (2) or you can work to get; (3) or you can work in order to give. Too many professing Christians live on level two." p.172
"...a wealth-and-prosperity doctrine is afoot today, shaped by the half-truth that says, "We glorify God with our money by enjoying thankfully all the things he enables us to buy. Why should a son of the King live like a pauper?"... The false half is the subtle implication that God can be glorified in this way by all kinds of luxurious purchases." p. 168
"...we should be content with the simple necessities of life because we could invest the extra we make for what really counts. Three billion people today are outside Jesus Christ. Two-thirds of them have no viable Christian witness in their culture. If they are to hear - and Christ commands that they hear - then cross-cultural missionaries will have to be sent and paid for." p. 163
All that to say, that we haven't left yet, and though we hope to soon, we are still here, making a choice to live at 'level two, or level three'. Oh Lord, may your Spirit give us the grace to store up treasures in heaven, and not here on earth. And may Bethlehem have your Spirit of lavish Giving, to bring the gospel to the South side of the Metro!
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