WHERE GOD GUIDES, HE PROVIDES
(PHIL. 4:6,12,19)
There is never any good reason to beg for or manipulate folks into increasing their financial commitment to the Church. Usually when we do so it is because we are seeking to sustain or build something of our own making. Where God guides, He provides. If He's not providing, maybe He's not guiding.
So many ministries have been discredited by pastors and evangelists putting the squeeze on people to give. The opposite happens at Calvary Chapel. A while back, a woman persuaded her wealthy husband to come with her to a Thanksgiving service at Big Calvary. Pastor Chuck shared about how blessed we all were materially. "So, here comes the pitch for money", the man thought. But then Pastor Chuck went on to share that he couldn't enjoy his family Thanksgiving if he knew anyone there was in want, so he encouraged anyone in need to contact the church office for a free turkey. The rich man was blown away; in fact he got saved because he'd never seen a church that didn't beg for his money.
God doesn't need your money. He's not poor. The kingdom of God is not teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
"But", you protest, "The people need to learn Biblical principles of giving so they can be blessed." Granted. So teach those principles when you naturally get to them in the course of a verse by verse study of the Minor Prophets or Paul's Epistles, not as a special message because your budget is low. Is our motive in teaching giving really to bless the folks (if so, go for it), or is it rather to raise money? We are instructed in the Bible to be "blameless", the word means of pure motive, not sinless.
It is equally important not to ignore finances. We are to not be "slothful in business" (Rom. 12:11, KJV). Frugality, good stewardship, being careful with every penny of God's money is vital. As a pastor, I never wanted to know who gave what - I don't want to treat anybody differently than anyone else. So we set up a careful, theft proof system to count, record and deposit tithes that did not involve me, and a careful system of purchase orders to watch diligently the out go as well. Every penny at Calvary Chapel is carefully accounted for, and used only very sparingly as the Lord directs. Even in minor purchases, we always ask, (a) do we really need it? And (b) is this the best?
