CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP [PART 3]: PASTOR MENSA OTABIL – SPECIAL SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER, 2021
SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSAH OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)
TOPIC: CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP – PART 3.
DATE: 3RD OCTOBER, 2021
TEXT: LUKE 12:42-43.
Amen and Amen! Let’s keep Standing, as we make our DECLARATION OF FRUITFULNESS in this Year of Fruitfulness:
Are you ready? Well say with me:
The Eternal God is our Refuge. He opens Rivers in desolate Heights.The Lord makes the wilderness a Pool of water.
The LORD God is my Sun and Shield; The LORD gives Grace and Glory.
Therefore, I delight myself in Him. Those who are Planted in the House of the LORD shall be Fresh and Flourishing.
Though the Earth be shaken; the Name of the Lord is my Strong Tower. By Faith I affirm that: In Christ alone is my Salvation. In Him I live, and move and have my Being.
It is written: The Righteous are like trees Planted by the waters; bearing Fruits in its Season.
So I boldly declare: As for me, my God has made me Exceedingly Fruitful.
In this Season, my Spirit bears Fruits of Righteousness, my Talents make Way for me. With my hands, I will Plant, I will Build, I will Harvest – Day by Day, Step by Step.
In Jesus’ Name – Amen!
My Message today is on CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP – PART 3. And we are answering the question: WHERE SHOULD WE GIVE TO GOD?
In Part 1: we looked at “WHY do we give to the Lord?”
In Part 2: we looked at “WHAT do we give to God?”
And in this Part 3: we are looking at “WHERE SHOULD WE GIVE TO GOD?”
DMC NOTES: We can get to access the Full Text of the Part 1 and Part 2 of this Series on this Link:
PART 1:
PART 2:
How do Christians determine where to give their offering?
Can we as Christians decide that: “I have an offering I want to give to the Lord, and I just want to give it anywhere I want?”
Are there Biblical Rules that guide us to determine where to give our Offering?
Luke 12:42-43 (NKJV), Jesus talking about Stewardship says:
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that Faithful and Wise Steward, whom his Master will make ruler over his household, to give them their Portion of food in Due Season?
43 Blessed is that Servant whom his Master will find so doing when he comes.
… God’s Will on Earth is done through His People!
And in this Passage Jesus talks about Stewardship.
And there are two (2) words He used to describe a Good Steward:
- The first word is FAITHFUL:
A Good Steward is Faithful – A Person who can be relied on.
A Steward is a Reliable Person!
So when we say we are Reliable People, God can rely on us to do the right thing. And it is a very heavy responsibility for God to rely on you.
For example, when God wanted to Minister to Saul; who had just had an encounter with God on the Way to Damascus; He spoke to a Disciple called Ananias.
… Because God relied on Ananias to obey Him; to go and do what He wants Him to do.
Faithful Stewardship is important.
When God gives us an Assignment, He wants us to be Reliable with it.
- Secondly, the Passage talks about a Steward as WISE.
When He says ‘WISE’ it means one who is mindful of what he does.
A Wise Steward does what he had been instructed to do.
So when it comes to Christian Stewardship (our GIVING); we have to be Faithful and we have to be Wise Stewards.
We cannot just decide that “I have money, God is blessing me, I am Prospering and I am going to give an offering; and I am going to do it just anyhow.”
… Because we have to be Stewards! And Stewards must be Faithful and Wise – This is very important.
Because, when it comes to Giving an offering, People become very haphazard, and very arbitrary.
They just decide: “This is what I want to do; this is what I feel like doing and I am going to do it any way.”
There are two (2) Kinds of Giving that sometimes we confuse ourselves with:
- The first one is called OFFERING.
An Offering is a Sacrifice made as Worship to God.
So when somebody says he is Giving an offering, it means he is making a Sacrifice to God.
Offerings are given because of our direct Relationship with God. – Note that!
You find in the Old Testament that People give offerings when there is something about their Relationship with God.
Maybe they have sinned and broken Relationship with God and so they give an offering. Or God has done something for them, they give an offering.
Offerings are directly Relational with God; and they are expression of Worship towards God.
And in the Old Testament sometimes it is an animal, it could be grains, Silver, Goods, a Tithe, First Fruit, a Vow, a Thanksgiving offering – There are so many offerings.
So offerings are given directly to God or they affect our direct Relationship with God.
- The Second one is ALMS.
Alms are also in the Bible. Alms are not the same as Offerings.
Alms are Acts of Kindness that we show to the Poor.
And God rewards both Offerings and Alms. But Offerings and Alms are not the same.
Sometimes when we give an Offering, we think we are giving Alms and when we give Alms, we think we are giving an offering – No!
They are not the same, yhey are different although they are both Giving.
When you read the Bible from the Law, even to the New Testament; you find Offerings and Alms. And the two (2) are not the same!
And usually, People confuss the two (2) Acts.
Both are important but they are not the same.
Let me illustrate with this Analogy: Let’s say a son is very grateful to his father and he says: Oh, my Dad took Good care of me, helped me through School, was there for me, encouraged me, supported me and now I have become somebody, and I want to show gratitude to my father.
And so this son decides to buy a Gift for his father – Maybe he buys the father a Jet (which I won’t reject).
Why is he doing that? It is to appreciate the father directly for what he did for him.
That is what I will likened to an Offering because it is a direct Giving to the Father.
Now let’s say that this son also says: You know, my father likes his Alma Mater – He went to A, B, C, D Secondary School. And he likes what the school did for him. So I would go to A, B, C, D Secondary School and build a Dormitory.
Now, when he does that, he has still honoured his father. But he has not given directly to his father. He has given to something his father cherishes – That is how I would call Alms!
When you give an offering, you are giving directly to God. When you give Alms, you are giving to something God loves – The Poor and the Needy.
And the two (2) are not the same!
When you read the Bible, you find that Offerings are given in the Temple; Alms are given outside the Temple.
So outside the Temple, there will be People begging for money and People give Alms to them.
But when you go to the Temple, that is where you give Offering.
… The two (2) are not the same!
So, a Christian cannot say: Well, all that God has blessed me with, I am going to give it in an Orphanage.
That is good! That is Alms but you have not directly shown Gratitude to God for what He has done for you.
The two (2) must be done together; but they are not the same.
I hope you see the difference! – There is a difference between an offering a d giving Alms. And don’t interchange the two (2) because they are not the same.
But for the Purpose of my Message today, I am talking about OFFERINGS – WHERE DO YOU TAKE AN OFFERING?
… And I will do a very short Biblical Study to help us.
So we will look at four (4) instances:
- The first Offering recorded in the Bible is that of CAIN AND ABEL.
Genesis 4:3 – And in the Process of time it came to Pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the Ground to the Lord.
What this first Offering shows us is that – AN OFFERING IS MADE BEFORE THE LORD
That is the first thing when you are Giving an Offering: that you are Presenting something to God.
Now Cain and Abel knew that God is a Spirit, they knew that God did not live on the Earth – God lives I. Heaven!
But something they did here on Earth, they reckoned to be doing to God in spirit and in Heaven. We also know that God is not flesh, and does not live on Earth.
But when we give an offering, just like Cain and Abel; we considered that what we are doing is before the Lord! It is Presented before the Lord.
- The Second Offering made in the Bible is NOAH’S OFFERING.
Genesis 8:20 – Then Noah built an Altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
… Cain and Abel offered before the Lord!
But if you look at Noah, he took it a step further – He put it on an Altar.
And what does that teach us?
That an Offering Is made in a Place Dedicated to God.
It is before the Lord; but not just before the Lord anyhow because everything is before God. God lives everywhere! We can’t run away from God.
So, it is not just about before the Lord. But Noah tells us that there are Places dedicated to God that an offering must go.
So it must be before the Lord. But it must be to a Place Dedicated to God.
- The Third Offering recorded in the Bible is the OFFERING OF ABRAHAM.
Genesis 14:18-20 – Then Melchizedek King of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the Priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a Tithe of all.
Abraham was the first to be given a Tithe. He was also the first Person to Standing in an Office where God has ordained.
So that what we learned from Abraham is that: An Offering is Received by a Person dedicated to God.
I hope you see the Progression:
I. From Cain and Abel we learn that an offering must be before the Lord.
II. From Noah, we learn that an offering must’ve in a Place Dedicated to God.
And from Abraham we learn that an Offering must be made through a Person who is Dedicated to God.
So, that is the Principle that emerges from the Bible.
The Priest is not the owner of the Offering – He receives it on God’s Altar; in God’s Presence, before the Lord. He also becomes a Steward of God’s Resources.
So, if you supposedly give an offering, and it doesn’t go through these Processes – That is, it is not before the Lord. It is not given in a Place Dedicated to God and it does not go through a Person dedicated to God; You may be doing a nice thing but it is not an offering. It may be kindness. Or Goodness.
… But for it to qualify as an offering, this is the Path that the Bible shows us.
And the last one we will look at (in the Law) is in Deuteronomy 12:13-14.
This is an Instruction that God gave to Israel as they were getting ready to go into the Promised Land.
And I want you to Pay attention to what God says; He actually told them to Pay attention.
Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every Place that you see; but in the Place which the Lord chooses, in one of your Tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
- So the fourth Point we learn is that an Offering is made in a manner that GOD approves of.
When you put all these Practices together: it is Presented before the Lord, in a Place dedicated to God, a Man through a Person that is dedicated to God and in a manner that God approves of.
If I am walking by the roadside and I see a Poor Person and I give money to the Person. It is not an offering; Because that Person is not authorized to receive my offering, that Person is not in a Place dedicated to God.
None of those happened! – I would have given Alms to the Poor.
And Yes, God honours Alms.
He says: “He that Gives to the Poor, Gives to Me.”
God recognises that!
But don’t confuse the two (2).
And there are People who decide that: “All I am going to do is to Give Alms.
Yes, you are like the son who goes to build a Dormitory to honour his father but doesn’t honour the father directly.
You must learn to do both the same time and the two are not the same.
If you go to Give to an Orphanage, you have done very well.
Or if you Give to eradicate Malaria in the whole world; you have done very well.
But it is not an Offering. It is Almsgiving; it honours God. God is happy with it. But you haven’t done it directly to show your appreciation to Him.
If you are going to Give an offering to show God appreciation, then this is how the Process goes!
When Jesus was on Earth, He did not start the Church – The Church started after Jesus had ascended to Heaven.
Jesus’Ministry was under the Old Testament Laws.
If you read the Gospels, you will find that he went through the Process of the Old Testament Practice – Whether it was Passover, He did it according to what was done. He would go to the Temple to worship and also worship at home.
Jesus then was Worshipping in the Temple and Worshipping at home. He went to the Temple to fulfil God’s Righteousness and then He taught His Disciples at home.
After Jesus died, resurrected and ascended to Heaven; the Church began on the Day of Pentecost.
But the Church did not have Temples. So they still go to the Temple and still meet on houses.
You find out that in the beginning of the Book of Acts, that they would go to the Temple, and then they would meet from house to house.
It was whilst they were going to the Temple one day (in Acts 3) that a Man outside of the Temple asked for Alms from the Disciples.
They said: “Silver and Gold we do not have.”
And then the Man got healed later on.
But remember, they were going to the Temple! They still worshipped in the Temple and still worshipped at him.
HOW DID THE NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS APPLY THIS PRINCIPLE?
… Let’s look at the STEWARDSHIP OF THE CHURCH.
How did they Function and Stewards of God’s Resources in the absence of a Formal Meeting Place?
Acts 4:34-35; Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were Possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the Proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the Apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
Two (2) things we see there from the Early Church:
- First is that, they Sacrificed what they had.
They went beyond Giving ten Percent (10%). They sold what they had and gave one hundred Percent (100%).
These guys were very radical in their Giving. They were Giving one hundred Percent (100%) while we are still struggling with ten Percent (10%) Giving.
I am always facinated when People say: ‘TIthes is of the Old Testament.’
And I say: “You want New Testament?”
Then it is one hundred Percent (100%).
That is what we see! – They gave everything, but they were very Sacrificial.
- The Second thing that you note about them is that they submitted to Spiritual Order.
… And the Bible says that ‘they laid their Offering at the Apostles’ feet.’
Now, why didn’t they just give it to other People? – That is, just distributing their money and say: “Well, there are Needy People in the Church, give it to them?”
No! – They understood that Principles of Offering. That it had to be before God; it has to be in a Place that God approves of and it had to be through a Person that has been established in office by God.
They didn’t have Priests, they were Levites. They were Apostles! Apostles were the first Officers of the Church.
So, the Christians understand that this same Principles that they had been applying in the Old Testament and under the Law. And now applying it in a different form in the New Testament; they laid the Offering at the Apostles’ Feet.
What were they doing?
They were submitting the same Principle – It has to be a Person that God has put in Office, in a Place God has Ordained.
Now, why do I say: ‘A Place?’
Well, they did have Temples there but Churches were operating in Homes, as homes became Churches – As far as the home was dedicated as a Place for the gathering of Believers and it was an Approved Place for Offerings to be received.
Just like when we all started, we used to have Church in Classrooms.
From Monday to Friday, they would teach A,B,C,D and Algebra. And then Sundays, we came. And when we come, the Place is now dedicated – It is no longer a classroom; it is a Sanctuary for God’s People.
When a Church met in a Hotel, People would do other stuff in the Hotel. But the moment we step foot in that Place, it is dedicated to the Lord. And that Place becomes an Approved Place for the People of the Lord for them to bring their Offerings, Tithes and their Giving.
… I hope you get the Principles! – That is how the Early Church started.
Overtime, the Early Church then built Purpose made Churches. And the Principles continued – The Offerings went to the Church; the Alms, outside the Church.
Offerings INSIDE Church, Alms OUTSIDE the Church. Offerings to GOD – in an Approved Place, through God’s Order. Alms – You do it with a Generousity of your heart.
And God told the Israelites: Remember the Poor, the Strangers, the Widows and the Needy. Take Good care of them. It is Part of our Christian Worship.
But it must never be the Substitute for where you take your Offering because an offering is a direct expression to God – That you Thank Him for what He has done for you.
When you Give Alms, you are still honouring God. But you are doing it because you love what God loves, you love the People God loves – He loves the Needy, those who don’t have, those who are Opressed and we must give to them.
And it is Good to go to your Village and build a School – That is Great!
… But that is not an offering. It is an Alms.
As Christians, we must know the difference between Offerings and Almsgiving and you cannot replace one for the other.
A Christian must Give Offerings; a Christian must Give Alms but the two (2) are not the same!
Where do you take your Offering? Not to an Orphanage, not to the Poor Man by the roadside – It has to be brought to Church: In a Place Dedicated to the Glory of God; through a System that God has established in Place. And you must do it with a consciousness that you are doing it before the Lord.
Anytime you come to Church and you Give, you are Giving an offering.
You cannot go out there and say: “Well, I went to Church, I gave an offering. Hence, I won’t help anybody again.”
Neither can you also say: “I am helping the Poor; I won’t Give an offering.
The two (2) are not the same! But both are expression of our Giving and both honour God.
And when we Give our Offerings, there are Special Blessings we can claim; that we can’t claim with our Alms.
When He says: “Bring all the Tithes into my House and Prove me now on it”; He doesn’t say that concerning Alms – He says it concerning Tithes.
“Honour the Lord with your First Fruit” and He says ‘Your barns will overflow with Plenty.’ – That is for First Fruit. It is an offering, it is not Alms.
So, there are Specific Blessings Dedicated to Offerings, and then there are Blessings also for those who Give Alms.
If you want the Fullness of God’s Blessings through your Stewardship and Giving; then you have to be Faithful in your Offerings and you have to be Faithful in your Almsgiving – Amen!
I hope you got something. And I hope all of you who come to Church, don’t come empty handed – Amen!
Because, for some of us, when the Offering Basket is coming, we lift up our head and let it Pass!
I understand when you don’t have money and you don’t Give an offering. But it is a sin when you have money in abundance, and the Offering Basket come, and you don’t give to the Lord.
And you still go to this God and say: Father, I LOVE YOU!
Where is the Love? – “I came Passing in front of you, you didn’t Give.
You Love Me with your mouth but your heart is very far from Me.”
You have to show your Appreciations to God in your Offerings; and you show your Appreciations to the things that God loves, in your Alms.
And may the Lord help each one of us to be Good Stewards of the Resources He gives us; so we don’t throw His money haphazardly and anyhow, as we please – ÀMEN.
CLOSING PRAYER
Father, we Thank You that Your Word instructs us to do the Right thing. And Your Word guides us, so that we Please You in all our doings.
So Lord, I Pray that by the sharing of this Word, Your People would become Doers of the Word and not Hearers only!
And as we do Your Word, may the Blessings that You have Promised to follow Obedience of our Offering accrued to us in Good measures, Pressed down, shaken together and running Over.
And let Goodness and Mercy overflow Your People, in Jesus’ Name – ÀMEN.
PRAISE THE LORD – HALLELUJAH.
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