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Straight Talk on Giving This is the last of a series of articles on the topic of giving. We have dealt with some basic principles of giving, some obstacles to giving, and some wrong ways to give. (You can read the previous articles here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.) Now I wish to share some positive principles of giving by focusing primarily on 2 Corinthians 9. In this passage Paul is given a challenge at the Jerusalem Council to help raise money for the starving, persecuted Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. He accepts the challenge and uses his missionary journeys to accomplish it. While visiting Corinth he successfully enlists the help of the church there and then takes the news of their generous faith-promises to northern Greece to spur the Macedonians to give as well. They, in turn, are so impressed and so stimulated by the believers in Corinth that they give beyond Paul’s wildest imagination. But then a problem develops. The relationship between Paul and the Corinthian church sours, due primarily to some false teachers who badmouth him to the church. As a result the money stops coming in. So Paul returns to the Corinthians to say, in effect, “You and I are both going to be embarrassed if you don’t keep the commitments you
made a year ago.” But he doesn’t berate them; instead he shares with them the positive fact that… Generous giving benefits the giver as well as the recipient. (6-11) Beginning with verse 6 we read: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” This paragraph raises some very interesting, often misunderstood issues relative to stewardship: 1. God rewards generous givers. (6, 8-11) I have been very critical of health/wealth theology, which treats God as though he is a utilitarian genie who grants every wish to the (Continued on page 3)
Why Am I in India? When you read this, I’ll be traveling in India, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be there from October 30 to November 12 . India has the second most people in the world, and the highest number of unreached people groups. There is desperate need for the gospel there. The good news is that the gospel is spreading in India! Let me tell you about the two missions partners whom I’ll be visiting. The first is India Gospel League. This is a ministry that is planting churches and equipping pastors all over the
country. Ken Cooper from West Free, myself, and a few others from Wichita are going to help lead their annual pastors’ conference. On Nov. 5, I will be preaching from 2 Corinthians 3 and 4 to 500-1000 Indian pastors. What an opportunity! Please pray for the Lord to work through this conference, and that the Word would do the work as we preach it. I am also thrilled to interact with these brothers and sisters in Christ and be encouraged by the Lord’s work in their lives. After that conference, I will be flying to another city to (Continued on page 2)
Three Opportunities to Remember Others During the Holidays The holidays are upon us! Thanksgiving and Christmas provide rhythms during our year to celebrate Christ, enjoy family, and also remember the poor and lost among us. This year we have a few specific opportunities for outreach around the holidays we hope you will consider. The first is Operation Christmas Child. This is the ministry through Samaritan’s Purse where you fill a shoebox with small gifts for a child in another country. I have heard amazing testimonies of how these shoeboxes have blessed children in difficult situations, and in some cases, it’s their first time to hear about Jesus. Operation Christmas Child is able to deliver these shoeboxes into some of the most closed places on earth. Visit the table in the hallway outside the offices to pick up a box and get instructions on how to fill it. Then the boxes must be returned by Nov. 23 at the latest! Bring them by the church office or back to the table by the 23rd. Second, we have an opportunity to bless our local missions partner, The Pregnancy Crisis Center. As they help women in crisis pregnancies to choose life, they also bless them (as needed) with formula, diapers, baby clothes and other necessary items. The Manger Tree will be set up in December with ornaments listing specific needs that you can take and then return the items listed to be given to
women in need. Be on the lookout for the Christmas decorations to go up! Third, we have an opportunity with international students. Many students are stuck in the dorms on Thanksgiving or Christmas. It can be a very lonely time! These are wonderful times to invite a student into your home to participate in the main meal or some of the festivities. They get to learn about our culture, and hopefully hear about Jesus in the process. If you’d like to host a student at one of those times, please email me at
[email protected]. As you look for the perfect turkey, put up a tree, or arrange family activities, remember those who don’t have such opportunities. We hope you’ll engage in some of the opportunities above, or join with some of our other missions partners and local non-profits to bless those in need. Let’s make it the most wonderful time of the year (Andy Williams anyone?) for many! Curt Romig Evangelism and Missions Pastor
(Continued from page 2, Why Am I in India?)
meet up with Mike and Mary Dicke. Though they are living in Denver working with World Impact, Mike and Mary have been traveling to India, South Africa, and the DR Congo to help establish theological training centers using the TUMI curriculum. On this trip, Mike is going to show me some potential sites in India and introduce me to some local church leaders who are considering this curriculum for training pastors. It is an exciting ministry! Mike has also told me to be ready to preach 3-4 times on Sunday the 9th! [Update: Curt has reported that he will be preaching Saturday, Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Monday night. Pray that the Word will do the work by the power of the Spirit! ]
The gospel is spreading wide and fast in India. Both of these ministries are helping to take the Word deep by equipping leaders. It is crucial ministry for battling false teaching and helping people to know God better. So not only do I get to participate in these opportunities to epuip and train local pastors, but I’m also exploring future ministry possibilities for First Free in this exciting part of the world. Would you please pray for my health, preaching, and discernment of future partnerships during this trip? What a joy to be a part of the ministry of First Free, which is impacting the nations for Christ! Thanks for your role! Curt Romig Evangelism and Missions Pastor
(Continued from page 1, Straight Talk on Giving)
faithful. Yet we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water. The Scriptures do indeed teach that God rewards faithful giving, but the rewards are not necessarily financial and not necessarily in this life. God’s primary purpose in blessing the generous person, according to Paul, is that he “will abound in every good work,” not that he will become rich for selfish purposes. This is made even more explicit in verse 11: “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.” 2. God trusts his people to give as they decide. (7) “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion . . .” The tithe was clearly mandatory in the Old Testament, but if tithing is still required I find it amazing that not one of the Apostles or writers of the New Testament epistles mentions it. I believe the tithing rules and regulations in the Mosaic Law were abrogated by the death of Christ. So how much should you give? Ultimately it’s between you and God. Of course, other passages tell us that our giving is to be proportional; i.e., we are to give as God has blessed us, and with the level of wealth most of us here in the United States enjoy, I personally don’t see how generous, sacrificial giving could mean less than a tithe for most of us. 3. God has a special love for cheerful givers. The rest of verse 7 says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” As John MacArthur writes, “It is hard to imagine a more precious promise than to be the personal object of God’s love. All the world’s aclaim, honor, and rewards given to all philanthropists put together does not come close to this privilege of being loved by God. Yet that is what He promises the cheerful giver” (MacArthur, 2 Corinthians, p. 314). The Greek word for “cheerful” implies giving with abandon, giving with reckless pleasure. Sadly, a lot of people are far from that ideal. They think that when they give something away they lose it and it is gone for good. Others respond like organ donors; they decide to do their giving when they die. But a cheerful giver never looks back, never mourns the loss, never stews about what they might have bought with the money. He trusts the Father to take care of him. 4. Generous giving produces other wide-ranging benefits. (12-15) The last paragraph of 2 Corinthians 9 reads, “For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you
and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” In the interest of space I simply list four exceptional benefits of generous giving I see here: It supplies the needs of God’s people. (12) It awakens gratitude. (11b, 12b) It glorifies God. (13) It stimulates prayer. (14) The last sentence in our chapter reads, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” This simple benediction is one of the most profound in all of Scripture. The most natural way to understand the words here is to see the gift as a reference to God’s gift of a Savior to a lost and dying world. That is the gift that is beyond all other gifts. That is also the gift behind all other gifts, because God’s inexpressible generosity to us is what motivates all our own feeble attempts to be generous. Mike Andrus Senior Adults Pastor
Mark your calendars!
2014 Christmas Season Deck the Halls December 5, 9:00 a.m.
Women: Christmas Plates December 6, 9:30 a.m. First Free Presents
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus December 7, 6:00 p.m.
Women: An Old-Fashioned Christmas December 15, 7:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve Service December 24, 5:00 p.m.
Single Service December 28, 10:00 a.m.
Watch the bulletin in coming weeks for more details on these events.
November Weekly: Sundays
Wednesdays
Fridays
Worship Services, 9:00 and 10:45 a.m. Chinese Worship Service, 10:45 a.m. Compass, 5:30 p.m. Young Adults, 6:00 p.m. College, 6:00 p.m. Kids Choir, 6:00 p.m.
Craft Group, 1:00 p.m. Prayer, 6:30 p.m. Worship Choir, 6:45 p.m. Middle/High School, 6:45 p.m. Awana, 6:45 p.m. Chinese Prayer, 7:00 p.m.
Chinese Fellowship, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesdays
Thursdays
Tuesday Connection and Precept Studies, 9:15 a.m. and 6:45 p.m.
Love Thru Action, 9:30 a.m. First Friends, 10:00 a.m.
The church office will be closed November 27-28.
Traditions Tea Saturday, November 8, 12:30 p.m.
Coffee Connection Sunday, November 9, 10:20 a.m.
Budget Forum Sunday, November 9, 5:00 p.m.
Special Needs Moms Bible Study Tuesday, November 11, 6:45 p.m.
Mommy & Me Wednesday, November 12, 9:00 a.m.
Trustee Meeting Wednesday, November 12, 6:45 p.m.
Craft Club
Operation Christmas Child Packing Party (Middle School) Friday, November 14, 6:00 p.m.
Worship Choir Clinic Saturday, November 15, 9:00 a.m.
Missions Committee Meeting Sunday, November 16, 2:00 p.m.
Book Club Thursday, November 20, 7:00 p.m.
Chinese Thanksgiving Celebration Friday, November 21, 5:30 p.m.
Coffee Connection Sunday, November 23, 10:20 a.m.
Worship Ministries Potluck
Evening Service and Members Meeting
Sunday, November 16, 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 23, 5:00 p.m.
Elder Meeting
Special Needs Moms Bible Study
Wednesday, November 19, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 25, 6:45 p.m.
Sack Lunch Prayer Thursday, November 20, 12:11 p.m.
Friday, November 14, 5:00 p.m.
Stay informed, visit us online! Learn more about these events at our online calendar:
firstfreewichita.org/events
News and notes from the First Free family (thank you notes, births, weddings, and more):
firstfreewichita.org/family-news
**Please check the online calendar for the week of Thanksgiving, Nov 23-30.)**
