The Kingdom & Money Part 6: Not Developing Leaders
Giving and the Kingdom
The Kingdom of God has been spreading and expanding for the last 2,000 years. Its expansion is always based on the development of more disciples every year. Disciples are those who learn the disciplines; one of those disciplines is giving. Remember, Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than receive. Our topic today has to do with the development of disciples who understand God’s plan and are generous in their giving.
Disciples Giving
There’s actually no such thing as a disciple who doesn’t give. Remember, Jesus said we have freely received; therefore, we are to freely give. Everything in that Kingdom has been given to us. As a result, we are to turn around and give it away. This is one of the ways God multiplies the good things of the Kingdom. Financial giving is one of the aspects of giving.
World’s Financial System
Are you content to be discipled in the world’s financial system? If so, it can produce some good rewards. For example, I have an MBA in finance. I know the world’s system well. It involves getting all you can, borrowing all you can, investing all you can, leveraging all you can, etc. It works for some.
God’s Financial Plan
God’s plan is involved with giving. It is a partnership with the great God of the universe in which we give a little, and He multiplies it greatly. This plan revolves around giving a tithe (10% of our increase on a yearly basis) to our local church. This, in turn, propels the Kingdom forward, changes the lives of the givers, and blesses the world around us.
Give to Caesar…
In Matthew 22:21, it says “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what belongs to God.” This requires us to make a choice. What does belong to God? If we’re going to go with God’s financial plan, we need to train our disciples that the tithe goes to God. It’s the starting point of getting into God’s financial plan versus the world’s. Of course, there will be many people in heaven who never understood or were developed as givers. They simply don’t get to enjoy the wonderful financial benefits that God has for those who follow His plan. For those who do understand and make a wise choice, the benefits are amazing. Malachi 3 says that God will open the windows of Heaven and pour out blessings beyond what we can contain. Sounds good to me!
Final Thoughts
As you have worked through these various blogs, I hope you have begun to spot areas where you can grow in the area of finances and the Kingdom. God wants to bless His people. Ultimately, it comes down to a choice: Will we follow God’s plan or the world’s? It usually works best to follow one or the other instead of trying to do a little bit of both. May you choose God’s plan and enjoy abundant life.
Happy Leman
The Vineyard Church // Urbana, IL