INTRODUCTION
Today, Christianity and Christian Ministry are increasingly becoming objects of unnecessary ridicule, scorn, and criticism. This ugly situation is largely due to lack of integrity of many who have established churches for themselves with the aim of making money through the offering of members. Money is a vital part of New Testament Christianity. Certainly, we see this in the second chapter of Acts where the newly‑born church is described in (Acts 2:42‑45).
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INTRODUCTION
For some churches or denominations, the idea of these verses have caused church leaders (pastors, bishops, reverends, Apostles as they claim to be, etc) to force the act of giving on their members through tithing, special offerings, harvests, first fruits, sacrificial offering, miracle offering, seed offering, etc. even to the extent of making members sell their properties against their wish to give to pastors, in the name of giving to God for a blessing which never comes.
The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the salvation of lost souls. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs. A congregation with an active and clearly defined financial management strategy enables the church to fulfil its primary task without worry and with hope. It is unfortunate that some have discovered church as a business of making and raising money to fund their exorbitant lifestyles than the mission of drawing lost souls to Christ.
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LESSON OBJECTIVES
This lesson is undertaken:
1.To help us with the understanding of the true position of finance in New Testament Church as to how to plan, raise, administer and account for church funds (church financial Management) in accordance with the apostolic examples as recorded in the Bible.
2.To understand that the church is the business of God and not the business of men.
KEYWORDS DEFINITION
CHURCH: The word church in the Bible comes from the Greek word ‘ecclesia’, which means a called out company or assembly. Wherever it is used in the Bible it refers to people. It can be a mob (Acts 19:30-41), the children of Israel (Acts 7:38), and the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:25, 32). We see the word church used three different ways: First, as the body of Christ, the church is often defined as a local assembly or group of believers (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1-2). Second, it is defined as the body of individual living believers (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13). Finally, it is defined as the universal group of all people who have trusted Christ through the ages (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:23-27).
Misconceptions about serving the church often stem from misconceptions about defining the church. Many people view local churches like small businesses where the pastor is the CEO and the people are the customers. They think the church exists to give them and their children a menu of programs, activities, and events. Those who decide to serve are like employees of the business, making sure the programs are well-organized, the marketing is catchy, the activities are plentiful, etc.
FINANCE: simply put, finance is the process of raising funds or capital for any kind of expenditure. It includes planning, budgeting, sourcing and spending money.
CHURCH FINANCE: It is the fund or money made available for church use, it consists of identifying the various sources of income and raising of same through the effective mobilization of members, budgeting, setting and establishing the various books of accounts and proper records of income, cash flow preparation and preparation of financial statements.
SOURCES OF CHURCH FUND
The purpose of establishment of the church was to preach the word of God in order to win souls and continue fellowshipping together. In fellowship, we see that some members of the body of Christ are in need. However, since the world population has grown and church has spread, there have risen other reason to require funds, all driven towards the salvation of lost souls.
The major areas of raising funds for the operations of the church include:
-Sunday weekly offering – I Cor. 16:1-2
-Freewill donations – Acts 4: 37
-Fund/project launch – Acts 4: 37
-Benevolence offering – Acts 4: 37
CHURCH EXPENDITURES
Church expenditures which is a part of church financial management must align with the ‘work of the church’. To determine how the church may use its money, we must know what every congregation is established for. It will be explained later in this lesson that each church has a duty to how it manages their finance autonomously but in line with spendings that support the goal of the gospel of Christ. The work of the church include:
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•Evangelism– “But in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Besides the regular evangelism efforts that all Christians are to do (1 Peter 3:15), this could involve supporting preachers who work in a local church (Acts 11:25-26), sending men out to preach in other places (Acts 13:1-3; Romans 10:15), and supporting preachers who are already working in another location (II Corinthians 11:8; Philippians 4:15-16).
•Edification– “From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16). This is the work of strengthening those who are already in the body of Christ. This can be done by “leaders” in the church teaching and equipping the brethren in that place (Ephesians 4:11-12), and also by all members encouraging one another (Hebrews 3:12-13; 10:24-25).
•Benevolence– “For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:34-35). In every example of benevolence by the church in the New Testament, the recipients were always Christians (Acts 4:32; 11:29; Romans 15:26; I Corinthians 16:1; II Corinthians 8:4). Not only this but instead of being an ongoing work of the church, benevolence was carried out by the church only under exceptional circumstances (Acts 11:28-29) and was meant to be temporary (II Corinthians 8:14).
These are the works that the Lord has given His church to do. Therefore, any funds collected by the church on the first day of the week – the only time given in the New Testament for churches to take up a collection to fund its work (I Corinthians 16:1-2) – may be used to support these works.
Many Christians want to include various types of social work in addition to the works listed above, such as meals, activities, entertainment, and more. These may be good for individuals or households to do, but they are not the church’s work. As Paul explained to the church in Corinth, they had “houses in which to eat and drink” (I Corinthians 11:22). Except for the Lord’s Supper, which was to be done when they assembled, they were to “eat at home” (I Corinthians 11:34). It is good for Christians to be “taking their meals together” (Acts 2:46), but this is something they do as individuals and households; it is not the work of the church to provide for such things.
AUTONOMOUS USE OF CHURCH FINANCE
The Lord designed local churches to be autonomous (self-governing and independent). This is clearly seen in the role of elders who were to “shepherd the flock of God among [them], exercising oversight” (I Peter 5:2). Nowhere in the New Testament were they authorized to exercise oversight beyond the local congregation where they were. As local churches were to function autonomously, they were naturally to use the funds collected to do their own work.
This meant they were not to send money to an organization to take over the work the Lord gave them to do. Since churches are to preach the gospel as “the pillar and support of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15), they are not to send their money to a missionary society to do that work for them. They could support individual preachers directly in other places (II Corinthians 11:8; Philippians 4:15-16).
SPECIFIC APOSTOLIC GUIDE ABOUT CHURCH FINANCE
1.The instruction of the apostle Paul with regards the collection for the saints in Jerusalem provides appropriate guidance for the Churches:
“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” (I Corinthians 16:1-2 NKJV)
It should be noted that similar instruction on the collection was given to the Churches at Galatia, thereby implying that this was the apostolic pattern for the collection for the work of the church. The collections are to be taken up on every first day of the week. The offering or contribution was to be relative to what God had prospered him.
1.Additional guidance on the contribution by the church members at Corinth is found in the following passage:
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Corinthians 9:6-7 NKJV).
All contributions given by members of the body of Christ, are to be done bountifully, purposefully, willingly, and cheerfully. In fact, the apostle Paul praised the brethren in Macedonia for their generosity in giving beyond their ability: “For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing.” (II Corinthians 8:3 NKJV)
1.When the early Christians sold their possessions and gave the proceeds to the church, they gave them to the apostles who then distributed to those in need:
“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.” (Acts 4:34-35 NKJV)
It would appear that the apostles were entrusted with the responsibility to distribute to those in need – the actual amount to be given to each one is not specified – presumably in accordance with what funds were available and relative to each one’s needs.
1.The oversight of the affairs of the local church has been entrusted to the elders of the church.
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28 NKJV)
So, other churches sent funds to the elders of the church at Jerusalem:
“Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”(Acts 11:29-30)
The elders are required to be men who meet certain requirements including the following:- “one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);”(I Timothy 3:4-5 NKJV).
So it is implied that elders have demonstrated the wisdom of “ruling well their own household” so that they can be entrusted to oversee the affairs of the church.
1.The elders are expected to rule well
“Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in the word and doctrine.” (I Timothy 5:17 NKJV)
It should be noted that the qualifier of the elders “especially labouring in the word and doctrine” implies that the elders also labour or rule in other matters of the church (non-word and non-doctrine).
WHEN THE CHURCH BECOMES A BUSINESS
READ THE WORDS OF JESUS IN JOHN 2:14-18: “STOP MAKING MY FATHER’S HOUSE A PLACE OF BUSINESS.” THESE WORDS OUGHT TO PUT THE FEAR OF THE LORD INTO EVERY ‘PASTOR’ AND MINISTRY LEADER; THEY SHOULD CAUSE THOSE OF US LEADING CHURCHES TO SINCERELY EVALUATE OUR APPROACH.
When the church becomes a business:
●Pastors function more like CEOs
●Members are turned into customers
●Other churches are seen as competition
●Evangelism is reduced to marketing
●Church planting looks more like franchising
WHEN THE CHURCH BECOMES A BUSINESS
READ THE WORDS OF JESUS IN JOHN 2:14-18: “STOP MAKING MY FATHER’S HOUSE A PLACE OF BUSINESS.” THESE WORDS OUGHT TO PUT THE FEAR OF THE LORD INTO EVERY ‘PASTOR’ AND MINISTRY LEADER; THEY SHOULD CAUSE THOSE OF US LEADING CHURCHES TO SINCERELY EVALUATE OUR APPROACH.
●Numbers are the primary measure of success
●Prayer and fasting is replaced by programs and formulas
●Worship is turned into a performance
●The saints are entertained instead of equipped
●Disciples of Christ become disciples of a church brand
●A living organism becomes a lifeless organization
●A leader’s empire is built instead of the kingdom of God advanced
Posted by BRO-IDONGESIT-TOM
Sept. 8, 2024, 3:55 p.m.