The Giving Issue

ISSUE 01 >>

2015

a newfrontiers usa publication

the giving issue Giving: A Clash with Culture >> Carl Herrington Trapped in Materialism or Freed to Give? >> Gareth Forsey

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SOUNDBITE • QUICK LOOK

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MIKE LAWSON • APPS

JOHN LANFERMAN >> Team Leader >> Newfrontiers USA

GIVING:

WORSHIP, WARFARE AND MISSION

It’s shocking to note that the Bible devotes twice as many verses to money as to faith and prayer combined! Jesus says more about money than both heaven and hell. It is clear that our view of money is of the utmost importance.

To understand what our relationship with money needs to be, we must first understand what money really is. In Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13, Jesus very shockingly personifies money: “No one can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and money.” Jesus draws a parallel between God and money in how we relate to them. He uses phrases like “servant and master”, “love”, “devoted to”, and “you can’t serve God and money”. At the core, it’s about whom we will worship; it’s either-or. In our fallen world, money becomes an object of desire and worship. Money becomes a false god as we give it the attributes of omnipotence and sovereignty: “I serve it and it serves me.” In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul tells Timothy “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.

It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith…”

RECOMMENDED READING

Managing God’s Money

by Randy Alcorn

One act disarms money’s seductive power…giving! Giving is an act of worship to God. The centurion, Cornelius, was described as “devout and God-fearing” and one who “gave generously” (Acts 10:1-2). An angel of God told Cornelius, “your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a remembrance before God” (Acts 10:3-4). Cornelius was a worshiper; an integral part of his worship was giving. In reality, giving money is giving of oneself. When we give, we are expressing the consecration of our entire life to God and his purpose. When we gather as a community to worship God and enjoy his presence, a tangible expression and integral part of our worship is giving our money.

We approach the offering neither as a debt to be paid, nor to incur God’s favor. This would be the opposite of grace, which can’t be purchased. Giving becomes an act of love, gratitude, joy and freedom: “freely you have received and freely you give” (Matt. 10:8). By giving, we enter into the grace of Christ. Our giving is first to God, as an expression of faith, demonstrating our trust in his provision and expressing our worship to him.

Giving also becomes an act of showing God’s grace to a world so in need of grace. This grace penetrates into a world of selling and competition. For recipients of God’s lavish grace, the purpose of money is giving. We give so

SOUNDBITE

We have embraced Father’s reign and rule; having received his grace, we give.

the gospel can penetrate the unreached world. Giving introduces the one who receives the gift to God’s world of grace: God’s action, freely willed and given. The church is God’s primary instrument of mission, and therefore we give so the gospel may be preached. The apostle Paul commended the Philippian believers because they helped advance the gospel through giving: “because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Phil. 1:5 - see also Phil 4:10-19) Giving is a sign and a prophetic act! It announces the last days. The consecration of money to God reveals the Kingdom of God now present in the midst of us. We have embraced Father’s reign and rule; having received his grace, we give. The future, in which every knee will bow and declare Jesus as Lord, even the god of money, has invaded the present. It’s a day when all powers are subjected to his lordship. Haggai the prophet saw this (2:7-9): “‘And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts. ‘The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace.’”

Read more from John and other writers in the Link at: www.confluenceblog.org

CARL HERRINGTON >> Jubilee Church >> Atlanta, Georgia

GIVING:

A CLASH WITH CULTURE

When you hear about a “special offering” your church is asking you to contribute towards, or you hear a sermon on giving, what is your response? Is giving joyfully to your church a normal pattern of your worship? And yes, I said “worship”!

Though the scriptures are very clear on the issue of financial stewardship, current data indicates that the church in America is out of step with scripture. According to the Barna Group, about 5% of born again Christians in 2012 gave 10% of their income to a local church or some other nonprofit. Looking back, this number was 7% (2005-06), 5% (2003-04), 6% (2002) and 5% (2001).

Let’s contrast Barna’s report with the Macedonian Christians, as seen in 1 Corinthians 8:1-4.

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.

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I had the privilege of visiting Zimbabwe, where the economic condition of the country is almost indescribable. I was shocked by the amazing generosity of our churches there in the midst of such poverty. Without any advance notice they took an offering and gave it to me to use however I liked.

The offering was equivalent to $40,000. I was blown away.

We gave the offering to a family in our church that was unemployed at the time.

If we are to be more like the Macedonians and the Zimbabweans, we need to believe what God says about himself and mammon (the spirit behind money that wants to enslave us).

1. God, not money, is our provider. Knowing that God is our sole provider sets us free from the aimless pursuit of financial gain for the sake of security, worth, or value.

2. All we have is God’s. Few things put life into clearer perspective than realizing that everything we have is for God and his purposes. Without this bedrock belief we live self-centered lives at best.

3. The primary way to stay free from the god of mammon is to give it away.

Money, Possessions and Eternity

by Randy Alcorn

We break mammon’s power by taking what the devil intends to enslave us with, and generously giving it toward Kingdom purposes. In so doing, we move ourselves into a position to receive God’s blessing and away from the power of mammon.

Fe pe ev

ew things put life into clearer erspective than realizing that verything we have is for God and his purposes.

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Confessions of a Money Hugger CURT MCCUTCHAN The Macedonians knew what Christ had done for them and it affected all aspects of their lives.

Paul expressed this in 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (The Message): Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, he throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon.

His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

Jubilee Church

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St. Louis, MO

Money was a hidden struggle in my life. I grew up giving my tithe in the church offering, but I also liked buying and getting “stuff”!

Then I got married to Brenda, who loves to give. (This is attractive to one who enjoys receiving!)

I began to realize I relied on money to provide me with security and control. Whenever there was a special opportunity to give more (like Celebration offerings), Brenda & I would disagree. Her amount was always larger than mine. I felt guilty, and my fear of “having enough” for the “unknown future” remained. So I was ruled by mammon.

With God’s (and Brenda’s) help, I began to give beyond my comfort, but in growing faith. I discovered God’s provision whenever I stretched myself to trust him. Joy grew in giving into God’s mission and I now truly enjoy worship in offering times.

Here are some things I learned about trusting in or “loving” money. First, greed is idolatry (Col. 3:5). Dave Devenish writes that by serving Mammon, “our security becomes rooted in what we earn, our purpose becomes to earn more and we see our identity in terms of…our salary and what it buys for us” (Demolishing Strongholds). Second, faith and generosity are the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God. Trusting God brought freedom, joy and peace.

GARETH FORSEY >> New Frontiers Church >> Portsmouth, NH

TRAPPED IN MATERIALISM OR

FREED TO GIVE?

I’ve always found it fascinating how God uses money and possessions to reveal the state of our hearts. Martin Luther famously remarked, “There are three conversions necessary in the Christian life: the conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse”, adding, “The last part of a man to be converted is his wallet.”1 Ouch! How tender that spot can be when we are trapped in the subtle grasp of materialism.

I’ve found the contrasting stories of two rich guys encountering Jesus can really help us see where we stand.

Matthew 19:16-25 tells us the story of a rich young ruler who approached Jesus to ask what good deed he needed to do to receive eternal life. His responses to Jesus’ initial questioning suggests he was a nice young man, careful to follow the commandments and do the right thing. But just when you think this guy must be headed for great things, Jesus hits him with a zinger: “Sell everything you own, give the money to the poor, and follow me.” Thoroughly deflated

by Jesus’ request, the young man went away sad, leaving Jesus to explain to his disciples how the powerful grip of possessions stops rich people from receiving from Him. Contrast this story with one about another rich guy that wanted to see Jesus. Luke 19:1-10 tells the story of a nasty little man called Zacchaeus. Hated by his fellow Jews, he was the chief tax collector in Jericho. He was rich because

RECOMMENDED READING

Counterfeit Gods

by Timothy Keller

he skimmed a sizeable personal profit off the taxes he collected for his Roman masters. No one wanted to hang out with Zacchaeus. Everyone knew he was on the take.

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. Imagine him jumping up and down, blocked by the crowd, frustrated and annoyed, until he noticed a handy sycamore tree on the roadside.

Eagerly he climbed the tree to get Jesus’ attention. To the horror of the people, Jesus not only spotted Zacchaeus, but also asked if he could have dinner with him. We aren’t told about the dinner discussions, except for Zacchaeus’ response to his encounter with Jesus: this mean, cheating villain was transformed. He promised not just to restore any property he had stolen, but to pay back four times the amount, and to give half his possessions to the poor. Jesus declared: “Salvation has come to this house!”

The rich young man seemed to hold out so much potential, yet he ended in a worse place than Zacchaeus. He chose his possessions over God so Jesus let him walk away. How tragic! Of Zacchaeus, Tim Keller said, “If salvation had been something [to be] earned, then his question would have been ‘How much must I give?’ However, his promises were responses to lavish, generous grace, so his question was ‘How much can I give?’”2 Keller’s questions capture the different attitudes Jesus exposed in Zacchaeus and the rich young man perfectly.

One responded in faith and delight to the free expression of grace he had just received. The other remained trapped by his money, unable to embrace the freedom Jesus was

It’s only by placing our trust and faith fully in Jesus that we can be set free from the trap of materialism.

QUICK LOOK Mike Lawson Jubilee Church >> St. Louis, MO How are gifts for Newfrontiers USA used? Here’s some information about our past 12 months.

Newfrontiers USA is funded by 3 main sources:

offering. It’s only by placing our trust and faith fully in Jesus that we can be set free from the trap of materialism.

What question do you find yourself asking when you think about giving? Are you like Zacchaeus, eagerly inquiring, “How much can I give, Lord?” Or do you find yourself secretly wondering, “What’s this going to cost me?” If it’s the latter, then I suspect the idol of materialism still has a strong grip on your life.

References/Notes: 1. Martin Luther. (There is some debate about whether the second part should be attributed to John Wesley) 2. Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods, Penguin Group, 2009, Page 63. (Words in parentheses mine)

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$57,

Newfrontiers USA Giving March 2014–February 2015

$522,114.00 TOTAL

Church Giving ($446,368) Churches belonging to the Newfrontiers USA church family (led by John Lanferman) contribute regularly to what we do together. They understand we can do more together than we can apart.

Local Missions Offerings ($148,089) Offerings are taken each year at our Celebration, Mobilise and newday conferences. These go to expand our mission predominantly, but not exclusively, inside the US. International Missions Offerings ($69,470) We are connected to a larger, international family of churches, and also receive special offerings that are designated for international purposes.

We invest these gifts into 4 main areas: Apostolic Extension ($244,231) This involves John Lanferman and his team’s involvement with local churches. This area includes a percentage of salaries, travel expenses, support for church plants, and regional team development.

Worldwide Mission ($85,407) We contributed to the international relief fund that dispersed much needed resources to our churches in war-torn Ukraine, famine-stricken Kenya, and Ebola-ravaged countries in West Africa. We contributed to apostolic church-planting efforts in Japan, Ethiopia, New Zealand, and in Islamic nations. Through our relationship with our international church family, we are able to contribute to what God is doing globally through Newfrontiers.

Administration ($134,646) This includes organizational expenses that keep things rolling – phones, rent, office supplies, staff, etc. It also includes the administrative part of our communications expense–The LINK publication, books we print, Confluence blog website, etc.

$85

Training ($57,830) This includes Trilogy leadership training, Chronological Bible Storying, and Church Planting Training. Such training is our long-term investment into raising up church leaders, strengthening existing churches, and planting new churches, thus extending our breadth of mission.

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23 44,

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Administration

Training

Apostolic Extension

Global Mission

NORTHEAST

June 25–28 Portsmouth, NH

MIDWEST July 15-19 Joplin, MO

NORTHWEST A Generation is Emerging

August 12-16 Graham, WA

Midwest

JUNE 19-21

LAKE OZARK, MO

Northwest

JULY 24-26

SILVERTON, OR

California

AUGUST 6-9

BADGER, CA

Northeast

AUGUST 7-9

STURBRIDGE, MA

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Find out more about Celebration events in your area at

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celebration.newfrontiersusa.org

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