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LEADERSHIP TRAINING
S T E WA R D S H I P
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
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Meditate upon and apply these Scriptures to your life this week:
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G O D ’ S C R E A T I O N – V E RY G O O D
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S T E WA R D S H I P - A B R A H A M T O T H E
PROMISED LAND
In God’s first appearance to man, He told man that the earth was
good and delightful, and that it was to be used to meet his needs
(Genesis 1:29). However, man’s enjoyment of life should come from
God, not from the things God has made. God Himself is to be the
focus of man’s desire and attention.
Abraham gave Melchizedek the priest “a tenth of everything”
(Genesis 14:20). This was his confession that God was his Lord, the
“Creator of heaven and earth,” the Giver of victory (Genesis 14:19).
Abraham’s grandson Jacob recognized the same responsibility. He
vowed to give God a tenth of all that he received if God would protect
him in his journey and return him to his land. This humble confession
of dependence on God is not like the proud man who boasts, “... My
power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for
me” (Deuteronomy 8:17 and Daniel 4:30). There is no “middle road.”
We depend either upon God or upon our own strength.
The giving of a tenth was important. Man was humbly saying that
he was a steward of all that God had given him. The Old
Testament clearly demonstrates that every spiritual relationship of man
can be expressed in some material way. The Israelites had a way to
confess the operation of their faith in every area of their life. Certainly,
this was true in the financial area of their life.
Israel came out of Egypt by faith in the promises of God. God
then claimed the firstborn of Israel (Exodus 13:11–16). He
commanded that they be redeemed by the payment of five shekels per
male child (Numbers 3:46–47). This small payment reminded the
people of Israel that they belonged to the Lord - they were “not their
own” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
In your daily life, do you feel that you are depending upon God or
upon your own strength?
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S T E WA R D S H I P I N T H E P R O M I S E D L A N D
God brought the Israelites into the land that He had promised their
fathers (Exodus 6:8). This was the land where He would rule over
them forever (Exodus 15:17–18). God would drive out the inhabitants
and give the land to them (Exodus 23:28–30). In return, they would
bless His goodness by offering to Him the firstborn of all clean
animals and the first ripe grain and fruits. They would make this
offering at the place where He would choose (Deuteronomy 12:11–14,
17–18). There they would bring their annual tithes of the fruits of the
ground and of the flock (Deuteronomy 26:1–19).
When the Israelites offered their tithes, they confessed that God
was good to their ancestors and He delivered them in their time of
need. They confessed that He redeemed them from oppression, and
that He gave the land of Canaan to them (Deuteronomy 26:5–9). They
invited the Levites, the poor, the widows, and the orphans of their
local community to join them as they made these offerings to the
Lord. No man could appear at a feast empty-handed. The Law
required each man to bring an offering in proportion to the way he
had been blessed (Deuteronomy 16:10, 16-17).
The Israelites presented to the Lord the first fruits of their grain
and livestock. They joyfully came to the feasts with their offerings and
tithes. They made offerings of their lives and property and gave
generously to the Lord. The Israelites were to exercise good
stewardship of the land. They were to use the land and its products
unselfishly for those in need around them. Even the stranger on the
road was free to gather grain or fruit to satisfy his hunger
(Deuteronomy 23:24–25). The Israelites were to be kind and generous
to others, just as God had been gracious, kind and generous to them.
What do you think Israel’s stewardship of the Promised Land many
years ago means to us today?
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FA I T H F U L A N D A C C O U N T A B L E T O G O D
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Discussion Guide
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Meditate upon and apply these Scriptures to your life this week:
John 9:4 – “As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who
sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
Ephesians 5:16 – “making the most of the time, because the days
are evil.”
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P R E PA R I N G F O R E T E R N I T Y
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TIME IS SHORT
The Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to write these very
prophetic words: “…The time is short” (1 Corinthians 7:29). What is
the deeper meaning of this Scripture for believers today?
If there is very little of some thing, then usually that thing is very
valuable. For example, dirt, sand and ordinary rocks are very common
and plentiful. However, they are worth very, very little. On the other
hand, gold and diamonds are very hard to find. Thus, they are very
valuable. If man never died, time would not be valuable. However,
man dies after his time on earth and therefore time is very valuable.
Moreover, the way we use our time has eternal significance.
Even if you have many, many years of life remaining here on this
earth, the fact is, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and
then vanishes” (James 4:14). That is how James describes our life.
Even the longest life (90 or 100 years) is extremely tiny in comparison
to all eternity. For example, you can probably remember very well
some events that happened during your childhood as if they happened
yesterday. The reason is simply because it really has not been that long
ago, from an eternal viewpoint, when those events happened.
Therefore, regardless of how much time you have to develop habits
and a life more like Isa Masih, it really is not much time. Moreover,
not only is time short, but it passes very quickly. The apostle John
says it very clearly: “The world and its desires pass away” (1 John
2:17). We humans often speak of “saving” time, “making up” time, or
“buying” time, but those words are really without much meaning. We
can do nothing with time except to use it wisely. Once one day [or
even one minute] is past, it cannot be recovered.
Finally, if we do not discipline our use of time NOW, it will only be
more difficult to discipline ourselves later when we are older. We must
remember that time is short and is passing quickly.
Have you ever written down exactly how you spent a 24-hour
period? It might be interesting to see how you lived for one day.
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T H E O P P O R T U N I T Y O F T O DAY
Not only is time short and passing quickly, but also we do not
know how short it is, or how quickly it is passing. That is exactly why
we need to listen to the wisdom of Proverbs 27:1 – “Do not boast
about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
James also warns us not to boast about tomorrow. He said, “You do
not even know what will happen tomorrow” (James 4:14).
There are multitudes of people all over the world who died today.
Many did not know that death was about to happen to them. Many
were younger than you are at this moment. If they had known that
today was their last day, probably most of them would have used their
time differently. Regardless of how long we want to live or how long
we expect to live, our times are in God’s hands (Psalm 31:15).
Of course, we need to make plans as though we think we are going
to live for many years. To do otherwise would be foolish indeed.
However, as we do that, we must use our time today for the purposes
of Godliness, as though we think that today is our last day on earth.
There are many things that we can lose and then get them back
again. However, not time! Not all of the world’s power and strength
and technology can recover one minute of time. Thus, the time for
Godly living is now, today. The time for the work of God is TODAY.
NIGHT IS COMING for each one of us (Review our verse of
meditation for this week – John 9:4).
Many who are reading this page may be grieving over wasted time,
perhaps many years of wasted time. Although you may have misused
time in the past, you have the opportunity of TODAY. The will of
God for you now is in Paul’s words to the Philippian believers:
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press
on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Isa Masih” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Think about this: If we misused the time God gave us, He will
never offer that time to us again. However, He will forgive
us.
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AC C O U N TA B L E T O G O D F O R O U R T I M E
LOST OPPORTUNITIES
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T H E M O S T VA L UA B L E T I M E
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Discussion Guide
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Meditate upon and apply these Scriptures to your life this week:
Mark 12:44 – “They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her
poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 – “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will
also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously.”
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G I V I N G I S A N AC T O F WO R S H I P
S AC R I F I C I A L A N D G E N E RO U S G I V I N G
Sometimes we think that the only people who can give to the Lord
are those who are wealthy and who can spare the money. However,
think about the example that Isa Masih gave about the poor widow.
This shows that all, even the very poor, can give generously. The poor
widow only gave two very small copper coins, worth a tiny amount.
Moreover, that was “all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44).
The apostle Paul gives another similar example. In 2 Corinthians 8,
Paul speaks about the Macedonian believers. Paul wrote that the
Macedonian churches gave sacrificially and generously in spite of
their “extreme poverty” (verse 2). In verses 3-5, Paul goes on to
explain that the Macedonians gave “even beyond their ability” and
without any urging from Paul to do so. They simply “gave themselves
first to the Lord” and gave beyond what anyone would have expected.
Like those Macedonians, and like the poor widow of Mark 12, our
giving needs to be sacrificial. Simply stated, it is not sacrificial unless it
requires a sacrifice on our part. An interesting thing about generous
and sacrificial giving is that those who give in such a manner do not
have regrets or feel sorry for what they have done. They always believe
that the Lord gives them something even greater in return. Do you
think that this would be the meaning of Isa’s words: “It is more
blessed to give than to receive”? (Acts 20:35) Is this a spiritual
principle that most of us have not discovered in our walk with Isa?
Imagine a Mom or Dad who has sacrificed much time, effort and
money to help their child finish school. If you were to ask them, “Was
it worth it to make such a sacrifice?” They would quickly answer, “Oh,
yes! It was worth it!” It is the same way when you give sacrificially to
God. It is worth it, because He is worth it. He alone is worthy.
The opposite of faith is fear. Most do not give generously to God
because of fear that He will not provide. Will you give generously and
sacrificially in faith? Isa looks for those who have a willing heart.
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A R E Y O U S P I R I T UA L L Y T R U S T W O R T H Y ?
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G I V I N G B E C AU S E W E L OV E G O D
All of us owe God a great debt. However, God, in His great love
and wonderful grace, does not send us a bill. Your church does not
send you a bill for all of the blessings that you receive through the
church. Isa Masih does not work that way. Giving to the Lord and to
the support of His Kingdom’s work is not because of a command.
Your giving should be motivated by your love for Isa. How
much we give to Him is a reflection of how much we love Him. When
Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, he reminded them that some of
their fellow believers, the Macedonians, were such good and faithful
givers (2 Corinthians 8). Carefully notice his words in verse 8: “I am
not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love
by comparing it with the earnestness of others.” Paul did not use his
authority as an apostle to command them to give generously. Rather,
he appealed to their love for Isa Masih. Their love for Isa, more than
anything else, would motivate them to give generously.
If you continue to read 2 Corinthians, you will notice in the next
chapter (9), Paul still appeals to their love for God. 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.”
He said basically the same thing in 1 Corinthians 16:2, when he told
them that each person should give “as he may prosper.”
Thus, what is the Word telling us to do? Our giving to God should
be “measured” in the heart. The standard is our love for Isa Masih.
Let us close this chapter with an example of giving because we love.
Suppose it is your husband’s (or, wife’s) birthday. You buy them a very
nice gift and he (or, she) says, “Oh, this is so nice, but you should not
have done this.” Moreover, you reply, “But it was my duty.” Imagine
how disappointed your spouse would feel. You bought it simply
because you had to. Imagine, though, the joy if you say, “I bought this
because I love you.” Do you understand the difference?
Today, ask yourself the question, “Is my giving to the Lord
because I love Him, or because I feel that it is my duty?”
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G I V E W I L L I N G L Y, T H A N K F U L L Y A N D
C H E E R F U L LY
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Discussion Guide
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Meditate upon and apply these Scriptures to your life this week:
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T I T H I N G – F E L L OW S H I P W I T H G O D
T I T H I N G A N D O U R C OV E N A N T
RELATIONSHIP
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The last verse in the book of Leviticus [27:34], tells us, “These are
the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the
Israelites.” The tithe had been established long before Moses was
born. However, now, Moses was preparing the people for life in
freedom in the Promised Land. He was teaching the people how to be
responsible. Freedom demands responsibility. The people were
responsible to God. Moses taught the people about tithing to Him.
The fundamental principle of the tithe, as we have seen, was the
practice of dedicating to God a tenth of all that we have. The part
given was to be the first fruits or, in other words, the best. Tithing is
not a matter of law, but of grace. Giving the tithe is a joyful, loving
response to God’s blessings to us by His wonderful grace.
Moses taught that the tithe is holy to the Lord (Leviticus 27:30).
Moses and the people already knew that the tithe belonged to the
Lord. The people were then responsible to deliver it to Him. As slaves
in Egypt, they probably had very little to give, but at Sinai, they were
free and they expected to arrive soon in the Promised Land. They
needed to know how to manage their tithe. Moses gave instructions
about how to manage the tithe. He first taught the tithe was “holy.”
When Moses said the tithe was “holy,” he meant that the tenth part
was set apart to the Lord. Being set apart unto God (this is the basic
meaning of “sanctify,” to set something apart) made it holy and it
became God’s property. For example, the Levites were set apart as
God’s servants in the Tabernacle. They were to be supported by tithes
and offerings.
The tithe is not ours to keep. Any person who keeps the part that
belongs to God is not being a responsible steward because he is failing
to completely trust God. If we keep the tithe, we keep for ourselves
what belongs to God. It is His – set apart unto Him. In this chapter,
we understand that the tithe is holy to the Lord.
Have you considered your tithes and gifts as “holy” to the Lord?
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The church does not dictate what a person must do with his
possessions [Acts 5:4]. However, no one is independent of God. The
church must teach and apply God’s principles about wealth and giving.
Believers want to understand and apply the Bible’s teachings.
The early church, of which we study in the book of Acts and in the
Letters, recognized its stewardship responsibility to God. All that it
had was from God. All was shared for the good of all members in the
body. One example is found in Acts 4:32: “All the believers were one
in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his
own, but they shared everything they had.”
We believers belong to God. We are His stewards of all we possess.
This is true for both individuals AND churches. The way a church
uses God’s material resources indicates that church’s values, priorities,
and its spiritual health. A church must take proper and responsible
steps to insure that the resources God entrusts to it are used according
to His will. In the church, we help each other to think of tithes and
offerings as our personal gifts to God. We emphasize that giving is to
the Lord Isa Masih, not just to a program or to a ministry.
The principle found in 1 Corinthians 16:2 is the principle of
proportionate giving. The Bible teaches proportionate giving of 10%
of each person’s wealth. There is no fixed amount. Not everyone gives
the same amount. The giving of at least a tithe assures that each one
gives the same portion of his wealth, but not the same amount. This
means that all brothers and sisters carry an equal and fair share of the
burden, according to their ability.
House church leaders should be sure that all of the brothers and
sisters know God’s Word, especially the teaching concerning
stewardship of our possessions. The church should teach everyone
who calls upon Isa to acknowledge God’s ownership over all things.
Is your house church group properly teaching about the tithes and
offerings that we give to the Lord? Is giving part of your worship?
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God’s plan to finance His work is through the tithes and offerings
of His people. This was seen in the study of the Bible passages.
Beginning with the ministry of Isa [Luke 8:3], we see that those whom
Isa served supported His ministry. The pattern continued in Jerusalem
when believers gave sacrificially to the ministry of helping the “needy
persons among them” [Acts 4:34].
In Philippians 1:5, Paul mentioned partnership with the Philippian
believers. Philippians 4:15-16 shows that they gave financial support to
Paul’s ministry. From this we see that giving tithes and offerings is a
way to partner with God and participate in His ministry.
If God’s people will be faithful in giving as He has planned, there
will be sufficient funds for the spreading of His Gospel. When we do
God’s work according to God’s plan, He will bless us. The blessings
we receive from God will become a testimony even to unbelievers
(Malachi 3:12). When we give an offering, we can say, “Isa, I love you,
and I want to participate in Your work through this church.”
Therefore, we would say that the major portion of our tithes and
offerings should go for the spread of the Gospel message and to help
the poor and needy people around us. You may have the practice of
giving individual help to the poor, but you may want to consider how
the whole church body can put their offerings together to help
the poor. In this way, the poor realize that help has been given to
them from the Lord and His church, not just from an individual. As a
result, their thanksgiving will often go to Isa and His church, not just
to one person. This can be effective evangelism in your area.
In conclusion, giving is very important. We should all be good
stewards. The house church should teach the brothers and sisters to
give generously, joyfully, and sacrificially to God’s work and to the
poor. Leaders should teach tithing and giving by their example.
Training should begin with each new believer immediately after he
repents and receives Isa Masih. He will learn that he gives to the
Lord, the One who has given him all things.
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Discussion Guide
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