Giving at Hudson Presbyterian Church

Why we give?

            1. The church is the intentional creation of Jesus Christ in which we come together

for God’s Kingdom purposes:

• to be formed as mature disciples who show and share Jesus,
• to be formed as a body that in the totality of its life resembles Jesus,
• and to carry out God’s mission to the world as we give away what we have received as a gift of grace.

          2. We support the shared life and work of the body in this place.  We fund the home base that provides space for the faith community to worship, study, pray and serve and which provides an arena for our growth as disciples (We remember always that as the mission changes our home base may change since structure always supports the vision and mission.).  We also provide space for groups within the community, whose purposes we value, to serve others in Jesus’ name. 

        3. We give to meet the needs in our community, nation and world laid before us by God.     

What we believe about giving:

• Everything you have and own comes as a gift of grace from God.  “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” (Psalm 24:1-2 ESV)  Paul says it this way in Colossians 1:16d, “all things have been created through him and for him”.  This impacts how we live.  If God created us, then all that we have and all that we are belongs to him.  We are simply trustees of these resources (life, time, talent, treasure, creation) for a season.  This makes the question before us: How much of the estate entrusted to us is it appropriate to use for ourselves?  For most of us that amount changes over the course of our lives.  However, it is frequently more than warranted since we confuse wants and needs.    
• All of us are by nature treasure hunters.  Our choices and actions are purposeful.  You and I were created hard-wired to desire treasure.  Our hearts and minds are designed so that we would be treasure seekers.  The Westminster Catechism begins: “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” It doesn’t come to this conclusion out of thin air but through deep reflection on the whole of Scripture.  The Psalmists say it this way: In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)  “Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing else on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!” (Psalm 73:25-26)  We were created to desire, to treasure God.  The problem is sin pulls our God given desires for love, approval, place and security off track.  Things that were intended to find their satisfaction in God now get filled with the stuff of this world.  Where is your treasure?  “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21 NIV)  Your use of the resources entrusted to you reveals what your heart treasures.
• Money’s grip on us is insidiously strong.  It’s why Jesus speaks of money issues more than any other subject. If you don’t believe it, consider that 11 of Jesus’ 39 parables deal with money.  Jesus talks about money more than he does about hell.  Note Luke 12:15…Jesus warns us “Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
• The question becomes: Will your finances control you or will you control your finances?  “You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 NIV)

So what can you do?  Give freely of all that God has given you.  Ruthlessly inventory how you use that which God has entrusted to you for his glory.  If you are not using your resources in that way, it is time to be honest with your Father in heaven.  Trust him and ask him to do the heart work necessary for you to live differently.  Begin to train your heart to trust God in little things so that the big things have less and less dominion over

your life. 

Tithing is a first step in that direction.  It helps us undo our need for finding identity and approval in the wrong places and trains us to instead find it in God.  Leviticus 27:20 reminds us, “A tithe of everything from the land whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”  A tithe is a tenth part.  We use that term very loosely.  Israel, by way of comparison, had three main offerings.  One supported their spiritual leaders.  The second was for a feast. The third was for the poor.  Twenty-three percent of their income went to God.  A tithe looks modest by comparison.  Writer Randy Alcorn says that the tithe was the floor for giving…not the ceiling.

If you can’t take that big step, begin by incrementally trusting God.  If your giving is at 2% creep it up to 3%.  If it is 3%, increase it to 4%.  You get the idea.

Cathy and I have never regretted our decision to tithe.  It came early in our marriage when finances were tight and the math didn’t add up.  It’s a funny thing.  We never lost a thing by trusting God first.  That which was hard in the beginning, became a joy and a gift of grace, as we shared what we had with the body of Christ and the world.

Remember in the higher math of God’s Kingdom, five loaves and two fish given to God, feed a multitude!

Pastor Bill