Introduction:
        When we take up a collection each Sunday we are not soliciting money from our visitors. As members of this church, we have a responsibility to give on the first day of the week. We do this because the Bible tells us to. It is only right to examine what the Bible says about it from time to time.
        Why do we need to be concerned with giving; with the amount and the attitude that we have as we give? Why is it worthy of our attention? Why is it important?

I. It Is Commanded

A. 1 Cor. 16:1-2 - the instruction to lay by and store was an order given by an inspired apostle. It carries the weight of a divine command.

B. The church has been given the most important work in the world: to spread and defend the gospel, to build up the saints, and to relieve its needy. Like any other endeavor, this work takes money.

C. God has left instructions on how this money is to be raised.

1. Not by a bingo game, rummage sale, bake sale, pancake breakfast, fish fry, raffle, carnival, fund raisers, business, car wash, billing or taxing the members, golf tournaments or casinos (The Golden Plate Christian Casino and Resort, owned by the Landover Baptist Church in Freehold, Iowa).
2. Not by solicitations from non-members.
3. But by freewill offerings from its members on the first day of the week.

D. When we identify ourselves as a member of a local church, we have the responsibility to support the work of that church with, among other things, our weekly contribution.
There is more than one way that we can lose our soul with money. Giving as we have prospered is a command of God. Matthew 7:21 - if we are not giving as we have been prospered, we are not doing the will of our Father in Heaven. This is something that we can lose our soul over.

II. It Is An Act Of Worship

A. Taking up a collection is the way the church raises its funds, but it is not looked upon as find raising. It is an act of worship. It is not a routine, not a convenient time to pass the plate while everyone is together. It is an act of worship that the church is to do on the first day of the week.

B. Giving, making sacrifices, has always been a part of man's worship to God - Patriarchal, Law of Moses, in the Church.

C. If our giving is worship, what are we saying with this particular act of worship? What spiritual benefit is there to giving?

1. We acknowledge the fact that we are wholly dependent upon God.
We are recipients of His blessings, everything that we have is from God.
Acts 17:25 James 1:17
2. We praise God for His love, kindness, provision and providential care.
3. We express gratitude to God. Under the Law of Moses there was a Thanksgiving offering - Psalm 107:21-22.

D. God demands the best.
"The amount is not important." The church has no business telling you how much you have to give. There is no set amount in the New Testament, but that does not mean that the amount is not important!
Remember, in the Old Testament, God wouldn't accept anything but their best. In our worship today, we understand the importance of doing our best when it comes to things like our appearance and our singing. The same principle applies to our giving.
Giving out of our surplus, what is left over, is not an acceptable way to express our praise and gratitude to God. Can we say that the amount that we give is acceptable worship offered up to God?

III. It Is Commended

A. Giving and sharing is a way of life for a Christian.

1. It follows the instruction of Jesus - Acts 20:35.
2. It follows the pattern of the early church:
Acts 2:44-45 - one of the first things we find the church doing is making
sacrifices to give.
2 Cor. 8:1-5 - they gave liberally out of their poverty.

B. Other admonitions to give:

1. 1 Timothy 6:17-18 - the rich are instructed to put their blessings to work, to be willing and ready to give and to share.
2. Ephesians 4:28 - we are to work so that we have something, not for ourselves, but to give to the one who has need.
3. Romans 12:13 - distributing to the needs of the saints.

Giving is not a Sunday thing for a Christian, it is a way of life.

IV. We Can Rob God

Malachi 3:8 - what a terrible thing it would be to stand before God in judgment and find out that we have been guilty of robbing God.

A. How can I rob God? All the universe is His. How will me keeping my small amount of money matter to Him?
The fact that we see it as our money and want to keep it is the problem. We are not robbing God of the money, but of the recognition, praise and gratitude that He deserves. We are robbing the church of the finds it needs to carry out the Lord's work. We are robbing our brethren of a good example of generosity.

B. These Jews withheld their tithes and offerings, and the priesthood that was normally supported by them suffered as a result. When we withhold our contribution the work of the church suffers for it.

Conclusion:

Giving is important to God. Is it important to you?
How much thought has gone into the amount that you are going to put in the plate in just a moment?
Giving is not an option if we are seeking to please God with our life.

Introduction:
        In a previous lesson (Why We Should Give?) we began a two-part look at the subject of giving. We considered the question, "Why should we give?" The Bible gives at least four answers:
        1. It Is Commanded
        2. It Is Worship
        3. It Is Commended
        4. We Can Rob God

        After we have determined that we should give, we must then determine how much to give.

I. Tithing
        When we talk about giving, the subject of tithing usually comes up.

A. Tithing is the practice of giving a tenth of one's income or property as an offering to God. This custom dates back to ancient times, and was practiced by many different nations.
Among the Jews, its observance predates the Law of Moses. Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe of all the goods he had obtained in battle (Gen. 14:17-20).

B. Law of Moses:
     1. Leviticus 27:30-32 - tithes were to include the seeds, fruits and animals from the flocks and herds.
     2. Numbers 18:21-32 - tithes were to be given to the Levites because they ministered in the Temple on behalf of the nation and had no land of their own. The Levites were, in turn, to offer a tenth of this offering to the Lord as a "Heave Offering." They got to keep the rest.

C. Tithing is mentioned eight times in the New Testament, every instance refers to Old Testament usage. There is no expressed command for Christians to tithe.
The Law of Moses, which included the command to tithe, was done away with - Colossians 2:14-17; Hebrews 8:6-13

D. Some Christians still use 10% as a figure for their giving. Need to be aware of the fact the 10% of our "take home" pay is not the same as the Israelites giving 10% of their livelihood to the Lord.

II. Biblical Principles For Giving
        Instead of giving us a set amount or percentage, the Lord has given us principles which are to govern how much we should give.

1. As We Prosper
1 Cor. 16:2 - "in keeping with his income" (NIV).
This does not mean that only the prosperous should give. Prosper has to do with what we have earned or received that week. Those who prosper more should give more.
Our weekly contribution is not a bill to be paid; no set amount. The amount we give should vary in proportion to how much we have made that week.
è If I have earned less, I can give less.
è If I have earned more, I should give more.
"How much have I prospered this week?" - is one thing that will determine how much I give this week.

2. Bountifully
2 Cor. 9:6 - "generously" (NIV)
Biblical giving requires bountiful giving. We should be generous and liberal with our giving; looking to see how much we can give, not how little.
Notice that this admonition comes with a promised blessing. God will not reward us in proportion to our giving as the "Health & Wealth Gospel" suggests. (Send us $100, and God will see that you get $1,000)
But God's blessings are promised in proportion to our generosity.
Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35; Proverbs 11:24

3. Purpose in our Heart
2 Cor. 9:7 - Biblical giving is planned giving. Not what is left over after the bills are paid or the weekend's entertainment. We sit down, reflect on how we have prospered that week, and choose the amount we think is appropriate.
We should give with purpose and intention of heart. God wants our offering to be an expression of our heart (worship) not a random figure. We need to put some time and thought into our giving.

4. Cheerfully
2 Cor. 9:7 - Biblical giving involves the right attitude. We are not to give because we think we have to. We are to give because we want to.
God is not made better by anything we give Him. If our attitude is that we would rather have the money to spend on ourselves, we would do better to keep it in our pocket until we mature to the point that we will give from a cheerful and grateful heart.
If our attitude is right we will give cheerfully. We will not begrudge the fact that we have lost something, not will we feel like we have been pressured into giving out of necessity. We'll be glad that we have something to give and to help.

5. Sacrificially
Biblical giving involves a sacrifice.

A. Luke 21:1-4 - this widow knew what a sacrifice was. She gave more because her gift cost her more than it cost the others. She gave her "grocery money, rent, utilities, etc." The others gave what was left over from their surplus. She would have to go without because of what she gave.

B. 2 Sam. 24:22-24 - David understood the meaning of sacrifice. He was not about to give to the Lord as a sacrifice something that did not cost him anything.
Do we have the right to call what we give a "sacrifice"?

C. Acts 5:1-4 - the first act of church discipline was over two people taking credit for a sacrifice "which cost them nothing." They lied to both God and man.

Conclusion:

Giving is important. What we give and how we give it are equally important.
We are not required to give a specific amount like tithing. We are given principles to guide us as we choose what is right to give.
God does not want us to respond to figures and meet quotas, He wants our offering to be a reflection of the gratitude of our heart.
2 Cor. 8:1-5 - we will only give as we should after we have first given ourselves to the Lord.

Introduction:
        The Book of Acts is sometimes referred to as the Book of Conversions. It is the record of the immediate fulfillment of the Great Commission - to go and make disciples.
        In passages like Mark 16, we can read what we are told to do to be saved, but in the book of Acts we can see what people did in response to the gospel.

        Modern day accounts of conversion are encouraging. But Biblical accounts are better. They have passed the test of divine supervision twice. First, the preacher who tells the sinners what to do to be saved is inspired. No way he got it wrong. Second, Luke was inspired when he recorded them. There is no way that he got them wrong either.
        We can trust them as a perfect pattern for what we must do to be saved. If we ever doubt our conversion we can compare it to the inspired accounts.

The Convert: First let's notice some things about this convert.

- He was in an honorable, powerful position. He was the Treasurer of the Queen of Ethiopia (v. 27). This speaks well of his character, he was trustworthy.
- He was a Jew, he had come to Jerusalem to worship (v. 27).
- He was devout. He had traveled over 1,000 miles in a chariot. He would make that kind of a sacrifice to worship God. And, he was trusted by the Queen to leave.
- He was searching (vs. 30-34). He was reading a scroll of Isaiah, and searching for answers as to the identity of the suffering servant.

Here is a man with a good and honest heart searching for the truth.
What are some lessons we need to learn from this conversion?

I. Man's Role in God's Plan of Salvation - v. 30
        This man was searching for the truth. God promises to answer man's request - Matthew 7:7-8.         However, God did not send the angel of the Spirit to the sinner. It was another man, Philip, who spoke the gospel to the eunuch.

        Some people believe that the Holy Spirit intervenes and speaks directly to the sinner. But the Scriptures do not support this.
        Things happen in the lives of individuals that make them aware of their mortality and their need for God. And the providence of God may cause them to cross paths with a believer who can guide them into an understanding of the truth. But nowhere does the Bible teach that angels, Holy Spirit or Christ speaks the gospel to the lost today.
        Acts 9:6 - why didn't Jesus tell Paul what to do?
        Acts 10:3-6 - why didn't the angel tell Cornelius what to do?
        Romans 10:11-15 - man has a role to play in salvation. Our salvation is dependent upon other people to a certain extent. There would be no accounts of conversion in Acts if people hadn't taught others the gospel.

II. Baptism is a Part of Preaching Jesus - vs. 35-36
      "Preach the Man and not the plan." "We just want to hear about Christ and not baptism or the church." Is this possible?
        The text says that Philip "preached Jesus to him." Yet, in the next verse, the eunuch is asking about baptism. How did he know about baptism and why did he want to be baptized? He heard about baptism and the need to be baptized from Philip as he preached the gospel of Christ.
        You can't preach Christ without preaching baptism. His public ministry began with His own baptism by John and it ended with the commission to go and baptize believers (Mark 16:15-16). Along with faith, repentance and confession; baptism is a part of man's response to the gospel. A gospel without Baptism is an incomplete and inadequate gospel.

III. The Eunuch Did Not Wait To Obey - v. 36
        His desire to be baptized assures us that he understood its importance. He wasn't told that baptism wasn't essential, that he should someday be baptized, or that he should wait for a more convenient time. He wanted to do it immediately.
        When people understood what they had to do - they did it. He didn't have to be pleaded with.
The time to obey the gospel is when you understand what you must do to be saved. Urgency is stressed with baptism in the New Testament: Acts 2:41, 16:33, 22:16.
        If you need to be baptized for the remission of your sins, do it today.

IV. Baptism is Immersion - vs. 38-39
        What is the action of baptism? Some say immersion, some say sprinkling or pouring. What does the Bible say?
        From the account here, the action was Philip and the eunuch getting out of their chariot, going down into the water, being baptized, and coming up out of the water. Not necessary for sprinkling or pouring.
        The action is made clear in Romans 6:3-4. Baptism is modeled after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Immersion best describes a burial, not sprinkling or pouring.
        If you were not immersed, you were not baptized according to the Biblical pattern.

V. Rejoicing Comes After Baptism, Not Before - v. 39
        Rejoicing is because of the forgiveness of sins. There is no reason to rejoice until after baptism because it is baptism that washes away our sins and places us in Christ - Acts 22:16, Gal. 2:27.
        The Philippian jailer didn't rejoice until after his baptism - Acts 16:33-34.
        If you are not baptized into Christ, there is nothing for you to rejoice about. No reason for you to be at ease, comfortable or satisfied with the state of your soul or your relationship with God.

Conclusion:
        How does the account of your conversion compare to this inspired account? Were you guided in the truth of God's word or did you follow your feelings? What were you told about baptism?
If you have never been baptized then you need to come forward and take this final step into Christ. With your confession of faith we will gladly baptize you into Christ for the remission of your sins and you can go your way with a reason to rejoice.

        When I mention the word "fool" or say that someone is a fool or is acting foolish, what comes to mind? We think they are stupid, displaying a lack of intelligence.
        Fool - "a person with little or no judgment, common sense, wisdom, etc.; silly or stupid person; simpleton, an idiot or imbecile" (Webster's Dictionary).

        The Bible meaning of the word fool is different than ours. Although there are times when the word fool is used to describe a person lacking intelligence, it is often used to describe a person lacking character. One who has rejected God's instruction and struck out on their own.

        The Bible uses the word "fool" as a condemnation of character, not as an insult.

Characteristics of a Fool - How To Spot a Fool
1. Hates knowledge - Prov. 1:7, 22
2. Brings shame, grief, bitterness to loved ones - Prov. 10:1, 17:25
3. Make light of sin and evil - Prov. 14:9, 10:23
4. Can't control their temper - Prov. 29:11
5. Can't control their tongue - Eccl. 10:12-14; Prov. 17:27-28

        The Bible specifically mentions four different kinds of fools. Who they are may surprise you.

I. The Atheist
        Psalm 14:1 - man has to be taught there is no god. Every civilization has worshipped something. Most of the time is has been connected with nature. This is no accident - Psalm 19:1 Rom. 1:18-20
        They are fools because they ignore the strong evidence for God. The wisdom of this world looks for a natural cause for God's creation, but fails to see that a plan implies a planner, art implies an artist, mathematics implies a mathematician and creation implies a creator.
        Some choose not to believe in God because they do not want to make themselves accountable to God. Choosing not to believe in God doesn't make Him cease to exist.
        Only a fool would ignore the evidence and enter judgment unprepared.

II. The Rich Fool
        Luke 12:16-21 - Some might look upon this man's actions as making good business sense. He was expanding his opportunity to make and maintain more wealth.
        God says he is a fool, not because of the attention he gave to his business, but because he neglected his soul and his God.
        He confused his material body for his soul.
        He valued his money more than his soul - Matt. 16:26.

        We don't have to be rich to be a Rich Fool. It is the love of money that takes the place of God in our heart and causes us to act in a foolish way which condemns our soul - 1 Timothy 6:9-10.

III. The Wise Fool
        Matthew 7:24-27 - think they know better than God.
        This world is full of "intellectuals" who look upon belief in God as a crutch. The gospel is foolishness to the worldly minded.
        This passage is talking about the person who shuns God's instructions.
        They hear God's will but don't follow it.
        They will not listen to the instruction - building upon rocks.
        They trust their own judgment - building upon the sand.
        When the storms of life come, they are unprepared.

We must listen to God's instruction, and obey it.
Prov. 6:20-23, 7:1-4

IV. Ignorant Church Member
        Eph. 5:15-17 - Children should know their father's will. We are expected to know God's will.
        Hebrews 5:12-14 - Those who are still babes in their understanding when they have been given time to be mature are fools.
        It is one thing to be ignorant of God's will because we are a new convert. It is a shameful thing to be ignorant because of neglect.

        Are we a Bible Fool?

Introduction:
        Matthew 7:1-6 - How many times have we been told that we can't judge people? It seems that there are a few verses in the Bible that everyone knows of; this is one of them.
        We live in a world that embraces tolerance. The limits are pushed on a daily basis. We are allowed to have our own views, provided that they don't condemn the views of others. When a Christian raises an objection, states that something is clearly wrong, we are reminded that our book says, "Judge Not."
        I want us to take a look at the subject of judging others and making judgments. Does the Bible allow it or prohibit it? What did Jesus means when He said, "Judge not"? And I want to consider what it means to judge with righteous judgment.

I. What the Bible Says About Judging

Judge (KRINO) - primarily denotes "to separate, select, choose"; hence "to determine," and so "to judge, pronounce judgment." (Vine)
"to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially) (Strong)

A determination based upon an observation.

If Matthew 7 prohibits all judging then there are some inconsistencies in this very passage.
Verse five tells us that after we have removed the plank from our eye we are to remove the speck from our brother's eye. The speck represents a fault in our brother, the plank a more serious fault in ourselves.
Here is the dilemma: how can we remove a fault from a brother unless we have observed a fault in them and judged them to have a fault?
Verse six - how can we determine who are dogs and swine, what is holy and what is a pearl without making judgments?
Matthew 7:15-20 - how can we know who false prophets are without making a judgment based upon the way they live and what they teach (fruits)?

1 Thess. 5:21-22 - to test means to make a judgment; accept what is right and reject what is wrong.

Obviously the Bible allows us to make judgments.
We cannot violate Matthew 7:1 by observing Matthew 7:20.

II. What Jesus Meant When He Said "Judge Not"

Matthew 7:1-2 - Jesus is not prohibiting judging, but warning that we will receive the same kind of judgment, with the same kind of measure, that we use on other people.
This is not a blanket condemnation of making judgments. It is condemning hypocritical, hypercritical judgments. Only a hypocrite would overlook a log in his eye to point out the speck in your eye.
We are not to charge people with faults that we pardon ourselves from.
In fact, Jesus tells us to make judgments. Righteous Judgments - John 7:24.

III. What is a Righteous Judgment?

1. A Judgment That Is Right
A judgment made according to the right standard.
Isaiah 5:20 Proverbs 17:15

If a Christian is doing what is right, brethren should not judge and condemn them for it. Likewise, if a Christian is doing what is wrong, brethren should not ignore it nor allow it.
Revelation 2:20 1 Cor. 5:1-3

2. A Judgment That Is Fair
John 7:24 - the Jews were only looking on the surface. They needed to look deeper and appreciate that what Jesus was doing was no more a violation of the Law of Moses than when they circumcised on the Sabbath.
We need to get all the facts before we make a judgment.
"Walk a mile in another's shoes."

Matthew 7:1-2 - Jesus is not forbidding or condemning judging. He is warning against making hypocritical or hypercritical judgments. Judging people by a different standard is not fair.
What if God judged us like we judge others? He will (James 2:12-13).

1 Timothy 5:19-25 - these instructions don't just apply to preachers and elders. They are a good safeguard against gossip.

v. 19 - we are to be open and fair, get all the facts.
v. 21 - prejudice, means to pre-judge before we get all the facts.
v. 22 - hastily - take our time and do it right.
v. 24-25 - some things take time to see (fruit).

3. A Judgment That We Have The Right To Make
The Bible tells us that there are some judgments that we don't have the right to make.

A. Matters of Opinion - Romans 14:3-4
This chapter deals with matters of indifference to God. He will accept a person regardless of what they believe and practice in these areas.
That being the case, we are not at liberty to make determinations, judgments or condemnations based upon matters of opinion.
Such judgments would affect our fellowship and place stumbling blocks before others - vs. 19-21.

B. Judgments Made In Ignorance - Romans 14:3
The weak brother did not know the other had the right to eat. He needed to get all of the facts. Because of the potential danger that judgments can cause, we are forbidden to make them without first getting all of the facts. Such would not be righteous judgment.

C. Those Who Are Outside - 1 Cor. 5:9-13
"You would need to go out of the world." We need to be careful of how we live among unbelievers. Some brethren ruin opportunities by passing judgment upon them before they even get to know them and influence them for good.
Matthew 9:11-13 - Jesus ate with publicans and sinners. He did not condone their sin, neither did He condemn them like the Pharisees. He let them know that they could be forgiven, not just condemned.
This is a fine line; but mature, loving Christians are expected to be able to walk it.

Conclusion:

The Bible tells us to make judgments, but also tells us how. Let us be careful that we judge with righteous judgment.

Introduction:
        Christianity is an "individual" religion (2 Cor. 5:10).
        There was a time in which God dealt with mankind through the heads of families - Patriarchal Period. Then God dealt with man through a nation (Law of Moses). On this side of the cross, God extends His mercy through a better covenant, and deals with mankind individually.

        The local church is made up of individuals. However, the family unit has something unique and important to provide to the local church.

        Realize that not every member comes to worship with a family. Some have spouses, parents or children who are not interested or supportive. Some are separated from their family, which makes worshiping together on regular basis impossible.
        This lesson is not intended as an indictment or criticism against these situations. Not meant to rub salt in a sore spot.
        It is intended to give us some instruction and serve as a reminder of the responsibilities and potential that families have to the local church.

I. Contribute to the Work and Worship
        Eph. 4:16 - every person has a role to play. Husbands/fathers, wives/mothers, children of all ages, grandparents all bring something unique to a local church. In some places the absence of an entire age group is really felt.
1. Attendance - Hebrews 10:25 - your family needs to be here for all of the services. Regular and faithful attendance is an important contribution to the local church. A family of four missing a service is much worse than just one person.
2. Bible Classes - need to have your children here for both Bible classes.
        As adults, need to be willing to help teach is possible, desirable.
       Parents, need to help children get their lessons done, get own lesson done.
3. Volunteer - clean the building, prepare communion, feed visiting preacher, together as a family.
4. Encourage - speak words of encouragement as a family, send cards signed by entire family.
5. Respond to Visitors - don't avoid them. Talk to them, invite them to go with you after services. Teach our children to look for and welcome visitors to their classes.

II. Visitation
       James 1:27 - visit "to look upon in order to help or relieve."
       This is something that every Christian needs to be doing. Do we think to take our children along with us?
        We want our children to have pure and undefiled religion. We need to help them form the habit of visiting the sick and shut-ins. Get the entire family involved in a regular practice of visiting.
       Use wisdom, some older folks like to see young people, but in some instances it would not be appropriate to take them along (hospital, hospice, etc.).
        Let our children learn what it is like to prepare a meal and take it to someone, to help clean their house or lawn.
        When they get older they may still be uncomfortable with it, but they will not be unfamiliar with it.         They will see it as a responsibility they have.
        Matthew 25:34-40

III. Hospitality
        It is one thing to take something to someone else's home, it is another thing to open our own home to others.
        The Bible tells Christians to practice hospitality, to open their homes:
        Romans 12:13 Hebrews 13:2 1 Peter 4:9
        You can't have a Christian home without the presence of hospitality.

        Hospitality played an important role in the church in the first century:
        - Helped members grow closer together - Acts 2:46, 4:32.
        - Helped preachers - Acts 18:1-3; 2 John

Hospitality is important today.
        1. Helps us grow closer, spending time together outside of worship.
        2. Helps new converts form relationships, find the strength and support they need to remain faithful.
        3. Helps to expose members to Christian homes.
        4. Helps us help each other. Allows members to get away from the troubles and stresses of their life for a few hours. Watch each others children while Mom and Dad spend time together.
        5. Children need to learn to do good and to share by watching Mom and Dad practice hospitality without grumbling - Heb. 13:16.

IV. Evangelism
        We need to get away from the idea of "Personal Evangelism" and learn to work together in evangelistic efforts.
        The Christian family is in a unique position with unique opportunities in the area of evangelism.
        1. Let your light shine (Matt. 5:16). Let the world see something different about your family. If they ask, you have an open door to share the gospel.
        2. It is not uncommon for families of young friends to do things together. Parties, games, events, etc. Use opportunity to get to know them, invite them.
        3. Encourage your children to invite their friends to Bible Class.
        4. Ball practice, music lessons, scouts, etc., all give your family opportunity to let your light shine before other people.

V. Qualify Elders and Deacons
        A man can not qualify himself to serve alone. There are family qualifications to both offices.
        Elder - Titus 1:6; 1 Timothy 3:4-5
        Deacon - 1 Timothy 3:11-12

        Elders must be hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8). His wife and children help him with that qualification.

        How many people do we know who would make great elders and deacons, except for the fact that their wife/children disqualify them?
        Qualifying men to serve in this capacity is vital to the church. Families need to make this a goal and work toward it.

Conclusion:
        A family will never play an important role in the local church until the church is important to that family.
       Think seriously about the responsibility that your family has to the Lord and to His church. Is there more that we can be doing?

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