The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-12-11
CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP

Council of Religious Education; used by
permission.
CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP
LESSON TEXT-u Corinthians s:19;
e:6 7.
GOLDEN TEXT-It is required in stew.
ards, that a man be found faithful CORN.
thians Az.
The Christmas season, when there
is SO much thought about gifts, is a
most appropriate time for a lesson
on Christian giving. DR.. John Willis
Baer was once asked: Glow can
we raise money for foreign mis-
sions?" Quick as a flash, he an
swered: Don't raise it, give it. :"
IF all believers could come to true
knowledge of what the New Tesla
ment teaches regarding giving, and
would seriously put this knowledge
into practice, the Christian church
could advance more in the next 10
years than it has advanced in any
so years in its history (Wilbur NJ
SMITH.
l. An Example Of Liberality
(8:1-5).
For some reason people are over
ly sensitive when one speaks of
money. The subject must be APP
preached tactfully, so Paul skillfully
directs the attention of the Corin-
THAN church to their fellow Chris
tians in Macedonia They had been
in great af1iction and were in
"deep poverty" ". D, but out of
their sorrow and want they gave
far above PauPs expectation ". 81
and beyond their power" and then
pleaded with Paul that he should
let them give more. The explana-
ton is found in verse 5, where we
learn that they had first given "their
own selves to the Lord" and then
in loving cooperation with Paul
himself, as the Lords agent, in this
matter of the Offering.
Is it not strange that those who
suffer most for the gospel and have
the least to give are the most gen.
erous in their giving. Those to
whom the gospel has come easily,
who bear no special burdens for
Christ, and who are well situated
financially, are commonly the most
stingy with their money. Could il
be that they have not really given
themselves to the Lord? One Won
ders.
II. An ExIsortation to Faithful
ness $3.50.
Apparently the Corinthians had
made a promise or pledge to give
for the poor at Jerusalem, but had
become a bit forgetful and negli-
gent. 1t seems to be so easy to
neglect to keep up a pledge for the
Lords work. Some folk even feel
that they cannot make a pledge
They pledge to pay their rent
to make payments on car, or a
washing machine; but to the church
they just can't pledge, or if they
do, the promise is often neglected.
Such things are ,dishonoring to the
name of Christ
AS they abound in other graces ".
y, Paul exhorts !he Corinthians to
abound in this grace also So
giving is a Christian grace! And
why not? Consider Christ ". 81,
who left the glory He had with the
Father and came to the poverty of
the One who had not where to lay
His head, that we through Him
might be eternally rich.
FriO-,l yr,I,o,o Al o+ t1,I1+o
lays hold of your heart and life your
purse strings will loosen, your check
book will open more easily, you will
gladly give-for Christ's sake.
III. A Principle of Christian Civ
ing (9:6).
The harvest is always in proper
ton to the sowing of the seed. The
man who is stingy with his seed at
sowing time will reap that kind of a
harvest. The opposite is also true,
1t works in the field Of business
too. The merchant who gives the
fullest return for ones money and
the most liberal measure Of service
is bound to prosper, while the stingy
one is left to lament the fact that
his goods rot on his shelves.
In the spiritual realm it is even
more true But, someone may
say, we ought not to do good that
we may profit by it. No real Chris
tan will give just that he may pros
'ner. but, mark it well, if he does
give for Christ's sake and His glory,
God will prosper him. "You can't
beat God giving"
w. The Spirit CT Christian
Stewardship (9:D.
Our giving is to be done according
to the purpose of our heart-not
grudgingly, nor with grief, nor yet
by compulsion, because someone put
on pressure.
God loves a cheerful or Gas it may
be translated) hilarious giver. When
done in the right spirit, giving for
Christ can be one of the happiest
exoeriences of the Christian life.
Let's make offering time in our
church services the most joyful
time in the meeting. Then we shall
be liberal as well as cheerful in
this grace of stewardship.