WAG-Syllabus

WAG-8

Worship

Lesson 8

When they came to worship they…

Gave as Prospered

 

In the following verses we see another act of worship that the apostles taught the early church to do…

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:

On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)

Also notice this verse:

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

This is how God plans for the church to have the ability and funds to spread His truth, the members are to give as they have be prospered, willingly and not grudgingly.

These monies are used for many reasons, to help those in need, for the work and material in order to spread the Truth, to help support mission work, to pay the preacher and more…

Here in 2 Corinthians we see that we are not only to give of our earnings but we are to give of ourselves.

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)

Out in the world we see many churches having bake sales, rummage sales, raffles… in order to raise money for their congregation. When I think or see this I am reminded of Jesus cleansing the temple:

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Matthew 21:12-13)

So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.            (Mark 11:15-16)

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”                 (Luke 19:45-46)

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.              (John 2:12-14)

I have not found scripture telling us that this is acceptable to God. Why can’t we just learn to obey the God given example and teachings that we have been give? Why do we think that we know better how to do things in His Kingdom than He does?

“ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
“ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

 

The only way we are pleasing to Him and the only way we will make it to Heaven is by obey Him.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

Extra Note:

For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:
“ I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” (Hebrews 2:11-12)

When we are obeying the teachings of the Son of God, He is in the midst of the assembly with us.

He is with us when we gather together and do as He teaches.

This does not mean that He is among everyone claiming to be doing things in His name. If we are not following the example and teachings found in His Word, He is not among us!

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

He has given us the standard which we will be judged by:

He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” (John 12:48-50)

 

We better be sure that we are following the Word of the Son!

QUESTIONS

(Please give scripture to prove your answers)

1. When did the early church take up a collection for the saints?

2. How were the members of the church to give?

3. What else should we give?

4. How does your church raise money for Spreading His Truth? Give scripture telling this is acceptable to God.

5. Do you believe it is wrong to go beyond what is written within the scriptures?

6. Do you think that God will accept anything we wish to do in church as long as we are doing it in His name?

7. Quote Rev. 22:18-19.

What will happen to those who do not abide by these verses?

8. What did Christ say in John 14:15?

9. Do you Love Him? How are you showing it?

10. Tell me how you know or where you find the teachings of Christ? Are you following only His teachings not having anything added to them or taken from them? Are you following His teachings just the way the early church did?

11. How will we be judged in the end?

12.  When is Christ in the midst with us?

Footnotes:

1. New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

2. King James Dictionary (http://www.studylight.org/dic/kjd/)

3. Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament (http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/)

4. Worship in Spirit and in Truth vs. Covetousness by Paul Ditoro, St. George, Utah