Home Assemblies and
Stewardship
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ASSEMBLIES 5
QUESTIONS DOCTRINAL
STATEMENT
Introduction
PURPOSE
OF OFFERINGS DISBURSEMENT OF OFFERINGS
One word comes to mind as I consider the state of Christian
stewardship in the traditional “churches”, “Shameful!” It is a shame to see how
poorly Christians have handled the resources that God has so richly given them.
We live in the most affluent time in our nation’s history – especially for
believers – yet it is standard operating procedure within the traditional local
“church” to send needy people to some governmental agency or charitable society
for help. Again, I say, “Shame!”
I have before me two financial
statements from different assemblies. One has 55 members and records $51,886 as
a figure for the year’s expenditures. Its property assessment is $1,400,000.
Under “compassionate ministries” (a term used for helping people in need) it
gave a total of $650. These figures are by no means extraordinary. This is very
typical for the traditional evangelical “church” in the 1990’s. The other
financial statement is a record of offerings and disbursements from an assembly
that meets in a home setting. It has a membership of 12 people with a total
collection figure of $5,602 for the same year. It owns no property. There is
nothing exceptional about this assembly’s figures. During the year it gave
$5,218 to help people in need. Which one of these two assemblies has exhibited
good Christian stewardship?
It is only fair to look at what we
mean by Christian stewardship. A steward is a person who is given
responsibility over the care and usage of some thing. Our gracious Lord gives
us many wonderful things. Some of the things that He has given us are money and
possessions. We are called on to be good stewards of those things. Are
believers left to decide for themselves what is the best usage of these
resources or has the Lord given us directions? Clearly, the Lord teaches His
people how to be good stewards of what He has given. The Old Testament, if properly
understood, only reinforces what Christ has taught. The best place to begin in
looking at what Jesus Christ teaches concerning stewardship of our resources is
in His basic commandments. Matthew 22:37-40 commands us to love God with all of
our being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The question must be asked in
this context, “How do we express our love for God in the resources that He has
given?” Does loving God have any bearing on Christian stewardship? Of course it
does! Jesus told His disciples in John 14:15, “If ye love me keep my
commandments.” But what are His commandments?
In the following chapter, in verse 12, Jesus tells them, “This is my
commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” Loving one another
is an expression of love for God.
This is certainly clear but it can
quickly be turned into theological fodder as we seek to justify our
disobedience. However, what Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 25:34-46 is
not so easily overlooked. Jesus speaks of feeding the hungry, giving shelter to
the homeless, putting clothing on the naked, visiting the sick and caring for
those who have no one. He also tells what He thinks of those that ignore the
needy and shirk their responsibility toward them. This is practical Christianity
and no amount of theological wrangling will alter the plain truth of His
commandments. This is making good use of what He has given. This is good
Christian stewardship. James, the “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”
writes, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world.” [James 1:27] He continues in the next chapter by
stating an example. “If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily
food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled:
notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body;
what does it profit?” [James 2:15,16] There are many other passages that
express the importance placed by our Lord on loving one another through
practical service. The parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the
rich man and Lazarus are both good lessons on Christian stewardship. How many
times has Lazarus been laid at the gate of a local assembly and God’s people
have responded like the rich man?
Let us look at the message of the
prophet Isaiah to God’s people in the Old Testament. “Is not this the fast that
I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and
to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal
thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy
house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him…” [Isaiah 58:6,7]
Acceptable worship to God involves practical service to those in need. Good
stewardship begins with recognizing our responsibility regarding the needy.
If these thoughts are not clear
enough to the believer, let us look at the Lord’s teaching in what has come to
be called the Golden Rule. In Matthew 7:12, Jesus taught. “all things
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this
is the law and the prophets.” You may think that this has nothing to do with
Christian stewardship but it certainly does. Any man, woman or child that has
ever suffered the pangs of hunger, known real thirst or been without shelter
knows the connection. Anyone who has ever been deprived of love and the
necessities of life knows what it means. As the old saying goes, “But by the
grace of God, there go I.”
Let me illustrate this by an
incident from my own experience. There was a time in my Christian life when,
through a series of circumstances, I found myself without food or shelter. At
the time, I attended a traditional “church” in Houston, Texas. The members of
the congregation responded to my needs by brandishing the Bible like a club.
They had heard that Paul wrote, “that if any would not work, neither should he
eat” [2 Thessalonian 3:10]. Since I was unemployed at the time they assumed
that I would not work, therefore, “God” willed that I should go hungry. And I
did go hungry. For five days I did not have so much as a slice of bread. Now, I
am sure that the believers there thought that they were being good stewards of
“God’s money”. I am also sure they believed that spending $2000 on a new sound
system for the “enhancement of God’s holy church” was in God’s service. I had
worked with them for months beginning a food pantry for the needy in the
community. Yet they refused to share any with one of their own. The food pantry
was an “instrument of evangelism for reaching out to the lost”. Apparently
Christians did not get hungry. I am sharing this personal experience to
illustrate a point about stewardship of our resources. The Lord says, “Do unto
others…” as a directive for common-sense compassion. If you were hungry you
would want to be fed. If you could put yourself in that hungry person’s shoes
for a moment then you would want to feed him. In our affluent society, where hunger
is usually interpreted as “not having what I want for dinner”, we are in danger
of losing that common-sense compassion.
We do not worship God by decorating
a building or filling that building with expensive toys. He has no need for our
toys and He is not impressed by the appearance of our cathedrals. So, in truth,
stewardship of our resources has nothing to do with worshipping God unless that
love is expressed through service to those in need.
But getting back to the two local
assemblies that we considered earlier, let us evaluate how the average
traditional "church" uses its resources. The assembly with total
revenues of over $51,000 spent 52% of that money on pastoral “needs” (i.e.
salary, housing, insurance, etc.). Another 34% was spent on mortgage, utilities
and maintenance for their property. 8% was given for denominational support.
That makes 94% of their financial resources as being spent on the pastor, the
property and the denomination. A little more than 1% of their revenue went to
help people in need. The question remains, “Where does the Lord command His
people to spend their resources on such things?” You will not find anything in
the words of our Lord or His apostles that suggest such poor stewardship.
On the other hand, the assembly that
met in a home setting spent 93% of their collections on practical ministry to
people in need. This is in direct obedience to the Lord’s command. The Lord has
said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me.” Serving the poor and needy is ministry to the Lord.
It is good stewardship. When the Lord returns it is doubtful that He will
notice whether you have a state-of-the-art sound system. And you may be sure
that He is not interested in denominational work or buildings. We should
consider carefully what Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:11. “Seeing then that all
these things shall be dissolved (i.e. consumed by fire), what manner of persons
ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” Is the Lord interested
in how believers spend their money? You may be sure that He is!
Before moving on let us look at
another common situation in assemblies that meet in traditional “church”
settings. The example that was given earlier was working the way traditional “churches”
are expected to function. But there are many small groups of 10 to 20 people
that struggle to “make ends meet”. Let’s look at one with 12 active members.
They have a small building out in the countryside that they call their
“church”. The roof and furnace are in need of repair. Their offerings for the
year were $7,800. They felt embarrassed because they could not give their
pastor more than the $50 per week salary. The utilities and maintenance cost
for the building come to over $3,800. Denominational support came to $440 for
the year. This left less than $1,000 for incidentals such as Sunday school
supplies, VBS, cleaning supplies, etc. The thought of helping the needy never
entered their minds this year. They had all they could do to “keep it going”.
How many local assemblies have fallen into this snare? Stewardship for them has
nothing to do with service - it is a matter of survival. But what would happen
if that same dozen people met in a home setting and offered the same $7,800?
Let us look at stewardship in a home
assembly. How can an assembly use 93% or more of its resources in helping
persons with practical needs? The answer is surprisingly simple. The three main
things that create such a financial burden on the traditional “church” have no
meaning in the home assembly. The elder of the assembly does not receive any
financial remuneration. He is a minister not an employee. There is no cost for
the use of the building where they meet because that building is the home of
the host family. They graciously open their home regularly for meetings. And,
the home assembly is not involved with a denomination. There is no basis in the
teaching of Christ and His apostles for professional clergy, property or
denominations. But there is a Christian mandate to serve others who are in
need. As Jesus Christ admonished the Pharisees, “these ought ye to have done,
and not to leave the other undone”. [Luke 11:42]
The elder of a home assembly does
not desire financial reward from those to whom he ministers. The assembly must
be certain that they do not overlook the needs of the elder. But “needs” is the
operative word. The notion of “keeping the pastor in a manner befitting his
professional role in the community” is as absurd as it is pathetic. The elder
is a minister within the Assembly of believers. He or she administers the
ordinances of the Assembly and proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ in
preaching and teaching. Any concept of a “professional role in the community “
comes from tradition and not from the teaching of Jesus Christ and His
apostles. The role of elder is a great privilege. Whatever sacrifice is made by
the elder is done for the sake of the Kingdom. The elder is blessed. Why would
anyone wish to lessen that blessing by becoming an employee of some
not-for-profit organization?
As for the subject of buildings and
property owned collectively by God’s people and set apart as sacred, one would
have to look long and hard to find scripture to justify that. Historically, it
was well over one hundred years after the Apostle Paul before God’s people
began to connect the idea of Assembly with a particular building. It was then
that the concept of God’s people began to change from the Assembly to the
“Church”. Most people today understand “church” buildings as commonsense. If it
is good for 15 people to congregate for worship then it must be better for 215
to worship together. Of course, for this to happen, proper facilities would
have to be provided. Since this building will be used for “God’s holy service”
then it should be constructed in a manner worthy of this pious cause. I believe
that this is the basic line of reasoning that is used. The reasoning may seem
sound but it is not based on the teaching of Jesus Christ or His apostles. Let
us look closely at this reasoning.
Is it better for 215 believers to
gather together in one place than, say, 15? Jesus taught His disciples, “where
two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them”.
[Matthew 18:20] Are we to understand that He is present with two or three but
He is really
present with two or three hundred? There is no doubt that the Lord had a good
purpose for instructing His disciples in such a way. It is not necessarily
better for a larger group to meet. God’s people under persecution, for
instance, find large groups to be a handicap. Smaller groups are less likely to
be detected by their persecutors. Also, 20 or 30 believers can find a suitable
place to worship together more readily than two or three hundred people.
The next point in the reasoning is
that the building is to be used for “God’s holy service” therefore it should
express His glory. Admittedly, there is confusion in our language concerning
the word “service”. Worship is sometimes understood as “service”. The English
translations of Scripture only further this confusion. But when you attend
worship meeting this week ask yourself, “In what way is God being served in
this meeting?” At best, you would answer, “By worshipping Him”. But preface
your question by considering what Jesus Christ calls “service”. I think that
you will find that although a building may serve the members as a comfortable
and aesthetically pleasing place to worship that it does little more than that.
One can worship wherever believers are gathered in Jesus’ name.
Much of the confusion regarding
buildings stems from equating the “church” building with the Temple. This
confusion is a matter of ignorance not interpretation. The Apostle Paul writes,
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the
temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” [1 Corinthians 3:16,17] Even a
cursory reading of this would reveal that Paul is not talking about a building
made of wood, stone, metal and glass. To apply this passage to some inanimate
structure would be ignorant. He says plainly that “ye” (i.e. “you” in the
plural) “are the temple of God”. The word that is translated “temple” in this
passage means “sanctuary”. It refers to the innermost room of a temple – the
sanctuary. The “temple of God” is the Assembly of God’s people. Whenever God’s
people gather together in Jesus’ name they are the “sanctuary” of God. The
Spirit of Christ dwells in them. It is a holy place. It makes no difference
whether that gathering place is a cathedral style building, a home setting or a
field. Since this is obviously true, then why is so much effort and resources
wasted on this material structure called the “church” building?
The final element, which made up a
portion of the first assembly’s expenditures was a thing called,
“denominational work”. I am not certain what all that entails in the assembly
in question, but I am confident that it has nothing to do with what our Lord
taught. That product of human organization known as the denomination is foreign
to the teaching of Christ and His apostles. That does not mean that
denominations are wrong. I believe, however, that any divisions among God’s
people that have come from denominations are wrong. Denominations may serve a
purpose in organizing the resources of a large number of assemblies. But the
question is not whether they are right or wrong but rather whether using the
resources that God has given you to fund a denomination is good Christian
stewardship. Since I do not know to what the “denominational work” refers
specifically, in this case, I cannot tell. But this much I know. Home
assemblies that are actively involved with a network of other home assemblies
are capable of coordinating resources as well as any denomination without the
extra cost or division. This makes for wiser stewardship.
Good Christian stewardship should
focus on the needs of others. Every instance of ministry is a matter of
discernment. This is a humbling thought indeed! Not one of us has a complete
knowledge of a given situation. Therefore we find discernment to be crucial for
proper ministry to others. Prayer is essential in making the decisions
necessary in practical ministry. The disbursement of money and goods by the
assembly is simple. Pray about it together, discuss the needs, and make the
disbursements in the assurance of faith.
There are two main reasons why
offerings should be taken regularly in the assembly of believers. The first
reason is that liberality should
characterize the Christian life. Everything about the life of Jesus
Christ reflected the gracious nature of God. God loved the world so much that
He gave His only Son. Christ left the glory of heaven to give all that was
possible to a world that was hostile to God. One of the very earliest acts of
the apostles in the Christian Assembly revealed that this gracious, giving
nature extends to God’s people. Peter told the lame man in front of the Temple
at Jerusalem, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee: in
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” [Acts 3:6] This
statement may serve as a guideline for our offerings, “such as I have give I
thee”. If we look honestly at what we have, then our hearts should swell with
admiration for the grace of God. He has given so much! Jesus taught, “Freely ye
have received, freely give.” [Matthew 10:8] He gave of all that He had. How can
we do any less and say that we follow Him?
We are given directions concerning
our offerings. One of the first things that our Lord pointed out concerning
offerings is the need for humble secrecy.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns, “Do not your alms before men, to be
seen of them”. [Matthew 6:1] Both giving our offerings and disbursing them
should be done in humility. If we are looking for praise from others in either
presenting our offerings or in the disbursing of them, then our reward will
come from men rather than God. This principle should govern how we handle our
offerings. A collection box works well to receive offerings but the traditional
offering plate may also be used.
The Apostle Paul gave directions for
regular offerings. He wrote to the Corinthian assemblies, “Upon the first day
of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered
him”. [1 Corinthians 16:2] The apostle
was recommending a regular practice of giving
so that it will not be necessary to take special collections. There should be
an opportunity for believers to make an offering at every worship meeting.
Giving is an expression of worship. God has given to you and you should give to
others. In giving to help others who are in need we are giving to the Lord. The
principle of tithing, as taught in the Old Testament scriptures, may be helpful
in acquiring a habit for regular giving. The tithe is ten percent. Christians
are not under obligation to give a tithe of their resources. But Christians
need to give regularly. Tithing is a good way to develop a habit for regular
giving. No Christian, however, should place himself under the bondage of
mandatory giving. Giving is a privilege and joy.
In Paul’s second epistle to the
Corinthian assemblies, he writes, “Every man according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a
cheerful giver.” [2 Corinthians 9:7] The third direction for giving our
offerings is that they should be given
willingly and cheerfully. Offerings that result from compulsion
rather than a gracious act of the will are destined to bring about stress
instead of peace and blessing. Our Lord’s sacrifice of Himself for mankind came
from love for both God and others. Our offerings should also come from our love
for God and others. Giving out of love is a great joy.
The second reason for giving within
the assembly is that we should help others
in need. There are always people in need. Christian stewardship of
resources looks outward toward the needs of others. In a society as steeped in
selfishness as the one that we live in, it is often difficult to see beyond our
own desires. But selfish interests will utterly destroy an assembly's sense of
purpose. There are many people in our world that cannot see beyond their own
desires. Often they perceive them as needs. It should be understood that
offerings taken in a congregation are to be disbursed outside that particular
assembly’s membership. The reasons for this should be obvious, Money ranks as
the number one cause of strife in the assembly among the spiritually immature.
It is very important, therefore, that certain guidelines are used in the
disbursement of the offerings.
Offerings are received once a week during the worship
meeting. One person should be designated to receive the offerings. At the end
of the meeting, this person, along with one other member, will count the money
and make a note of it. Immediately after this the members will pray about and
discuss the disbursal of these funds to help the needy. Once a decision is made
concerning the help to be extended, then someone, chosen by the membership,
will present the gift to the needy person or family. Every step in this process
requires trust and spiritual maturity. When done in the Spirit of Christ it is
a source of great blessing for everyone involved.
There is no need for the assembly to
have a checking account. The use of a checking account only complicates and
confuses the concept of the local assembly. Funds should never be allowed to
accumulate more than two weeks. The reason for this is simple. The moment large
sums of cash begin to accumulate temptations enter in. There is the temptation
to put it in a bank where it will be safer. There is the temptation to see this
money as something other than an offering to help others. It takes on a life of
its own. It becomes “our money”. Then, of course, there is the temptation to
steal. Such things should never happen among God’s people but they do. These
things can be prevented by not permitting offerings to accumulate. We should
not hide these things “in the ground” like the wicked servant in Christ’s
parable. Offerings should be disbursed as quickly as possible so that they may
begin to bless others.
Who should keep account of all these
things? There is no need for a checking account or formal accounting system for
no local assembly should be handling vast sums of cash. But it is necessary for
the sake of the local assembly to keep a private account of offerings and
disbursements. A responsible member designated by the assembly should keep this
record. It must be available for all the members of the assembly to see it on
request. The record keeper has only one job – to write down the sum of the
offerings and how much was disbursed to whom.
Below are a few rules to go by in
receiving and disbursing the offerings:
Ø Two persons should be involved in
counting the offering.
Ø No disbursements should ever be made
without the assembly agreeing to it.
Ø Offerings should not be allowed to
accumulate more than two weeks.
Ø The assembly must not make
commitments for regular disbursements. (For instance, committing the assembly
to give a certain sum regularly to one need.)
Ø A record of offerings and
disbursements should be available to members at all time.
Ø There is no need for a checking or
savings account for the assembly.
Ø The offerings are designated funds
for disbursing to the needy.
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ASSEMBLIES 5 QUESTIONS DOCTRINAL
STATEMENT