I would like to climax all of this by saying that prayer should be used in our effort to carry out the great commission. If you have faithfully and diligently engaged in all of these activities mentioned, and any others of like nature that could be mentioned, then you can consistently pray to God to help you in accomplishing your purpose. That’s the reason I put prayer at the end of the list. For prayer should not be used without being accompanied by every possible effort on our part. Neither of these methods, nor any other that might be named, should be used exclusively. They should all be used, working together to help us fulfill our obligation to preach the gospel to our neighbors.
Now I had hoped to have time to talk about the other phase of the first division of our outline—preaching the gospel to other communities—but the clock on the wall says that the time is gone and so we have to close with the promise that there will be more to follow. If you’ll come back tonight, I’ll give you a mimeographed outline of the lessons which are being used both this morning and tonight.
In just a moment we’re going to sing the song that has been announced. That is our means of urging you to accept the Lord’s invitation to come to him and let him save you. If you have been guilty of committing just one sin which has not yet been forgiven, that sin must be forgiven before you can goto heaven, because no sin can enter there, and no sin can be forgiven for those who have never obeyed the gospel by faith (Acts 16:31-33), repentance (Luke 13:3), confession (Acts 16:37), and baptism (Acts 2:38). Those who have turned aside since being baptized may be forgiven if they’ll come back repenting, confessing their faults, and praying for forgiveness. The gospel invitation is yours. While we stand and sing we urge you to accept it.
I promise you in the beginning that I do not mean to discuss all of this outline (Seepages 196-198) at this time. It covers in a general way the entire program of work that God wants His church to do. The scope of this work is so broad that we have to break it down in order to study it practically and effectively. Those who are directing the work of the church need to study it in its separate parts as well as in its entirety. This main list of objectives—evangelistic, devotional, instructional, looking after members individually, practical training, beneficent work, and incidentals—covers the field entirely. Every Scriptural function of the church is included in at least one of these general headings. I do not mean that the lists of activities under the main headings are complete. They are not necessarily so. In most instances they are incomplete. They aresuggestiverather thanexhaustive.
I would like for you to take this outline home with you and study it with two or three questions in mind.First, what can you do to help advance the work of the church? Look over this list of activities and write into this outline any others which, in your judgment, would be scriptural in nature and help to make the work of the church more effective. These objectives are Scriptural, therefore, we want to do everything in our power to reach them. In order for the church to attain these objectives, it must have the co-operation of every member. There is something in this general program thatyoucan do! Perhaps you’ll findmanyplaces where you can be of service, and you know it is your duty to render whatever service you can to make the Lord’s work as successful as possible.
These objectives being Scriptural, this outline may help the overseers in their work of edifying the church. Please remember that we are engaged in the greatest work in all the world—the work of saving souls! We are undertaking to accomplish a divine task, one which has been assigned to us by the God of heaven. In His work we ought to do our very best, remembering that one soul is worth more than all the material wealth in the world. We should leave nothing undone that will contribute toward our success.
Some constructive work was done in our business meeting this afternoon. A committee was appointed to plan the missionary program of the church for the year. This committee is to give some very careful study to the selection of the most appropriate fields and the amount that should be invested in each. Theresults of their study, including the program they recommend for the next fiscal year, will be announced at the next meeting of the overseers. This is a very practical step. It is a definite step in the right direction. It pertains to Item No. 2 under our evangelistic objectives as shown on the outline.
Another committee was appointed to study our Sunday morning Bible school program and to make recommendations for improving it. That’s Item No. 2 under our instructional objective. So that makes two items on this list that will be given very careful study by committees that have been appointed for that purpose. We know that our Thursday evening meeting has been very much improved by giving a little more thought to planning the program. I believe that that meeting can be even further improved, and I am also convinced that similar improvements may be brought about in every other phase of the church’s work if the proper study and careful planning is devoted to it. I am hoping that every item in this outline will be given thoughtful consideration by those who are responsible for the work at Chapel Avenue for the sake of improving every phase of our work and worship.
We are told to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. God would not be pleased with a secondary place in our lives, and that means, among other things, that our program of work in the church should be given our best thought, our most careful consideration, and our most diligent support.
I want to say a few things tonight under Item No. 2 of our evangelistic program. God tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature. We discussed some methods this morning that might be used in carrying out that responsibility in our own neighborhood. Now, the question arises, “What can we do about preaching in communities that are too far away to receive any direct benefit from our local program of services and personal work?”
One method which we have been using recently is that of distributing tracts. We have published 70,000 tracts for free distributions. Bro. Shacklett reported this afternoon in the business meeting that the most of this supply has already been distributed. He probably has enough calls on his desk now to more than exhaust the remainder. If it is not too optimistic to assume that each one of those tracts has been read by at least one person, that’s the equivalent of preaching a sermon to 70,000 people, which certainly is no small consideration!
And I happen to know that those who are selling tracts on a commercial basis, at least some of them best known to me, are making from 100 to 200 per cent profit. The tracts that cost us less than 1 cent each, are being sold by those who are in it for the money at 2½ cents each. That means that by spending less than one penny we can give to these missionaryfields a service that would cost them on the market 2½ cents. Therefore, from a financial point of view, by giving away tracts instead of giving the money with which to buy tracts, we are making a great saving.
The response that has been received from this work is very encouraging. If we had time, we would like to read some of the letters that have been received. In addition to the tracts distributed by Chapel Avenue, the church at Madison has made a very wide distribution of one of the same tracts, and is now contemplating publishing 100,000 with which to answer the calls they are receiving. That seems to be one good means of carrying the gospel to those of other communities who have not heard it. And, remember, it is our duty to use every legitimate means at our disposal.
The next item on your outline is radio preaching. There has been some talk of a national radio program, and no doubt that would do a great deal of good. There is some question as to whether the money that such a program would cost might not accomplish more good if spent in some other way. That’s a question which I, personally, would not know how to decide. But we do know that the radio is being used very extensively on a local basis in various missionary fields of our country, and those who are engaged in that work are pleased with the results.
However, trying to whip the devil by using the radio is somewhat like trying to whip the Germansby fighting them from the air. A great deal can be accomplished but the battle cannot be completely won until we go in person. Radio work, to be as effective and fruitful as it ought to be, must be followed up by personal contact. Those who become interested by means of radio preaching ought to be contacted and encouraged to render complete obedience to the commandments of the gospel.
A third way in which we can help to attain this objective of preaching the gospel to the entire world is by sending financial support to missionary fields and to preachers working in those fields. In that respect the church at Chapel Avenue has been very active and no doubt will continue to be. In fact, we have just about gone as far as we can go with the present means at our disposal, and I think it would not be out of order to tell you that in the business meeting this evening another man was put on the payroll at $200 per month, on a temporary basis, hoping that when the congregation learns about it, they will increase their contribution enough to cover this cost. Those who are managing the financial affairs believe that the present income is not sufficient to warrant this additional expense, but they have acted upon their faith in you, upon their confidence in you, that your knowledge of this increased needwill bring about an increased response. I do not believe that you will betray that confidence!
The man added to the payroll has a family of six children and recently resigned a job paying him several hundred dollars per month as district manager for an insurance company in order to devote his entire time to preaching the gospel. With a charter membership of about ten souls, twenty-four people were present for the initial meeting last Lord’s Day. This man seems to be well qualified for the task which he has undertaken, and we believe he will accomplish great results.
There are certain items listed in your outline which we believe should characterize our work of supporting missionaries. It is my conviction that regular and complete reports should be received from those who are being supported. Brother Estevez made a fine talk along that line here last Sunday afternoon. Brother Gregory gave us a splendid report of his work this morning. I believe that one reason the Chapel Avenue church has continued to be so vitally interested in the work at Kingsport is that one of our elders is on the job there and keeps the congregation here acquainted with what is being done.
Furthermore, the workers to be used in these fields should be selected very carefully. You ought to be just as careful about selecting some man to preach for you in North Carolina as you are about selecting some one to preach for you here. It seems to me that the two cases are exactly parallel in that respect. We ought to be just as much concerned about whopreaches for us over there as we are about who preaches for us here. If such a policy were followed by all the churches it would bring about a distinct improvement and prevent considerable embarrassment.
In addition, the man selected should be well supported. It’s worth just as much to preach in Kingsport or North Carolina or Louisiana or some other place as it is to preach in Nashville, and when the men have equal responsibility and equal qualifications, it seems to me that they ought to be equally well supported. Certainly the man in the field ought to be supported well enough that he will not be cramped in his work or distracted by concern about how he will meet the next month’s grocery bill.
Remember that it isourwork when we send a man out to a field like that, and it would be inconsistency and folly on our part to send one without supplying him with the resources necessary for the success of his work. Something in addition to his bare living ought to be provided. He should have funds with which to operate. Think about how much it costs to carry on a program of work here, by way of advertising, maintaining a meeting place and supporting a radio program and all that sort of thing. In some ways it is more expensive in those fields than it is here. For instance, we have fifty other congregations in Nashville to help us advertise the cause of Christ in this city. In those fields the little mission church has to take all this responsibility by itself. It has to bear all the cost of supporting a radio program,publishing articles in the daily paper, and of carrying on all of these varied activities that are listed under our local program of evangelism.
No business concern would send a man to some field to represent it and work for it without furnishing him with the support necessary for success in his work. I am convinced that it would be wiser and better in the long run to have a few men in the field fully supported than to have several that are but half supported, and therefore handicapped and unable to accomplish what should be accomplished.
It is also my conviction that the church which furnishes the money is also obligated to supervise the use of that money. I do not suggest that we dictate to churches at other places, for there is no one who believes more firmly in congregational autonomy than do I. Every congregation must be entirely independent. But, surely, if you have a man preaching for you in the state of North Carolina, or some other place, it is your duty to know what he is doing, what he is accomplishing, and whether it would be well for him to continue there or to move to some other community.
I know of one man who was supposed to be preaching in a missionary field, not supported by Chapel Avenue incidentally, concerning whom I have received a report that the only thing he did was to teach a Bible class on Wednesday night. Over a period of several months he received a good income from churches throughout the country who were gullible enough to answer a call without knowing thecondition of the field and the kind of work that was being done by the one who made the call; while being paid to preach he was working at a secular job, receiving a living wage therefor, and putting the money he received from the churches in the bank in his own name. This illustrates what I mean by saying that it is necessary that we keep a line on those who are being supported. Those who are worthy will welcome investigation and those who are not worthy certainly ought to be investigated.
I believe that I am, at least to some extent, qualified to speak here for I have worked at both ends of the line. As you know, I spent five years at Richmond, Virginia, in the missionary field, receiving support from you and others back home. I’ve also worked at this end of the line, and I think I know a little about how such work ought to be done. Surely regular and complete reports ought to be received, and careful supervision should be exercised by those who furnish the money. It is my conviction that, when God places resources in the hands of an individual or a congregation, they are responsible for seeing that those resources are properly used.
That’s the reason I am reluctant to tell a rich man how to give away his money. If he had sense enough to make it, he probably has more sense about how to spend it than someone who could never make any. Of course one should teach the principles that are revealed in the Bible concerning the use of money, but I believe that the responsibility of spending one’s money rests primarily upon the one to whom Godhas entrusted the money, and that will apply to a congregation as well as to individuals.
Now arranging a program of missionary work is a three-cornered affair. There is first of all themissionary fieldin which the work is to be done, and next, there is thepreacherwho is to do the preaching and third thechurchto do the financing. By some means or other these three must be brought to an agreement upon a plan of procedure. That means that somebody must take the initiative in getting the work started.
Sometimes a few members who live in the missionary field take the initiative, and undertake to find a preacher and someone to support him. They contact a preacher and ask him to come and work for them. They contact some church or churches and ask them to support the man while he works for them. Whenever there is enough leadership in the mission field to take such initiative, that’s all right. But that is presupposing a goodly degree of leadership in a mission field! There are many mission fields which do not possess such leadership. Sometimes the few members who live in these mission fields are relatively indifferent. They are not always so. Sometimes they are the finest people on the earth, but often they are not. And maybe the reason it’s still a mission field in many instances is because they are not aswide awake and zealous as they should be. So if a great many fields are ever reached, some of them not having any members at all, someone else must take the initiative.
In other instances, the preacher takes the initiative. He selects a field to which he would like to go and then he gets some churches to support him while he does so. That’s the plan I used in going to Richmond. It sometimes works all right and sometimes it doesn’t. For very often a preacher who undertakes to do such work is comparatively inexperienced, and is not nearly as well qualified to plan the program of work as some congregation that helps support him would be. When I went to Richmond, twelve years ago, one had to do it that way, because at that time, so far as I know, no one congregation considered itself able to assume full responsibility for the support of a missionary. But I do not believe that this is the most satisfactory method.
In the third place, the congregation itself very often takes the initiative, selects a field, selects a preacher, and sends him there to work. Bro. Gregory gave us an example of that this morning. He told of a congregation which made thorough investigation of the places needing a preacher in East Tennessee and finally concluded that Kingsport would be the most advisable place for them to help. They’ve been following that plan for many years. Bro. Charles King has been on their payroll for quite a long time. Several years ago they sent a committee to East Tennessee, at an expense of $150, to select the best placefor him to preach. At that time they decided in favor of Harriman, where there is now, I understand, a strong congregation.
In this case, you see, the church took the initiative; the church selected the field after proper investigation; the church selected a preacher and paid him a salary and supported him while he represented them in that field. Where this can be done, it seems to me to be a very fine plan. Hence, one way for an established congregation to contribute to the success of evangelizing the world is to take the initiative not only in planning, but also in supervising the work. With such an arrangement the work will be promoted according to the judgment of a seasoned and experienced group of elders rather than according to the judgment of some young, inexperienced fellow who gets the idea that he wants to be a missionary.
A few objections to this plan have come from preachers on the field. It has been said, “I’d rather have twenty churches supporting me than to have just one. For that one might get discouraged at my pessimistic report and cut me off.” The answer to that is that there should be a more definite agreement on the part of the preacher and the church as to how long he is to be supported. The man on the missionary field should not expect a guarantee of a lifetime job. And, furthermore, if his reports were too pessimistic, it may be that his supportshouldbe discontinued. Or perhaps he ought to be advised to discontinue his activities in that field and to move to some other. It would not have been well for Paul tohave remained indefinitely in the city of Athens. According to the inspiration guiding him, it was better for him to move on.
I would have welcomed counsel and advice from those supporting me when I was working in Richmond. There were about twenty different churches supporting me—too many for me to confer with each of them to get advice on questions that arose; and consequently in most instances I relied only on my own judgment, which meant that the work was being directed by the judgment of one young preacher rather than by the combined judgment of some experienced group of elders. And nothing would have given me greater encouragement than for a committee of elders of some church that was supporting me to have spent a few days in Richmond studying the situation and advising me on the problems which arose. There were times when I wondered if the results being accomplished justified the money being spent.
Of course, the money was well spent. For growing out of that work which I entered twelve years ago there are now two self-supporting congregations. One of them has a building completely paid for and supports a full-time preacher. The other has a part-time preacher. Coming from one of these congregations, a young man graduated from David Lipscomb last spring and has gone back to Virginia to preach the gospel in his native state. Another young man from one of these congregations is now at Lipscomb preparing himself to preach the riches of Christ. On theside, some work and encouragement were given at Norfolk, Virginia, where there is now a growing and prosperous congregation. These developments have come about in only twelve years. But I couldn’t see it then. Oftentimes I became discouraged. If some one congregation had been supplying all the necessary support and supervising the work, it would have been very helpful to me.
But after all, friends, when you contribute only five or ten dollars per month to a place, you are not likely to have a vital interest in the work. To give you a concrete example, an elder and treasurer of a church in Middle Tennessee which sent ten dollars each month to Richmond, year after year, spent several days in Richmond on a social visit and didn’t even come around to see what was being done. Well, they only had $10 per month invested there and so they were not particularly interested. But if they’d been spending $200 a month, paying the full salary of the man on the job, then an elder who spent the week end in town would have looked into the situation! Where a man’s treasure is, there will his heart be also!
In fact, I have said, and I’m about to say again, that to contribute just $5 a month here and there and elsewhere for mission work is somewhat like giving a nickel to a beggar on the street. Do you know why you give that nickel? Not because you are interested in the beggar and not because you are concerned about what he is doing, but to ease your own conscience. You are seeking to purchase ease of consciencewith expenditure of a mere nickel! If the beggar is worthy, he ought to have more than a nickel; if he isn’t worthy, he doesn’t deserve even a nickel. And so when a congregation merely contributes five dollars to each of a few places, to soothe their conscience, they can say, “Yes, we are doing some mission work,” but certainly they are following the line of least resistance. They may have purchased ease of an untrained and misinformed conscience at a minimum cost, but this does not mean that they have done their duty in meeting the responsibility that God has placed on them!
Another way in which Chapel Avenue can and is contributing to the attainment of this objective, is by furnishing leadership for rural churches in reach of Nashville. Bro. Clark, Bro. Shacklett, Bro. Autry, and others who have been going out, know that there are many congregations within driving distance of Nashville which are almost totally lacking in leadership. They need someone to be there on Lord’s Day to conduct the worship and to teach and encourage them. And we have an opportunity to do a lot of good along that line.
Now these are just scattering thoughts and remarks on what we can do and, therefore, what weoughtto do to attain the God given objective of preaching the gospel unto the whole world. I advise you again thatthis list of activities is not exhaustive but suggestive. The same kind of treatment given this particular objective could be applied to the others in this outline as well. We don’t have time to do so tonight, but I want you to study it for yourself and consider how you, individually and personally, can do something to help us reach these scriptural objectives. And further, consider how the church itself may improve its efforts along this line.
If you think of some change that ought to be made in this outline, or some items that ought to be added to it, I would certainly be glad to receive your suggestions. Friends, remember that we are engaged in the Lord’s work, the greatest work in all the world! If there is any body of people on earth who ought to be enthusiastic, it is the church of Christ! We are working in the Lord’s kingdom, and we know that our labor will not be in vain. If so much can be accomplished by the little that has been done, I want you to think about what could be accomplished if we were all doing our best! It yet remains to be demonstrated what can be accomplished by a congregation which is wholly and completely dedicated unto the work of the Lord. I recommend that you give a practical and careful study then to each item on this list.
Consider our devotional program and how it may be improved. It can be improved! To claim that there is no room for improvement would be to claim perfection which none of us would like to do. Bro. Murphy has been making some fine suggestions inour Thursday evening work. Those of you who have missed them have been missing an opportunity to improve the effectiveness of your own service in the kingdom of God. He’s made somepracticalsuggestions. You may think some of them are not good, but certainly every suggestion he has made should be given very careful consideration by those who are supervising and taking part in the work here.
Perhaps our greatest sin is our failure to put into use the knowledge which we receive, to make practical use of suggestions offered. It would be easy just to let Dr. Murphy’s advice pass by and go unheeded. If we do that, it will mean that the church will be very little better off after this eight weeks of training than it was before. But, if his suggestions are promptly and faithfully heeded, the church will be a great deal further along toward the accomplishment of its scriptural objectives than it was before.
You will notice that the Wednesday evening meeting appears three or four times in this outline and might appropriately appear at even some other place. For instance, the Wednesday evening meeting may be used for devotional purposes. It may be used for instructional purposes and will be for the next eight weeks. It may also be used for the purpose of giving practical training to those who would be workers in the kingdom of God. If we’ll think about it like that, you see, it will give purpose to our mid-week meetings.
Here are scriptural goals. God is holding us responsible to do everything we can to attain these objectivespromptly and effectively. Our mid-week program can be made to serve a very important purpose in the attainment of these ends. And, therefore, along with every other scriptural phase of the work, should receive the wholehearted co-operation and support of every member.
I’m looking forward to much greater things for the church at Chapel Avenue in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Don’t you want to have a part in it? If there are some here tonight who live in our community and would like to work and worship with the church here, we invite you to make that known by coming forward tonight. If there are those who have backslidden, you are invited to follow the Bible plan of repenting, confessing your faults, and praying for forgiveness, that God may save your soul. And, of course, you who have not been baptized, if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, if you will repent of your sins and confess your faith and obey the commandment to be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38) God promises that your sins will be forgiven, washed away by the blood of Christ, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit! Christ invites you to come to him and let him save you! Will you accept that invitation while together we stand and sing?
The subject of giving has been assigned to me for this occasion. This assignment pleases me for two reasons: First, it is a popular subject. Folk like to hear it because it hits them so hard. In the second place, it is a vital question. Those who have taken the time to count the instances say that the Bible mentions money more often than it does faith, repentance, confession, and baptism all put together. “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Whether, therefore, we base our judgment on the danger of our sinning with respect to it, or the amount of space devoted to it in the Bible, the subject of money, or giving, is a very important one. I am approaching the subject from the standpoint of this question: “How Much Is Liberal?” The reason for this approach will appear as we proceed.
You know, as well as I, that in every instance we must go to the New Testament for our guidance in matters religious. Our people have been thoroughly taught, but not too thoroughly, that we are no longer bound by the laws given to Moses and Noah, but bythe law of Christ. In studying the subject of giving, therefore, we must go to the New Testament.
In First Corinthians 16:2 we read: “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” This Scripture teaches that we should give regularly, weekly (not weakly). The giving is to be just as regular as the eating of the Lord’s supper—upon the first day of each week. This quotation also teaches that we should give according to our prosperity. The more prosperity one has the more he is expected to give.
A third New Testament requirement is cheerfulness in giving. “God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). Sometimes it is said that we ought to give until it hurts. It is all right to give until you can miss what you give, or until you have to do without something that you want. But you should never give until it hurts. It is all right to give until you can miss hurt you to give as God requires. He loves a cheerful giver.
Fourthly, we are taught to give purposely. The Christians at Corinth made a purpose a year in advance and were commanded to give as they had planned. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give” (2 Cor. 9:7). They had not only purposed but they had expressed their purpose and when a Christian does that, it very nearly becomes a promise. The text does not specifically say that we should make a purpose, but it implies it; and if we purpose, we should give accordingly. Inreference to this question on which we are so likely to stumble we ought to do some prayerful planning, lest we make the mistake of not giving as we should. The temptation to give sparingly is so great that one can not afford to depend merely upon the impulse of the moment. Make a purpose or plan and then give according to your plan.
Finally, the New Testament commands us to give liberally. “He that giveth, let him do it liberally” (Rom. 12:8, A.R.V. or footnote in the A.V.). The word “liberal” comprehends both the attitude of the giver and also the amount of the gift. The New Testament does not specify any amount or percentage that we should give. It does not tell us to give any certain amount or percentage of our income; but it does command us to give liberally. You have often heard the statement, “We are not commanded to give a tenth.” This statement is literally true, but it may imply an error. The inference is that the New Testament assures us that we need not give as much as a tenth. Such an inference is false. The New Testament does not command us to giveless thana tenth. It names no definite amount and no definite percentage.
In 2 Corinthians 9:5-7 we are not only taught to give liberally but we are encouraged to do so by the statement: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” It appears to me that the New Testament thus puts us on our honor. If it had named a certain number of dollars or a certain percentageof our income, we might just give that amount and claim the rest to do with as we pleased. But God has placed us on our honor, the amount of our giving to be determined by general instructions and our love of Him and those to whom we give. When an honorable man is placed on his honor, it seems that he should do even more than when he is under definite laws. Some schools have what they call “the honor system.” According to this system, the teacher may put a test on the board and leave the room. The students are on their honor. It seems to me that one would be less likely to cheat under those conditions than with some one on guard. The New Testament puts us on our honor, so to speak, with only general instructions and commands to guide our giving.
Each individual must answer for himself this question: “How much is liberal?” The Old Testament required a certain percentage; the New Testament requires liberality.How much is liberal?What does the Bible mean when it says, “give liberally?” Liberality would not mean the same amount in every case. Some must give more than others. This story was published some years ago in theGospel Advocate: There was a certain rich man in a congregation who had as much money as all the other members. When money was being raised for any purpose he would propose to give as much as any otherone.When the congregation was trying to raise money to put a new roof on their building, he arose, according to his custom, and said, “Brethren, I will give as much as any other man in the house toward putting on this new roof.” There happened to be a rich infidel present that day, who arose and said, “Well, Mister, you and I will pay for the new roof; I will give half the cost.”
Now, if you expect me to tell you exactly how much you should give, you will be disappointed. I am not going to tell you because the Bible doesn’t tell me. If I were to undertake to tell you, I might put it too low. I would certainly be afraid to tell any one that he was giving too much. A man once asked me a question which several other preachers had been unable to answer. He said, “My wife and I make $150 per month. We give $25 of that to the church each month. I want to know if we are giving enough.” When I heard the question I knew why the other preachers had not answered. He and his wife were giving more than a tenth. They were giving 16⅔ per cent, but I was afraid to tell him whether they were giving too much or not enough, because I didn’t know. Jesus Christ watched the poor widow give away all her living, and He didn’t tell her that she was giving too much. Some of our brethren today would probably have said, “Just wait a minute, lady, we appreciate your motive and admire your liberality, but you ought not give all you have. We wouldn’t want you to starve to death or to do without the necessities of life.” But Jesus stood there and watchedher give away the very last thing she had and He made no effort to restrain her. So, I can’t tell any one that he is giving too much or the exact number of dollars that he should give. Each one must answer for himself.
How much is liberal?I can’t answer for you; you can’t answer for me. You must answer for yourself and your answer must be a definite one, expressible in terms of a certain number of dollars and cents. You must decide how many dollars and cents you should give in order to meet the requirement of liberality. How much have you studied the question? How much have you prayed about it and investigated the word of God in your search for an answer? How much time have you spent on the question? Are you sure that you have reached a scriptural conclusion? You must not merely decide what is liberal according to your own standard, but what is liberal according to God’s standard. For, after all, God is to be the final judge as to whether you are giving liberally. You must reach a definite conclusion as to what God will consider a liberal amount from you. I urge you to study the question of liberality. Search the Scriptures, pray God to lead you to the right answer. Because the question must be answered. It is a commandment of God in the New Testament.
Although the New Testament does not, and I can not, tell you definitely how much is liberal in the sight of God, we can get some light on the question by studying what God has required of his people in other dispensations. In the 14th chapter of Genesis there is an account of four kings who went to war against five other kings. The four kings won the war and among the captives was Lot, the kinsman of Abram. “And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.” With this small band of men he won a great victory over the four kings and their powerful armies and rescued Lot and his goods and his people. After his return from this battle Abram met Melchizedek, priest of God, and gave him tithes (a tenth) of all. God wants you and me to know that Abram gave a tenth.
The book of Genesis is very brief. In a very few pages, less than the number I hold in my hand, God has given us the history of the world for a period of several thousand years. It is very brief. If man had written such a history, the volumes would have filled a shelf all the way around this room. Men have written many volumes of history concerning the United States which has been a nation for less than two hundred years. But God has condensed the history of the world, for a period of thousands of years, withinthese few pages. Yet, he took enough of that precious space to tell us that Abram gave a tenth. If man had written an account of this war, he would have told the names of the captains in each army, how many men were killed, how many were wounded, how much the war cost, and so forth. God omitted all those things of interest, but he did take the space to tell us that Abram gave a tenth and that he prospered. He even repeated this information in the New Testament, where he says, “Now consider how great this man [Melchizedek] was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils” (Heb. 7:4). He had some reason for wanting us to know this, for He has a reason for everything He does and says. He took the space to tell us twice that Abram gave a tenth, and Abram prospered. You may draw your own conclusion from these scriptural and vital facts.
Turning on over to the 28th chapter of Genesis we find another interesting story that throws some light on our question. Jacob had taken Esau’s blessing. Esau was angry. Jacob was afraid Esau would kill him. For refuge he went to Padanaram. On the way he spent the night at Bethel, and slept in the open, with a rock for a pillow. I don’t know why he chose such a hard pillow. People do some strange things. I have heard that in days gone by the Oriental people slept with their feet, instead of their heads, onthe pillow, because the feet did the harder work. According to that rule I think I know some people who ought to change ends with the pillow. While Jacob was sleeping with a rock for a pillow he had a strange dream. He saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and the angels of God going up and down (not down and up) on it. The Lord stood above it and promised to be with Jacob and to bless him. When Jacob arose early in the morning he vowed a vow saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee” (Gen. 28: 20-22).
With this vow in his heart Jacob continued his journey to Padanaram, where he spent twenty-two years and became very wealthy. As he was returning to Canaan we find him praying to God as follows: “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, ‘Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee’: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands ...” (Gen. 32:9-10). Please note that twenty-two years ago he had passed over this Jordan with nothing but a stick in his hand and in his heart a vow to give onetenth of all his increase to God. In the meantime he has become very wealthy.
The extent of his wealth is partially indicated by an incident that followed. Jacob was afraid that Esau was still angry. (He should have known that Esau was too lazy to stay mad twenty-two years.) To find grace in the sight of Esau he sent him a present, a token of his good will. Such presents usually represent only a small fraction of one’s total possessions. Yet this is what Jacob sent Esau: “two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, thirty milk camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals” (Gen. 32:14, 15). Few farmers in this county have that much livestock, yet that represents a small fraction of what Jacob was worth and had acquired since crossing the Jordan twenty-two years before. Since that time, he had been giving one-tenth to Jehovah. Again, remember that God has taken space to tell you and me about that in this much condensed book, the book of Genesis. He evidently meant for us to get some lesson from these facts.
During a financial depression, a business man in Kansas went broke. He lost everything he had and found himself $50,000 in debt—fifty thousand dollars in the hole. A friend of his offered to give him a medical formula to be used in any way he saw fit. The man took the formula and went home. He turned to Genesis 28:22 and drew a ring around these words: “Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” With that vow, nowbecome his vow, he began to manufacture a medicine. You probably have some at home. It was Mentholatum. On the bottle or tube you will find the name of A. A. Hyde. When I first heard this story he had become a millionaire and was still giving one-tenth of his income to what he considered the work of the Lord.
In private conversation I told this story to some one who said, “Well, he can afford to give a tenth, because he is rich.” I replied, “Yes, but remember that he was $50,000 in debt when he began doing so.” It is easier for one to give a tenth when he is poor than when he is rich. A man who practiced giving a tenth said that when he was working for $1.00 per day it was easy to give 60 cents on Sunday; but when he began making $500 per week and had to give $50 on Sunday, it was hard to do. It is easier for a poor man to give liberally than it is for a rich man to do so. That may be one reason the Bible says it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Now, back to the Old Testament. You know the Jews were required to give a tenth of their income and even more. Some Bible students say the requirement was ²/₁₀ all the time and ³/₁₀ every third year. That is not entirely clear to me, but we do know that they had to give a tenth and in additionto that, they had to make daily, weekly, monthly and annual sacrifices. So at the very least, they gave more than a tenth, and you know that the Jews were a prosperous people. For some reason God tells us about all these Old Testament characters who gave a tenth and prospered while doing so. They were required to give a tenth. The New Testament commands us to give liberally. Now, which is more? Of whom does God require and expect more—those who give a tenth or the ones who are told to give liberally?
Now, I could stand up here and give you many more examples of those who gave a tenth of their income and were blessed while they did so. A man in Richmond, Virginia, who had himself and a wife to support, was making only $20 per week. He purposed to give a tenth to the church. Later, he became sick and his remuneration was only $10 per week. He continued to give $2.00 per week to the church. He soon recovered, returned to work, and was promoted to a position that paid $75 per week.
My wife and I had another good friend at Richmond, Virginia, who gave $5.00 out of her $35 per month salary. One month, after meeting all necessary expense, the $5.00 that she had set apart for the church was all she had left with which to buy a new spring dress and you know how much a young lady wants a new dress in the spring. After debating the question for awhile she overcame the temptation and gave the $5.00 to the church as she had planned. The next day her employer, who was not a Christian and who knew nothing of the battle the young lady hadfought and won, gave her enough material to make two new dresses.
I could continue compiling such examples indefinitely. If you think a tenth is too much for one to give, ask the man who has tried it. I never knew any one to discontinue the practice of tithing after trying it for a while. Experience proves that it is a good practice. A church in Dallas, Texas, has a large sign on the wall of its building which reads as follows: “If any member will practice giving one-tenth of all he earns for one year and at the end of that time can say that he has been made poorer by doing so, we will give him $1,000 in gold.” No one has claimed that $1,000.
The church at Lily Chapel, near Portsmouth, Ohio, doubled its contributions. That meant, of course, that some of the members were even giving more than twice as much as they had been giving. One night I requested that all who had been made poorer, or who had less left to live on, as a result of increasing their contribution, raise their hands. Nobody raised a hand. Then I said, “Why don’t you double it again, then?”
Some people don’t give away enough and that is the reason they don’t have enough left to pay their bills. If you are having trouble making “tongue and buckle meet,” and don’t have the necessities of life,I suggest that you start giving more to the Lord’s work. Then you will have more left to live on. This may not sound like good arithmetic; but it is good Bible teaching. “He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” “The liberal soul shall be made fat” (Prov. 25:11).
Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel’s but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29, 30). That is a wonderful promise. It does not apply to those who give for the sake of handsome returns; but to those who give for the sake of Christ. Those who give for His sake shall receive a hundredfold in this life. Do we believe the Bible? Then why don’t we give more? Many do not believe the above promise. They do not believe that all necessary things will be added to those who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. They are afraid they will come to want if they give liberally. Instead of giving liberally and trusting God’s promises they try to provide for themselves by holding on to what they have. They should heed the words of the Bible: “There is that withholdeth more than is meet [suitable], but it tendeth to poverty” (Prov. 11:24). Christians need more faith. We need to believe that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” I don’tbelieve any one was ever made poorer as a result of giving, if he gave according to the Bible. To do so would be to disbelieve the word of Almighty God.
May I insist again that you give prayerful consideration to this question: “How much is liberal?” Ask yourself, “How much must I give in order for the Lord to consider me a liberal giver?” This question must be answered to the satisfaction of the Lord Almighty. When a widow can give all she has without being reproved by the Lord, do you believe that God will be pleased with less than a tenth from you? In the light of what God required of the Jews do you believe that one-tenth exceeds the demands of liberality?
If all the members of God’s church gave a tenth [which they certainly could do and still have plenty left] the contribution of the average congregation would be at least four times as much as it is at present. Think of the good work that could then be supported. We could preach the gospel to the entire world in a short time; we could take care of all the poor; we could count the elders that rule well worthy of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17).
How many Jews did it take to start a congregation and support a priest? It took only ten. Wherever there were ten Jews they could employ a priest and support him with their tithe, or tenth. The priest was required to give a tenth also. This left each in the group ⁹/₁₀ to live on and meet other obligations. How many Christians does it take to support a preacher? In this age, it takes from one hundredto one thousand so-called Christians to keep one man busy in the work of the Lord. In the light of this comparison, how do you think we will stack up with the Jews on the Judgment Day? Why does a congregation of five hundred, or one thousand, members do but very little more than a congregation of one hundred members? Even if it takes one hundred Christians to support one preacher, why can’t a congregation of five hundred, or one thousand members support five, or ten full-time workers in the Lord’s vineyard? Is it not because the members of the average congregation are content to give barely enough to carry on a local program that is respectable in the eyes of the public? Such a limited conception of what is needed is not a scriptural standard of giving.
The New Testament requires liberality. The Jews had to give a tenth, and more. We must give liberally. Let us be sure that we meet this New Testament requirement. Let us prove our faith by our giving. Let us obey God and trust His promises. Let us give liberally, and watch the growth in our individual and congregational prosperity.
I want to leave just one more thought before closing. I suppose you are glad to be here, grateful for your existence on the earth. Most people are. Very few are tired of living. God blessed you when he gave you your life on this earth. I will tell you how you can get a blessing still greater—by giving your life to God. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” If you were blessed when you received your life, you will be more blessed by giving your life inobedient service to your Maker. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). Give your life to Jesus. Live for Him who died for you.
While we stand and sing we entreat you to accept the Lord’s gracious invitation.