Keys to Extraordinary Giving

And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much. (Exodus 36: 6, 7)

Can you imagine work being stopped because the gifts had overrun the workstation? Can you imagine people being forcefully stopped from giving?

Yet this is what we see in this passage.

Why was it?

But I also want to point us to another passage.

And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (Exodus 32: 2 – 4)

Imagine the amount of gold that was used to make the golden calf, considering it was one work of solid gold! Yet they possibly made that collection in one or two days.

Yet the gold came from earrings! How many people gave toward that calf?

And we know that it was a sizeable idol since with an altar it was visible to the entire congregation.

How could people give so much in so short a time?

Let me take us to something Christ said.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:34)

Our heart directs our hands (pockets).

Israel gave above the requirements because God had through Moses demonstrated who He was to them. He had displayed His power and love in rescuing them from slavery and providing for them in the wilderness.

Giving was therefore almost automatic, if not instinctive. God just needed to say the word.

Seeing God, and of course knowing Him opens us to giving to anything He values because it opens the door to closer fellowship with Him. Fellowship and giving can never be separated.

In the second story, people wanted to run their affairs apart from God. They wanted to create a god after their image, a god they could control (or so they thought). They wanted a soft god without restraints.

And they gave generously to that.

What does this tell us?

We give sacrificially to what we value without realizing the sacrifice involved.

And there are more examples in the scriptures.

Do you realize that Peter and John with their brothers left the greatest harvest (catch) and the resulting stock of their lives to follow Jesus?

The disciples held a thanksgiving service after being beaten by the leadership. Paul and Silas were able to sing in pain after the beating they received and being bound in the stocks (ultimate discomfort). Stephen was able to ask forgiveness for the people who were stoning him to death. And many other incidences scattered all through the scriptures.

Like the three Hebrews being ready to die in the blazing furnace. Or with Daniel choosing pulse (vegetables) and water instead of the king’s dainties.

Knowing God means giving of everything we have, even ourselves, to Him. There simply is no sacrifice too big for someone who has seen and/ or knows God.

Remember David refusing to take the willing offering of a field and sacrificial implements and beasts to do what God had ordered him?

What does this tell us as ministers?

When we show people God, they will have no problems giving to Him. And as His ministers who are in His service we will not lack because then God will direct them to minister to us and the ministry He has called us to.

How do we do it?

We should strive to preach the Gospel and teach the scriptures as they are. Then the people under us will be able to clearly know God and understand His ways. Remember the apostles refusing to be drawn to the administration of the giving? That is what we should be like.

On the other side, giving or telling people what they want is guaranteed to bring in abundant giving as we saw with Israel. And many ministers know that.

Preaching and teaching what people love and pleasing them with what they desire  is sure to bring enough gifts, even expensive gifts, and sacrificially too.

Entertainment draws crowds. That is why comedians and musicians are filling pulpits nowadays.

I will not forget motivational speaking since many a pastor has been swallowed by that god thinking self-improvement is like the pursuit of holiness. And prosperity preaching falls in that category.

But I think the reasoning is more subtle. There is greater acceptance of motivation than the Gospel. More people are coming and giving when they motivate than when they preach what addresses the human nature and its need for God.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2Timothy 4: 3, 4)

Like with the calf, they will handsomely reward those teachers telling them what they want to hear. These teachers will end up having everything a person would need.

This however does not mean that the ones preaching God’s counsel will be starving. It only means that they will be in God’s season, enjoying everything God is giving them, be it prison or martyrdom because they are surrendered to God’s will. But they will also be amply provided for from God’s bounty. Only that it will be as God pleases.

Giving cannot therefore be used as a sign of a healthy church. Probably the sign of a focused church, without defining the focus.

One is grounding people on earth whereas the other is uprooting them from it by pointing at a Kingdom out of this world.

But both will produce exceptional giving.

What will you preach?

That has a direct relationship with the eternal destination of you and the ones you are preaching to.

Being content with making people comfortable with earthly ambition and fulfilment, though it will bring immense resources to ministry will at the end be building a great palace using stubble. That imposing structure (ministry, church) will not last. Worse still, it will not take people to heaven.

Like I like saying, I would rather walk one person to heaven than fly millions to hell, however rewarding it is on this earth.

I will ask again, what will you preach?