AM Worship Service, 27 April 2025
The Heart of Christian Giving
Brothers and sisters, as we come to the close of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we find a passage that may seem at first to be merely practical—a simple instruction about collecting financial support for the saints in Jerusalem. But when we look deeper, we see that Paul is not just talking about money. He is talking about the heart of Christian giving—what it reveals about our priorities, our love for the saints, and our worship of God.
Many people today misunderstand Christian giving. Some see it as a mere obligation, something they must do grudgingly, as if God were a tax collector demanding His due. Others treat it as optional, thinking that giving is only for those who have extra, while they themselves are free to hold tightly to their resources. Still others see it as a means of financial gain, giving in order to receive, as if they could manipulate God into blessing them with material prosperity.
But the Word of God corrects all these errors. Paul presents giving not as an obligation to be endured, nor as an optional choice, nor as a means of personal enrichment. Instead, he teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship and a means of unity in the body of Christ. It is a privilege, not a burden. It is an expression of gratitude, love, and trust in God, who has first given so abundantly to us.
As we look at Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, we will see that Christian giving should be regular, intentional, proportional, and handled with integrity—not as a duty imposed upon us, but as an act of devotion to Christ. And we will see that Christ Himself is both the ultimate example and the enabler of our giving, for He who was rich became poor for our sake, that we might share in His riches.