By Joe Putting
“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “˜Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15, 16).
When I was growing up in the late 1960s, my dad exposed me to every western movie available. There was nothing quite like the drive-in theater experience. At some point in nearly every film, the good guys would circle the wagons to ward off the bad guys.
Though this might sometimes be necessary, a group that has circled its wagons is making no progress toward its ultimate destination. Forward motion is stalled.
The church too often stays circled up rather than fanning out to take territory God has made available. The church of Jesus cannot fulfill its God-given responsibilities without reaching out, without a giving spirit that reflects the heart of God. The church can reach out to others by . . .
“¢ sharing Jesus” love with all the world (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
“¢ planting churches (see Acts).
“¢ taking love to widows and orphans (James 1:27).
“¢ feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoners, helping the sick, and providing water to the thirsty (Matthew 25).
No part of Jesus” vision can be accomplished without financial giving. The real question is this: Is our Christian faith merely an academic exercise, or is the church a practical, life-giving organism?
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6, 7).
If we believe this statement is true, then planting/investing should be our full-time occupation. The kingdom”s principle is, “The more one gives away, the more he has.”
In my 30 years as a pastor, I”ve seen God”s blessings flow to churches whose efforts line up with the biblical giving mandate.
Salty and Sacrificing
In fact, a church that wants to grow must have an outward focus, said pastor Robbie O”Brien of Salty Church in Ormond Beach, Florida. “Churches inwardly focused on survival are on the wrong track,” O”Brien said. “Giving changes your world.” Salty Church invested $48,000 in two pastors serving in Costa Rica who have planted nine churches in two years.
While those numbers might seem impressive, an aspect on the backside of that investment is just as noteworthy. According to O”Brien, “The long-term partnership keeps our organization strong.”
Individuals from Salty Church visit Costa Rica to give of themselves. The mission trip participants encourage and minister alongside the pastors, congregations, and communities””and end up fueling themselves and bringing that desire to give back to the mother church, where it spreads.
This bounce-back strengthens the local church as people use their God-given gifts and talents in their own backyard.
Last year, Salty planted a church at an elementary school in New Smyrna, 30 miles down the beach; today that church draws 250 people to its Sunday services.
Meanwhile, a Salty Church attendee recently received IRS nonprofit status for C4, a ministry that partners with government agencies to prevent child abuse.
“We”re sending people and money to this mission so we can stop the abuse before it happens,” O”Brien said.
O”Brien cites the giving model as the catalyst for growth at the New Smyrna plant and at Salty”s main campus. The church, which itself is a 2005 plant of Tomoka Christian Church in Ormond Beach, welcomes 1,300 to weekly services at its trendy beachside campus, where casual clothing and flip-flops are de rigueur.
Acting on the Truth
It”s not about the size of the church or the income of the Christian, but the heart of both that matters. Do we know the truth, have the food, and say, “I wish you well”? Or do we act on what we say we know to be true?
“As we give, the Father is pleased, the kingdom is advanced, and individual souls are being touched,” said pastor Mark White of Mason Christian Church, a small rural church in central Illinois. “Giving shouts a resounding message.”
White has personally seen giving”s impact during his 27-year tenure at Mason Christian.
“My wife and I learned how God provides early in our married lives. Our home church expanded their missions giving through faith promise, at the time a new venture for us. We had promised a certain amount each month and were concerned where the money would come from.”
Though a little unsure, the Whites trusted God.
“We gave the money, and the next week received a check from the state comptroller”s office for the exact amount we had written the check for.”
It was a blessing from out of the blue, White said. “I had never received a check from them before, and haven”t since.”
Fearful, dying, and dead organizations circle the wagons. Faithful, vibrant, living organizations reach out to give generously in line with the heart of God””and that act of faith, obedience, and boldness expands his kingdom.
Joe Putting has served as senior pastor with Tomoka Christian Church, Ormond Beach, Florida, for 21 years. Upon his arrival at Tomoka, the church began a 10 percent tithe, and now gives away about 33 percent annually. Through the grace of God and an unswerving commitment to give, Tomoka through the years has helped plant hundreds of churches and has built and funded orphanages, health clinics, pro-life clinics, food pantries, and camps locally and around the world. Each year, the church sends out dozens of mission teams to local, national, and international destinations. In January 2014, the church completed construction and moved into a $10 million facility Putting has dubbed a “rescue center.”
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