1 Corinthians 16:1-4 

¹Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. ²On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. ³Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

Hospital Vacation

 Some of you may want to know about my hospital vacation. Before I had a major heart surgery someone asks about my thought. The medical staffs assured that the doctor who performed my surgery is the best in the city. But the doctor did not give me assurance that the surgery will be 100% success. He will do his best but there will be percentage of failure. Meaning: I may come out of the operating room alive or possibly die. So, they asked me to sign a waiver.

Do you hesitate to sign a waiver that says, “Whatever the result of the surgery, the medical staff won’t be blamed for failure?” Certainly, with or without heart surgery, I could die anytime. When I signed the waiver, I sensed peace. I can peacefully accept if I die anytime, but I trusted that if God has still purposes for me to live, he will let me live in this world until he decides to take my life.

I have hope to enter heaven when Christ returns, and I am preparing for my life in heaven with the Lord. How about you? Christ advised us to store up treasures in heaven for ourselves, why? Nobody stores up treasures in heaven for others. It’s very crucial to prepare for our life in heaven. Are you prepared?

The Lord Jesus Christ had revealed already in John14:1-3, ¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Do you believe that Christ had already prepared a place for us in heaven?

So, why did he command that we store up treasures in heaven for ourselves? We must prepare for life in eternity; we’ve got to be more serious in storing up treasures in heaven for ourselves. God promised rewards for obedience to him, but did he promise treasures in heaven for free? Reflect on 1 Timothy 6:18-19,

¹⁸Do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

To store up treasures in heaven for ourselves, be generous and willing to share. Before spending your money in indulgence, return God’s tithes and give your offerings. May God prosper you and save some for mission purposes.

1. Save

¹Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. ²On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 

         How should we explain the phrase, “Set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income?”Save an amount of money in proportion to what you earn.

Does it mean that if they have no income, they are exempted from setting aside for the Lord? Personally, I believe that God provides acquaintances, safety, strength, health, and wisdom to do my work productively. I believe that God is integral to my competence, effectivity, efficiency and ability as a worker.

I supposed that the Lord should have bigger share from what we earn. Yet God requires only 10% of our income as his right portion. We return the portion of God, his tithes as practice of faith in him. The Lord is faithful. He fulfills his promises at his proper timing, and we pray that we may sincerely obey him.

How do you internalize what the author declared in Psalm 145:13?

¹³The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Now, Apostle Paul told the church in Corinth, “Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.” Paul was not trying to dictate how the Corinthians respond to missions. He wanted proper coordination of the Lord’s people for collections in the church. It’s great testimony of the body of Christ when we are coordinated.

         Paul’s instruction to the church in Corinth, to set aside and save an amount of money in proportion to their income, his original purpose of was to send it to help the believers in Judea who were affected by famine. There was famine in Judea at that time, and other Jewish people were also collecting for donations.

         Famine occurs in any generation. These days, collections of donations for victims of hunger had been taken advantage of by dishonest individuals. Surely, there are honest agencies that collect donations for the needy, and there are also people who are dishonest and take advantage of naïve and innocent donors.

         And it is a smart idea that we would rather give to the church and pray that God gives wisdom to our leader on how to allocate church collections. But if you want to send money abroad, choose church workers you personally know.

Mission Support

         It’s great testimony for Christians who personally send financial support to needy church workers, pastors or missionaries abroad. Personally, my family was and is recipient of Christians generosity. So, the Lord set in our heart to regularly pray for individuals and institutions that supported our ministry endeavor in the past and at present. May God generously bless them exceedingly abundantly.

Now, if you wish that someone would regularly pray for you without asking them, pray that God gives you the gift of generosity, and send financial support to church workers, pastors or missionaries abroad that you personally know. Surely, the recipients of your generosity will pray that God blesses you even more. Your generosity to needy servants of God will be added to your treasures in heaven.

         How do you personally interpret what it had declared in 2 Peter 1:2-3?

²Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. ³His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

God has already given us everything we need for a godly life, and we should explore such reality. The more we know God and Jesus Christ, the more we want to obey him, and we’ve got more abundance of his grace and peace.

How can we realize the bountiful grace and peace from God? How do we know that God has given us everything we need for godly life? Godly instructions are impartial means to experience grace and peace from God. So, we obey him.

Nevertheless, we have to rely upon the Holy Spirit of God for us to gladly follow his instructions. What is God’s instruction? Read the Scripture regularly to find out his instruction for you. One instruction of the Lord is to send support.

2.  Send

³Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. ⁴If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

         The phrase “Men you approve” suggests that sending financial support to anyone in need is not randomly implemented. There should be agreement in the church. Meaning: Congregational approval is to be observed when collections in the church are saved and allocated. We observe orderliness in church ministries.

         Scholars suggest that the church of Corinth was financially blessed but there was no harmony among them, especially, in ministry activities. Everyone had preferences. They did whatever they think as best means to do ministry. And Apostle Paul had to address their problem. He told them that they should do what he instructed the churches in Galatia like church collection as their example.

         Apostle Paul suggested also that he was willing to join those men assigned to send relief goods to Jerusalem. Paul planned to go to Jerusalem anyway.

         It’s also a practice of faith in God to entrust money as the church approves. It’s not random choice, popularity contest or whoever wants to volunteer. We entrust our finances to someone we can trust. We trust God also for the result.

We can learn from Abraham when he sent his chief servant to get a wife for Isaac. Abraham said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had in Genesis 24:2-6, ²“Put your hand under my thigh. ³ I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, ⁴ but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” ⁵ The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?” ⁶ “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said.

         Curiously, why did Abraham send his senior servant and not Isaac his son? Did Abraham strongly trust that his senior servant would choose the right wife for his son Isaac? The senior servant took ten camels and loaded them with all kinds of good things from his master Abraham: gold, silver, jewelries, precious clothing and costly gifts. And, he gave them to Rebekah and her brother and mother.

         The Lord gave success to the senior servant of Abraham. Rebekah went to Canaan; she never met Isaac before but willingly married him. Did God ordain their marriage? It was like a marriage arranged by Abraham for his son Isaac.

         There are people who may not agree with arranged marriage, but arranged marriage for their children is cultural practice of other nations. The situation of Isaac and Rebekah exemplifies that God is not against all cultural practices.

         Abraham did not randomly choose his senior servant to get a wife for his son Isaac. He had observed the dedication of his senior servant, and he trusted him. The senior servant was the manager of all Abraham’s properties.

Election of Church Leaders

         In the past, we also observe the spirituality church members who are potential church leaders, and we elect them. Individuals who were elected as church leaders can be devoted to their calling but that were also elected church leaders who pursued their personal agenda after they were elected as leaders.

         Most churches, if not all, have problem of division because of different ideologies of church leaders, and their loyal followers support their cause.

         Apostle Paul addressed the problem of division in the church of Corinth because each church attendee had preference of which leader they wanted to follow. Some of them openly say, “I follow Apollos!” Others followed Peter or Paul. But believers should faithfully devote to follow Christ Jesus our Lord.

         Gathering to worship is expression of our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. But if you attend church for different reason, the Lord may deal with you according to his righteousness. Please be reminded of 1 Corinthians 15:58,

⁵⁸Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

After Surgery

         After my surgery, I reflected on why God blessed me and extended my life. An idea came to my mind that as long as the mission purposes of the Lord for me are not accomplished yet, he will let me live. I sensed joyful peace from the Holy Spirit, and I endured the challenges of life despite terrible pain. If God let me live until the return of Christ, praise belongs to God! The experience of uncertainty is testing of my faith in God; he extended my life. Praise belongs to Christ our Lord!

Remember: Anyone who received a gift of faith from God, will be tested.

The degree, magnitude or intensity of testing and trials correspond to the faith we receive from God. And the Lord tests us only within our ability endure.

         How do you personally interpret what it declares in 1 Corinthians 10:13?

         ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

         Take note that the term “temptation” is properly translated as “testing or trial.” So, the testing or trial that we go through is also commonly experienced by others. God is faithful; he won’t allow any testing or trial beyond our ability to endure. And when God allows us to be tested, he will give us also the strength to endure it and survive trial or testing. Of course, it is by faith we believe this reality.

         Listen attentively: We can believe biblical truths only by the gift of faith that God gives us. Ask God to increase your faith. Whenever you face difficulties and struggles of life, ask God to help you practice your faith in him.

         One biblical instruction that we should not ignore is to set aside an amount of money in proportion to our income for church collection. Not all people who claim to be Christian can readily accept this godly instruction. It is by the grace of God that we readily obey this biblical instruction. We praise and thank God for it.

Seriously reflect on what it reminds us in Deuteronomy 8:18, ¹⁸Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

         If you acknowledge that it is God who gives you ability to produce wealth, give his right portion. Faithful believers return the tithes of God. He promised to open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. God himself inspires thankful believers to set aside and return his tithes. We give offering as practical proof of gratitude to God. We send mission support as a church. Many individuals send mission support also.

         Have you tested if you have received the gift of faith from God?

Have you explored the boundaries of your faith in God?

Explore the limits of your faith in the Lord. Obey godly instructions and experience so much of blessing included in godly instructions.

Whenever you read biblical instruction from God, take note of blessings added to it. Why? After you receive blessings from God, you will discover that obedience to the Lord is the best life you can ever experience in this world and in the next life. And you want to faithfully obey the Lord much more.

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