"Offering, Giving, and Worship"
1. They were disciplined in setting aside money for collections on the Lord's Day.
2. Everyone contributed and participated in giving.
3. People gave proportional to their means.
Paul appeals to the church to see the needs of those who are suffering in Jerusalem and to practice the Galatian model of giving.
Application: Similar to the poor in Jerusalem, we can look at the situation in Japan as an opportunity to grow in our heart of offering, giving, and ultimately worship to God. Our senior pastor this past Sunday spent the first part of his sermon addressing an underlying issue for many Asian ethnic churches. Because of the history between Japan and many Asian countries, there is a sad and disappointing reluctance towards supporting the relief work there. The situation with Japan is not that much different than the one that Paul dealt with in 1 Corinthians.
Paul did not have a harmonious relationship with the Jerusalem church. There were a level of distrust and animosity that the Jerusalem church had against Paul. Paul had been a persecutor of the early church and his conversion was initially met with a high degree of skepticism. His ministry to the Gentiles was also initially questioned by the leaders in the Jerusalem church and this only added to the tension between the two parties.
And yet, we see that Paul looked upon the situation in the Jerusalem church through the redeemed eyes of God rather than through his own prejudice. The "proof is in the puddling" because we see his loyalty and support for the mother church in Jerusalem despite the underlying tensions. In Paul's epistles, any call for special offering was almost exclusively for the sake and benefit of the church in Jerusalem. Paul does not allow his own history or experience to negate the call of God to love and support the Body of Christ. Paul points to the dire situation in Jerusalem to call the people to rethink and recommit to living a life of obedience through their giving and offering.
This past week, there have been two unfortunate situations in which this underlying prejudice and bias has come up in conversations with fellow believers. Not only are these comments totally ignorant but also flat out wrong. It leaves me at a loss of words to hear such things coming out of fellow believer's mouth. It reminds me how much more we need to hear and apply the principles that Paul lays out here in 1 Corinthians 16.
Brothers and sisters, let us look at those who are in need around you through redeemed eyes of God and not your own. Let us also live out your theology with specific and practical steps of faith, obedience and love.
Prayer: God give me to boldness and conviction to stand up for what is true and not shy away from doing what is right. Continue to lead me personally give and pray for the people in Japan.
