Scripture Reading Philippians 1:3-11

Why Pray? Why Pay? Why give to the church? Why give to Christ and his work in this world?

Why Give to the Church? GUILT “I need to pay for my sins.” PAYMENT PLAN

Why Give to the Church? FEAR “If I don’t give, God won’t love me.” BUYING ETERNAL LIFE

Why Give to the Church? MEMBERSHIP DUES “Every club has it’s membership dues, it’s the price for services rendered” FORMULA: Operating Cost / # Members = Dues

Why Give to the Church? GLORY “If I give, I will look good.” Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5 IT IS EXPECTED “I need to keep up with the Jones’ and the VanderSma’s”

Why Give to the Church? HABIT “I have always given to the church.” DANGER: $10 in 2006 is not equal to $10 in 1976

Why Give to the Church? OBEDIENCE “The Bible prescribes giving 10% to the church.” DANGER: Dead Legalism – your heart not in it.

Why Give to the Church? THANKFULNESS “I give to the church as a token of my thankfulness for what he has done for me.”

Why Give to the Church? ACKNOWLEDGING IT’S GODS “I give to the church to remind myself that all that I have is God’s.”

Why Give to the Church? FOR THE FUN OF IT “It’s a blast to give to the church.” “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Why Give to the Church? PARTNERING WITH GOD “I know of no better investment than to put my money where God is working in the world.”

Why Give to the Church? 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:4-6

Why Give to the Church? “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven,” Acts 1:1-2 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Why Give to the Church? Christ is still at work in this world through his body - the church. The Spirit-led Imperfect church

Why Give to the Church? If you were to invest, what would you be looking for? - A partner who can deliver - a product you can believe in - a market that needs the product

Why Give to the Church? How do you look at your giving to the Ottewell church? Membership dues? or Investing in what God is doing?

Why Give to the Church? God is working in and through us training us to be fully devoted followers of Christ training us to be fully devoted followers of Christ passing on our faith to our children passing on our faith to our children welcoming in people who are looking for hope and meaning in their lives welcoming in people who are looking for hope and meaning in their lives

Why Give to the Church? God is working in and through us drawing us closer to Christ drawing us closer to Christ encouraging us to use our gifts and talents in his service encouraging us to use our gifts and talents in his service seeking to meet the needs of the people around us seeking to meet the needs of the people around us

Why Give to the Church? We asked this morning: “Why give to the church?” I would have all of us ask ourselves: “Why do I give to the church?”

Why Give to the Church? God in his Word invites us to partner with Him in what He is doing in the world today.