Working together for the kingdom
2 Corinthians 8: 16 - 24
The leader Bill Hybels in his book “Courageous
leadership”[1]
in his chapter on building a kingdom dream team tells when he visited
Washington to attend the ceremony where Billy Graham received the congressional
Gold medal of honour. There were dozens of world leaders and government
officials. It was a great ceremony in high style. When Billy Graham got the
medal he looked at the award and then said quietly “This medal is really not for me. This medal is for our team. We’ve
been together for forty five years. Without each member my life would not have
been the same. I owe them so much”
Working together for the kingdom!
In order to understand the verse I think we have to
remember the main topics the Apostle Paul addressed to this church. If we
divide the letter in three parts we notice that:
1:1
to 7:16 Paul explains and defends his ministry
8:1
to 9:15 Paul encourages their generosity
9:15
to 13 Paul reinforces his authority
The previous section in chap 8, talks about the
purposes of their offering, here from verse 16 on, he talks about the process and the modalities of this offering.
More so this letter is a defending
one to Paul’s ministry.
In those days there were preachers who would visit churches like the one in
Corinth to present a new form of Christianity. Their message was based on human
wisdom, non sincerity, fleshly motives and pride. That message included a
criticism against the Apostle Paul and his message. Those preachers who were
eloquent with their speech and able to convince people with what they were saying they were the real
apostles and Paul with his friend were frauds. They attacked Paul’s integrity,
sincerity and honesty. On the contrary Paul repeatedly says these teachers were
liars, manipulators, using their messages as a pretence to manipulate and take
advantage of their position.
The Apostle Paul instead was living his ministry with
coherency and healthy motives which unfolds in many passages in the letter.
In the chapter 8 like in the 9th Paul talks about
offering, money, financial support. The whole teaching in chap 8 and 9 is that
the churches who had more would supply those churches who were in need within
the universal church. In other words the believers had to learn how to be
generous towards those who where in need and so expanding their vision and not
just thinking about personal and local needs.
Let’s look at the passage in a closer way:
Paul gives instruction how to collect and carry the
offering. With Titus, the churches in order to protect Paul and Titus from
criticisms, send a trusted brother to witness that the offering arrived in
Jerusalem.
Ver 8:19 “Honoring God”. Paul’s concern was that this
administration of money would ultimate honor God. Any unjustified accusation or
criticism would have ruined the holy offering given to the church in Jerusalem.
Ver 20- 22 talks about the “necessity of honesty”.
Paul here is concerned that this service is done in all transparency. The
offering was good, but it needs to be handled with a system which guaranties
honesty and leaves no room for criticism.
Paul was able to share his thoughts on the power of
money in 1 Timothy when he says that 6:10 “Love
of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have
wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s”
Paul was able to say to the
Philippians chap 4 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to
have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation” ver 12.
Ver 22 a 24 we see a man up closer, Titus. Titus
had heart for the ministry and he was
the ideal coworker. Paul trusted him. He was willing to serve, willing to make
sacrifices. A man who served God with zeal, passion, concern, initiative and
enthusiasm. Paul calls him “partner” and “fellow worker”. Titus was part of a
team, Paul’s team. Titus was faithful, a hard worker, a reliable man even
handling money.
How
can we apply these truths to us today?
a. Healthy money management. In the Church life we can’t divorce spiritual things
with practical things. What I mean is practical things are linked with
spiritual things more so the practical things have to support, promote and
encourage spiritual things. Money is a tool, a servant and it needs to be
managed in the most honored and in this passage it talks about “administered in
order to honor the Lord”. Paul reinforces qualities like honesty, sincerity,
with money involved.
In church life we have several committees. The
committees have to minister financial budgets. The person who is responsible
for the finance has to guarantee maxim honesty and transparency in his service.
Money can become a huge temptation. The devil knows that and money can become a
way of corruption.
Alongside power and sex, money is the 3° aspect of a
potential fall for leaders, people who sit in places of responsibility, to be
corrupted. This is real in the secular world and the church is not immune to
that. There is a real need for prayer and encouragement. We constantly need to
pray for those who handle finance, may
the Holy Spirit protect them giving wisdom on how to handle the money and
protect them from every type of temptation. As Paul is concerned that there is
a real accountability so we need to do so. It’s never a good idea that one
person handles all the money but a trusted committee who is accountable to
another body of people.
Ver 22 “diligent” this is a quality needed for someone
who manages money. Keeping the books, bank accounts, budgets you need passion
and diligence for this work. He
shares how this work is important and all his commitment to do well.
2. Local church part of the universal church. Money, support, strategies can be
difficult topics to talk about. In many Christian circles and churches people
don’t like to talk about that especially in the way the support needs to be
organized, structured and managed. But these “hot topics” are not addressed for
some reasons. One of them is that sometimes there is just a localized vision for the work. I am
talking not just on a money level.
The level of a spiritual church / vision is measured
by the way they manage the resources, supporting projects, sending people out,
short / long term mission.
One of the things I do when I visit a church, (if
there are displayed) is I look at the missionary wall board. Someone one day
said to me that those churches, those Christians who have a wider vision, global
vision for the work, are the most effective Christians on a local level. No
vision for the lost, nationally, internationally. That is for the money too.
Paul is teaching the Corinthian church that there were
needs in Judea and they had the spiritual responsibility as the broader body of
Christ to supply their needs. If the Lord had provided money for them because
they had the responsibility to help their brothers in Christ. More so Paul says
it not that they had to be in need but their abundance had to be a way to
demonstrate generosity (8:14).
Working for the kingdom together means not just having
concern for the local church health but having an eye open for the needs of the
next church, in the same region, nation, international and I do know that you have
it. We all praise God for that.
But I think there is
serious decision to make too. What is our “plenty today”? In other words
in a world like ours, in Europe, In Italy, In GB, how do you define, calculate the
plenty? Where do you draw the line?
You see, sincerely sometimes we are not satisfied with
our needs and we want more and more than really what we need to live on.
Secularism, technology is absorbing our attention and our wallets too for
example. Therefore we give the real left over which can become just a few
coins. I know people who have lowered their lifestyle in order to support their
local church and mission in general. In other words using the words of David in
the OT, they won’t offer anything to the Lord which is not costly. This is a
personal choice before the Lord. Yes we all have bills to pay, education for
the kids, clothing, eating etc. Many times our families, home have far too many
gadgets. Sometimes we ended up like in the days of Haggai where the Temple was
in ruins but the Jew’s houses where all decorated.
Keep in your prayers your leaders, pastor, church to
receive a vision from God for the local needs as well as for the spiritual and
financial needs in Scotland, UK, Europe, etc.
We are all part of the same
universal church therefore we all work together for the same kingdom.
c. A good team player.
And when we
talk about team, people working for the same kingdom we thank God for such
people like Titus. I would like to have a coworker like him in the
Avellino province. A man who was willing
and fit for team work & aims. In other words he had the right spirit to gel
and work in a team work situation. In my experience I have seen many styles of
full time / part time servants. Not everybody naturally manages to work in a
team. Sometimes you see strong personalities, people who are lone ranger
workers, with an inflexible program, difficult to listen to advice, opinions,
difficult to lead, people with just their own agenda.
Ten Qualities of an Effective Team Player[2]
(I won’t read all of it but!)
If you were choosing team members for a business team
in your organization, who would the best team players be? Assuming that people
have the right technical skills for the work to be done, what other factors
would you use to select your team members?
Teams need strong team players to perform well. But
what defines such people?
1. Demonstrates reliability
2. Communicates constructively
3. Listens actively
4. Functions as an active participant
5. Shares openly and willingly
6. Cooperates and pitches in to help
7. Exhibits flexibility
8. Shows commitment to the team
9. Works as a problem-solver
10. Treats others in a respectful and
supportive manner
I find these principles valid and I see them in the
Scripture.
Paul worked in a team, Act 13:1-3
for example. More so Jesus put up a team.
Nowadays we talk about “leadership team” and the team
mentality is taking ground more and more because we realize that individualism
is a real danger.
Today we live in a individualist society. Individualism,
selfishness, is strong.
When we look at the church we are one body (1 Cor.12),
many members but one body. We are not isolated but part of a body.
This is valid not just at a church local level. You
might be involved in a project outside the church with a Christian
organization. Are you a good team player? You might be involved in a short or
long term program with a team of people from your church or not. Are you ready
not just with your competence, but with Character? (Bill H in the same book quoteed earlier talks about 3 C – Character,
Competence, Chemistry in a good team) In
what field do you need to improve? Communication? Flexibility? Commitment?
Think about that!
Paul succeed as a leader because he had a great team.
One of those members was Titus.
Are you a good team member? Sunday school team? Yf
team? Teaching team? Evangelistic outreach team? Leadership team?
Conclusion:
Working together for the kingdom!
Patrizio Zucchetto
Patrizio Zucchetto
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