If your church has an average gross household income of $50,000 it should receive a total annual tithe equal to the following based on membership numbers expressed below:
* 100 families giving $500,000
* 500 families giving $2,500,000
*1000 families giving $5,000,000
*3000 families giving $15,000,000
No doubt some congregations in some areas have lower or higher average income levels than that expressed above. However, most church congregations don’t give at the tithing level because most members do not give a tithe. Granted there are many things going on in people’s lives and some are in better financial positions on earth than are other people. However, in some respects, the ground that scriptural instruction is being sown into (the hearts of the people listening) is not currently good ground as described in the Parable of the Sower. Up to three-fourths of it may never become good ground.
It’s amazing that this parable indicates that 75 percent of people that receive a gospel witness are not good ground because they only let the Word penetrate their hearts:
* Enough to hear it and then immediately disavow it or
* For a very short time until it tribulation comes (then they turn back to their old beliefs and ways) or
* For a while until the cares of this world (direct pursuit of riches and worldly pleasure instead of pursuit of the goals of Jesus Christ) crowd out the Word they previously accepted.
In each case, the person couldn't be built up in the Christian faith because they chose to forsake the Word and to forsake regular fellowship with believers in a local bible-believing church that truly seek the Lord's will. So, the devil ultimately devours them. As you know, he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Each of the people meeting the description above allow satan, his plan, and his enticements to turn them away from God's will.
In the parable, only 25 percent of the seed (Word) was identified as being sown in good ground (hearts prepared for growth by fully accepting the Lord with no reservations who show it by progressively employing Christ-like discipline). I hope you fall into this category, not just for salvation and eternal life sake, but so you can be fruitful on earth bringing forth 30, 60, and 100 fold returns for Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God, and the sake of lost souls who need Him.
If you are not currently in this category, then move into it. It’s an exercise of your will motivated by your love for Jesus Christ that allows His work of reconciliation to take place in your life. You then become useful in helping others be reconciled to Him.
I don’t believe that this 75% to 25% relationship is necessarily set in stone. I believe it identifies as a whole the condition of men’s hearts and the devastating consequences that will be felt by the many and each individual that has chosen not to receive Christ as Savior and Lord.
It presents the body of Christ and its leaders with a great challenge. However, we can overcome it by regularly feeding the congregation biblical principles (including financial) and showing them how to forsake worldly principles. Such regular monthly teaching will provide believers with the knowledge they need to help overcome hardness of heart, tribulation, and the pursuit of riches and worldly pleasure (the love of money) that brought them to the place of spiritual bankruptcy and poverty. Their un-Christ-like beliefs led them to forsake tithing and other godly principles because they are a part of the relationship that God wanted to engage in them.
Leaders that want to help members undo financial bondage, prosper, and greatly increase church revenues for the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission must employ trustworthy teachers to teach their members the complete array of godly lifestyle and financial principles contained in the Word.
These disciplines or principles include:
* Spending time in God’s presence through thanksgiving, praise, worship, and daily prayer
* Engaging weekly or more often fellowship with a bible-believing local church
* Volunteering to serve with other believers in weekly ministry at the local church
* Engaging in outreach to unbelievers and disciple-making of believers
* Tithing, free-will offering, and giving in other ways as God speaks specific amounts to you personally
* Having a proper biblical outlook about work and obeying godly authority in the home, church, workplace, and society
* Paying taxes, saving / investing, diversifying your assets, staying out of and eliminating debt, and spending less than you make.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Matthew 13:3-8, John 8:32, Romans 10:17, 2Timothy 2:2, 3:16-17
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
You can find books authored by Randy and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com.
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