It is impossible to carry on any sort of enterprise without money, and the church of God should be the most enterprising institution in any community. It takes money to do the work God has required of his church. If you know of any congregation that manages to run along without money, you may rest assured that it is doing nothing in the name of our King. If a church has only money enough to defray its own expenses--for song books, Bible-study helps, lights, fuel, the upkeep of the house, etc.--it cannot be considered as doing much for God. A congregation that does nothing but exist is not much of an honor to Christ, and it is no honor at all to be a member of such a church. The church is the pillar and support of the truth, the light of the world, and the salt of the earth. Every congregation should be a radiating center, and its light should shine in every direction and into far distant fields. But some man, willing to justify himself, may argue that our light shines through our conduct; by living a righteous life we have an influence for good. That is true, and all else is worthless without a righteous life; but a man whose work for God is limited to his personal acquaintances is not a very brilliant light. What honor is it to Christ that a man behaves so as to keep out of the penitentiary? We owe that to ourselves. What have we done for Christ?

      Christ commanded us--you, all Christians--to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. How can we say that we have obeyed him if we spend three hundred and sixty-five days of the year working for ourselves, trying to build up a comfortable home for ourselves, trying to make money--if all our time and energies are spent in our own interest? Souls for whom Christ died are perishing, the cause of Christ is languishing at home, and the few missionaries that are on the foreign field are starving. Yet God's children are living in ease, in luxury, feasting and growing fat! We are not grieved over the "afflictions of Joseph;" we are singing idle songs, dancing, going to shows and theaters, and are deaf to the gospel word. Can we be saved in such a condition? How can we expect salvation?

      We do not wish to be either caustic or pessimistic, and we don't want to make any invidious comparisons; but in the hope of provoking us to greater efforts we want to submit a few facts. Statistics show that small sectarian bodies give many times more money in the interest of their propaganda, have more missionaries in the field, than all the "loyal" churches of Christ. We will mention another thing that has come under our observation. In a certain town there is a Methodist Church and a church of Christ. The church of Christ has a greater number of members, if we count only the adult members of the Methodist Church, and more wealth. The Methodist Church has a "pastor" to whom they pay $2,400 per year. The church of Christ has a preacher whom they support by the hardest with a salary just exactly half that large. The Methodist Church has a missionary in China whom they support with $1,000 per year. The church of Christ gives about $50 or $60 per year for missionary purposes. The Methodist Church gives more to "charity" or benevolent purposes than the church of Christ gives; it has a better meetinghouse, more conveniences for Bible study; and its members are more zealous in their work, more regular in their attendance at prayer meeting, Sunday school, and all their services than the members of the church of Christ, with one exception--they always go to church on Sunday morning, usually too late for the Bible study and song worship and the prayers, but in time for the Lord's Supper.

      "Think not to say within yourselves, We have the truth on baptism and the Lord's Supper and the Methodists do not. Verily I say unto you, These things cannot save you."

      This is not a pleasant comparison, and it is to be hoped that there are not many cases that it would fit; but it certainly is a matter of serious concern that we are not doing any more for Christ than we are.

      The scriptural way to raise money for the Lord's work is, we presume, well known to all who may read this chapter; and it is not necessary, therefore, to discuss the many methods that are used by men for this purpose, some of which are even questionable as to their morality. Our trouble does not come from a lack of information on this point; but it comes here, as it does in all other phases of the Lord's work, from a failure to do what God commands and as he directs. His way is always best.

      Though we already know what the Bible teaches on this subject, we submit here an arrangement of the Lord's plan of raising money as given by Paul, and we suggest that this be put on a chart and placed before the congregation to study. It would be well for the elders to use it in teaching the members their duty in respect to giving. They should especially emphasize the lesson taught under the division, "PERSONAL." We can no more obey God for our sons or our daughters in the matter of giving than we can in baptism or the Lord's Supper. If they have no income, we should teach them to deny themselves some pleasures and give to the Lord a portion of that which we allow them for such things. But here is the chart:

      If Paul's plan were followed in all our congregations, there would be no lack of funds for all our needs. In most places we do pretend to follow this plan, and often you find persons who are punctilious and scrupulous about "contributing on the first day of the week;" but they never do what that passage teaches. They overlook one chief point--viz., "as he may prosper." They think that if they go through the form of putting something into the collection basket they have obeyed God. Their income may be twenty-five dollars per week and their contributions ten cents, but that does not disturb their peaceful souls--they contribute every week just as the Bible teaches! Sometimes their income is more and the contribution less, or a smaller percent; that is a fair illustration of the way we sometimes obey (?) God in the matter of giving.

      We need to quicken our consciences on the duty of giving. We need to feel that we are disobedient when we fail to give as we may prosper just as much as we do when we fail to attend services or partake of the Lord's Supper.

      Our giving should be purposeful. We have too much accidental giving. Whatever amount we happen to have about us when the collection is taken we give, provided the amount is not more than twenty five or fifty cents; or the first small coin we get our hands on as the plate passes we drop in and feel that we have done what God requires. "These things ought not so to be." Paul said: "Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." (2 Cor. 9:7.)

      Every Christian should purpose in his heart to give so much to the Lord. But some one is ready with the objection that we do not know what our income will be. That is true with some, but it does not affect the lesson. We can purpose to give a certain, definite percent of our income, and then the amount of the income will determine the amount that we give. Such a purpose and such giving is more businesslike and shows more real faith and a true, conscientious desire to do the will of God. This loose, disjointed, purposeless giving is wrong. It is an excuse for the individual to shirk duty, and it is a handicap to the congregation. No church can ever do its full duty until it undertakes something--obligates itself to do something. Every church should obligate itself to support or help to support with a definite amount some work. But how can a church undertake anything like that unless there is some way of reckoning its resources? The elders should know something of the financial strength of the congregation. It would be easy if each member would willingly state what he purposes to do.

      If all were conscientious in this duty as in others, there would not be so much trouble and negligence. But we are too prone to say that we will give as we prosper; and then if we have any sickness or other misfortune, we make the Lord pay the expense. Why not give a certain per cent of our income--not of our profit over and above our living, but of our income--our living; then if misfortune puts us behind with the Lord, do just as we do with our grocer--pay as we can? This would manifest an earnestness and an honesty in dealing with the Lord that he would in no wise despise.

      Here is a good place to test our faith. It may be that we are not what we profess to be. The next time we grow real zealous and boast of our superior loyalty to the Lord and feel inclined to declare that we believe the Bible from cover to cover, let us get our New Testament and turn to 2 Cor. 9:6-8 and read carefully, slowly, meditatively, and then ask ourselves if we believe that. Do we sow bountifully? Do we believe if we did we would be prospered? Do we believe that God is able to make all grace abound unto us?

      But some one asks how much or what percent of our income we should give. That depends on our faith in the Lord's promises. If we believe that the more bountifully we sow the more bountifully we will reap, we would naturally want to give a liberal per cent. It is a good investment. Under the law the Lord required his people to give one-tenth of all they made. The Jews obeyed God in this, and they were always prosperous. Some Christians give a tenth to the Lord, and they are more prosperous than those who do not give anything. It is easy if our will and purpose is to do that, but it is awful if it is against our will. The heart must be in it, otherwise it is worthless; and that is why God has not stipulated a definite amount for us to give and forced us by statutory commands to obey.

      So the amount we give must be determined by our faith. Let us consider the amount we give as a measure of our faith in God's promises--that is, the percent of what we have. Of course the amount in dollars and cents cannot be taken as a measure, for some would give millions if they had them. But those who do not give of what they have would not give if they had billions; and if they did, it would not be acceptable; for they would give then not through faith in God, but because they had no dread of poverty, no fear of ever coming to want; they would most likely give in order to be praised by men.

      The congregations are not awake to their possibilities. We do not know our strength, because we have never put it to the test. We could take the world if we would. Israel could have taken Canaan at first; but ten of their spies told them they could not, and because the people believed them and disbelieved God they died in the wilderness. Let us figure a little on the possibilities of a church. We will suppose that there are one hundred and fifty members in the congregation, with an average income of three hundred dollars per annum each. That is, of course, a very small amount, being twenty-five dollars per month to the individual; but there are always some members who have no income, while others will make from four to ten times this amount, and we want to be conservative; hence we will let three hundred dollars be an average. That does not mean at much profit above the living, but that much income. Now, if we multiply three hundred dollars by one hundred and fifty (the number of members), we will have the neat sum of forty-five thousand dollars. The Lord's children in a given place make that much money in one year. But how much of that will they give to God? Let us suppose that they give one-tenth. The congregation would have four thousand and five hundred dollars with which to glorify God each year! That would support two preachers in the field and still leave enough to pay all the expenses of the congregation, allowing them a big expense account at that!

      This is not visionary or impractical. It is a very conservative estimate. A congregation of only one hundred and fifty members is a small congregation, three hundred dollars is certainly a very small income, and one-tenth to the Lord is not unreasonable. But if we suppose that only one-twentieth is given to God, we would still have two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars to use in his service. How many congregations that size do anything like that much in a year? And what would be the possibilities of a church of three or five hundred members? Just figure it out on the same basis and see if we are using our strength. Let the reader apply these figures to his own congregation and see its possibilities. Let him show them to others and try to start a movement for better things. We are not weak; we are strong. The churches of Tennessee alone could support five hundred missionaries, if they would, and still do all they are now doing.

      But some one may suggest that we have not the missionaries if we.had the money. That is true at present. But if we would begin to show more interest, to agitate the question more, to allow the great need to weigh upon our hearts more, and to pray the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into his harvest, we would soon see a great awakening, and men would begin to prepare themselves for the work and to offer themselves for the fields. Our present state of lethargy would discourage any effort. When war is agitated and preparedness is preached, men volunteer as soldiers by the hundreds. Let us declare war on Satan and call for volunteers. They will come. Will we equip them?

      Are we just playing at being Christians? Are we honest with God? We shall have to account to him for our stewardship, and he knows the purposes of our hearts and the motives that have prompted us in all things. Let us be faithful. In nearly all congregations there are a few members who do their whole duty in the matter of giving, as in other things; but the problem is to get all the members to do their duty. Self-respecting men who would not think of going with an excursion party or on a fishing expedition without bearing their part of the expenses will worship with a congregation, enjoy the preaching that others provide, and receive all the benefits of the congregation, and never feel that it is their duty to help pay expenses. This, however, is covered in Paul's plan, which we have already submitted. "Let each one of you," said Paul, "lay by him in store upon the first day of the week, as he may prosper."

      Let us try conscientiously to follow the Lord's word in this matter.

1. How should the church raise the money that is needed to carry on its work?
2. Should all the funds of the church be collected in this way?
3. Should the church take special collections for special purposes?
4. Would this be necessary if Paul's plan were followed?
5. Should the need create the demand for the money, or should the money be ready when the need comes?
6. About how much should a church of ordinary size give to the Lord in a year?
7. Estimate the financial strength of your own congregation. Is it doing its duty?
8. What should be done with the money that is put into the treasury? Discuss this thoroughly.
9. Do you believe 2 Cor. 9:6-8?
10. Then is not giving to God a pretty good investment?
11. Read all of 2 Cor. 8, 9, and 10.
12. What does Paul call giving in these chapters?
13. Is giving one of the Christian graces?
14. What other texts could you cite on this subject?
15. Is it right to support those who preach the gospel? Read carefully all of 1 Cor. 9; also Gal. 6:6.

      For the benefit of those who wish to make talks on this subject, we append the following outlines. If they do not care to use the outlines, they will at least find it convenient to have the scriptures collated.

[TMC 123-136]