Ways I am encouraged as a young Pastor by having an older congregation

I am a young pastor of a congregation with a median age of 60+.  While most young Pastors would not want to Pastor an older congregation, I actually love it.  Not that I do not also want to Pastor people who are in my age bracket and younger and so on.  I simply have no preference as to whom God sends me to shepherd.

Recently I've been thinking through the issue and would like to encourage other young Pastors with predominantly older congregations with some ways that you can actually be encouraged in your work by your people.


1.) Love: Say what you want, but the "senior" adult Christians in most churches have the market cornered on loving on others. Our folks are really good at loving on each other and embracing all the younger folks that come in. I'll just go on and say that I've never been in a more loving church than this one.  There is warm fellowship amongst believers in most churches, but there is something unique about that type of love you feel from an older saint.

2.) Prayer: Now, it would be foolish to suggest that senior congregants have the market cornered on prayer, however, more often than not when they tell you that they have been or will be praying for you, you can count on it that they will be.  They tend to trend towards being prayer warriors.  They have often been taught the need for consistent prayer because of seeing the result of neglect.  This brings me to the next benefit.

2.) Wisdom: Obviously they've "been there, done that" many times over and so they'll typically be able to offer up helpful insights on the ideas of the Pastor. I understand that there are those in every crowd who are just "naysayers" and they want to say no to everything, but it is foolish on the part of the Pastor to qualify every disagreeing elderly member as a naysayer...

Something any Pastor (young or old) will hear is "We've never done it that way before".  True, this can be a frustrating remark, but don't dismiss it quickly because it can also be a very helpful remark.  Knowing you will hear that comment at some point shouldn't make you sigh with dread, it should help you think through the things you want to lead your church in BEFORE you begin to teach them and talk to them about your idea so that you are able to present your ideas in the most Biblical way possible and in a way that is going to be edifying and healthy for the church.

It is arrogant to hear "We've never done it that way before" and instantly dismiss that person as being obstinate.  Older saints, for the most part, have likely been members of that church for many many years and while you may see them as obstinate (and admittedly sometimes there are obstinate people), in all likelihood their concerns or comments are born from a sincere love for the church and a desire to see it continue to be there to disciple many generations of saints to come.  Plus, you never know when perhaps something you want to do HAS been tried and failed and their objection is keeping you from making a major mistake.

3.) Resistant to quick change: I realize this is the unpopular point. But I think that the resistance to quick change can actually be a very very good thing sometimes.  I know that every new pastor (present company included), especially ones who are 45 and under, come in thinking that as we find things that need to be changed we need to do it as quickly as possible.

I'll concede that sometimes there are really pressing issues that are matters of Gospel purity that need to be dealt with promptly.  Essential matters of primary doctrinal issues must be dealt with as quickly and as biblically as possible.

But let's be honest, a great majority of the changes we want to make when we begin at a new church aren't pressing primary matters, they are secondary preference issues at best.

Paul's word to Timothy on how to apply the Word to his flock was "patient instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2). Overtime, it may become possible for you to make those secondary changes. But you must remember that pastoring any church is like navigating a large vessel. If you try to force a turn very quickly you will risk tearing the ship in half.

But if you set your course, an end goal, then turning is more gradual (patient & truthfully loving) and the chance for damage is considerably less. Patiently instruct your people with a course set, an end goal, of Christ-conforming discipleship.

This is the best way to best disciple your people and not simply get them doing what you say and it will also help you make decisions for the church that are in accord with God's Word and not your hobby horse.

An "older" congregation is typically more resistant to quick change, BUT they are open to more slow change over time.  I have found that if you labor in the text (as Scripture instructs Pastors to do - 2 Timothy 2:14-15 ) that your congregation will not only affirm the change but they will eagerly seek out ways to help the project come to fruition.  Remember you are to shepherd them towards Christ, not shove them in the direction of your ideas.

This may mean, Pastor, that you have to have special meetings with your church members who serve in a particular area.  You may have to write some letters that explain things in great detail and then meet with the whole church at a special time and explain some more.  That doesn't mean that they don't understand and it doesn't mean that they hate the idea or won't budge.  It simply means that you are not taking for granted that they see the need for what you see.

You spend your day in your office, studying Scripture, seeking the Lord, and thinking about the best way to lead the church towards Christ-likeness.  They are home tending to the things in their lives.  If they are still employed then they are tending to jobs, if they have persistent medical issues then they are seeing doctors regularly and watching how they eat and what they do and such.  They are doing other things and you cannot afford to mistakenly think that everyone does what you are doing.

It can be a very good thing because it will help you, the Pastor, to be a thorough and deliberate teacher, a caring and thoughtful shepherd.  And I'll speak for myself here when I say that it helps me to think through what changes are needed verses my preferences. Some hills simply aren't worth dieing on.

Now, all of this aside, I know that you may be able to recall many instances of the obstinate type of person of any age who is just trying to be a fly in the ointment.  I understand and have dealt with those types.  However, my suggestions wouldn't be any different in how you proceed.

Continue patiently, lovingly, and truthfully teaching and shepherding the church that God has entrusted you with.  Proclaim the Gospel from the pulpit.  Preach Jesus.  Have a servant's heart that ministers to your congregation's needs, model repentance to them when you find yourself in error, encourage discernment and mutual accountability amongst all the people, and be prepared to exact church discipline in a Biblical way when necessary.  Trust God that if you are pursuing His will, He will guide you and supply the needs.

Tithing - Part 2

So tithing is not a biblical practice or requirement for the New Testament church, why do we give?  Should we give at all?  And what did Jesus teach about giving and how much to give?

Matthew 6:19-21;24 - “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;  21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also… 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

He clearly teaches us that our value in this world is to be set on things above… not on money or possessions.  Children of God are to be a people of single-hearted devotion to God and God alone in all things.  So that is principle one in our effort to have a Biblical doctrine of giving.

Truthfully, if we were going to talk about Biblically following the word “tithing”, Old Covenant tithing, we would need to not only give 10th of our income but also of our land, crops, possessions, etc.  Tithing was a requirement for Jews under Moses in a theocracy.  As I said, most nations still practice a form of tithing today, only now it isn’t collected to show devotion to God, it is collected to run the nation.  We call it taxes.

Now, even though tithing is not a New Covenant requirement, it doesn’t mean that we toss out giving all together.  Not at all.  Tithing, like many other things in Christ, has been replaced with a new principle that we can most accurately define as Grace Giving.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 - Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Paul had instructed them not to be captive to covetousness but to trust God in all things and give FREELY, not under compulsion of Law, but freely.  We are not to give 1.) under obligation nor 2.) under compulsion.  Rather we are to give cheerfully as we purpose in our own hearts.  Paul says that God loves a cheerful giver.

Instead of a legal requirement to tithe, under the New Covenant we have the privilege and opportunity to give to the work of the Lord.  Now, under this covenant God has instituted the local church as being the place you give.  But it is not given to the church even though the church receives it.

When you give, you give it to God.  Truly you give it BACK to God because EVERYTHING you have money and otherwise already belongs to Him to begin with.  Your money, status, talent, time, family.  The church, then, is charged with the duty of stewarding the money received wisely and in a Godly way.  It should all be given to further the work of the church and the furtherance of the Gospel.

How much should we give if 10% is not the mandate?  Ready for this… I don’t know.  That is between you and God.  Each person can determine for themselves what they are going to give.  You are not required to give 10%.  You are, in Christ, encouraged to give freely as you purpose in your heart.  Cheerfully giving to the Lord.

Maybe 10% is what you can give.  Maybe it isn’t.  Maybe you can give 15-20% or maybe 10% is pushing you to the max.  If you are giving and worried that whatever percentage you are giving is more than you can afford, you cannot out give God, so rest knowing that God will provide for your need.  As a Pastor, it doesn’t scare me to teach this because I know that God will provide for the needs of this church regardless.  Giving is not, however, a promise of financial prosperity for you.  Just because you give doesn’t mean God will increase your money.  Sometimes giving of any kind, be it financial or otherwise, should hurt.  How much sacrifice does it take for us to give our time or money or whatever to something that takes little to no effort to do or costs us nothing?

You need to approach your money and say this is all God’s.  All of it.  You need to approach your marriage, kids, job, property, etc… the same way.  This is all God’s.  And so God, how can I use it to BEST glorify you?

All money is God’s, so as you determine what you are to give, seek His will to be sure you are stewarding your money wisely.  If you see this as a way of escape from giving at all, you are being tempted sinfully… Grace frees us from Law so that whatever we do, we do for Christ because of Christ out of our gratitude and worship for Christ.

You should approach your finances this way not only in determining how much you give to the church but also in how you steward the money in other areas.  How big a house should you buy?  Well, how big of a house do you NEED?  What car should I drive?  Well, what needs does your car need to meet for you?  Clothing?  Same question.  All of which are run through the filter first of what best glorifies my Savior in this expense or action?

There is no moral requirement for you to tithe 10% of your income, but, as born again believers, we should DESIRE to show our gratitude by cheerfully giving, as Paul says, “whatever we purpose in our hearts.”

Whatever we work out with God is right for us to give.  Paul doesn’t say that we shouldn’t give at all, in fact he says we should.  But we are under no compulsion, but encouraged to do so cheerfully.  Because we want to, not because we have to.

Now, who should we “give to?

Galatians 6:6 - The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

It directs us to financially meet the needs of and support those who are charged with feeding us spiritually.  That in this case would be the Pastor.  That includes also, this church’s ministries because it is your local church body, your local fellowship that is responsible for feeding you.

After you’ve given whatever you give to the church, I think it is good to give to any other source of feeding for us.  There are a couple of ministries that have been invaluable to me as tools of learning and training and Meg and I try to give when we can to them because they have been so beneficial to our feeding and spiritual growth through the years.  It should not take the place of giving to your local body, but it is good to do.

Your first priority in giving is to the local church.  This refers to financial giving.  Giving to the church in this sense does not include your time and service.  I’ve heard people say that they tithe their time to their church.  I think that’s dangerously close to a copout.  On the flip side, giving financially to the church is NOT the same as serving the church either.  Give your time to your church as you can and whatever financial support you can but don’t exchange one for the other.  Anytime your mindset in service or giving is to seek out whatever the bare minimum you can get away with is, you are really only cheating yourself…

Now, thirdly there are things like charitable giving.  That would include special offerings for something (Annie Armstrong, Lottie Moon, love offerings for guests)  Anything that you give over and above whatever you’ve purposes is the amount of your giving to the church but still is received by the church first is considered charitable giving.

Let’s make sure we are clear.  No where in the New Testament are we obligated to tithe.  If I told you that you were I would be not only lying to you but I would be putting a works yoke of legalism on you.  This is a dangerous thing to teach in a way, though it doesn’t scare me… because it could easily backfire on a church.  Some could say, well God directed me to no longer give the 10% that I thought I was obligated to give… God has told me to not give at all.

I can’t determine your number, but know that God knows and so I would encourage you to seek Him in the matter so that your conscience before Him is clear and you can testify before Him that what you are giving is what you can give.

Do I fear that giving will drop off as a result of saying this?  Nope.  I trust God more than that.  God will provide for the needs of this church through the giving of His Children, because true believers will not feel this an escape from giving but now hopefully prayerfully begin to see it as more of an offering of praise and cause for worship rather than a yoke.

God doesn’t bless the person that legalistically tithes.  He blesses the cheerful giver.  God blesses you for giving, not for going back to the old covenant system of tithing.  His blessings may or may not be financial, but He blesses.  And I believe that God will bless me and the ministry He has called me to, again not necessarily financial, because I am not shrinking away from my duty to preach the Word of God, the whole counsel of God, to you truthfully and clearly.

If you are a faithful giver to this church and have just been calling it a tithe because no one had taught you different, that’s ok.  God knew and knows your heart in it.  Your heart is what is important in the giving.  But I would just suggest that this may be one of those areas where our language needs to be cleaned up.

You don’t tithe, you give.  Giving is a gift.  Giving is of your own compulsion.  You don’t owe the church money.  If you owed the money, then it wouldn’t be a gift.   When I pay the bill collectors that I owe money to I never feel like I’m doing them a tremendous favor by paying them.  I feel obligated to pay because I am… I owe them.  And perhaps I even pay them a bit grudgingly, ha!

Show me a person who is thankful to God for saving them and I’ll show you a person who loves the church and desires to be involved in service and in giving what they can to the ministry of the church and the furtherance of the Gospel.

Tithing Revisited (or Tithing - Part 3)

Tithing - Part 1

Coming off of the time of year where Americans spend the most money and typically accrue the most unsecured debt, I thought I'd begin the year with a blog post about tithing... 

Thing that we need to note is that the tithe is NOT unique only to Israel or Christianity in general.  It was practiced by several ancient nations and in some forms most nations still practice it today.

Quite simply the tithe is the practice of giving 1/10th of your income or property as an offering to God.  As far as Biblical history goes, the practice of tithing predates even the Mosaic Law.  The first recorded tithe is found in Genesis 14.  Abraham had just returned from rescuing Lot and destroying the Mesopotamian Kings… when he came back he went to the “Valley of the Kings” where he met with Melchizedek, who was the King and High Priest at the time.  

Melchizedek greeted him and they began to celebrate the victory and worship God for the victory and it says that of their spoils, Abraham gave Melchizedek 1/10th. That’s the first mention we see of a tithe and it doesn’t seem to have been anything that required Abraham to give it.  He seems to have simply offered it as an act of worship.  

Later in Genesis 28:22, “This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” – Here we see Jacob promising God 1/10th of all he received, money, animals, etc…  Still he was also doing this under no compulsion but simply out of gratitude to God.

Now, it isn’t until we get to Leviticus 27; that we see tithing prescribed in detail in the Law of Moses.

Under Mosaic Law, Israel was required to pay the following tithes.
- Tithe of the seed of the land – Leviticus 27:30-32
- Tithe of the fruit of the tree – Leviticus 27:30-32
- Every 10th animal of their herds and flocks to the Lord – Leviticus 27:30-32
- A tithe was to be given to the Levites because they did not receive a land inheritance like the other tribes had. The Levites, in turn, were to offer a heave offering to the Lord.  That accounted to their tithe and what was left was their payment for their work in the tabernacle.– Numbers 18:21-32
- A vegetable tithe was taken to Jerusalem – Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 11-12, 17-18
- A cattle tithe – 2 Chronicles 31:6

By the time of the Exodus, no tithe is mentioned, the closest reference to required giving we have there is found in Ezekiel 44:29-30 where a giving of the First Fruits is required.

The Prophet Malachi instructed Israel to bring their tithes into the storehouse in order to enjoy the Lord’s blessing.  Malachi 3:8-12 - “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.  9 “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!  10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.  11 “Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts.  12 “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.

Regardless of the type of tithe being called for, they all were given for the purpose of running the Nation of Israel.  From governmental affairs to the Levites, caring for orphans and widows…

Deuteronomy 26:12-13 - “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.  13 “You shall say before the Lord your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion from my house, and also have given it to the Levite and the alien, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed or forgotten any of Your commandments.

All tithes were an acknowledgment of God’s ownership of all things.  It was an expression of gratitude to God by His people.

Now, in the New Testament the word tithe and tithing is only a few times.  
Matthew 23:23 - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Luke 11:42 - “But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Luke 18:10-14 - “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  12 ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’  13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’  14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Hebrews 7:5-6 - And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham.  6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.

Hebrews 7:8-9 - In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.  9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes,

Reading through them all they have one thing in common… The are all without fail referring to the Old Covenant system.  In Matthew and Luke Jesus is chastening the Jews because they are keeping the Law in letter… keeping it in a legalistic way… making it a works based system… but they are neglecting the Spirit of the Law.  Paying tithes but caring nothing for their spiritual condition or anyone else’s.  Further they completely neglected true worship of the One true God.  They worshiped their own self-righteousness.

Plus, here Christ is reinforcing the Law that was still in place at this time given that this all took place in a pre-Pentecost time.  So tithing would have still been a Law requirement even during Christ’s life.  Christ Himself paid the tithes.  It wasn’t until Pentecost that we see the implementation of the New Covenant of Grace through the blood of Christ.

Then in Hebrews it is explained that Christ fulfills the requirements for those tithes.  Not only is Christ the fulfillment of all the OT Laws but He is also the perfect Great High Priest and He lives forever, reigning forever!

Nowhere in the New Testament are we commanded to tithe.  Nowhere.  A tithe is something that is required.  We aren’t under the covenant of the Law any longer… we are under a covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ.  The key word there to remember as we proceed is grace.

Matthew 5:17 - Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

I came, Jesus said, not to abolish (in other words He didn’t come to contradict the Law by doing away with it) RATHER He came to fulfill it.  The Laws had been given to show that no one could completely be perfect and reach God’s standard, but Christ could and did.

Christ initiated the New Covenant at the Last Supper and it went into effect on the Day of Pentecost.  So when we are looking at Old Covenant requirements verses New Covenant requirements, we can’t distinctively look Old Testament to New but rather pre-Pentecost and post-Pentecost..

Part 2: New Testament Principles for giving

Guest Blogger: Chris Bottoms - A Healthy Church

There is a lot of talk out there in the blogsphere relating to The Church. I'd like to throw in my two cents.

I think we have to start with the issue of sin. Before we can talk about The Church and what it is but could be or isn't and should be, we have to deal with the issue of sin.

Why is the church failing to fulfill its Christ-breathed mission?

Sin.

Why isn't the church ministering as it should?

Sin.

Let's just look at it the way Jesus does. Start in Matthew 5; Jesus is sitting on a mountainside, teaching the crowd of disciples, and leads with eight characteristics that Believers must embody to be "approved". First up, Jesus gives us the "poor in spirit". This speaks to the realization that we have nothing to offer God that we can redeem for our salvation...nothing to plead with...nothing of value to give Him in exchange for real, present and eternal life. That characteristic permeates our person and is lived out as an ongoing act of repentance. Consider the tax collector of Luke 18, who cries out for mercy realizing that he is bankrupt spiritually because of his sin and must depend on God's mercy and grace for salvation. Next Jesus offers us "those who mourn", speaking to those that are completely broken over their sin and the sin that permeates our humanity. Right out of the box, Jesus is dealing with a Believers' relationship to sin. Of course, the Beatitudes go on into other markers, but we'll stop there for brevity's sake.

Now, if the Church is the gathered body of Believers, then we, not "it", ought to have such an attitude toward sin...which would of course lead to repentance, humility, meekness, and utter dependancy on Almighty God for all things, not least of which is our redemption.

If that were the case, we'd see an exponentially more effective Church, actively growing in discipleship, serving the Lord, the Body, and the community for the sake of the Kingdom.