The Faith Promise Plan of Missions GivingIntroduction to Grace Giving

WHAT IS THE FAITH-PROMISE PLAN OF MISSIONARY GIVING?

A. A Faith-Promise is a commitment to a partnership with God.

1. Here is the challenge: Faith-Promise is based on YOUR faith that God will provide through YOU a specific amount of money.

2. From your previous understanding how God has provided for you in the past, you now dare to expand your faith to believe He can provide even more.

3. As He supplies YOUR Faith-Promise it will not only help in supporting missionaries through your church, it will definitely grow your faith!

B. The FAITH PROMISE PLAN is a method of missionary giving by individuals or families through the means of the local church.

1. A “Faith-Promise” is made by a donor to contribute a certain amount, either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, to the missionary fund of the local church ABOVE the usual tithe to the general offering of the church. This promise is renewed yearly.

2. Our church maintains a separate fund for general church expenses and for missions.This simplifies matters in our giving to missions.

Faith-Promise: “Is it Biblical?” This a MOST important question, as a Bible-

believing church;we should want to do nothing that is contrary to

the Word of God.

A. The PURPOSE of our Giving

1. The LORD’S tithe and OUR offerings are given as an expression of our worship to our wonderful God and Saviour.

2. The Primary Purpose given by our Lord to the local church is to carry out His “Great Commission” —to go into all the world with the Gospel. Maintaining the local church and ministering to the needy are by products of this duty.

REQUIREMENTS:

Devoted work and sacrifice on the part of the missionary.

Prayer and financial aid on the part of the local church.

Direction and enabling power of the Holy Spirit for both.

3. 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 we are reminded that in the Old Testament economy those who ministered at the altars shared in the sacrifices of the people.

Financial support was given to God’s ministers from the offerings of the people to God (1 Cor. 9:14).

Lk. 8:2-3 – Women freed from demonic oppression supported the Jesus in His missionary activity.

Churches supported Paul. Philippian Church’s gift enable him to leased an entire household for 2 yrs.’ time. – Phil. 4:15-22; cp. Acts 28:16-17, 30-31.

Faith-Promise: “Is it Biblical?”

A. The PURPOSE of our Giving

1. The LORD’S tithe and OUR offerings are given as an expression of our worship

2. Primary Purpose – carry out the “Great Commission.” Maintaining the local church

and… Minister to the needy are by

productsB. The PRACTICE of Faith Promise

– 2 Cor. 8:10-11

C. The PRINCIPLE of Faith Promise means every need is supplied – 2 Cor. 8:14; 9:8, 12

D. The PRAISE of Faith Promise – 2 Cor. 8:24

E. The PROMISE of Faith Promise.

1. God’s grace will abound to meet YOUR needs as you give – 2 Cor. 9:8.

2. A thankful spirit is produced – 2 Cor. 9:11.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE FATIH-PROMISE PLAN?

A. Potentially it involves the total membership of the church in missionary giving.

B. It is a spiritual act of exercising our faith.

C. Sets a goal for those participating that can be seen being realised.

D. It allows the church to be guided in the amount of missionary support to which it can commit itself.

E. Importantly, it DOES NOT tie the missionary giving to the yearly fixed budget of the church.

F. The Faith Promise Plan is church-centred in its approach.

Is The Faith Promise a pledge?

A. Some think that the Faith Promise Plan of mission giving is just another form of a pledge system. The short answer is “NO!” – 2 Cor. 9:7

B. Giving by Faith simply means to launch out into an activity of giving, trusting God to meet a particular need of the church.

C. The Faith Promise is NOT the tithe.

There Are Several Ways Of Giving

① A person could give CARELESSLY: without looking into its merits

② A person could give IMPULSIVELY: a strong and unreflective urge or desire

③ A person could give the LAZY way: without any personal involvement

④ A person could give SELF-DENYINGLY or SACRIFICIALLY way: to give up the money you were saving for a particular want or need and do without in order to give the money to missions.

There Are Several Ways Of Giving

⑤ A person could give EQUALLY: to give to God and the needy just as much as we spend on ourselves, balancing all our personal expenditures by our gifts.

⑥ A person could give HEROICALLY: limit our own expenditure to a certain sum, and give away all the rest of our income. This was John Wesley's way.

⑦ A person could give SYSTEMATICALLY: lay aside a definite portion of our gains as an offering—one tenth, one fifth, one third, one half.

There Are Several Ways Of Giving

⑧ A person could give LOGICALLY: analyze the situation and come to a conclusion as to what could be given in the coming year.

⑨ A person could give CONTEMPLATIVELY: Considering the need, considering personal finances, ask God to show you how He can rearrange your finances in such a way whereby you would be able to give more with what you have at this time.

If this is all you are going to do, then you should do this to help your church to participate in the great business of missions.

There Are Several Ways Of Giving

But the best way of giving

is to give

* BY FAITH *

Is Faith Promise successful? Faith Promise Giving:

• It builds the believer’s Faith as they become involved in a step of Faith for God.

• As needs supplied, it builds Faith to believe God for greater things.

• It matures the Saint in his walk with God through this life.

• It brings blessings from God.

Is Faith Promise successful?

If you fail to receive your promise, it is a result of either…

A failure on your part to pray or…

A failure to trust God and have faith…

We misappropriated the money God supplied…

We failed in our communication with God as to what He wanted us to give.

Is Faith Promise successful?

If God leads you make a Faith-Promise, it is His responsibility to supply the money. He’s the One who gave you the amount—check with Him.

It was God who promised to “supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19).

This is true for you personally as well as it is to your local church.

GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE

GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE – MK. 16:15