Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
2 Corinthians 8:20-23
20 We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. 21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.
22 We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ.
20 We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. 21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.
22 We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ.
Commentary:
8:19–22 ministered by us … administered by us. This is the same phrase used in 3:3 to describe Paul’s new covenant ministry of the Spirit (“delivered by us”), showing that the collection of money for the needy in Jerusalem was an essential part of the apostolic ministry of the gospel. so that no one should blame us. As Paul delivers the gift to Jerusalem, he will be accompanied by a team of men well known for their integrity. Their presence will guarantee a public accounting for the gifts and also provide protection from robbers.
8:23 the glory of Christ. The delegates are equated with the glory of Christ since their love reflects Christ’s love for his people (v. 9) and results from their having encountered the glory of God in the face of Christ (3:18; 4:4–6).
8:23 the glory of Christ. The delegates are equated with the glory of Christ since their love reflects Christ’s love for his people (v. 9) and results from their having encountered the glory of God in the face of Christ (3:18; 4:4–6).
Questions:
- In the lineage of stewardship, first came original stewardship (see Monday), and now comes the COMMUNAL stewardship. Once the money gets to a ministry, it's important that it continue to be stewarded well. Paul wanted the gentile churches to have this confidence, and we want members of City Church to have confidence as well. Clayton went into detail about how the church is structured when it comes to decision making and finances. The six Elders give spiritual, directional, doctrinal, financial and legal oversight to the church. The Finance Team meets monthly to review income, expenses, to assess our financial position and to give advice and direction to the Elders for future decisions. There's a compensation team that determines the pay for our four Executive Pastors and approves the pay of the rest of the staff. We have teams that count money each Sunday consisting of our administrator, a finance team member and a police officer, all of which sign off on both the count and the deposit. We have begun preparing for our first audit review which will happen every year from now on. It is our prayer every Sunday and every month at our finance team meetings that we would steward resources well for the fame and glory of Jesus. How do these systems affect your confidence that your money is getting put to good use?
- Paul sent Titus and some other brothers to collect the gifts. Paul specifically mentions how eager they are and how much enthusiasm they have for this ministry. What are you most enthusiastic about in your life? What makes you eager? When was the last time you were truly eager to do ministry or to share the gospel?
Pray:
- That you realize you are a steward, not an owner.
- That you would be eager and enthusiastic when it comes to ministry and the gospel.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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