By Steve A. Hamilton

2 John 9-11

 Introduction: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim. 6:10).  That is certainly a true statement when it comes to the use of church funds.  Many churches spend the Lord’s money for expenditures not authorized in scripture.  It is hard to believe that churches would rob God in order to spend His funds on human desires.  Yet, many churches see God as a sugar daddy that should provide whatever they want for their congregation.  “After all, the Lord didn’t say we couldn’t build a gymnasium with His money.”  Did the Lord give His church a blank check to spend His money on anything they want?  What can be spent from the church treasury?

I. By command:

          A. Preachers (1 Cor. 9:3-14).   

          B. Widows in need (1 Tim. 5:3-16; Acts 6:1-6).

          C. Elders and other laborers for the Lord (1 Tim. 5:17-18; Matt. 10:9-10; Luke 10:7-8).

II. By example:

          A. Needy saints (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; 11:27-30; Rom. 15:25-27; 1 Cor. 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 8:1-4; 9:1-5).

          B. Paul as an evangelist from another church (2 Cor. 11:8-9).

III. By necessary inference:

          A. Buildings as inferred by the command to assemble (Heb. 10:25).

          B. Teaching materials as inferred by the command to teach (2 Tim. 4:1-2).

          C. Song books and pitch pipes as inferred by the command to sing and be orderly (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 14:40).

IV. What is not authorized?

          A. Recreational facilities; kitchens; meals; fellowship halls; giving to non-Christians; concerts; sending funds to others congregations; institutions; social activities; businesses; fund raisers; etc.

          B. Why can we spend money on a church building but not a fellowship hall?

                   1. Any expenditure must be expedient (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23).

                   2. In order for it to be expedient, it must be lawful.  Therefore, we must find a law that would make us infer its need.  Barring no scripture that would make an expenditure lawful, it would be unscriptural.

                   3. In fact, we actually have scriptures that necessarily infer a condemnation for some of these things that churches waste the Lord’s fund upon.

                             a. Kitchens, meals, dining halls (1 Cor. 11:22, 34).

                             b. Conducting business at church (John 2:13-17).

          C. Silence is not authority.

                   1. Silence is not authority to say what we want (Acts 15:24).

                   2. We can not think beyond what is authorized (1 Cor. 4:6).

                   3. We must abide in what God has authorized (2 John 9-11).

Conclusion:  Churches that waste the Lord’s money must not believe they serve a living Savior.  Would you waste your parent’s money without their permission unless you thought they were dead?  Such churches must believe God is dead; therefore, they can spend His money on anything they want.

          However, God lives (1 Tim. 4:10) and He watches as churches rob Him to spend His funds on things He has not authorized.  If you are a member of a church that is serving a dead savior you need to learn the truth about the God we serve.  Our God lives and we wouldn’t dream of spending His money without His permission.  Without authority there is no permission!

Last modified: 05/02/08