Podcast listener Molly writes in to ask this, "Pastor John, when I put money in the offertory plate at church, am I giving money to my church or am I giving money to God?" It's obvious in one sense that a gift is going to the church. That's the name on the check.

And so it's not bad. I don't think it's unbiblical or wrong to think that way. I am writing a check to the church. I am giving a gift to the ministry of the church. I want the gospel to advance through the church. I want the staff to be paid in the church.

I want the children be cared for in the church. I want heat on a winter morning in Minnesota in the church. It is to the church in that sense. And the Old Testament spoke of gifts to maintain the tabernacle, and the New Testament is clear that giving to provide for those who lead the church is what God wants us to do.

The workman is worthy of his wage. Don't muzzle an ox when he's treading out the grain, and the grain is the gift of the people who care for that preacher ox, so it's not a bad thing. To think on the horizontal level here of money flowing to people and to ministry and to Christian institutions like the church, I think that's a right and biblical way to think.

And these gifts are also gifts to God in the very same act, if your heart is right. The Bible speaks many times and speaks approvingly of God's people giving God gifts. For example, Numbers 1521, "Some of the first of your dough you shall give"—that's d-o-u-g-h. That just occurred to me, we have that modern word "dough" as part of your meal offering—"some of you shall give to the Lord as a contribution throughout your generation." So the Bible talks about "give God gifts." And in the New Testament, interesting, Paul says to the Philippians in chapter 4 verse 18, "I have received full payment," so it's the Philippians that sent him money, "I have received full payment and more.

I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God." So Paul saw the gifts that were sent through the hands of Epaphroditus to Paul to sustain his ministry as sacrifices and gifts and offerings to God himself. But—and this may be the most important thing I say— one of the most important teachings in the Bible, I think, is that in one sense we can't give God anything.

And that may be why the question was asked, I'm not sure. We can't give God anything that is not already His, and therefore our giving to Him never enriches Him. It never improves Him. It never puts Him in our debt. In fact, God is so completely self-sufficient that even our act of giving—not just the gift, but the act of giving—is God's gift to us, not vice versa.

And here are the key passages of warning. The Bible is really concerned that we not get this wrong. Acts 17, 25, "God is not served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all men life and breath and everything." Same thing in Psalm 50.

God was really upset with the people's attitude in their sacrifices, because evidently they had the notion they were providing for God's needs. So he says in Psalm 50, verse 9, "I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your fold, for the every beast of the forest is mine.

The cattle on a thousand hills are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine." And then he tells them how to do it. "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you, and you will glorify me." So here's the glorious point from that text.

God will never, never be put in a position of a beneficiary of our generosity. He's not a beneficiary of our generosity. He does not need our giving because he owns everything already. He aims always to be the benefactor, not the beneficiary, because the benefactor gets the glory. So he says, "Call upon me in the day of trouble.

I will deliver you, and you will glorify me." If anybody's dependent in this situation, it is not me, it's you, and I want to work for you, you don't work for me. I give to you, you don't give to me. So here's the fundamental truth from Romans 11 35.

"Who has given a gift to him that he should be repaid? Answer, nobody. For from him and through him and to him are all things, and here's the result, to him be glory forever and ever." King David, in a great passage in 1 Chronicles, took a collection for the house of God that Solomon his son was going to build, and the most revealing thing about God's sovereignty in this matter is that God already owns everything, and your very act of giving is a gift of God.

So here's what he says, "Who am I," he's praying now to God, "Who am I, and what is my people that we should be able thus to offer willingly?" In other words, our offering willingly is a gift we don't deserve. You have given that to us. "For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own." Every gift we're giving right now, you are giving to us to give to you. "I have seen your people offering freely and joyously to you," and here's the rock-solid foundational ultimate statement about God's sovereignty in giving, "O Lord," this is 1 Chronicles 29 18, "O Lord, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people and direct their hearts toward you." In other words, not only are all of our gifts a gift from God, but even our purposes and our thoughts and our intentions to give a work of God.

So my answer is, yes, you're giving to your church, yes, you are giving to God, and oh that we might always know that our gifts are a gift from God and our giving to God is a gift from God so that only God gets the glory. Excellent, and a fascinating connection.

Thank you, Pastor John, and thank you for the question, Molly. On this note of giving, see episode number 182 where I asked Pastor John, "Is tithing commanded for Christians?" It's a pretty foundational question to begin with, that's episode number 182. Tomorrow we return and a podcast listener wants to know what it means to take every thought captive to Christ.

That's tomorrow. I'm your host Tony Ranke, thanks for listening to the Ask Pastor John podcast. you you