Giving Above and Beyond

I know I'm expected to give. I know that giving is a crucial part of the Christian life. But what are the rules? What are the parameters? Is it 10%?

Is it more than 10%? Stay tuned. We're going to let you know coming up right now on the Clear Beat Today Show. You're listening to Clearview Today with Dr. Abadan Shah, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I'm John Galantis, and I want to welcome you to the Clearview Today show, right here with our host, Dr. Abadan Shah. We are here again discussing Nehemiah. Dr. Shah, it's good to see you.

It's good to see you as well. It's good to see you. It's good to be back in the studio discussing Nehemiah. We've been learning leadership techniques. We've been learning how to care when you don't have to care, how to rise above the ranks, rise above opposition.

And now we're talking about everybody in Christianity's favorite subject. We're talking about money. Most specifically, your money. People get very defensive. When we talk about money, because I feel like this is my money, I earned it.

I, you know, sweated, blood, sweat, and tears. And now you're asking for my money all under the guise of. Serving God, you're not God, right? Right. Why should I give you my money?

It's like the only thing we can claim because, in Christianity, I didn't earn my salvation, I didn't earn any of the blessings, it's all God's favor. But this is something I unequivocally, quote unquote, earned, and now you want that too. Yeah, well, well, it's not just that you want that too, it's that, yes, I need to give it to God. Where do you fit in? Yeah, fair enough.

Fair enough. Yeah, that's the problem people have. It's like, I need to give it to God. I don't think that is the problem. The problem is the representative, the ones who claim to be the representatives for God.

They got that Scrooge McDuck in their mind, like all the church people have a big room with all their money and they get up on the diving board and just dive into the cold. It's like, why should I give you the money? Right. So you can drive your fancy cars and wear your fancy suits and work only one day a week for one hour. I mean, come on.

That's right. And tell me all the things I'm doing bad. You know, we talked about this yesterday: the why, right? The why we should give. But today we wanted to focus a little bit on the how.

You know, what is it? Is it really 10%? Is it more than that? Is there some sort of rule? Is there some sort of guideline or parameters?

Is my pastor looking for something specific? Dr. Shao, what are your thoughts and what are your, I guess, what are your guiding parameters of how to give in the Christian life?

So, what I want to do is, since we're in the series on Nehemiah. We're just going to let the book speak. Because here in this section of Nehemiah, which is Nehemiah chapter 7, we're talking about giving, we're talking about money. They needed money to build the walls. They needed the brick and the mortar.

It did not fall out of the sky. People had to give. Nothing new today. Even in the churches? It's not that, oh, we're going to pray for God to help us with the new building.

Boom. There it is. No, it doesn't work like that. It's people have to give. People have to ask and then the people respond by giving.

So, also in the book of Nehemiah, if we kind of turn our attention to this chapter. I'm looking at Nehemiah 7, verse 70. It says, And some of the heads of the fathers' houses gave to the work.

Now, who were the heads of of the fathers' houses. The father's house is the extended family unit between the larger tribe and the individual family unit.

Okay. You know, God had very strategically divided the people of Israel. And by this time the Jewish people.

So there were the tribe, then there were the heads, and then there were the family units. The larger tribe, of course, is like Judah, Benjamin, Levi. Under each tribe would be many extended families, like the family of Arah, the family of Elam, the family of Asgod. Under each extended family there were hundreds. Of individual family units of husband, wife, and children.

So the heads of the father's houses are these like. Intermediate levels between here's the entire tribe of Judah, but then you've got these heads of like noble houses, but they're not, they don't have to be noble kind of thing, right? Right. But they were heads, right?

So they were giving.

Now, growing up, I remember mom and dad always talking about giving our tithes and offerings in church. We saw them struggling. But they still gave faithfully. And they set an example for us to give. Not like the guy who came to church with his family.

As they were driving home, he was complaining about. Everything. He said the music was too loud, the sermon was too long, the announcements were unclear. The building was hot, the people were unfriendly. He went on and on and on and complained about everything that he could think of.

Finally his little boy in the back seat said Dan, you've got to admit it. It's not, it's not a bad show for a buck. All you spent was a dollar, man. You got a great show. Come on, it was a good show.

I think that's that's a bunch of worship people. What do you mean, show? No, but I know exactly what you're saying, man. It's like the people who, and tell me if you think this is true from a leadership perspective: the people who complain the loudest, the people who are always picking the church service apart or even the mission or the work apart, are typically the people who are giving the least. Yeah, because if you're if you're investing in something, then you.

Are very hesitant to knock it down because your investment is in it. Right. So if you're giving all this money to support the church, Why would you tear it down? Imagine if you had a business that you took out a loan, you took out your 401k and man, you invested in that business. Maybe it's a restaurant, maybe it is a landscaping business, whatever it is.

And then you went out there and just talked trash about the food. About your own business. You talk trash about how, man, that lawn looks terrible. It's horrible. Yeah.

You won't do that. Why? Because your money is invested. That's right. That's right.

So, also with the church. When people are constantly cutting the church down, I guarantee it. More than likely, they're not giving much to it. What do you think that did for you as a little boy seeing your dad give? Hmm.

It reminded me, or it taught me the priority. That money, that is something so precious. You know, when Jesus said you cannot worship God and mammon. He had a point because money can very quickly resemble God. Yeah.

Whatever it is. It controls my life. I will do anything for it. and without it I cannot survive. I mean, that's those are the attributes of God.

Yeah, absolutely.

So. seeing my parents faithfully giving money, Was faithfully teaching me that money is not God. God is God. By giving it away, they were showing me that it is. It is not on the same level as God.

Yeah. What do you think about the way they displayed their leadership? Like the leaders are also the ones giving. Oh, yeah. Because if you're going to call on people to give, you better be the first one to give.

Mm-hmm. If you want your people to be out there witnessing And sharing the gospel and standing up for truth and Christian values, you also do those things. And when it comes to giving, you'll be the first one to give.

So, yeah, I think. My parents did an amazing job in setting the example for us. What do you do with this? Say there's a leader listening to this who says, You know, I've been giving faithfully for years, but I just can't get to see my people on board. My people just, they're not givers.

And I might have one or two good givers, but overall, my people as a whole.

Well, it takes time. It takes time for people to learn how to give. Mm-hmm. You have to teach them, you have to model it, you have to remind them. It's not a one and done.

kind of thing. You have to to really model it and you have to really mouth it. You have to talk about it. And sometimes it takes a while.

So don't give up. Don't Get frustrated, don't get discouraged, stick with it. And in time, you'll have a person here, a person there, who will start. Giving testimonies of how God has faithfully taken care of them. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

And when they share it, rather than you preaching from the pulpit, when people. in the pew begin to share their testimony of God's faithfulness to them, And their obedience in giving Generously not just tithes, but also offerings. above and beyond, and seeing God richly bless them, then the other people will listen because that's when they go, Oh, it's not because he is the pastor and he needs the money. These are people attending the church and they're saying this. Maybe I'll give it a shot.

Yeah. You know, we think about people who, and I think this is a great thing that you've done. You've done this in your sermons and you've done this from the pulpit too, where you've asked people directly: has this church or has it not changed your life? You know? Are you willing to invest in something that has changed your life?

Or do you want a major life change for free? And the church will always, I mean, the sermons are always free. This show is free to consume. Almost everything that we do is given out completely for free. But you are being invited to invest in something that is changing your life because it can help change other people's lives too.

Absolutely. The more, and I be careful how the way I say this, but money allows us, as Clearview, us specifically, but also Christian leaders out there, money allows us to reach a wider audience. There's a net, there's a ceiling that people. Leaders, influencers. Hit unless they have funding, unless they have money to back up the things that they want.

100%. I cannot say that. Any more than what you've already done. But man, without money, it's very hard. To do ministry.

And people will judge you, they will question your motives, they will doubt your faithfulness. But you, pastors, leaders, you cannot back down. You have to, with integrity, keep leading your people to give, model it, preach it, and maybe encourage other people in the church. Who are not ministers, who are not pastors, we're all ministers. I'm talking about like paid positions.

Right. Let them share. And when they share, and other people hear it, then they begin to do something about it. That's right. And I love the way that you do it, which is that it's a very gentle question: Has this church changed your life?

Yes, it has. You can help someone else get a changed life. Absolutely. You can help with your giving and your money. You know, Dr.

Sho, how do you feel about people who are like, listen. If I had it. I would give it. I just don't have it. I'm glad that there's other people in my church who can give, and I wish I could.

I just ain't got it to give.

Well, think about the widow who, I think she had only two mites and she gave one to the Lord. Think about that. we can all give something. I think back to the time when I was in college, you know, before I left for America, I remember my mom talking to me and saying, you know, when you and you begin to make your own money. It doesn't matter if you are wealthy, it doesn't matter you're just a college student, you should give your tithes.

Now In my situation, I was on work study scholarship. Work study scholarship means they give you. Ten percent. Of what you are making. And the rest of it directly goes into your tuition.

Okay. That's not a terrible deal, is it? It's not a terrible deal, but then how do you give? How do you give, yeah. You give out of that ten percent that you yeah, I mean no, but I mean you should give out of what you make.

Oh, I see.

So 10%. Yeah, the 10%. The 10% is actually. What you're getting? Let's say, so if you get, oh man, I'm about to show my math.

Let's say you earn $100, 90 of it goes to your tuition. But you need to be giving ten dollars. And that's all you get. Because that's the ten percent of the hundred. Right.

It was tough. Yeah. But my parents were amazing people. I mean, I the older I get and the more I see How I've had to sacrifice for my children my respect and my my indebtedness to my parents just keeps growing. And I realized how much they sacrificed because they were in India.

And they were sending me money through a missionary, because the missionary was supporting some work in India. And so my dad worked it out with him that he will give the money wherever it needed to go, and then the missionary would just send me the money that he wanted to be used in India. Does that make sense? I think so. Yeah.

So instead of the missionary sending the money to this project in India, my dad would take care of that, and your dad would use him to get money to you. Yeah, the missionary would just send me the money. Gotcha.

So that's how it worked out. And my dad worked it out. And they were sending me $60 every month. Sixty? Sixty.

Every month? Every month. That's all. To live on? Yeah.

Okay. But I mean, I didn't have many expenses. In the 90s, was that like, was that still like a very little amount of money? It was still a little.

Okay. But then again, all my breakfast, lunch, dinner were covered. Were covered by the school? Right, they were covered.

So $60 was used for my deodorant, my soap, my washing powder. Gas money for your car, stuff like that? Oh, I didn't have any cars.

Okay. So it was no cars. It was simply for my daily, you know, personal hygiene items. You didn't ever, did you ever blow it on silly things? There was not enough to blow it.

The only time I blew it on anything is when I first came to America and my dad had given me like $500, $600. And I bought a pair of shoes, like the pumps, and a pumped-up kicks. Yes, and I got this really fancy watch and blew all that money away. I remember my brother saying to me, Are you serious? You did that.

Why? I said, well, I mean, I like those shoes. I like those. He said, you have no idea. You'll need that money soon.

Oh, man. Was he right? Oh, yeah, he was right. But I mean, God has been above and beyond good to me. That's right.

But to back up a little bit. I remember sitting in the chapel because, you know, since I couldn't drive, I couldn't go off campus to a church, but the college had a chapel. It had a chaplain, and the chaplain would lead the chapel for students who couldn't go anywhere. On Sunday mornings. On Sunday mornings.

So at 10 o'clock, we would have that chapel. And I remember when the offering plate was coming, I was like, ooh. I got to give money. And I don't have anything other than what I got from the business office. Mm-hmm.

Okay, I'm going to give. And I gave. I gave the money, and I lived on what my parents were sending me. And it was tough. But every time I could I was giving away.

And I'm not saying that God gave me back because I was giving. But God has given me above and beyond. That's right. So my challenge to people right now who are saying we just don't have any money. Like, don't don't use that as an excuse.

That's right. And I think also with your with your specific story, Dr. Shah, it shows that that was you when you were in your, what, eighteen, nineteen, twenties? You're when I came to America, I was seventeen. Yeah, seventeen years old.

You know, you're in your fifties now. And so I think that And not to put your age out there, but I guess what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah. I guess what I'm saying is sometimes it takes a lifetime for God to. Bless you in the way that we're thinking.

We think that I like, and I've done this too, where you put money in the offering plate and you're like, all right, I'll be expecting my blessing any day now. I'll be expecting to make that back five, six, seven, eight, nine, tenfold. But over the course of your life, and maybe you can speak to this with a little more of your personal story. Over the course of your life, you look backwards and you see how God has blessed you. You see your house, your family, your children, and you see, man, that imagine if I didn't give that $10 or that $12 or whatever back then.

I mean, I cannot put into a ledger or an account or an Excel spreadsheet to show you how above and beyond God has been faithful and has been generous to me. And I encourage people, whether you're broke, you don't have a job. Do whatever you can, earn something, and give it to the Lord.

Okay. And for those of you who have plenty, are you giving? I mean, I look back here in verse 70, it says, the governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas. Is the governor Nehemiah? That's right.

So 1,000 gold drachmas equals. 20 pounds of gold. Wow. One drachma? Yeah.

1,000 gold drachmas. 1,000 gold drachmas. Got it, got it.

So, what is a drachma? For those of you who are wondering, it was actually a Persian gold coin called a darik.

Now, the word dari was an old Persian word for gold. Hmm. So it was 98% gold and 2% alloy for hardness. It weighed about one-third of an ounce. One Darik could buy you an ox or pay a soldier's salary for a month.

That's a lot of money. That's a lot of money. and one thousand drachma is like twenty pounds of gold. But that's not it. Besides fifty basins and five hundred and thirty priestly garments.

So, The poor people gave what they could. The middle class gave what they could But A rich, a wealthy person like this governor, Nehemiah himself. He gave. I mean, this is tremendous.

So, I want to encourage not just for those who are struggling, hey, give sacrificially. I'm talking to those who can, and you're not. I hope you will start giving and giving generously from what God has given to you. Have you seen that in your life and in your ministry? Oh, 100%.

That the people who are able to give. End up giving. Clearly, it would not be where it is today if it wasn't for the wealthy people giving to the Lord. They have gone above and beyond in giving, and I am grateful to them. Of course, ultimately, I'm grateful to God.

I'm sure there's some pastor out there right now, and maybe this is an episode for another day, but how do I attract those wealthy givers to my church? Because I've been looking for years and they're not there. I mean, don't look for that. I just pray and say, God, would you send people who are resourceful, who have a heart for the kingdom of God, who truly care about the gospel reaching every man, woman, boy, and girl, doesn't matter what they look like, where they come from, whether they're across the street, or across town, or across the state, or across the nation, or across the world. God, I need.

To reach the world? Would you send those people? Because that's the prayer I prayed. I genuinely prayed that I said, God, send people because. Yes, I'm going to work hard.

Yes, I'm going to work two, three jobs. And I did. I mean, I worked three jobs. Wow. I was a pastor, I was a principal, I was even working as an instructor in the seminary.

So I was doing three jobs. And I said, God, I will keep doing that. I will do that the rest of my life till I'm like 90 years old. I'll work three jobs. But it would be great if we send people with resources who can come and support.

So that I can Focus my life in one thing, which is pastoring the church, preaching the gospel, preaching. the truth, the word of God. In its entirety, in its In its with accuracy, with passion. I want to preach that. But but but if I'm going to be divided, it's going to be difficult.

Yeah. And one by one, God began to send people. I feel like I ask this a lot, but just for someone listening, were you aware as he was sending those people that it was happening? Or is it only as you look back? No, no, I saw it.

You saw it. I was at the same time. I saw that. I saw that. And I was like, God, you're answering the prayers because here come people.

And there were a lot of people who came. And they shuffled in, shuffled out. And that's fine. But then there were people who came and I was like, oh. I see something here.

And it was much more than money. I began to see their heart. I was just about to say that. You beat me to the punch a little bit because it's a different relationship. Because this is not, hey, we need to treat these people really good.

These people have money. This is, we need to really be intentional about how we foster this relationship because that person is an answered prayer. Absolutely. Yeah. It was more than just dollar signs.

Right. This was the heart they had, the desire they had to support. Where I am today was not where I was. 15, 20 years ago. You know, I was younger.

I was trying to figure things out. I was trying to work hard, do what I can to see the church grow. And these people even then were willing to step up and and Give and support. And so I knew right away God was working there. I think, you know, if you're thinking about Nehemiah in the case of what we're seeing here, the thing that keeps coming back to me, and maybe we can talk about this as we close, is that it's not just The wealthy gave.

The poor gave what they could, but the wealthy gave, and the wealthy really, really benefited. It's the people as a whole. Everybody benefited. Everybody gave. Yeah, I mean, Nehemiah gave.

How much did the heads of the fathers' houses give? Verse 71 tells us: 21,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas.

Now, we talked about the drachma a few moments ago. What is the meana? It was a Babylonian silver coin. One mina equaled 60 shekels. Wow.

And one shekel was the average monthly wage. And so one Mina would pay an average worker for five years. Jeez, Louise. That's a lot of money. That is a lot of money.

And that's what was being given to the effort. That was given by the heads of the fathers' houses. How much did the rest of the people give? Verse 72 tells us. twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty seven priestly garments.

I mean, so people were giving Generously. I also think about: if anybody had an excuse not to give, it would be these people. Like, they just got back from exile, they just got back into this land, and yet they are still giving. And giving above and beyond. Yeah, when you see people give like this, you know there is revival.

Yeah, amen. It's an awakening that's happening. Means now they recognize that all that they have is by the grace of God and for the kingdom of God. And they're giving. If there's someone out there, Dr.

Show, we got about maybe six, uh, four minutes left in the show. But if there's someone out there who is saying, I'm with you as a as a pastor, as a ministry leader, I am with you. But man, I need a way to convince my people of what they're saying. Maybe they'll play this episode in their service. Who knows?

But I need a way to convince my people because all I ever hear are excuses. What do you want to say to that? Begin with prayer. Begin with prayer. Pray that God will open the hearts of your people.

Secondly, talk about it. Talk about it biblically. Preach expository sermons. Preach evangelistic sermons. But.

in those sermons do highlight what it means to be obedient in our giving. That's right. Don't shy away from that. Don't let somebody intimidate you. Don't let someone on social media or some television documentary try to intimidate you into thinking that you're some shyster or some TV evangelist who wants his Ferrari, who wants his mansion, who wants his yacht, who wants this jet plane.

Don't let those kind of people scare you. That's right. They're no different than Sand Ballad and Tobiah and Geshem. You do what God has called you to do. You be a person of integrity and you model what it means to give.

That's right. So, people will see that you're not just telling them to dig deep in their pockets, you're digging deep in your pockets. That you're not just telling them to give sacrificially, you're giving sacrificially. That's right. And as you do that, as you model that for your people, you are going to see God start to bless it.

We've seen it here at this church. And the reason we share these stories is because we're so blessed by what God has done. But we want your church to be blessed, we want your ministry to share in the joy that God has given to us.

So we're telling you these stories, not to say, look how well we did things, but look what God can also do for you. Dr. Shah, I appreciate you being here and talking with us about this. Absolutely. And we appreciate you guys listening so faithfully, sharing the show, and you guys who give, everybody who gives to this show, just know we try to thank you every single episode.

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Organizations who have partnered with us. I want to let you know just before we go, we got a couple of things that we have in the works. Number one is the Greek New Testament. This is the Byzantine text form 2026. It's the Robinson Pierpont updated edition.

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