To Tithe or not to tithe…
Malachi 3:8-10
Introduction:
*I have broken my sermon series to bring to you a message that needs to
be given. As leaders, sometimes we can get caught up in the details and
look at things without realizing that the congregation at large doesn’t
know most of the details we are caught up in.
*I bring this message this morning on giving because we need to do better
as a church. I believe we can.
*Throughout the years, God has released great blessings when his children
whole-heartedly followed him. If you “Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to
overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10
(NIV). What a great promise from Scripture! Do you realize that this
inspired promise still applies to us today? Deciding to make your tithe a
starting point in your giving allows God the opportunity he’s looking for
to bless you in ways he would not otherwise.
*The book of Malachi reveals how important the tithe is to God. When his
people refused to honor him with their wealth, God actually accused them
of stealing from him:
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, ’How do we rob you?’
"In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-- the whole nation of
you-- because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the
storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says
the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of
heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough
for it.” Malachi 3:8-10 (NIV).
*God’s word says that when his people obeyed him by tithing, he would
shower them with material blessing. But when they refused to follow his
wishes regarding their giving, the Bible says they fell “under a curse.”
*Sometimes, Christians get swept up in a debate over whether or not we’re
required to tithe, when that’s not the real question. The real question
is, does the promise of Malachi 3:9-10 still apply today?
*There is not a passage in the New Testament that rescinded this promise,
just as I have found no New Testament passage that ever rescinded God’s
rainbow promise about a flood.
*Do you believe God will never destroy the earth by water again? How do
you know? Your confidence is based on the promise found in Genesis 9.
This promise did not have to be restated in the New Testament in order to
be valid today, just as the promise of Proverbs 3:5-6 about guidance did
not have to be restated. God’s promise in regard to tithing is no
different. Our decision to give 10% of our income back to God reflects
our reliance on him as the source of al our blessings. This kind of faith
pleases the Lord and brings abundant blessing.
*I don’t want us to fall prey to legalistic righteousness and require the
New Testament to command us to tithe before we use this simple measure as
a generosity standard. We could miss many of God’s richest blessings if
we refuse to take him at his word.
*Both biblical principles and practical experiences demonstrate the power
of tithing in a Christian’s life. Since God’s word repeatedly uses the
sowing and reaping illustration to encourage giving back to him, it’s a
powerful exercise to see what will happen when we take him at his word
and tithe as a starting point for giving. What will we reap?
Power Principle 1 Tithing motivates greater faithfulness.
*Did you know that Jesus actually taught his followers to live by a
higher standard than the one given in the Old Testament? Obviously, we
too, want to please him an be faithful to his call. Jesus contrasted the
requirements of the Law with the plan for his followers.
*On your outline in your bulletin, look at the Scripture references under
Power Principle 1: I want to see which is the higher standard, the Law of
Moses or the way of Christ?
OT: Do not murder NT: Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer.
OT: Do not commit adultery NT: Anyone who lusts commits adultery in his
heart.
OT: Do not swear falsely by God’s name NT: Do not swear at all.
OT: The entire tithe will be holy to the Lord NT: Give as you are
prospered.
*An exhaustive study of Scripture reveals this often overlooked truth:
Jesus’ way always calls for greater faithfulness and commitment than was
required in the Old Testament. Can giving possibly be an exception? It
follows clearly that no one who wants to be faithful to God would ever
think of doing less than the Old Testament believers. When it comes to
tithing, we all too often think that Christ didn’t come to fulfill it,
but to destroy it. That isn’t the case. Hebrews 10:1 says, “The law is
only a shadow of the good things that are coming-- not the realities
themselves.”
(NIV) Jesus came to bring us the “good things.” If we want these things
in our life, then we must sow the seed necessary to reap them. This thing
we put all our trust in the Word of God teaches that tithing is one
of the pathways to receiving the spiritual and physical blessings he
desires for us.
*Did you know that tithing was not unique to God’s chosen people? Other
ancient civilizations also practiced giving a tenth of their income to
various pagan deities. Archaeological research indicates that the people
of Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria also tithed. Imagine that! Both Jewish
followers of God and pagans devoted to false deities saw that spiritual
faithfulness included tithing.
*Dr. John Willis, a distinguished professor of Old Testament studies, has
written a profound paper on tithing. In it he says:
By giving their tithes, the Israelites were proclaiming that they were
giving back to the Lord a portion of that which he had prospered them
(Deut. 26:10-15). Just as God had given his people the food and resources
they needed for their existence, by tithing the people were imitating him
by giving their God-given food and resources to the slaves, the poor, the
sojourners, the orphans, and the widows. Thus, tithing was the means God
gave the Israelites to express their love to God for all he had given
them (Deut. 6:4-9) and to express their love to their neighbor as God had
expressed his love to them (Lev. 19:18).
*Surely as recipients of the “good things,” it’s also clear that the Lord
has commissioned us to do the same today!
Power Principle 2 Tithing releases God’s financial blessings.
*Look again at Malachi 3:10, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,
that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD
Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and
pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
(NIV)
*This is one of the most remarkable passages in the whole Bible. The God
of the universe actually told his people to test him. The Hebrew word for
“test” means “to examine.” God said they could check him out and see if
he was telling the truth. This is the only time in Scripture when God
allowed his creation to see if he really would keep his word. The Lord
told them that if they would once again put him first and prove their
loyal devotion to him by bringing in their whole tithe, he would drench
them with material blessings. They could bank on this promise!
*Hear this…God said that then and he still means it today! Do you believe
that? I know many people who have taken God at his word and tithed when
they didn’t know how they possibly could.
*Illustration- Back in Putnam, one of the farmers in the church was a
very wealthy man. One day was I was riding in the combine with him, he
told me that the reason he had been successful was because he started
tithing so many years ago. He had never done it before, but when he
started, his farm began to prosper in ways that even he could never
imagine. He hadn’t changed any of his farming practices, it was just God
pouring out his promised blessings.
*I read of a single-parent mom that was financially strapped determined
that she would tithe, even though she couldn’t cover her current monthly
expenses. She signed a pledge card in her church one Sunday, not knowing
where the money would come from. Two days later her boss called her into
his office unexpectedly. He praised her work and gave her a 13% raise on
the spot! She realized God came through for her because she came through
for God!
*I could go on and on with story after story, but in all the stories I
have heard, I have yet to hear of a single story where God did not
abundantly bless obedient, grateful love like this. Just remember, we
don’t give to be blessed, we give because we are blessed.
*Tithing declares our realization that God has already blessed us, as
well as our conviction that he will continue to take care of us.
Power Principle 3 Tithing expands Kingdom work.
*Did you know that the average percentage of Christian giving is only
2.5%? It doesn’t take a mathematical genius to see that church-wide
tithing would allow ministry efforts to virtually explode.
*For us, we have ventured into new territory in ministry. And having done
so has meant that we have grown. We have trusted God to lead us to the
point that we are. Do you believe God has brought us here?
*Now it is time to give God another territory in our lives. The bottom
line is this, if our church had $300 more a week our ministry would be
freed up from any financial stress it is in right now. Do you realize
that is only $3.75 for each of you to give each week? The cost of an
extra-value meal for you, can enhance our ministry here in ways which
will enable us to do one simple thing: win someone else to Jesus! That is
why we exist, my friends. This is about wining lost people. But ministry,
like your family costs.
*Think about it next week, when you write out your check or get ready to
give. Will you give $3.75 more a week this year to help us do what we are
called to do?
*It is something so small, yet it is a part of something so large.
Literally the kingdom of God! That’s God’s standard mode of operation. He
takes something small and transforms it into something of grandeur.
*Illustration- Randi was a preacher’s kid who had finished high school
and was unsure of what to do with his life. He went from Iowa to Chicago
to go to school at Moody. Feeling an ever-increasing sense of frustration
at what it was that God wanted him to do with his life, he found himself
laying awake at night. And as he laid there in the dorm bunk, he read the
graffiti scrawled on the wood slat above his head. The inscription read:
If you are reading this pray for Derek. Randi didn’t know Derek from
Adam but he prayed for Derek that night. And he prayed for him the next
day off and on as he thought about it. Several weeks later, Derek went to
a church that his friends had been bugging him about going to with them.
He went and in the middle of the service a lady stood up during prayer
time. She said, “As many of you know, my little Derek has been battling
leukemia for all his life, but I’m thrilled to share with you that at his
last doctor’s report a couple weeks ago the doctor said that Derek’s
leukemia is in full remission.”
*That’s how it is with God. A little prayer can cause great effect. A
little giving on your part ushers you into a kingdom that is so much
larger than you or I can comprehend. That is the power principle
tithing expands kingdom work.
Power Principle 4 Tithing changes spending habits.
*If your giving standard has been low, starting to tithe may seem a
stretch to you financially at first. But in the process of giving, you
learn to prioritize your spending patterns and develop a sound financial
budget.
*Maybe ten percent is too much for you right now. It is just
statistically not going to happen as you crunch the numbers. Well, what
about 2.5%? You need to start somewhere. And the starting point needs to
be an agreement between you and God that this is where I start and you
help me get to where I need to be.
*I want to close sharing this touching story. If you are experiencing
great financial difficulty, have you considered that you might be living
under a curse?
* If there is an area in your life where you continually feel defeated,
maybe it’s time to see if that problem is caused by your inattention to
the promises of God which are linked to your being able to receive a
blessing. That is exactly what Malachi was trying to communicate. It’s
also why I believe curses still occur today. I read of a man who shared a
letter with his church that communicates this very thing. Here is an
excerpt from the letter:
As you know, I came to this church a very hurting person. I carried
burdens that left me completely helpless. I was existing, but not really
living. Three years ago I grew gravely ill and lost most of my physical
strength and much of my immune system. At my lowest point, I literally
crawled across my front lawn to get to my car because I was too weak to
walk. I felt that I was dying, and I was morbidly afraid of death and
literally terrified of going to hell. I was out of touch with God. I felt
if I could just find another doctor surely everything would get better.
Then, in desperation, without asking for anything specific, I cried out
to God to help me. “Please God,” I prayed, “Do something to let me know
you’re here.” I was ready to do anything. Now I know that God was
humbling me so that I would come to trust him more completely.
On my first visit to church, I was astonished! I felt comfortable here
immediately. I felt a keen sense of the presence of God which I had never
felt anywhere else. The preacher gave me the moment of truth when he
preached a sermon on stewardship and said, “Anyone who does not give back
to God 10% of his income is a thief.” I had never even seriously thought
of giving 10% and couldn’t imagine how in the world that could possibly
fit into my tight budget.
But the word “thief” hit me hard as the truth always does. I now realize
that I was so miserable precisely because God was last on my list of
priorities rather than first. So I asked God’s forgiveness, and I pledged
to give back 10% of my income for the rest of my life. This is the most
important decision I have ever made.
From that moment, things began to change dramatically for the better. The
people who are closest to me have marveled at the changes in my life. Too
many positive things have happened to be coincidence. Most obvious is my
greatly improved health, which has been immediate. Most practical is
that, after looking for a job for three years, I found one the best job
I’ve ever had in my life! Most gratifying is the deep feeling of inner
peace, which, for the first time in my life, I feel. I feel different on
the inside than when I first came to see you, and everybody who knows me
says I’m different on the outside, too.
Avoid curses in your life. Let faith take charge of your heart as you
take hold of God’s promises. It’s not a matter of whether or not you can
afford to tithe, it’s whether or not you can afford not to. When you put
the Lord first, he promises to open up heaven and pour out his blessings
into your life!
INVITATION
