Biblical Giving 5

Reminders...

God is more concerned about the heart of the giver than the gift that is given

The Law of giving tithes was to instruct a redeemed people on how to focus their heart and life upon God.

Sticking with the Old Testament Law creates a Pharisaical problem of legalism and doesn’t answer the question about how much we give - it only creates a burden. The purpose of the law was to lead us to Jesus Christ, the one who fulfilled the Law and the one who, by His Spirit, writes the Law upon our hearts in the New Covenant.

Jesus teaches that God supplies what we need! He challenges our view of money and calls us to made God our focus. We are to receive gifts from God with OPEN hands in order that the gifts will pass through us onto the world around us. He does NOT teach based upon tithing, but based upon God’s goodness to us. We then saw two examples - the Widow who gave EVERYTHING as she was devoted to God, and the Rich Young Man who held on to too much and walked away.

So, let’s wrap it up and put a bow on it by asking what does the rest of the New Testament teach.

What Does the Rest of the New Testament Teach? What is the Standard?

SURPRISE! Although the New Testament discusses giving NOWHERE does it discuss a tithe!!!

In fact the command for Christians to tithe is NOT mandated by the church until the Council of Tours in 567 and then again in the Third Council of Macon in 585

But the New Testament has a STANDARD for Christians in giving...

First the New Testament challenges, again, our view of God’s gifts...

Everything Good comes from God

James 1:17 NLT

17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

Contentment is the key to following Christ and a love for money (mammon and material things distracts us from God and is the root/source of evil)

1 Timothy 6:6–10 NLT

6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

There is here a reminder of the story of the Rich Young Man who we encountered last week. His love for his possession caused him to say “NO” to the call of discipleship upon his life...

The teaching continues that money, wealth, earthly treasures will fade but we are to trust God to provide for our needs...

1 Timothy 6:17–19 NLT

17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

ULTIMATELY, the New Testament teaches that God is after our HEART!

2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT

7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

What Paul Says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 IS the New Testament Standard for Giving...

Let’s look at the Context of the verse...

What is Going on in 2 Corinthians 9?

To understand that, there is a backstory.

A collection is being received for the church in Jerusalem. Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians… He there gives the church instructions for how the church is to collect this offering.

1 Corinthians 16:1–3 NLT

1 Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 3 When I come, I will write letters of recommendation for the messengers you choose to deliver your gift to Jerusalem.

He recommends that every week (on the 1st day of the week - presumably because that was when the church gathered for worship) the worshippers are to set aside a portion of their income for this offering. He also recommends that they do not wait until the last minute, but make this their practice.

The discussion is brought back up in the 2nd letter we have, beginning with 2 Corinthians 8...

In this part of the letter, Paul highlights the generosity of the churches in Macedonia. He wants to encourage the churches in Corinth to give generously and he highlights that God has lead churches that suffer with extreme poverty to give generously, so, therefore, churches with more wealth to offer should be able to be just as generous.

2 Corinthians 8:8–12 NLT

8 I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. 9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. 10 Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. 11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. 12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.

He reminds the church of what Christ has done for them, and also that they were eager and very zealous to give towards this gift. But, he also reminds them that they are to give eagerly, cheerfully even, and give according to their available means. Later he continues to remind them that God has a way of providing equality in situations where people give and others receive, but later, those who gave may be at the mercy of those who received for future gifts.

The discussion continues into chapter 9… Paul is really concerned about this gift!

He declares that he has sent Titus and others to prepare the church to be able to send this gift with Paul when he arrives. He reminds them again of their eagerness and how he has boasted about them.

But, then he hits the HEART of the matter...

2 Corinthians 9:6–12 NLT

6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

He draws on the image of reaping and sowing

If you want a large crop, you put in a lot of seed.

But, when it comes to giving, how much do we give?

The rest of his discussion is on focusing on God, and allowing God to provide for our needs.

And in the midst of this he challenges our heart...

2 Corinthians 9:7–8 NLT

7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Give according to your HEART response to God. And give cheerfully. Don’t give out of pressure and don’t give reluctantly. Give RESPONDING to God’s goodness and God’s promises. Give knowing that God will take care of YOU as you focus upon HIM. And give knowing that as God provides, God will give you more to be able to give to OTHERS.

What does this add up to? Receive and Give Open Handedly!

A Few Observations

Here in these letters Paul could have EASILY taught on a tithe and special offerings - BUT HE DIDN’T! He doesn’t even mention a tithe!

Paul, the Pharisee turned follower of Christ NOWHERE teaches on a tithe! That should be telling. Even when he writes what has been divided up into 2 chapters about GIVING he never mentions a TITHE!

Of the 13-14 letters Paul wrote (over HALF of the New Testament) NOWHERE does Paul EVER mention a tithe - not even when he writes to Timothy about the love of money!

This is PAUL- who at times was a jerk and would “tell it like it is.” If he had an issue, he had NO PROBLEM saying what he thought on the matter. Yet, he says NOTHING about a tithe...

This HAS to teach us something about what Paul thought about the practice of a tithe for Christians. IT DOESN’T EXIST!

He recognizes that it is archaic and will pull people back to being under law NOT grace!

Paul over and over highlights that the purpose of the Law was to lead us to a place where we drop to our knees at the fee to Grace, Jesus Christ, and allow Him to declare “It is finished.”

Romans 7:6–7 NLT

6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. 7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”

And, if you accept ANY aspect of the Law YOU ACCEPT IT ALL!

Galatians 5:3–4 NLT

3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

This is echoed by James, the Brother of Jesus...

James 2:10 NLT

10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

BLANK

And remember, tithing was NOT commanded for Christians until the 6th century. Yes, they were called to give. Yes, they most likely assisted with the bills of the host home. But, it was not until the 6th century, when the State got involved (when Christianity became mandated) that tithing was commanded - and at times a part of the tax.

Hear me clearly, THE COMMAND TO TITHE was for the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. NOWHERE are Christians commanded to tithe. To say that we must tithe is erroneous, and frankly, I would prefer us to strike that word from our vocabulary as a church! This is a conclusion that many of you will NOT like… It makes it more freeing, and yet at the same time, more difficult to know what we are supposed to give (but remember, we give to God what is God’s).

A tithe is too restrictive and God calls us to respond to Him in worship with EVERYTHING we have and are.

Mentioning a tithe holds to a Pharisaical Legalism that focuses us on the bondage to law and NOT on the freedom of grace through Jesus Christ.

But, there is a lot about giving...

We are to be generous because Christ was generous

We are to give from our hearts response as GOD INSTRUCTS US

Remember, we do not give under compulsion or reluctantly out of obligation - we give from our heart - cheerfully.

THIS TYPE OF GIVING ASSUMES CONVERSATION WITH GOD ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO GIVE FROM THE HEART!

There is a message for churches/ministries here too

We cannot demand/declare/manipulate the gifts that others give!

If people are called to give from their heart, WHO ARE WE to say WHAT that looks like?

THIS INCLUDES how they give, what they give, to what ministries they give, whether they give to para-church organizations (see 2 Kings 4:42-44 if you think that this is not considered acceptable), whether they give undesignatedly or if they designate towards ministries and projects.

After all, it is THEIR gift that THEY give based upon THEIR conversation with God.

If giving is an act of the heart, from the outflow of what God has done, based upon conversations someone has had with God, then ministries are to receive gifts open handedly also!

The lessons about giving and receiving are not ONLY for individuals, but for organizations as well!

CONCLUSION

To wrap it all up...

God is more concerned with your heart than your gift.

God looks at our heart! PERIOD!

1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

As such, it is our duty to be in conversation with God, the ONE who matters, about what to give, where to give, how much to give, etc… Let NO ONE guilt you, command you, coerce you, force you, manipulate you etc… into giving.

Yes, you SHOULD be giving because you should be as generous as Christ was generous to you. BUT, it is an act of worship between the Lord and YOU.

2 Corinthians 9:7–8 NLT

7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Pastoraly speaking...

YOU are a GENEROUS People!

YOU are giving from your heart.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! But, that doesn’t mean God won’t challenge you to give even more. It doesn’t mean that simply because you are generous by the world’s standards that God is challenging you to a greater dependency upon HIS goodness.

So, CONTINUE to allow God’s Spirit to challenge you on what it means to worship and what it means to give.

Continue to be generous. Continue to put God first in all you do and God will CONTINUE to work miracles in our midst.