Overcoming Finances Part 2

stewardship 3 talents and treasure

Tithing

where’s your heart stewardship or treasure (especially the parts on generosity)

generosity

I want to actually address the money side of things this week

last week we established that you can’t approach finances biblically without a shift in your mindset

primarily, you have to stop viewing it as your money

you are simply a steward of the gifts God has given you

until you come to that understanding, you will struggle to have the right attitude about giving

Our innate selfishness will always fight against God’s wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:25 NASB95

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

We talked about how this understanding should affect how we steward our talents, gifts, and time

we talked about the idea of tithing our time and committing 12 hours a week to God and his church

we talked about how God wants us to contribute our abilities and gifts to the church

and how we are called to be participants in the ministry, and not consumers or observers

1 Peter 4:10 NASB95

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Colossians 3:23–24 NASB95

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Let’s talk about treasure –

Luke 6:45 ESV

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

What is your attitude toward giving to God?

Have you ever thought about it?

Is it something you do with joy?

Reluctantly?

Are you soured about giving to God because all the church wants is your money?

Have you ever thought about how your past experiences shape your attitude about giving?

balloon (it’s what’s on the inside that matters)

TITHING AND GIVING REALLY BOILS DOWN TO TRUST.

Everything we have belongs to God, He is our provider.

Nancy was a single mother with young children. Her ex-husband sent her only a small amount of grocery money every week--so small it couldn’t even feed 1 person, much less her family of 4. But Nancy decided to begin giving to God from her little bit of grocery money and trust Him to provide. Shortly after, she got a job with a cookbook company. The company paid Nancy to go grocery shopping and prepare meals so they could take photographs for their cookbooks. When they were done taking pictures, Nancy could keep the food she had purchased and prepared. Isn’t that an amazing story of God’s goodness? Nancy learned that even if you’re poor, you still need to learn to give from whatever you have.

I hope you know that as your pastor, my heart is for you to do what you do motivated by your love for and obedience to the Lord. Not because of guilt or manipulation.

I love you and want you to know what God’s Word says about giving and then leave it between you and the Lord.

Let’s start with what Jesus said in

Matthew 6:19–21 NASB95

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Your heart follows your treasure, your treasure doesn’t follow your heart.

In other words, what you invest your money in the most is what will have your heart’s greatest affection and commitment.

With that in mind, let’s talk about tithe and offering.

What is tithe?

What is offering?

Tithe literally means 1/10.

Scripture tells us to give 1/10 of what we have to the Lord because it belongs to Him.

How many of you have heard of the dad tax?

if I give my daughter a thing of mnms or fruit snacks, it usually get’s handed back to me to open

tithe would be me then asking if I can have one.

....

Offerings are anything above and beyond the tithe.

Offerings are something that we seek the Lord about, here from Him and give according to what He says.

Alms are gifts given to help the poor and needy

it’s giving a few dollars to the homeless man on the street

or giving to the benevelence fund to help those in the church in need

either way, giving is systematic

you plan on it

and make it a consistent part of our worship

When Jesus taught on giving in Matthew 6, it is sandwhiched between Prayer and loving your neighbor

It is the first act of worship Jesus talks about when he shifts from talking about the law to talking about spiritual disciplines

Now I know that some would say that tithing is not in the New Testament and that’s not how God wants us to give.

Let me take just a few minutes to look at what the Bible says about tithing for us today.

FIRST OFFERING

- cain and abel.

Abel brought the first born or first fruit to the Lord, the best he had and God was pleased.

Cain didn’t, and God wasn’t pleased.

Genesis 4:3–7 NASB95

So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

I understand that this passage does not refer to tithing, but giving an offering of firstborn or first fruit.

But here’s what I want you to understand as we set the groundwork here.

God wants us to give Him our best. When we don’t, we open up the door for the enemy to come in and create division between us and God.

The most common excuse to not tithe is that you have too many bills and expenses and can’t afford it

we’ll address that issue later

but biblical giving says that an offering is a first fruit

it comes before any other expense for it to mean the most to God

remember the widow’s mite?

Mark 12:41–44 NASB95

And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

Later on, the Bible teaches us about tithing.

ABRAHAM TITHED – JACOB TITHED – And then TITHING WAS LAW –

Some say that because tithing was an old testament principle that was law, it’s not part of the new covenant.

After all, Jesus came to set us free from the law.

So tithing is not in the New Testament or part of the New Covenant.

BUT –

Think about this,

Tithing was before the law and was part of the Covenant relationship God had with His people.

We are currently in Covenant relationship with God also.

Galatians 3:17 NASB95

What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.

This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.

God’s covenant promises are still good.

So look at a very familiar passage –

Malachi 3:8–12 NASB95

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. “Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.

So many people read this passage in a negative context and say that this doesn’t work today.

Let me tell you, when the Bible has a principle in it that involves an if-then promise, God’s promises are always true.

(See), if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

(11) I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.

(12) Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

NEW TESTAMENT GIVING

Acts 2:44–45 NASB95

And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

Early New Testament church gave EVERYTHING, not just the tithe.

Under the New Covenant, Jesus has called us to more, not less.

Tithe is the baseline, the minimum.

Giving to God is a demonstration of trust that changes our attitude.

It helps us recognize that everything we have belongs to God.

Giving helps us realize that we are not consumers but investors in the kingdom of God.

Tithing and giving to God aren't intended to be burdensome demands, but joyful acts of worship that flow from a grateful, transformed heart.

2 Corinthians 9:6–11 NASB95

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.” Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

It really boils down to Generosity

Which is such an important part of our transformed life, that I want to talk about it next week

Tithe-