Should we tithe

• Should we tithe?
• No!
• Some of you agree, some disagree.
• Some say I knew it, I don’t have to give tithes, YOUR RIGHT
• Some say I think you have to give tithes, your wrong.
• Some say I think that you should give more than 10%! Your wrong too!

• You can. “Should have” has been replaced with “May”.
• The real question is “are you still part of the have to do it, family” or have you joined the “want to do it family”?

Matthew 5: 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. NIV

Luke 16: 16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. NIV

Gal 3:15-17

15 Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no-one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds", meaning many people, but "and to your seed", meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.

Ø  A Law does not add to or take away from a promise. A human covenant is based on Honor, faithfulness, trust, NOT PAPER, lawyers, notaries and such!

Ø  It is simply a record of something that was decided in your hearts. Like the covenant of marriage. Is it decided at the Altar? Of course not it is decided long before in the heart. In the same way it is not kept alive by the piece of paper.

Ø  Zb.. If I were to burn the paper would the covenant end? If I did away with the old Testment would the obligations of the Law end? No!

Ø  The only thing that changed 2000 years ago was the motivation to obey.

Gal 4:22-24

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. 24 These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants.

      One covenant was based on slavery, control manipulation and the other was based on a promise and brought LIFE!

o   The “Have to do it family”

o   The “want to do it family”

Ø  Why don't you steal my car?

Ø  I am afraid of the Police, prison, God, Jerry. If this is true you are living by the Law.

Ø  No! I would not steal your car Jerry because I love you. I could not do that to you! Now you are free. Free to love.

Matt 19:3-8

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" 4 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." 7 "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" 8 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.

Because you have become the “have to do it family” you started to live you marriages with rules and laws and expectations, judging and being judged till the life was gone and your hearts were hard.

• Have to do it = law * Want to do it = love
• Love fulfills the law and prophets it does not remove it.
• Those that use the new found liberty to do less than the law required don’t really understand what Jesus came to do. He came to fulfill too, not do away with. When the law is fulfilled with our free will we do away with the power of the law.

• Is tithing New Testament? Old Testament?
• What real relevance does it make if something Old Testament or if it is New?
• Are we saying that everything that was taught in the Old is no longer expected from God? * Are we saying that everything that was taught in the Old Testament as “good” is now wrong?
• If we followed this thinking then things that were bad in the Old Testament could be considered good in the New Testament?
•  
• Question: do you only do what is New Testament?
• Question: Which ones?

Matthew 19: 16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” NIV

• Why 10%
• This is the Biblical number given by God as a minimum that shows him honor, which will provide for his work, which represents the whole.
• Honor
• Provide for the work
• Represent the whole