GIVING? THINK TITHE

GIVING? THINK TITHE Genesis 14:18-20, Hebrews 7:4-8, 14, 2 Corinthians 8:7-9 With grateful acknowledgement of these sources of direction and inspiration: the Holy Spirit; the Word of God; Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity; George Barna, “Tithing Down 62% in the Past Year”, Barna Research Online, (5-19-03); James Denison, "Facing north When the Market Goes South"; Gene Getz, Rich in Every Way: Everything the Bible Says About Money and Possessions; Timothy Keller, "Treasure Versus Money" August 28, 2005 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction She made well over 6 million dollars in the few years she starred as the outspoken but lovable wife of Raymond. Patricia Heaton, of Everybody Loves Raymond fame, doesn’t make a big deal of it all, though. Her focus is more on keeping it real, helping needy children, and teaching her own children to love God. How often do you hear a Hollywood star say things like this? “I struggle to keep it simple. Obedience, sacrifice, and modesty are not real popular buzzwords out here. An issue I'm dealing with lately is, "Do I have too much money, and am I being a good steward of it?" In fact, I was talking to a friend about tithing—just giving your 10 percent as opposed to giving until it actually starts costing you something, which is what I think tithing is all about. The most enjoyable question I’ve ever been asked concerning money I have heard from 7 or 8 new Christians over the years is this one: "How much money should I give to the church?” Please don’t misunderstand—it’s enjoyable to me not for any self-serving reasons—I just get excited about people growing in their faith, and I know that when a person starts getting serious enough about financial giving to ask a question like that, he is about to grow exponentially. A Christian is by definition someone who has come to appreciate God’s grace and mercy in his life, and because of the work that God has done in his heart, and how grateful the believer is for it, he will be happy to give. A farmer was showing off one of his prize milk cows when the person asked him, “How much milk will she give?” “Give? She’ll give nothing voluntarily, but if you get her into a corner, and hitch her feet so fast she can’t kick, she might let go of about 11 quarts!” How much money will a Christian give? Well, in many sectors unfortunately, if you corner them in a sanctuary, preach a compelling sermon, heap up a lot of guilt and fervor and pass the plate by them at just the right time, they might let go of 10%! That is exactly NOT Christian giving. Let me explain. What Christian Giving IS I would like to talk about tithing this morning, and before I do I’d like to clarify something that is often misunderstood. To tithe is to give 10% of one’s income. Tithing is not the same as giving. If a person gives 2% of his income, he doesn’t “tithe.” If he gives 9% into the offerings, he is no tither. One who gives 10% or more is the one who tithes. That said, let’s back up a minute and address a fundamental question – should a Christian tithe? Must a Christian tithe? On the one hand, it has always been God’s standard of righteousness when it comes to religious giving. Leviticus 27:30 spelled it out clearly for the Jews: The tithe of everything belongs... to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. On the other hand, Christians know that all of the Old Testament Law has been fulfilled in Christ, and the Levitical Law is not binding on the followers of Christ. And yet, Jesus clearly taught that His disciples will perform acts of righteousness that surpass even the most ardent adherents to the Law. He declared that His true followers would go well beyond the law in their religious devotion. But, a search of the New Testament scriptures yields absolutely no command or directive that Christians should tithe. Yet what IS clear in the New Testament teachings is that believers will give in a manner that will surpass legalistic law-keeping. The New Testament teaches that Christians ought to give PROPORTIONATELY. That is, one mark of Christian generosity is that it is in proportion to one’s level of ability to give that he should give. 1 Corinthians 16:2 is instructive: …each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income… This kind of giving “in keeping with one’s income” is proportional giving—not equal amounts from everyone, but equal proportion. The New Testament also teaches that Christian giving ought to be RESPONSIVE. That is, part of the motivation for giving should be in loving response to needs that are within the church’s ministry to meet. This is to say that if one is prompted by a desire to contribute to the church’s efforts at evangelism, Christian education, missions, youth ministry, preaching, benevolence, etc., that is a proper motive, even though the giving is actually an act of worship and service toward God. Another teaching is that Christian giving ought to be SACRIFICIAL. This simply means that genuine Christian giving is not like tipping God; nor is it to be giving that is done with ease. The amount that a Christian gives is to be a sacrificial gift. Christian giving is also performed CHEERFULLY. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers that God is especially honored by those who give cheerfully. The word used there in the original language is HILARION, from which we derive our English word hilarity, or joyous laughter. When the Christian gives, he gives, not grudgingly or because of pressure or compulsion, but gladly and with joy. And another mark of Christian giving is that he gives EXPECTANTLY. This means that, since the Christ-follower believes God’s Word when it says he will be rewarded generously by God if he gives generously, he can and does give with a sense of anticipation of God’s blessing. …whoever sows generously will also reap generously… (2 Corinthians 9:6) One more New Testament descriptor of Christian giving – it is REGULAR. That is, the heartfelt giving of the Christian is not a one-in-awhile, flash-in-the-pan kind of gift. It is a lifestyle. Like a living sacrifice, each time he receives income from any source, he recognizes it as a gift from the Lord, and with thankfulness, he gives an honorable portion of it back to God. In the wisdom of God, there is no New Testament rule that obligates Christians to giving ten percent. From the perspective of grace and this glorious picture of New Testament generosity, why would God do anything that might limit believers to giving only ten percent? People who have received God’s grace in Christ don’t need a law to give generously—they operate in grateful response to the love of God for them and in them, and they give proportionately, responsively, sacrificially, cheerfully, expectantly and regularly. Would you rather live by a rule or by grace? Giving a minimum of a tithe fulfills every one of those categories of Christian giving. Sadly, though, many Christians live as though they were waiting for someone to give them a rule, never learning the freedom and joy of giving Christianly. It is my contention and firm belief that when a person is captivated by the love of God he will grow naturally and wonderfully into a generous giver, and he will soon see ten percent as a bare minimum to grow beyond. Statistics published by the Barna research people show that somewhere between 5 and 6% of people who say they are born again Christians give ten percent or more. Does that statistic relieve you or peeve you? Does it make you feel good or bad? More importantly, what do you suppose God thinks about it—you know, the true and living God who made and owns everything and graciously gives us all things to enjoy—the one of whom the psalmist said, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1) $70-$80 billion a year could meet the most essential human needs around the world—including projects for clean water and sanitation, prenatal and infant/maternal care, basic education, immunizations, and long-term development efforts—efforts that could help overcome the poverty conditions that now kill and maim so many children and adults. 70-80 billion dollars. Researchers have shown that if just the church members in the United States (just the U.S.) would increase their giving to 10% of their income, that alone would generate 86 billion dollars! Let me bring that concept down to a more local level. If every household in this little church family were to give a tithe of their income to the Lord, assuming even below average income, our church budget would grow to three times its current amount. That would mean we could move way beyond maintaining status quo and doing the level of outreach we are doing now, increasing substantially our service for God. All in all, I’d say God had a pretty good idea when He established the tithe as the legal minimum in the Old Testament, then pulled out all the stops in the New Testament, entrusting the advance of the kingdom to the generosity of His grateful people. And when we wake up and realize our utter dependence on Him and how much we are indebted to His grace, we will respond appropriately. Reasons for Believers to Give at Least a Tithe 1. History - Genesis 14:18-20 In Genesis 14 Abraham has met up with a priest named Melchizedek who was the king of Salem. After receiving a blessing from this priest and king, Abraham did something that was historically unprecedented. He gave Melchizedek ten percent of everything he had. In the NT book of Hebrews, the Holy Spirit emphasizes the point that Melchizedek was not a levitical priest like those who later collected the tithes of the people. No, this was long before that Law was ever given to Moses. The giving of tithes pre-dates the Law. Tithing isn’t a good practice because it was required by the OT Law. It was instituted into the Law because it was a godly practice, and God required the people to give 10%. Later in Genesis 28, Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, prayed to the Lord, …of all that you give me I will give you a tenth. Romans 4:11 says that Abraham is the father of all who believe. We too should emulate Abraham’s example. Tithing has historically been the minimum righteous standard of charitable giving. 2. Obedience - Malachi 3:8-10 Reason number two for believers to give at least a tithe is obedience. In the Old Testament, God’s people were commanded to tithe. But the intent of God was more than just a capricious command. He wanted to have the allegiance and loving obedience of His people because he wanted to bless His people; and He promised to do so in direct proportion to their obedience to Him. God always acts faithfully in keeping His promises. He always blesses obedience. Conversely, God always withholds blessings in response to disobedience. The Jews were not faithful to God in the matter of tithing, and God sent Malachi His prophet to tell them three things: 1) they were robbing God when they did not tithe, 2) they were under a curse because of their disobedience (blessings withheld) and 3) they could return to His blessings by obediently bringing their tithes. In that case, God said He would throw open the windows of heaven and shower on them so much blessing that they could not contain it. Being obedient to God is the central issue in our faith life. Now, with the passing and perfecting of the Law in Christ, we are called to be obedient to God in our generosity, not on the basis of being commanded, but on the basis of recognizing God’s blessings in our lives. 3. Covenants – 2 Corinthians 8:7 Closely related to obedience is reason number three, “Covenants”. If in the Old Testament (what the book of Hebrews unabashedly call the inferior, superseded and imperfect covenant), the tithe was the minimum, how much more is that be true under the New Covenant! 2 Corinthians 8:7 teaches that we believers in Christ should …excel in this grace of giving… The Law required the tithe much as parents demand that toddlers not play on the interstate highway. 20-year old children are mature enough to know what is right and safe, and they no longer need a rule. I was thinking about the current new rules in the Belleville high schools concerning the new dress code. Here’s a funny question that popped into my mind as I thought about that – will there be a dress code in heaven? That is to say, will some squadron of angels be standing sentry over the residents to enforce a certain style of celestial arraignment? Strange question, you say, but is it really? Of course there won’t be a dress code in heaven! Why not? Should we who are free from the law be any less responsible in terms of our honoring God with our giving? No, we who have been saved by His grace should rather be all the more responsive and generous! I love what the Southern Baptist statesman and preacher, Adrian Rogers said - “Any Christian who would let a Jew do, under law, more than he would do under grace, is a disgrace to grace.” 4. Priesthood – Hebrews 7:4, 17 The next reason Christians ought to give at least a tithe I’ve simply labeled “priesthood”. In Hebrews 7 the reference is to Abraham’s giving the tithe to Melchizedek. The verse reads, Just think how great he [Melchizedek] was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! The next couple of verses make a theological point that Jesus is THE priest of God, on the order of Melchizedek—that is, an unusually highly honorable priest. Verse 17 then quotes Psalm 110:4, a prophecy concerning Jesus – You are a priest FOREVER after the order of Melchizedek. Here’s the point, when Abraham gave of his money to Melchizedek, this earthly man, that was a great honor given to that human priest-king. But when we give to Jesus, we are giving to THE greatest High Priest of all, the eternal God Himself. If a tithe was appropriate in the case of Melchizedek, it is certainly a minimum level of gift in the case of Christ. 5. Starting Point – Matthew 10:8 I call the fifth reason “starting point” because when it comes to the practical considerations, that neophyte question is really quite important, How much should I give? The young convert who asks that question wants to know where do I start? How would you answer that question? It would be easy just to say Give ten percent. But that seems too rule-ish to be a full Christian response. Nor can you just say, Give whatever you want to, because that ignores the need of the person who is genuinely looking for direction. So what do you say? Will you be a legalist or no help at all? You might start by affirming the real starting point – recognizing what God has done for us FIRST. Jesus said to His disciples once, Freely you have received, freely give.  [webmasters note: Matthew 10:8] He was speaking directly about ministry—ministry which they had received from the Lord, and ministry which they were now privileged to share with others. But the principle applies equally well to giving money that God has given to us. Once we understand, really appreciate, all that God has done for us in Christ, each of us must personally look into the face of our gracious God and ask Him, What do You want me to give? Where do I start? 6. Proportion – 1 Corinthians 16:2 When the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians he instructed them specifically about an offering he was receiving for the benefit of the struggling church in Jerusalem. Here’s what he said, Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income… (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) Proportional giving is percentage giving. Paul does not mention 10% here, but giving that is based on a percentage is fair and equitable to the poor and the rich. Paul wrote in his second Corinthian letter that the Christian ought to give …according to what one has… (2 Corinthians 8:12). That’s proportional giving. If you are a corporate executive with a six-figure income, your proportional giving would be the same sacrifice, percentage-wise, as the widow on social security. Not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice. In the next verse, Paul stressed through proportional giving …that there might be equality…(2 Corinthians 8:13) A lot of Christians think that’s hard. Is it really? We are, of course, talking about God, the creator of the universe, the one who has given you the ability to earn a living, and the One whom you have confessed is Lord of your life. You know, when you think about it, He would have every right to require you to give 90%, or command you to fast for 40 days twice a year, or go do missionary work among the poor in Bangladesh for 25 years. I think it’s good for us to think like this once in awhile—to consider what we MIGHT have been required to do. But Jesus said His commands are not burdensome. I encourage you to take Him at His word—start tithing and see if He will not open the windows of heaven and pour out on you blessings you won’t be able to contain. He delights in blessing obedience. And proportional giving is the clear way to honor Him. 7. Alternatives – 2 Corinthians 8:9 Alternatives is the key word for reason number 7. And here I want to just make one quick point about tithing and what it means when we make a big negative deal about why we can’t do it. Boiled down to the essence, all arguments against tithing are arguments against giving. What keeps believers from tithing is exactly what keeps them from giving any amount in a manner consistent with New Testament teaching. You see, people who argue against tithing aren’t really taking a position of theological opposition to legalism. They’re caught up in the same things that always keeps us from full, obedient giving – selfishness, devotion to self instead of devotion to God. Each of us needs to regularly ask himself, Are the things I’m living for worth Christ’s dying for? Jesus said it clearly, No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24) We have a choice to make and it’s unavoidable. If you choose to not make a choice, you’ve made the wrong choice. Paul’s words at 2 Corinthians 8:9 - For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 8. Testimony Millions of believers down through the history of the church have proven that God is faithful by taking Him at His word. They have stepped out in faith and worship, deciding to give God their best offering, 10% right off the top. Many have gone beyond and given much more, only to be blessed in even greater measure. God is faithful to His promises, and He said, Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously . . . And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work . . . You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion and…your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8) Here are some of my favorite collected testimonies from believers right here in this room. God has taken care of me because I trusted Him with the tithe. I feel like I’m right in the middle of God’s will. I’ve learned to be a better steward, not only of the first 10%, but of the other 90% as well. You’ll always do more with the other nine-tenths that’s left and God as your partner, than you will with 100% on your own! Conclusion There are three individuals who are very interested in your money. The first one is you. And it is perfectly natural that you should be interested in your money. But never because that is what you put your hope and trust in; rather because your money is God’s stewardship test in your life, to see if you will serve Him. The second one interested in your money is God. He is interested for the same reason. God doesn’t expect us to give because He needs our money. His kingdom will get along fine without your money. But He does want your heart, your devotion to Him. And you know as well as I, if we give sacrificially to the Lord and His church, He has our heart. He also wants to bless your obedience. The third one interested in your money is Satan. The bible says this one comes to steal, kill and destroy. Here’s what Satan wants to do – he wants to put you in bondage to your money—to make you love it more than you love God. This is just the opposite of what God wants—He wants you to love Him above all competing gods like money, and He wants to bless you through your obedience to Him in financial stewardship.   [Back to Top]