Oh Boy, Got to be Bold with this one.

This is a tough Sunday, it’s the Sunday that Spring Break is over.

Tomorrow I have to go back to figuring out how to teach people things they really need to know but don’t understand how to do yet.

I need to teach someone how to control themselves, how to water plants, how to remember things in a story, but really I need to begin a more advanced lesson with you, right now. It’s pretty important.

It’s essential to you have a truly awesome spiritual growth, to really changing. ...

How to Understand Tithing

The reason I need to preach about this is because it is clear as day in the Bible and it is the most ripe for controversy.

So many today either ignore, change, manipulate or feel manipulated by the thought of giving to a church.

But Remember last week, God is not determined by what I believe about God. God is God. If I believe my child is the smartest student in the world that belief doesn’t make my child the smartest. They either or they are not. If God is who I say He is by my belief than God is a creation of my own belief, Christians know God is revealed to us through this ancient book, the Bible and personally to us in life.

My job today is to help you see that revelation from the Bible and how it works out in your real day to day life.

But today my job is tough.

Here are the verses

Malachi 3:8–10 CSB

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!” “How do we rob you?” you ask. “By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing me. Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.

Malachi 3:

Tithing, is a part of being a generous person

Tithing, is a part of being a generous person

Tithing, is a part of being a generous person

But that isn’t a normal word.

A person who grew up in the church saw it on a license plate

Another didn’t even know what they word was

It comes from the root word עָשָׂר which literally means 10. and when the word changes to מַעֲשֵׂר it means tithe.

The tenth was used by various religions and governments, one commentator wrote that it was used by Canaanites, Phoenicians, Arabs, Carthaginians, and Lydians, as well as with the Greeks and Romans.

as a way to pay taxes or for the religious practices of the temples.

its easy still with calculators today just slide the decimal to the right one place.

A tenth of $300.00 is $30.00.

But what was different was what the God of the Bible wanted done with the tithe.

The tithe was for the people to use to worship God by eating.

The tithe was a great constant meal. They gave of what they raised or grew. It was an agricultural society. The only reason to not give food was because it was too far to take the food than sell the food, take money and once arrived by the animals/plants and eat.

Deuteronomy 14:22–24 CSB

“Each year you are to set aside a tenth of all the produce grown in your fields. You are to eat a tenth of your grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, in the presence of the Lord your God at the place where he chooses to have his name dwell, so that you will always learn to fear the Lord your God. But if the distance is too great for you to carry it, since the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his name is too far away from you and since the Lord your God has blessed you,

Deuteronomy 14:22–25 The Message

22 Make an offering of ten percent, a tithe, of all the produce which grows in your fields year after year. 23 Bring this into the Presence of God, your God, at the place he designates for worship and there eat the tithe from your grain, wine, and oil and the firstborn from your herds and flocks. In this way you will learn to live in deep reverence before God, your God, as long as you live. 24 But if the place God, your God, designates for worship is too far away and you can’t carry your tithe that far, God, your God, will still bless you: 25 exchange your tithe for money and take the money to the place God, your God, has chosen to be worshiped.

Then in the third year the people were supposed to leave the food for the ones who protected the temple. The tribe called Levites. This was their way to continue to take care of God’s worship only because they didn’t have the time to farm.

Tithes would get eaten adn only be given off of what was earned.

Ever heard the word offerings? Like as in Tithes and offerings?

A definition from other Peter Verhoef is good for Offerings

Offerings comes from the word תְּרוּמָה which were “contributions set aside from a larger quantity for a (specific religious) purpose.”

like specific sacrifices for people’s sins, or to thank God for special gifts like the birth of a child, and many more. Many were required and some were by voluntary.

The offerings sometimes were completely consumed or burnt up as worship to God, sometimes they were gifts given to build or restore the place of worship of God, sometimes they supported the regular work of the priests in the temple.

Verhoef, Pieter A. The Books of Haggai and Malachi. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987. Print. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament.

Tithes equals tenth of everything earned; offerings equals special gifts for special or ritual occurrences

I tell you all this because God revealed himself in the Bible as the God who chose one people, the Jews, to reveal himself to the world, and He required that people to worship Him through Tithes and offerings. and they didn’t. This is what He said.

Malachi 3:8–12 CSB

8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!” “How do we rob you?” you ask. “By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. 9 You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing me. 10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Armies. 12 “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Armies.

Malachi 3:8-

The people of the time of Malachi basically ignored the God that was revealed and gave what they felt like giving which wasn’t much because times were hard.

We know that because the people in the first part of the prophecy were complaining about how hard their life was and while most of us don’t really farm, all of us know that when money is tight complaining comes easy.

Also in verse 11, the devourer is talked about which usually means an animal called the locust.

It looks like a grasshopper but its eggs lie dormant during a drought and then when the rains start to come the eggs hatch all at once and a swarm begins eating all the new plants that started to grow after the drought.

They are the animal equivalent of having your car breakdown as you drive home from getting laid off at work.

or maybe even driving in when the check engine light after being fired and seeing your house is on fire. They are bad.

Feeling or being poor

Malachi’s people who robbed God were poor and experiencing hardship.

I was asked if I felt bad about talking to people in bad financial shape about giving to God? About spending more of their very little money on religion.

The implication is that rich people should give, poor people should be exempt.

I said no for a variety of reasons

But today I want to share with you something God made abundantly clear to me and perhaps you have never thought about tithing in this way before. Imagine a world where because you were poor you could never give to God because your gift has no real value to God.

An arrogant person never accepts a gift. God is love. He will accept a gift from you.

Think about what it means to give to another and to receive from someone.

Here is a short video

God has way more than a black card. He can create you and destroy you. He allows you to give because He loves you.

It is a threat to have a person give to you. What else is attached to that gift? If a gift is expected and I allow it will they give something that shows my worth or will they run to Walgreens. It is only the thought that counts if it is an aquaintance. Even a small child should be trying when givng.

When your able to give to someone out of desire you show love, power and relationship.

My child cannot enrich me with money or knowledge but can with love.

When the word changes to

By God accepting your gift he allows you to show love.

If God said the poor cannot give then, the once again you would be held back form even more.

Poverty should not keep your from this blessing of knowing that your love of God matters to God. He wants you to be able to love HIm.

Tithing and offerings is the great equalizer.

Here is another truth.

Generosity increases wealth here and in eternity.

Portfolio.com published data from the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey which showed

More giving doesn’t just correlate with higher income; it causes higher income. And just a little. Imagine two families that are identical in size, age, race, education, religion and politics. The only difference is that this year the first family gives away $100 more than the second. Based on the analysis by the SCCBS, the first family will, on average, earn $375 more as a result of their generosity.

Notice that tithing wasn’t what was measured but God’s economy , the way God designed economics to work actually works. Do notice that it is an average and doesn’t mean that if you give 100 today you are going to make 375 tomorrow.

You can try to accuse me of trying to steal your money but I am talking to you from one the revealed God of the Bible, second from worldly economic facts, three as a person who gives 10% of my wife and I’s paychecks, 10% of our tax returns, extra gifts of money to the church and other causes, and work here for a lot less money than I could make elsewhere.

It was said by someone I’m not giving Bill 10% of my income. Great don’t give it to me, Give it to God. And help spend it by being part of the ministry of the church and taking part in the decision making of the church. OR go to another church where you can give regularly because it is a promise from God to you!

Malachi

Malachi 3:10–11 CSB

10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Armies.

He will fill the storehouses

and prevent the locusts. ent

He will bless you and prevent destruction.

When we don’t give, we are only dealing with one thing. Greed and love of self.

Jesus said,

Luke 12:15–21 CSB

15 He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Generosity is the way of Jesus.

Jesus also said,

Matthew 6:19–21 CSB

19 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What you spend your money on, that’s what matters to you.

Look at your bank statement, look back at where your money went: housing, food, phone, internet, car, smokes, drinks, concerts, games, dining, movies, dates, gifts, travel, experiences, all those things matter.

Every luxury

Someone you don’t spend money on doesn’t matter to you as much as someone who you spend money on.

The easier it is to hurt someone the more likely it is that they have great love for you.

Imagine being invited to a party by your boss.

Famous Person

Invited you

Make it past the gate

Before you were invited you were given 10,000

Make it past the inner body guards

You give the sweetest flat screen tv you have ever seen.

You give the sweetest flat screen tv you have ever seen.

God takes delight in your obedience and your love. That you care to know where your blessings come from and then He allows you to partake in using that gift and seeing the benefit.

But Before Christ you wouldn’t have been able to give a proper gift to God.

One commentator points out, IN the old testament, only Jews gave to God. They were Jewish by birth and conversion was dramatic and rare. Jesus changed all of it. The law was completed, Jesus completed it. The law declares one day out of seven to be holy unto the Lord, the Holy Spirit makes all days Holy.. The law sets apart one tribe out of twelve to be priests, the Spirit declares that the whole congregation are priests. The law demands a tenth part of his people’s possessions, the Spirit translates us to become God’s possession with all that we have. Everything belongs to him. We are but stewards who will have to give account of all we possess. We can give as much as God frees up.

2 Corinthians 9:6–11 The Message

6 Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. 7 I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. 8 God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. 9 As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. 10 This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, 11 wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

2 cor 9:

Most people if they give, give a buck or two out of their pocket. Imagine going on a date, and then you say oh I had a nice date I want to get you something so you grab the change in your ash tray or between the seats.

Real giving is purposeful, planned, dedication.

Giving takes regular commitment.

Best practices for giving

Give when you first get paid.

Give a percentage, recommend starting with 10.

Take part in spending the money

How to give

Offering Plates

An app

Show the video

Love God? Your money shows it.