Malachi 3:10-12; Corinthians 16:1-2 A system for giving Called to Stewardship

Football games. Don’t just show up and play.

Understand the game.

Establish goals that need to be achieved.

Put together a detailed plan.

Then go out there and execute the plan.

Be flexible / adjust as things happen / but follow a plan.

True in business.

Strategic planning / 5 year planning / figure out how to get there / execute / adjust along the way.

True in planning out lives. Decide ones future / develop a plan to get there / make decisions based on that plan / adjust along the way.

True in the spiritual life as well. See what the Lord desires for you / develop a His plan to get there / do what He says / make adjustments as He leads along the way

True in our stewardship life as well. It is true in the area of being a steward or our finances. Look to see what the Lord desires for our lives. Develop a plan to get there. Act by faith to do what He desires / adjust as He leads and empowers along the way.

Let’s look at a system for giving. The Lord’s plan through the ages for His people.

We are called to Stewardship / lets follow a system for giving

Malachi 3:10-12; Corinthians 16:1-2

Let’s start in the OT. The time is the close of the revelation of God. The people of Israel had been taken in captivity. And the Lord has graciously returned them to the Land. Has guided them to rebuild the walls to secure them in the land. Has guided them to rebuild the temple. Yet they wander away.

The Lord speaks through the prophet Malachi, calling them to return to Him. By their actions they have revealed that they have wandered from Him. The Lord corrects these actions – He reminds them of the systems that He has established. The way they should live.

Malachi 3:7 Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lordof hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?

Specific to our topic this morning, He instructs them again about the system of giving that they have abandoned. The problem is that they have wandered from the Lord. The solution is to return to Him, and then reengage in the system that He has established.

Let’s look at it.

I. A system for giving: Old Testament model

A. Commanded to give Malachi 3:8, 10

(ESV) Malachi 3 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. … 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, …

B. Give as prospered Malachi3:8

(ESV) Malachi 3 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. … 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, …

C. Give through God’s ordained system – Temple Malachi 3:10

Deuteronomy 12:5-6

(ESV) Malachi 3 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. …

(ESV) Deuteronomy 12 5 But you shall seek the placethat the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, …

1. The Lord advancing His kingdom through His established system

2. Give to support that main system

3. Here – the priests / the workers / the house itself / the ministry operated from this place

D. Give as an act of worship Malachi 3:7

(ESV) Malachi 3 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

1. From the heart / to the gracious God / as an act of worship

E. Receive His blessing Malachi 3:10-12

(ESV) Malachi 3 10 … And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

(ESV) Malachi 3 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lordof hosts.

II. A system for giving: Tithing – the historical baseline for giving

A. Predatesthe law Genesis 14:17-20; 28:22

1. History indicates that tithing to gods in most cultures was the common practice - original plan handed down from Adam?

2. Abraham honoring God after a victory

(ESV) Genesis 14 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

3. Jacob promises to honor God with tithe

(ESV) Genesis 28 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, … 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

B. Under the law a developed system Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21; Deuteronomy 14:22; 1 Samuel 8:15

1. At least one, maybe as many as three tithes given

2. Dedication of 10 percent of all increase to the Lord

(ESV) Leviticus 27 30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.

3. Tithe given to Levites to allow them to dedicate themselves to the Lord

(ESV) Numbers 18 21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israelfor an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting,

4. Tithe of produce to be shared at feast in Jerusalem – given to needy every three years

(ESV) Deuteronomy 14 22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.

5. Under a king, perhaps another tithe was given as taxes

(ESV) 1 Samuel 8 15 He (the king) will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.

C. NT focuses on proportional and abundant gracious giving 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-2

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 16 1 Now concerning the collectionfor the saints: … 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 8 1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

III. A system for giving: New Testament model

A. Commanded to give 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 16 1 Now concerning the collectionfor the saints: as I directed (given orders to) the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

B. Give as prospered 1 Cor 16:1-2

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 16 1 Now concerning the collectionfor the saints: … 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

1. In accord with the blessing received

2. Proportionally – implied

C. Give through God’s ordained system - The church 1 Cor 16:1-2

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 16 1 Now concerning the collectionfor the saints: … 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

1. The Lord advancing His kingdom through His established system

2. Give to support that main system

3. Here – the missionaries/pastors (not actually here but in other places) / the ministry operated from this place – the needs of the people in Jerusalem (limited ‘building’ expenses)

D. Give as an act of worship Philippians 4:15, 18

(ESV) Philippians 4 15 And you Philippians … , no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. … 18 … I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

1. From the heart / to the gracious God / as an act of worship

E. Receive His blessing Philippians 4:19

(ESV) Philippians 4 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

IV. A system for giving: Principles for systematic giving

A. Giving from the heart as an act of worship is an essential response to God’s grace

· Never about rules and laws. It is always about a responsiveness to the Lord who is God and gracious Savior.

· SO GIVE FROM A HEART OF WORSHIP NOT OBLIGATION

B. The tithe is the historical baseline for proportional giving

· The tithe has always been the standard for giving. This was in the minds of all OT and NT.

1. The historical standard for proportional giving

2. But grace goes beyond the requirement

3. SO ESTABLISH THE TITHE AS THE BASELINE. START HERE.

a. IF YOU AREN’T TITHING, SEEK TO BEGIN TO TITHE IF IT’S IMPOSSIBLE RIGHT NOT, BEGIN TO REARRANGE YOUR FINANCES SO THAT YOU CAN – ESTABLISH A PLAN TO GET THERE.

1) PRAY ABOUT IT / ASK FOR HELP / ACT BY FATIH TO DO IT

b. IF THE LORD PROVIDES ABUNDANTLY, SEEK TO GIVE BEYOND THE TITHE ON A REGULAR BASIS

C. Offerings reflect a gracious overflow beyond the standard

1. Specific need oriented

2. Personal passion that God has given

3. Beyond the church mission needs

4. Beyond the proportional amount

5. Often spontaneous acts of grace

6. SO GIVE BEYOND THE TITHE.

7. RECOGNIZE THE LORDS PROMOTING TO MEET NEEDS / GIVE SPONTANEOUSLY / BE GRACIOUS / HAVE A HEART FOR NEEEDS / HAVE A HEART FOR MISSIONS

D. Primary focus is through God’s ordained system – The church

1. The church is God’s focused system for the age

2. SO MAKE THE CHURCH THE PRIMARY OBJECT OF GIVING

3. AND THEN GIVE SPONTANEOUSLY AS YOU ENCOUNTER NEEDS OR HAVE A PASSION FOR OTHER SPECIFIC MINISTRY