Why Have You Robbed Me?" Series

"WHY HAVE YOU ROBBED ME?"

Mal. 3: 8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

There is one subject in preaching that some people really take offense to, and it isn’t the subject of "sin" … or of Jesus’ 2nd coming … or "Hell" … it is money!

More people have worshipped money than any other idol or god.

There is no other thing in life that touches every area of our life more than money except God Himself.

It can be used for good or evil, it is necessity for life.

Jesus spoke about stewardship or money in 17 out of the 36 parables He gave.

The world has a bad attitude about money being given to God, you would kind of expect this, but many times it isn’t the unsaved that get bent out of shape when the subject of giving is brought up … it is people who know about God!

Most Christians agree that we should do something for God

The Bible teaches us that God takes seriously the use of money, that we cannot say we honor God with words but not with our wallet. Refusal to give to God is stealing from God and removes us from under many of God’s blessings. Worship INCLUDES the giving of our substance in recognition that God is the rightful owner of all things.

I. CIRRHOSIS OF THE GIVER! 3:8-9

3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

God begins with a QUESTION; To get Israel’s attention.

Israel had attempted to "steal" from God!

It is one thing to steal from man, but to rob God really takes guts!

But this is exactly the language God used about their failure to give to Him!

Their response to God’s charge is simply, "How have we robbed God?"

At the same time they were angry with God for not blessing them they were resistant to giving to God their tithes and offerings.

They didn’t like God withholding His blessings but they were withholding their giving to Him and didn’t see anything wrong with it!

God EXPECTS US TO PAY TITHES.

Why?

(1. Because it shows our submission to God’s ownership.

(2. It makes us realize that all we have comes from His hand, not our own cleverness and skills.

(3. Keeps us humble, we don’t own everything!

(4. It prevents us from worshipping "things."

Because I don’t want to have the Church cursed I will explain what tithes are.

Tithes are 10% of what your increase.

10 cents on a $1. $10 on $100, $100 on $1000.

Tithes are to be brought into the store house, not sent into some TV ministry.

Tithes are paid on what you make not on what you have left over.

Tithes are paid upon your salary, before taxes, insurance, Medicare,

MOST CHRISTIANS AGREE THIS IS PROPER FOR TITHES.

OFFERINGS are EXPECTED BY GOD. Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

God SETS THE TITHES.

YOU SET THE OFFERING.

5% tithes and 2% offerings and 3% missions are TITHES ONLY.

Someone told me if the pastor gets the tithe I will give MY TITHES in SUNDAY SCHOOL; my response was GOD’S TITHES were brought into the store house. SUNDAY SCHOOL WAS OFFERINGS.

Offerings are over and above tithes.

There are 3 ways an offering is accepted; God does not accept a TIP.

1. A willing mind. 2 Cor.8:12.

12 For if there be first a willing mind,

2. Gift according to what you have. it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

3. Out of Love. 2 Cor. 9:7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

NOT GIVING IN THIS MANNER WILL CAUSE YOU AND THE CHURCH TO BE CURSED

3: Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.