Giving Series

-Go next year on the Mexico mission trip, host a youth event at your house or help organize one, come visit me or the elders, and talk to us about ideas and dreams you have for where our church can go.

-It is much easier to give of your money and your time to something that you understand and believe in.

2. Find a way to give that makes you happy

As I was studying for this sermon, I serendipitously found a passage in the Old Testament that astounded me.

(turn to) Deut. 14:22

Remember, in the Old Testament, God commanded people to tithe. This section is dealing with tithing.

22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then…

Pause right there! What would you expect God to say?

-Everyone always said that in the Old Testament, God is always angry and smiting people and commanding people around.

-You have been blessed, you’ve saved up your 10%, but the temple is too far away to get the donation there on time. What would you have expected God to tell them to do?

“Save up the extra money it costs to make the trip, make the trip without spending one penny of the tithe, and then after you have given your tithe, sacrifice two extra goats for your tardiness for the Lord is most displeased with you.”

Or “You must give 20% instead of 10%, and spend one month as unclean because you didn’t get your tithe to the temple in a timely fashion.”

Look at this!

24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.

-Boy, I wasn’t expecting that!

-God didn’t make them save every penny and get interest or take a vow, or deny themselves anything!

-God told them to use the money to go where he designated, and have a big feast to reflect on how much God had blessed them.

-God doesn’t sound stingy here, does he?

He didn’t command them to be happy about giving, he told them to give in an enjoyable way!

ILLUS: When I was 15, I was serious about playing the guitar. I had my dad’s old one, but I wanted to get a better one. I had my eye on a yellow Gibson Explorer. I mowed grass all summer and saved and saved, and calculated that I only needed $30.11 to have enough to get that guitar. My dad had a best friend at work named Ben. Ben was a big black man with a shaved head, and was intimidating looking if you didn’t know him. But Ben had a golden heart, and made a habit of doing nice things for people. He often came to my ball games. When he found out that I had been saving for that guitar, and how much I lacked. He called me and said, “Hey Mark, I here you’re saving for a new guitar, and I wanted you to know that I’ve got about $30.11 worth of yard work that needs to get done at my house, and I was wondering if you’d be interested.” I still have that guitar today, and play it often.