Honor God Financially

Malachi 3:8-10a “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!” “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.

What we oftentimes hear in the church is, “Well, that’s part of the Law and we’re not under Law, we’re under grace. We are New Testament Christians not Old Testament Jews. So we’re not bound by the law.” First of all, we’re not bound by the Law. But tithing is not a Law principle; it is a universal principle much like the day of rest. The Sabbath, a day of rest, is a principle established by God Himself in the Garden of Eden when He rested on the 7th day. God calls people who don’t work lazy. He calls people who don’t rest disobedient. Tithing was established as a principle 400 years before the Law was ever given, when Abraham gave a tenth of his income to God through the high priest Melchizedek in Genesis Chapter 14. He did so as a sign that he trusted God and way to worship God. Tithing is not just part of the Law but a principle that predates and post dates the Law. Secondly, we are New Testament Christians. Where in the New Testament does it show that having Jesus, the Word of God available to us, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, allowing anyone to go below the Law in their giving? You will not find it. Tithing in the New Testament is just the starting place for our giving. In the New Testament we’ve been given everything. We have the presence of Christ, the Word of God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which they did not have in the Old Testament. So should we do less or more than those in the Old Testament? I would say absolutely more. Sadly though, nearly every person I’ve ever talked to who claimed New Testament giving did so as an excuse to give below the Old Testament requirements. Instead of using Christ as empowerment to give beyond what the Old Testament required. I hope you are a New Testament giver. A true New Testament giver always gives beyond what the Law demands because looking more like Jesus is what their hearts desire. God only accepts the first and the best.

The Bible says at the time of the harvest, when payday arrived, Cain offered some of his gift. “Well, let me pay my bills first.” “Let me take care of this, and cover that and pay for this and pay for that and then God I’ll give you some of what I have left over.” When we give God some of our crops from what we have left over we are essentially saying to God, “I don’t trust you.” I don’t trust you to provide for my needs. “I can’t afford to tithe.” The reality is, it’s not that you can’t afford it; you haven’t prioritized your giving. And if you have not prioritized your giving then God is not a priority to you. Some of you drove your tithe to church today. Some of you look good wearing your tithe today. Some people go home and watch the Bronco game on your tithe. You’re texting on your tithe. You’re golfing with your tithe. You’re hunting with your tithe. You’re about to go on vacation with your tithe. You’re gonna spend your tithe on Black Friday. On the 15th and 30th when I get paid, I auto-draft my tithe and more directly to Element Church. I do that as an offering because it’s a priority to me. I want to honor God with my giving. When you give to God first, when you give Him your tithe, you are saying, “God, I trust you.” I trust you to care for all my needs because You know all that I need. All I have is Yours, so here’s 10% that You gave me to manage as a sign of my trust in You. As an act of worship to You. And I ask you God to help me manage the other 90% with wisdom and good stewardship. 90% with you and God is more than 100% all by yourself. And if you are dishonoring God by not giving Him the first and the best, that is where you are financially – all by yourself. All I have belongs to God. He asks for the first and the best in return. The first and the best is 10% off the top of what I get paid to God. Some of you are uncomfortable with all this. There should be a certain level of discomfort if something that belonged to someone else is kept in your possession. Especially, if that something else belongs to someone that has done so much for you. You can give what God asks without loving Him, but you cannot love Him without giving what He asks. He accepts only the best and the first.