Pay Tithes, Get Floodgates Open

PAY TITHES, GET FLOODGATES OPEN

Malachi 3:10

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: Texas Cowboy Humor

1. Where do cowboys cook their meals? On the range.

2. What advice do cows give? Turn the udder cheek and mooooove on!

3. Why did the bowlegged cowboy get fired? Because he couldn't keep his calves together!

4. Why did the cowboy ride his horse? Because the horse was too heavy to carry.

B. TEXT

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Mal. 3:10

C. THESIS

1. Tonight we’re looking at a shocking promise from God’s Word about tithing, how to “prove” God, and the incredible reward promised to tithers.

2. The title of this message is “Pay Tithes, Get Floodgates Open.”

I. WHAT IS THE TITHE?

A. GOD IS THE RIGHTFUL OWNER OF ALL

1. “The earth is the LORD‘S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.” Ps. 24:1; Lev.25:23

2. Our cars, houses, lands, bank accounts, etc., don’t belong to us, but to God who lets us use them during our lifetime, then someone else gets to use them.

3. While we are using them, God requires we use them as stewards, understanding we will be accountable to Him for how we use His goods.

B. EVERYONE “OWES” THE TITHE

1. “A tithe (tenth) of everything...BELONGS to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” Lev. 27:30. A tenth of our income, of whatever source, God asks us to bring back to His House.

2. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” Mal. 3:10. The CHURCH is the “storehouse.” If we desire to give extra money to other causes – evangelists, outreaches, missions, charity – those are called “offerings,” but they are not to receive ‘tithes.’ That goes to God’s church.

C. TITHING IS A TEST OF FAITH

1. Elijah told the widow of Zarephath to “FIRST make a small cake of bread for me from what you have” (1 Kgs. 17:13). This required an act of faith, for there was only a handful of meal left. But God said, through the prophet, that if she would trust Him and give all she had to God first, then God would provide for her until the famine ended (years later), which is what happened.

2. So do we believe God is our provider? Many have balked at this requirement (tithing), but those who’ve trusted God have found that He makes you live easier on 90% than 100%, and gives us abundance in addition! [If we don’t pay the tithe, God will find ways for you to lose even more than that 10% - in medical costs, repairs, troubles, lawyer fees, taxes, etc. You WILL end up paying that 10% & more!]

3. Some have said, “I CAN’T AFFORD TO TITHE.” The TRUTH – you can’t afford NOT to tithe. You will NEVER out-give God. “IF I HAD MORE, I WOULD.” That’s not true: the Bible says he who is faithful in little will also be faithful in much. People who don’t tithe on $1 will never tithe on $10,000. It’s the same proportion of both.

II. GOD TELLS US TO “TEST” or “PROVE” HIM

A. TITHING IS A PROMISE TO BE PROVED

1. The idea of “testing” God is usually a sin (Matt. 4:7). But when it comes to tithing, God challenges us to ‘test’ Him [“prove” KJV]. This word means to “make the experiment” or to “verify” His faithfulness [Benson Comm., Matthew Poole, Gill’s Exposition. Barnes’ Notes] to care for you.

2. To all those who doubt His goodness, God says, “Prove Me!” “Have I ever broken My promise? In what have I ever failed to fulfill My word?” God says. “Try Me out & see!”

3. The devil wants us to doubt God’s faithfulness; he says, “Surely this is too good to be true.” But God cannot lie! History shows God keeps His Word.

4. There are 3 KINDS OF PROMISES in the Bible: 1. CONDITIONAL promises—only fulfilled under specific conditions; 2. some which are exclusively for the FUTURE; and 3. ABSOLUTE promises, which have no conditions whatever. To prove a conditional promise requires us to meet the condition. That’s why, if we want to see God’s real power of provision, we have to meet His CONDITION – TO TITHE!

B. WHEN DOES GOD WANT US TO PROVE HIM? NOW!

1. It’s important we begin proving God when we start our walk with God. Old habits are hard to break and new habits are hard to start. Someone said, “As the twig is bent, so grows the branch.” If we start off our walk trusting God with our finances, then when our blessings increase, we’ll continue giving – it will be natural!