A Matter of Trust
January 3, 2010 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: God must be Lord over every part of our lives; even our finances.
Focus Passage: Mark 12:41-44
Introduction: In Matthew, Mark, and Luke 1 out of every 6 verses deals with money. Of the 29 parables Christ told, 16 deal with a person and his money.
I. Tithing is an Old Testament Levitical Law
a. John 1:17 “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”
II. Tithing is mentioned in the NT but not commanded
a. (Matthew 23:23) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
b. Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Matthew 19:21)
III. A tithe is a good place to start (So, how much should I give?)
a. Proverb 3:9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce
b. Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? (Acts 4:36-5:3)
Invitation: If you can’t trust God with your finances, what makes you think you can trust Him with your soul?
When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, "Does this hurt? How about this?" If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there's something wrong, and the doctor will say, "We'd better do some more tests. It's not supposed to hurt there!" So it is when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard. Or perhaps there's something wrong. In that case, I say, "My friend, we're in need of the Great Physician because it's not supposed to hurt there."
