Opening illustration: A few years back, a Galveston church had a Tithing Demonstration Sunday for its members. On a designated Sunday everyone was asked to give a tithe of one week’s salary. They urged everyone … whether or not they usually tithed … to give a tithe that one time. As you could imagine, the offering that Sunday was the largest ever given. In fact, it was 6 times the usual offering. The aftermath was even more exciting. Many who had never tithed before changed their attitude and decided if they could do it once, they could do again. By the end of that year giving was up almost 3 times what it had been before the demonstration. The enthusiasm was up more than that. Over and over, people gave testimonies of the many changes in their lives as God fulfilled his promise in Malachi 3: 10. All of this came from a simple obedience to Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides.
Let turn to 2 Corinthians and Malachi in our Bibles and check out the right combination for divine blessings in our lives …
Introduction: What comes to mind when you consider your personal finances? Perhaps you think about investments or debts. You might reflect on your progress toward monetary goals. But few people think about how much more they could give away.
Why is giving so important? What we do with our wealth demonstrates in a tangible way how well we trust, love, and honor God. Christians fully committed to Him will give generously to the work of the Lord.
There is also a practical benefit to our generosity: it unleashes the Father’s provision (Luke 6: 38). This scriptural principle is as changeless as the law of gravity. Those who give generously can expect God’s blessings in their lives and eternal rewards in heaven.
What is the Right Combination for Heaven’s Blessings?
1. Cheerful Giving (2 Corinthians 9: 7-8)
(i) God loves ‘A CHEERFUL GIVER’ (2 Corinthians 9: 7)
A. Since this is true ...
1. A "cheerful giver" can rest assured that God will watch over him and provide for his own needs!
2. Note how God cares for the one who gives to others...
• As David taught in Psalm 41: 1-3
• As the LORD spoke through Isaiah in Isaiah 58: 6-11
B. Since this is true ...
1. One who gives in service to God need not worry - Matthew 6: 30-33
2. For "God loves a cheerful giver", and watches over those He loves! - cf. Luke 12: 6-7
[Understanding this principle should certainly encourage us to give more cheerfully! Here is another principle to keep in mind...]
(ii) God provides ‘SEED FOR THE SOWER’ (2 Corinthians 9: 6,8-11a)
A. Verse 6 is often misused...
1. By those who teach "the gospel of health and wealth"
2. Who seek to motivate people to give (sow) more by saying this passage teaches they will receive (reap) more
3. Implying that if you give more so you can have more for your own consumption!
B. The context teaches otherwise...
1. What’s the purpose of reaping "bountifully"?
a. Look carefully at verse 8...
• To have all sufficiency (what you need), yes...
• But then to "have an abundance for EVERY GOOD WORK"! -- I.e., not to spend the abundance on one’s self, but to help others!
b. Now consider verse 9...
• This quotation is from Psalm 112: 9; yet note the context - Psalm 112: 5-9
• Paul uses this verse to further confirm that the abundance would be for every good work (not self-consumption)!
Here is the point...
(i) We ought to be willing to give cheerfully...
• Because the more we give...
• ...the more God will enable us to give!
(ii) Now bear in mind that giving is not limited to money
• It may be that God may empower us to give, not financially, but in other ways
• Such as with our talents, time, etc.
(iii) But the point remains the same...
• The more we give ourselves to others in the service of God
• The more He will bless us to be even more useful!
[Indeed, the ability to give (because we have been materially blessed) is a gift from God, one that should be used liberally (Romans 12: 6-8). Knowing that those who give liberally will be blessed to give even more should help us become "cheerful givers"!]
2. Faithful Tithing (Malachi 3: 10-11)
No one likes to think about tithing when it comes to God and His church. If most of us were honest, we would admit that it is far easier to pray, sing God’s praises and help others than it is to turn over 10% of everything we earn to the Lord. Yet God blesses those who tithe, and it is one of the most basic Biblical tests of our faithfulness and stewardship. In fact, the word “tithe” actually means “tenth.”
We are so often thinking about all of your own needs that we put tithing last on our list and tell ourselves, “If I had anything left over, I would certainly give my ten percent, but I never have anything left.” But if you tithed first by setting aside your ten percent for God before paying the bills, you would be surprised to find that you can give your ten percent. You would simply have less for things you don’t really need. And here’s the best part – God will reward you for your faithfulness!
God wants to bless us, but it is difficult to trust us with riches on earth when we won’t share our blessings. In Luke 16: 11, Jesus said, “…if you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”
As a church, we are trying to further God’s kingdom here on earth and bring the comfort of the Lord to other’s lives. Have we saved the world? No. Have we comforted everyone? No. Have we abolished need? No. The Lord asks that we “put our money where our mouths are.” To give back 10% of what we have to try and reach that place where no one is in need.
What would ‘Tithing’ do for God in heaven?
Tithing pleases God because it is done in faith. Tithing is not about money, but it is about our faith. Our sacrificial giving of tithe makes God very happy!
Tithing never comes naturally. Sometimes the struggle to begin tithing may seem as painful as Abraham’s struggle to give up Isaac. We don’t want to give up what belongs to us – our house, our cell phone, our motorcycle, our money or our relationships. But when God claims any of these as His, we should not ask any question, but obey Him. If we do not have faith that it is what God requires, then we cannot give it up.
What does tithing do for us?
Why should we give the tithe to God? Because tithing is one way to find great spiritual release. Sooner or later Christians come face to face with this matter on giving and the failure to walk in obedience results in a greater bondage than ever. But when one enters the life commitment of tithing there is a great spiritual release and also a release of financial blessing. God has a way of blessing us materially so that the 90% we keep for ourselves after the tithe goes far beyond what that 100% would have purchased. How can this be? But God never failed to demonstrates this to me personally and so many others who are faithful tithers.
Tithing is for our own good. Tithing is a sure way to one’s own spiritual growth. It does something for you spiritually. After you start giving God a whole tithe, you will only ask, “Why did I not start tithing sooner?” It does something for you that cannot be explained in terms of just emotional and material returns.
Why is this? Because ‘money’ is an accurate measurement of one’s faith – money talks! Tithing is God’s way of wanting to see His children show their gratitude to Him. Until we are regularly and faithfully tithing there is something defective about our life as a disciple that will not be replaced by obeying all other commands. The attitude of gratitude – giving thanks – is a biblical mandate and only true response to God’s grace, by which Jesus came and died for us on the cross.
• Make a decision to become a tither now.
• Share your decision with someone you love and trust.
Start today – if you cannot give the whole tithe yet, decide on the time that you will require to give the whole tithe.
God doesn’t need our money. He owns everything. But we give first because it takes faith to give first and God wants us to trust Him. He tells us in Proverbs 3: 9-10 to "honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops and then your barns will be filled with overflowing." We give first and the blessings of God follow.
* Test and see how God will bless you and your family because of your giving unto the Lord.
Application:
(i) In our text, then, we find the key to "Becoming A Cheerful Giver"; it involves keeping in mind that...
• God loves a cheerful giver
• God provides seed for the sower
• Giving provides thanksgiving and glory to God
• Giving increases affection between giver and recipient
• Giving becomes one of generosity when it is planned
(ii) I hope that you have been challenged today in your thinking with regards to your own giving towards the Lord, and how we can become "cheerful givers"
(iii) Our culture is too much hung up about money. We don’t like to talk about it. We argue about it with our spouse. We change the subject when our friends ask about it. We’re embarrassed by our spending habits, our debts, our savings, our giving. We need to face the issue of money honestly and openly with God.
(iv) This morning you may be here - and what you’ve heard today and during the last few weeks may even make you feel angry. God’s people in Malachi’s day didn’t like what they heard. These are hard words to hear. Especially if we’ve been living within our understanding and traditions of what God wants. But, in love, God is honest with His people - with us. We can’t do this on our own. We can’t live the Christian life our way. The way to know His blessings - the true reality of life in Jesus Christ - is to turn our hearts - and so our lives - over to Him and let Him lead however and wherever He chooses to do so.
(v) Remember you can never out give God because He is no one’s debtor.
(vi) Well, Biblically the right combination for divine blessings in our lives is: cheerful giving, faithful tithing and being good stewards of our finances. If you follow this Biblical pattern and advice, I can assure you that you will not have any financial problems.
