Money. It’s a hot topic! Most people in the world live in order to make money. After all, its money that pays the bills, puts food on the table and clothes on our back. But it’s also money that brings us comfort because we can buy for ourselves things that bring us ease and comfort in this life: a nice dinner at a restaurant, a new patio set for the back yard, a tv to enjoy our favorite movies and programs, a more comfortable car, the list is endless. We talk about money all the time – some of us on a daily basis because it’s the means by which we are able to live.
Money is also talked about a lot in the church – board meetings, quarterly and annual meetings dedicate a lot of attention to money. But, somehow it’s a taboo subject when brought from the Sunday morning pulpit. That’s why I call it the “M” word – a word not to be mentioned in a sermon. People tend to react with anger or offense. Whenever a pastor preaches on money, what is the assumption? He’s just out to get rich – to take as much money from the people as possible! Unfortunately, televangelists have given many pastors a bad name. There are some who would get rich off the offerings of the faithful givers – and they will be held accountable to God on judgment day.
Despite that fact, Jesus talked about money often. And although I rarely talk about money and stewardship, there is a time to focus on this too because money is a part of life and we need to know what is God’s will for us concerning the resources he has given us. Money isn’t secular – it’s a sacred gift from God and therefore, how we handle it is very important.
As we continue our study of the book of Malachi, we discover God’s people at that time had serious problems with money. And so the Lord confronts them and us with some important principles about money and our relationship with God.
1. The bottom line basic principle about money is this: we are stewards of God’s money.
Malachi begins his message here about money very strongly – he accuses his people: “You are robbing me!...in tithes and offerings.” (3:8) I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being accused of being a robber or a thief. But this is the offense that he brings to these people who worship God.
And they are incredulous? We can almost hear their complaints: “Who of us stole from the temple? Who took from the offering box? Who snuck a couple extra steaks from the sacrifice for his family? We don’t do that kind of thing!” Of course not! But when you don’t give the full tithe – it’s the same as stealing from the offering plate! Why? Because it’s not yours to take.
Psalm 24:1 says “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” It is a crucial principle to understand that we really own nothing that we have. It’s God’s. When we really understand this we can start to loosen up our grip on everything around us that we claim is ours. It’s all on loan to us and can be taken away at any moment by the Lord. As Job said: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” (1:21)
Psalm 50:10 reminds us: “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.” Look down at that nice shirt or blouse you are wearing – or that dress. It’s the Lord’s! Now grab your purse ladies – look inside – whose is it? The Lord’s! Guys reach in your back pocket and pull out your wallet – whose is that? The Lord’s! You get in your car – it’s the Lord’s. You go home and look at that fridge full of food – it’s the Lord’s. Look out on that field of soybeans – it’s the Lord’s. He OWNS it ALL!
How dare we say that something is ours to do with as we please when the giver of all good gifts put it in our hands? But we might say – I worked good and hard for that home for that car, to pay the bills. Who gave you that body able to work? Who gave you the job? Who gave you the talent to do what you do? All is a gift! Repeat after me: “It’s all the Lord’s!”
And this thought is a very difficult one for us in this world where we learn to be very proud of all we have done and earned and saved. We cling very strongly to our possessions because they are ours and no one can take them away. We’re naturally very earth bound and clingy to this earth. We have a hard time letting go of things – why? Because it’s OURS – MINE – MY treasure.
But the Lord says that someday he will hold us accountable to how we used what he put in our hands. Luke 12:48 “Everyone to whom much was
given, of him much will be required.” We are stewards and not owners!
2. God expects his people to tithe
But let’s get back to Malachi. He mentions the necessity of tithes and offerings – “Bring in the full tithe” (3:10). All we have is all God’s and he expects us to use what we have in a manner that is going to bring him glory. But he also asks from us to give a tithe from all we produce. This is the second principle about money: God expects from his people a tithe. He could ask for 99% but he only asks for 10% to be given back to him.
The word in Hebrew is “aser” which literally means one tenth. It’s found first in Genesis where we find that Abraham tithed (Genesis 14:20) and later Jacob vowed that he would tithe all his goods (Gen. 28:22). So it was a common practice from early times.
• A command of God
But what is important for us is not their example but the command of the Lord: Deut. 14:22-23 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.”
• Tithe is holy
The tithe is holy. What does that mean? It’s to be set aside – separate from us. We can’t touch! Leviticus 27:30 “'Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S; it is holy to the LORD.” Set it aside for Him – you have no right to touch it, just like you have no business touching the Ark of the Covenant. It is HOLY!
• Tithe is for the needs of ministry.
Among the Israelites, God set aside one tribe, the Levites, who were to be his workers, his religious representatives who would teach the Word, maintain the place of worship, and offer sacrifices. This would be their full-time job. And Numbers 18:21 tells us this: “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting.” The tithe was their food on the table and the clothes on their backs. It freed them up so that they could serve God.
And in the New Testament the Apostle Paul reaffirmed this idea: the worker is worthy of his wages. 1 Cor. 9:9-11 “For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?”
• Tithe is for every Christian
But the Scripture also makes it very clear that there are not people who are exempt from tithing. Num. 18:26 “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. There is no one who ought not tithe. The pastor should tithe. The congregation should tithe. Your business should tithe (if possible). Whoever receives something for his work should tithe from it.
3. Our use of money reflects our heart
Malachi reminds us of another crucial principle about money – our use of money reflects where our heart is! The whole issue with tithing is a heart issue. Now when Malachi begins this topic he does so not by talking about money or the tithe but with their relationship to God. He says: “Return to me and I will return to you.” (3:7) And these people wonder – when did we leave God? It’s like God is saying: “the fact that you are holding back from me reveals your heart. You are not surrendered to me. Your heart is only partly mine!”
As I said before, tithing refers to giving of 10%. Some of you may give 10% faithfully every year of your life. But what does the Lord look at? Your heart! You can actually begrudgingly give 10% and have your heart far from God – tithing only to fulfill a requirement, or get something back, or keep the church functioning.
There is actually no commandment in the New Testament to tithe. Instead it says in 2 Cor. 9:7 “Each person should give what he has decided in his heart to give…” this means it should come from our heart. Do you see that it’s a heart issue? If I love my spouse, I’m not going to feast and let her starve or wear new suits and let her wear rags. I’m going to bless her and I want her to have abundance. This verse isn’t to give us an excuse to give only 2%. This verse gives us the motivation to give above and beyond because we love the Lord above all!
Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give to the poor. Not just 10%! (Mt 19:21) And the widow who gave one mite – Jesus says she gave ALL she had! (Mk 12:44) It’s the giving from the heart.
4. Giving is a matter of faith
Another principle from Malachi: giving is a matter of faith (10a)
It’s an incredible challenge for most people to tithe. Because it’s a big risk! I can use several hundred dollars a month to pay the medical bills, the mortgage, to repair my transmission. I can’t afford to give it all up! But we return to the Word of God: TEST ME IN THIS! If you have entrusted your eternal life into God’s hands, why can’t you trust him with your belongings, with your bills, with your survival on this planet? He is faithful! He will provide!
Bring the WHOLE tithe in! Not 5%, 8%, or even 9.9%. The average Christian tithes less than 3%. If all Christians lost their jobs and went on welfare and tithed from that, giving would go up over 30%. God says to bring the WHOLE tithe in. That should be a very scary proposition. If not, then maybe you’re not giving enough. We always must return to the fact that none of what we have is ours. God is the owner and he wants what is best for us.
It’s like the little child jumping into the water over her head. “Daddy, will you catch me?” “Of course! I won’t let you drown!” Her father loves her and so she jumps. Is the Lord any different? Will he let you drown? Will he not catch you in the deep water?
4. Giving brings a blessing
A final principle from Malachi: giving brings a blessing (10b-12).
God doesn’t just command us to tithe so that we will listen to him and obey. He does it because that is the way of blessing for us.
Returning to the child jumping in the pool. She’s not jumping just because Daddy said so. She’s jumping because she knows all the joy of swimming that the others have. She wants to enter into that fun in the pool. She’s missing out.
Friends, by holding back from God, we miss out on the joy, on the blessings that we could receive. Read with me 3:10b….
Do you see the blessing here? Now don’t misunderstand – tithing and stewardship doesn’t mean you get rich – God will provide for your needs. We have a lot of things that are really not what we need. God knows what are our essentials and provides for us.
1. Growth in faith.
As we trust in God, and he DOES provide, our faith blossoms and grows as never before. We entrust our lives and resources even more into God’s hands and see his bless. He is a good Father and we learn again and again to trust Him.
2. God will not let us go under in hard times.
The Lord tells us in verse 11: “I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear.” When there are years like this one with a drought and the crops seem to fail, God says that he will still provide. God will fight our battles for us.
When you get sick and the bills start piling sky high, the Lord promises that he will not let you go under. He will be your provider.
3. We can live without fear and worry.
And this carries into the next blessing – no fear or worry. We spend so much time scraping by trying to survive and God says, just tithe and your needs will be met. You won’t have to worry and fear. You don’t need to spend your days in stress over your bills. Entrust them to the Lord and know that he will work things out. Matthew 6:28-30…
4. It will be a testimony.
Malachi 3:12 tells us “Then all nations will call you blessed.” Do you see what happens? As our needs are provided for in miraculous ways, others see that and wonder what is going on. How is it possible? And it opens doors to give glory not to your own ingenuity in financial planning and investment, but to point to the giver of all good things. We serve a great God!
Closing story: "The Rich Family in Our Church"
