Paying God Part 2
Scriptures: John 3:16; Luke 8:1-3; Hebrews 6:19,20; 7:1-12
Introduction:
Several weeks ago I delivered part one of this message. I talked about giving to God from a view point of the Old Testament. In that message I shared with you that in the Old Testament they gave of their first fruits which mean that they gave an offering to God first and foremost. They did not wait to see what they needed or what they would have left over; they gave to God first. This was done because they recognized that God was their source. I also discussed the tithe. I told you that the system of tithing was practiced before it became a part of the Mosaic Law. According to the Law, those who were farmers were required tithed a tenth of what they received from their harvest for the benefit of the Levitical priesthood. The Levitical priesthood did not receive an inheritance when the Children of Israel entered into the Promised Land. I also touched on what God said in Malachi the third chapter about a man robbing God through tithes and offering. I shared with you that this is the Scripture used today to entice people (or threaten them) to tithe. Based on what we reviewed in the Old Testament Scriptures, we understand that the tithe belonged to God and it was to be used for the support of the priests.
What I am going to tell you now will shock some of you and bring comfort (although probably a false sense of comfort) to others. Regardless, we will go in more detail this week in Bible Study as I am led to dedicate that time to ensure your complete historical understanding of tithing and to give you an open opportunity to disprove some of the things I have shared previously and will share with you today. (Those receiving this message via email you are welcome to attend the Bible Study lesson and/or receive the lesson plan.) The reason that I will dedicate this Thursday’s bible study to tithing is to because this morning you will hear me say that in the New Testament Church tithing was not practiced as it is in the Church today. In the New Testament Church they practiced a system of giving “all” they could so they subsequently gave to God more than ten percent. What I am going to share with you this morning might shock you, but do not let the shock about tithing make you miss your real responsibility. I will not complete this message this morning as what I want to accomplish will take a little time and I want to make sure you completely understand what the Bible says about your giving. Let’s begin with the real motivation for our giving anything to God.
I. For God So Loved The World
In my last message I shared with you John 3:16. It says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The New Testament Christians experienced Jesus in a way that the Old Testament followers of God could not – in the flesh. We know that Jesus was very active in the Old Testament, but the Old Testament followers of God did not know His name; understand His presence; did not fully understand the promised that was made regarding Him; nor did they live to see the promised fulfilled of Him giving His life as a ransom for many. Adam and Eve’s sin caused us to become captives of sin and death and Jesus paid the ransom needed to free us from it. The Old Testament saints did not get to experience this Jesus in the fulfillment of the promise.
However, the New Testament Christians did understand this once Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Can you imagine how free you would feel if someone gave their life to set you free. Imagine being in a prison; locked and bound by chains; going where you are told to go versus where you desired to go. Imagine not having any rights other than those granted to you by your captors. Imagine being born into captivity and captivity was all you knew. Your way of life was totally normal because you had no knowledge of anything different. Imagine a man coming and paying a large sum of money to set you free and then provided you with everything you needed for the rest of you life. Would you not feel grateful? Would you not be willing to give whatever you had if he asked you? Would you not be willing to share whatever you had so that others who were still bound in slavery could be set free?
This is what the New Testament Christians experienced. While Jesus was alive there were individuals who supported His ministry. Luke 8:1-3 records the following: “Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses; Mary, who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.” What motivated these people to support Jesus’ ministry? They had been touched by His love and had been delivered from the things of the devil. One point I want to make is what is recorded in the third verse. It states that these women and many others supported Jesus’ ministry out of their own private funds. I believe that everything in the Bible is there for a reason. I believe this was included for a purpose. These women were so touched by Jesus’ ministry that they obligated themselves to support him from their own personal funds. This is important because when you think about the status of women during Jesus’ times you know it is not the same as it is today. These women apparently did not go to their husbands for money to support Jesus’; they gave from their resources. What is also interesting is that Luke mentions Joanna whose husband was Herod’s steward, a position of some rank involving the management of Herod’s finances. Ever though of what Herod would have thought had he known about this?
Had this been you – would you not freely give whatever you could to His ministry? What we seem to forget when it comes to financially support the work of God is that these women and others truly represent us because we too have been delivered in some way from the devices of the devil. Those supporting Jesus’ ministry gave a whole new meaning of giving. Remember, these people did not give their tithe to Jesus as Jesus by the Law was not eligible to receive them (He was not practicing as a Levitical priest). Even if He were, what He needed was more than food for what He was traveling and doing in His ministry. When Jesus mentioned tithing it was in response to something the Pharisees were doing.
Jesus chastised the Pharisees in Luke 11:42 about how they were tithing but neglecting justice and the love of God. He told them that they should have tithed while not neglecting the other things also. Jesus did not do away with tithing but defined the real motivation for giving to God; love. So let me answer the question of if tithing is required under our new covenant. What I share with you this morning may conflict with what you have traditionally heard all of your life but I will be able to prove what I will tell you this morning, especially if you’re at Bible study this Thursday. What I am going to tell you is not a license for you to give less than ten percent, but develop a conscience desire to give more than ten percent.
II. Is Tithing Required As A Part Of The New Covenant?
The simple answer to this complex question is no – tithing is not required in the sense that it was in the Old Testament. Churches that are teaching their members and commanding that they bring their pay stubs so that they can be told how much they are to give as it relates to tithes are wrong – in my understanding of Scripture. There are many pastors who will disagree with me on this so I will show you from the word of God and you can make up your own mind about whether or not I am correct. I promise you through, if you do your research, you will begin to give more than a measly ten percent to God. You will free yourself to hear what the Holy Spirit will tell you to give and then your real blessing will come. I am not telling you what I think, I am telling you what I know and practice. So before you get all happy and decide that you no longer have to tithes, (which most Christians do not do anyway) keep this in mind: if tithing is all you’re doing then you’re not hearing and are actively ignoring the Holy Spirit! This will become evident before I complete this series.
As we reviewed in my previous message, tithing was described fully for Israel’s agricultural economy. It was described clearly for those who were farmers and for those who were not farmers, it does not define if or how they were to tithe (the potters; merchants; or other non-farmers). It has been taught that they gave something from their income but it is not captured that way in Scripture as it relates to them tithing. As I shared with you previously; tithing allowed for the individual (especially Abraham and Jacob) to recognize that God was their source. But under the Law, the primary reason for the tithe was to support the Levitical priesthood since they were not allotted a specific inheritance in the Promised Land. The priesthood of the Levites remained in place until Christ came on the scene. Now let’s look at Hebrews 6:19-20 and 7:1-12.
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.”
I chose these verses because Paul explains a couple of things. First, he references Abraham giving a tithe to Melchizedek after he returned from battle where he had rescued his nephew Lot. When Abraham gave him the tithe, Melchizedek blessed him and Paul in verse four references how great this priest was that the patriarch Abraham would give him a tithe. Abraham was not under compulsion to give Melchizedek ten percent of his spoils; he chose to do it freely! Paul speaks of Melchizedek and Jesus Christ’s superiority over the Levitical priesthood. In verse twelve Paul makes a statement that I want us to consider. He said “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.” Tithing as we know it was a part of the Law given in the Old Testament for support of the Levitical priesthood. When Jesus died on the cross He fulfilled all of the requirements of the Old Covenant (Law) and put in place a New Covenant that came under His priesthood which was far superior to the Old Testament Law and Levitical priesthood. When we teach people to tithe according to the Law and place the repercussion on them for not tithing; then we are actively trying to get people to once again live under the Law. For many Churches it is okay to live under the Law as it relates to tithing but we want the new covenant when it comes to our sins. Remember, the Law carried very specific punishments for certain types of popular sins we have today. We cannot have it both ways!
So let me make this crystal clear to you. Tithing is preached and demanded in Churches today because of disobedience. It is better to get a tithe versus nothing at all; and if we can make people feel obligated to do it, all the better. I know pastors who would not counsel their members if they were not tithers. There are Churches that require their members to prove how much they make so they can be forced to tithe. There is a pastor who told one of his members that her baby died because she did not tithe. I want you to understand the truth. Remember, we empower our members to have their own personal relationship with Christ. I believe that the truth will set you free to hear what the Spirit of God is actually saying to you. If we were to follow Christ’s example, tithing would not be an issue because those calling themselves Christians would consistently give more than ten percent. You see, teaching people to give ten percent relieve them of their obligation to give more, even if God wants them to. Why? Because 90% of Christians do not tithe at all so if we can get them to tithe then we will take in more money than we currently do. It would be easier to get people to give ten percent versus waiting on them to hear God about giving thirty percent. Here me closely; giving a tithe is the same as being a baby and drinking milk if that is all that you do. Tithing was a requirement under the old covenant to support the “ministers” and they got to keep 90%! Again, this was for the farmers only – if you were a merchant there is nothing in the Old Testament requiring them to tithes. Also, the farmers were commanded to give ten percent under a covenant that could not make them perfect – we have a better covenant so should we not give more?
Are you starting to understand what I am telling you? One final point for your consideration: the farmers were required to tithe and it went to the priests for their support. Maintenance for the temple was not done with the tithes as the tithe was in the form of fruit. You cannot build a temple and maintain it with corn stalks. Remember the story of the three little pigs? The temple was not built out of straw. The people gave offerings consistently for the maintenance of the structure. Based on this info, if we used the tithes according to how it was practiced in the Old Testament all of it would come to Me, Cynthia and Anthony and then you’d have to give more to take of the building; pay the bills; and purchase the other things we need. Again, even if we tithed according to the Old Testament you would be required to give more for the physical building. Also, you would have to give even more to support the ministry work that we must do that was not present under the old covenant. We have a responsibility to win souls for Christ and the responsibility is all of ours. The Levitical priesthood (who received the tithe) did not have the responsibility. Are you starting to see this? Our requirement is greater than the farmers of the Old Testament.
Honoring God by giving of our physical blessing to Him so His work can be done is a very valid principle today. It is more important today than ever. In the Old Testament there was one tribe responsible for the spiritual well-being of the nation. The people had no responsibility to expand their nation – their nation was a bloodline nation. When Christ died on the cross He opened the bloodline to all nations – it was now His bloodline versus Abraham’s bloodline. We have a responsibility that the Old Testament saints did not have – to reach others for Christ. In the Old Testament their only responsibility was to live according to God’s standards and take care of the priests who did not receive an inheritance. Today we have to live according to God’s standard and also reach out to try to get others to do this also. We have a responsibility to expand the bloodline – they did not. They also had to maintain the temple – the physical place of worship. We also have this responsibility. So the requirement to tithes according to the Old Testament Law was not a part of the new covenant, but there was a requirement to give. I cannot finish this today but I want to share a conversation that I had with a pastor while we were living in Arkansas.
I will close this morning with this and we will pick this back up next week. When we lived in Arkansas I had a conversation with a pastor about tithing. In the conversation I shared with him part of what I have shared with you this morning. This pastor told me that although scripturally I was correct should I ever become a pastor I should not teach it because the people would not be able to handle it. I looked at him and said “So I should not teach the truth so that people will try to tithe?” He said if I taught the truth that no one would tithe and the Church would suffer even more. I told him I would rather teach the truth and place the ownership on the people for what they do versus teaching a half-truth so that the Church could grow financially. I choose to teach you the truth.
God expects you to honor Him with your finances. The Bible makes it clear (as I will show you next week) that the more you give the more will be returned to you (just like the story we just read.) It is not a contest about who can give the most; it is about our hearts. Do we love God enough to honor Him with more than a mandatory ten percent? Do we love Him enough to give until it hurts as some say? Ten percent for some is miniscule while for others based on how they manage their money seems like a whole lot.
As I have told you from day one, whether you tithes or not, I will be your pastor to the best of my ability. What you give is between you and God but God will hold you responsible for it. What we give God speaks directly to how we view Him and our relationship with Him. If all of us gave to this ministry the way we “could” based on the money God has placed within our control, we could have paid this building off in two and a half years. We will pay it off within the five years allotted, but what I am telling you is that we are not giving God due diligence and He is not ignoring this.
This year I want us to fully understand what it means to be financially accountable to God and then it will be up to each of you to decide how you will manage your finances moving forward and what you will give to God through this ministry.
May God continue to bless and keep you is my prayer.
