Tithing on Trial!
Coulee Community Church
January 15th, 2017
Scripture: 1 Cor 9:6-11 (First of many scriptures today, teaching sermon- write down questions for the end)
A family came home from church one Sunday and after they had lunch they sent their 6-year-old son off to play. After awhile, his mother realized that they hadn’t heard much from him, which any parent knows is a recipe for disaster.
The mother got up from her recliner and walked to the child bedroom and listened right outside his door. She kept hearing small metallic sounds and jingling come from the other side of the door. Intrigued, she cracked the door a little and looked in to see her son sitting on floor with his piggy bank opened and a few dollars in coins lying around the floor. He gathered them up and put them in the handkerchief, knelt down and prayed silently, and then threw the coin up in the air. He watched them all hit the ground, frowned, and gathered his coin back into the handkerchief and repeated throwing them up in the air.
His mom opened the door and asked him what in the world he was doing.
The little boy replied, “We learned in Sunday School today that we should give money to God for an offering. I forgot to bring mine today I figured I’d come home and throw mine in the air, and God would catch whatever He needed and I could keep the rest, but He hasn’t caught any yet!”
As cute as that story is, it does highlight one of the common misconceptions about giving as an act of worship. There are probably few other topics that make people, including most pastors, more uncomfortable in church than the subject of tithes and offerings.
I think much of this is because of
bad teaching, some of which we will point out today
Past scandals regarding misuse of church offerings
Cowardice, fear, doubt, and unbelief on behalf of pastor to teach the subject correctly.
This morning we are going to look at what the bible says about giving in reference to our relationship with God. We will begin with a section of the New Testament to keep in the back of our minds as we explore this subject.
2 Cor 9:6-11
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.” l
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Prayer
We will go back to the scripture we just read, but first I want to lay a foundation of where this principle of giving as an act of worship comes from.
God’s word is a progressive revelation- meaning it starts in Genesis with the beginning, laying a foundation for who God is, humanities creation and failure, and God’s plan of salvation. The bible then uses 65 more books to explain the completeness of who God is and how His plan for salvation has worked itself out.
This progressive revelation also does the same thing with individual truths, and the idea of giving as an act of worship is no different.
This morning we will do a quick survey through scripture looking at giving from it’s historical perspective in the beginning using the book of Genesis, then move forward a little in the historical record and look at giving under the OT law, then we will transition to the NT understanding and finally it’s application for us today.
I. Origins of this precept called Tithing
To properly understand tithing, we must first explore this idea of sacrifice, founded by God Himself. You see this immediately after Adam and Eve’s failure in the Garden of Eden, that God killed an animal and clothed them in the skin of that animal. From then on, they understood that they would have to offer regular sacrifice as atonement- or payment for their sins.
The primary idea of sacrifice is seen in the principle of first fruits. The first time the bible alludes to it in in Gen 4, with the story of Cain and Abel.
A. Idea of first fruits- Genesis 4:2-5
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
First Fruits- The idea of first fruits means that God gets the best. In this case, the word First means best, primary, or exalted- that which carries the most value. The meaning here is what you consider most valuable is what you should give in worship, and
giving is an act of worship in sacrificing what is most treasured to something greater than oneself.
The very word worship means that you are ascribing great worth and honor to someone or something.
IF you get nothing else out of today’s message- cement that thought in your mind. (Repeat above)
Look at this scripture again- it says that Cain brought “Some” of the fruits of the soil, while Abel brought what in their culture was considered the best of the best of his flocks.
To paraphrase this account- It was like on the way to worship, Cain just stopped by the barn, scoops a few pounds of grain from the floor of the back bin of the ban into a bag, slung it over the shoulder and walked to church.
On the other hand, Abel carefully searched his flocks, carefully inspected them, and then took the best. He butchered the animal, and then selected the finest cuts to bring with him to church to offer that to God.
That’s what made the difference here.
Cain was just fulfilling an obligation. For many people- that’s tithing
Abel was actually worshipping. Abel was sacrificing something of great worth to show his devotion to the greatness of God in his life.
Gas Station Rose vs bouquet/chocolate
That’s the idea of first fruits, lets look at the first example of tithing-
B. First example of tithing-
In Genesis 14, Abram wins a battle and gains a considerable amount of possessions. He is then met by a person who brings refreshments to his men-
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth (or tithe) of everything.
1. First, who is Melchizedek and why is Abram seemingly honoring him with a tithe, or a tenth of all of his plunder.
2. Most commentators believe Melchizedek to be Noah’s firstborn son Shem, who among all of Noah’s sons stayed the most faithful to God. Don’t be amazed that Shem was still alive at the time of Abram as he actually outlived Abraham by 35 years and would have seen the birth of Isaac, Jacob, and perhaps may have met all of Jacob’s children, including Judah whose line would reveal the promised Messiah Jesus. Actually, I think it’s very likely and very like God that the last person that saw God’s deliverance from the flood would live to see God’s future deliverance through seeing the direct descendant of the Messiah
3. So Mechizedek, or Shem, was the eldest of those who worshipped Yahweh God, and therefore could accept an offering on God’s behalf, and Abram recognized that and gave him the first fruits of what he had won in battle.
4. We see the first use of the word “Tithe” which means 10th. It wasn’t the tenth of whatever you wanted to give- it was taking the best of what you had (First Fruits), and giving it as an act of worship.
5. Biblically, The word Tithe as an act of worship is always linked to the best of what you have.
So that’s the origin of the idea of first fruits and tithing.
However, neither in Canaan, the name for Israel before it became a nation, nor in Egypt during the time of Joseph nor before the time of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt was tithing universally practiced among God’s people.
Remember in at the beginning I said God’s Word is a progressive revelation, so let’s see how this idea of giving progresses now as Moses gives the Law.
II. The Law
The second book of the bible, Exodus tells of the history of Moses leads the nation of Israel out of slavery and into the promised land of Canaan. During the 40 years in the desert, God gives Moses the Law- a set of 613 precepts that governed civil law, interpersonal relationships, and what kinds worship through sacrifices and offerings could be offered to Yahweh God.
The basic principle of the tithe is found in- Lev 27:30
30 “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
If you are following our chronological reading plan, you’ll get to the different offerings in February and March.
Prior to the giving of this statute, everything was done as a free-will offering. In other words, there was no minimum requirement to give, such as the mandatory tithe now being instituted by Moses.
For example- The tabernacle was built on free will offerings- to the point of the Moses having to tell the people to quit giving.
And that was the only time a spiritual leader has EVER said that!
As we study the bible and it’s commands, precepts, and principles, we have to ask ourselves “Why did God tell His people to follow this command.” God wants us to understand the meaning and reason behind His law, because it’s meant to reflect who He is, and the tithe is no different. So why was the tithe put into the law?
The tithe- a tenth of all income earned, was instituted to support the tribe of Levi. The Levites were the tribe that God appointed to care for tabernacle and later the Temple with upkeep and to perform priestly duties. Because of this, they were not allotted an inheritance of land within the nation of Israel when it came into the promised land.
In the agrarian world they lived in, not having any land meant you were destitute with no ability to support oneself other than the very few that had a skilled trade like being a metalworker, blacksmith, or tentmaker. The vast majority (like 90-98%) of people were either farmers, or herds keepers, or both, or worked as sharecroppers on a farm.
Since the Levites as a tribe could not own vast stretches of land required for either, they and their families were supported by the rest of the 11 tribes through the tithe system. Additionally, the tithe also paid for the day to day activities of the temple, which included sacrifices, upkeep, and all other expenses associated with running their “Church” during that time.
The tithe was in force throughout the rest of the Old Testament, and the lack of honoring God in obeying the command to tithe was frequently cited by the prophets as to why God’s direct judgment was occurring, or nations were conquering them, or there was lack of provision.
The most notable prophecy and the most misapplied verses in the bible regarding the tithe found in Malachi 3.
Remember- basic bible interpretation is to consider the time, situation, and audience to which this particular section of scripture was being addressed. At the time that this was written, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai were sent to rebuke the people for their delay in finishing the temple after the Hebrews came back from exile in Babylon. Remember, Jerusalem was left a pile of rubble by Babylon, so upon the return of Israel to it’s land they had been working on the rebuilding, and were more worried about getting their homes fixed, farms going, and business’ established then caring for God’ house.
Malachi come a little later in this time and rebukes the people for failing to support the Levites and the temple once it was built. They were in gross violation of the Law of Moses, and that is the background behind Malachi’s prophecy.
Let’s read it- (Malachi 3:6-12)
6 “I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.
“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 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. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.
Before I read this, I said this is the most misapplied verse regarding tithing in the bible. Why do I say that? When I was studying for this message, I found all kinds of horrible scholarship on this subject, including a Pentecostal pastor who said that this law affects your salvation- if you don’t tithe, you won’t be saved.
Across the nation today, pastors, particularly Evangelical and Pentecostal pastors will use this verse during their offering time as a passive aggressive stiff arming of their people to give in the offering while ignoring the context in which it was written.
25 min offering sermon-World Harvest Church before Rod Parsley gave the message.
My parents separated when I was 5, and when I was with my mom I was around Italians- my mother dated a full blooded Italian guy whose parents came over on the boat from Southern Italy. I picked up a lot of Italian culture and mannerisms growing up, and part of that followed me into my Christian life.
When I was a newer Christian, I would listen to a pastor use these verses in Malachi and immediately think I’m paying protection money to the local don so that nothing bad would happen to me. Of course this not what the bible is saying, but the picture in my mind was from the movie the Godfather- God was Marlon Brando, sitting behind a desk, petting a cat, and whispering directives to his right-hand man on who gets “special attention” for not paying their tribute as they should.
Obviously God is not Don Corleone. In my immaturity as a new Christian it was just the image that often came into my mind during offering time.
Malachi’s prophecy tells us that God plainly expected during this time for the people to support the work of the church and those who served through the system of tithing.
Saying that, we are New Testament Christians, not Old Testament Hebrews. Let’s take a look at what our standard of faith and conduct, the New Testament, shows us about the notion of tithing and giving.
And we are back to our original verse- (shortened a little for time)
III. New Testament
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Let’s break this down a little.
I start by asking a question- what is the currency of heaven? Throughout the bible, this is what attracted God’s blessing, and would cause our Father to gush over a person.
I’ll give you a hint- it’s the verse that launched the Protestant Revolution-“The Righteous will live by _______” Rom 1:17b
A. Faith is our standard in the New Testament
1. Faith should drive our worship, not law.
2. Law is compulsion and following it only prevents punishment
Speeding ticket- cops don’t pull you over and pay you for following it
3. Faith is believing God for who HE says He is. Faith cries out, “God, you are worthy!”
This is how the law of sowing and reaping bring blessing- it’s the practical exercise of faith.
B. Law of sowing and reaping
1. IF you can grasp that principle- that giving is an exercise of faith in that which you worship, then giving is never a sacrifice to you- it’s a blessing that brings more blessing
2. Giving as worship shows God that you believe that what you say you believe is really real to you.
3. “Well, God knows my heart, and I have bills to pay”
4. God also knows your actions- and your actions really reflect what your heart believes.
5. Listen, can I be blatantly frank here-
a. God is a no excuses God- you can’t fool a being who knows every thought you have before you think it. You aren’t going to be able to present an excuse to Him that He is going to accept.
b. When we talk about our worship of God, God put down a principle of worship in Deut 16:16 “that no man should appear before the Lord empty handed.”
c. Why would God say that? Because you can’t worship a God you don’t trust to provide for you, and giving is an act of worship that shows you do trust HIM.
So the fact we should give is undeniable, so how much? The scripture says “As much as each person has decided in their hearts to give.”
IV. Application
If you insist on maintaining the Old Testament system of giving thinking it’s only 10%- your wrong. According to the OT, with all of the prescribed offerings and tithes in the law, you owe the church right now 23% of your gross income, plus a 20% fine for it being late for any tithe or offering you have EVER missed.
That’s the law you want to follow.
Grab your checkbook right now, make checks out to Whitehall Assembly, and give them to one of the ushers before you leave. I’m sure they will be happy to stay after and recount the offering.
Or, follow Grace.
How much do we give?
1. Jesus is our example. We sing a hymn that says “Jesus gave it all, all to Him I owe”. Is that just a heartwarming song, or do we really believe that?
2. How much did Jesus give to save us? Everything. Jesus put aside all of the blessings that could have been His on this earth- kingship, riches, property, anything His heart desired.
3. That pales in comparison…no doesn’t even line up on the same plane as Jesus giving up His position in heaven to become a man. Comparing it to us becoming an insect would only describe 1 millionth of 1 percent of what Jesus had to give up to save us.
How much should we give? Everything. Everything. Everything.
It’s all God’s anyway. You are only stewards of what HE blesses you to have.
So why do we cling so tightly to what we have here on this earth? IF we believe that what we believe is really real, why in Jesus name should a pastor EVER have to get up and beg people to give to the ONE who gave up everything for us?
And that it the application for us this morning.
It’s not just about the money. God owns everything anyway. It’s about faith, trust, and life focus. It’s about worshipping God in Spirit AND in Truth. It’s about trusting God with what you sow.
If you are focused on the greatness of God and His mission for you, then giving is easy.
If you are focused on making your life better, you are very angry for having to sit through this message.
But maybe that is the point.
Prayer- touched the 3rd rail of church, but it’s one of the biggest heart issues in the body of Christ- who do we actually trust. We cannot serve God and money.
Open for Questions
