TITLE: TITHING, AN ISSUE OF THE HEART
SCRIPTURE: I CORINTHAINS 16:1-2
Over the past month it has been noted there has been a decrease in our giving, this usually happens in most Churches during the Summer months when families take Summer Vacations and ordinarily happens again end of the year during the Holidays. It has been suggested I do some Preaching and Teaching on the subject of tithing in an effort to help us.
I recall a story of One particular Preacher was trying to help his congregation one Sunday morning and asked -
• Is there anybody in the congregation who wants a prayer said for their shortcomings?
• Yes, was the answer from a man in the front pew
• I’m a spendthrift
• I throw money around like it is growing on trees!
• Very well, said the Minister
• We will join in prayer for this our dear brother—just as soon as the collection plates have been passed
Preaching and Teaching on Tithing is good to a point, but it is not the most effective way to help us understand the importance of giving to the Lord. After all we Preach and Teach on –
• Forgiveness – Still don’t forgive one another
• Love – Still don’t like some folks around you this morning
• Bible Study and Sunday School – Still only come to morning Worship
• Soft Answer Turneth Away Wrath – Still Speak to one another Harshly
I say this to help us understand Preaching and Teaching on Tithing will not have the result you think it will because tithing is an issue of the heart. You have more influence on your relatives and friends than I do from the pulpit. Those of you that Tithe should sit down with your CHILDREN - GRANDCHILDREN - NIECES - NEPHEWS - COUSINS - FRIENDS and have conversations with them about the importance of and why we Tithe and answer any questions they might have.
There’s an old story about a dad who gave his son two quarters as he heads for Sunday School.
• He told the boy that he should give one quarter in the offering and he could keep the other to get an ice cream cone
• I mentioned it is an Old Story -- I guess that price for an ice cream cone proves how old the story is
• As the boy walked down the street he accidentally dropped one of the quarters which then rolled into a storm drain and disappeared
• The boy looked for a moment down the drain and then slowly looked toward the sky, sighed and said, Well God, there goes your quarter
The very idea of giving sets off an internal war in us. Whose money is it? It’s a very personal subject. And the biblical concept of stewardship is God owns everything – both quarters. Stewardship means as believers we are each assigned different amounts of material things to manage for God. And that really is a test from God. But because material things do have our name on them, it creates a tension.
• Who really determines where our money goes?
• Will I really use my financial and material things exactly how God wants me to?
• Yes, Tithing, An Issue of the Heart
By the same token my brothers and sisters, it is important to talk about because there is so much confusion over this issue.
• You listen to one Bible teacher and he says one thing
• You listen to another Bible teacher and he says something else
• You go to one church and the Pastor says one thing
• You go to another church and the Pastor says something else
• It’s the same way with the commentators
• One commentator says one thing and another commentator says something else
In fact, all the way along the spectrum there is confusion.
• We find people who would say the Tithe is binding upon Christians today and that all Christians without exception are to Tithe all the time
• On the other extreme there are those people who say that Tithing belongs under the Law and has no relevance whatsoever for Christians today
• And you will find people all along the spectrum in between those two positions
• So it’s important for us to know about this because there’s so much confusion
As the parent of three adult children who are working and raising families of their own, I wonder do they honor God in their Giving or is this just something they saw us do while raising them? Few years ago, CHRISTIANITY TODAY MAGAZINE carried an article about young adults and financial giving. Here are several sentences that make me concerned about biblical finances for the wider Christian church.
• James Williams of the Church of God World Service said, "Our people 45 years old and younger have grown up mesmerized by materialism
• There's tremendous pressure on families to spend, spend, and spend"
• Then he adds, "I've heard that the generation that believed in the tradition of tithing is in three places -- RETIREMENT HOMES -- NURSING HOMES -- OR CEMETERIES"
• In other words most Baby Boomers and Baby Busters haven't embraced Tithing
Tithing, An Issue of the Heart. A generous heart can develop in us if we have been saved by God’s Grace. In fact, generosity develops in us as we align our hearts with God’s and imitate His Grace. II CORINTHIANS 8 tells us about a remarkable group of believers – in fact whole churches in the first century – who got it right. The light turned on and they had eternal treasure on their minds. Their generous new way of thinking was so amazing that Paul called it God’s gift (grace) to them.
--II CORINTHIANS 8:1-4 -- "AND NOW, BROTHERS, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE GRACE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN THE MACEDONIAN CHURCHES. OUT OF THE MOST SEVERE TRIAL, THEIR OVERFLOWING JOY AND THEIR EXTREME POVERTY WELLED UP IN RICH GENEROSITY. FOR I TESTIFY THAT THEY GAVE AS MUCH AS THEY WERE ABLE, AND EVEN BEYOND THEIR ABILITY. ENTIRELY ON THEIR OWN, THEY URGENTLY PLEADED WITH US FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SHARING IN THIS SERVICE TO THE SAINTS."
These people were not normal, were they – they were pleading with Paul for the privilege of giving even though they were poor? This is not the American way. Paul was raising funds to send from the new churches planted all around the Roman Empire to take back to the founding Jerusalem church. A famine there, as well as spiritual persecution, had left families jobless with empty flour bins and hungry stomachs.
But things evidently weren’t much better up in Macedonia the church Paul describes 500 miles NW of Jerusalem – which included the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica. These Christians were undergoing severe trial. We don’t know all they went through, but the Greek term Paul uses (severe trial) suggests it lasted a long time. But remarkably, in these exceptionally hard circumstances, the Macedonian believers had overflowing joy in their giving during that time of trial! “overflowing joy” in financial trials is not possible unless we have adopted an “eternal treasure” mindset that God uses trials to produce something more valuable to me eternally.
Their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. It’s as if Paul is saying you really can squeeze blood out of turnips. They gave in spite of their poverty.
• But it wasn’t an emotional televangelist who manipulated these impoverished believers into giving
• It wasn’t the annual TBN Telethon and Fundraiser
• It was the Holy Spirit working within them
• They gave “even beyond their ability”
• How do you give more than you are able?
• How do we wrap our minds around that?
Something had happened in their hearts. And whatever it was, that’s what God wants to happen in us.
• How do we get this deep down desire to give?
• Is it just a spiritual gift that they uniquely possessed?
• No. We see in VS. 5 they first gave themselves to God
• And then to a financial need in Jerusalem
• The order is significant
• Tithing, An Issue of the Heart
Giving is just a meaningless duty or a guilt trip until we first give ourselves to God.
• When we give ourselves to God, it means we begin to care about the same things God cares about
• To give ourselves to God means to begin thinking like God
• And that’s how we get a heart much like God’s
Stay with me a little while longer before you tune me out this morning, I know we don’t like to talk about money and all the Preacher wants is your money. But, the reality is you have the freedom to draw your own conclusion. After all, it’s your money I’m talking about. If tithing is a biblical concept Christians should follow, then you need to be able to see it for yourself and not just believe it because your Pastor tells you to believe it. Let’s make sure we understand the definition of Tithing.
• Tithe = One-Tenth
• It will help you to know that the word Tithe is a Hebrew word
• The word Tithe comes from the Hebrew word which means one-tenth
• Literally, a tithe is one-tenth of anything
In the Old Testament a Tithe was more than just giving one-tenth of your money to God.
• If you had ten cows, you gave one out of the ten to God
• That one cow that you gave was your tithe
• If you had ten pounds of grain, the one pound that you gave to God was your tithe before God
• So the definition of a Tithe is that it is one-tenth of anything
• That’s what the word itself means
• To Tithe your income is to give one-tenth of your income to God
• Now we ask, well Pastor do I tithe off my GROSS or my NET
• Tithing, An Issue of the Heart
I imagine someone is saying…well Rev., we need a better answer than that, we really want some help or guidance here. I have to take you back to the Scriptures, the only thing I know how to speak to help us can only come from the Scriptures and not from some self help books off the shelf of the local Bible Book Stores. The Tithe in the Old Testament was to encompass all a man’s material possessions.
• It didn’t include just his Money
• It included his Livestock
• It included his Cows
• It included his Sheep
• It included his Wine
• It included his Oil
• It included his Grain
• It included his Fruit
• A tithe was to be given back to God from everything
It also says the Jews were to give one out of every ten cattle. It says there are to be no substitutes. They were not to give God the scrawny cows and keep the best for themselves. The way they did it in those days was to hold out the shepherd’s rod and count as the cattle came through one by one.
• One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten. The tenth one belongs to God
• Then they would count out ten more cattle and the tenth one went to God
• If number 10 happened to be scrawny, fine
• But if number ten happened to be the best bull in the lot, then God got the best bull in the lot
• You couldn’t substitute
• The key point is God is very clear about what He wants
• The Jews were to give him a tenth of everything
• PROVERBS 50:10 “FOR EVERY BEAST OF THE FOREST IS MINE, AND THE CATTLE UPON A THOUSAND HILLS”
That’s the purpose of a Tithe. It was not a legalistic regulation. It was more than the Old Testament Income Tax. God had a special purpose in asking for the Tenth.
• It was to teach His people to put Him first
• You put God first in your giving so that He will be first in every area of life
• Many Christians have never learned this basic simple secret of giving
• They don’t put God first in their giving
When they get their paycheck, they pay everything else first.
• Out come the taxes
• Then they pay the mortgage
• They pay the rent
• Then they pay the utility bill
• Then they pay for the groceries
• Then they pay the school bill
• Then they pay their credit card bills
• Then they buy some more food
• Then they buy some clothes
• Then put away some money for vacation
• And, finally, if there’s anything left, they give some to God
Many Christians have never learned god not only watches what you give - he watches when you give it. Not only does the amount of your giving tell something about your priorities; the order in which you do your giving also tells something about your priorities. When you get your paycheck, what check do you write first? The answer is always the same: You write the most important one first.
• By that act you are making a statement about what is first and foremost in importance in your life
• The purpose of tithing is to teach God’s people to put Him first in everything
There are two extremes we need to avoid when we think about tithing. In the words of LARRY BURKETT --
--The FIRST EXTREME is the DANGER OF “GIVING A STRICT 10% AND VIEWING THE REMAINING 90% AS OURS.”
--The OTHER EXTREME is “USING THE LACK OF A STANDARD (THE TITHE) AS AN EXCUSE TO GIVE ALMOST NOTHING WHILE WE SELFISHLY HOARD THE REST.” (How to Manage Your Money, 9/15/90, p. 3)
Let’s avoid those two extremes of either being legalistic about the tithe or saying, “Since there is no standard, I can throw in whatever I want and it doesn’t make any difference.”
• God never meant Tithing to be a burden, He meant tithing to be a way that God’s blessing could flow to you
• II CORINTHIANS 9:7 – the ‘b’ clause “…FOR GOD LOVETH A CHEEFUL GIVER”
• The Tithe remains the best and most accurate and most effective guide and standard for Christian giving
• When all things are taken into consideration, I believe the Tithe remains the best and most accurate standard and model and guide for Christian giving and I urge you to practice it in your own personal life
The Christian church, at its best, is flowing along in love. And when that happens, people give and give and keep on giving.
• But it doesn't happen because they were lectured to do so
• If people only do noble things because they were "Guilted" into it, then you have a big problem in the spiritual atmosphere of that place
As I move toward a Close this morning, I call your attention to the full text found in II CORINTHIANS 9:7 “EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HE PURPOSETH IN HIS HEART, SO LET HIM GIVE; NOT GRUDGINGLY, OR OF NECESSITY: FOR GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER.” That's because the Christian life is above all intended to be one of thanksgiving and cheerfulness for all that God has done for us.
• Our response will never come close to matching the glory and the power of His grace and His "indescribable gift"
• Jesus didn't teach on tithing per se because His gift is far greater than our response
• If we are not completely enthralled with His gift, how in the world is the OT command of Tithing going to instill that sense of awe and wonder in our hearts?
• Instead, it will only produce a spirit of - RESENTMENT - PRIDE - SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
Those with greater faith in the area of finances cheerfully give a higher percentage than those with less faith in that area of Christian living. You may be someone who has great faith for eternity, but little faith for your finances. That simply reveals an area of your Christian life where your faith has plenty of room to grow. But remember -
• The Law does not increase Faith
• Only the Gospel and the Holy Spirit can increase Faith
• It comes from an infusion of divine power which gets unleashed in our soul through the Word of God, and the Grace of Jesus Christ
--Every time you doubt that you can live after Tithing a portion of your income, let the glorious promise of God strengthen your faith –
--"MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS" -- PHILIPPIANS 4:19
--Through Tithing and additional voluntary offerings that spring from willing and cheerful giving we both honor God and support the physical means for doing His work of proclaiming the Gospel to the world and making disciples among all the nations
--God has provided the perfect financial system, which takes care of the needs of His work, the personal need to attend His festivals and the need to care for the less fortunate among us
--Yes, my Brothers and Sisters - Tithing, An Issue of the Heart
