“TESTING GOD” Malachi 3:7-10
FBCF – 9/19/21
Jon Daniels
INTRO – What’s most outrageous thing you’d do to win $10k? Chicago radio station contest several years ago. Winner – Guy from Indiana who ate an entire 11-ft birch tree, leaves, roots, bark, & all. Wore a tux, sat @ elegant table w/ candles & a rose & used pruning shears & put French dressing on the birch tree salad. Took him 18 hours over course of 3 days. Money makes people crazy sometimes!
Heads up! We’re talking about money today. Interesting that lots of folks don’t want you to do that in church. Talk about it everywhere else, but don’t talk about it in church. Some make the FALSE claim that every time they go to church, the preacher is always talking about money. Cop-out by folks who just don’t want to go to church & come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Truth is that Jesus taught a lot about money. Several of His parables dealt directly with money. Lots of verse in the NT deal w/ money. It’s clear that it’s a subject that needs to be addressed in our lives. Why? 3 negative reasons & 3 positive reasons:
- It can become our god – Rich young ruler
- It can damage our lives – Greed is a vicious sin – “Greed brings grief to the whole family…” (Proverbs 15:27 NLT)
- It can lead us to make some bad decisions – “The love of $...” – 1 Timothy 6:10
- It can be used to bless & help others.
- It can deepen our faith in the Lord & His provision.
- It can help us spread the Gospel.
So, today, we’re going to talk about $, specifically tithing & giving to the Lord’s work through the local church.
- Mama w/ Rickey Blythe’s notes in her Bible
EXPLANATION – Malachi 3:7-10
Most familiar passage on tithing in Bible. Background:
Malachi – OT prophet – Prophet’s job: Be God’s spokesman to the world. Required to deliver God’s message, no matter what it was – message of hope, judgment, impending disaster, repentance, restoration.
Malachi was used by God to call God’s people to repentance in a variety of areas: The priests had become corrupt; the people’s worship had become routine; divorce had become widespread; vulnerable people being abused & oppressed; & tithing had become neglected.
“tithe” – Root meaning of the Hebrew word means “10” or a “10th part.” No place in OT where it doesn’t mean this. 10th of anything – money, cattle, grain. So to tithe your income is to give 1/10 of it to the Lord.
God’s call on our lives today is the same as it was for His people in the OT: To seek Him w/ all our hearts – to strive to honor & glorify Him in every way - & to live a life of faith.
APPLICATION – Tithing & giving increases our faith in God’s provision in our lives.
Make a statement – Ask a question – Look @ Scriptures – then close by going back to the question.
The Christian life is a life of FAITH – Every aspect of our lives should reflect our faith in God. We are saved by faith…walk by faith…worship in faith…pray in faith…follow Jesus in faith…give by faith – not by compulsion or guilt-trip.
Is tithing a practice for Christians today?
People all over the map on this one – all the way from accusations of it being a false teaching b/c tithing is an OT principle to an absolute command to be obeyed or you’ll go to hell.
Since tithing is an OT teaching, let’s look at what is said about it. Dozens of passages about it throughout OT. Focus on 4:
GENESIS 14:17-20 – This is the 1st place we see tithing practiced. Abraham coming back from a bruising, bloody war. He had come out victorious & was coming home w/ the spoils of war – captured slaves & soldiers, food, wine, grain, livestock. Encountered Melchizedek, King of Salem. We know from NT teaching in Hebrews that Melchizedek in the OT is a type or representation of Jesus Christ in the NT. Don’t know a lot about him, other than when he blesses Abraham & praises God for the victory in battle, Abraham voluntarily gives him a tithe of all the goods he had collected in the victory. No one told him to do it. There was no teaching in the Law about it b/c this was about 400 years before the Law was given. He simply gave it b/c he recognized that it was GOD who had given him the victory in battle & Melchizedek represented God. It’s important for us to note that the first tithe given was not connected to the Law at all. It was simply & profoundly a voluntary response that was willingly & gladly given as a response to the goodness & faithfulness of God.
LEVITICUS 27:30-34 – Now we are into the OT Law. Gen. 14 was before the Law – this command is clearly in the Law given to the Jewish people. And this tithe included all a person’s possessions, not just money. And a person couldn’t substitute a bad animal for a good one. If the 10th cow was a scrawny cow, then give it. But if it was the best bull in the herd, give it, too. God was very clear – the Jews were to give Him a 10th of everything.
DEUTERONOMY 14:22-23 – We are now 40 years further down the road. Moses about to die. Giving final instructions to the people of God. Notice the last phrase in v.23: “…that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.” “…honor the Lord…” (NIV) “…respect the Lord…” (ERV) “…revere the Lord…” (LEB) “…teach you to always put God 1st in your lives.” (TLB) That’s the purpose of the tithe. It’s not a legalistic requirement that we begrudgingly do. It’s not an OT income tax. It’s not to line the preacher’s pockets. The foundational purpose of tithing is to teach us to put God first in our lives.
On a practical faith level, most people I know who have learned the joy of tithing, take that word “first” seriously. That’s the first check they write. Or if they do their finances online, it’s the first online payment they make when their check gets deposited. It’s first – before mortgage, rent, car payment, school tuition, credit card payments, etc. Put our faith into action by saying, “God, I’m going to trust you & literally put you first in my finances.”
MALACHI 3:7-10 – This is the only place in the Bible where God clearly & plainly says, “Test me.” All other verses tell us NOT to test God.
- Deuteronomy 6:16 – “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
- Jesus quoted that verse to Satan in His moment of temptation
God issues a challenge here to His people – i.e., “Put me to the test. If you don’t believe me, just test me. Try me. Dare to obey me & see if I won’t bless your socks off in ways you can’t even imagine right now.” Not a guaranteed promise that you’ll be filthy rich, or that you’ll never have job loss or a downturn in the stock market. He’s saying, “Test me. Examine me. Scrutinize me. Prove me.”
- Testimony from young man in his mid-30’s, married w/ 4 kids: “To me, it’s the easiest way to put action w/ your faith. You say you trust Him & want Him to change your life. But if you’re scared of missing the $, then you’re saying you aren’t even sure He can cover the 10% you’re gonna miss. It’s a famine mentality instead of abundance.”
(https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/to-tithe-or-not-to-tithe/)
So back to original question: Is tithing a practice for Christians today? It is:
- If you believe God
o That everything you have belongs to Him, not just the 10%
o That He is the one who gives you the power to make $. Deuteronomy 8:18 – “…remember the Lord your God for it is HE who gives you the power to make wealth…”
o That He will take care of you & meet every need you have – Philippians 4:19
- If you want to bless others
o Feed the hungry
o Help those in disasters – Avondale
o Provide relief & help for those who are in need – Kevin & Kristina Buss at Ridgecrest right now.
- If you want to be involved in God’s work
o Missions – Not everyone can go, but everyone can give.
o Evangelism tools
o Discipleship resources
o Worship resources
o Staff needs & support
o “Making Much of Jesus” & “Let’s GO!”
- If you want to be amazed at God’s faithfulness
o EVERY time someone steps out in faith in the Bible, they end up being AMAZED at God’s faithfulness toward them! – Red Sea, David & Goliath, Peter walking on water, the early Church in Acts
o So many Christ-followers hold back in so many ways due to fear. Tithing & giving above the tithe are definitely ways that we shrink back in fear.
o “Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar” (Zach Williams)
o “If God has a desire to spread the gospel throughout this world and save as many people as possible, then don’t you think He is going to bless those who support that vision?” (Robert Jeffress)
CONCLUSION/TAKEAWAYS
Martin Luther: "There are three conversions a person needs to experience: The conversion of the head, the conversion of the heart, and the conversion of the pocketbook."
