Now That’s a Good Question: What is Tithing?
Philippians 4:14-23
Chenoa Baptist Church
Pastor Jeff Williams
03-06-2022
Let it Walk!
A pastor was preaching in the deep south and told his congregation, “This church is like a crippled man, he’s got to get up and walk!” And the congregation responded, “Yes, amen! Let it walk!” Then he added, this church like Elijah on Mt Carmel, has got to run.” Let it run, pastor!” “This church has got to mount up on wings like eagles and fly.” “Let it fly! Let it fly!!” Then he added, “If this church is going to fly it’s going to take money.” To which a older man in the back shouted, “Let it walk preacher, let it walk!”
Many people are turned off when the pastor preaches on money and finances.
Many pastors are afraid to teach on this subject. Who has not heard someone say “All they ever want is my money?” Mark Twain once said that he was so tired of appeals for money that he never put anything in the plate but he always tried to take a bill out!
This morning I am not here to coax you out of your cash or swindle you out of your savings. I do not know how much or how little you give. I do know that I am honored to serve a church that is so generous with their giving.
But two weeks ago we proposed a very aggressive budget and the congregation approved it unanimously. If we are going to meet this budget, and do what God has called us to do, we are going to have see a marked rise in attendance and more hilarious and generous giving.
Both the Old and New Testament have much to say about how money and possessions can be used to further God’s Kingdom or how it can literally destroy a person’s joy and hope. This morning my goal is to allow the Scriptures to teach us some basic principles related to giving.
This morning we will look at the closing verses of Philippians, which just happen to be about giving. If you are visiting, stick with me. You may be surprised by what you hear. By the end of our time together today, I hope to convince you to be extravagant worshipers of God in the area of your finances.
Turn with me to Philippians 4.
Prayer.
Thank you Notes
We tried to teach our boys to write thank you notes. When they received a toy for their birthday or some money for Christmas, they needed to say thank you. I was not taught to do that growing up but I have learned over the years to write thank you notes as soon as I receive something.
It is a small way of showing appreciation for the gift.
Philippians 4:14-23 is Paul’s thank you note to the Philippians for their generous giving. Let’s listen in as he shares his heart of gratitude with this church he loves.
“Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:14- 19)
I believe we can glean four basic principles from these verses as they relate to giving.
The four points will spell out the word GIVE. The first principle is…
God owns it all
The church in Philippi was about six months old when they begin to support Paul’s missionary endeavors. He left Philippi and traveled to Thessalonica where he preached the Gospel. The Philippian church sent money to him several times to aid his efforts to win people to Christ.
Paul then traveled to Athens and Corinth. The Philippians had given so much that they were unable to give while he was ministering in Corinth.
Paul starts this section out by saying it was good of them to share in his troubles. They partnered with Paul. In fact, they were the only church that joined in Paul’s missionary adventures. Their giving showed their heart for Paul and the fellowship they felt with him. To them, it was like a joint business venture. They supplied the needs of Paul so that he could minister freely.
It also showed that they “got it.” This is such a blessing to a pastor. Honestly, the best compliment you can give me after a sermon is not “great job” but “I get it! I heard what the Bible said and I am going to do it!” Paul must have beamed with joy when the first gift arrived. He spent time teaching and now they proved they were listening.
One of the lessons he must have taught them when he was with them was…
God owns everything. If God owns everything, then how much do we own? We own nothing! Well, surely we own ourselves, right? Does this verse sound familiar?
“You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” (I Cor 6:20)
What price? You were bought with the highest price imaginable – the price of His Son. We own nothing, not even the right to our own lives. God merely allows us to be stewards in order to further his kingdom.
The Scriptures make this point clear:
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…” (Psalm 24:1)
Even the talents, abilities, and jobs that provide money are actually from the Lord:
“But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”(Duet 8:18)
This is even reflected in our worship. Think about the Doxology - “praise God from whom all blessing flow…”
I think you get the point. God owns it all. We own nothing, not even ourselves.
This is a very important foundational point. Everything you have has been given to you for the purpose of glorifying God. Do we truly believe that God owns it all? Do we believe He has made us a trustee, a manager, and a steward of what He gives us during our lifetime?
If it is true that God owns it all, then how should we approach the area of money? Ron Blue, a Christian financial expert, gives three outcomes to the belief that God owns it all.
If God owns it all, then we have a responsibility to Him. God has the right to whatever He wants whenever he wants it. We are only stewards of what He was entrusted to us.
If God own it all, then every spending decision is a spiritual decision.
“It reflects your goals, priorities, convictions, relationships, and even the use of your time.”
We are called to be faithful with what He has given us. Paul told the believers at Corinth:
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (I Cor 4:2)
Point to Ponder: Have you settled the ownership issue today with God? Do you truly believe that He owns it all? Would your checkbook show it? Maybe you need to sign it over to Him.
Invest in things eternal
“Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.” (Philippians 4:17)
I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is you cannot take anything with you when you die. I’ve never seen a U-haul behind a hearse.
Solomon, one of the richest men who ever lived, wrote about this in his journal:
“Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand…he toils for the wind.” (Eccl 5:15)
That’s the bad news. Would you like to hear the good news? Listen to Jesus:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Here is a principle that Randy Alcorn says can change your life: you cannot take it with you but you can send it on ahead.
Paul says that the gift is important but even more important is the fact that the Philippians had an eternal perspective about their money.
Again they “got it.” Their hearts were in the right place. Our hearts always go where we put our money. In other words, our feelings follow
our finances. Their heart was for Paul and his ministry. They wanted to invest in a venture that could pay ever-lasting rewards.
In these verses, Paul uses banking terminology – a ledger sheet recording their gift that made God smile. When the Philippians gave to Paul, God noticed. This is a picture of an account that has continually increasing interest. Spiritual maturity leads us to invest in things that last forever instead of things that can fade away.
James Boice writes: “Money that is given to help another Christian is called fruit. Our gifts to others are encouraged by God, noticed by God, and much desired by God.”
We will only be on this earth a short time and he who dies with the most toys…still dies! We need a radical shift in our thinking about money.
True or false? – Money is evil. Listen to how Paul describes money to young Timothy:
“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (I Tim 6:9-10)
It’s the love of money that gets us into trouble. I remember watching a CEO being sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from his company. When the judge sentenced him to twenty- five years with no parole, this man sobbed uncontrollably.
Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Giving isn’t God’s way of raising funds; it is His ways of raising children whose hearts are rich toward Him. God has poured out his blessings on us and what have we done? We took them home and put them on our shelf. God raises our standard of living so we can raise our standard of giving.
Point to Ponder: How is your investment portfolio? Pastor Steven Cole gives us some insight into where we are to invest. He emphasizes that we should first give to our local church then to individuals and organizations you know to be faithful. He encourages us to give to those serving in difficult places and those reaching unreached parts of the world. Also, giving to the needy should be a high priority. I also rejoice when I see the generous mercy fund offering that we use to meet needs in this church body and the community.
Value God more than Money
“I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent.They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” (Philippians 4:18-19)
The Philippians had renewed their concern for Paul by sending him financial gifts while he was in prison at Rome. Paul states that the gift is more than enough. He uses three Old Testament terms of worship to describe their giving “fragrant offering,” “acceptable sacrifice,” and “pleasing to God.”
When the sacrifice was made (see Lev 7) it produced a fragrant aroma that people could smell. The exact same words are used to describe the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross:
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Eph 5:1-2)
When we give, we are not giving to a church or a pastor, but to Jesus Christ Himself. And He is worthy of our best. Paul describes their extravagant giving as a form of worship.
In our present Christian culture, the word “worship” has been limited to singing and music. This is not the Biblical view of worship. Listen to Paul’s definition of worship in his letter to the Romans:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Worship is a lifestyle, not a song. Worship is prayer, reading and studying the Scriptures, fasting, singing, serving, and giving. Everything we do here at Chenoa First on a Sunday morning is worship. The music, the prayer, the preaching of God’s word and even the offering –it is all worship.
A junior high girl once asked me a great question once in response to the bible study we were doing. She said, “I think I know the answers to the other questions, but I’ve never heard of “tithing.”
There does seem to be a lot of confusion about giving. In the Old Testament, Jewish people gave 10% to fund the Temple. Actually, if you add up everything they gave, it was more like 20-25%. Under the covenant of grace, we have the opportunity to give 10% and more because want to. Let’s look at three principles of grace giving:
* Grace giving is voluntary. Giving is not something we HAVE to do; it is something we get to do. If you are a Christian, then you will want to give. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul states:
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:7)
The Greek word translated cheerful is the same word we get our word hilarious. God loves extravagant, joyful, hilarious givers who realize that the can not out give God.
Found In a church bulletin: "God loves a hilarious giver but He accept from a grouch.”
* Grace Giving is proportionate giving. In I Cor 16:2, we see Paul addressing the amount to given:
“Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” (I Cor 16:1-2)
Ten percent is a good baseline. But is that all we are to give? John Piper has said that the 10% tithe is “a middle class American way to rob God.” We are privileged to live in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. If you live in a house, drive a car, and have enough food to eat today, you are better off than 97% of the world’s population. Many of us could and should be giving 15, 20, or even 25%.
The average American Christian gives less than 2%. Can you imagine what we could do if everyone in this room gave 1% more than they are given right now?
* Grace Giving is sacrificial. Jesus told a story about an offering that got his attention:
“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4)
It really is not about how much you give, but how much you keep. The widow was commended for how much she kept – nothing. She gave everything she had. The Pharisees just gave out of their wealth.
Are you just giving God the leftovers, or are you giving Him your best?
King David said it this way, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)
Tithing is the solution to greed. It has been said that if you want to break the back of greed, give your money away freely. John Wesley, whose books made an enormous amount of money during his lifetime, died with two silver spoons to his name. He was quoted as saying, “When I get any money, I give it away, lest it get control of my heart.” The Philippians were worshipping God when they provided Paul with funds for the ministry. It was a way of lifting Jesus high.
What happens to the money you put into the plate? Every dollar is used with integrity to make an IMPACT on our community, our county, our country, and the continents with the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ. Can you get excited about that?
When you walked in this morning, you were handed a dime. It is a gift from me to you. You can do anything you want with it. You can put it in your pocket, put it in your change purse, or you can put it in the plate. If you put it in the plate, it will be used to change hearts for eternity. This morning everyone has something to put into the offering. But it is your choice to give or to keep the penny.
Point to Ponder: Have you ever considered giving as a form of worship? How can we use our time, talents, or treasures to worship God? As we take this offering, how are you feeling about what you had planned to put in the plate in light of what we have been studying? As you give, consider these four declarations:
With this offering, I am declaring my total dependence and trust in you
With this offering, I am resisting everything in our culture that constantly whispers in my ear that I need more and more
With this offering, I am sending treasure ahead to heaven
With this offering, I am affirming my heart belongs to God.
Offering
Engage your heart and expect blessings
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:18-19)
This verse has been taken out of context by many people. Verse 19 is not a blank check to people who waste what God has given them. It is also not a promise of prosperity and luxury. It is conditional. If…then. If you honor me with your finances, then I will meet all of your needs. Let’s look at each phrase of this verse together:
“My God” Paul does not invoke the name of some distant deity but starts by saying “my God.” God is a personal God who knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7) and what you need before you ever ask (Matthew 6:8).
“Will meet” – This word means to “fill to the brim, to furnish or supply generously.” It is the picture of filling a glass to overflowing.
* Your needs - not your wants.
“Accordingly to His glorious riches.” Notice that Paul did not say “out of his glorious riches.” If Elon Musk walked into your house this afternoon and said, “I think I want to give you some money” what would be your reaction? Would you get a wheelbarrow and shout, “Show me the Money!”?
What if he pulled out his wallet and handed you a one-dollar bill. That would be “out of his riches” and cheap! But what if he said, “All I have is yours.” That would get your heart pumping, wouldn’t it? That’s exactly what God promises - to meet all our needs according to His vast resources, which He makes completely available to us.
Jesus said it this way:
“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
God even says to test Him in this area:
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 you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 2:10)
The great missionary Hudson Taylor’s wrote in his journal, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack for supply.” It really is all about trust.
Communion Set Up
“In Christ Jesus.” This is a promise for believers only. It is only through Christ that these riches can be accessed.
God promises to meet our needs. What are our greatest needs before God? Our greatest needs are not for more money or possessions but for salvation, forgiveness, hope, and peace. God, through Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, has provided all this and more. That’s why some of the poorest people in the world are the happiest in Him.
Ending Song: “Do Something” by Matthew West
