Giving to God: A Revival is Waiting
Malachi 3:6-12
Watch on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7QXpLPck7A
Now, some of you are thinking, “That’s an ambitious title,” and some, well in fact, most would say that it’s definitely a stretch.
However, the question that’s probably on most people’s mind at this point is, “Why is it important to talk about money in a worship service where we should be talking about spiritual things, and about our relationship with God?”
And I’m not wrong in this assessment. (my experience)
But the initial question, and while this seems like a rational question, it misses the mark. Giving is a spiritual discipline, and one that is directly tied to both physical and spiritual blessings. (Energized to Engage)
In fact, most people think that talking about giving is done way too much, and there are some who will use these sorts of messages to justify never come to church, or worse, never consider the reality of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, and how belief in Him alone is what gets a person into heaven, and completely dismiss Jesus’s words saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)
But this topic is of extreme importance, and one that should not be dismissed, and should be taken to heart with all reverence.
And that is how I generally approach this subject. As you know, and which I have repeated often, this is the one subject that I do not like to talk about, because of how it has been so misrepresented, misused, and abused that it turns most people off.
So let me begin by saying that any and all teaching upon this topic should be done first for the furtherance of the gospel message, and second it should be for the people’s benefit to reveal God’s blessing when we give God’s way, and finally to see God move in miraculous ways within people’s lives and within the life of the church.
But, it should never be to help the church reach a budget goal to build bigger or better church buildings, or for the benefit of any leader.
In speaking to this very thing, that is, the giving of the tithe and offering, Jesus said to the religious leaders, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” (Matthew 23:23 NKJV)
Nowhere does Jesus make void the giving tithes and offerings, instead he said not to leave it undone, that is, to do it, only let’s make sure that the motives are right, and not neglect, that is, don’t let the weightier matters take a second place to your giving.
Also, we need to realize that the whole idea of giving the tithe, offerings, and alms, is mentioned throughout the Bible and multiple times by either word or concept. And all three ways of giving are to be done, and are a part of God’s law, but also remembering what Jesus said, that not one jot or tittle will pass from the law until heaven and earth pass away and all is completed (Matthew 5:18).
And so, this topic is vital to the life of every Christian, and I’ll show why in our time together.
Now, while I mentioned earlier the benefits of giving to God in how it furthers the gospel message, and how it benefits us when we do. But what I see in our passage from Malachi is what I see as a huge benefit, and that is if we want revival, we cannot leave this topic alone, and we must do it the way God ordained it to be given.
What I find interesting is that we often pray and desire a revival. But are we going about it in the right way? Do we know what is holding it back? Is there something practical that God says in His word that we’re not doing?
And while there are many things as to why we’re not experiencing a revival, there is something that God specifically points to saying, “Return to Me, and I will return to you.” And not knowing how, we like the children of Israel say, “In what way.”
And so, let’s read this section of Scripture, and we’ll actually look at two of the ways that God specifically brings out. The first way is what is often quoted in messages about our giving.
Read Malachi 3:6-12
Now, why do I say that when we give in accordance with God’s way, then revival will happen. It’s because it is directly linked to what the Lord says through Malachi.
“‘Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:7a NKJV)
Is revival what God is saying will happen when we give in accordance to what the Bible says? I believe it is. Note what God says. First, they turned from His ordinances, that is, His laws, and refused to obey. And then He tells them to return to Him, and when they do, through keeping His commandments, then He will return to them.
What then is revival?
To say it in its simplest terms, because papers, chapters, and books have been written on this subject and its history, and it would take me a whole sermon series to go into it. But to give you the basis, let’s look at the word itself.
The word “revive” is made up of two words, “re” meaning “again,” and “vive” meaning “to live.” Therefore, to revive means to live again, to be brought back to life, health, and vitality. And so, a spiritual revival is when the spiritual lives of God’s people are revitalized and restored.
A revival is a return of God’s people to spiritual health, and to God’s will and way for their lives and for the church.
Revival is a genuine heart felt and Holy Spirit generated change. It isn’t just changing our behavior, because changing our behaviors and habits isn’t enough. It’s only when our relationship with God is restored through genuine repentance, through godly sorrow over our sinful ways and a return to God’s will and way, that is when we’ll see revival.
In the end, a true revival requires a change in our hearts where we love God with the whole of our being, and it’s where we obey His word.
When we talk about revival, there is one verse that is most often quoted. It is 2 Chronicles 7:14. It says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV)
Now in connection with our passage, what stands out to me is of our need to turn from our wicked ways, that is, to repent of our sins. And, although I am hesitant to say this, because it’s going to ruffle some feathers, but sin is missing the mark, and many of us are missing God’s mark in our giving, which is exactly what was happening in the time of Malachi.
And so, through Malachi, God is offering to restore and revive His people by asking them to return to Him by obeying His commandments so He can return to them.
And so, the people rightly ask, as all of us would, and that is, what’s keeping it from happening saying, “What do we have to do?” And notice what the Lord replied. Lord said, “Quit robbing Me!” And they replied, “How are we robbing You,” and God responded in the giving of their tithe and offerings.
And what I believe, and what I have seen not only in my own life, but in the lives of others, is that to withhold our tithes and offerings, not only robs God, but it robs us as well. Now, you might ask how does it rob us? It robs us of God’s blessings, and by what we’ve seen, not only in what the Lord says to Malachi, but what we see throughout history.
And so, if we think we have it rough now with all this inflation, just wait, it’s going to get worse, if we as the church don’t start doing it God’s way.
And so, God gives to us our marching orders. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house.” (Malachi 3:10a NKJV)
What we need to understand is that this is actually God testing our faith. Do we believe that God is able to take care of our needs? We see this as the Lord continues saying, …
“Try Me now in this if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing…and I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground.” (Malachi 3:10b-11 NKJV)
Maybe you didn’t know this, but this is the only time God said that we can test His faithfulness.
Now, look at one more thing quickly with me if you would. Yes, when we give the way God has outlined for us, He’ll open the windows of heaven. When I think about this, I see what Solomon said.
“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV)
But then we need to look a little further in the Lord said to Malachi to get the fullness of this blessing. It says that He will also rebuke the devourer at the same time.
“‘And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ says the Lord of hosts; ‘And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:11-12 NKJV)
Wow, what this is saying is that when we don’t follow God’s word, then there’s a devourer that comes and starts to eat away at what we have, and we’ll never find true satisfaction.
Who is this devourer? Let me reveal him to you through another prophet who was prophesying at the same time as Malachi. It was the prophet Haggai, and he identifies what this devourer does.
“Consider your ways! ‘You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.’” (Haggai 1:5-6 NKJV)
As I began my walk of faith, I remember giving to meet needs within the church, like the chairs, office furniture, money for construction and the like, and I gave quite a lot, but it wasn’t in accordance with God’s word. And I remember that while I made plenty of money, in the end, there was nothing left. I never gave in full accordance with God’s word, but when I did, God did open up the windows of heaven and rebuked the devourer, and afterwards God started me on this new journey of faith that sees me here today.
I really need us to understand that this isn’t about giving to the church; it’s a principle for life. People are financially strapped because they’re not following God’s principle and procedure to receive His promise. And God’s promise is that He will open up heaven and rebuke the devourer.
Now, for some they are unable to give the full tithe right now, which is 10% according to the word’s definition. But what I end up telling people, it’s not about perfection but direction. It’s a heart issue, not an amount issue. But I have seen with so many is that when they start giving with the right motives in wanting to keep God’s word and started doing it His way and not their own.
The prophet Joel talked about what the people needed to do for revival, and then when they would, He said something that speaks to this specifically.
“Rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. (Joel 2:13 NKJV)
And then He makes this proclamation when they do. “Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him – a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?” (Joel 2:14 NKJV)
Let me end this part by saying how amazed I am at how so many people want God to bless their health, their families, and their finances, but they won’t follow His instructions on how they are to care for themselves, their families, and handle their finances.
But remember I said there were two things that they were doing? Well, the second is found in verses 13-15.
And it revolves around what they were saying. They were saying that it’s useless to serve God and it doesn’t profit a thing to keep His commandments.
“‘Your words have been harsh against Me,’ says the Lord, ‘Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts?’” (Malachi 3:13-14 NKJV)
Walking as mourners speaks directly to what God asked them to do, and to rend their hearts and not their garments, that is, to mourn over their sinful condition.
But catch what they are saying. Their asking the question, why do we serve God. What has He done for us? They were saying that God doesn’t care. That everything that we’re doing for God is without meaning and useless.
In taking it with the earlier message, it’s saying, “Why do we need to give. If God is the owner of the cattle on 1000 hills, and all the gold and silver are His, why does He need us to give?”
But it’s not that God needs it, He wants to see our faith through it, and He wants to bless us to an even greater degree. Remember what we are told that He is able to do above and beyond what we can ask or even imagine.
So, how are we to give? I think Paul helps here with our understanding.
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV)
Give Thoughtfully
“As he purposes in his heart.”
Solomon says that as a person thinks in their heart, that is who they’re going to be, Proverbs 23:7. To “purpose in our heart” means we must make up our minds to give God’s way instead of our own way. Some people think that spur of the moment giving is spiritual. But it’s not. The Holy Spirit has already told us though the God’s word.
Therefore, we aren’t to give impulsively; and that’s because our impulses are ruled by our emotions, and our emotions lie to us. Rather, we’re to give not only through prayer, but also by what God’s word says.
Give Enthusiastically
“Not grudgingly”
The word, “enthusiastic,” comes from the Greek word meaning, “God is in them.” To be enthusiastic is to be so filled with God that the Holy Spirit dominates our behavior. To give enthusiastically is to give based on the fact that God is alive in us.
Our giving to God should never be based on guilt or shame, which can be seen in this word “grudgingly.” Rather it’s to be in a spirit of excitement knowing that we’re following God’s way for our lives.
Give Voluntarily
“Not of necessity”
We are not to give in response to pressure. Some think that by my talking about giving in a message is pressure. Trust me, this isn’t pressure. Pressure is an organization that goes on a financial drive to raise money, and when the goal isn’t met, that’s when the pressure begins.
But if anyone feels like I’m stepping on their toes and they’re feeling a little uncomfortable, there’s an adage that says, “You can’t step on anyone’s toes if they weren’t exposed to begin with.”
We are to give in obedience to God’s word, not pressured by others, which brings me to Paul’s last point.
Give Cheerfully
“God loves a cheerful giver”
The word for cheerful in the Greek is ‘hilaros,” which is our English word for ‘hilarious.’ God wants us to have a good time when we give. Think back, when’s the last time you heard a congregation laughing and applauding when it came time to give their tithes and offerings.
The Bible doesn’t say, “Give until it hurts;” rather “Give because it feels good to obey God’s word.” It’s a lot more fun when we give and know that it’s making a difference.
Conclusion
The question is will we believe God, or will we believe our own understanding?
When we remember just how much God gave to us in giving His Son, Jesus, to die in our place so that we can have eternal life. And when we remember the generosity of Jesus who left His heavenly estate to become one of us so that we might become rich through His poverty, that is when our giving to God is put into its proper perspective.
However, the greatest thing we can give to God isn’t money or possessions; rather it’s ourselves.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1 NKJV)
And so, I think we can say, like the Apostle Paul, in full assurance and faith, “My God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
