MAL.3:6-12 "WHY GIVE TO GOD"
A) This is a subject that is very touchy! * But Jesus talked about this subject a lot!
* In fact, Jesus talked about money 16 out of 38 parables, 1 out of 10 verses in the gospels!
B) The Bible devotes 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith,
* But over 2000 verses on money and possessions!
C) Teaching stewardship is a life long process!
* The following principles should continually be taught in order to develop good stewards
within the church. * Listen at these principles!
(1) THE "WHO’S IN CHARGE" PRINCIPLE! * God is the owner, I am the manager!
* Ps.24:1 "The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell ..."
* Ps.89:11 "The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fullness
thereof, thou hast founded them."
* Hag.2:8 "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts."
* 1 Chron.29:14 " ... of thine own have we given thee."
A) God owns it all, it’s not mine, I just manage it!
* You don’t give God a tithe, you don’t give God anything, you’ve never given God anything!
* Wake up! * You return the tithe! * Lev.27:30 " ... the tithe is the Lord’s."
B) You don’t give it to the One who owns it, you return it!
* The reason people withhold the tithe is they don’t understand that God owns it!
* They think it is their money and they become possessive! * Matt.25:14-30
C) If we don’t tithe, we rob God! * Yet every Sun. when the offering plate is passed,
* We witness one of the most serious robberies in our city!
* Our newspapers don’t carry the story & no one files a complaint at the police station!
D) What if someone reached in and took money out of the offering plate?
* Some take it before it ever gets to the offering plate!
* If you make $500.00 a week, how much belongs to God? * All of it does!
(2) THE "CHEERFUL ATTITUDE" PRINCIPLE!
* Stewardship starts with loving, not giving! * Tithing is an act of love!
A) Turn with me to 2 Cor. 9:7-8 and listen to what God says!
* Grudgingly - The idea here is to give out of sorrow, i.e. being grieved to have given something
to God’s work or some worthy project! * This is not an attitude pleasing to God!
* Necessity - suggests something as difficult as pulling eye teeth!
* People who give with this attitude usually view giving to God’s work in much the same way
they do paying a bill! * It’s not something they do out of joy & love, but of necessity!
* Cheerful - hilariously, willingly without being pressured or shamed, generously & wisely.
* Jesus is our example of this kind of attitude! * 2 Cor.8:9 "For ye know the grace ......."
* Matt.10:8 Jesus said, "Freely ye have received, freely give."
B) We measure our love to Christ by the obedience of giving our tithe!
* John 14:21 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and
he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself ..."
C) We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving!
* I’m not sure all happy people are generous, but I’ve never seen a generous person who
wasn’t happy!
(3) THE "BIG SHOVEL" PRINCIPLE! * You cannot outgive God! * I dare you to try!
* Luke 6:38 "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that
ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
A) When you tithe for the right reasons, you have gone into business with God!
* When you invest one-tenth of your income with God, He promises to "open the windows
of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room ...!" Mal.3:10
B) God will not be any man’s debtor, He will keep His promise!
* 2 Cor.9:6 "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly ......."
(4) THE "RIVER" PRINCIPLE! * Our life is like a river not a reservoir.
* God will give to us what He knows will flow through us!
A) Tithing helps the church carry out the great commission!
* The church is commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every .......!
* This requires money to provide for the church building, provide salaries for God’s servants,
and carry out the countless other expenses associated with the ministry!
B) A tithing church will not have to beg for money & plan gimmicks to raise its budget.
* Matt. 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
* We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give!
(5) THE "WHO HAS WHO" PRINCIPLE! * Tithing recognizes God’s ownership of our lives!
* The tithe is described in the Bible as the firstfruits, meaning, a tither gives to God the firstfruits
to be harvested! * Prov.3:9 "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits ..."
A) If we put God first in our lives, He will honor us! * Matt.6:33 "But seek ye first ......."
* We demonstrate our dedication when we tithe! * We give Him the firstfruits because he
is first in our lives! * Until God is in control of my life, I’m out of control!
B) Tithing will keep us from the lust of money!
* Those who don’t tithe are not only disobedient, but they demonstrate a greater love for money
than they do for God! * 1 Tim.6:10 "For the love of money is the root ......."
* But those who will weekly deposit their tithe in God’s bank reveal their faith in God to
take care of all their needs!
CLOSE
A) In our text, v.9 says, "Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me."
* I believe this curse is described by Haggai the prophet!
* Hag.1:6 "Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink,
but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth
wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes."
B) There is only one way to lift the curse! * v.10-12 * Why give to God? * Why not?
