Tithes And Offerings Series

Title: Tithe’s and Offerings: Our DNA

Theme: To show how giving in tithes and offerings are part of a Christians DNA.

Text: Malichi 6:19 - 21

Opening Scriptures

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:22-24 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. (23) But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (24) "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Introduction

(Note our church does not "take up offering". We have offering stations that people can drop their giving in. This personally frees me up from worrying about preaching on giving as a way to "raise money for the church.)

For about two months now we have been looking at what I call the “Christian DNA”. I have not officially titled that but that is what keeps coming up in the messages.

We talked about the ascension of Christ (the second coming of Christ, He’s coming back), the trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit), the great commission (witnessing and sharing our faith, testimony, a changed life), the Great Divide (heaven and hell) having freedom in Christ, worship (magnifying the Lord, make God big.)

This a doctrine but also evidence of being a follower of Christ. They are that fruits that are shown. I thought we would end this Sunday but actually I have two more that I believe are essential to the DNA of a Chistian.

Jesus makes it clear that as a follower of Christ we are to “seek His kingdom first”. What does that mean? We are to speak to God about decisions we make in our life. We are to look to God for our hope and peace. We are to give to God’s kingdom, not building a kingdom here on earth but laying up toward a kingdom in heaven.

Look again at Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

That is an important principle. Where ever my treasure (important possessions, what I hold dear) is, is where my heart is. Or as I like to say, “I need to put my treasure into where I want my heart to be.”

Jesus breaks it down even further and says, (24) "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

So, He tells us from all the context of the passage that He is talking about money. Mammon is a reference to money. But there is a deeper meaning here. It is not just money but the control of money. Mammon we actually evil. You know and I know that money (or the love of money can be evil). Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:10 “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” That is pretty powerful.

The principle of not letting money control you goes all the back to the Old Testament.

Now turn with me to Malachi 3. I believe here God breaks down the importance of place our “treasure” in Him. He begins by having the dialogue with Israel. Except is revealing to them what their heart is saying. They may be saying one thing with their lips but their heart is saying something different.

(Mal 3:8) "Will a man rob God?

The verb to "rob" (Mal_3:8), used in the Old Testament only here and in Pro_22:23, means to "rob, defraud, or to overreach" (although in Talmudic literature it means "to take forcibly").

God – el-o-heem

Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.

How is not giving in tithes and offerings robbing God? Isreal and we rob God by “cheating” God or holding back what is His.

Tithing is a universal principle that finds itself in Abraham and Jacob (before the law). But I believe it finds itself all the way back to Cain and Able. Giving of what is expected. Including the first fruits.