Tithing: One Of The Most Important Responsibilities Of Any True Believer

Tithing One of the Most important Responsibilities of any true Believer Mat. 23:23-24 23: (Stewardship Day)

Una de las mas importantes Responsabilidades del verdadero Creyente

Numbers 18:21-32, Malc.3:8-12

Lev. 27:30-33, " ’A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. 32 The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the LORD. 33 He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’ "

NT: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Intr.

1. When the builders of a proposed bridge across the Niagara Falls began construction many years ago, the first matter at hand was how to span the river w/ the suspension cables. Launching a simple kite, the builders were able to get a thin string across. Using the string, they drew a rope across, which was followed by a larger rope, then a small cable, and finally a cable heavy enough to use as support in building the bridge. When it was completed, the huge structure, that could support a train, showed no signs of having once been launched by a simple kite! (The Fast Tracks of Faith – Stewardship, Joseph Rodgers www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=64240)

2. This story makes me think about the saying that says: great things usually start small. It also says that to do a great work you must begin small and keep it simple. This is one fundamental truth in every sphere of our lives; and the same principle applies to our stewardship. We don’t need to start big, but we need to start at some point and we don’t have to make burdensome what God intends to be rewarding, fulfilling and exhilarating. This passage is an invitation to consider how our stewardship, or what our grade in the class called Stewardship would be?

3. Jesus is teaching his disciples during the last week of his life, and normally, when we know that the time is running out, you want to affirm few things that you consider to be important, critical, fundamental; so here is one of the most important principles and responsibilities of a true believer. Be a good Steward.

I. WE ARE STEWARDS/ SOMOS ADMINISTRADORES

A. WHO IS IN CHARGE/ QUIEN ESTA A CARGO

1. First of all, in order to be good stewards we need to realize that we are stewards. What does it mean to be stewards? Does it means that we are partially owners, and partially stewards or does it means that there is someone else who owns everything we seem to posses? You see, the question is not who owns what you have, but who is in charge? Who is on the throne? Who is honored by the way we administer the resources we have received?

2. What is the problem between Jesus and the Pharisees? Well, it seems that the Pharisees were hypocrites. What is a hypocrite? A hypocrite is someone who does things in appearance. One who hides behind a mask. The dictionary says that a hypocrite is a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess. In this passage it is a person who fakes his love for God; who intents to show everyone that he or she loves God by doing things, but their heart is far away from God. In this passage the question is who is in charge of what you seem to have?

B. STEWARDSHIP INVOLVES EVERYTHING / LA ADMINISTRACION ENVUELVE TODO

1. Stewardship is not only about money, it is about a life that you live and it involves every area of your life. It involves your gifts, your talents, time, and money etc. stewardship has to do how you manage everything you have received. It is about giving to God the best of who we are and what we have received.

2. Let’s listen to the Scriptures: Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Isaiah 45: 12 It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. ?My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. These passages imply that God is the creator and owner of everything that exist in the heavens and the earth and there is not any Biblical or legal document in which God gave us full power and ownership of what is his. That makes us just stewards, not owners.