Bring your tithes into the storehouse
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Pastor Ken shares a message on Biblical Stewardship.
During the first few years of the twenty-first century, Americans have already contended with a remarkable amount of political and economic tumult, ranging from the Sept. 11 attacks to the collapse of the 1990′s economic boom to military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Uneasiness and caution have ruled the financial decision-making of many American households.
Now, recently released statistics from the Barna Research Group, indicate that this pervasive apprehension may have contributed to a dramatic one-year decrease in the number of American homes that tithe to their churches. Barna’s data shows that only 3 percent of adults contributed 10 percent of their 2002 income to churches, which marks a 62 percent decrease from 2001 when 8 percent of American adults tithed.
Among born-again Christians, the decline was similarly steep, from 14 percent in 2001 to 6 percent in 2002. Barna attributes the sudden drop to a variety of factors, including the soft economy and ongoing terrorism threat. But he also pegs shifting church demographics—younger adults don’t share their parents’ and grandparents’ convictions about tithing.
This generation seems not so much put off as mystified by the concept. Their questions are honest enough: “Who came up with the figure of ten percent? Why should we take this figure as authoritative? Isn’t tithing legalism?” Here, as in most churchly matters, a bit of history can go a long way. Most discussions of tithing begin with the Old Testament precedent, first recorded in Genesis 14:20.
The First Tithe
After winning an astounding victory in battle and retrieving his nephew Lot along with all his lost possessions, Abram thanked God by giving Melchizedek one-tenth of all he had. Then, in Numbers 18:21, we find tithing included in the Mosaic Law. Its purpose was to provide for the Levites, whom God wanted to concentrate on priestly duties. While the New Testament contains no explicit command to tithe, many have argued that this relationship between the Levites and the other tribes of Israel prefigures how Christians should provide for their ministers. This view of tithing, known as parallelism, gained prominence in the church around the sixth century. Many non-Jewish and pre-Christian societies also practiced tithing-like giving. Some ancient sources describe how kings imposed a type of first-fruits tax to maintain holy shrines and support clergy.
From Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonia to the temples of Apollo in Delphi and Athena in Athens, pre-Christian centers of worship collected tithes for their gods. Ancient cultures as disparate as the Greeks and Chinese—including the Arabians, Phoenicians, Romans, and Carthaginians—gave in ways mirroring the tithe. Some scholars believe ancient cultures hit on the seemingly arbitrary figure of one-tenth because they often did calculations on their fingers. The early church’s views on tithing foreshadowed many of today’s stewardship debates.
The Eastern Church began tithing out of obligation because they believed Jesus’ conversation with the rich young man demanded sacrificial generosity. Clement of Alexandria and Irenaeus pleaded with the church to surpass even the Old Testament tithe since Christ had freed them from the Law. Later church fathers—John Chrysostom, Cyprian, Origen, and Augustine among them—complained from time to time that their followers lacked Christian charity. Chrysostom even shamed his stingy church for marveling at those who tithed. He contrasted their amazement with the dutiful giving of Old Testament Jews.
Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
The Negative Impact on Ministries
Today, Last Harvest Fellowship, while supporting others, has watched giving levels drop to an all-time low in 2009. From 1984 the ministry’s income grew from the first year of $25,000 to an all-time high of $250,000 in 1993, to the lowest level now in 2009. Contrast that level of giving with the population we are serving. In 1984, I had approximately 100 initial donors. By 1993 we had over 450 donors. In 2009, we are supported now by barely 3 donors.
As a result, we are having to find lower cost, lest effective hosting for our sites to keep them live, cutting back out office space, copiers, fax machine and such. Even now, eliminating video in place of live radio hosted on a free blog. Even with all our ‘cuts’ and not taking a salary from the ministry for over 10 years, we still see that because of the perverted attitude on tithing, we are suffering directly as a result.
Like church fathers—John Chrysostom, Cyprian, Origen, and Augustine, I too agree that our followers have exchanged the gift of giving watching God’s blessings flow back to them for their charity to a welfare entitlement attitude of “gimmie-gimmie” only to realize that because of their lack of biblical thinking every blessing seems to be passing them by.
Our nation as a whole has become so radically leftist and socialist that millions are of the mind that the government is supposed to take care of them. Little do they know, that at this very moment (2009) plans are being made in high places to invoke China’s one-child coerced/mandated/forced abortion policy, global carbon-taxation and global world control of all humans with a stated, published goal to reduce world population by 90% in the next few years.
The curses of God are falling hard upon America and much of it goes right back to the individuals belief system. If you think you can be blessed without doing what God has indicated, suggested and commanded you to do, you will be grossly disappointed. I urge everyone to pray deep and hard about what the tithe means in your life. Do you worry about every penny you get? Do you horde every dime you can muster? Or do you trust God that He is able to provide for you and your family?
Attribute of Tithing is like the Law of Gravity
There is a fact of life that is as real as the law of gravity. When you give, you are planting a seed. The seed has to be planted to make it grow. Without planting it will never grow and thus you will never have a blessing. With a planting comes the growth of the new tree. The tree grows and your ‘investment’ multiplies back to you in many ways. 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.”
Jesus Taught the Tithe, Jesus spoke these words. It is not my thought, my greedy way to thinking as some might suggest. It is not Jesus thwarting nor usurping His own grace with law! It is a principle of blessings that never changed. It was in place when God created Adam and Eve and continued as Jesus was ministering. It has been practiced throughout church history only until these last days as a huge number of believers are falling away in to sin.
First let’s outline 4 general types of giving:
1. Cheerful tithe- This follows the paths outlined in the Old Testament Covenant(OTC) to instruct them in their giving while cheerfully and willingly submitting themselves to that authority.
2. Cheerful Spirit-led- This follows the paths outlined in the New Testament Covenant(NTC) to instruct them in their giving and cheerfully and willingly submit themselves to that authority.
3. Un-cheerful tithe- This believes tithing is right in some cases, but generally either struggle to or don’t give in accordance to the paths of giving outlined in the OTC.
4. Un-cheerful Anti-Spirit-led- This believes free-will is right, but generally either struggle to or don’t give in accordance to the paths of giving outlined in the New Testament Covenant, claiming that it is “illegal” under grace.
Let’s Look at these 4 Categories
These categories of givers could be broken down into smaller, specific groups, if the time was taken, but these four points are trying to show the tithe and offering similarities more than the differences. Both cheerful and un-cheerful are determined based on the decision of subordinating to the presupposed authority. Both ways recognize the authority in one’s life and both individuals choose to be subordinates or not.
Because a tithe giver and spirit-led giver can both experience joy and sorrow of giving, we cannot determine our theology based on stories and testimonies of provision and blessing from either side of the tithe issue. Generations of tale telling can be told on how God blessed and provided for either side, based on his form of giving. The Ultimate Question The ultimate question is, which authority should we follow, and why? Church tithe and offerings expose the false teachings that have been left unchallenged for centuries.
One of the main reasons why tithing has been unchallenged for so long, is our lack of understanding the Old and New Testament’s purpose towards each other. Here is a list to help us lay a foundation for Spirit-led giving and tithing in order to understand the authority of God’s covenants.
1. The New Testament Covenant has a higher authority than the Old Testament covenant.
2. The New Testament will endorse, continue, confirm, modify, or abolish any form of Old Testament law or principle. For example, the New Testament frees us from food regulations declared in the Old Testament Covenant, and confirms our responsibility towards the ministers at the altar.
3. In order for a law in the Word of God to be considered an eternal principle, it must duplicate an exact character trait of God. For instance circumcision is not an eternal law, and cannot even be performed outside of an earthly body; but spiritual circumcision is an attribute of God, and its truth lives eternally. These points are not necessarily prerequisites for understanding the tithe issue; but they help point out a clearer picture of discerning what Old Testament Covenants have been abolished, while at the same time understanding how all scripture is profitable. Even with these foundations laid, I bow down to God’s word as the ultimate authority about tithe and offerings.
Have We Robbed God?
What comes to mind when you think of a robber or thief? We might visualize a bank robber, a house burglar, or even a shop-lifter. But could you imagine one of your fellow church members, or even yourself, as a robber? It may seem impossible, yet the scripture below clearly states that all those who do not pay their tithes have robbed God.
Malachi 3:8-11
(8P “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, In what way have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings.
(9) You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
(10) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this, Says the LORD of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
(11) 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;”
It All Comes From God
Someone may ask, “How could I have robbed God by not paying tithes? The money I earn is mine, and I haven’t stolen anything from God!” As we know, “robbery” is the act of taking something that does not belong to you. God specifically used the term “robbery” in Malachi to show that the tithe (which means a tenth) belongs to Him. We must understand that God is the owner of this earth, and everything on it belongs to Him. “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein” (Psa. 24:1).
Elsewhere, the Bible says, “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the LORD of hosts” (Hag. 2:8). Before we become possessive about the treasures of this world, let us first remember that He created this planet and everyone on it, and even though Satan holds a temporary dominion through sin (2 Cor. 4:4), the earth still belongs to God. Furthermore, God is responsible for every means that people have to make a living (John 3:27, Jas. 1:17).
Are you a farmer? You plant God’s seeds in His earth and rely upon His rain and sunshine to ripen it to harvest. Are you an auto worker? All the steel, glass, rubber, plastic, oil and gasoline are products from God’s earth. Are you a craftsman? Your talent or skill to work at a trade is given by God. He has given you your brain, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, fingers, legs, and feet that you use to earn your living. Even the silver and copper in our coins, and the wood pulp in our paper currency comes from God’s earth. It is extremely fair of God to only require a tenth to be returned to Him, since He owns 100% of this planet.
Unfortunately, many Christians misunderstand the idea of tithing. They often think of it as giving a tenth from “their own” property to God. However, in reality it is God that has done the giving to us, and claims the return of only 10% of His own property. Tithing is not taking a tenth of our own money and giving it to God, but it is returning a tenth of what was already His to begin with!
The scripture says,“But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You” (1 Chron. 29:14). God is so generous to us. He gives us the 90% and retains only 10% of what is rightfully His. Stewards Of God’s Property Someone once suggested, “Well, if the tenth already belongs to God, why doesn’t He just automatically withhold the tithe and then give us the rest, like the IRS withholds taxes from our wages?
That way God won’t have to depend on us to pay our tithes.” God has chosen for us to personally return the tithe so that we can demonstrate our stewardship of his property. Stewardship is the faithful and responsible management of something that belongs to someone else. Obviously, if God observes that we are irresponsible to return the small percentage that belongs to Him as He has directed, He knows that we can neither be trusted with any greater responsibilities or blessings in the Kingdom of God (Luke 16:10-11).
Tithing is a Test of Faith
Tithing is a test of our stewardship over the property of God, a test of our honesty to return to God what is rightfully His, a test of our obedience to do what He told us to do, and a test of our love and desire to please Him with our lives. Tithing is a demonstration that we believe in God, and that we acknowledge that He is the provider of all material blessings. If you haven’t the faith to believe that the tithe belongs to the Lord, neither can you have faith in Him to meet your financial needs. After all, if you don’t believe that the tenth is His, you must not believe that the whole earth is His either.
Without that confidence in His supremacy, there could be no confidence in His ability to provide our needs. Most of us realize that robbery is a serious offense in our secular society, and those convicted of this crime can be sentenced to years in jail. But what happens to a person who is guilty of robbing God? The scriptures say that he will be “cursed with a curse” (Mal. 3:9). What kind of curse is this?
From Malachi we see that God’s blessing to the tither is to open Heaven’s windows and pour out abundant blessings, and to rebuke the devourer (Satan) from destroying their increase and fruitfulness (Mal. 3:10-11). In contrast, the non-tither is cursed by having no protection to prevent the devourer from destroying their prosperity, and God cannot shower them with His abundant Heavenly blessings. God cannot bless or protect the prosperity of the person who does not tithe! This indeed is a curse. Some claim they can’t afford to pay their tithes. But let me ask, “Can you afford to be cursed?
Can You Afford Not to Tithe?
Can you afford to not have God’s blessings and protection over your finances? Can you afford to be considered a thief or robber of God’s property? Or can you afford to be a person who does not obey the Word of God?” The fact is, you cannot afford not to pay your tithes, because this is the principle that God has chosen to bless you! Another person once asked, “Why does God need my tithe?” In answer to this question, He doesn’t need your money or anyone else’s. Remember, God is the owner of the whole universe and all its wealth. However, He has chosen to use your tithes and offerings for the expenses of maintaining “spiritual meat” in His house (Mal. 3:10). On the first day of the week you are to bring your tithes and offerings to the “storehouse” of your Church where you are spiritually fed (1 Cor. 16:2).
How important it is that we are faithful in our tithes and offerings, as this is God’s method of funding the preaching of His Word and the spreading of the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:13-14). The Tithe Is Your Seed God is blessed by your tithe as an expression of your love and obedience to Him, yet tithing is primarily for your own benefit so that God can bless you.
There is a universal law that God has placed in both the natural and spiritual realms. This is the law of sowing and reaping. “…God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). The tithe is “seed” that you plant in God that will bring the harvest of prosperity. All farmers understand God’s law of sowing and reaping. After a harvest in Bible times, before the farmer would use any of the grain as food for his family or livestock, he would first go through the harvest grain and pick out a percentage that exhibited the best qualities of size, weight, color, and set this aside as seed for the next season’s crop planting.
This early form of genetic selection helped assure that the next generation of crops would produce higher yields and greater quality. This illustrates our tithe, why it cannot be the 10% that is left over after we pay everything else. The part that God claims and uses as seed is the first and best 10% of your increase, called the firstfruits. “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” (Prov. 3:9-10). Don’t “eat your seed grain.” Do not use the Lord’s tithe for anything else!
Because if you don’t sow, you can’t reap.
How We Receive From God
The tithe is God’s property that we are required to return to Him, however an “offering” is that which we give voluntarily out of our own property after the tithe has been subtracted. As we give our tithes, and give offerings above our tithe to God, He will continue to bless us and multiply our return in proportion to our investment in Him (2 Cor. 9:6).
I challenge you to become a tither and a giver to God, and “prove” His promise to bless you, just as He invites you to do in Malachi 3:10. Give to God in faith, expecting Him to bless your return (Mark 11:24), and give cheerfully, expressing joy and confidence in giving to God (2 Cor. 9:7). The same proportion that you open your faith to give to Him, He will use that same proportion as His measurement to bring blessing back to you! “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
Matthew 18: 1-14
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