Reasons Not To Tithe Text : Malachi 1: 16-10, 3: 6-12

Transcription

1 Sermon : Reasons Not To Tithe Page 1 INTRODUCTION : Reasons Not To Tithe Text : Malachi 1: 16-10, 3: 6-12 A. We are in the middle of a series on giving. 1. This is a highly personal and for some an emotional topic. ( core issue of faith ) a. The church does not enforce a standard on anyone. b. Each person has to determine within His own heart. 2. This is an issue which Jesus dealt with extensively. 3. It s a direct indicator of one s level of spirituality which he can easily monitor. a. It is not a financial matter. ( God will not starve w/o your money. Psa 50: 12 ) b. It is a spiritual matter which reflects your relationship with God. B. In our last lessons, we looked at the concept of tithing. 1. We saw that to tithe means to give 10% to God. 2. God owns all so the tithe is a small price to pay for using His earth, air, etc. 3. It is the only acceptable percentage mentioned in the bible. ( predates the law ) 4. God views those who do not give Him what He is due and being thieves. ( text ) C. In that lesson we also quickly looked at six reasons why a Christian should tithe. 1. It honors the principle of giving which God sets forth in His word. ( from Abe on ) 2. Tithing honors the rights of the God who created us and all we enjoy. ( Psa. 24 ) 3. Our tithing works as an antidote to greed and covetousness. ( cultural programming ) 4. Giving God the first fruits prevents our spending from expanding to the limits. 5. Tithing demonstrates that we are freely committing ourselves to God. 6. Exceeding our tithe provides for sufficiency in our lives. a. Giving our full tithe is the ONLY thing that God challenges us to test Him on. Mal. 3: 10- Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows. b. Jesus set forth a similar challenge to Christians : Matt. 6:33- But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. By this lesson we will examine some common objections to tithing.

2 Sermon : Reasons Not To Tithe Page 2 I. Some object that tithing is an O.T. concept and not binding upon Christians.. A. The value of the Old Testament is to teach us about God and His plan. 1. One thing we learn about God in the O.T. is that He is consistent. 2. Anything that pleased God in times of old will please Him now. a. Justice & Mercy b. Faith & Love 3. He has always sought obedience and worship from a devoted, a willing heart. B. The O.T. is commended to us as being profitable to Christians. 1. They instruct us and lead us to the anticipation of eternity with God : Rom. 15: 4- For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 2. They make one wise enough to find salvation in Jesus : II Tim. 3: 15- and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 3. Therefore, we cannot disregard something just because it is taught in the O.T. C. The moral precepts of the Law of Moses are from God and therefore eternal. 1. Much of the Law of Moses was a codification of generally accepted standards. a. Don t steal, kill, don t lie. b. Be faithful to God. 2. We re not told how or when, but it is obvious that God revealed His will to man prior to the giving of the Law of Moses. ( only for one nation ) a. The people before the flood were judged by some standard. ( Gen. 5-6 ) b. Joseph knew that fornication was sin before the Law of Moses. ( Gen. 39: 9 ) 3. Tithing was one of those things revealed before the Law of Moses. a. Abraham knew to tithe. ( Gen. 14: 20 ) b. Jacob ( Gen. 28: 22 ) D. Though tithing is not specifically commanded in the N.T. it is understood. 1. Christians are commanded to give in proportion to their income. I Cor. 16: 2- as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. 2. The only proportion to which as could refer is 10% no other is mentioned.

3 Sermon : Reasons Not To Tithe Page 3 II. Many complain, I can t afford to tithe.. ( Actually, they can t afford not to. ) A. If I tithe to God I cannot pay my bills. ( Used God s blessings for lifestyle. ) 1. There isn t 10% left over after I meet my obligations. 2. It s a sin not to pay my bills. ( Rom. 13: 8- Owe nothing to anyone ) * 3. If you are in this circumstance it s clear that you have two spiritual problems. a. You have placed your loyalty in the wrong place b. and you have underestimated the power of God. B. Things are weapons Satan uses against us in our daily spiritual warfare. 1. Americans are caught on a runaway treadmill of accumulation. a. Our life centers around getting more and better things. b. Approximately 50K self-storage businesses in the U.S. ( 80 % of all in world ) 2. We are trained from our youth up to think in terms of things. a. People judge others by the things they own. ( House, car, toys, etc. ) b. Families are often secondary to acquisition. ( Marriages, children, aged ) 3. Jesus demands that HE and He alone be the center of your life. a. Must choose No one can serve two master; for either he Matt. 6: 24 b. We must not be seduced by leaks and pomegranates of Egypt. I John 2: c. If there is anything more important the God in our life, He will reject us. Lk 14 C. God promises to bless those who put Him first and He will do it. 1. Mal. 3: 8-10 Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, How have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows. *2. Understanding this principle about God, no one can afford not to give God His rightful share. a. God owns a percentage of all your increase. b. He views it as theft to withhold what is rightfully His. c. If and how much one prospers is in God s hand. ( Only God can open the window. )

4 Sermon : Reasons Not To Tithe Page 4 D. One must understand the way the law of sowing and reaping works. 1. First, one reaps what he sows. a. If one sows corn, he never wonders what he will harvest. b. Gal. 6: 6-8 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 2. Second, one always reaps more than He sows. a. 15 lbs of seed corn sown on one acre will yield north of 7,000 lbs. ( 500 to 1 ) b. When God opens the windows of Heaven, there is no limit to what He gives. 3. Third, the reaping is in proportion to the sowing. a. Common sense If one plants 1000 acres he expects more than if he 500 acres. b. It works the same way in the spiritual realm. Little commitment yields little. 4. Fourth, one reaps AFTER he sows. a. That corn picker stays in the shed for 3 mo. after the seeds are put in the ground. b. Gal. 6: 9 - Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in NOT : I ll give more due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. when I have more. E. God will always keep His promises. 1. Matt. 6:33- But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 2. Mal. 3: 10- Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows. 3. When the first fruits are devoted to God, He will bless the harvest. ILL. - Missionary was teaching about tithing. A boy from his congregation knocked on his door holding a nice fish. When the missionary came to the door, the boy said, Here, ( extending the fish ) you said we need to give 10% so here s my tithe. The missionary asked, Where are the other nine fish? The boy responded, They re still in the river; I m going back to catch them. This boy understood what God wants. III. The church doesn t need as much as it gets, they have money in the bank.. A. Some people think they should only give when the elders beg for money. 1. One member said, I d give more if the church did not have that CD in the bank. 2. That member didn t understand the concept of giving at all.

5 Sermon : Reasons Not To Tithe Page 5 B. The person who gives, gives to the Lord. 1. God does not need your money to get by. Psa. 50 ( You re giving Him his own.) ILL.- It s the same as a child using his allowance to purchase a present for parent. 2. When you give what you owe God, you do your duty to God. 3. Only when you give God more than you owe Him, you express love for God. C. In our text the tithes and offerings were put in the storehouse for future use. 1. Mal. 3: 10- Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts,. 2. When restoring the worship of God, Nehemiah brought tithes into the warehouse. Neh. 13: All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses. 13 In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, D. In the N.T. the tithes and offerings are to be brought into the church. 1. I Tim. 3: 15- but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, ( cf. Mal. 3: 10 ) which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 2. In the early church, offerings they were laid at the feet of the elders. a. Acts 4: 37 Barnabas b. Acts 5: 2 Ananias and Sapphira * It is not to be given to the red cross, a TV evangelist, a place we re visiting, etc. 3. I Cor. 16: 2- On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. a. The collection is to be made in advance of the use and stored in the church. ( Cf. Deut. 12: 18 Tithes were to be taken to the place God chose. ) b. The collection is to be made weekly in the assembly. ( Made up when absent. ) c. Every member who earns is to be a part of the collection. ( Part of worship. ) d. One s offering is to be proportionate to his income. ILL Child had all the can goods from the kitchen playing store. When the father came home and saw it, he was going to play along with his child. I ll take a can of corn, he said. The child put the can on the counter, the father picked it up and put down a dime, but when he started to walk away, the child protested, Daddy, we re playing store, not church. 3. Offerings are not just a financial matter ; it is a serious spiritual matter. ( heart )

6 Sermon : Reasons Not To Tithe Page 6 IV. I don t like the way the elders spend the money.. A. Those who say this also don t understand what they are doing when they give. 1. When one makes an offering, he gives it to God. ( Elders are but His stewards. ) 2. Once an offering is given, it is no longer in the control of the giver. 3. The worshipper has worshipped or hopefully at least fulfilled his obligation. B. Once the offering reaches the treasury of the church, the leaders of the church are responsible for it. 1. Whether wise or foolish, obedient or rebellious, each person is a steward. 2. Each steward is individually accountable to God. a. Before the offering is given the giver is accountable for it. b. After the offering is received the elders are accountable for how they use it. 3. Every person will stand before God accountable only for his own stewardship. a. Regardless of how the elders use your donation, if you do not give God will hold you accountable. b. If the elders do not use the offerings appropriately, ( NEVER make your God will hold them accountable, stewardship dependant but you bear no responsibility for their folly. upon someone else s. ) C. What can you do if the elders aren t using the offerings to do the Lord s work? 1. You may approach the elders with suggestions and with requests. ( Heb 10: ) 2. You may voice your objections to them. 3. You may choose to become a member of another faithful congregation. 4. BUT You may not withhold your contribution to the Lord. ( refuse worship ) CONCLUSION : A. We have seen that people make objections to tithing, but there no good reason not to do so. B. Our attitude toward things is one of the greatest spiritual problems of our day. C. God does not have your heart until He has your treasure. Matt. 6: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

7 Sermon : Reasons Not To Tithe Page 7 Lesson Text : Malachi 1: A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, How have we despised Your name? 7 You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, How have we defiled You? In that you say, The table of the LORD is to be despised. 8 But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly? says the LORD of hosts. 9 But now will you not entreat God s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly? says the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you, says the LORD of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from you. Malachi 3: For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, How shall we return? 8 Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, How have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test 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 a blessing until it overflows. 11 Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes, says the LORD of hosts. 12 All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land, says the LORD of hosts.