First 10: Understanding the Tithe Under Grace

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1 First 10: Understanding the Tithe Under Grace I. Introduction a. My goal in teaching about tithing is to provide you with understanding & Insight into this area. b. To best utilize this outline, you can purchase the lesson called First 10 taught on May 4 th, c. Tithing is a revelation that changed my life for the better, and I believe it will change yours for the better as well. d. Today I want to answer many of the tough questions in our society about tithing. i. What is the tithe? ii. What is the tithe for? iii. Is the tithe required? iv. If I don t tithe am I cursed? v. If I do tithe where do I tithe? vi. How is the tithe applied since we are not under the law but under grace? II. God s Word on the Tithe under Grace Malachi 3:10-12 NIV 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, says the Lord Almighty. 12 Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty. This passage changed me and it will change you if you will allow it to. But for some Malachi 3 is not good enough. Some argue that this passage was simply written to disobedient priests who were stealing the tithes and offering and not doing what they were supposed to do. Even if that is the case, I still extract the principles behind the passage and see how it applies to me. When the bible says, will a man Rob God, I take that personal. I am a man, and I can assume these principles are still good for me. Then there are others who will say that this passage of scripture was under the Law of Moses. That is true, but the real questions for us ask, is does that law still apply to us today. If so, then how? To find the answers to that question we have to look at law vs. grace. When we understand what was abolished, and why, then we can better figure out how tithing applies to us under grace. Romans 7:1-6 NIV 7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters for I am speaking to those who know the law that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. 4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, [a] the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. Romans 8:1-2 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you [a] free from the law of sin and death. John 1:17 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

2 We are not under the Law of Moses We are under the grace of Jesus We don t want the law!!! We want Grace!!!! So now the question is this: If we are not under law, but under grace, are there biblical commandments and laws that we are to still obey? I john 5:2 NIV 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. Mathew 5: Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 2 Timothy 3: All Scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God [a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Romans 15:4 NIV 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Acts 17:11 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. III. The Law a. There are three categories of law in the Old Testament 1.Civil Law i. God gave the nation of Israel civil laws to guide their daily living, political affairs and judicial system. ii. Examples of the civil law are found in Exodus 21-23:9 and Leviticus 19:35; 24: iii. Today these civil laws and their punishments are no longer applicable to us who are saved by grace. 2. Ceremonial Law i. God gave the children of Israel ceremonial laws as of means of guiding them on how to worship him. ii. The laws include: a. Circumcision Genesis 17:10. b. Priestly duties Leviticus 7:1-37. c. Not eating certain foods Leviticus 11:7-8. d. Code of cleanliness Leviticus 14:1-32. iii. These laws had a temporary purpose and were abolished by Christ Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 10:1. 3. Moral Law i. Examples of the moral law include The 10 Commandments. ii. These moral laws represent Gods nature and never change. IV. The Law of Tithing a. The tithe is part of the nature and character of God and how he expects us to worship Him.

3 b. The tithe is a universal law. i. A universal law refers to a law that was in place before the Old Testament was established and can also be found in the New Testament. It transcends dispensations. ii. Under the law of tithing everything is Gods. He wants us to manage what is His as stewards. He requires us to bring a portion back to Him instead of using it for ourselves. c. Examples of the Law of tithing. i. The Garden of Eden God gives Adam and Eve paradise and says don t eat from this one tree. ii. Cain and Abel Abel s offering was accepted and Cain s was not. That shows us that not everything we bring to God is pleasing. He preferred Abel s offering because Abel gave his first and his best. iii. Abraham - Abraham brought a tithe to Melchizedek 430 years before the 10commandments were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Abraham tithed because of grace. iv. In summary, tithing was practiced before the law, during the law and after the law in Matthew 23 and Hebrews. v. Therefore, we tithe not under the law; but under grace. V. What does it mean to be under Grace? a. The New Testament is not saying that we are to become lawless; it is simply excusing us from the curse of the law. b. We are not saved by works. We are only saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God c. Grace is one of the most powerful messages in the Bible. d. Grace is so powerful, because it is freeing people from condemnation. VI. Common questions about tithing 1. What is the tithe? a. Tithe equals a tenth. b. It is 10% of all of our income or increase. c. The tithe is Holy. 2. What do I tithe? a. Under the Law of Moses, the Israelites tithed animals, land, seed and fruit under three different tithes. i.the Levitical Tithe 1. Numbers 18:21 and Leviticus 27:30-33 declare that the Levites will receive the tithe for their services as payment for being priests and for not getting an inheritance of land. ii. The Festival Tithe 1. Deuteronomy 14: When the Israelites came to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts of the Lord, they were to bring their tithe with them iii. The Poor Tithe 1. Deuteronomy 14: The poor tithe was offered ever third year and was intended for the Levite, foreigner, orphan and widow. b. But today, we don t tithe material items because that is not our currency. We tithe from our incomes. 3. What is the tithe for? a. In the Old Testament the tithe was for the Levites and the priests and took care of their personal needs as well as the temple. b. In the New Testament the tithes are used for the operation of the church which includes the personal needs of the Pastors, Ministers, employees as well as the maintenance of the churches facilities, missions and programs that foster the spread of the Gospel. c. Malachi 3:10 says to bring the tithes so that there will be provision in God s house. d. Today, provision is still needed to take care of the local church.

4 4. Do I have to tithe since we are under grace? a. Under the Law of Moses a person had to tithe as a tax. b. However under grace, we don t have to tithe, out of obligation or fear of punishment. We tithe because we understand that God wants us to worship Him with our first and our best. 5. I believe in giving. But do I have to tithe? a. We are living on a day and time where people don t like standards. b. However, Jesus instructs us to tithe. Matthew 23:23 New International Version (NIV) 23 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices mint, dill and cumin. 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. Matthew 23:23 New Living Translation (NLT) 23 What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, [a] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. c. Some will say that Jesus said this before he went to the cross, so it doesn t count. However Jesus always had a way of correcting what was wrong and establishing what was right if that is what he wanted to do. Mathew 5:21-22 NIV 21 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, You shall not murder, [a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister [b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, Raca, [d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, You fool! will be in danger of the fire of hell. Mathew 5:27-28 NIV 27 You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. [a] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:38-39 NIV 38 You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. [a] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. Jesus could have said, you have been tithing on everything you have, but you need to stop tithing and pay more attention to the weightier matters of the law like mercy, justice and faith. But He did not say that. He said for us to focus more on the weightier matters, but to also tithe. The only time Jesus spoke about tithing, He told us to continue in it. That settles is for me! I would rather get to heaven, and have given him too much, then get there and not given Him enough. 6. Am I cursed if I don t tithe a. We do not believe that God has a curse in Him to curse you with, so no, not in the literal since. b. However we do believe that there is a curse in the worlds system already. c. We can clearly see that there are Christians that are living under a curse today, even thought they are blessed and are under grace. We can see the curse in their marriages, in their emotions and even in their finances. d. We do not believe that God curses Christians, but we can clearly see that our disobedience, bad decisions, and sowing towards our flesh can put us outside of the will of God, therefore experiencing the curses that are already in the land. e. However there are still consequences to sin and disobedience to The tithe is like protection

5 from the curse in the world. 7. Should I feel bad if I am not tithing or cannot afford to tithe? a. No one should be under condemnation for not tithing. But we should be under the conviction of the Holy Spirit b. When convicted you feel bad enough about something that you moved towards obedience in that area. c. If you feel like you cannot afford to tithe, try to remember that tithing is not a matter of money; it is a matter of priority. d. Look at your budget, remove all of the waste, you would be surprised how you could tithe, if it were a priority for you. e. In the VERY rare case, that you have reduced your budget and you still cant tithe.(due to garnishments of your check). I would encourage you to give the most that you can, as consistently as you can. As God increases you, you can move closer and closer to the tithe. If that was the case, I believe that you are under his mercy and his grace, as long as you have obedience in your heart. However, I would start right where you are, of giving something with consistently every time Gods increases you, and slowly but surely, move your way to the tithe. f. God does not want to be on the bottom of your budget. He wants you to bring Him the first and the best. He does not want what is leftover. We were to bring God the first 10, we can rest with confidence that He will help us with taking care of the rest of the 90%. Don t forget, the first 10% will bless the 90%. I pray that as you begin to tithe with consistency and with faith, that you will since a greater closeness to your high priest, Jesus Christ. I pray that as you tithe because of your love for Him and your honor for Him, that He will in return honor you. My prayer for you as that you will not stop with the tithe. We believe that the tithe is the beginning of our giving, not the ending. We believe that the tithe is the floor, not the ceiling. We believe we should be spirit lead in our giving over and above the tithe according to 2 Corinthians9:6. As you become consistent in tithing and giving, we pray that you will experience the blessings and favor of God that He has promised you in His word.