Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Session 66: Church Support
Tithing? Oh yeah! I bet you didn't know what this lesson was about just by looking at the title. Are you a giver? I mean a CHEERFUL giver? We are commanded, not given a multiple choice, but told to be a tither. I give each of you personal permission to check with Jan and look to see if me and my family are tithers. But...I must admit that I was convicted when studying this lesson. I am a cheerful giver of my tithe but I realize I could do so much more if I was a better manager of what God has blessed us with. Do any of you remember the sermon I preached at FBC on this subject? Remember the cheesy illustration when I had Bro. Faithful Buddy come in with an offering plate and I pulled a gun on him and robbed from the offering plate? Well, that is exactly what you are doing if you are not a tither. The church is supported by our giving. Just in case you didn't know, let me remind you that ministry costs money. We, the body of Christ, support the Lord's work when we give of our tithes and OFFERINGS. Offerings? That's right, this is ABOVE and beyond your tithes. We really have not given until we go above our mandate of the tithe. In all my years of being in the ministry, I have never seen or heard of a church where the power was turned off. The Lord always provides for those who are faithful to Him. The righteous will not be forsaken. Here's a couple of questions to get you started: Is it possible to be saved and not be a tither? Should the church corporately be a tither? Should we be overly concerned with how much money our church has in the bank? Remember this also: tithing is more than money!
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9 comments:
Tithing is one of the most important things that a Christian does to demonstarte their faith. One who does not tithe has very little faith that God will provide for their needs. Philippinas 4:19 says, "And my God will supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." God provides for His people. God always meets our needs and then gives us alot of what we want.
Psalm 24:1 tells us, "The Earth is the Lord's and everything in it,the world and all who live in it..." In Psalm 50:12 God says, "If I were hungry I would tell you, for the world is mine and all that is in it." We don't tithe because God needs the money or our stuff. We tithe because when we tithe we affirm our faith in God that He will provide for every need that we may have. God loves us and wants to bless us but we must first be obedient to Him and to His commands.
We tithe because tithing honors God. Tithing has been a part of our faith since Abraham first gave a tithe in Genesis 14. A tithe was not required by God of Abraham when he stood before Melchizadek. Abraham gave a tithe because he was honoring God for His faithfulness. Abraham knew that God had blessed him and protected him so he honored God by giving Him a tenth of all he had. When we give a tithe to God we are praising Him for abundantly blessing us and for saving us from our sins.
We also tithe because we need to take care of the needs of our church. In Numbers 18:21 we see that the Israelites gave a tithe to the Levites because they were the ones that God had ordained to work in the Tent Meetings. The Levites had many duties that they performed each week for the Lord and for His people. This tithe provided for the physical needs of the Levites just as our tithes provide for the physical needs of our ministers and ministries in our church. I don't feel we pay our ministers enough for all of the things that we ask them to do but that is another soap box for another day. Malachi 3:10 tells us that we are to tithe, "That there may be food in My house." Our tithes help the church pay to do its ministries.
Lastly, we tithe because God commanded us to. Malachi 3:10 we see that God tells us to "bring the WHOLE tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in My house." If we do this God said he will "open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." God wants to abundantly bless us but we have to do our part first.
In verse 8 God says, "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions." So by not tithing we are robbing God. I have always told my non-tithing friends that God is going to get His ten percent either way. The problem is that when God takes it He usually takes more than just 10 percent. In John 14:15 Jesus said, If you love me keep my commandments." Tithing is a commandment from God and we should obey.
Tithing should be done out of gratitude and honor for who God is and for what He has done for us. 2 Corinthains 9:7 says that, "God loves a cheerful giver." This tells us that our attitude has to be right as well. We need to give because we want to honor God and because He has richly blessed us. If we give out of duty or because we are made to then God is not honored or blessed. Look at Malachi 3:8 again. It implies that some of the people, at least, were tithing but it was their attitude that was wrong. The people were holding back something from God because in verse 10 God commands them to "bring the WHOLE tithe into the storehouse." God blesses us only after we bless Him and His blessings are equal to the amount that we bless Him. It's not dollar for dollar thing though. If we give cheerfully and because we love God and His church and we want to see it prosper, then God will bless us abundantly. If we hold back from God then He will hold back from us. He even tells us to test Him on this in verse 10. As Psalm 34:8 says, "O, taste and see that the Lord is good."
That being said, yes a person can be a Christian and not tithe. I know this from personal experience. I went to Seminary, and worked at a church for 2 years and rarely ever tithed. It wasn't until I came to grips with these Scriptures that I finally began to tithe. I'm not rolling in the dough but I'm not in the poorhouse either. God has blessed me with so much more than I ever imagined or deserved. He has blessed me in ways that I didn't understand until later when His plan was revealed to me. I may not have much but I will always tithe because I know what happens when you don't. I've lived it and it a'int pretty.
Corporately the church should be a tither too. I'm guessing that this means should the church give to the Cooperative Program, Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong, and to our Association. YES! We should support all of these because we have identified ourselves with the Southern Baptist and the Georgia Baptist Conventions. That means that we agree to support these ministries because that is what our denominational leaders have said that we should do. Church autonomy gives us the right not to support any or all of these ministries but in the end we, as a church, would only be hurting ourselves. All of these ministries are important to the preaching of the Gospel and to the growing of God's Kingdom. And isn't that what we are supposed to be about anyway.
We should be concerned with what our church has in the bank but not overly concerned. If God has blessed us with a surplus it should be used to further His Kingdom. That may mean having to use that money to pay for things such as a new van, a new piece of musical equipment, or anything else that may be needed. So if the surplus is used to help current ministries grow or for new ministries to start then I say go for it. If, on the other hand, that money is spent frivilously or, even worse, just sits in the bank doing nothing when ministries are in need, then I think God will take it away and then some. If God blesses us with extra money in the bank I think we should use that money prudently but I think we should still use it.
Lastly, tithing is not just money but it includes our time and our talents. If you have been given the gift to preach you'd better be using it for God somewhere or He will take it away. We often hear people say, "Time is money." I believe that is true to an extent. If time is money then when you give of your time to do God's work you are investing in God's Kingdom. The return on your investment is eternal and will far exceed anything that money can buy.(Matthew 16:26)
Joyce Howell says.....
Mmm…..what a touchy subject this can be. I think the whole subject of tithes and offerings often causes the body to cringe and the hand to grasp the wallet. I think this is often due to the fact that a person has not yet realized that it is not ours to begin with, that it ALL belongs to God and we are being blessed, because of His love for us, with ALL that we have. Should we tithe on gross income or net income?? This is something that I have heard much controversy over, but I feel it is much more important to be a cheerful net tither than to grumble (or brag) about tithing on the gross. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Many individuals question whether the tithe is still applicable for believers today since we are not "under the law." Despite that distinction, many believers consider it their privilege to give proportionately to the work of the Lord using the tithe as a pattern. You can check the records of the church members, but are they “true tithers”? (not sure “tither” is a word, but I’m using it anyway) The only way to know for sure if someone is a “true tither” is to then compare their W-2/tax return. Oh, wait…..did they turn in the $50 that Uncle Leroy gave them for helping him move last week?? I think it is good for Christians to be held accountable for supporting the church, but how far do we go?? I think we can go so far, but have to leave the rest for God to convict. We concern ourselves with…..Does the deacon tithe?....Does the pastor tithe?....Does the Sunday School Teacher tithe?....What about those taking up offering on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, etc., should we also make sure that they are tithing??
Yes Billy, I agree with you very much, that we can tithe in many more ways than a government minted coin/bill or printed paper check in the offering plate. With days and nights as busy as they are for most folks these days, it’s often easier to get their money than their time. Does that make our time more valuable to God and His church?? Does that time have to be given at the church or can it be cleaning an elderly widow’s yard?? Oh, don’t forget talents……..Are we not held accountable for what we do with the God given talents we have?? Will he take those talents from you?? According to Matthew 25:14-30, the servant who did not use his talent, but hid it……God removed it from him…….Is it strange that in some verses the talent was referred to as a talent, but in others it was referred to as money??????
Should the church tithe 10% of the offering it receives?? Tithing is given as an example in the Scriptures as how individuals should respond to God's blessings. How should the church respond? Although churches are not given percentages in the New Testament, the principle of proportionate giving is given (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8). The New Testament also records that the believers in the church were collecting to give to other ministries. I didn’t find a specific verse that stated that a church should tithe to other ministries but shouldn’t they set the example for the same Christians they are expecting to tithe?? The church tithing would help it keep an outward focus, by giving to “outside ministries”. As well as the church tither should be a cheerful giver, for the church this should not be a legalistic requirement. Rather, it should be a joyous celebration in response to the Lord’s provision. I feel that a church with a “big bank roll”, is……1) Not doing with the money that God has provided, what is supposed to be done with it. We are not banks/financial institutions (to collect & hold money)…….2) We ask others to tithe to churches (as Christians) and depend on God to fulfill their needs as they arise. Then why do churches need a large savings account?? Should the church not have the same faith that the tither should have???
Fundraisers/selling at/in church (are the two different?)? Why should we?? Why should we not?? Heard much controversy over this topic too. Is it so our church is not perceived as asking for money? Is it good for some to learn to work for what they get (some may be unable to afford a trip, but may be embarrassed or unwilling to accept it if someone else pays)? Is it to keep from taking of worldly money or money from the unchurched? Oh, on that one……do we ask them not to contribute in the offering plate???? Not sure??
Tithing is something in past years that was not at the top of my priorities list, but today I know that tithing is a must for our family. At times, it would be so easy to think about bills or other things I would like to spend the money on, but I realize that what I do have, God has blessed me with. I have actually had “Christians” tell me that they cannot afford to tithe, but my answer to them was….”I cannot afford to not tithe”. We are trying to teach our children the importance of tithing and assure them that you can never out give God. I am thankful for all the ways that God has blessed our family. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and I pray God blesses your family on Thanksgiving Day and every day.
Just checking in, Billy. Great comments!
Joyce more or less said all I would have said. Thanks honey! Keep up the good work. I'll try to be back on Friday.
Stephen,
I enjoyed reading your comments. Good Job. I did not know you went to seminary.
Vickie
The secret to giving is found in 2 Corinthians 8:5. What did these believers do?
a. They gave their money to the Church.
b. They gave their clothes to the poor.
c. They gave their possessions to those in need.
d. They gave THEMSELVES to the Lord.
God doesn't just want our money. He wants us. When he has us, he has everything else!
A farmer once approached a chicken and a pig, and asked this question. "Will you contribute to my ham and egg breakfast?" For the chicken, it was merely a contribution, but for the pig it was a complete sacrifice! Should we be like the chicken or the pig? Will you give a contribution or your self?
Deuteronomy 28 is a chapter for the Bleesings for Obedience. Obedience means completely loyal and to follow at any means or "cost". Duet 28:10 tells us that if we do as commanded then all the world will see that we are a people claimed by the Lord. So many times, especially during this time of year, we find ourselves committed to gifts for others and not for our Lord. As Christians we have allowed the world to view us as the same as them, don't we spend as much on our children as we do on those that are really in need? Isn't that the same as the world? Verse 10 finishes up with "and they will stand in awe of you". As the church and as individual christians we have lost that aweness from the world. Again, they see us no different than themselves, maybe the only differences would be abstain from alcohol, no profanity, etc... but can't a lost person have those same traits? Giving cheerfully as a Christian means that we expect nothing in return from God except his promise that He will take care of us when we need it. 2 Cor 8: 10-15 gives some great rules for giving. 1) the willingness to give enthusiastically is more important than the amount 2) we should strive to fulfill our financial commitments we have made with God 3) we should give to others when they are in need, for when we are in need they will give to us 4) give in response to Christ, not for the APR we expect to get back.
I've heard the arguement that we should post everyone's tithing record on the back of the bulletin. I completely disagree with this, we're here to worship God not make it a banking contest. We have all failed our Lord somewhere in our life, so if we're gonna put just the financial part to the public then let's have a sin page and print that out too. A sin is a sin, or that's my understanding from the Bible.
Wesley
I grew up in a church where they posted the names of tithers in the bulletin(not an amount, just the name). It wasn't to point out sinners, but to thank the faithful. Kinda like we do when we clap for the soloist or praise team. Or like when we thank someone for the beautiful flowers provided for the sanctuary. So whats the big deal if you thank Wesley for providing for the beautiful heat in the sanctuary? Or the pretty lights that come on when we flip the switch? The problem is, when you print that list it does point out sin, and that is what people can't stand. After all, name another area that you are obedient in, teaching, AWANA, Youth, coming 3 times a week, etc. that you do not mind a little bragging on. But man we get humble when it comes to our tithes.
Sin is sin in the context of God's Holiness. However, Jesus talked of degrees of punishment for different sins. So to equate not tithing with homosexuality or harming children is a mistake.
Once there was a congregation in which every member was just like you. Each one cooperated and supported every church program just the way you have been doing. Everyone worked as hard and attended the same services and church functions as you do. The elders, the deacons, and the preacher were all as interested in the church as you are at this time. They put the same emphasis on their recreation, business, and other material affairs that you do. Each member gave to the church as you are giving. Within a year or so, this congregation....?????
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