Looking at Giving
Deuteronomy 16:16-17
Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.
Tithe is not an option for a Christian. We don’t give tithe after paying our bills-tithe comes First! Both the Old and New Testament give Biblical instructions about how to tithe. No faithful family has ever said that they should not have tithed what they gave to the Lord’s work.
Most significant financial factor for life management is tithe. God sustains us when we first give our tithe. Non-Christian financial planners say pay yourself first. This philosophy puts God second.
Giving tithe and offerings mean different things to different people. Giving for a Christian is an act of worship. Recognize that God is the Creator and integrate God into your life and have a partnership with God. We give in Thanksgiving for our blessings and to make contributions to advance His Cause. All we have and are belong to God.
Numbers 18:21
Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
Some people get upset about the tithe going to the storehouse. When people get upset they tend to keep or hold back tithe. God cannot bless you when you hold back on giving what belongs to Him.
The reason churches have to share pastors is there is not enough money in the storehouse ( Conference ) to pay for a pastor at every church.
Our offerings come from the 90% that we have after giving the 10% tithe to the Lord. Here are some of the types of offerings mentioned in the Old Testament. We also need to consider giving offerings for:
Blessing
Build a Church
Church Maintenance
Poor
Thanks
In many cases the offering would exceed the tithe. Failure to bring an offering along with tithe was considered as not honoring God.
2 Corinthians 9:6-11
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:
He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2
Collection for the Saints
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
It is irresponsible to give everything that God blesses you with. You have to take care of your needs. Returning tithe is not sacrificial giving.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5
Excel in Giving
1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
Genesis 14:17-20
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
Abram and Melchizedek
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said:
“ Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And he gave him a tithe of all.
Genesis 28:10-22
Jacob’s Vow at Bethel
10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.
God’s secret to financial success is the tithe. God will bless you.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the first fruits of all your increase;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
We should give 10% of our gross income as tithe. Who should get paid first, Jesus or the government?
Acts 20:35
35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Pastor Korter’s Bible study from Wednesday night, 25 May 2011.