Ministering in Christ Part 7 "Tithing"

The Great Commission
MINISTERING IN CHRIST
Part 7: Tithing
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org


ANNOUNCEMENTS

6:00PM Evening Service at the church –
“Seminary Students will be preaching”

WHERE WE ARE AT

† Maturing in Christ


This Series: Ministering in Christ

Previously:
Committing your life to Christ
The Way to True Service
Light of the World ~ How to be an effective Witness
The Leading of the Lord
Waiting on God
Importance of Obedience

TODAY’S SERMON: The Great Commission
MINISTERING IN CHRIST
Part 7: Tithing









Scripture Reading

I. THE COMMAND
† James 1:22
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.


† Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 – Do not run your mouth to God
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.

• tithe commitments for the church


† I Chronicles 16:29 - Commanded
29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.
Bring an offering and come before him;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.


† Matthew 13:44-46 – Heaven is worth all this earth has to offer
44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.


† I Corinthians 16:2 – The temple should not have to collect…
1Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.

† I Kings 17:13-14 – God provides in ALL times…
13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' "


† Psalm 96:8 - Commanded
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.


† I Chronicles 29:9 – freely give and with your whole heart…
The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.



II. EFFECT OF GIVING
† Mark 12:41-44 – Freely and wholeheartedly
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."


† II Corinthians 9:6-7 – Sowing and reaping in the natural and spiritual;
6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.


† II Corinthians 8:15 – in giving you will always have enough.
15as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.



III. THE REAL TREASURE AND REWARD
† Matthew 6:19-21 – The real treasure and reward is eternal
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


† Luke 11:42 – Tithe alone does not please God
42"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Tithing is done out of obedience, not to make you right with God.

You can not pay your way into heaven, out of debt, into God’s grace, simply because you give a tithe.

The Pharisees gave 10% of all they had which was required by Old Testament Law, yet, were not right with God because they neglected justice and love.

How many today do not treat others just, or treat sinners with love, yet think they are right with God because they tithe?

We tithe out of obedience, just as we treat others justly and in love.

All of those together please the Lord.




† Luke 17:9-10 – We do it out of obedience, not for recognition
7"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "



IV. HOW
† Matthew 6:1-4 – Giving is an act of righteousness for God
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.


† Proverbs 22:9 – Giving to others God will bless you
A generous man will himself be blessed,
for he shares his food with the poor.


† Proverbs 29:7 – Justice is another righteous act pleasing to the Lord
The righteous care about justice for the poor,
but the wicked have no such concern.


† Exodus 35:5 - needs of the Tabernacle met through tithe
4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; 6 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 7 ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows [a] ; acacia wood; 8 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 9 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.
† Luke 16:10-11 – God will entrust those He can trust…
10"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?



† II Chronicles 31:5 – Tithe is obedience, and maintaining of the church
As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.