TithingMalachi 3:8-12
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me… where did we rob? Tithes and offerings. To bring them into the store house so God can send you out a blessing of same or greater magnitude. If I believe God to save me, if I believe God has healed me, if I believed that forgiveness restores, and if I believe all things work for God to those who love Him, then I also need to believe the principles of giving. Another scripture comes to mind about the 10 talents. One was given 10, another 5, another 1. The one with 10 went out and made 10 more. The one with five did the same, but the one with 1 was in fear. The fear came because He did not know the King’s heart. It appears the one who was give ten was because perhaps the king knew him and the man knew the king and entrusted him with 10. Then the one with five, knew the king and the king knew him but a little, or the King saw his actions already and could only trust him with a few, but He gave a chance to the one who didn’t know Him, and gave him one, because He wanted to bless Him but knew not to trust him with too much – yet. And it proved correct. The one with one, who didn’t know the King personally, nor knew His heart to bless and not curse, was in fear of the King. He didn’t know His love and care, even though he was a King who was strict, yet under that was a loving kind king, yet he demanded obedience. The only thing this man saw was the “demanding” part and feared. HE didn’t see the King under all that because he didn’t know His heart. This is the same with us. We want to give to the King – Jesus – because we know and understand His heart. I have to say that I have learned to know you more and more in almost every area of my life, I’ve found peace, joy, and trust, love, acceptance, forgiveness, healing, deliverance, but I have yet to lay down in the area of tithing. I ask for your forgiveness this day, because last night you taught me the “why” of giving. I have been teaching so many years on “receiving” blessings. Now it’s time to teach on “giving” blessings back out. Yes, you have used me in people’s lives, but I believe there is more to be given, and I’m blocking the blessings by cursing myself for not giving. Because I’m giving into the Kingdom to reap into the Kingdom, not for me personally, but to continue the work I do for you. I don’t need anything personally, you have given me all that I need, my wants may be there, but you have given all that I need. You have supplied all that I need, but I want the “more” of overflowing so that I can bless those around me. Yet, why would you give me more when I’m not giving back to you. We both know I have been giving, but not consistently and in faith. I’ve been giving to people’s lives, so I will reap that, I’ve been giving to the homeless, so you have been providing me a home, and so forth. But now I need to, by faith, give into a ministry that is a good solid ministry or church. I learned something from a TV preacher last night and he gave 4 reasons of giving, but of course I was able to read more into these reasons and added one more. Sow a seed. Simply begin to sow a seed. A seed is but a little thing, but it’s the place to start. Sow into good ground. Don’t sow into a ministry that isn’t producing fruit. Find a ministry, even if it’s already well off, and begin sowing into that ministry. You don’t always have to give to a needy ministry, that is giving to the poor perhaps gifts, but your tithes should be directed to a worthy cause, where fruit is. Because in so doing you are going to reap that same fruit! Proportionate. The amount of giving is also important. TO the degree you give is the degree you receive. Then give in faith. This is where I think people miss it – even I – because I have known people to give faithfully, even to the point of taking food from their kids mouths, and have not seen them blessed in finances, etc. So I was not quite convinced of the tithing thing for today. I knew it was in the Bible, but for some reason just couldn’t grasp it for myself. But then God taught me something last night I never saw before. People are in fear of disappointing God if they don’t tithe, fear of his wrath and anger and curse, as noted in this scripture. But we have to realize this was a passage written when people could be under a curse, because now that Jesus has come, he became the curse for us. Now tithing is a principle of seed sowing. It’s still there, but without a curse, in the degree it was taught. Because now if you don’t tithe, it means perhaps you will not be as blessed as you could be if you did, but you are still God’s child, He still loves you – unconditionally – you are still saved, you just may have a bit of a go at it in the area of finances. The main area is about faith. If you do decide to give, don’t do it because you think it’s a law, it’s not. We are to give from our heart joyfully. Something to consider when giving, because if you aren’t giving that way, don’t give it! This is where people miss the mark. Giving is to be done joyfully, but how when you have bills piling up and not sure of tomorrow? Joyfully comes through faith which comes by knowing God’s love and care for you. That’s the bottom line. When we know God’s love and character and desires for our good, meeting every need and even pouring out a blessing when we give sacrificially – that’s when the flood gates will be opened and blessings will pour out on us. So as in the story of the ten talents. The man with one didn’t know the King personally, he was in fear and didn’t sow his seed at all in faith. This is what is happening to Christians today, they aren’t sowing because of fear, or they are sowing IN fear. I personally repented because I had fear in giving, thinking I wouldn’t have enough but what I was really saying is “God I don’t trust you in the area of my finances.” This was the truth. The other truth about giving is that it’s Okay to say, “I know the principles of giving and reaping, and I do want to reap, and so I want to give.” That is a truth, you may as well say it. I tried dancing around this for years. But the truth is the truth – We reap so we can sow…. But the difference for me now is that I’m sowing “believing” God is…. The Bible says that without faith it’s impossible to please God for we must believe that He is (Hebrews 11:6) and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Whatever we do that is NOT faith, is sin (Hebrews 14). So it looks like that no matter how much we sacrifice (which the Bible says obedience is better than sacrifice – and by the way, if giving sacrificial was an obedient act, why is obedience separate from sacrifice?) Anyway, no matter how much we sacrifice if we don’t do it in faith, we aren’t going to see any fruit. Let’s take a look at faith now and see how to give in faith: 1) Believe God is…. To believe he is in this situation, just as much as |He has been in other areas of your life where you have seen Him work. 2) Know God… To know Him is to love Him, to love Him is to trust Him. We won’t even have to think twice about giving because we truly know we can’t out give Him… 3) Giving with a joyful heart – not by law. We are no longer under the law nor curse of not giving, we are under the law of Christ, which is love. If you don’t give in love, with joy in your heart knowing what you are doing is helping those you are giving to and sowing into your own life good things, don’t give. 4) Then wait. Having done all stand… When we get to the end of ourselves, that’s where faith continues the journey for us. When you come to the end of a precipice and need to get to the other side, it’s faith that will carry you there. That’s of course you truly “believe God is…” in that area of your life. (I do a teaching on God is and God isn’t, so be sure to refer to that as well). So how do we wait? We don’t stand shaking and trembling and twittling our thumbs, we wait by occupying until the reaping begins. Wait patiently and with long suffering and endurance. That’s how we wait. We wait by serving one another, trusting for the harvest. Let’s look at occupying. A person who has sown in faith is busy getting things ready for the harvest. They are lining up their ducks, you might say. For example, if you need to accomplish a marathon and you want to win, will you just sit around until the day you need to run or will you exercise, and practice and work out, and get your body ready to run? Which one exercise faith? That’s why the Bible says, faith without works is dead… It’s not saying we work at getting faith, it says that the evidence of faith is your works… just like in this example. Selah 5) Then the last thing is that when you begin to reap a harvest, consider those less fortunate around you and give. It is more blessed to give than to receive, that is why God gave…. He never once received…. We have been so focused on getting, we need to now begin focusing on giving. 6) Be thankful. Thank God daily for what you have sown, thank Him for what you have already reaped, and thank Him for being faithful to you, just thank Him and praise Him for what He has done, and thank Him and Praise Him for what He is doing, and going to do. You may not know what He is going to do, but you can see from what He has done, it’s going to be great! A thankful heart is a giving heart. When you truly become thankful, giving becomes second nature. 7) Praise His name. When we give, praise Him as you do it. Praise Him at all times, when you give, when you receive, when you make your bed, when you go to sleep. Consider Him in all things because it’s not what you do, it’s what is going on in your heart when you do it. In Malachi 1:2 says if you don’t give glory to God and lay it to heart, you will block your blessings! Praise Him when things are going good, praise Him when trials come, praise Him in all things. This person believes God is working all things for good, and a person who truly “knows” God… and when we believe that He is… He rewards us! Prayer: Father in Heaven, our loving kind Father, we come before you in repentance of not trusting you in all areas of our lives, particularly with finances. Some of us have been in fear of giving, and some of us have been giving in fear. Father both are abominations to you and we are causing our own demise. You love us and want to pour out blessings after blessings, but some of us are like the person who received one talent, was in fear because of your reputation. I pray that each person gain a healthy respect on your “real” reputation as a loving Father who wants to give peace, rest and all desires to us. Help us all come to know you even deeper in relationship and intimacy that we will be bold with what you have given us and not hoard or hide, but freely give as you have freely given us. I pray that every person who tithes and gives offerings does it in faith – the kind of faith I’m talking about here – relationship with You. Not out of fear of you getting mad at them, but giving “knowing” you love them and want to pour them out a blessing. As we consider our heart Lord, let us know whether we truly trust you or not. Help us to make a step today to give out of a thankful and loving and joyful heart, no longer from giving out of fear. We do love you Lord, we know you love us, help it become a reality within our hearts that we can truly trust you in the area of finances. Thank you so much for changing our hearts in this area. In Jesus name, Amen.” |