EDUCATION - THE LORD'S CONCERN
"To Give Or Not To Give"
( That is the question)
(May 1999)
I am probably the only person that has believed this but I believe that tithing is first mentioned in Genesis 2:15-17:
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
My belief is that that tree was the portion that belonged to God just as the portion we are to give back to God for a blessing today. Don't touch it. It's not yours. You take care of it but it's Gods. Give it to Him.
It is only when people because of their lack of or abundance of money become obsessed with it that it becomes evil. If you treat it the way God desires you to treat it; it will be a blessing to you and to others. Many declare that tithing is first spoke of in Genesis 14:20. The words tithe, tithes & tithing appear in the God's Word 35 times. Tithing is a godly thing to do. God instituted tithing not man. God instituted giving not man. God instituted love and when we love we should give. We should give of our self, of our finances, of our abundance, of our heart.
Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Tithe comes from the Hebrew word "ma `asrah" which comes from the prime root word "`asar" which means ‘ten’. So tithe means the tenth part of something or a tenth of something. So to give tithes is to give a tenth of whatever it is you have to give. Let’s look at Proverbs 3:9-10.
Now I realize that there are many people that are very adamant also at picking the Bible apart and selecting only those verses that apply to what they want to hear or prove. I do not want to prove that tithing is right or wrong. I simply want to show that tithing is a part of God’s Word and became also a part of the New Covenant. I believe that all of God’s Word is truth.
Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Here we find that God is saying to the people that if they give of their increase He, God, will cause their barns to be filled with plenty and the presses shall burst out in overflowing. Tithes to God the Father who created the land and all that is upon it. Think about this for a moment. Who created you? Who gave you the land that you place a crop upon? Who created the land? Who keeps you in health? Every thing on this earth belongs to God—he created it all. The least we can do is give back unto His kingdom a portion, and it’s a small portion at that, of our increase.
In Malachi 3:8-12 God tells the people that the storehouse is HIS house. And today the storehouse is the local church, the mission, the TV ministry, the Internet Ministry, the Home Church Ministry, it is any ministry that spreads the Gospel of Christ to the people.
If we want to have protection from the devourer we should pay our tithes. If we want our barns to be full we should pay our tithes. If we would like to see God open the windows of heaven and pour out before us blessings that we can not store then we should pay our tithes. I personally pay tithes and I give in offerings.
Malachi 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 12 and all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
If we fail though, to obey God and pay our tithes, then doesn’t it make sense that the devourer will attack our crops, our barns will not be full and the windows of heaven will be shut up. Now this is not talking just about farmers and the crops they grow. It pertains to all that we do. If we disobey God than we will suffer in all things. Increase comes on the job, in the garden, in the field, but if we disobey God and fail to give unto Him we will not reap all the benefits that He has for us. It does not matter how much you earn, if you will give first to God, He will make sure that all your needs are met. Let’s look at Psalms 96:7-8.
Here in these verses we read where we the people are called to give unto the Lord. All the people are called to give unto the Lord. We are to give unto the Lord in glory and in strength. We are to give unto the Lord and bring an offering unto Him as we enter into His courts.
Psalms 96:7 give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 8 give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Deuteronomy 16:17 tells us not to appear before God empty-handed. But instead to come before Him giving Him what ever we are able to give. That means no matter what it is, give it to God. God only wants to see you making the attempt to give, and once He sees you doing that willingly and joyfully, He will open the doors of heaven before you and begin to pour out His blessings upon you. Make the effort to give, whatever it might be. An hour a day in prayer, ten minutes a day in prayer, give of your time to help clean, maintain the church yard, give other items such as paper, pencils, computers, phones, finances, food, give whatever it is you have to give and God will bless you for it. Whatever God places upon your heart for you to do—do it. You will not go without, God will return back unto you all that you give and then some.
Do you realize that if everybody would pay their tithes, the church or works of God, which is the storehouse, would not have to ever ask for money? The Ministry of God would never have to wonder how the bills would get paid. The finances would always be there. People get tired of hearing preachers ask for support, I know, I’m a teacher and I get tired of hearing the preachers asking for money. I wouldn’t be declaring this message right now except that I felt God told me to declare it. I believe in my heart that preachers are tired of begging, but if it seems that if they don’t ask for help, no one will give the help. It seems like one person says, well I’m sure someone else is giving to that Ministry so I won’t. Well, the simple fact that you thought those words or spoke those words means that God prompted your heart to give to that Ministry and that is what you should do. Don’t ever think that you don’t need to give because someone else will. Someone else most likely is thinking the same thing that you are thinking.
I can remember years testing God in my giving. I wanted to see if I stopped giving if God would stop blessing me. There was a difference... but I felt robbed of myself. I love to give and my greatest blessing is being able to give. Many people will say they are too poor to give. You know what, they will remained poor until they begin to give. And once they begin to give, things will begin to change for them. Money starts to come their way. Bills become paid on time. They will have extra to give to others, and they will have joy every time they gave. Money and good things will truly find them. What a joy it is to serve God.
Do you realize that the church would be one of the richest entities in the world if each member of each church paid their tithes regularly. God’s storehouse, the Church or ministry would be full. And this would allow preachers and evangelists around the world to stop asking for money. It would allow preachers and evangelists to stop preaching sermons on tithing. I do not like to teach on tithing, but tithing is an essential part of our walk with God. Tithing causes us to prosper. When we give we grow. When we give unto the kingdom of God we are blessed abundantly not only by the Father, but by the good feeling that overcomes you when you give.
Let's take a look at some scriptures from the New Testament to see what God’s Word says about tithes and giving in the New Testament. One thing we know for sure is that Jesus is the Son of God born of a virgin and crucified on Calvary. We also know that Jesus preached or taught for 3 ½ years. We also know that Jesus is the New Covenant, the Sabbath. We can also read all throughout the New Testament that we as children of God are to walk after the example of Jesus. And so if we look at the way Jesus lived and how He went about spreading the Word of God we will see that He and the disciples lived by means of what was given unto them. None of them held jobs. And to be a disciple they had to give away all that they had. And believe me it would have been pretty tough to go 3 ½ years without food or drink. Yet they always seemed to have more than enough. The reason they always had more than enough is because Christ always taught giving. He always taught Charity. And the people that followed Him would give of their own possessions and supplies unto Christ and the Disciples. Jesus was a giving person and He taught giving, loving, sharing, He set forth an example for us to follow.
Luke 8:1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, 2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, 3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
To minister unto some one of your substances means to give or share with some one that which you possess. In other words you give of your material possessions.
No matter how you look at it, some one provided for the needs of the disciples and Jesus. Even when Jesus performed the miracles some one provided the fish and loaves first, and then Jesus multiplied them to meet the needs of all and then some. All of this was done to show a definite plan of action, to give joyously and abundantly unto the kingdom of God.
When Jesus sent the disciples out to amongst the people he sent them to the homes of the people that would give. He told them when they left to not take anything with them. He said that the workman is worthy of his meat. In other words, the servant of God is worthy to be ministered to out of the substance of the people. And the disciples were also taught to give from what they had as well. It is a reciprocal action…give and you will receive, receive and give that is the plan of God.
Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. 5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. 6 and if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. 7 and in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
Paul in Philippians chapter four verses fifteen to nineteen it speaks of giving and receiving. He speaks that in the beginning of the gospel, which would be when Jesus sent them out to spread the Gospel that none of the churches other than one had asked about giving and receiving. The fact that Paul was teaching and speaking about giving and receiving had to mean one thing—it had been taught also by Jesus. Jesus taught that it was right to give. Jesus gave and wanted others to give also.
Philippians 4:15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16 for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. 17 not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 19 but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Paul shows here that the church gave and he, Paul, received so that they the church could see that it was a good thing to give. Paul said that he desired to see their account abound and be fruitful. So Paul was saying to the church that if you give you will be fruitful and your own account will grow. And it will do so because of God who will supply all of your need. John 4:36-38 says that, "He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. (RSV)
Now, I can not say that anywhere in the New Testament does it say specifically to tithe to the church, but I can say that it does say that we are to follow the example of Christ. The disciples were to follow the example of Christ, and that example is given to us in chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians.
1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 6 so we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10 and here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 at the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15 as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little." 16 I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18 and we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20 we want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. 22 In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24 therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
I know people seem to interpret the Word of God to fit their needs at particular times, but do all that I can to make sure that the Words I deliver are the Words of God interpreted to fit God’s desires not mine. That is why as I stated earlier, I tithe, and I give in offerings. I feel that it is God’s desire for the believer to do this so that they can prosper and be of great success. But it must be done joyously. It must be done generously without complaint. God desires a cheerful giver. So, "To Give Or Not To Give"—search your heart, read the Word of God and do what the Holy Spirit prompts your heart to do.
