Introduction

Today we will study on the subject of giving financially to God's work.

Frankly, the subject may be a sensitive one for many of us.

While giving may be a sensitive subject to some of us, when we see what God's Word has to say about it, we can rest assured that it is not a sensitive subject to God!

While this lesson cannot be an exhaustive study, we will attempt to cover few of the key concepts in the Bible.

I. Tithing in the Old Testament

A.Tithing (giving a tenth of one's income) was a very important part of the Mosiac system in the OT -- dating from about 1500 BC.

1. Leviticus 27:30-32
30 "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
31 If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it.
32 The entire tithe of the herd and flock--every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod--will be holy to the LORD.

2. Note the reason for the tithe in Numbers 18:20-21 -- to support the priesthood (and we have a similar need to support ministry staff today).

3. A careful study of tithing under the Law of Moses will show that the basic tithe was the base amount of their giving, but that additional specified offerings raised their giving level beyond that figure.

B. The practice of tithing was much older than Moses' Law, being apparently a part of God's plan from the beginning.

1. Genesis 14:17-20
17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,
19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

We see that the father of the faithful, Abraham, paid tithes from the spoils of battle.

2. Genesis 28:20-22
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear
21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God
22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

We find the Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes, vowing to pay tithes of everything that he received from the hand of God.

C.Therefore, although we are not under the Mosaic system, we can see that tithing has long been a part of God's plan.

1. It was a subject that God took very seriously.

Malachi 3:8-12
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.
9 You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.
12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

2. One way to look at how the concept could have application even to our day is to reason that since the New Covenant under which we live is a far superior covenant (as the whole book of Hebrews argues), then we certainly would not want to give less than any good Jew in the OT.)

3. However, while giving 1/10th of our income might be a good starting place, it may not be the right ending place, for the Bible has much more to say about the subject.

II. Giving As a Demonstration of Spirituality

A.2 Corinthians 8 & 9 provide some of the best in-depth teaching about the connection between giving and spirituality to be found in the whole Bible.

B.Giving money is an extension of first giving ourselves to God (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Biblically, leaders of the church determined the exact distribution of the contributions.

a. Read Acts 4:34-5:2.

Acts 11:29-30
29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea.
30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

c. Paul's reassurance about how the funds would be administered is the same assurance that we offer you as leaders: (2 Corinthians 8:20-21). "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"

2 Corinthians 8:20-21
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.

C.Giving is an act of grace on our part, and therefore giving is called a grace.

2 Corinthians 8:6-7
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.

D.Our giving tests the sincerity of our love and shows our imitation of Christ.

2 Corinthians 8:8-9
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.

E.Our willingness and desire to give is more important than the amount we actually give.

2 Corinthians 8:10-12
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.

F.Equality in giving means that as a family, we each do our part to the best of our ability.

2 Corinthians 8:13-15
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."

G.Our giving determines the amount and types of blessings that God is able to give us.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And 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.
9 As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

1.Giving sparingly limits God's blessings in your life, and giving generously increases his blessings in your life (verse 6). (Note the Malachi 3:8-12 passage that we looked at earlier on this point.)

2.Giving is a spiritual decision, & giving must be done cheerfully (vs.7).

3.Giving generously enables God to bless us both financially and spiritually (verses 8-11).

4.Our giving results in more and more people, inside and outside the church, giving overflowing praise to God (verses 9-15).

III. The Ultimate Goal of Giving Is Stewardship and Sacrifice

Stewardship is our safeguard again materialism and greed

Luke 14:25-33
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.
27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

It shows us the concept of everything belonging to God, with us being only managers of what God has given us.

Giving to meet various sorts of needs is common in the New Testament, and therefore is a very valid consideration -- but the NT has much more to say about our giving.

Conclusion

1. Giving that pleases God begins with the tithe principle, progresses to meeting needs, is a demonstration of our spirituality, and must conform to Jesus' teaching about discipleship.

2. We have the opportunity to grow in the grace of giving, to accomplish more than ever before, and to become increasingly sacrificial and thus more like Jesus.

3. May God help all of us to be disciples in the fullest sense of the word, especially as it relates to our giving.

4. Let's give in a way that allows the church to be strengthened, Our country to be evangelized, the poor to be helped, and our God to be glorified