For 24th May TC @ 6
Mal 3 8 “ Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘ In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 “ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the LORD of hosts;
12 And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
Looking at the context we find that
· this is a warning that judgement is coming to the Jews. V 5.
· and also a call to “return to Me” v7
· and a promise that “and I will return to you.”
They ask a question of God:-
Wherein have shall we return?
These verses 8-12 are the answer and the promise.
The tithe was a requirement of the law. 1/10 of all their increase was to be “tithed” - to those who ministered.
OR ELSE – they were under the curse because they were robbing God of the tithes AND OFFERINGS which belonged to Him.
No tithe -> then the curse
Some preachers or teachers have used this to promote giving using fear or obligation as the motivation to give.
I think that many people react against such as manipulation and make excuses.
“The tithe is Old Testament – it doesn’t apply today.”
We could see it like a protection racket.
“There has been a lot of property violence lately. Peoples shop windows get broken, there are break-ins and there are cases of arson. However, if you pay me a fee each week, I will see that it doesn’t happen to you”
Or
Like a pagan religion where the angry gods who are so easily offended need gifts and sacrifices to keep them from doing harm.
This is not even Old Testament!
Mal 3 is Old Testament but that doesn’t negate tithes and offerings.
We are Children of the Kingdom – saved, made righteous by his grace, free from sin, the law and the curse of the law.
We need to read the Old Testament (Jesus, the writers of the gospels and Paul too had only the Old Testament). Jesus taught us to read the law with his understanding and gave us the wisdom that comes from above by his Holy Spirit.
We are under grace not law.
Giving however remains good and right, with the attitude that is New Testament.
·
II Cor 9
6 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.
V6 Sow sparingly -> reap sparingly
A natural law
Sow bountifully -> reap bountifully
A natural law of sowing and reaping or of giving and receiving
V7
Let us give as we purpose in our hearts. – New Testament
Let’s not give grudgingly. Or of necessity.
Another version says –
II Cor 9. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure
Let’s give cheerfully.
It does give you a good feeling!
We had a car bought for us many years ago. The day we were to collect it some one in the fellowship needed a car to get their wife to hospital to have a baby and then to be able to visit her and bring her home a few days later. So we didn’t get to drive the car for a week after it was given to us! That felt very good, to have something to bless others with. Like Abraham we were blessed to be a blessing.
God loves a cheerful giver
· Question.
Does he love the giver more than another?
Does he love the tither more than the non-tither?
God is not a respecter of persons!
His love is not dependant on our works!
He doesn’t give His love grudgingly!
So does God say, “I love you all. I even love …. ….. But there is something about him that really ticks me off!”
His love is given to and received by those who are in Christ Jesus
I think that he loves to see us receive! Being a cheerful giver places us in the place to receive from him. He loves to bless us.
So, purpose in your hearts to give tithes and offerings. It is a joy.
· Question.
Do I HAVE to give tithes and offerings?
Answer.
No. It is not about “have to.”
To give to God is a privilege. It’s a natural result of loving God who saved you by grace, who blesses you so that you could be a blessing. “I love you God and I want to serve you in all ways possible.”
You don’t have to tithe – you get to tithe.
If you know him you can give to him – you want to. If you don’t know him, then who are you giving to?
1 Cor 13 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
So Giving without that love relationship doesn’t profit.
It is not a tax. It is not a Debt. Giving is sowing seed.
It is a privilege for those who receive his love and want to love him back.
Galatians 3: 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”
There is a curse in Mal 3 but we are free from the curse.
But if we do not bring our tithes and offerings we are still robbing God! Not of a debt owed but of a respect. That is the respect of trusting him and his word. He is not a man that he should lie!
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Would you rob God of your respect, your love, your heart or your trust?
Mal 3 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
God says, “Test Me” or “try me and see, trust me! The natural law of sowing and reaping works with me!”
The blessings are poured out but they are not dependant on our WORKS!
They are by grace. The blessings of Abraham are ours. We are blessed. The blessings are ours.
It is about receiving. It is about faith. It is about trust. Mal 3:10 is challenge of trust.
· Question.
Do you trust?
Do we trust?
Some say, “I would love to tithe but I only just get by on what comes in, and many months I spend more than I earn. To tithe would be financial suicide.”
But God says, “try me, trust me. Give in faith” “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God’s blessings are real.
He is pouring them out. It is just that we are not in the right place to receive them. We can only receive by faith.
We position ourselves by obedience.
We have a heart that longs for more of him and desires to please him.
We need to find the place where the blessing pours out from the windows of heaven and stand in that place to receive.
BUT we are doing our own thing. We are too busy for God as we are trying to make ends meet by our own efforts in our own way. Or we are busy spending more than we have or every little thing (and some big things too) that our beady little eyes light upon. Our favourite reading is a catalogue. “Wow – Argos has a new catalogue out today – I must get one!” There is better reading available that will bring you to the place where the blessings are poured out.
If your hands, hearts, lives are full cares, problems, self effort, schemes, ambitions, plans or wishes then how can you catch the blessings? The blessings are poured out but you cannot carry them home, your hands are full.
Financial prosperity is about trusting God. How do you learn to trust, develop faith? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Live the word.
Follow the word.
The word says:
· Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
· Give and it shall be given unto you
* And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
* 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.
* Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
3 John 3
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Does your soul prosper? 'Soul prosperity' is a condition of receiving.
It is the place where we need to stand in to receive. I pray that you stand there.
You do, if your attitude and motivation is like that of the Lord.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
So, can you say
· “I so love God, that is why I give”
* II love those who Jesus died for so I give to ensure that there is food in this storehouse. Then this church can reach out in the love of God to the world”
24/05/2009
