“Honor
the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; so your
barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine”
(Proverbs 3:9-10)
This section speaks directly to the scriptural principles of sharing through the channels God has provided.
It is essential to understand how important God considers sharing. But first let me say that I accept the entire Bible as inspired by God and consider the lessons given in the Old Testament to be as important as those in the New Testament.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)
In many instances Christ clarified God’s principles and simplified them for us, whereas others from the Old Testament were relinquished for a higher authority. For instance, it is no longer necessary to make blood sacrifices because Christ’s blood was given as the ultimate sacrifice. And no longer are we slaves to the law because Christ’s death has pardoned us. But, for the Christian seeking God’s will, God’s principles point the way to peace, happiness, and prosperity because the author of the universe promises to manage our finances.
There are scores of Scriptures relating to the reasons for sharing from what God supplies us. Let’s examine why God says to share.
1. The Tithe
The tithe is often misunderstood. Some Christians believe the tithe is a legalism affecting only Old Testament Jews and has no real meaning today. Others Believe tithing is a qualification for being a Christian and failure to do so will result in God’s expelling us. Absolutely neither is correct. We will review the tithe from its origin in the Old Testament to its purpose in the New Testament.
Read Genesis 14:18-20
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Abram delivered an offering to Melchizedek. Why?
Read Hebrews 7:1-10
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
Melchizedek met Abraham and _____________ him.
Who was Melchizedek ?
Did Abraham have the written law of Moses to obey?
Why did he tithe?
2. What Does the New Testament say?
Read Matthew 23:23
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Christ reaffirmed their need to tithe although He rebuked their failure to observe the other aspects of God’s law. What did He ask of them?
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6
The principle is : He who ___________ will ____________.
Does that mean that a Christian can tithe to God with a profit motive?
Read Romans 11:35
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
The principle is: The first part and the last part belong to God. He returns and multiplies to those who give freely and without thought for profiting. God is under no requirement to multiply our gifts. He does so because He loves us.
Turning to the Old Testament law, read 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.
God equates withholding of the tithe to: ____________________________
Read Malachi 3:10
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.
God says bring the _________ into His storehouse.
Why?
Read Malachi 3:11
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.
God promises?
In Deuteronomy 14:22-23:
Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
God says to?
Why did He require a tithe?
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7 says fear of the Lord is what?
Thus we give in fear (reverence) of the Lord to establish
His wisdom (ownership) over our money. He then promises to watch over all
of our wealth. Thus tithing establishes our testimony of God’s ownership.
Once a Christian recognizes that giving is a testimony to God’s ownership, the next level of sharing opens up. That is sharing out of obedience or duty to God’s Word with our gifts and contributions.
Opportunities arise as God reveals others around us who are in need, and we recognize a responsibility to them. Those needs may be physical needs of families or material needs of Christian organizations.
1. Read Matthew 25:33-40
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
What is God’s promise for those who obey by sharing ?
What does He ask us to do?
To what does God equate our sharing?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
According to James 2:15 we are admonished to share with those in need of: __________ and _______________.
Read 1 John 3:18,19
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
According to verse 18, we are to show our love in ___________ and _____________.
This demonstrates what ?
To share from abundance requires love because the norm today is to hoard. Many Christians have great abundance. Those who have surpluses should recognize that as God’s blessing and seek His will for that surplus. The key to finding God’s will is love for God and His people.
To share from abundance out of love means: I have much, and I want to share with someone who needs much. Once you give, you will find that you can’t outgive God. If you continue to give, even when it seems impossible, God will show you how much He can give in return. Giving from love is one of the greatest blessings that we can have.
How does this differ from sharing out of obedience? I believe it is the next spiritual step up. We know that Christ recognizes dangers in riches and states that the rich will always have great difficulty adhering to God’s plan (Matthew 19:23-24). Therefore, sharing out of abundance is practiced by the committed few who recognize God’s bounty.
Read 2 Corinthians 8:15
As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
What is the plan in God’s balance sheet?
_____________ + _______________ = ENOUGH.
This plan is important, and its logic is described in 2 Cor. 8:12-14
Giving according to ?
Are we to give to the wants and desires of others?
Why?
What can we rely on?
This means of giving is available to those Christians absolutely committed to God’s plan. Sacrificial giving is almost unknown to us, particularly in America. Worldly motives have clouded our thinking and dulled our sensitivity. Often our level of commitment to our brothers in need is to provide them with a ride to the welfare office. God will not allow His work to tarry for lack of funds. He will simply redistribute the necessary funds to Christians who are sincerely seeking His will and who will sacrifice personal luxuries for the need of others.
Read Luke 21:1-4
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
How would you describe the amount given?
How did Christ assess the gift?
Why?
Read Hebrews 13:16
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
We are admonished?
Why?
Read 2 Corinthians 8:7-9
Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
According to verse 7, in what are we to abound?
As proof of what?
According to verse 9, that sacrifice is equated to?
From God’s Word, sacrifice is assessed according to attitude, not amount. Those who never forego any of their own desires or wants for the needs of others have missed a vital part of God’s financial plan.
God’s plan for sharing begins with:
Tithe – a testimony to God’s ownership
Obedience – Helping the obvious needs around us
Abundance – Giving from our surpluses
Sacrifice – Yielding our wants and needs for others