Tithing

Alright, this morning. What I want to do is talk about the issue of tithing. Tithing how should we think about giving of our money and our resources to the church. Now for most of us I imagine in this room, we probably grew up in environment I I know that I did, where the time in question wasn't a question. It was assumed It was simple. Okay, you're supposed to give 10% to the church. That's the way it's supposed to work and the logic goes something like this: in the Old Testament there was a tithe and we interpret tithes to mean 10% - I'm not sure that it does in the Old Testament but that's how we interpret it. And so we say well if that's what they did in the Old Testament now in the New Testament and New Covenant well we should give 10% too. And so that's it. That's that's the end of discussion and and it's amazing. I mean that there are churches that will sit down with their members and ask for their tax return so that they can see if they're given that 10% Or not. There's just this this kind of assumed reality that that's the way that it's supposed to work. And there's at least two problems with that kind of mentality. There's a smaller one and a bigger one. The first one, the smaller one is that that's actually not how it works in the Old Testament. In fact when we talk about the Old Testament there's not just one way that tithing worked. Giving. Offering. Tithing unto the Lord happens throughout the Old Testament in a variety of ways. And when it was codified and institutionalized in the Mosaic Covenant, it wasn't a 10% flat tithe. That's not how it work. It was actually out of 10. Okay. So if you had 9 sheep, how many did you give? No. zero. if you had 10 sheep, how many did you give? one. if you had 19, how many did you give?

Because of how do you give 1.9 sheep?

Right, do you understand? So there's some logical reasons as to how this work, but it's not as simple as saying, Oh God just wants 10%. It's your duty is your obligation. It's your moral imperative to give 10% It never really worked that way. In fact in the Mosaic code there wasn't just one tithe that was required. There was actually three that were required. There was the tithe that was to support the temple. And really that was to support the Levites. The Levites weren't given land in the conquest so they couldn't grow food. They couldn't raise livestock. They couldn't provide for themselves. So the rest of Israel would offer out of their produce. They got 20 sheep they gave two. It would go to the Levites to make sure that they could eat and do their work in the temple. But there is also the tithes that were required for offerings. The sin offerings, the offerings at the festivals. And so every person would have to take out of what they had and tithe to do that. Then every three years there was a tithe that was required to give to help widows and orphans and the poor in the community. I've always found it interesting when people say well we should get 10% because that's what they gave in the Old Testament and my response to that when I want to be snarky is well, if you really want to do the Old Testament, you should be giving more like 30 to 40%

When I'm not being snarky, what I want to say is church - We don't live under the old Covenant. We live in the New Covenant. And so we need to think about the issue of giving and tithing to the to the church and to God's work from a New Covenant reality. And that's what I want us to think through together this morning. I don't want to do this in a way that dishonors those of you that have kind of grown up and lived in that 10% reality. I think many of us have done that and I'm not I'm not in and of itself that's not a bad thing, but it's not the best thing. I want to propose a different way at looking at giving. A New Covenant, christ-centered, spirit-led way of looking at giving. In order to do that, I want to look at Galatians chapter 3. If you have your Bibles would you open up to Galatians chapter 3? Starting in verse one.

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Galatia that has had a group of Jewish followers of Jesus come in after he started the church. And when they came in they said are you followers of Jesus? They said yes Paul told us about Jesus and they said oh, yeah, we know that's great. He started you out. Well, but now if you really want to follow Jesus you need to get circumcised. Now, if you really want to follow Jesus you got to stop eating bacon. Now if you really want to follow Jesus, you got to obey the Sabbath you got to give the tithe. You've got to follow the law if you really want to follow Jesus. Basically, you got to become a Jew Ann. Paul writes the book of Galatians in a stronger a more protective. It's kind of his mama bear response against these judaizers who are coming in with what he calls at the beginning of the book another gospel a false gospel. There's the gospel of Christ and Christ crucified and then there's everything else. And so he's writing to them to help them understand the relationship between the old Covenant and the New Covenant to understand what it is that Jesus has actually done for us and to us and what it is that Jesus is asking from us. And it's not to return to the old cover. Listen to what? He says here in chapter 3 verse 1. He says them old foolish Galatians who has Bewitched you. Who's ensnared you who dance or still do who's cast another Vision upon you it was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified the gospel Paul with always this it was the Gospel of Jesus. Jesus is our righteousness. Jesus Is Our Hope Jesus is our security, it's Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Jesus plus anything equals nothing. This is how you started. He said let me ask you this. Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? How did you start? How did you enter into this salvation? How did you come into the family? How did you meet Jesus? Did you meet Jesus where you accepted by God because you kept the Sabbath because you tied because you were circumcised absolutely not this was a group primarily a gentile people. They were not lock keeper. They did not receive the Spirit by works of the law. But by sharing with faith you said are you so foolish having begun by the spirit? Are you now being perfected by thing but a flesh did you really think that's the way it works like your it starts by Grace, but now it's up to you. The gods get you started and then walks away and leaves it up to you to make things happen. Does that even make sense? Did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain the skin supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith. I love it when Paul build these logical arguments. How did you start? How are you experiencing? How does God how is God actually move and work within you and they're all rhetorical question. They understand the answer. It was always by faith. It was never by obeying the works of the law. He wants them to be crystal clear on that. So just as Abraham believed God. And it was counted to him as righteousness.

Yeah, I love what he does there because as he's building this arguments and listen you guys this is not actually something new. It's it reveals the misunderstanding of the old. What God has always wanted for us what God has always required from us is faith. That's from the beginning Abraham trusted God for some of us. We're still familiar with that story. We lose sight of how radically weird and strange it is to really old people. You're absolutely infertile. God says for them to leave everything, you know, I want you to go to some Mystery Spot and I mean to tell you where you're going and oh, by the way, you're going to give birth to a multitude of Nations.

How many you would would would sign up for that? It's always been about faith.

You will always be about faith. This is her seven know then that is those of Faith who are the sons of Abraham. He's directly attacking his opponents that are trying to

convince the glacian that they got to become juice. He said listen, you really want to be a son of Abraham. You don't become a son of Abraham by obeying the law if you follow in the footsteps of Father Abraham when you live by faith Because the scripture for seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preach the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying in you shall all the nations be blessed. So then those who are Faith are blessed along with Abraham the man this is Paul's gospel. We are saved not by our works, but by Christ's were. We are counted righteous not because of artworks or acts of righteousness and obedience. We are counted righteous because of Jesus's Works in Acts of righteousness. That is the gospel of grace. Now. This is where it gets intense verse 10. He says for all those who rely on works of the law.

Those who rely on works of the law in other words if your hope. If your faith is not in the work of Christ, but if your faith your hope is in your works of obedience to the law. In our topic this morning in in terms of tithing if you're hoping that God is going to accept you because you give 10% or you give whatever percent you are relying on the work of the law. And not on the finished work of Christ. He says everyone relies on works of the law is under a curse word is written cursive B everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them. That's the thing about the law. Doesn't grade on a curve right keeping. The law is not about keeping it better than the person sitting next to you. It's not about hoping that you've got enough good stuff that it outweighs the bad stuff the law Works All or Nothing. Interrupt, either you keep all of it. or you don't

would you want to go to finding your security in works of obedience in works of keeping the law outside of Faith? Why would you want to go to that? Why would you want to submit yourself to a curse? It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free. Let us not subject RC ourselves again to a yoke of slavery. Listen, listen to I sing all through line works a lot on her cuz I said this last week and I'm going to I'm going to say it again today. if you are giving Estrella Mountain church or any church at the any Christian Ministry or any work of mission if you are giving out of a sense of obligation If you are giving out of sense of Duty if you're giving because you think it's required of you if you are giving because you want God to look with you on you with favor because of what you give her if you're getting because you want the people next to you is like, oh, wow. He's a really good giver and I was like if you're giving for any of those reasons don't

I just need it. That doesn't want it. not what motivates a follower of Jesus to give we do not give out of obligation because it is evident that no one is Justified before God by the law for the righteous shall live by faith, but the law is not of Faith rather than one who does them shall live by them Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written cursive is everyone who is hanged on a tree so that in Christ Jesus The Blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promised Spirit through what

Survey giving is a gospel issue and we do not give to fulfill the law. Jesus is the Fulfillment of the law. That's not why give it's not how it works in the church. So how is it supposed to work? What does the New Testament lay out for us in terms of giving and participating in the work of the kingdom and the work of God's people and his family the church. First of all week. We looked at this text last week, but it needs to be repeated we give by choice. God wants us to participate in the act of giving this is maybe my biggest problem with just adopting a 10% mentality is that it takes you out of the equation. You're not actually wrestling with the issue of your heart and your resources and your possession and what you find satisfaction in. What's your hope is in you just your check in a bottle.

We get by choice the text me what that last week's 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 says this for 6 the point is this whoever sow sparingly will also reap sparingly. Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Let me say this again. This is not the abomination of the Prosperity Gospel that says if you give God $10, he's going to give you a thousand. This is not what he's laying out. He's laying out a spiritual principle that you get out of things what you put into it. This can be applied to relationships course. It's true in those things and it's true in the spiritual life what we invest in and how we invested it determines the experience and the receiving that we get out of it. Paul wants us to understand that in the issue of giving as in everything in life. We're going to get out of it spiritually what we put into it. They says this each one must give as he has decided in his heart. Not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful Giver.

We're not supposed to give because we're supposed to. We're supposed to get because we want you. We're not supposed to give reluctantly or out of shame or out of guilt. We're supposed to give with joy and Delight because we get to it supposed to come volition through a choice a decision in our heart Guided by the spirit. But here's the takeaway and it's not the first time we've talked about this here at AMC but here's the takeaway of the whole sermon in the middle of the sermon.

the New Covenant reality We give led by the spirit of God.

So what we do is we get alone with God we get with our wife or husband we get together. We pray we see God's face and we listen and we move in response to the spirit. what that means is that In different seasons and four different people. God is going to call us to different reality so I can be 10% 10% 10% and some of you are deeply in debt. And what God wants you to do is get out of that data. Hey, Miss. I want you to give 2% That's going to be an active faith and that's going to be able to channel decision and you're going to give that with joy some of you you're going to get with God and your snack. What you want me to give and God's going to go I bless you abundantly. I want you to give 30% I need to go. Say what?

But I wanted the new iPhone and I've had my eye on that new Mercedes and then do Tesla's coming out and I want all those things and God says do you trust me?

Will you follow me? Will you invest in when I'm asking this is not a cookie-cutter check the box reality. The New Covenant is a spirit-led reality dwells within the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead now dwells in your mortal bodies. Do you not think she has the ability to lead you and guide you in how you use the resources that she's giving you in the first place?

Don't check the box. Don't check out engage your brain engage your heart have the conversation Ascot listen to him and when he leaves respond with joy, like for God loves a cheerful Giver.

We give by choice and I love her say this doesn't God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times. You may abound in every good work. As I said last week to become a cheerful Giver is an act of Grace itself. Jesus is the one that sets us free to be a cheerful Giver. So weird to give by Troy. Secondly, we are to give out of love. Love is everything in the Kingdom love is everything in God's economy. We are to give out of love. I love Romans 13 verse 8. It says it so no one anything. Except to love each other for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Vet in the New Testament. The law of Christ is the law of love love is the Fulfillment of the law for the Commandments. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You should not steal you shall not covet and any other commandment are summed up in this world. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Several years ago. I had the opportunity to go for the first time the India and one of the things that struck me about that amazing and beautiful country when I got off the airplane and walked out of the airport. There was just this mass of humanity and there were hundreds of beggar. Hundreds of beggar amputees leprosy Burns. I mean it was overwhelming especially after a 15-hour flight to be just faced with this mass of need and humanity and crying out and and begging and I and I remember I mean, I remember it like it was yesterday. Just just taking in the scene and I'm watching how people are responding. I begin to ask questions of people about how it works because in India you got this caste system and and and and the begging is built into that caste system is actually part of the society and culture in the way it works. And and what I noticed is that I saw all sorts of people giving to the beggar's they're they're giving and and what was explained to me.

It's really Shook Me Up. They weren't giving because they cared about the beggar. CNN in their system of reincarnation and Karma and all that sort of stuff they were giving because they wanted to make sure that on their necks go around they they moved up on the ladder. This is the system of Carmen if I give to this I'm really helping myself. They could care less about this person this image Bear, right? They could care less about them. Like they're lower-caste. They're not worth thinking about but there are a tool for me to use to make myself better and I remember being struck by the Lord going. Do I give like that?

Do I give so that got to love me? Do I give so that people will admire me? Do I give so that? I can earn some favor with God do I give so that I can feel morally righteous. Do I do I give based out of self-interest or do I give out of Love Actually care and love the work and the people in the ministry that I'm giving to or is it all about me? Love love gifts. We spend some time talking about this at the end of last year love gives it is in its nature or other centered other oriented. Love gives we we give out of love. And where do we get that love will we love because he first loved us. Love begets love generosity begets generosity. We get by choice would give out of love. we give to need we give to me there are important realities and needs that we can give to specifically when we're given to the church. I like to eat.

Right. So this is why I said let the elders who rule I'll be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the scripture says you shall not muzzle an ox when it Treads out the Grain in the labor deserves his wages. Really grateful that Paul calls me an ox this morning. My wife usually calls me a different barnyard animal.

And she ain't wrong A lot of times, but did you see what I sent like that there are there are needs. They need to be mad and and pulsing like in the context of the church. If you got elders and pastors that are that are doing this full-time like the Levites of old. They got to be taken care of. In a in a church context like this, there's electric bills and mortgage it that there's realities of ministry that are genuine needs. We're supposed to give to me not just the needs that we like What's the needs of the word?

And we get to needs.

And I and I know I'm I'm saying this again, but we are to give with joy.

what to give with joy I'm going to unpack this next week even more so but Acts chapter 20 verse 34 to 35 Paul there were times in his life where he was fully supported by the church. Is there other times when he was on some of his mission trips that he was a tentmaker. He literally work making tents so that he could provide for himself next 20 talks about this and he says that you yourselves know that these hands minister to my necessities and to those who were with me. Okay, Paul. Why did you do that? Why did you spend some of your time as a tentmaker? He said in all things. I have shown you that by working hard in this way. We must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

It's more blessing. It's it's more gooder. It's really good for you that this is what we looking. I don't want to give that that seems bad for me. That means I can't get what I want. That means. I don't have control. It's like God's trying to take something from us, but that's not trying to take something from us God's trying to give us something you trying to give us freedom from security in our possessions. He's trying to give us freedom from finding satisfaction and things of the world that are temporary and cannot truly satisfy. God is trying to set us free to trust and follow Kim with abandon. It's a gift. That doesn't ask us to give because he needs it. He asked us to give because we need it.

When Jesus said it's more blessed to give than to receive what he meant and it's in the Hebrew and in the Greek is that it's more blessed to give than to receive. That's that's what it means.

And see the part of you that doesn't believe that.

And I got a part of me that doesn't believe that either. I'm like I really like to receive.

Is the part that still needs Jesus to read life and dresses the part of us that still needs to be set free. It's the part of us that needs to learn to walk in faith.

more blessed to give then she received you decide which we get to give. We get the gift. as a gift from God because he is so good to us.

the book of Hebrews I'm a close with this Hebrews chapter 8 book a few bruises wonderful bucket in this section of the book. The writer is demonstrating how Christ is absolutely Superior to everything that came before. Now he's not saying in any way shape or form that what came before was bad. He's just saying that it doesn't compare with Jesus it when Jesus shows up. He's better than everything that came before. The Jesus is always going to be better than everything else. He is the ultimate. He's the penultimate. There's nothing that will ever compare to Jesus.

The writer says this he says as it is Christ is obtained a Ministry that is much more excellent than the old. Just as the Covenant that key mediates is better since it is enacted on better promises. Jesus is better say that this morning Jesus is better better. Listen, or if the first Covenant had been faultless there would have been no occasion to look for a second. Does it mean that the first Covenant was bad? It just means that the first Covenant couldn't give us what Jesus has given us. Jesus is better. So let me let me say it this way to close. If Jesus is better. If the New Covenant is better in every way than the old Covenant, why would we look to the old Covenant to establish the standard of our generosity? This is what the church have been doing for the last couple hundred years. We just look back at 10% So you give 10% and I'm going Jesus is better shouldn't have been filled with the spirit those that have been experienced the superiority and the sufficiency of Jesus shouldn't our generosity and are giving far outshine the giving of the off

Flash wants to say what's the bare minimum I can get away with?

and the spirit says okay. How much can I give away?

How can I join you in the work of generosity? God has been so amazingly generous to us.

We are truly his sons and his daughters. And we need to be generous. Has here a man.