July 29, 2022

175: Bible Questions: What does the Bible say about money and tithing?

175: Bible Questions: What does the Bible say about money and tithing?

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175: Bible Questions: What does the Bible say about money and tithing?

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Show Notes
Transcript

Who should give (and who should NOT give), how should we give, how much should we give, where should it be given

Transcript

What does the Bible say about money and tithing?

What does the Bible have to say about our money and how we manage it? It actually has much to say let's hit a few principles. Everything we have is from God. I know we're the ones punching the time clock and earning the paycheck. But scripture says God has provided the job for us, given us the talents and energies, that job requires and made it possible for us to get our sorry, selves up healthy this morning. The Bible tells us everything in our possession is ultimately from God and therefore he has the right of ownership over it. God has placed money and possessions in our hands and expects us to be wise managers of it. Jesus taught several parables about that as with all managers, each of us has the freedom to invest it in the way we choose.

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But as a manager, we will be held responsible by the boss for how we invest that whether wisely or unwisely see Matthew 25 Jesus parable of the three managers and their money investments. Further God asks and expects managers to reinvest a portion of the wealth at our disposal in the work of his kingdom. That's not just giving to your church, but also to meet the basic needs of people, which brings us to the side question of taxes. What about taxes? Recently? I read that we all work until about May 12th each year, just to pay our taxes.

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That's about 40% of our income. Much of this money is used by the government for welfare and other programs to help the poor things. The church used to be solely responsible for. Now, does this change our responsibility for giving to the church? That's a good question. The answer is we'll learn soon is no. There are still needy people falling through the government's safety net and over a billion people worldwide. Who've not heard of Jesus, much less become a committed follower. So God still wants you to give the amount he lays on your heart. We'll get to that more shortly. Another principle is money or goods given in Jesus' name to kingdom work or to the poor is a gift pleasing to God, sea Philippians four 18 investments in God's kingdom also reap eternal benefits for the kingdom and for the giver.

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See Matthew six 20 here's a biggie investing in the work of the kingdom often demonstrates the sincerity of our love for Christ and of our new life in him. That principle is in second Corinthians eight, eight here's the deal giving is an outward sign of an inward conviction and often an accurate spiritual barometer. By the way, Jesus spoke more about the use of our money than he did about heaven and hell combined. Now, I wanna take a little offramp to this issue. If you do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus by faith you're giving to the church or to charitable causes does not earn brownie points, which will impress God and get you into heaven.

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In fact, any effort on your part to impress God other than to trust in what Jesus has done already on your behalf makes God want to vomit. See Isaiah 64 6, it's like offering your spouse 10 bucks to forget the whole thing ever happened after you committed adultery. It's okay to give, but please, if you are not yet a follower of Christ, don't slip into the trap of believing. It earns brownie points with God. Here's another principle investing should always be done with joy, never through pressure or grudging obligation to do so C second Corinthians nine seven, the term cheerful or hilarious is used in this verse.

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God indeed loves a cheerful giver, but here's a caveat while our giving should be joyful and fulfilling, it should also hurt a little. It should be a sacrifice where we perhaps delay a gratification of ourselves in order to be obedient to God. See David's comments in first Chronicles, 21, 24 or Paul's comments in Philippians four 18. Some people give in order to get back from God, contrary to what you might hear from TV preachers and read in books. There is no guarantee that if you give a dollar to God, God will return more than a dollar to you.

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This is the wrong motivation to begin giving. This is giving with a string attached. God is not a slot machine with a big jackpot. Malachi three 10 says that we are to put God to the test by giving in order to receive much more in return. However, the return we get is often not in legal tender. Please see the next verse in Malachi Malachi three 11, that blessing or dividend or return may come in many other ways. The correct motivation for giving is a response of loving obedience to a wise God who created us and knows how to give us a joyful abundant life.

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Another principle of scripture about money is that the amount of our regular investment in the kingdom should be according to our means C second Corinthians eight, 11, and 12, while the idea of 10% or the tithe, which literally means the 10th is branded on many believers' minds because of Abraham's tithe in Genesis 14, 17 through 20. That is not necessarily the standard for you. If you go back to Deuteronomy 14, the Jews actually were called to give 23.5% in act 4 37, a man named Barnabas sold his property and gave the whole thing to the church and a destitute widow in Matthew 12 gave a penny, but it was all that she had and it pleased Jesus immensely to see it.

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So how much should you give? Second Corinthians nine tells us each one should give, as he has decided in his heart to give. In other words, establish a personal goal for how much you think God wants you to give. And in establishing that goal, remember this principle obedient giving should not violate other principles of God's word, such as mutual submission. That is don't begin giving unless you're in agreement with your spouse honoring your financial vows, that is don't begin giving and ignore payment of legitimate debts you've made with your creditors. Here's one to consider our giving to God should come off the top.

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Not what may or may not trickle down to the bottom line. If you've been around budgeting your money for a while, you'll know that often nothing trickles down to the bottom line. We might have to talk about our lifestyles as followers of Jesus in another Bible questions. Instead giving us called first fruits. If our president came to breakfast at your house, you wouldn't think of giving him the crumbs off the bottom of the Cheerios box, but that's precisely what happens if we use a, what trickles to the bottom kind of giving, whether that's to God or charitable organizations to help with the needs of others, but off the top giving is worth it.

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If we invest generously, even sacrificially in the work of God and caring for his people, God is pleased both Jesus and Paul, remind us however that God is not pleased. If we give so generously that we cannot provide for the needs of our own families, C mark seven 11, and first Timothy five eight, where should your giving go? First Corinthians 16, two guides us that our investments in God's work should be made consistently and regularly and should be done primarily through the local church at which you worship each week, not exclusively, but that is the primary place to drop your coins.

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And as you invest, God's money back through your local church, God calls us to submit to the vision of that church and the decisions of those called into the leadership roles in that church, CX 4 37, if the vision and ministry of a church conflicts with your own convictions, don't stop giving scripture gives you two separate councils. First, maybe you should submit anyway. See Ephesians chapter five, verse 20 or second, find another local church with similar convictions, which brings us to, how should you give if you're over 40 growing up, most of us listening to this gave through dropping money or checks into the offering plate as it went down the row during a worship service, but that's not true anymore.

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Now, there are many ways to do that text to give ACH giving, giving stock or retirement distributions. Honestly, I don't think the format of how you give matters that much to God. And if you're concerned, especially as parents, your children, won't see you modeling giving. If you push it from your bank or text it, have a conversation with them, show them your budget and say, mommy and daddy find giving to the church and helping meet the needs of people is important to us. Speaking of conversations about your giving scripture also gives us some guidance here, Jesus, in his sermon on the mountain, Matthew six, one through four suggest our investments should be on that down low they're between us and the Lord.

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Jesus mentioned people in his date, blowing trumpets as they came to the temple with their offerings, that would be annoying. This confidentiality is a great principle. However, don't take it too far. The apostle Paul commended several people in his letters for their generous giving. He used them as examples of people living out the stewardship principle. Well, I'll end with one more living without regular giving back to God will eventually come back to haunt us. Hey guy, one, three through 11 tells us that we can either give back to the Lord joyfully and voluntarily on the front end or our wealth will slowly leak away.

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When God's blessings are withheld from us. This passage could be condensed into this statement from God. If you don't return a portion of the wealth I've given you for kingdom work, your grocery money won't stretch. As far in the checkout lane, your kids will blow out the knees and their designer, jeans, rollerblading, your car or house will turn into a money pitch. And what you save will get sucked dry by ATM charges and inflation. So what should you do with your money? I'd listen to this again and jot down these principles. Then go to the passages and read them. I would encourage you to pray for direction, ask God to lay on your heart, the amount he wants you to invest and through which organizations he wants you to invest.

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It. Not all organizations are very good stewards of the money you steward to them. And then I'd say plan, consider adding tie to the top line of your budget. As you've purposed in your heart, treat this as a debt to God, just as you would your mortgage student loan or car payment. Write a check for the full amount for the month on the first of the month, or set it up as an ACH push from your bank. And once you begun this discipline, if you're a parent begin training your kids to do the same thing, to decide in their hearts, how much God wants them to give and to what organizations or needs I'll end with an issue.

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Most of us will have a hard time adding it to our budget. Why we're overstretched? How do we get on track so that God doesn't get the crumbs? If any, at the bottom of our Cheerio box, I think we need another Bible question on the teaching of lifestyles expected of God's kids in a future Bible questions.

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