Chapter Eleven
Giving To God
It is said, “We make a living by what we earn, but we make a life by what we give.”
A pastor got up before his congregation and said, “This church, like the crippled man at the gate called Beautiful, has to get up and walk!”
“That’s right, let it walk, let it walk,” the congregation said.
The pastor then said, “This church, like the prophet Elijah after Mount Carmel, has to start to run.”
“Let it run, pastor, let it run,” the congregation responded, more loudly and enthusiastically.
In full animation the pastor said, “This church has got to mount up on the wings of eagles and fly.”
“Let if fly, let if fly!” shouted the congregation.
Then with all the enthusiasm the pastor could muster he said, “If the church is going to fly it takes money.”
Subdued the parishioners said, “Let it walk, pastor, let it walk.”
God has given the church everything it needs to change the world. God is the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills, and while all the gold and silver are His, Haggai 2:8, He’s given it to the church through His saints.
If the members of a congregation gave as outlined in God’s word, even sacrificially, beyond the tithe, then the church could not only meet the needs within the congregation, but also in the community and beyond.
The church, however, struggles not only to make ends meet, but also in meeting the needs of those in need. This reveals that those within the church are not giving the way God has prescribed
When we give to the Lord the way He prescribes in the Bible, we’re investing in the kingdom of God and toward the spirit of revival.
An understanding of God’s word on giving is essential if we’re going to uncover this well of living water Satan has successfully covered over that has resulted in the church and its members missing out on God’s blessings.
If we want God to bless the church and ourselves, especially in the area of finances, we must handle our finances His way. Our giving involves more than merely managing what God has given us; it is also refusing to allow things to manage us.
One way Satan has covered up this vital doctrine is by promoting tithing as an Old Testament doctrine making it no longer applicable to the New Testament church. But tithing was never revoked in the New Testament; rather Jesus confirmed it.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” (Matthew 23:23)
While the tithe is at the heart of our giving, it’s only one part. Our giving also includes offerings and alms. This involves more than merely giving money, it includes giving our time, talents, and treasures, and involves both our attitudes and actions.
If we want the Lord to bless our finances, and help us stop systematically losing what we’ve gained, we need to give as God requires.
This aspect of giving is brought out through the prophet Haggai.
“‘Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?’ Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.’” (Haggai 1:4-6)
The reason for this malady is because the Jewish people left God’s house in ruins while they built their own.
“‘You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.’” (Haggai 1:9)
This systematic loss of finances is the work of the devourer God talked about through the prophet Malachi, who prophesied at the same time as Haggai.
“‘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. 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.’” (Malachi 3:10-11)
It seems systematic giving to the Lord has always been a problem for God’s people.
And the giving of the tithe is where most people have the greatest difficulty. Most people don’t mind giving when there’s a need, but to give ten percent of their income because it’s commanded seems to rankle, especially when they have no control over how it’s used.
In this chapter I’d like to outline the whole measure of our giving that Satan has so effectively covered over.
The Tithe
In both the Greek and Hebrew language the word “tithe” means tenth. Tithing means giving ten percent to God’s work through the church.
God commanded the tithe to be brought into His house. The tithe is to be brought into the church to meet the needs of the church and its outreach into the community and world.
But it has an even more far reaching effect. The giving of the tithe is God’s way of building people’s faith.
The tithe is ten percent of our wages, and it needs to be given off the top, that is, the gross amount, not what’s left after taxes.
Under Jewish law the tithe was considered the firstfruits. It was giving to the Lord the first and the best.
“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV)
God specifies the law of the tithe.
“You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year … and all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30)
Prior to God giving the Law, the tithe was a part of the people’s giving.
Abraham paid Melchizedek, the King of Salam, a tithe, ten percent of the spoils taken from a battle that ravaged the cities of the Jordanian valley.
“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’ And he (Abraham) gave him a tithe of all.” (Genesis 14:18-20)
Jacob also promised God a tenth of everything he received upon his return to his homeland.
“(When) I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God … (and) of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” (Genesis 28:21-22 NIV)
Many Christians, however, think the tithe is some holy suggestion. It is not. It’s a command that hasn’t been done away with. Jesus confirmed the tithe as we saw earlier saying, “Without leaving the other undone.” (Matthew 23:23b)
When we don’t give God the tithe, then God considers it robbery. Through the prophet Malachi God brings theft to a whole new level. Not only is it taking something that doesn’t belong to us, but it also involves keeping what belongs to someone else. So in God’s mind failure to pay the tithe is stealing from Him.
“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. 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.” (Malachi 3:8-10)
The Lord is telling us that giving the tithe is a test of faith.
“Try Me now in this,” He said. This is the only time and place where God says we can try or test Him, proving that He not only exists, but also that He keeps His promises.
The second reason why Christians fail to give the tithe is because they lack the necessary faith to implement it. They simply fail to believe God will bless them for this step of obedience.
But the Bible says without faith it’s impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6, and faith is the substance of those things we hope for and the evidence of those things we have yet to see, Hebrews 11:1.
We need faith in God and His word concerning the tithe if we want God’s blessings.
The Offering
Within most churches, and amongst most Christians, the offering is thought of as the same thing as the tithe. When the pastor or elder calls for the tithe, they often say, “offering,” or they link them both together saying, “It’s now time to give unto the Lord our tithes and offerings.”
The offering is not the same thing as the tithe. It’s quite different. It’s designed to meet more specific needs and goes above and beyond the tithe.
It’s a gift we give to God, whereas the tithe is God’s command. The offering, like the tithe, is given from a willing and grateful heart. While the offering is mostly monetary in nature, it also involves the giving of our time, talents, and treasure.
Time is the most valuable thing we can give. There’s only so much time available, and once it’s over we can never reclaim it.
Time is fleeting. Once a second, minute, hour, or day is over, it’s gone, never to come back or be found again. This summarizes the true value of time. People say time is money, but it’s far more precious, because while money can be lost, it can also be recovered or replaced, but once time is lost it’s unrecoverable.
God has given each of us so much time; the only problem is we really don’t use it well. Therefore we need to be wise and use the time God has so gracious given to us for His kingdom rather than for our own.
The Bible tells us to use time wisely.
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
Besides money and time, we also need to offer our abilities and capabilities in the Lord’s service. These are known as talents.
In His parable of the talents, Jesus reveals the benefits of using what God has given for His service, as well as the consequences when we don’t.
The master of the house left for an extended period of time, but before he left he gave three servants a certain number of talents. The first two wisely invested them, doubling what was given.
To these two servants the master said,
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21, 23)
But instead of wisely investing what he had been given, the third servant hid it causing the master to become angry.
“You wicked and lazy servant … you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:26-30)
We are to offer God our talents so we can be those wise and faithful servants that will hear in the end, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
Our treasures are the material things that God blesses us with, which include our finances and possessions, and we prepare for eternity by wisely investing both.
Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
We need to keep God’s heavenly priorities in mind, especially when it comes to our finances and possessions, otherwise we’ll be storing our treasures in the wrong place.
These investments are not in earthly buildings, but in people’s lives. It’s when we use our treasures to help reach the lost and see them delivered from the fires of hell.
While the devil will try to steal them, he can’t because we’ve invested them in heaven, and we’ll see this investment grow many times over, Matthew 13:23.
Alms
Alms are different from both the tithe and offering. It’s in the area of giving that most people miss God’s calling. Alms are acts of compassion extended to those in need. It’s doing whatever is needed to help relieve the burden of the infirmed, poor, oppressed, and dispossessed.
The Apostle John said, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17)
In Acts 3:2-3 a lame man sat everyday at the gate called Beautiful asking for alms, something monetary to help him survive.
When Peter and John encountered him Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6)
It was through the receiving of this most unusual form of charity, a physical healing, that the lame man not only walked but also believed in Jesus Christ.
It is through the giving of alms that many unbelievers come into contact with the gospel message of Christ.
This was the story of the Roman centurion, Cornelius. An angel of God told Cornelius the Lord saw his giving of alms. So God had Cornelius call for Peter to come and proclaim the gospel message. Afterwards it says Cornelius and his whole household were saved, Acts 10:1-6; 34-48.
The giving of alms is considered an act of righteousness, but not to gain notoriety, but rather to meet the need of another while helping them maintain their dignity.
The problem, however, is how people make a big deal about how they’ve helped those in need. Jesus instead said to do it where only God will see.
“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4 NIV)
Conclusion
The giving of the tithe, offering, and alms are not independent. Each one is different and is administered differently, but each work in conjunction with the others to make sure God’s kingdom flourishes.
We need to change our thinking on what we’re giving. Our giving is an investment in the Kingdom of God, rather than a payment needing to be made.
In the investment world it’s called the risk/reward equation. It’s where the risk is weighed against the reward.
“He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6)
Giving God the tithe, offerings, and alms is showing our faith in the one area that’s near and dear to our hearts, our money. What we need to understand is that God doesn’t need our money; rather we need God’s blessings that come from our obedience.
One Last Thought
Philip went to Samaria to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, Acts 8:9-25. A man called Simon the sorcerer met him there. Simon was someone of great prominence in Samaria, and received his notoriety through the practice of sorcery.
Today Simon would probably be promoting his own “Physic Friends Hotline.” He’d probably have a webpage selling forecasts and readings with his own line of occult merchandise with his picture on the front, and he’d be raking in millions.
What is sad, however, is people like Simon are taking more money from those who are lost and confused than Christians are giving for what is true and furthers God’s kingdom.
You might say these people believe more in what’s false than Christians believe in what’s true.
