Oh, it's a stewardship sermon . . . AGAIN

Oh my goodness!
Have you ever said that?
(Or thought it?)
I know that some people think that's all pastors and churches talk about.
Money. Finances. Building funds. Stewardship.
Oh, and don't forget this one.
Tithing.
Isn't that a "thing"? A you-have-to-do-this rule?
But I've heard people argue that it's an Old Testament "thing" instead of for today.
Who's right?
Did you see the verses in our tenth chapter?

And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. 38 A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. (Nehemiah 10:37b-38, NIV)

The tithe can be traced back to Abraham (it's found in Genesis 4) and it has been called the sacred tithe; it was for the Levites and the priests, for their service to the temple and to the people. One could say that it was consecrated to God, and to the furtherance of His work -- and that is why people still pay attention to it today.

Did you know there were two other tithes? Let's look at some verses:

22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.
28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (Deuteronomy 14:22-29)

The second tithe was needed because the Levitical law required trips to Jerusalem for certain occasions. This tithe was sometimes called the "feast tithe." Of course, the whole family would travel, so it was like a mini-vacation, as well as for a religious purpose. By setting aside a second tithe, a family could be prepared for the necessary travel expenses.

The third tithe was for the poor (verses 28 and 29 up there). It was given only every third year. The produce was to be laid up in the towns -- it wasn't up to the individual to distribute; it was more of a community project that everyone helped with!

It's interesting to read about, because we don't often consider this part of Old Testament giving. Their giving included God, the family's spiritual and physical wellbeing, and their neighbors' needs.
It was about this time that Malachi, the prophet, was telling the people:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10)

So, in Nehemiah, this promise to pay the ten percent is the response of the people to the prophet's appeal.
When we come to the New Testament, the tithe is no longer laid upon us as a requirement, although many churches still teach it. The New Testament teaching is that Christians are to give a proportion of their wealth to the Lord, to recognize that it ALL came from Him. We are permitted to determine that proportion ourselves. (See I Corinthians 16, as well as II Corinthians 8 and 9.) We are told in those chapters to choose how much we can give to God. It's the MOTIVE that is God's primary focus. The principle of giving in the New Testament is that we give in gratitude for the blessings He has given to us.
Offerings don't mean much unless they are given with a cheerful spirit and a thankful heart! They are used to support His ministry, but they are just another way to express our thanksgiving. We give because God has given to us (first!). Do we feel grateful for those blessings? Have our lives been changed? Has He poured out blessings on us? Has He healed us in a time of sickness? Has He opened doors of service for us? Has He been near and dear to us when our hearts have been broken?
As our hearts are filled with gratitude, we give as freely as we can to the Lord. Some people can give a little. Some can give a lot. It's up to us to decide.

We aren't saved by works. Failing to tithe will not in and of itself send us to hell -- but giving freely can help improve our lives and strengthen our relationship with God. If we say we can't afford it, aren't we saying that we can't trust God to provide for us?
And if we say we can't trust the church to use the money in a responsible way, then perhaps we need to prayerfully consider talking with the leaders of the church -- or (if there is evidence of corruption)  asking God's help in finding a trustworthy group of believers? Hopefully, we are in a church where we can trust the leaders to do what is right. It's worth remembering that our accountability is to give and trust that God will take care of the rest.
Gratitude.....giving.....

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (II Corinthians 9:7-8)

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand." (I Chronicles 29:14)

Yes, it was a study on stewardship.
But it wasn't so bad, was it?
(Grin)