Sunday Sermon
Posting the sharing of the word from our Sunday morning service with the hope that it may bless someone who may visit this site with a need to hear from God.
Posting the sharing of the word from our Sunday morning service with the hope that it may bless someone who may visit this site with a need to hear from God.
TITHE (GIVING)
Genesis 14:20
And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
WHERE WAS THE IDEA OF TITHE COME FROM?
HOW MANY TIMES ABRAHAM TITHE?
Illustration - We cannot definitely say that Abraham only tithe once, because he came to dwell in the heart of the Holy land where Melchizedek serve as a high priest. The Bible only record one incident which does not mean that Abraham that he gave once, because he could have done it several times.
Where Tithe Belongs
Leviticus 27:30-34
30 “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.31 Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. 33 No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’”
34 These are the commands the Lord gave Moses at Mount Sinai for the Israelites.
Numbers 18:25-29 25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering. 27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. 29 You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.
Levites live on Tithe (Deuteronomy 14:27-29)
27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doesn't.
TITHE OF EVERYTHING FROM THE LAND (Leviticus 27:30)
There are two offerings that were required for the people to give
Jewish Boy (John D Rockefeller) became one the richest man on the planet, his Mother and him attended Southern Baptist Church in the US, where he learned how to give. Luke 6:38 was his favorite Bible verse.
He contributed much of his wealth to the Church
PURPOSE - These offerings are the offerings that helps to sustained the System of Government God gave His people the children of Israel.
TITHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
We are no longer under the Law and we are free to excel in giving
New Testament believers were still using the OT as their scriptures but they were doing more than what was required of them in the Law.
The Pharisees were practicing the words of the Law without the heart
Do we still need to give our tithes and offerings? New Testament believers use the Old Testament as their Bible, and there’s nowhere in the NT where it says no more tithing.
STORIES FOR EXAMPLE
The Gospel has been widely spread throughout the world because people are willing to give their lives for it.
Jesus said Matthew 16:24 Anyone who wants to follow me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 16:25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Illustration – Jesus before He came to earth, there was only one door before Him, He opens it He lose His own Son. He was more like came to face the most terrible thing that can ever happen to someone, that is a total separation from God.
Do we really have a desire to be like Him?
CONCLUSION
Giving is what we do as believers, I hope that this message will challenge anyone who wants to do more for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
Genesis 14:20
And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
WHERE WAS THE IDEA OF TITHE COME FROM?
- Was it a Tax system?
- Was it Abraham’s idea?
- Was it a practice of the society?
- Was it a product of their culture?
- Tithe came to Abraham by revelation,
- It was a way of honoring God
- Acknowledgment of His blessings, and victory
- Act of Prophecy – Will become an ordinance to the Children of Abraham
HOW MANY TIMES ABRAHAM TITHE?
- Once, on Genesis 14:20 record
- Jerusalem was the heart of the place – Where the King of Salem lives – Where Abraham spent the rest of his life.
- Abraham could have pay more?
- Why Melchizedek? – King of Salem (Jerusalem)
- Greater Priest – In the highest order (Hebrew 7)
- Type of Christ
- Melchizedek – King of righteousness
- King of Salem – King of Peace
- He appears in three important books in the Bible
- Genesis - Torah
- Psalms – In Poetical Book
- Hebrews – Important in the gospel
- Christ as the high priest serves in the highest order
Illustration - We cannot definitely say that Abraham only tithe once, because he came to dwell in the heart of the Holy land where Melchizedek serve as a high priest. The Bible only record one incident which does not mean that Abraham that he gave once, because he could have done it several times.
Where Tithe Belongs
Leviticus 27:30-34
30 “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.31 Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. 33 No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’”
34 These are the commands the Lord gave Moses at Mount Sinai for the Israelites.
- Belongs to God – Every income 10% belongs to the God
Numbers 18:25-29 25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering. 27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. 29 You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.
- Receive it for God – The Priest collect it for God
- It is an offering to God – serves in the house of God
Levites live on Tithe (Deuteronomy 14:27-29)
27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.
28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:
29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doesn't.
- Priests – Levites’ Portion
- Foreigners – Strangers in the land
- Fatherless – Orphans
- Widows – Doesn’t have husband
- Poor – Doesn’t have anything
TITHE OF EVERYTHING FROM THE LAND (Leviticus 27:30)
- Gold and Silver
- Agricultural produce
There are two offerings that were required for the people to give
- TITHING – People were required to give the tenth of their proportions
- Levites – serves in the house of God – they live on tithes because they have no share in the distribution of the land
- FREE WILL OFFERING (Exodus 25) – Purposely for the House of God, people have to give as they prompted
- It will show the reflection of their heart
- Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Jewish Boy (John D Rockefeller) became one the richest man on the planet, his Mother and him attended Southern Baptist Church in the US, where he learned how to give. Luke 6:38 was his favorite Bible verse.
He contributed much of his wealth to the Church
- Donate money to the Southern Baptist
- To black Churches
- Christian Universities
- Missionaries
- To other Denominations
- Catholic Orphanages
PURPOSE - These offerings are the offerings that helps to sustained the System of Government God gave His people the children of Israel.
TITHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
We are no longer under the Law and we are free to excel in giving
New Testament believers were still using the OT as their scriptures but they were doing more than what was required of them in the Law.
- Acts 2:40-45 People sold the property and put it at the feet of the apostles
- Acts 5 Ananias and his wife Saphira brought money to the Apostles but died for trickery
- Acts 6:1-4 They were doing what the Law commands them (Deuteronomy 14)
- Widows
- Fatherless
- Those who are in need
The Pharisees were practicing the words of the Law without the heart
- Goal of the Law (1 Timothy 1:5) - 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
- Heart has been dealt with (Jeremiah 17:9) - The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
- Mark 12:17 Give to Caesars what is Caesars, and to God what is God’s
- Mark 12:44 Jesus observing a woman gave all she had
- Matthew 17:27 Peter were told to go and catch a fish and get a coin from the fish and pay the Temple Tax, even though Jesus knew that the system was no good
- PAUL THE APOSTLE
- 1 Corinthians 9:11-15 Those who preach the gospel will live on the Gospel, like Levites live on the tithes from the people
- 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 Collection for the people of God in Jerusalem every week from their income
- 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, 8-15 Macedonian Church and Corinthians
- Philippians 4:14-19 They give to support Paul’s ministry
- 1 Timothy 5:17-18 Pastors and Teachers of the word are worthy to receive double honor
Do we still need to give our tithes and offerings? New Testament believers use the Old Testament as their Bible, and there’s nowhere in the NT where it says no more tithing.
- Tithing – Is still used as a set principle for giving to run the ministries of the Church
- How can have the Bible if people don’t give
- How can we sent missions if we don’t give?
- How can a vision be accommodated if we don’t give?
STORIES FOR EXAMPLE
- Missionaries to Korea - Now the Koreans have the largest Churches in the world
- London Mission Society - Sending missions to the pacific, Africa and Asia
- CMF International Fiji - A very young Church that just started in the late 80s now they planted churches all over Fiji, and have planted more than 1000 churches all over the world, they have sent out missionaries all over the world.
- Missionaries Builds - Hospitals, Schools in every nation Colonized by Europeans
The Gospel has been widely spread throughout the world because people are willing to give their lives for it.
Jesus said Matthew 16:24 Anyone who wants to follow me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 16:25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Illustration – Jesus before He came to earth, there was only one door before Him, He opens it He lose His own Son. He was more like came to face the most terrible thing that can ever happen to someone, that is a total separation from God.
- When He was on the cross He cried out to the Father, My GOD MY GOD WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?
- Ephesians 5:25 Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself up for the Church
- Christ becomes our pattern of work
Do we really have a desire to be like Him?
- He gave
- We are to share in the fellowship of His suffering
CONCLUSION
Giving is what we do as believers, I hope that this message will challenge anyone who wants to do more for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.