2.15.2010

to whom he had given the money

"How Do I Honor God w/ My Finances?" {Prov3:9-10}
* What does it mean to honor God?
- To value; show respect/high regard
- We honor by obedience
- 2Cor8:7: "grace of giving" -- giving not natural, & requires His Spirit & grace
* Why teach on giving?
- Stewardship is discipleship {Matt6:21}
- Often misunderstood by flock
- Area of potential great blessing
* Basic level: initial gift {1Cor16:1-2}
- Offering part of worship (not separate or interruption)
- Should be systematic (whenever paid)
- Proportional: "all about what God allows to come into our lives"
* Is tithing for today?
- No revocation of tithing in NT (unlike other OT acts like kosher food)
- Same principles still apply (honoring God for what He has given)
- Jesus commands tithing
- Tithing existed prior to Mosaic law
- Being under grace never implies lesser standard
* Obedience level: full tithe
- Partial obedience = disobedience
- Mal3:8-10, Deut14:23, Matt23:23
* Peak level: generous giver {2Cor8-9}

1 comment:

Russell Earl Kelly said...

Where in the Bible Were Tithes Abolished?



1. WHO #1: The Levitical servants to the priests who received the first whole tithe have been abolished. See Numbers 18:21-24. Modern equivalents to the Levites are unpaid ushers, deacons, choir, musicians, etc.



2. WHO #2: OT priests who received a tenth of the tithe (only 1 per cent) have been abolished. See Num 18:25-28 and Neh 10:38.



3. WHAT: The definition of tithes as only food miraculously increased by God from inside His holy land of Israel has been abolished and replaced with the false unbiblical definition of income. See Leviticus 27:30-34 and 14 other texts which describe the contents of the tithe. Yet money was common in Genesis.



4. WHERE: The destination of the OT tithes first to the Levitical cities some to the Temple has been abolished. See Neh 10:37b and Mal 3:10.



5. WHEN: The time to tithe has been abolished. The Levitical tithe was paid yearly in the Levitical cities. The second festival tithe was eaten at the three festivals. The third poor tithe was kept in the home every third year. Tithes totaled 23 1/3 per cent.



6. WHY #1: The covenant which prescribed them was abolished per Heb 8:8-13; Gal 4:21-26' 2 Cor 3:6-10.



7. WHY #2: The "commandment" for Levites and priests to collect tithes was "annulled" per Hebrews 7:5, 12, 18.



8. WHY #3: The law which condemned believers has been rendered of no effect when the believer died in Christ per Romans 7:4. No law can tell a dead person what to do.



9. HOW #1: Jesus abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances per Eph 2:13. Tithing was an ordinance per Num 18.



10. HOW $2: Jesus blotted out the handwriting of ordinances, per Col 2:14. Tithing was an ordinance per Num 18.



11. HOW #3: The Temple which tithes supported was abolished in AD 70. God's temple is now within each believer per 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19-20.



12. HOW #4: The priesthood which was supported by tithes was abolished in AD 70. God's priesthood is now within every believer per 1st Peter 2:9-10.



13. HOW #5: The blessings and curses of tithing as part of the whole law have been abolished per Galatians 3:10-13.



Would you continue to send money to a church after

1. The building is destroyed?

2. The preacher has been defrocked?

3. The workers have found other jobs?

4. The members have all left?

5. The land has been inhabited by non religious people?

6. The purpose for the church no longer exists?

7. You have died?



Russell Earl Kelly, PHD