Day 20 - Where to Start

Key #6 – Giving is the Antidote to Materialism


Leviticus 27:30
• The meaning of the word tithe is “a tenth part”
• Ten percent of everything they earned was to be given back to God
• That 10% was “holy” to the Lord. It was set apart and was not theirs to keep. If they did keep it God considered it stealing from him.
• There were other freewill offering too, but the 10% was mandatory for people who were going to be part of God’s people

Proverbs 3:9
• Honoring the Lord is giving the Firstfruits
• God’s people give him first not last
• It wasn’t the leftovers at the end of the crop, it was the first and best of the crop that was given to God

• Is your first priority with your salary to give to God?
• Does he get your Firstfruits?


Malachi 3:8-10• When his children weren’t giving in this manner God called it robbery
• It is important to remember that God didn’t “need” their tithes. The tithe was for their benefit

• Have you been robbing God by not giving him your first and best?


Matthew 23:23
• Jesus validated the tithe on even small things but criticized the fact that they tithed without following the heart of the law of giving to God. They needed to tithe of their wealth but also give of themselves and their heart.
• What God really wants is for us to give our whole selves to him. We fail to do that if we aren’t willing to give financially to him but we also fail to do that if we only give financially so that we don’t have to give of ourselves
• Some argue that there is no mention of tithing after the Gospels
• That’s true but it is also true that tithing by God’s people is never revoked
• A quick perusal of Genesis shows that giving to God predated the law. It was included in the law as well but this shows that the principle of giving lies outside of the law and is not limited to it
• Every example of New Testament giving actually goes far beyond the tithe; it never falls short of that
• Everything about the New Covenant is that God’s people, because of their gratitude and the guiding of the Spirit, have the ability to go far beyond the confines of the law, never below
• The New Testament does not mandate things as the law does because we are to do those things from our heart rather than because we are following the law

Matthew 5:27-28
• Jesus didn’t lower the standard of the OT by shifting the focus to our heart, he actually demands more of us
• The tithe is God’s historical method to get us on the path of giving
• The tithe starts to break the grip that materialism has on our lives
• In that sense, it can serve as a gateway to the joy of giving today
• The tithe is not a place to stop, it is the place to start; it is the floor of giving not the ceiling; the starting blocks not the finish line
• The tithe can be the training wheels to launch us into the minds-set, skills, and habits of giving

• What has been your view of giving a tithe to God?
• Do you see the tithe as meeting an obligation to God or as the starting point opportunity to give back generously to God?


Convictions
• If you don’t already, will you embrace the conviction to give to God your first and best rather than what is left over?
• Is it your conviction to constantly pray for the ability and work towards the opportunity to give more and more to God rather than just trying to meet a minimum standard and never going any further?