Sermon: Tithing: 'Try Me Now!' (Part Two)
#1742
Martin G. Collins
Given 06-Jan-24; 68 minutes
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transcript:
From the creation of man God has been steadily giving to humanity. He began by giving the first man, Adam, a wife; and He gave the first human family dominion over the earth and its animal population, including a wonderful beautifully landscaped garden in which to dwell.
God also gave Adam and Eve laws to govern their conduct so they could live happy, abundant, and productive lives, fulfilled in every way. From time to time throughout history, He has expanded those laws to cover, in principle, every aspect of human conduct.
Now God continues to sustain the life support system of this creation. And His most precious gift is that of life itself, including the potential for eternal life in His Kingdom. Since humanity is to inherit as a gift eternal life in His everlasting Kingdom, God expects His children to learn how to give.
Generosity of spirit and attitude is a foundational basis for God's way of life. And tithing is another way of giving, although commanded, we give back to God a portion of what He first gave us. In His infinite love, God has given us the means to worship Him and rejoice, individually, as a family, and with His people in a show of gratitude by tithing and giving offerings.
In my last sermon, "Tithing: Try Me Now! Part One," we saw biblical proof that God's tithing law has been kept by faithful people since God accepted the tithes of Abraham and Jacob, and is still in force today. No biblical scholar would deny that tithing is biblical. Now in this sermon (Part Two), we are going to look at principles regarding the practical application of tithing. But first, a brief reminder of the law since it has been five weeks since I last spoke.
Please turn with me to Malachi 3, verse 8. The biblical record shows that God used the tithing system to finance His own theocracy's religious and secular needs. Later, tithing continued spasmodically throughout the era of the judges and the kings of Israel and Judah, and God verbally blistered the nation of Judah for stealing His tithes in the time of Malachi.
Malachi 3:8-9 "Will a man rob God? [this is God asking the question] 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 you have robbed Me, even this whole nation."
Take a look at this nation right now and its financial difficulties and the financial difficulties it has had its entire existence, for several hundred years, and you will see that one of the major reasons for the troubles it has had financially is that this nation did not tithe to God, and most of its individuals did not either.
Jesus speaks of tithing in the New Testament in Matthew 23. And the apostle Paul wrote of it in his book about the priesthood in Hebrews 7. Now, one tenth of what we earn is not ours to keep. And by giving away that one tenth that is not ours to begin with, we thank God, who stimulates our ability to make still more money, thereby attaining prosperity. This is not about a prosperity gospel. This is realistic and biblical.
Please turn to II Thessalonians 3, verse 10. Now, anyone who rigidly clings to his money betrays a lack of confidence, a lack of faith in God's ability to bless us and make our wealth grow. One who clutches it tightly acts as if it is not replaceable.
II Thessalonians 3:10-12 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busy bodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
Now, it stands to reason that anyone who diligently and contently works will be blessed with substance. It does not matter whether you are poor or whether you are the most wealthy person in the world, if you work, you are going to be able to supply something for yourself. So the difference here is whether a person is willing to work or not, and we should be willing, and we should be diligent and contently doing it.
The way we view money truly impacts our ability to earn it. Nevertheless, the tithing principle in God's Word transcends merely the giving of one tenth of one's increase. Our attitudes and judgments about money are revealed in whether we have a preference or a conviction about joyfully obeying God regarding tithing.
The entire question revolves around whether a person is of a thankful, willing, and obedient spirit and truly desires to obey God or behaves like a pharisaical moaner, and just like a stubborn goat, be forced or dragged into doing what is required by God. Now, God commands us to tithe, but to do it perfunctorily and out of necessity is far short of the type of giving that God expects of us.
It is a matter of faith and obedience! The decision to tithe then revolves around our willingness and eagerness to do all our heavenly Father commands. If we always approach the study of His Word with the attitude of, what is the minimum I need to do to satisfy it, or I do not want to do any more than I have to do, we will probably not tithe the full ten percent. And that is if we tithe at all because of the attitude behind that toward tithing.
Now, faith is vital for tithing and tithing demonstrates that giving God His tenth confirms that we trust and believe in Him. Abel brought the best of his flock as an offering.
So tithing demonstrates that we worship God. It is an act of faith, a spiritual act like prayer, and without faith, it is impossible to please God. God provided tithes during the time of Abraham for the purpose of carrying out whatever commission He gives His people. The Bible first mentions tithing when Abraham, the father of the faithful, gave Melchizedek, which is a priesthood that predates even the patriarchs, one tenth of all his goods. And by the time of the Exodus, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had grown from a small patriarchal family to a great multitude of upwards toward 2 million people.
Jacob acknowledged God in his life by promising to give him a tenth of all. And during the time of Moses, the size of the population dictated the need for a written code of law. Yet the principles of giving remain the same. Numbers 18 records that God turned His tithe over to the Levitical priesthood for their use in the administration and conduct of His work.
Please turn with me to Matthew 5, verse 17. Now by the time God formally instituted Israel's civil code, tithing had long been an ongoing financial law. It had been going on for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Jesus Christ did not specifically deal with the tithing law. He magnified God's law while on earth and in His Sermon on the Mount Jesus paraphrased six Old Testament laws or principles giving their intended meanings.
Matthew 5:17-20 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law of the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill [that is, to carry it out or to show its intent]. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments [including not stealing], and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
That is a pretty powerful command by Jesus Christ there.
Tithing however, was not generally questioned at the time so there was not really a need to address it in that way. It was not a theological issue like circumcision or the eating of meat sacrificed to idols. Luke 16:17 says, "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail."
Now, the New Testament expounds Old Testament principles and laws. And Jesus specifically says He did not come to invalidate them. No New Testament passage rescinds the tithing law. Quite the opposite. Jesus upholds the principle of tithing in His denunciation of the self-righteous Pharisees in Matthew 23:23.
Please turn over to Hebrew 7, verse 1. The law of tithing never changes. An essential principle to remember concerning the Old and New Covenant is that what did not originate with the Old Covenant did not die with it. Tithing did not originate with the Old Covenant so it did not die with it.
Hebrews 7:1-10 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.
And indeed those who are the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
Also we find in Hebrews 6:20 that the priesthood has been conferred on Jesus Christ, now our High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek." So the tithes are not given to Levitical priesthood being part of the Old Covenant, but now the ministers of God today under the New Covenant.
Now, since the tithing law predates the Levitical priesthood and is therefore still in force, tithes are now to be given to Jesus Christ, our High Priest, for use by the church. The church is commissioned to preach the gospel free of charge. And so tithing is the major source of funding of that preaching of the gospel in a physical sense. So the tithe pays for this important responsibility. God's Word is not for sale.
Jesus Christ emphasizes in Matthew 10:8 the approach God's church should have today: "Freely you have received, freely give." And that is why it is wrong for churches to not do more than take up offerings on the holy days and receive tithes. If they take up offerings every week, they are defying what God instructs in Scripture, as we see the mainstream Christians do.
Jesus confirmed that tithing continues but now God, through Christ, has made a better covenant with His people, who are no longer limited to the physical nation of Israel. He is now working through His church, the spiritual Israel of God. Through tithing, God provides abundance for every good work.
In Acts 6:1-4, the 12 apostles realized that the business of physically serving the brethren was distracting them from laboring full time in teaching God's Word. They were not above physical service. In fact, they were doing it, but they realized that it was more important to spend their time laboring directly in the gospel. And so, through this situation, they learned what their priorities should be. So they appointed deacons to do the physical service of distributing aid to the members of the church and this allowed the apostles to give themselves continually to prayer in the ministry of the Word. So the apostles now had the time to fulfill their calling.
In Hebrews 7 Paul explains that the change in the priesthood to the ministry of Christ, who descended from Judah, not Levi, necessitated a change of the tithing law. So the tithing law had to be in effect to be changed in its administration to the New Testament ministry of Christ. The administration of a paid, full time ministry is therefore supported in the Bible.
Please turn with me to Hebrews 11, verse 6. Tithing is a matter of conversion, attitude, and faith, demonstrating that a person worships God and recognizes that He is and rewards those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him.
Tithing is a test, just like the Sabbath is a test, and an act of faith, a good work that pleases God.
In applying the biblical ordinance of tithing, each member must make his own decisions in all these matters before God, based on general principles and guidelines set forth by the Bible and administered by the church. This is an important statement.
Basically, we must tithe on our increase, which is defined as what we receive because of our productive effort. It may be defined as adjusted gross income after production costs have been subtracted. This productive effort is most often our own individual personal effort. In the case of collective or group effort, either the group tithes as a whole or everyone within the group tithes on his own individual share.
The term "productive effort" encompasses a broad range, including capital gains from property, dividends from stocks, interest from banks, and investment accounts, and those types of things. As an illustration, I would like to give you an idea of our U.S. tax code and how they look at an aspect of it. I am not using this as proof for tithing. I am just showing you the perspective of even the government understands a certain perspective.
Now, as an illustration, the general tax code approved by the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court has long held that income must be realized before it can be taxed. A paycheck or dividend distribution is certainly "realized." A gain is not income unless and until the taxpayer has realized it. But what about stock gains? If you buy a share of a company at $10 and it goes to $500 do you have to pay tax on that gain? And the answer is no, unless you sell it because it has not been realized. If you buy and hold, no gain has been realized and no tax is due. Once you sell it for $500 you must pay tax on the $490 gain.
But as we expect from secular governments, over the last 200 years or so, Congress, the Treasury, and the IRS have created hundreds of mostly bad exceptions to the realization requirement. Is that any surprise? When you are going to steal you do it big if you are a government. When receiving a salary or hourly pay as a wage earner, we determine a tithe of productive effort by calculating 10% of our income.
The essential biblical fact, although generally overlooked, is that each individual head of household in ancient Israel was responsible for making his own decisions before God as to what constitutes increase. Nowhere in the Bible are specific details or regulations given in this matter. The Israelites apparently tithed on the bulk of their income. Now, one biblical example will help us understand our individual relationship to secular government tax structures. Please turn with me to I Samuel 8, verse 10. In King Saul's day, 10% was exacted from the people for human government in addition to the tithing system God had instituted. And when he set up the nation as his own, the Israelite king also imposed many other burdens.
I Samuel 8:10-18 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. And he said, "This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. [That means they will be inducted into war.] He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equip for equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give to it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day."
All that translates to, in this modern day, our tax system. Is it not enslaving us? And is not the draft into the military enslaving, stealing our sons? And is that not going to be stealing our daughters when they start drafting women? They have been trying to do that for years (the democrats have and the republicans keep stopping them thankfully). But someday it may come to that and we should make sure that our children are well educated in why they believe, what they believe, and what they believe about war and killing and that type of thing.
Samuel described the typical way of kings. Some of these things were the usual cost of centralized administration, but others indicate a predictable abuse of power. With every nation having its own tax laws, which are constantly changing, there is no possible way for the church to make a definitive and equitable decision applicable to everyone regarding every detail of tithing.
The responsibility for tithing and giving offerings is that of the individual based on our personal faithful relationship with our Creator and Sustainer. And we must determine how we will monetarily honor and thank God. It is a tremendous responsibility on everyone that has productive effort. It is a very personal, private matter between the individual and God, knowing we can never be in God's Kingdom unless we are truly faithful, generous, giving, serving, and sharing.
Please turn to Luke 16, verse 10. Tithing always requires faith, gratitude, and submission. We cannot be insincere or hypocritical with God and still expect to be in His own Family. Certainly, any Christian would try to joyfully give in computing his tithes and offerings and we would never have the attitude of "I'm not paying any more than I must." Some have used the excuse "I can't afford to tithe." I heard that stated just like that: "I can't afford to tithe" many times. I have not heard it recently though. That kind of human reasoning endangers our potential for salvation and eternal life! Do not fall into that deceptive trap of thinking. The reality for a Christian that has a productive increase is "you can't afford not to tithe." Jesus told the healed sinner in John 5:14, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."
Faith is essential for successful tithing. It is a huge test, a tremendous test. Anytime you are touching a person's wallet, no matter what it is, in society or wherever it is, that is a very important aspect of our lives in general.
Luke 16:10-11 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [or material wealth], who will commit to your trust the true riches?"
The spiritual blessings with regard to other expenses, such as on-the-job travel expenses for your company that your employer does not cover, this type of personal expense on behalf of your employer can be carefully deducted. The same principle holds true for any practical potential deduction used to determine your increase. It is strictly a matter between the individual and God. However, seeking ministerial counsel and advice may be beneficial if you are confused about it or if you are not sure.
In the farmer's case, Deuteronomy 14, verse 22 provides the applicable principle.
Deuteronomy 14:22 "You shall truly try truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year."
Contextually, this constitutes a part of the civil laws and statues of ancient Israel.
Leviticus 27:30 "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."
Leviticus 27:32 "And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord."
So the principle, as with the wage earner, is productive increase. All that your farm produces is income but not necessarily increase. Here is an illustration. Suppose you have a 50 acre farm. You sow your fields at a cost to you including hired labor, seed, tractor, fuel, maintenance, repairs, and fertilizer, totaling about $20,000. You receive a return for your produce of $80,000, which is your total gross income. The $20,000 is your expense for producing the $80,000. Your profit or adjusted gross income would be $60,000. That is your tithe base. The tithe for the increase of your field is $6,000, ten percent of $60,000.
Sometimes the circumstances change for the worse. Suppose your gross income is $20,000 and your expenses, in a year of drought, amount to the same figure, $20,000. You would not owe God any tithe for that year because you just broke even. You had no productive increase.
Now, how often should we pay our tithe? Well, it depends on your individual circumstances. If you are a wage earner, you should send in your tithe for each paycheck. At least that is what we advise. However, it certainly would not be wrong to let your tithe accumulate for a month and then give God's tithe to the church. The only major drawbacks to this plan are the temptation to spend it for something else and possibly theft if it is kept in the form of cash in your house. So, the temptation to borrow it, so to speak, or some thief coming along and taking it.
The business owner and the farmer should tithe whenever their books are balanced, preferably monthly. It is still up to the individual or the farmer or the business owner.
Should we tithe on capital gains? I am just going through some very common questions here. As an example, if a person invests $10,000 in stocks and two years later sells these stocks for $11,000, he would tithe on his capital gain of $1,000 and the tithe would be $100. So he would tithe on it when it was realized, that is, when he realizes it by receiving it.
Should we tithe on gifts of inheritances? All wealth, that is, all material goods and money was produced and earned at some point by someone through personal productive effort. The one who produced the goods or earned the money is responsible before God to tithe on that productive increase, whether in the church or not. Anyone who receives a gift or inheritance, whether material goods or money earned and produced by someone else, is not responsible for paying tithe on what he receives. It is certainly appropriate for the recipient of the blessing to give an offering according to how God has blessed him in that area. So although it is not tithable, it is probably appropriate to give an offering in thanks for what one has received.
Another question: should we tithe on income from welfare or social security? The same overall principle applies to all types of welfare income or regular assistance programs. When no productive effort on the part of the recipient has taken place, no tithes are required. And again, it is certainly appropriate to give an offering to say thank you to God for what was received. But that is up to the individual on how they handle their tithes and offerings.
Other sources of income in this non-tithable category are unemployment and disability insurance, Medicare, veteran's benefits, accident compensation, court settlements, child support, monies from church benevolence and emergency funds. That is not an exhaustive list. That is just an example of the type. Nonetheless, the principle of generous giving is still always in force in every case. We should be happy to show with offerings our gratitude to God for our monetary blessings. It is not required every single time, but that is between you and God and how blessed you feel.
Please turn with me to Psalm 37, verse 21. Again, these are just suggestions and guidelines. You are the one who has to decide how you handle the tenth of God's money that you are responsible for.
Is it wrong to borrow from God's tithes? I mentioned borrowing earlier. Since tithing is giving back to God a tenth of our income, the tithes are not ours, but God's. Borrowing from any of God's tithe is stealing from Him what is His, no matter how good our intentions to pay Him back are.
Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives.
So we must acknowledge God's prior claim to the tithes that He requires us to give to Him and we must use His tithes according to His specific instructions.
And that brings us to second tithe. In His infinite love, as God always does, God has given us the means to worship Him and rejoice with His people at a place that He has chosen. No true Christian would want to miss such a wonderful blessing and opportunity to draw closer to God. And that is done by getting together with brethren, if at all possible. God has ordained that His people keep His seven annual holy days and that we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in temporary dwellings at a place He chooses.
Members can incur substantial expenses in fulfilling God's command in this area. Nevertheless, our wise and merciful God blesses and provides for those who obey Him in what He requires. Again, faith. Do you have the faith to tithe? He provides for our financial needs at His Feast by having us set aside a second tenth of our increase so that we may experience joyous and abundant feasts with our families. The second tithe saved by the individual each year is an additional tithe of our incomes. Unlike the use of the first tithe, however, God designates the second tithe for personal use during His festivals so that we may observe them properly.
Is there a biblical proof for this second tithe? Moses addresses Deuteronomy 12 to Israel on the east side of the Jordan. He tells them that instead of having altars in high places throughout the country, they should bring the required and freewill offerings, other sacrifices, firstlings, and tithes to the place where God put His name. There, the people were to eat before Him.
Deuteronomy 12:5-6 "But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks."
Deuteronomy 12:11 "Then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord."
The plural usage there shows that Moses distinctly refers to more than one tithe. The tithe was to be eaten by the individual Israelite but not at home.
Deuteronomy 12:17-18 "You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offerings of your land. But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands."
Verse 18 specifically states that the Levites should eat the second tithe where the Lord chooses to place His name. The second tithe here is in addition to the tithe commanded in Numbers 18.
Deuteronomy 14:22-23 "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always."
That is a tremendous command and a tremendous responsibility that we have to save that second tithe and to go to the Feast so that we may learn to fear the Lord our God always. It is a matter of faith and obedience.
Deuteronomy 14:24-25 "But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses."
That is the very clear instruction of where and why the second tithe must be used—in the place where the Lord chooses and that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.
The second tithe is not to come out of the first tithe because the first tithe was the Levites inheritance and the Levites lived off the first tithe in all their cities throughout the year. Therefore, the first tithe that the Levites, now the ministry, normally lived on at home, cannot have been the second tithe that God forbids all to eat in their homes. Thus the Israelites set aside the second tithe throughout the year and consumed it at the annual holy days of God for whatever their heart desired. This means that they spent the tithe on things that enhanced their glorification of God and added joy to the Feast.
Deuteronomy 14:26 "And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires [Now, we are Christians and we are using wisdom to wisely do things. So it means whatever your heart wisely desires.]: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household."
So the same applies to our use of the second tithe today. Unlike the use of the first tithe, the individual who saves the second tithe must use it. Now, God wants us to enjoy the physical abundance He provides at the feasts as we worship Him and learn to reverence and fear Him in ways that please Him. Because of His blessing, many can also help others observe the Feast.
If you have excess second tithe, try to help others get there or while they are there. We do all try. I think that the Church of the Great God does a really great, fine job to help people at the Feast. I am always so thrilled at the comments I hear from people and how thankful they are to receive help when they are there.
What is the tithe of the second tithe and what principles support it? The ministry of God's church must use wisdom in addressing the needs of the church, so it is wise for the church to request help from the members. Please turn to II Corinthians 9, verse 5. There is a festival need for a tithe of the second tithe for paying certain festival expense expenses in advance so that additional responsibilities do not hamper ministers or other members during the Feast. Paul expresses the principle of giving when there is there is a need.
II Corinthians 9:5-7 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
So this tithe of the tithe—not an additional tithe beyond the three commanded in God's Word—is a tenth of the second tithe set aside by the individual and sent to the church office to help the needy attend the feast and to cover festival expenses such as the meeting place, flowers, sound system, brochures, activities. And the church does subsidize all the activities of the church that are group activities. We could not afford the meals for Family Day and that type of thing unless the church heavily subsidized those types of things.
The collection of these funds is not a command from God but a request from the ministry. The same giving attitude is necessary for this festival contribution as with any other. If it is going to keep you from getting to the Feast, then of course, you cannot give the tithe of the tithe. It is not a commanded thing, it is requested. We ask that you help with the expenses.
Some of the other groups (you might have heard) have started charging people for the meeting rooms. You know, they collect the money ahead of time and they are charging people and we just cannot bring ourselves to do anything like that. It just does not seem right. But the meeting room is getting quite expensive. We started out at $2,000 for the whole entire time back when we were in Nashville, and then when we started in Myrtle Beach. But it is up to $8,000 now. So as the number of rooms we use lowers, the expense for the meeting room increases. I am not blaming anybody for not staying there. There are valid reasons for that, but it is getting very expensive. In some of our investigations at other Feast sites before, we found meeting rooms for that period of time to be as much as $30,000.
So you see part of one of the reasons why it is so hard to find another place for the Feast is the expenses. And we are going to get another quote from the Doubletree in Myrtle Beach in about March. We already have one for this year, but they are remodeling the hotel, so what are the rates going to be then? Just as an example, when we were in Nashville, we started out at $99 a night and it went up to $119 or $123 or something like that. They were going to more than double that for the next year. Also the management, when it changed, wanted to get money from the Taylor Swift type concerts where they could pull over $400 a night per room. So they were actually suffering while we were there for a while, but they loved us so much or like they liked us because God blessed it that we were able to continue there. So you can see the how tough it is to try to find a place. Things are getting very, very expensive. So help with that is very important. And we are asking; it is not a commandment.
Please turn with me to Deuteronomy 14, verse 28. Yes, there is a third tithe, a very important one. Previously, we have seen the instructions in God's Word for the financing of the work of God and His church, and the funding of our attendance at God's annual festivals, primarily the Feast of Tabernacles.
In God's generous financial system, He also provides care for the needy. Is there biblical proof for a third tithe? In ancient Israel, God instructed His people to set aside a special tithe to assist those in need, such as orphans, widows, strangers, and Levites.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29 "At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow [just say the needy] who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do."
So some financial needs come from tragedies such as the death of a spouse or parent, or from unemployment or health problems. Personal crises or disasters may strike because of war, fire, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes. Some have talents and abilities that lie in areas that society does not recompense sufficiently or fairly for them to meet all their living expenses. What a crime that is!
Jesus acknowledges that conditions will always exist that would cause some people to be occasionally or even perpetually poor and in need. John 12:8, "For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always." Christ's words. Proverbs 22:9, "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor."
How are the needy treated under God's financial system today? As we are going through here, God's apostles teach that Christians have an obligation to help others who are truly in need. Galatians 2:10 says they, that is, James, Peter, and John, desired only that we should remember the poor. The very thing that Paul also was eager to do.
The commandments of God concerning the responsibility of those more blessed to help those truly in need continue into the New Testament era. God's church meets its Christian duty toward its needy members through the third tithe fund. It does not mean you cannot give them beyond that, give money, offerings, or give people money whenever you want. But this is to make sure that the needy get money; and it is commanded.
How is the third tithe determined? Third tithe is an additional tithe entirely separate from the first tithe which supports God's work of the preaching of the gospel and separate from the second tithe which enables church members to attend the annual Feast. Please turn with me to Deuteronomy 26, verse 12. The third tithe is God's way of taking care of those who are in need. We learn by experience and observation that God blesses those who faithfully follow His instructions.
Deuteronomy 26:12-14 "When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year—the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, then you shall say before the Lord your God: 'I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which you have commanded me; I have not transgressed your commandments, nor have I got forgotten them. I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me.'"
Now, please turn back over to Deuteronomy 15, verse 7. Like the first tithe, the second tithe is paid yearly. Just as the law of canceling debts is based on a cycle of seven years, the third tithe is paid only on the increase earned during the 3rd and 6th years of a seven-year cycle. It cannot be paid by spreading it out over several years. That is not giving ten percent.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 "If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,' and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it becomes sin among you. You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.'"
What is God's reaction to those who neglect the poor, the widows, and the orphans? The world leaders have written a long record of the neglect of those in need. Isaiah tells us that greed causes people to give favor to the wealthy because the rich can fill their pockets.
Isaiah 1:23-24 Your princes [that is, leaders] are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them. Therefore the Lord says, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies."
Jeremiah 5:28-29 'They [that is, Israelites] have grown fat, they are sleek; yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; they do not plead the cause of the fatherless; yet they prosper, and the right of the needy they do not defend. Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the Lord. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?'
Does our nation fall into this category? Absolutely, as sadly as that is, and many other nations as well.
The widow and the fatherless stand in a special relation of nearness to God. Psalm 68:5 says, "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation." To neglect or take advantage of them makes God livid! Wisdom and understanding dictate that we should not withhold help from them or delay giving them aid when we can help.
Proverbs 3:27-28 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it," when you have it with you.
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
So the church as a spiritual family has a responsibility to care for its needy members. I am so thankful that we have that food coming in that Debora and Mikele are so diligent to bring in, so that people who do not have as much can make use of that. And even some of that goes to the needy in the world and we appreciate that that is happening. Richard and Beth are able to help with that as well. So, you know, as a congregation, we really appreciate that type of thing.
Therefore, its individual members have an important responsibility to contribute to the third tithe benevolent fund so that the biblical command to care for the needy may be satisfied.
Please turn with me to Isaiah 58. Isaiah explains a principle connected to fasting that reveals the importance of benevolent action, which the third tithe is. God tells us through Isaiah that fasting is right and proper if it is not a mere outward expression of affliction or to try to force God to do something we want. For it to be acceptable to God, besides having humility and gratitude, it should be followed by actions of justice, kindness, and generous benefit. Then Isaiah proceeds to specify the practical application of what God requires following the fast that makes it acceptable to Him. Now, this is of course to a whole nation, but it is also applicable to individuals.
Isaiah 58:7-10 Is it [fasting] not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard [meaning your protection]. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; and you shall cry, and He will say, "Here I am." If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and the speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.
This points to our main purpose of tithing. And that is, it is to shape our attitudes to be more like God's. A major aspect of fasting and benefit is that it shapes our mind more toward a mind like God's. It helps us to do that. It has other reasons as well. But that is one of the main things and that is why it says here that if you take away the yoke from your midst, the yoke that is on you that is preventing you to be like God or whatever it might be. Fasting has many aspects to it.
A widowed mother, sister, or daughter, for example, may qualify under the guidelines set out in Deuteronomy 14:26. In some cases, the individual can give his third tithe directly to the needy relative. Orphans in a similar category would also qualify. Nevertheless, since ministers are often aware of those truly in need, some of your third tithe is necessary for distribution by the ministry to the needy in the church. God's requirement to give back to Him a third tithe of our increase for the care of the needy shows His lovingkindness, especially those who are weak and disadvantaged.
Please turn to Luke 6, verse 38. Tithes and offerings bring blessings upon the recipient and the generous giver. Blessings come from being generous. By paying God what we owe Him in tithes, He rewards us with blessings, primarily spiritual blessings, but also physical ones. Christians often find an abundance of all types of blessings and invaluable lessons learned in their third tithe years.
Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
These are not always material blessings, however. Storing up spiritual treasures in heaven is more important than physical prosperity.
Matthew 6:19-21 "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."
So God does not promise to make us wealthy, but that our relationship with Him will prosper. Such eternal blessings are far greater than any temporary physical blessings we could ever receive.
Please turn over to Galatians 6, verse 7. Now, God uses this financial system to supply everything required, personally and institutionally, to build a royal priesthood for His Kingdom. He tells us to judge by the fruits, by what is produced. By its fruits the tithing system has worked exceptionally well throughout human history when it has been used.
Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. [That in due season could also include the resurrection. The due season is when God chooses for us to reap that blessing.] Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith [our own brethren].
Let us begin to wrap this up. Tithing is basically proportionate giving. But beyond one's tithable base is the biblical concept of adding offerings over and above the tithe based on the ability or capacity of the giver. God expects us to be generous and to give with balance. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 112:5, "A good man deals graciously and lends [or you could say gives]; he will guide his affairs with discretion."
So we are not to blindly throw our money about or through the wind, as the rich do to look good as philanthropists, but to think things through. Because if we do not think about what we are about to give, we could actually be interfering with what God is doing in a person's life. And if you bail somebody out every time they have a problem or make a mistake and they have done it repeatedly over and over and over again, do they learn the lesson God wants them to learn or are we just getting in God's way?
So we have to think these things through. That person needs to learn a lesson, you know, but we do not want to let them starve. But you know, this is the type of thing I am talking about as far as think it through. We get requests from different areas of the world and we can tell in many cases that they are just con jobs, you know, sadly. But we have to look out for those and we have to be wise where we do send money or give money. We may even do a little bit of research. It is not necessary in every case, but we do have to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Please turn to I Timothy 5. Although God expects us to give generously and even to sacrifice at certain crucial times, He does not want us to neglect our families in terms of the necessities of life: food, clothing, and shelter, plus a few amenities. Paul instructs us in,
I Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
I Timothy 6:16 If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.
The church is to render assistance only if the family is unable to do so. People in Jesus Christ's day were excusing themselves from the economic support of their aged parents because of so-called religious reasons. They were giving excessive offerings instead of caring for their elderly parents and probably doing that to look good or for whatever reason it might be, but they were neglecting their parents. And I believe that the synagogue was requiring it of them because it had a name, which we will get to in a few seconds.
Please turn to Mark 7, verse 9. They were claiming that funds or offerings that might have been earmarked for parental support were Corban, that is, dedicated to the service of the altar. Jesus said to these hypocritical types,
Mark 7:9-13 He said to them [that is, Christ], "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"—'(that is, a gift to God), then you [that is, the religious leaders] no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."
So making important provision for one's family is very important to God.
Giving offerings is a matter of achieving a proper balance and God does not expect us to give what we do not have. And the principle involved, you know very well, you have it memorized, is in Deuteronomy 16:17, "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God, which He has given you."
I wanted to talk to you about offerings for just a moment just so you could see the difference. Tithing is commanded. Offerings are to give as you are able.
In giving to God, we only return a portion of whatever He has already given to us. Tithing is a matter of conversion and attitude, demonstrating that a person worships God and recognizes that He is and rewards those who diligently seek Him.
Please turn to Malachi 3, verse 10 for a final scripture. Tithing shows our worship, respect, love, and admiration for our Creator. It expresses honor and acknowledges God's supremacy and mastery of the universe.
Malachi 3:10 [something to take to heart] "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."
Tithing is a test of faith, a good work that pleases God. It demonstrates that we worship God. It is an act of faith, a spiritual act like prayer, and without faith, it is impossible to please God.
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