The Sermon On The Amount Malachi 3:6-12

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1 1 Sermon Notes for May 19, 2013 The Sermon On The Amount Malachi 3:6-12 (Credit to Pastor Johnny Creasong for today s title.) A man came to the Presbyterian Church and asked to see the Pastor. Pastor, he said, My dog died and I would like a Christian burial for him. The Pastor said, I m sorry to hear about your dog, but we Presbyterians don t do funerals for dogs. You might try the Baptist or Methodist church down the street. They might help you.. The man turned sadly and said, I m sorry you won t do my dog s funeral, but I understand. I ll try one of those other churches. But would you tell me how much is appropriate to leave for a memorial for the church? I was thinking of giving a $10,000 memorial in honor of my dog. Wait a minute, the Pastor said. You didn t tell me that your dog was Presbyterian Introduction A. Looking At GIVING IN TODAY S AMERICA 1. according to the Barna Institute; (a Christian statistical company) since the recession that started in 2008; a. there has been a 46% reduction in giving to non-profit organizations b. 34% of all Americans have reduced their giving to churches c. as many as 20% of all church-goers have stopped giving to the church altogether 2. and yet, other statistics show that: a. if every believer in America tithed, some 80 billion dollars would be added to church ministry as well as foreign missions b. Dave Ramsey has said: If all Christians in America tithed, there would be no more welfare in North America; in 90 days, there would be no existing church debts; and in the next 90 days, the entire world could be evangelized. 3. currently, however, only 2.5% of all Christians in America tithe. 4. for the first time in this recession, our church is feeling the financial pinch. B. Looking At GIVING IN THE DAYS OF THE PROPHET MALACHI 1. you may say, Did you know that there is a recession? a. Where have you been for the last 5 years? b. How can you expect a person to tithe in this current economy? 2. well, you need to know the historical context of the text where tithing is taught in the Bible; the book of Malachi a. the Jews who lived in the south of Israel had been taken off into exile to Babylon in 587 B.C. 1. there, they would remain for 70 years 2. after their release, these exiled Jews would return to Israel; where: a. the Temple had been torn down b. there were no walls around the city to protect themselves c. they had been no worship of Jehovah God there for some 70 years

2 3. however, after their return from Babylon a. the prophet Ezra had the Temple rebuilt and restored worship to Israel b. while Nehemiah had the walls around the city rebuilt b. for almost 100 years, after their return from Babylon, the southern kingdom would worship Jehovah God 1. however, after these 100 years, most of the Jews began to walk away from worshipping God. 2. thus, in the book of Malachi, God called His people to return to Him, in four areas: a. to offer pure sacrifices Malachi 1:6-7 A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord Almighty. It is you, O Priests, who show contempt for my name. But you ask, How have we shown contempt for your name? You place defiled food on my altar. b. to have Godly Priests Malachi 2:7-8 For the lips of a Priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi, says the Lord Almighty. c. to call people not to marry unbelievers Malachi 2:11 Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves, by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. d. and... that His people return to the practice of the tithe in today s text c. what you need to know is that, because God s people had walked so far away from Him, they were actually in a depression 1. there had been a severe drought 2. food was scarce; and thus, money was scarce 3. AND, IT WAS IN THIS CONTEXT THAT GOD CALLED HIS PEOPLE TO TITHE! a. they were poor; they were destitute b. they had no rain for their crops c. HOW WOULD THEY TITHE? d. apparently, the Jewish people did not respond to God s call through the prophet Malachi 1. for it would be almost 400 years until God once again spoke to His people again a. thus, the people of Malachi did not respond to His call b. and they lost the blessing of God on their lives 2. the next time that God would speak to the people would be the announcement of the birth of Jesus. 2

3 3 C. Looking At GIVING IN TODAY S WORLD 1. does God still call believers to tithe? 2. if so, why should believers tithe? 3. let us look at this classic text today I. The PAST Of Tithing. A. The UNDERSTANDING Of Tithing In The Old Testament. 1. before we look at today s text, let me say that some Christians believe that the tithe was an Old Testament law; and that we are no longer under law, but under grace a. that everything that happened in the Old Testament no longer applies to those who live in the New Testament b. because that was the age of the law during the time of Moses and we are now in the age of grace c. two theological views 1. Dispensational Theology (slide) 2. Covenant Theology (slide) 2. Let us look at three points regarding the tithe in the Old Testament: a. One the practice of the tithe was observed BEFORE the giving of the law to Moses (the age of law) 1. the tithe is mentioned in the FIRST BOOK of the Bible Genesis 14, when Abram gave a tenth to the Priest Melchizedek due to Abram s success on the battlefield. Genesis 14:18-20 Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was Priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand. Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 2. and then also in Genesis 28, Jacob promised to give God a tithe if He blesses him b. Two Moses merely CONTINUED that practice of the tithe; he did not orginate the tithe during the age of law.. Leviticus 27:30 - "'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. c. Three by the time of the book of Malachi, 400 years before the birth of Christ, tithing was the accepted practice of the Jewish people B. The UNION Of Tithing In The New Testaments. 1. Now, if we are not supposed to continue the tithe in the New Testament age, what do you say about these verses?

4 4 2. Let us consider the words of: a. Jesus: 1. Luke 11:42 - "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. a. while Jesus DOES criticize the Pharisees for abusing the tithe and overlooking the more important matters of justice, mercy and faithfulness... b. NOTICE what He says about tithing: You should have practiced the latter (justice, mercy and faithfulness) without neglecting (send away forsake, omit, neglect) the former (the tithe) 2. Matthew 22: Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought Him a denarius, and He asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then He said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." a. obviously the government gets a tax... right? b. then we are to give that which is due to the church as well! b. Paul: 1. The Apostle Paul assumes that the practice of providing for the Priests by the tithe is seen in I Corinthians 9:13-14 Don't you know that those who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. 2. as a Jew, Paul had practiced the tithe all of his life and he continued to do so as a Christian II. The PURPOSE Of Tithing. A. The DEFINITION Of Tithing. Vs. 10a Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. 1. the Hebrew word for tithe is masser. 2. the word, tithe, is a straightforward word, simply meaning a tenth. a. not 1/5 th b. not 2/10ths c. but a tenth 3. therefore, it is my belief that we should give at least a tenth to the Lord: a. and we should give that tithe on the gross, not the net for Jesus says, in Matthew 22:21 - Give to Caesar what is Caesar s and to God what is God s. 1. Caesar taxes on the gross 2. believers should tithe on the gross

5 5 b. but we should tithe only those monies that Caesar taxes 1. Caesar taxes your salary, but not your retirement until it enters your hand to spend it 2. you can decide whether to tithe on non-taxable income B. The DUTY Of Tithing. 1. What is the storehouse? Vs. 10a Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. a. a provision for the Priests 1. the storehouse was a literal building that stored the physical tithes that were used to take care of the Priests and Levites a. the Jews would bring a tenth of their gardens to the storehouse b. the Jews would bring a tenth of their flocks and herds to the storehouse 2. this was how the spiritual leaders, the Priests and Levites, survived... on that which was stored in the storehouse 3. yet, here is yet another reason for the New Testament tithe a. the tithe takes care of those who serve Christ full-time b. how would I live as a Pastor, as well as everyone else on this staff, if the church did not take care of me? c. how would we, as a church, pay the light bills or salaries or office needs, etc? d. we get an energy bill each month at the church; just like you do for your individual homes... just bigger b. a provision for the poor 1. another purpose of the tithe was to the poor Deuteronomy 14:28-29 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, 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. 2. sometime, take a look at our overall budget to see what other ministries we give to beyond our own church s needs 2. Where is the storehouse? Vs. 10 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 you will not have room enough for it. a. some say that the storehouse is to be given to the local church only 1. that the believer should give his tithe only to the local church and his offerings to other ministries outside of the local church

6 6 2. there are two good reasons for such a view: a. One the storehouse was one location provided for the particular Priests, Levites and the poor of a certain area or town b. Two if everyone parcels out their tithe to other ministries, the local church will ultimately suffer b. some say that the storehouse is the larger Body of Christ 1. others feel that they can give portions of their tithe to all kinds of ministries 2. as long as the gift is given to an arm of the ministry of Christ 3. Let me tell you what I believe about the storehouse a. because the storehouse was to take care of the needs of the Priests and Levites, I believe that the local church is the storehouse of today b. anything that you give to other causes of the church should be over and beyond your tithe c. our four main funds here at Christ Covenant: 1. General Fund to pay salaries and ministries 2. Building Fund 3. Faith Promise Fund 4. Benvolence Fund 4. My belief about the storehouse is that your tithe should go to the General Fund while your offerings go to other funds of our church. III. The PROBLEM With Tithing. A. A Lack Of Tithing Makes You A THIEF. Vs. 8 - Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 1. A thief defined. a. the Hebrew word is qaba b. and it is used 4 times in verses 8-9! c. the word literally means: 1. to keep back 2. to defraud 3. to cover 2. A thief applied. a. this text is CLEARLY saying that when you do not tithe, you may as well have: 1. broken into the church and stolen these speakers, this keyboard or this pulpit 2. taken money from the offering plate as it was passed 3. when we moved into the building we were concerned about all of the musical equipment being stolen before we were able to make the building secure b. it gets personal when you look at it that, doesn t it? c. one man s way to deal with tithing: A Pastor once asked one of his parishioners to serve as financial chairman of his church. The man, a manager of a grain elevator, agreed

7 7 on two conditions: No report would be due for a year, and no one would ask any questions during the year. At the end of the year he made his report. He had paid off the church debt of $200,000. He had redecorated the church. He had sent $1000 to missions. He had $5,000 in the bank. How did you do all this? asked the Pastor and the shocked congregation. Quietly he answered, You people bring your grain to my elevator. As you did business with me, I simply withheld 10 percent and gave it to the church. You never missed it. B. A Lack Of Tithing Brings A CURSE. Vs. 9 You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. 1. And... it gets worse. a. when you don t tithe, not only does God call you a thief b. He also says that you are being cursed BECAUSE OF YOUR THIEVERY! 2. This was EXACTLY what happened to Israel: a. in EVERY INSTANCE when Israel lost the blessing of God, they had failed to tithe! b. in EVERY INSTANCE when God called them back through repentance, He called them to reinstitute the tithe! c. the book of Malachi found the Jews once again under a curse 1. there was a drought 2. their crops had failed 3. the people were suffering 4. and, the people weren t tithing 3. It is interesting to look at giving practices in America: a. 84% of all adults give some amount of money to churches or a nonprofit organization 1. the average amount of money given by an individual is about $1, that suggests that the typical American gives away some 3% of their income b. according to statistics in American churches, the breakdown of giving looks like this: 20% of members give 80% of all funds 30% of members give the other 20% 50% of members give nothing ever! c. and while 50% of all churchgoers do not give anything to the church, 91% say that they are making more money than they ever have in their life! 4. Look at financial struggles in America: a. credit cards: 1. Americans owe some 800 billion in credit card debt 2. the average American family has 4 credit cards; 3. the average American is $15, in debt to credit cards

8 in 3 American households have reported using credit cards to cover basic living expenses b. other financial facts: 1. some two-thirds of all Americans are not saving enough monthly 2. 47% of all American households have been called by a bill collector 3. 70% of all Americans live from paycheck to paycheck c. retirement 1. in 2010 a. 27% of Americans had less than $ in their retirement account b. 16% had $ to $10, c. 23% had $10, to $50, d. 22% had $50, to $250, e. only 11% had $250, or more 2. for those who have above $10, in retirement, over a 20 year period, you will have about $ per month to live on 5. It makes you wonder doesn t it? a. maybe all of these Americans are tithing b. but I doubt it; is it possible that a curse has been placed on America? IV. The PROMISE Of Tithing. A. A PERSONAL BLESSING TO US. Vs 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 you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. 1. For those who are not tithing, God has an interesting proposition. a. He was saying this to Israel in the book of Malachi 1. at a time where Israel was not prospering 2. at a time that money was hard to come by 3. AND GOD WAS CALLING THEM TO TITHE! b. what are these statistics saying to America TODAY? 1. only 2.5% of all American Christians tithe 2. the average American family is $15, in credit card debt 3. the average American is not saving enough for retirement 4. the average American is LIVING FROM PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK! 5. so... you would have to conclude: THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CANNOT AFFORD TO TITHE? a. WE ARE JUST LIKE THE JEWS IN MALACHI! b. WE CAN T AFFORD TO TITHE! 2. So... God says to all of those who cannot afford to tithe, that we are to test Him. a. it is the ONLY place in all of Scripture that God calls us to test Him. 1. when tempted in the desert by Satan, Jesus responds to Satan by

9 saying: Matthew 4:7 Jesus answered him, It is also written: Do NOT put the Lord your God to the test. 2. however, here God says to test Him a. to prove, examine b. to put on trial, to scrutinize c. basically, God is saying, check me out to see if what I am saying is the truth! b. why does God say this to Israel in the book of Malachi? 1. because they are not tithing 2. because they are not giving to God their first fruits 3. how hard is it to begin to tithe when you have never tithed a. money is already too tight b. we don t have enough money as it is 3. Notice what can happen as a result of our testing God Vs 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 you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. a. God says if you will trust Him by beginning to tithe that He will throw open the windows of blessings 1. do you realize that the ONLY OTHER places that God talks of opening the floodgates of heaven was when God flooded the world with water in the book of Genesis. Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. Genesis 8:2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 2. a colorful Eastern Ohio preacher once said that God promised He would open the windows of heaven for those who tithe. What about 5 percent? someone asked. No! the preacher replied, God doesn t do windows for less than 10 percent! 3. Sir John Templeton, of the current 100 billion dollar Templeton Franklin Fund is quoted as saying: I have watched over 100,000 families over my years of investment counseling. I always saw greater prosperity and happiness among those families who tithed than among those who didn t. 9

10 10 a. Please note: this is NOT a spiritual application that God is talking about, but a physical one. 1. the text is talking about blessing or withholding real money and real crops and real pests. 2. God says to TEST HIM AND SEE IF WHAT HE SAYS IS TRUE 3. my own story: a. before I moved to Knoxville, I lived in Mississippi with two teenagers preparing to go to college 1. how would my wife and I send our children to college on what I made as a Pastor? 2. I was the only one earning an income 3. Jane was a full-time mother and homemaker 4. and we had nothing saved for college... go figure 5. but, we had always tithed b. but... we were tithers c. now, I want you to know... God has ABUNDANTLY taken care of our family a. we have seen three of our children graduate from college AND WE OWE NOTHING FOR COLLEGE! b. two have been married c. and WE ARE STILL STANDING! 4. now, does this mean that there won t be hard times? a. tithers still get sick b. tithers still get bills c. tithers still have flat tires d. but... God says that He will take care of tithers. CAN I GET AN AMEN! B. A POSITIVE REPUTATION FOR OUR CHURCH. Vs "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. 1. God will not only bless you personally as you tithe, He will bless our church as we tithe. We tithed as a church in our first two years of existence. a. the first year of our existence our first budget was $280,000 we took in $340,000 b. the second year s budget was $380,000; we took in $450,000 c. the third year s budget we did not tithe our budget and the year ended in the red 2. Tithing works! a. my own story as a family 1. story one our house fire 2. story two David s college 3. story three giving was not enough: from my grandmother s estate 4. story four my air-conditioner repair

11 11 5. as I have said, we as a tithing family have seen God s abundant blessings over the years b. as a church body, we are currently tithing our building fund here at CCPC and God has blessed that! In fact, in all of our giving areas, our building fund is the healthiest fund of all! Conclusion: 1. For those who are tithers: a. You know what God is saying is true... don t you? b. Yes, we have all had our moments, but God has kept His Word, hasn t He? 1. if we were to ask tithers to share their stories of His faithfulness, we would be here all afternoon 2. wouldn t we? 2. For those who are not tithers: a. does it seem that you just can t get ahead financially? 1. every time you see yourself getting better financially, something happens to knock you back down 2. and you just can t figure it out... b. listen to the words of Jesus about giving: 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. c. Story of family in our church that has begun to tithe 1. We have given more than we can imagine and have made more that we can imagine. 2. We have fun coming up with the amount we want to give. 3. It has drawn us closer together as a couple and made our marriage stronger. 4. Our Jewish accountant has been surprised at the amount that we give, especially when he sees what his other clients have not given. 5. The more that we give, the happier that we are. 6. Malachi 3:10 has been proven in our lives. d. for those who are not tithing, this can be one of the scariest steps of your life... to begin to tithe 1. but God says... to test Him 2. and see if He will not open the flood gates of heaven 3. I like what the great reformer, Martin Luther, once said: Martin Luther said that a Christian must be converted three times. The first time that a person is converted is in his mind. The second time that a person is converted is in his heart. And the third time a person is converted, is in his wallet; and of the three the most difficult conversion is in the wallet.

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