What About my Money (3)

NUTS For Christ In Stewardship
Eccl.11:1-6 2 Corinthians. 8:1-12 9:6-9

The Bible gives us standards for our giving. Jesus spoke about one person gave 100% of what she had, but it was only a one time sacrifice. He shared that one person gave 50% of what he had with a promise to give an additional four times the amount he had cheated from others. We find that Jesus requested one very wealthy person to sell all he had and give it to the poor.

Yet when it comes to consistent regular giving, the Bible speaks of us giving a tithe. A tithe is giving God one penny out of each dime that we get. It never ever gets more than that.

Suppose you’ve been dating a guy who you think is really a great guy, but he is very low on funds because of a low paying job. When they go out to eat, he takes you to McDonald’s and buys you the medium size meal. You’re ready to marry this guy in a few months. But then a lawyer contacts him, and says he’s sending a check for $200,000 from a relative’s estate.

When the money is in the bank, the two go out to dinner to celebrate. You think you’re going to finally see Red Lobster or Famous Dave’s or the Bonefish. Once again though they pull up to McDonald’s and he says, “today, I want you to feel free to super-size your meal.”

How are you feeling about your future mate? You’d hope their love for you would be demonstrated in proportion to what he has to give to you. This is why God asks for a tithe and not an amount. God gives us the opportunity to give in proportion to how we have been blessed.

Now with God there is a whole different level involved. The Bible is clear that everything in this world belongs to God. God has made it possible for us to have everything that we have. Your bank account or your home?

No one anywhere is more generous than God. God takes His stuff, and gives it to us and then asks if we will keep 90% of it and give Him back 10%. Now God knew that some of us would not be grateful for the exchange so He throws in an extra blessing. God says, “Let me help you become NUTS in your giving for my work.”

So we see in the promise in Malachi 3:10-11. God is having this exchange with Malachi and he says, “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. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.”

We see the principle give today and be blessed tomorrow. The only problem is that the money I have in my hand right now, looks a whole lot better than what God says He might give me in the future. I remember one time when one of the members called in and said, “I’ve got my tithes in my hands, but I don’t want to wait until Sunday to bring it because I’m being tempted to spend it and I don’t trust myself. Therefore I’m coming by to drop it in the tithe box to make sure it goes where it is supposed to go.” This person was struggling with whether they were going to obey God with their money, or give in to temptation to use it on themselves.

In Malachi 3:8, “God told his people, they were thieves by not paying their tithes,” and the people who did not pay their tithes, were charged by God with robbing Him. Can you imagine that exchange between God and Malachi?  Malachi your people down there are ripping me off.

Then God sent curses upon the people, so that even what they had never was enough. Anyone who thinks that it does not matter what you give to God, so long as you give something, should read the books of Malachi and Haggai. More tomorrow...you are loved!