Tithing: A Love Issue
FOUNDATION STATEMENT: It’s imperative in
tithing that your motive is pure and right. When the motive is wrong perversion,
misuse, and destruction will result.
With a right motive, tithing will be used properly and bring about great
benefits in your life.
I.
The things written in the
Old Testament were written for our learning
A. Romans 15:4-We’re
learning from those things written aforetime
B. 1 Corinthians 9:7-14-There
things that the law says that has to do with us and there are things the law
has to say that doesn’t have to do with us; such as making sacrifices
1. 10-He’s talking about the
tithe, the giving and he’s using old covenant scriptures and says it was
written for our sakes also
2. 10-I guess some people
wouldn’t receive the apostle Paul’s teaching on tithing because he used and OT
Scripture
C. 1 Corinthians 10:11-They
were written for and example unto us and for our admonition
II.
Two systems of tithing 1)
Tithing under the Law 2) Tithing under the Abrahamic Covenant
A. Tithing under the Law
there was a commandment to tithe
1. In tithing under the Law
they were commanded to tithe; there was no choice of whether or not to tithe (Leviticus
27:30-34, Numbers 18:21-28, Deut 14:22-23)
B. Tithing under the
Abrahamic Covenant there was no commandment to tithe
1. Gal 3:17-The law of
tithing came 430 years after God made covenant w/ Abraham
2. Genesis 14:14-23-There
was no law or commandment for Abraham to tithe
a. This was no law or
commandment for Abraham to tithe
b. The tithing Abraham did
had nothing to do with the law; this was before that
C. Gen 17:7-The Abrahamic
Covenant was an everlasting covenant to him & to his seed
1. Gal 3:29-We’re Abraham’s
seed and that covenant is still with us
2. If tithing is a part of
the covenant relationship between God and Abraham and we are Abraham’s seed and
a part of that covenant, then tithing should be a part of our covenant
relationship with God
D. We’re not under the law,
but neither was Abraham
1. When Abraham was free
from the law & had no commandment to tithe, he tithed
a. Rom 7:1-6-We’re free from
the law (the law of tithing), but so was Abraham
2. Tithing is a part of the
Abrahamic Covenant
a. We want 2 be free from the
law; not from the covenant God made w/ Abraham
b. If tithing is part of the
Abrahamic Covenant it shouldn’t make a difference that you read about it in the
OT: this is an everlasting covenant that transcends and breaks the boundaries
of the New Covenant
E. The principle of tithing
was originated by God in the beginning with Adam
1. Genesis 2:16-17-All the
trees that God gave man to eat and the ones He told them not to eat was a type and shadow of the ten percent and
the ninety percent
a. Setting aside a tree and
telling man he couldn’t eat of it was God’s idea and it was good; This is God’s
perfect will for all men for all time
b. This was before Abraham,
before the Law, before Jesus, and here we have God establishing the principle of tithing in the Garden
2. Cain & Able knew
about tithing; it was passed down by Adam or revealed by God
a. This tithing of Abraham
was either passed down from Adam or revealed by God because there was no law
and writings about it
b. Jacob tithed long before
the law was given to Moses (Genesis 28:19-22, 31:13)
3. The tithe was before the
law, it was all during the law it was all after the law, & tithing is
forever
III.
Abraham’s Tithing vs.
Tithing Under the Law
A. Jesus is our High Priest
after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:10, 6:20)
1. Melchizedek was symbolic
of a “type” of Jesus (Hebrews 7:3-4-His description)
a. Order-Arrangement, fashion,
style, quality, character, post
2. If we want to find out
about Jesus’ priesthood, then we have to find out how Melchizedek’s priesthood
operated; What Melchiz did for them, Jesus does for
us
a. The only thing that we
see Melchizedek do in the Word of God was receive Abraham’s tithe and bless Him
(Hebrews 7:1-2)
b. Here’s the order of Melchizedek:
Abraham had the tithe to give to the High Priest, the High Priest received the
tithe and released the blessing
3. Jesus is our High Priest FOREVER after the order of Melchizedek;
that transcends and surpasses the NT and continues today
a. Our relationship with
Jesus as High Priest should follow the order of Abraham & Melchizedek
b. The relationship was
this: Abraham had the tithe, with no law or command to tithe, brought the tithe
to Melchizedek, Melchizedek received the tithe and released the blessing in
Abraham’s life
B. The Levitical Priests had
a commandment in the law to take tithes (Hebrews 7:5)
1. 7:6-Melchizedek didn’t
have Levitical ancestry, but received Abraham’s tithe
C. 7:9,10-Before they made
commandment to tithe these guys were tithing in Abraham
D. 7:11-If it was good the
way it was, where the Levites received the tithe, why did another High Priest
(Jesus) after the order of Melchizedek have to arise
1. Jesus wasn’t called a
high priest after the order of Aaron, commanding people to tithe, because after
the order of Aaron they commanded people to tithe
E. 7:12-The priesthood changed,
so then the law has to change also
1. There’s no law of tithing
again, like there was no law of tithing in Abraham’s day
F. 7:13-17-Jesus is our High
Priest after the order of Melchizedek
1. He has no lineage to the
Levites; he was born out of the tribe of Judah and there was no priests in
connection with that tribe
2. It’s not the physical
requirements that put him in that position (like it was under the law), but
he’s in that position because he has the power of an endless life
G. 7:18-The law including
the law tithing has been disannulled, but tithing hasn’t been disannulled
1. There was no law of
tithing in Abraham’s day, but there was tithing
2. 19-The law made tithing
imperfect because under the law people tithed because they had to and not
because they loved God
3. Jesus didn’t command
people to tithe because that was imperfect
a. 2 Corinthians 3:6-The
letter kills, but the spirit gives life
IV.
Tithing is not a money
issue, it is a love issue
A. What’s your motive? We’ve
been tithing with the wrong motive
1. Matt 22:36-Your tithe
works by love and if you tithe because you have to, instead of because of you
love for God there’s no power in it
a. The reason why he didn’t
command us to tithe in the gospels is because he came with something greater
than the commandment to tithe, he came with the love of God and if you’ll walk
in the love of God and tithe because you love God instead of tithing because
somebody’s commanding you, then it will work like it’s supposed to work
2. Our motive for tithing is
because we love God
a. If your motive is because
you want to be blessed, it won’t work
b. Abraham didn’t tithe to
get blessed, he tithed because he was blessed
3. Where’s the evidence of
your love? Where there’s love
there’s giving (John 3:16)
a. If you’re not tithing,
why aren’t you? You’re not tithing because you don’t think you have to; so you
only do what you have to do and what’s required; so it’s not about love anymore
it’s about requirements; you’re back to the law
b. We use our tithe as a
tool to express our love to God the way sex is a tool to express our love in a
marriage relationship
4. Abraham got back from a
war that he shouldn’t have won and knew God was why he won and had to honor God
with the tithe and nobody commanded him to tithe
B. Tithing is a love/heart
issue not a money issue
1. People have made the
issue of money; that shows us where their heart is (Mt 6:20)
2. In the Garden, that tree
was a love issue (John 15:6)
C. Jesus put a stamp on
tithing as a new testament practice (Luke 11:42, Matt 23:23)
1. Jesus said tithe, but
don’t omit the weightier matters
a. He’s teaching them to not
use the tithe as some payment for holiness; like I tithe so I’m good
2. People tithe and omit
love, faith, and judgment/character
a. Your tithe is no good
without your love, your faith, & your character
b. If you omit love and
faith and character and just drop money in the bucket there’s no power in it
anyway and no benefit to you; and I don’t need your tithe: ONLY BRING IT
BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME
V.
Do I have to tithe?
A. A
tithe-blessing exchange is part of the covenant that God made with Abraham
1. There are consequences
for every action
2. In
Gen 12 God promised Abraham the blessing; In Gen 14 he declared him blessed
3. Galatians
3:9,14-We have the blessing of Abraham on us by faith, but the tithe plays a
big role in getting that blessing working for us
B. The
Blessing makes rich (Proverbs 10:22)
1. The
blessing is the anointing
2. The
blessing is the ability to get the job done
3. The
is the empowerment to have success in every arena of life
C. There
was a tithe-blessing-connection
1. Genesis
2-Don’t touch the tree and you’ll be blessed, touch it and you’ll be cursed
2. Malachi
3-There was a tithe-blessing-connection
3. The
tithe is a part of activating the blessing of Abraham
a. He
gave the tithe and went on his way with something greater than he gave
D. If
the covenant is everlasting, God had to set up the same order, so that
Abraham’s seed could inherit the same promise that he got
1. If
I’m a seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise, the everything God
promised to Abraham I have a right to
2. If
Abraham had a high priest to bring his tithe to and get the blessing activated
in his life, then I need to have a high priest to bring my tithe to so that I
can get the blessing activated in my life
3. We’ve
thought we just give the tithe and that’s it