Title: Tithing and Thanksgiving
Contents
Sermon Day-090705 Thanksgiving Day
Title - Tithing and Thanksgiving
Bible - Malachi 3:10
On the occasion of Thanksgiving, we hope that our loved ones will have the opportunity to receive greater blessings by giving thanks to God.
A young couple who used to run a flower shop started tithing as soon as they were taught about the dedication of the Bible.
The Bible speaks more about consecration than about heaven or hell. God is the First Contributor and the “Great Giver” God wants us to be like Him. Consecration is a serious matter of heart and life. If you don't preach about tithing, you don't want the saints to be blessed by God.
Paul said, "I fear I am sinning against you by not preaching on giving." The more the members donate to the church, the greater the interest in the church and the more active the service. Does anyone who puts money in a store let the store go bankrupt? You will be interested in the store and wish it to prosper.
If we teach how to give according to what the Bible teaches, people will show a deeper interest in the church and many of the problems we face will be solved.
When we pay tithing, we do not give anything to God, we just pay what we owe God.
A truly dedicated Christian always wants to do God's will.
James 4:17 says, "Therefore, if a man knows how to do good and does not do it, it is a sin." If you know God's will about giving and refuse to follow it, it is a sin.
As we give our tithes and offerings to be used for God's glory, we find that we can do God's will perfectly, at least in this matter.
Why should we tithe?
1. The Bible teaches tithing.
In the Old Testament, Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek.
Jacob said in Genesis 28:22, "Those whom I have set up as pillars will be God's houses, and of all that You give me I will surely give to You a tenth." When Jacob returned to Bethel in his later years, God blessed him abundantly and gave him great wealth. Leviticus 27:30 says, "A tithe of the land, whether it be the grain of the land or the fruit of the trees, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD.
In the New Testament, Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the law, but rather to fulfill it. The Jews under the law must pay tithes, but we under the grace of Christ must pay tithes.
In Matthew 23:23, Jesus said that people of his day should pay tithes. The book of Acts tells the story of Macedonian Christians who gave more than their tithes, who gave by selling their possessions, and who gave all their possessions.
Most tithing people are not rich in the things of this world, but they are indeed rich in that they love Christ and want to do His will.
Do you know the offerings of the rich and the offerings of widows that Jesus spoke of? Jesus praised the rich because the rich gave a part, but the widow gave all the living expenses.
If you believe in God and believe in the Bible, you must also believe the teachings of the Bible about tithing, and you should tithe.
2. God is merciful.
Jeremiah says in Lamentations 3:22-23, "For the LORD's mercy and mercy are endless, and we are not to be destroyed. It is new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
God has given us health, a home, family, friends, and many more.
Just as a person who has received a tax deserves to pay it, it is right to give something to God, who has given us everything.
I have worked hard to make money, bought a house, and even a car, so some people ask me, “Why do I have to give it to God?” So who gave you the power to do these things? Do you want to calculate the air and sunlight that God has given you in money?
3. If believers do not pay tithing, they will lose a lot of grace.
In the book of Malachi, God said that the people would be cursed if they did not pay their tithes. God commands his children and punishes them for disobedience.
If we do not pay our tithes, God takes them away through sickness or suffering. Is it right to pay a full tithe of your income? Or is it right to pay tithing after taxes and expenses?
Two farmers planted the same seeds in the same soil and invested the same labor, but one farm was like a wasteland and the other produced a lot of fruit, so what has nothing to do with tithing? Do you think you can take God's money and spend it as you please? Disobedience to God pays a great price. Even at this moment, there are people who are struggling.
4. Tithing is rewarded.
You may think it is selfish to pay tithing because of a reward, but God has said that he will reward you. For those who are not saved, John 6:37 says, "Whoever comes to me I will never cast out." For the saints, Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." God has promised.
God gives material blessings to those who pay tithing.
When Jacob left the house, he only had a staff and a packed lunch. But when he returned to Bethel, he became very rich with a family of 12.
Rockefeller always carried a small, worn-out black book with the first statement that his first income was $5 and that he paid tithes, and later said that he paid tithing when he earned millions of dollars.
When Corkate left for New York to study as a soapmaker, a friend said, "Someone will be the best soapmaker in America, and you can be that person. You work hard, serve the Lord with all your heart, and pay tithing to the Lord." If you give it, God will make you very successful." He said he would do it, and he kept his promise. He became very rich and gave a lot of money to God until he died.
There is no such thing as a recession with the Lord. Those who are faithful to the Lord can testify of their blessings.
If you don't tithe, you don't trust God. A person who pays tithes well will also be able to settle their debts.
2 Corinthians 9:6 "This is the saying, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."
Unbelievers ask why do you pay so much money to go to church---You spend a lot of money on your children. But when the child dies, the money cannot be spent. Money is needed because the church is alive. A church that does not need money is a dead church.
In the text, God tells us to test ourselves. He said that if you give tithes, He will bless you so much that there is no room to accumulate them. Do you not believe in getting paid while working for a company? Will God, who owns everything, keep His promises to you?
Tithing also comes with spiritual rewards. God wants you to grow in grace. He wants you to live in the blessings God has given you. He wants to grow into a better person, a strong believer.
Proverbs 11:25 says, “He who loves giving will prosper, and he who refreshes others will be refreshed.
5. One day the believer will settle the money with God.
Parable of the talents---When the Lord returns, the accounts are settled. Everything we have is entrusted to us by God, not ours. One day we must give an account to God. Paul said in Romans 1:14, “I am the debtor.” We are debtors of the gospel of Christ to everyone in the world. If we block the way of evangelism without paying tithes, the blood of those people will be retrieved from our hands before the judgment seat of God.
If we do not pay our tithes, we are robbing God of things, we are stealing the blessings of others through our tithing, and we are stealing the joy that can only come to those who want to follow God's will.
At a church offering, a girl with a disability put her crutches in a donation basket. This girl gave her the only precious thing she had.
Our Lord sacrificed his own body, which is more precious than these crutches, to save us from our sins and lead us to heaven. How shameful it would be if we did not give what we paid the most for this Lord, but what was insignificant.
How can you confess that you love the Lord without paying tithing?
Dear brothers and sisters, I hope that on this Thanksgiving Day, we will truly give thanks to God.
I hope that you will become believers who enjoy the more precious blessings of God by giving thanks to God.