The Weekly Sermon » Tithing

Give an Account of your Stewardship

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:05:19 +0000

Sunday January 15, 2012	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Give an Account of your Stewardship	Text: Luke 16: 1-2 & Romans 14:10-12

"Give an Account of your Stewardship"

Introduction: On this third Sunday of 2012, I want to pause and have us do some soul searching as we prepare for this year ahead.

In Romans 14:12 we read, "Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God."

In Luke 16:2 we have these words given to an “Unjust Steward” in a parable: "Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou may no longer be steward."

These are very sobering words. Here, you are moving through life day after day, and then all of a sudden without warning the God of the universe says to you: "STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. TIME IS UP. IT’S NOW TIME TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THY STEWARDSHIP!”

"Give an account of thy stewardship," is a command that will be addressed to the unsaved when they one day stand at the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT found in Revelation 20:11-15. Here, God will say to them, "Depart from me you worker of iniquity." Then He will cast them into the Lake of Fire which burneth forever and forever.

"Give an account of thy stewardship," is a command that will be applied to the Child of God one day, when he or she stands at the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. For in II Corinthians 5:10 we read, "For we must all appear before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done…"

At this point, you may be asking: “Pastor, on what is God going to judge the believer?” Well, in I Corinthians 4:2 we read, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” When God judges our stewardship, He is looking for FAITHFULNESS. Will God find us faithful? Let’s take an inventory as we step into the year 2012.

First: God calls us to GIVE an account of our TIME. Time is a very precious commodity God has given to us, and He is going to hold us accountable as to how we have used it.

Someone said, "There is a gift which comes to us from a royal source each day of our lives, BRIGHT and SPARKLING, absolutely untouched and unspoiled. What is that gift, you ask? It is the priceless gift of time. Each day we receive a fresh new supply, 24 hours, 1440 minutes and 86,400 seconds. This is 24 hours we have never lived before and 24 hours we shall never live again."

Psalm 90:12, "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom…"

Psalm 39:4, "Lord make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days what it is…"

Psalm 89:47, "Remember how short my time is…"

Ephesians 5:16, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Another said, "Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is uncertain. Therefore, it behooves us to spend every moment we have in our life in the right place doing the right thing for JESUS.”

We must redeem our time for God.

We must redeem our time for our family.

We must redeem our time for our church.

We must redeem our time with eternal values.

If God were to say today, "Give an account of your Time," would it be time well spent or wasted? Think about it, how did you use your time yesterday? You will be accountable for every minute God has given you. (Talk about priorities and consistency.)

Second: God calls us to GIVE account of our TALENTS. In Matthew 25 we have the parable of the TALENTS. God has given each of us gifts, abilities and talents, some of which are deeply buried in our lives. Follow me as I read verses 14-19, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (16) Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. (17) And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. (18) But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. (19) After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.”

The message of this parable from Matthew 25 is CRUCIAL for our day. The greatest problem we face in our generation in the church is a personnel problem. We are suffering in our churches from a severe case of unemployment.

"A handful of people are doing the MAJORITY of the work while the MAJORITY of the people just sit by, not so much in CRITICISM as in INDIFFERENCE."

Many are SITTING and WATCHING instead of WORKING. Many just slide into church and then slide right on out of church.

What will be your excuse before the Lord at the day when you have been called to give an account of your talents?

I am TOO OLD, or TOO YOUNG.

I do not have ENOUGH TIME.

I HAVE DONE MY SHARE OVER THE YEARS.

I AM NOT A MEMBER.

Folks, I believe God is looking for ACTION, not EXCUSES. I believe either you use what God has given to you for His service, or you will lose it. One day God will say, "Give an account of your stewardship concerning your gifts, abilities, and talents."

Third: God calls us to GIVE an account of our TREASURE: Someone said, "The value system of your heart is expressed by your relationship to material things, in most cases that of money." Please notice what the Lord said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

When we talk about our treasure, we would include in that our TITHES and OFFERING unto the Lord.

Remember from Leviticus 27:30, "the Tithe is holy unto the Lord," and in I Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.” The store being the church house.

Did you Tithe or did you withhold your tithe during 2011?

Will you tithe or withhold your tithe during 2012?

In the day of accounting, will God have found you FAITHFUL in giving "upon the first day of the week as you gave from the heart, not grudgingly, but willingly," of your tithes and offering?

Fourth: God calls us to GIVE an account of our WORDS: In Matthew 12:36-37 we read, “But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, he shall give an account of it in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

Folks I have to be honest with you. There is far too much lying and story embellishing going on, even in the Christian world. Oh, be careful what you say. How would you muster at the judgment seat TODAY if you were called to account for your words just this past year?

Fifth: God calls us to give an account of our THOUGHTS: In Proverbs 23:7 we read, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Behind every wicked deed is a process of wicked thinking. The person who cannot control his thoughts, cannot control his behavior.

The evil idea starts in the HEAD, goes to the HEART, and finally into the HAND.

God will judge us according to what we really are, not what we seem to be.

Remember that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

It is said, "a man's REPUTATION is what people THINK about him; his CHARACTER is what God KNOWS about him."

What are you like when the bark is peeled off, with the Holy Eyes of God looking straight into your soul?

Ecclesiastes 12:14 tells us, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil." If God should call you to report for an accounting of your life, what will be revealed about your thought life?

Sixth: God calls us to GIVE an account as to the stewardship of our INFORMATION: In II Timothy 2:1-2 we read, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2) And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Here we are told that what we learn from others we are then to pass on to others. We are the stewards of information. You are the steward of every TRUTH you learn in Sunday School or from preaching.

Let me illustrate this in a practical way using myself. Do you realize that I am using my stewardship of information as I preach and Pastor? During my up-bringing:

My Dad and Mom taught me spiritual truth.

My Sunday School teachers taught me spiritual truth.

My youth leaders taught me spiritual truth.

My college professors taught me spiritual truth.

My pastor's taught me spiritual truth.

They taught me convictions.

They taught me standards.

They taught me how to love the Bible.

They taught me how to pray.

They taught me how to live for Christ daily.

Sometimes, I am criticized for passing on to you my life experiences, but I am only doing so in order to relate to you what God said and how those words have affected my life.

You must realize that God expects you to be a steward of every GOOD and WHOLESOME TRUTH anybody has ever taught you. You owe it to them, and you owe it to God to pass it on.

Romans 14:11-12, “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12) So then, every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

It did not say give an account of OTHERS’ stewardship.

It did not say give account of the PASTOR’S stewardship

It did not say we are to give an account of your WIFE’S actions.

It did not say we are to give an account of your HUSBAND’S actions.

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we “shall give an account of ourselves, not to one another but to God.

Forget for a moment that there are any other people in the world, and YOU stand individually and separately before those piercing eyes which are searching you, through and through. For God will judge YOU as if there were no others to judge, and examine your innermost heart as if He had no other object to look upon.

Let me remind you, the Year of our Lord 2012 has already begun. It seems most suitable as we step into another year of grace that we should in our heart and consciousness STOP to take stock of our STEWARDSHIP.

As we begin this year, it might be well to take to heart David's words in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me O God, and know MY heart; Try ME and know MY thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in ME, and lead ME in the way everlasting."

As we begin this year, it might be well to take to heart what the Apostle Paul said as he examined his past in Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have arrived; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I PRESS toward the MARK of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

I am sure that if we would honestly search our heart we would be driven to our knees. There is enough in the history of one week, let alone in one year, to make us see our sinfulness and praise more than ever our REDEEMER who can pardon us from our sin.

Go again to the cross where the burden of sin and the failure of our lives came upon Him and CONFESS, REPENT and SEEK FORGIVENESS where we have faltered in the past in our areas of accountability.

Return one more time to Luke 16:2 and notice the very last phrase, "…for thou mayest be no longer steward." Think about those solemn words. If you don’t use what God has given unto you for His Glory, you could lose it. Think about these words of a song,

Only to be what He wants me to be every moment of every day

Yielded completely to Jesus alone, every step of this pilgrim way

Just to be clay in the Potters hand, ready to do what His words command

Only to be what He wants me to be every moment of every day.

Live for Jesus TODAY. Serve Jesus TODAY. Use your TIME, TALENT, TREASURE, INFLUENCE and WORDS for God TODAY, for it may be tomorrow that:

Your ministry is taken away;

Your child or spouse is swept away;

Your class is scattered;

Your wealth and possessions are stripped from you;

Your ministry and witness has ended.

Let each golden moment have its pressing service rendered unto God, lest it be said to thee, "Thou mayest be no longer steward."

The hour may come before this year is finished that you will pass on to glory. We have this as a constant reminder even in this congregation. It may happen even in the full strength of life that we will be called upon to give an account of our stewardship.

Can you say at this very moment, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day…?"

Can you say "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith?"

Can you say, "As a steward I have been faithful?"

Will you be hearing the Lord say, "Well done, thou good and FAITHFUL servant, enter into the JOY of the Lord?"

The Brevity of life should cause us to,REFORM our PERSPECTIVES.

The Brevity of life should cause us to REORDER our PROPRIETIES.

The Brevity of life should cause us to REEVALUATE our LIVES.

As a result we will:

REST in God more CONFIDENTLY,

LOVE the Lord more EARNESTLY,

SERVE our generation more INTENSELY,

LIVE by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT,

FULFILL our appointed places as God shall help us,

Be more CONCERNED for SINNERS, and

Be more LOVING toward the SAINTS.

It may be that you are listening to this message and you do not have the hope of Heaven, or the assurance of eternal life. One day, and it may be before this year is concluded, the death angel will come and close up shop for you. Then you must give "an account of your stewardship. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JESUS CHRIST?"

I plead with you, one more time, to “Put your faith in JESUS who was crucified for you and whose blood was shed to cover your sins before the eyes of a Holy God.”

You will be called to give an account of your life. Determine in your heart to make it before the Judgment Seat of Christ with other believers, rather than before the Great White Throne Judgment with all the unbelievers.

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon, "Give an Account of Your Stewardship" then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know. Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

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In His Amazing Grace,

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TITHES and OFFERINGS that Support the Church

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 20:27:25 +0000

Sunday September 5, 2010	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Power & Glory in the Church # 14	Text: Mal 3:7-13; I Corinthians 16:1-2

“The TITHES and OFFERINGS that

Support the Church”

Introduction: At the outset of this message let me call your attention to several passages.

In Leviticus 27:30-32 we read, “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 unto the LORD. (31) And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. (32) And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.” Please notice again in verse 30, "the tithe…it is holy unto the Lord."

In Malachi 3:8-11 we read, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. (9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. (10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. Please notice again verse 8, "In tithes and offerings." and verse 10, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse…"

In I Corinthians 16:1-2 we read, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

In churches today, one of the most sensitive subjects by far, is that of money. Someone said, “It seems every time I go to church all they talk about is money.” Although it is a subject we feel awkward discussing, God's Word places a great deal of emphasis on the matter of money and possessions.

In the Bible there are more than 500 references to PRAYER and almost 500 references to FAITH, but there are more than 2000 references to MONEY and POSSESSIONS.

Of 38 PARABLES found in the Gospels that Jesus told, 16 deal with how we handle our money.

Folks, let's be realistic. It does take money to keep the CHURCH ALIVE, and the GOSPEL going forth. If we are going to fulfill the great commission and provide a place where the saints are FED the Word of God, and TRAINED to become servants of God, it will cost us in terms of our TIME, TALENT and TITHE.

It takes money to send forth missionaries.

It takes money to make people disciples.

It takes money to purchase church literature.

It takes money to erect buildings and pay the cost of their upkeep.

It takes money to support pastors and workers.

Biblically, the church is not to be supported by suppers, bazaars, raffles, bingo or any other means or schemes man has devised. Biblically, God's work has always been supported by the TITHES and OFFERINGS of its members. Tithing is a universal principle. All that we have comes from the gracious hand of God and good stewardship demands that we give a tenth, the TITHE, back to God.

It is not a matter of our church needing the money.

It is not a matter of you needing a blessing.

However, it is a matter of our being OBEDIENT to God's command.

It is a matter of you and I doing that which is RIGHT, and HOLY.

There is no excuse for not giving. But giving must be in keeping with Biblical principles. What might those principles be? Look again with me at the phrase in Malachi 3:8 "TITHES and OFFERINGS."

First: There are the TITHES which God DEMANDS. In verse 10 we are instructed to "bring ye all the tithes." To do any less is to rob God. Tithing is a scriptural way of saying "THANK YOU" to God for all that He has done for us.

Most Christians think God limited TITHING to the required 10%. This is a gross misconception, since God actually required several TITHES from Israel. Every year they were required to give 20% and every third year they were to give 30%.

FIRST, there was a tithe called "the Lord's tithe" found in Leviticus 27:30 which funded the priesthood for the needs of God’s house.

SECOND, there was a tithe called "the festival tithe" found in Deuteronomy 12:10, 11 which financed the needs of the government.

THIRD, for Israel there was the "poor tithe" that was required every third year as found in Deuteronomy 14:28, 29 that aided the poor, and provided social security for those who had need.

The first tithe of 10^%is to be given to God before any of our income is spent. In Proverbs 3:9-10 we read, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: (10) So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Someone said, "God never leaves us to guess, when it comes to matters of faith and practice, so why should he abandon us to our own decisions and devices when it concerns one of the most important areas in the whole human existence? Outside of eating, drinking, sleeping and playing we spend the greater part of our lives earning money. The inescapable issue which follows this observation concerns the management of our money, once we acquire it. It is at this point that God breaks in with those words of prior claim: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse."

The tithe is the first 10% of one’s income. It is not just 10%, but rather the first 10%. One who pays all bills and then presents to the Lord 10% of that which is left over would not actually be tithing.

It is amazing that people who gripe about giving God 10%, will go to a restaurant and receive poor service from some waiter they don't know, and still leave a 15% tip. Even though they might complain the whole time about the poor service, they will still leave a tip. If they tip 12%, 15%, and even 20% to someone they don't even know, they certainly should be able to tithe for the Lord they do know.

Again turning to I Corinthians 16:1-2 we read, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” Please notice the TIME of the giving, "Upon the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK." This teaches us that upon the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, we are to bring to Him our tithes and offerings.

Please notice the PLACE of our giving, "lay in STORE" The word “store” in the Greek is the same as the Hebrew word found in Malachi 3:10 for “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse…"

Now the storehouse in the Old Testament was the TEMPLE. It was the place where the TITHES and OFFERINGS were given. It was the place of WORSHIP. It was the HOUSE OF GOD.

In the New Testament the HOUSE of GOD is the CHURCH where we come to worship, and to where we bring our TITHES and OFFERINGS for His glory in order to carry out His work.

TITHING is God's way of providing for the work of His Church. For us at the Green Street Baptist Chapel that translates into approximately $1,725.00 a week. Please listen carefully, because I sincerely believe:

If every Christian was honest in their giving, there would be no need to plead for funds, nor would there be any lack of funds to take care of the house of God.

God gives to the church what it needs and what it deserves. At times, the lack of funds are due to the lack of honest tithing on the part of believers, and sometimes due to the church wasting its resources.

I sincerely believe God gives the church increased funding in direct proportion to the increase in its giving to missions. As we increase our giving to missions, there will be a sufficient increase to the general fund.

Here at Green Street Baptist Chapel we take the time in our Sunday Morning and Evening services to provide you an opportunity to worship God through the faithful giving of Grace.

Second: There are the OFFERINGS which God DESERVES. In Malachi 3 the Lord had to rebuke His people, Israel, for withholding their OFFERINGS as well as their TITHES. Notice again verse 8, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” The OFFERINGS were gifts that were brought to God over and above the TITHES. An Israelite, who loved God, voluntarily gave the FIRSTFRUITS of his crop to God. FIRSTFRUIT giving was giving the best to God and trusting Him to bring in the harvest. It was giving by faith.

In rendering our TITHES, we look up to the Throne of Divine Government and say: “O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Ruler of the universe and, therefore entitled to our tithes. We are grateful that in Thee, and in Thee alone, we live and move and have our being. Amen!"

In bringing our OFFERINGS, we kneel in worship before the Throne of Divine Grace and pray: "Our Father, in response to Thy redeeming mercy, revealed in Jesus Christ, we bring the offerings of our sacrificial love and surrendered lives. Amen!"

God's work has always been supported by TITHES and OFFERINGS. As such, we need to challenge each other concerning our responsibility to be OBEDIENT to God's command. So, what then is the pattern for giving?

Number 1: Give to God Faithfully! Returning to I Corinthians 16:2 we again read “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” Here the point is: Grace giving is an exercise of wise stewardship! A steward is someone who owns nothing, but is responsible for everything entrusted in his care. God is glorified when we carefully manage all He has entrusted in our care.

Notice that the verse does not say give IF God prospers, but AS God prospers. God does prosper us! He prospers us faithfully and regularly! Did you notice the verse tells us, “let everyone of you.” God wants giving to be done proportionately!

However, in America today the very rich and their businesses are being taxed at a higher rate than others. This is not fair. The government shouldn't penalize a man because he has worked hard and received something for his labor. Neither should we penalize a business owner because he worked hard to get something.

If a pattern of proportionate giving were to be realized in every church in America, preachers could stop begging for more money. There would be an abundance of money in the church bank account to meet all the needs of the church.

Number 2: Give to God Generously! In II Corinthians 8:2 we read, “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”

In II Corinthians chapter 8, Paul was writing to the Corinthians about the churches in Macedonia. Paul noted that although the Macedonian Christians were very poor, they gave with liberality. The root word of liberality means "freely or generously." God said that they gave liberally.

In Exodus 36, the Bible gives a wonderful example of how offerings ought to be collected. Moses was getting ready to build the tabernacle. He stood before the children of Israel and announced that they were going to take an offering and that offering was to come from their hearts.

The people responded so liberally, that Moses had to ask them to stop giving. In Exodus 36:5 we read, “And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which they made; And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.”

I personally have never been to a church where the preacher had to stand up and say, "Folks, quit bringing money; our bank account is full and running over. There has been too much money given to this church, and we just can't handle it all." As unbelievable as that scenario may be, it is the pattern that God has designed for His work.

Christians should be liberal or generous in their giving to local churches not only with their money, but also with their time.

We need to have church members who give some time to God, maybe by sweeping sidewalks, trimming bushes or painting walls.

Every church in America would be helped if all of its members somehow got involved in the weekly cleanup and upkeep. I don't understand why more people don't do this. God wants us to give liberally.

Why don't we have people lined up on Saturdays to give their mornings or afternoons to visit their neighbors? The response of so many church members across this nation is, "I don't have any time for that. I would, but I don't have time."

How many times have we sung the song, "Have You Any Room for Jesus?" The second verse reads:

Room for pleasure, room for business,

But for Christ the Crucified,

Not a place that He can enter,

In the heart for which He died

Christians must make time for Christian service. We must give liberally, not only of our treasure and our time, but also of our talent. God pity the church member who has talent, but hasn’t used it for God.

We have mechanics, computer experts, telephone experts, electricians, and plumbers sitting in churches all over the nation who won't use their talents for God and His work.

We have ladies who could be working in nurseries, or singing in the choir; but they refuse to give their talents to the Lord. If God has given you hands, then use them for His glory. They are not your hands anyway, they belong to the Lord. If God has given you a brilliant mind, then give it back to Him. It is not your mind in the first place; He gave it to you. God has given us feet; we should be taking them where God wants them to go.

Why is it that we are so stingy when it comes to giving to God? The answer from so many people is, "It is my life, and I'll do what I want when I want to!"

In II Corinthians 9:6 we read, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” The point to focus upon is: Grace giving is an exercise of gratitude! In response to His great love and His generous gift, we ought to respond generously out of a heart of gratitude.

Number 3: Give to God Zealously! Christians are instructed to give with zeal. The word zeal means "enthusiastic devotion."

When Jesus threw the moneychangers out of the temple, He said to His disciples in John 2:17 "…remember that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." In II Corinthians 9:1-2 Paul commended the church at Corinth for their zeal, or devotion, to giving to others. “For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.” He wrote that he had bragged about them to the churches in Macedonia. This church at Corinth may have had its share of problems, but problems are easily remedied where hearts are full of enthusiasm for giving to those in need.

We should follow their example and give from a heart that is bubbling over with warmth and love. We should realize that, when we give God's money to God's children, we are “laying up” according to Matthew 6:20, "treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."

Paul stated that this church's zeal "provoked very many." This passage also tells us that others are watching. How a church gives to others determines the reputation of the church. Paul let the Corinthian church know that other churches were watching what they did, and their actions were encouraging others to do the same.

Number 4: Give to God Cheerfully! In II Corinthians 9:7 we read, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” The point to focus upon here is: Grace giving is an exercise of joy! God is able to discern the sincerity of our gifts. He expects us to give, but He does not want us to feel resentment, or pressure.

Number 5: Give to God for Eternity! In Matthew 6:19-21 we read, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The point to focus upon here is: Grace giving is an exercise of spiritual vision! God is eternal. His relationship with us is eternal, and His blessings are eternal!

Returning once again to Malachi 3:10 we read, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of host, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Notice again the promise of God.

I believe God is saying “You give as I have told you to give, and I will guarantee you every need will be met,” CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?

God is saying you give to me, and I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.

I don't believe we can expect to see God send revival to this nation, apart from a spirit of sacrifice, and a willingness to defy the god of materialism in our age by giving God everything. When I speak of sacrificial giving, I mean giving that is measured and motivated by the CROSS OF CHRIST. It is nothing less than GIVING AT IT'S BEST!

II Corinthians 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye, through His poverty, might be rich.”

Our song and prayer must ever be:

When I survey the wondrous cross,

On which the prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And poor contempt on all my pride.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

DEMANDS my SOUL, my LIFE, my ALL.

My prayer is that God will motivate you and me to be givers, giving extravagantly of our TIME, our ENERGY, our FINANCES, and our very LIVES, so that others may be brought to Christ and made spiritually rich in Him.

I close with a statement written long ago,

"If Christian people would tithe, the Church in all of its varied activities could be the mightiest power for the world. Yet professing Christians, instead of giving one tenth of their incomes, actually give an average of less than one half of one percent to Christian causes! Do Christians believe God? If the injunction concerning tithes is followed by God's promise to pour out blessings beyond their capacity to receive, what might be experienced by Christians willing to give as God prospered them?"

Can we doubt that such desire to please God would mean revival?

****************************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “The TITHES and OFFERINGS that Support the Church” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in it’s original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

In His Amazing Grace,

PS: In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Microsoft Word 2007 document (DOCX), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/…/MMX36/

Abounding in Thanksgiving

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:06:52 +0000

Sunday November 15, 2009	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail: pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Thanksgiving: Part 2	Text: Colossians 2:7b

"Abounding in Thanksgiving"

Jesus said to the Jewish Ruler, Nicodemus in John 3:3, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In this verse, Jesus was saying that in order to get to heaven you must have a new birth experience. You must have a spiritual birth, a second birth, a birth from above.

Now from Colossians 2:1-8 we read, “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; (2) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; (3) In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (4) And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. (5) For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. (6) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: (7) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Now would you focus your attention upon verses 6-7, “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” From verse 6, notice two important words "AS" and "SO."

The first phrase, "AS ye have received,” represents one’s faith in Christ Jesus as Saviour.

The second phrase, “SO walk in Him." should be the natural result of having placed one's faith and confidence in Jesus Christ.

Paul said, "AS ye have received Christ Jesus…" Literally there can be NO Christian life, NO new birth experience, and NO hope of eternal life until first there is an INVITING by faith of Jesus Christ into our lives as personal Saviour.

Ephesians 2:8-9 tell us, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

John 3:36, says to us, “He that BELEIVETH on the SON (that is Jesus Christ) hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

John 5:24 tells us, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

I John 5:12-13, tells us, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye many know that ye have eternal life…”

Acts 4:12 says to us, “Neither is there SALVATION in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be SAVED.”

Remember being “Born Again” is just the beginning of the journey. Afterwards the ACCENT moves from ACCEPTANCE of Christ, to CONTINUING in Christ. As a result there should be a revolution that takes place in one’s life of actions, activities, and attitudes, after accepting Christ as Saviour. It is in II Corinthians 5:17 we read, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

In our last Sermon we spent a great deal of time on the first part of verse 7. However, at the end of verse 7, we have a kind of “PS” to the "basic Christian life." Since we are in what we call the Thanksgiving Season it seems appropriate that we touch upon one of the basic ingredients to the Christian life found in the last three words of verse 7, "Abounding with Thanksgiving." The word “Thanks” or “Thanksgiving” in one form or another is found some 140 times in the Bible.

David the shepherd, King, and Psalmist probably referred to “Thanks” more times than any other Bible Character.

Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with THANKSGIVING, and into his courts with praise; be THANKFUL unto him, and bless his name.”

Psalm 105:1, “O give THANKS unto the LORD; call upon his name…”

Psalm 106:1, “Praise ye the LORD. O give THANKS unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

The Apostle Paul who lived continually in the spirit of “Thanksgiving” runs a close second, for praise was as natural to him as breathing.

In Philippians 4:6 we read, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

In I Thessalonians 5:18 he said, "In EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus…"

Even the Hymn-writer encourages us:

When upon life's bellows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, NAME THEM ONE BY ONE,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

On the other hand, when you hear some people talk, you think they have nothing but RAIN in their lives. All they do is gripe and complain about their lot:

How difficult life is.

How bad the kids are.

How the boss is such a pain in the neck.

How bad the problems are at home.

How nothing is going right at church.

It seems all you hear is Negative, Negative, Negative, as though it RAINS all the time in their lives. Let's face it. There will be those cloudy rainy times filled with problems, trials and circumstances beyond our control. However, the truth of the matter is, God sees to it that there is sunshine every day in our lives as believers:

Maybe it is just for a moment.

Maybe it is just for a portion of a day.

On the other hand, whatever takes place in the negative, God sees to it that His love, warmth and blessings come into our lives every day. Even the prophet Jeremiah, as he wept over the destruction of Jerusalem and wrote the Book of Lamentations, could say in Lamentations 3:22-24, "It is because of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion's fail not. They are NEW EVERY MORNING: great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, Therefore will I hope in Him."

In each of the four chapters of Colossians, there is at least one reference to the truth of "Abounding with Thanksgiving." Please follow me as we note four of those passages.

First: In Colossians 1:3-4 we read, “We give THANKS to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints…” Here we find something very typical of the Apostle Paul. Throughout his epistles, he gave thanks for the believers in the churches to whom he was writing. Here’s a man, always in the midst of some trying circumstance and yet he was filled with thanksgiving for the faith of others.

In I Corinthians 1:4 Paul was thankful for the believers in Corinth, “I THANK my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.”

In Ephesians 1:15-16 Paul was thankful for believers in Ephesus, “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give THANKS for you, making mention of you in my prayers.”

In Philippians 1:3-4 Paul was thankful for the believers at Philippi, “I THANK my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.”

Now understand that Paul’s giving thanks for believers in these churches was in spite of the fact that:

In Colossians there were DOCTRINAL difficulties in that church.

In Philippi there were PERSONAL difficulties in that church.

In Corinth there were MORAL disorders in that church.

Think about it. If those difficulties existed in our Church, would we be giving thanks as Paul did? Or would we be saying, "What do I have to be thankful for in this wretched place?"

Nobody ever talks to me.

People seem to be somewhat unfriendly.

I don't like they way things are going in the ministry.

There are some problems, yet I cannot explain them if I had to.

There are sins in other people’s lives, but I can not think of any in my life.

The Deacons and the Pastor are not doing what I think they ought to be doing.

To top it off, I am just plain miserable.

However, that was not the Apostle Paul's attitude despite problems. He was thankful to God for the saints in these Churches. Just as we should be THANKFUL TO GOD FOR ONE ANOTHER IN THIS PLACE WHERE GOD HAS PLACED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US AS MEMBERS and as a part of the body of Christ.

Oh, by the way, welcome to the real world. For even in this church, none of us are perfect, and no situation will ever be perfect. Often, it has been said, "If you are looking for a perfect church, stop looking, for you will never find one. But if you even think you have found one, don't join it, because you will soon wreck it."

Now, if you look at what the Apostle Paul was being thankful for in these letters, you will notice that it was not for PERFECTION in the saints. Rather, he was thanking God for several other qualities:

First: He was thankful for the faith of the saints. Notice again Colossians 1:3-4, “We give THANKS to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,…” He was thankful for a regenerate church membership. We too should be thankful to God for the faith of believers in our assembly. Perhaps most, if not all, of us could stand this morning and sing:

Thank you Lord, for saving my soul.

Thank you Lord for making me whole.

Thank you Lord for giving to me,

Thy salvation so rich and free.

Second: He was thankful for the love of the saints. In I Thessalonians 1:2-3 we read, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; (3) Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;” Notice again Paul was thankful for other’s "Work of Faith, Labor of Love and Patience of Hope." Let me ask you an honest, heart searching question.

"When was the last time you took the time, either by letter, phone, or personal conversation, to express your gratitude for someone's "Work of Faith, Labor of Love and Patience of Hope" on your behalf or for the ministry on behalf of others?

I encourage you to take the challenge this week to write a note of THANKSGIVING to God, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit and to others. Express your thanksgiving to them for the ways they have benefited your life. Consider writing a note of THANKS to your husband or wife, to your children or your parents, to one of your relatives or neighbors, or to a friend here at church. I predict that it will be a blessing to witness the results of your outpouring of thankfulness.

Second: In Colossians 2:7 we read, “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Now you know as well as I do, you do not have to be a Christian to be thankful. Even the unsaved can be thankful. But there is a difference between someone who is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and someone who is a non-believer. The simple difference is the believer will be "abounding or overflowing with Thanksgiving." He can be happy even in the midst of the most depressing and painful circumstances.

The believer is able to abound in thankfulness to God in the little things as well as in the big things. Turning to Ephesians 5:20 we read, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” Giving thanks is just not something we do at a Wednesday evening prayer and praise time, or on Sundays when we come to the house of God for a time of Worship, or on Thanksgiving Day. Giving thanks is to be included everyday for all things. Please notice carefully the context here starting with verse 18, “…but be ye filled with the Spirit.” People ask all the time, “How does one know when someone is filled (the word means CONTROLLED) with the Holy Spirit?”

According to Ephesians 5:19 a spirit filled Christian has a song in his heart, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” A spirit-filled believer can sing:

Come, thou font of EVERY blessing, Turn my heart to sing thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.

According to Ephesians 5:20 a spirit filled Christian is a thankful Christian, “GIVING THANKS always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

According to I Corinthians 15:55, 57 a spirit filled believer can even be thankful for death, for we read, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength if sin is the law. But thanks be God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." But thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." The unsaved can not thank God for death, but:

Believers can thank God for other’s faith.

Believers can thank God for other’s love.

Believers can thank God for victory over death.

A spirit-filled believer can be "Abounding with Thanksgiving."

Third: In Colossians 3:15, 17 we read, “…and be ye THANKFUL… And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving THANKS to God and the Father by him.” Holding your place here in Colossians please turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 6, where I call your attention to a little known incident that happened after the feeding of the 5000 and right after our Lord had walked on the water. Notice verses 22-23, “The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples unto the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone: (23) (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks).” Now verse 23 seems to be just a parenthesis after the feeding of the 5000. However, just the fact that the Lord gave thanks before eating made a profound impact on these disciples.

I mention this because it is so seldom when I eat in a restaurant that I see anybody bow their head and give thanks. At times, people seem to be like a bunch of pigs. Just as soon as the food hits the table they stick their snout right in it and just gobble it up.

On the other hand, when you see someone bow his or her head, or a family praying before they eat, doesn't that make a profound impact on you? It made a profound impact on the disciples when they saw the Lord praying before eating. What a testimony a simple prayer of thanks can be to unbelievers. That is just another way of "Abounding with Thanksgiving."

Fourth: In Colossians 4:2 we read, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with THANKGIVING.” As you read this verse, let me ask you four questions.

How long has it been since you prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, not asking, but giving thanks to God and praising Jesus for:

His redeeming blood,

His marvelous grace,

His keeping power,

His mercy and tenderness, and for

The everyday things of life so generally taken for granted?

How long has it been since you thanked God for:

Sunshine and rain,

Good fresh air to breathe,

Good food to eat,

Clothes to wear,

A house to live in, and for

Family, friends, neighbors, and your church?

How long has it been since you counted your blessings and named them one by one?

How long since you fell on your knees in humility and poured forth words of praise and thanksgiving to God as the giver of every good and perfect gift?

May God help each and every one of us to take the time to breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for His goodness to us, right now! I do not remember from where I retrieved this article, but let me end our message today with a story entitled with some very familiar words, “Why Me Lord?”

I couldn’t sleep. To make matters worse, I had a sore throat. I looked at the clock, 2 a.m.! I’d gone to bed at eight, and to my knowledge I hadn’t drifted off to sleep once. Then, to top it all off, one of the neighbors decided that 2 a.m. would be a good time to turn on his rock music. Now I knew I’d never get to sleep.

So I prayed, “Lord, here it is 2 a.m. and I need my sleep. Would you please blow up the neighbor’s stereo?” When that didn’t appear to work, I tried quoting Scripture. However, it was hard to concentrate against the constant “boom, boom, boom” surrounding me. So, after exhausting my memory storehouse, I began to pray for everyone and everything. That is until I realized that I was repeating the same names and requests. I think I’m drifting off to sleep now. Silence….Ahhh….they must have gone to bed and turned off the music. BOOM! Maybe the stereo blew up. “Thank you, Lord!” Then reality struck. Oh no, here it goes again! The silence must have been between songs and the loud thud was only the slamming of a car door. I looked at the clock again, 2:30 a.m.

“I hear something! Someone’s breathing! Oh, it’s only my husband snoring.” I glanced over at him. How peaceful and rested he looked. Suddenly, I had an urge to give him a big shove! “After all, I thought, we’re one, aren’t we? Seems to me he ought to be able to share in my misery.” Maybe if I moaned a few times. “What’s the matter, Honey?” “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I wake you up? It’s nothing really. It’s just that my throat is sore and I can’t get to sleep.” “Hope, you feel better, sweetheart,” he said reassuringly as he drifted off to sleep again. “Woe is me, a lot of good that did!” Now I felt like crying. I was angry and frustrated.” Lord, I’m miserable.

Why won’t You help me go to sleep?

Why do I have to be sick?

Why does the devil play that “junk” in my ears?

Why can’t the neighbors be more considerate?

Why me, Lord? WHY? WHY?

Suddenly, a verse penetrated my sulking and self-pity. “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.”

“Oh, Lord! Why am I complaining? I have more than You ever had when You were here on earth. You’re the King of Glory, the Lord God, Almighty, my Saviour, my Master, and yet…” Suddenly everything took on new meaning; things usually taken for granted became treasures, and gratefulness swelled in my heart to heights sublime.

I clasped my pillow and hugged it. “Thank You, Lord, for a soft pillow on which to lay my head, for a comfortable bed, and warm cover.”

I saw the soft light of the night light. “Thank You, Lord, for electricity. Thank You that I simply have to flick a switch, turn a dial, or pull a knob, and I can have heat, air conditioning, clean clothes, spotless floors, a hot meal, beautiful music or even the weather report.”

“Thank You, Lord, for the clothes in my closet, the variety I have, the warmth, the colors You made – blue, yellow, red, purple, peach, orange, and green.” I laughed to myself when I thought of how funny the world would look if it were all in black and white.

I remembered back to third grade when I had wished out loud that I could wear glasses. Then, after it was discovered I needed them, how often I had wished that I never wished that wish. But now I was grateful. “Thank You for glasses, Lord, to help me see. If it weren’t for my glasses, I couldn’t see a picture across the room, drive a car, or recognize a friend down the street.” I thought of all the millions of people who had ever lived and had missed seeing God’s great creation because they had no glasses.

I purposely tried to think of other things I could be grateful for, both large and small:

A cozy trailer with a furnace that works,

Bug spray, where would I be without it?

Christian parents, what a heritage!

A wonderful, godly husband, even if he was sleeping so soundly,

America and freedom! I could easily have been born in a Communist country or a primitive culture where Christ had never been heard of.

“Oh, Thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son to die for me, for saving me from my sins, for Your Word, the opportunity of serving You, the promise of heaven, the privilege of one day seeing You face to face!”

My mind went back once more to the verse, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.” “Dear Jesus, why me, why have You been so good to me?” As the tears fell on my pillow and joy flooded my soul, I whispered softly, “Goodnight, Lord. I love you.”

Paul is telling us in Colossians 2:7 to be "Abounding with Thanksgiving." That's how I want my life, as well as my family as well as our church to be described as "Abounding with Thanksgiving." Should we not be thankful for all God has blessed us with, and given to us, and for all that others on our behalf have done for us? Remember this week to be "Abounding with Thanksgiving."

If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon "Abounding with Thanksgiving," right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

http://TheWeeklySermon.com/2009/46/

The Stewardship of Tithing

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:59:19 +0000

Sunday June 21 , 2009	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message #4 Giving – Tithes & Offerings	Text: I Corinthians 16:1-2

“The Stewardship of Tithing”

Introduction: In I Peter 4:10 we read, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." In the Bible, a steward is a person who has been given the management of His master’s affairs. Our Master, the Lord Jesus, has entrusted us with the management of His affairs. This morning, I want to address the area of STEWARDSHIP to what the Bible calls TITHING. A study of the Bible shows God appealing to the mind, the will, and the heart of man to pay the TITHE, the FIRST ONE-TENTH of his earnings to the Lord’s work. In the Bible, TITHING goes back to the opening chapters of Genesis, and continues into the New Testament, and on down to our own time.

As we begin, let me appeal to your heart with this very provocative statement.

“Studies conducted over the past several years indicate the percentage of regular church attendees who give 10% or more of their income – a “tithe” – to their church is dropping. These surveys, since the turn of the century, have consistently indicated that percentage to be less than one out of every ten – and that is among self-proclaimed Christians who describe themselves as “deeply religious” or “absolutely committed to the Christian faith.” The report, by the Christian pollster Barna Group, stated that 80% of monies contributed to Bible believing churches came from 20% of their members. Further that the remaining 20% of monies came from 30% of the members, and that roughly half of the church members gave nothing at all.”

Does that sound right to you? Apparently, it is true. Certainly you know that the practice of TITHING is God’s way of providing for the work of His Church. Folks, let’s be realistic. It does take money to operate the church and to keep the CHURCH ALIVE, and the GOSPEL going forth. If we are going to fulfill the great commission and provide a place where the saints are FED the Word of God, and TRAINED to become servants of God, it will cost us in terms of our TIME, TALENTS and TITHES.

It takes money to send forth missionaries.

It takes money to make disciples of our people.

It takes money to purchase church literature.

It takes money to erect buildings and pay the cost of their upkeep.

It takes money to support Pastors and workers.

In I Corinthians 4:2, there is a challenge to be faithful in these areas, "Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

The way we handle our money is perhaps the truest indicator of the spiritual condition of our heart. Although it is a subject we often feel awkward discussing, God’s Word places a great deal of emphasis on the matter of money and possessions.

Do you realize the Bible contains more than 500 references to PRAYER and almost 500 references to FAITH, but there are more than 2000 references to MONEY and POSSESSIONS?

Out of 38 PARABLES that Jesus told in the Gospels, a full 16 deal with how we handle our money. Jesus said more about money and possessions than about Heaven and Hell combined.

God’s work has always been supported by TITHES andOFFERINGS. Tithing is a universal principle. In Leviticus 27:30 we read, "And all the tithe … it is holy unto the LORD." All we have comes from the gracious hand of God, and good stewardship demands we give a tenth (the TITHE) back to God. We need to be challenged concerning our responsibility in this matter of the stewardship of TITHING. The giving of our TITHES andOFFERINGS is a matter of OBEDIENCE to God’s command. It is the RIGHT action, the HOLY action for us to take.

Now, when TITHES are mentioned in the Bible,

They are sometimes called the TENTH.

They are sometimes called the FIRSTFRUITS.

They are sometimes called the TITHES.

In this message, I want to point out to you SIX DIFFERENT TIMES in the scriptures, starting with Abraham and moving through to the New Jerusalem. I want to point out what each TIME has in common with the others.

First: The Time of the Patriarchs: This was the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The incident in question is found in Genesis 28:16-22 during the days of Jacob. Did you notice three times God’s house was mentioned?

In verse 17 Jacob said, "this is the house of God."

In verse 18 He said, "I am going to call this place Beth-el", which means the house of God.

In verse 22, He said, "And this stone shall be God’s house."

Three times Jacob mentioned the house of God and then he said in verse 22, "I will surely give THE TENTH unto Thee." Jacob was giving God the TENTH at the House of God.

Second: The time of the Wilderness Journey: After Israel had left the land of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Please turn to Exodus 34:26 where we read, “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God…”

The Jews had started their journey toward the Promised Land. Moses had been to Mt. Sinai, where he had received the Commandments. Now for the second time, the house of God is mentioned as the place where the TITHE (here called the firstfruits) was to be brought. Remember in the wilderness, the house of God was called the Tabernacle. They followed the Tabernacle everywhere they went, and they were told by God to bring the tithes into the house of God, which at the time was called the Tabernacle.

Third: The Time in the Land of Promise: The wilderness journey now completed, Israel is going into the Promised Land where they will receive instruction concerning the TITHE.

In Deuteronomy 12:10-11 we read, “But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; (11) Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:” Did you notice in verse 11, "There shall be a place…" This would obviously be the house of God, called the Tabernacle at the time. Did you also notice "thither shall ye bring all that I command you…" Their TITHES were one of the things they were to bring.

In Deuteronomy 14:22-23 we read, “Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. (23) And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.” Notice again in verse 22 "Thou shalt truly TITHE all the increase of thy seed…" and then in verse 23 "they were to bring the TITHE in the place which God would choose to place His name." The place would have been the Tabernacle, since that was the place where God would meet with them.

Again God was giving instruction as to the TITHE. They were to bring the TITHE to the place, that being we believe the house of God which would have been the Tabernacle at the time.

Fourth: The Time of the Kings: After Israel came into the Promised Land, they were first ruled by Judges, and then they were ruled by Kings. Please turn with me to II Kings 12:4 where we read, “And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD,” Here again the money was to be brought into the house of the Lord. So far, I want you to notice that these passages repeatedly said TO BRING THE TITHE, not to just send it!

Fifth: The Time of Rebuilding: During the time of the Kings, the southern tribes of Judah began a seventy year period that is known as the Babylonian captivity. When the captivity ended, they rebuilt the temple, and the walls, as well as the entire city of Jerusalem. At this time, they were reminded of their responsibility:

FIRST: In Nehemiah 10:38 notice the phrase, "…bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God."

SECOND: In Nehemiah 13:10-12, notice again the phrase the "house of God" and "Then brought all Judah the tithe…"

The Jews were back from captivity, and again God was instructing them what to do about the TITHE. The Levites were the caretakers of the House of God. They were supposed to live on the tithes of God’s people. However the house of God was being forsaken because the Levites were working their fields. God told the rulers to "bring the tithes to the house of God."

THIRD: Malachi 3:8-10, again notice verse 10 "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meet in mine house…"

Here the Lord was rebuking His people for withholding the Tithes and the Offerings.

The OFFERINGS are gifts given over and above the TITHES.

The TITHES were required, the OFFERINGS were voluntary.

When we render our tithes, we look up to the Throne of Divine Government and say: "O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Ruler of the universe and, therefore entitled to our tithes. We are grateful that in Thee, and in Thee alone, we live and move and have our being. Amen!"

When we bring our offering, we kneel in worship before the Throne of Divine grace and pray: "Our Father in response to Thy redeeming mercy, revealed in Jesus Christ, we bring the offerings of our sacrificial love and surrendered lives. Amen!"

God told them to bring the TITHES to His house, His house being the storehouse. The house of God has not always been known by the same term.

For a time it was the altar.

For a time it was the tabernacle, then the temple.

Today it is the church.

Wherever the house of God was, that was where the tithes were to be brought.

Six: The time of the Millennium: This is the period that is to come when Christ will reign for 1000 years as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Turn with me to two passages of scripture found in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 44:30, notice several words here, "FIRSTFRUITS", "shall be the priests," and "in thine house."

Ezekiel 48:10-11 notice the phrase, "…and the Sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof. It shall be for the priests…"

The last part of Ezekiel deals with the rebuilding of the new temple in the Kingdom age, or what we call the Millennium. In the millennium God’s people will bring the tithes to the priest, who is in the sanctuary of the house of God.

These six TIMES have taken the Jewish people all the way from the patriarchs in Genesis, into the New Jerusalem of the millennium. In every era they brought the TITHES to whatever was called the house of God at the time.

Whether it was the altar; or

Whether it was the tabernacle, or the temple; or

Whether it is to be the sanctuary of the house of God in the millennium.

Do you think that God would require His people in all six of theses TIMES to bring the TITHES to His house and then change His mind in the New Testament era? God said, "I am the Lord thy God, I change not." Consider,

If Jacob was to bring his TITHE to the house of God,

If the Jews in the wilderness were to bring their TITHES to the house of God,

If the Jews in the Promise Land were to bring their TITHES to the house of God,

If the Jews under the kings were to bring their TITHES to the house of God,

If the Israelites during the time of rebuilding were to bring their TITHES to the house of God, and If God wants TITHES to be brought into the house of God during the millennium,

Would you not think He would also want us to bring our TITHES in this age, the church age, to the house of God? On that question, go with me to I Corinthians 16:1-2 where we read, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

Please notice the TIME of the giving "Upon the first day of the week." That refers to Sunday, the Lord’s Day.

Please notice the PLACE of our giving. "…lay in STORE"

The word store in the Greek is the same as the Hebrew word found in Malachi 3:10 for "storehouse." Remember in the Old Testament:

The storehouse during the patriarchal days was the ALTAR.

The storehouse beginning in Exodus 25 was the TABERNACLE.

The storehouse with Solomon became the TEMPLE.

The storehouse in the millennium will be the REBUILT TEMPLE.

These places are where the TITHES and OFFERINGS were given. They were the place of WORSHIP. They were the HOUSE OF GOD!

In the New Testament the HOUSE of GOD is the CHURCH where we come to worship and to bring our TITHES and OFFERINGS for His glory in order to carry out His work. I believe if every Christian was honest in their giving, there would be no need to plead for funds. Nor would there be any lack of funds to take care of the house of God.

Please notice also the PURPOSE of giving. "As God hath prospered him" This scripture teaches proportionate giving. We are to give as God has prospered us.

"Since God never leaves us to guess, when it comes to matters of faith and practice, why would He abandon us to our own decisions and devices when it concerns one of the most important areas in our whole human existence? Outside of eating, drinking, sleeping, and playing we spend the greater part of our lives earning money. The inescapable issue which follows this observation concerns the management of our money, once we acquire it. It is at this point that God breaks in with those words of prior claim: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse."

When God said in Malachi 3, "Ye have robbed me in tithes and offering," what did he mean? One tenth of our income is already God’s, if we do not put that in the church, we are robbing God. If we make a vow to give a certain amount to a special fund, or vow to give more than the tenth, the amount of that vow becomes God’s just like the ten percent or tithe.

Someone may ask why this is so. The answer is clear. "Not only has God commanded that we give a tithe and offering, but, we live on God’s earth, drink God’s water, enjoy God’s sunshine, and breath God’s air. Consider the Tithe rent!"

God will not allow us to live on more than 90% of our income. A 10th of it belongs to God. If you make $2000 dollars a month $200 belongs to God. If you make $100 a week, $10 belongs to God. Neither you nor I have the right to divide it up and designate it as you choose. You and I are to regularly give our tithe unto the Lord in the house of God. There is nothing wrong with giving designated gifts as an offering over and above our tithe.

As we think through these scriptures, let me share the Testimony of the late Art DeMoss, founder of the National Liberty Corporation.

"I believe with all my heart there is a strong correlation between giving and spirituality. I have observed that they almost invariably go hand in hand. You say you give as much as you can afford, after taking care of your bills. Personally, I feel we might as well not give to God at all as to give merely what little we have left over. Unfortunately, that is about all that most of us give. However, God’s command in the Scripture is to give Him the firstfruits. Then invariably what we have left will go a great deal further, inasmuch as it will have God’s blessing upon it.

You say that it is impossible for you to give at least one tenth of your income because you do not now have enough money to meet all your obligations. Here enters God’s paradoxical principle of prosperity. If you need more, give more.

After Jesus saved me, I was ten’s of thousands of dollars in debt. However, the Lord saved me and promised to return to me with interest all that I gave Him. He has been faithful to that promise. All I had to do was put God first. The more time and money I gave Him, the more He gave me. He has been so good to me.

Giving, for the Christian, properly understood, is not man’s way of raising money; rather, it is God’s way of raising His children. When, as children of God, we agree to be co-labours together with Him in His great program of redemption by giving back to Him some of the resources which He has entrusted to us, we benefit far more than the recipient."

Please go back with me to Malachi 3:10, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Notice again the promise of God. I believe God is saying, give as I have told you to give, and I will guarantee your every need will be met. God is saying, you give to me, and I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. You can believe it!

I don’t believe we can expect to see God send revival to this nation, apart from a spirit of sacrifice and a willingness to defy the god of materialism in our age by giving God everything. And when I speak of sacrificial giving,I mean giving that is measured and motivated by the CROSS OF CHRIST. It is nothing less then GIVING AT ITS BEST.

My prayer is that God will motivate you and I to be good stewards. To give of our TIME, our TALENTS, our TITHES, our LIVES, so that others may be brought to Christ and made spiritually rich in Him.

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “The Stewardship of Tithing” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, would you please let me know? Please send me an e-mail to pdmikBBM@aol.com. and in return I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

http://TheWeeklySermon.com/2009/25/

Giving During a Time of Recession – Part II

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:31:44 +0000

Sunday June 7, 2009	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message #3 Giving – Tithes & Offerings	Text: I Kings 17:1-16

“Giving During a Time of Recession – Part II”

Let’s face it. We are living in a period of economic problems – unemployment is on the rise, wages are being reduced, buying power is reduced, problems are in the stock market, there are bank failures, credit is more difficult to secure, and housing prices will remain depressed for a few more years. However, this is not a time to panic. The housing market, the stock market, and the economy in general will turn around in a few years. It always has! We are simply in a down cycle that has been made worse because we are now operating in a global economy.

Last Sunday we asked the question, “What is the believer’s attitude to be during periods of recession?” As part of the answer to that question, remember that as a child of God we need to be walking by FAITH, not by SIGHT. If we can trust God during the GOOD times, we can also trust God during the economic BAD times.

Again please turn with me to our text found in I Kings 17:1-16. Remember Elijah is God’s prophet and this is a time of judgment in Israel’s history because the nation has fallen into a period of idolatry.

“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. (2) And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, (3) Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. (4) And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. (5) So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. (6) And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. (7) And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. (8) And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, (9) Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. (10) So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. (11) And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. (12) And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. (13) And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. (14) For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. (15) And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. (16) And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”

The story is clear. Elijah delivered a declaration of judgment to the wicked King Ahab. He wasn’t afraid to stand up to the political establishment of his day and deliver a message from God, “Thus saith the LORD.” The message was, “It would not rain for 3 years.” Do you realize that for an economy that depended upon crops, cattle and sheep this was going to spell DISASTER?

However, God had already set in motion the DETAILS to care for Elijah. He did so supernaturally in two ways:

First: In I Kings 17:2-6 God cared for Elijah by the brook. Every morning and evening He sent the ravens with food for Elijah. Because Elijah was willing to be part of God’s plan, God supernaturally took care of Elijah.

Second: In I Kings 17:8-13 when the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to Zarephath where He provided a widow woman to care for Elijah.

Remember that by this time, without rain, this economy that depended upon crops, cattle and sheep was in a recession – a famine stage. So who would have believed that God would use these circumstances for His profit and glory?

I believe we have a God in heaven, who can supply our needs in the most unusual unexpected ways. Notice again verses 13-16,

“And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. (14) For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. (15) And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. (16) And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”

I believe God is saying, you take care of my business and I will tend toward your needs. Here this widow did as she was asked. She went to her house, took that little bit of MEAL and a little cup of OIL, and made Elijah a cake. When she went back to the barrel, there was the same amount of MEAL as before. When she returned to the cruse of OIL, it still had OIL in it, so she was able to make a cake for herself and her son. This routine went on day after day. As long as the recession lasted, God supplied their needs.

Back in Matthew 6:31-33 Jesus said, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” Now carefully notice verse 33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

God is saying, from the passage in Matthew 6:33 and here in the illustration of I Kings 17, to give as He has told you to give, and He will take care of you and your needs. Can you believe that? This widow lady did not suffer during that time of recession, because she obeyed God.

You may say, “Pastor, I can’t afford to tithe! I will starve to death.” If you believe that to be true, then you don’t have any faith in the God I serve.

In Proverbs 3:9-10 we read, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: (10) So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

In Malachi 3:10-12 we read, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. (12) And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”

This morning the outline is very simple, just two points. First there are some lessons Elijah learned and second there are several lessons that the widow of Zeraphath learned. From those lessons, I believe God is saying, “I am responsible for everything that you need, not want, but need. Be OBEDIENT to me, and I will take care of you during times of recession, and adverse circumstances.”

There are FOUR lessons that Elijah learned during this time of economic meltdown.

The FIRST lesson Elijah learned was “Go where God wants you to go and stay until He tells you to leave.” It is better to be where God wants you to be in His will, than to be anywhere else in the world. Better even than having all this world has to offer. George Beverly Shea’s favorite hymn was:

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;

I’d rather be His than have riches untold.

I’d rather have Jesus than houses or land;

I’d rather be led by His nail scared hand.

I’d rather have Jesus than man’s applause;

I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause.

I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame.

I’d rather be true to his Holy name.

Than to be a King of a vast domain or be held in sins dread sway;

I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

Elijah learned to go where God wanted him to go and stay there until He was told to leave.

In verses 3-6 God told him to go and stay by the brook, Cherith. While there he was fed morning and evening by the ravens.

Then in verses 8-9 when the brook dried up for lack of rain, Elijah was directed to a place called Zarephath.

No doubt this would have been the last place he would have gone. The word Zarephath means “smelter or refinery.” It was a dirty, smelly place, and even worse it was 75 miles into the dessert! Yet in this smelly, far-away place was a Gentile woman, not a Jewish woman, who would take care of him. Let me caution you – God has placed you in the job you hold, and in the home in which you live, and in the church where you worship for a purpose. STAY! STAY until God and only God tells you to leave.

The SECOND lesson Elijah learned was that obedience obligated God to supply the resources. When you are obedient to God in your Tithe and in Offerings above the tithe, and you don’t know exactly from where the money will come; don’t worry about it. That’s God’s problem – learn to leave it in His hands.

That is why I believe as I do about money and church needs. As believers we ought to be fiscally wise. We ought to plan and budget and spend wisely within our means as a church.

If, as a church, we take care of God’s business, by reaching people with the gospel in this community and through foreign missions and building up the saints with the Word of God – I believe that God will take care of our needs monetarily through His people.

The THIRD lesson Elijah learned was the value of a life-time commitment – not just a commitment from crisis to crisis.

Elijah trusted God by standing before Ahab and declaring God’s message, “No dew or rain for 3 years.”

Elijah trusted God on Mount Carmel to send the “fire.”

Elijah trusted God to take care of him at the “brook.”

Elijah trusted God to take care of him at Zarephath.

Our faith, trust and commitment to God ought to be a style of life that never stops.

I don’t get up on Sunday morning and decide with the family if we are going to church – that was a commitment decided years ago.

I don’t look at every pay check and decide how much we can afford to give to God – that was settled years ago.

These are life-time decisions. I believe that living for God, serving God, tithing, going to church every Sunday morning and evening, reading our Bibles, and praying are life-time commitments. They are not just activities for a few weeks to see if they are going to work out, but commitments as a way of life that never stops.

Consistency is the mark of mature spirituality. Immaturity marks those who always need to be pumped up, who always need excitement or to be reminded to come to church, to read their Bibles, or to live for Christ. The mark of mature spirituality is stability which says to KEEP on KEEPING on! In I Corinthians 15:58 we read, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

The FOURTH lesson Elijah learned was that God can use anything and anybody to accomplish His goals.

God used the WEATHER by withholding the rain for 3 years.

God used the FIRE on Mt Carmel.

God used the RAVENS to deliver food.

God used the POOR WIDOW WOMAN.

God has the power to use whatever and whoever is willing. Which means God can use you. You may be saying, “Preacher, not me. I am not much – no talent – no ability. Well, just join the crowd. Most of us feel the same way. But please allow me to encourage you from I Corinthians 1:26-29 where we read, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (29) That no flesh should glory in his presence.” May I remind you that:

God used the JAW BONE of an ass in Samson’s hand to kill 1000 Philistines.

God used the ROD in the hand of Moses to perform mighty miracles.

God used the little boy’s LUNCH of 2 fishes and 5 meal crackers to feed the 5000.

God used the Widow’s MITE.

God did not use the WEALTH of Corinth, but the TESTIMONY of the poor Philippian saints as thy begged Paul to take their offering for missions.

Yes, God can use you – your talents, your time, and your tithe if you are willing and committed to Him. Remember our God is never going to be bankrupt of beauty, talent, brains, or resources. However, God wants a willing HEART, SOUL, and MIND surrendered for His use. Paul lays it out for us in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” He is saying to literally transfer the ownership of all that you have into God’s hands and watch Him multiply it and use it for his glory.

There are TWO lessons that the widow of Zarephath learned.

The FIRST lesson this widow woman learned was to “Give and it shall be given unto you.” Elijah, the man of God, said to her, FIRST make me a cake. The implied promise from the Lord was to give as instructed and God would take care of them.

This was the same principle Jesus taught us in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Perhaps there is someone here who is saying, “Pastor, you are no different than other preachers who constantly try to raise enough money to support the church and your activities.” However, you know very well that I do not stand up here week after week and beg and plead for the amount we need. Today, I am talking about a principle and in so doing I am trying to do something FOR you and not TO you.

God’s desire is that you learn this principle and be obedient to this principle so that you may grow in grace. Remember what we read in Malachi 3:10, ““Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

In Proverbs 11:24-25 we read, “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. (25) The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” So we would say in the words of another, “If you want to be rich, give; if you want to be poor, grasp! If you want abundance, scatter; if you want to be needy, horde! Again in I Kings 17:14-16 we read,

“For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. (15) And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. (16) And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”

The SECOND lesson this widow woman learned was that “God asks us to give for our sakes and in so doing for His glory.” Do you really think God needs what you have? Do you think His work is going to fail because He can’t get what is in your wallet or possession? In Psalm 24:1 we read, “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” God is not bankrupt. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and the wealth in all the earth belongs to Him. God is not asking us to give for His sake. He is asking us to give so He can PROVE to us that He is the God who honors His commitments, meets our needs, and can be trusted.

In the days of Queen Elisabeth in the 16^th century she summoned to the palace a merchant man for whom she had a job that needed to be done.

She explained that he was highly qualified to make a journey across the ocean in order to do a job for her. As the Queen laid out the job that had to be done and the time it would consume, the merchant man began to make excuses and said, “I appreciate the honor of having been asked to do this job for the Queen, but you don’t understand my circumstances. Right now, I am in a rather crucial time of my business affairs and if I were to be gone for an extended period of time it would ruin me financially and my business would be destroyed.”

The Queen of England, a strong woman who served with a mighty pervasive power looked at him and said, “Sir, if you see to my business, I’ll take care of your business.”

The merchant man being unable to resist started out on the long journey to take care of the affairs of the Queen of England. Much to his surprise, the trip took longer than had been anticipated and he thought “When I return to England I will be bankrupt, my business ruined, and my career gone.” After many months he arrived home and discovered that rather than being a pauper he had become fabulously wealthy because the Queen of England hadattended to his business.

God is saying to you through scripture to give unto Him FIRST – take care of His business, so that He can PROVE to you that He will open for you the windows of heaven.

I am not just talking about money – I am talking about everything in your life. Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” I am talking about putting your job, family, children, and all of your resources in the hands of God. In times of recession (yes, recession) God has promised that whatever we give to him, our meal barrels and oil cruses will not become empty or run dry. God is saying, “Because you are called by my name, I am responsible for everything that you need, not want, but need. If you are OBEDIENT to me, I will take care of you during times of recession, and times of adverse circumstances. In times of recession, go right to the top of the list and make sure God comes first. I close with two thoughts:

First: Focus your attention once again on Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: (10) So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Second: God has given His all. In John 3:16 we read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

You know money can buy:

A bed – but not rest Food – but not satisfaction

Luxury – but not contentment Stocks – but not security

A house – but not a home A church – but not a savior

But what money cannot buy – God offers as a free gift. This morning be sure you have that free gift offered by God – Eternal Life.

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Giving During a Time of Recession – Part II” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

http://TheWeeklySermon.com/2009/23/

Giving During a Time of RECESSION – Part 1

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 24 May 2009 15:11:53 +0000

Sunday May 24, 2009	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message #2 Giving – Tithes and Offerings	Text: I Kings 17:1-16

“Giving During a Time of RECESSION – Part 1”

Introduction: In Isaiah 33:2 we read, “O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.”

For the average person, getting credit is going to be more difficult even with the $700 billion government rescue bill. Housing prices are going to remain depressed for a few more years.

However, this is not a time to panic. The housing market, the stock market, and the economy in general will turn around in a few years. We are simply in a down cycle that has been made worse because we are now operating in a global economy.

The two key points I want you to remember from this situation are these:

First is how easy it would be for God to use the economy as a form of His judgment on this nation. I hope you can now understand that it wouldn’t take much for a complete meltdown of our economic system, and this would affect every man, woman, and child.

Second, is how intertwined our economy is with the rest of the world. All of the world markets became one in the year 2008. This is critical since it really does set the stage for a one-world economic system that will be ruled by the anti-Christ. The stage is being set for the final chapters of human history to unfold as written in the book of Revelation.

In the mean time the question is, “What is the believer’s attitude to be during this period?” In answering that question, I need to remind you that as a child of God we all need to be walking by FAITH not by SIGHT. If we can trust God during the GOOD times, we can also trust God during the economic BAD times.

For the next several Sundays, we will focus our attention on GIVING during a time of recession, during those times when it looks the darkest. We will also study the kind of God we serve to fully understand His capabilities and His resources.

Please turn with me to our text found in I Kings 17:1-16. Remember that here Elijah is God’s prophet and this is a time of judgment in Israel’s history because the nation has fallen into a period of idolatry.

Now, I pray from this passage that you may come to realize we have a great God, who is able to supply our needs no matter what the difficult circumstances are that we face. He is able to do for us – exceedingly above and beyond all that we would ask or think. The story is clear that Elijah delivered a declaration of judgment to the wicked King Ahab. He wasn’t afraid to stand up to the political establishment of his day and deliver a message from God, “Thus saith the LORD.” The message was, “It would not rain for 3 1/2 years!” Do you realize that, for an economy that depended upon crops, cattle and sheep, this was going to spell DISASTER?

However, God had already set in motion the DETAILS to care for Elijah.

First: He sent him to the brook Cherith. As long as Elijah remained there, God would care for his needs in an unusual way – the ravens would deliver him food morning and evening.

Second: Once the drought got so bad that even the brook dried up, God set plan number two into motion. He sent Elijah to a widow in Zarephath where he would be cared for during the rest of this economic recession.

I believe the same God who took care of Elijah during this particular economic down turn can take care of us in the times in which we live. From this incident, there are THREE truths I want to focus your attention upon:

First Truth: Into the life of every believer there come times of DROUGHT and RECESSION.

There come times when circumstances seem bad.

There come times when economic situations appear to be caving in on you.

There come times when the crises of life appear insurmountable.

Right this moment, you may not be facing circumstances of life that look bleak. But, others are. Unfortunately your time will come, because into the life of every believer there come times of drought. However, may I remind you that according to:

Deuteronomy 11:12, “…the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.”

I Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

These wonderful thoughts remind us that God will see you in times of barreness, loneliness and discouragement. You may shed some tears, bare some pain, feel some heart-break, know some valleys, and experience some defeat. But what a blessed thrill that the eyes of the Lord are always upon them who love Him.

Now back to I Kings 17. Please remember and never forget that God DESIGNED the circumstances in which Elijah found himself. God DESIGNED the circumstances in which you find yourself today. Please don’t think for a moment that a sovereign God moves in a helter-skelter manner. It is God who brings the trials of life, and it is God who ordains the circumstances. I guarantee you that you will never get the members of a Baptist church to vote for God to send a trial in order that we might have our faith increased. Yet, that is the purpose for our trials. In Romans 5:3-5 we read,

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Now in I Kings 17 there was a two-fold purpose for this trial:

Number 1: The trial was for the purpose of judging Israel and King Ahab for their idolatry. In I Kings 16:29-30; 33 we read,

“And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. (30) And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. (33) And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.”

Number 2: The trial was for the purpose of increasing Elijah’s faith. Now the design of God is not always clearly seen by us. For only a sovereign God can fit together all the pieces. It takes a God who alone knows the beginning from the end to take all the circumstances and put them together in such a fashion that He can accomplish precisely what he wants to do.

Certainly I don’t have all the answers to the WHY of some of life’s perplexing problems. There are times we know WHY immediately. There are other times down the road of life we will discover the answer for the WHY. But still there are other times only eternity will reveal the answer to WHY.

I can be sure of one thing – whatever is happening, God knows about it. Times of DOUGHT are inevitable and as essential as the Times of BLESSINGS. Not to go through times of perplexities means you will miss some essential learning experiences from God.

Second Truth: The believer’s response during times of DROUGHT and RECESSION should be trust and patience. When Elijah walked in before King Ahab and said there will be neither rain nor dew for 3 years, Elijah knew that he would also be affected by that drought. What then was Elijah’s attitude to be during that time?

Was it to be one of bitterness?

Was it to be one of anger saying, “God, you are not fair.”?

Was it to be one of anxiety and fear of how to live?

Was it to be one of quitting, throwing in the towel, pushing the panic button?

What should a believer’s attitude be in time of recession, problems and trials of life? While holding your place in I Kings 17, turn with me to James 1, and notice three attitudes in verses 2-4:

Number 1: In the midst of adverse circumstances of life we are to REJOICE, verse 2, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;” Since the God of the universe is going to use that circumstance in your life for His glory and your blessing then REJOICE. Learn the lesson that in the midst of any trial:

While you cannot see the end of the tunnel,

While you cannot see the light out of darkness,

While you cannot see the solution to the problem,

You are to pray, “Lord, I don’t know what you are going to do, but I know you are going to do something, and I am thanking you right now for that something.” You may be saying right now, “But pastor, you have no idea how hard it is for me.” I say to you, “Yes I do know how hard it is for you, but:

Was it any worse for Paul in prison in Acts 16 where they prayed and sang and rejoiced?

Was it any worse for Daniel in the Lion’s den?

Was it any worse for the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace?

Was it any worse for Elijah in his time of economic recession?

The answer is, NO! All trials are hard for all of us. But it is so important for you to realize that it’s during this time, and only during this time, that God can teach us things we would never know or could never otherwise learn.

Number 2: In the midst of adverse circumstances of life we need to understand that God is TESTING our FAITH, verse 3, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” You could translate this verse, “realizing that the trial comes to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance.” It is said the more a tree is tossed about by the fierce winds, the deeper it roots go. The PRESSURES of life no matter how long they last are there to produce PATIENCE in life.

Number 3: In the midst of adverse circumstances of life, let God WORK in your life, verse 4, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Another way of reading this would be, “Let the process go on until endurance is fully developed in your life.” I believe God is saying TRUST me for the PROLOGUE and the EPILOGUE to your problem. If you could see the whole picture of the trial, recession, or adverse circumstance there would be NO room or reason to develop your faith.

Returning to I Kings 17, we have focused upon two truths and now want to notice our third:

Third Truth: God meets the needs of Elijah during the times of DROUGHT and RECESSION. He did so supernaturally in two ways.

First: In I Kings 17:2-6 God cared for Elijah by the brook where every morning and evening He sent the ravens with food for Elijah. Because Elijah was willing to be a part of God’s plan, God was supernaturally taking care of Elijah.

Second: In I Kings 17:8-13 when the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to Zarephath where he found the widow woman who would care for him. Notice again verse 7-9, “And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. (8) And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, (9) Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”

God acted precisely as the need arose. The moment Elijah needed food and water, God supplied those needs and supplied them from an unusual source. Who would ever think that God would have used a poor widow woman. She was going out with a little MEAL and OIL to gather two sticks for a fire to fix the last meal for her son and herself. Remember, by this time the economy that depended upon crops, cattle and sheep were in a deep recession to the point of famine. So, who would believe that God would use these circumstances for His profit and glory?

Perhaps you are saying, “Pastor,

I don’t see how I am going to make it during this recession.

I don’t see how I am going to take care of my obligations.

I don’t see how we as a church are going to make it, since we have a weekly budget of $1,595.00 and the offerings have been down almost $400.00 a week.”

As your Pastor, I say to each of you that I believe we have a God in heaven who can supply our needs in the most unusual, unexpected ways. Notice again verses 12-14,

“And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. (13) And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. (14) For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.”

I believe God is saying through His word that we are to take care of His business with our TITHE and He will tend to our individual needs. Holding your place in I Kings 17, let me pause and have you turn to Matthew 6 and notice verses 25-33 where Jesus said,

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (26) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? (27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? (28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: (29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek;) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” Now carefully notice verse 33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Back in I Kings 17 the widow went to her house, took a little MEAL and a little cup of OIL and made Elijah a cake. When she went back to the barrel, there was the same amount of MEAL as before, and when she went to the cruse of OIL it still had OIL in it, so she was able to make a cake for herself and her son. This went on day after day. As long as the recession lasted, God supplied their need.

From the passage in Matthew 6:33 and here in I Kings 17, God is telling us to give as He has told us to give and He will take care of us and our needs. Can you believe that? The widow lady proved that God could be trusted. She and her son did not suffer during the time of recession, because she obeyed God.

You say, “Pastor, I can’t afford to tithe! I will starve to death.” If this is what you are saying, then you really don’t have any faith in the God I serve. God is telling you to do just that. If you tithe, He will take care of the rest.

In II Corinthians 9:6-7 we read, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. (7) Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Do you have the faith to believe God will supply your needs if you give? I am not just talking about money. I am talking about everything in your life. Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” I am talking about putting your job, family, children, and all of your resources in the hands of God. In times of recession, yes recession, God has promised that the meal barrel is not to become empty and the oil supply is not going to run dry. I believe God’s Word because I have experienced that in my life, in my families’ lives and in the ministry. God is saying that He is responsible for everything that you need, not want, but need. You are to be OBEDIENT to Him and He will take care of you during times of recession, and times of adverse circumstances.

In times of recession, go right to the top of the list and make sure God comes first. I close by focusing your attention once again on Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: (10) So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

**********************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Giving During a Time of RECESSION – Part 1” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Robbing God of Tithes and Offerings

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:54:49 +0000

Sunday May 17, 2009	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message #1 Giving, Tithing, Stewardship	Text: Malachi 3:1-12

“Have you Robbed God this Week?”

Please turn with me in your Bible to the last book in the Old Testament, that being Malachi, and follow as I read 3:1-12, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. (2) But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap. (3) And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. (4) Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. (5)And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. (6) For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (7) Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? (8) Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. (9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. (10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. (12) And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”

One of the most sensitive subjects, in churches today, is by far that of money. Someone said, “It seems every time I go to church, all they talk about is money.” Although it is a subject we feel awkward discussing, God’s Word places a great deal of emphases on the matter of money and possessions.

In the Bible there are more than 500 references to PRAYER and almost 500 references to FAITH, but there are more than 2000 references to MONEY and POSSESSIONS!

Out of 38 PARABLES that Jesus told in the Gospels, 16 deal with how we handle our money.

"A Christian once said to a friend, ‘Our church costs too much. They are always asking for money.’ Her friend replied in this fashion: ‘Some time ago a little boy was born in our home. He cost us a lot of money from the very beginning: He had a big appetite; he needed clothes, medicine, toys and even a puppy. Then he went to school, and that cost a lot more; later he went to college, then he began dating, and that cost a small fortune! But in his senior year at college he died, and since the funeral he hasn’t cost us a penny. Now which situation do you think we would rather have? After a pause the friend continued, ‘As long as this church lives it will cost. When it dies for want of support it won’t cost us anything. A living church has the most vital message for all the world today, therefore I am going to pray and give everything I have to keep our church alive."

Folks, let’s be realistic. It does take money to keep the CHURCH ALIVE, and the GOSPEL going forth. If we are going to fulfill the great commission and provide a place where the saints are FED the Word of God and TRAINED to become servants of God, it will cost us in terms of our TIME, TALENTS AND TITHES.

It takes money to send forth missionaries.

It takes money to make disciples of our people.

It takes money to purchase church literature.

It takes money to erect buildings and pay the cost of their upkeep.

It takes money to support the pastors and workers.

Biblically, the church is not to be supported by suppers, bazaars, raffles, bingo or any other means and schemes devised by man. Biblically, God’s work has always been supported by the TITHES and OFFERINGS of church members. Tithing is a universal principle. In Leviticus 27:30 we read, “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 unto the LORD.” All that we have comes from the gracious hand of God. Good stewardship demands that we give a tenth, the TITHE, back to God.

It is not because our church needs the money.

It is not because you need a blessing.

It is because of our OBEDIENCE to God’s command.

It is because you and I are to do that which is RIGHT, and HOLY.

I say to you this morning, “If you have withheld the TITHE money, you are ROBBING GOD. You are as much a thief today as you would be tomorrow if you would rob one of our local banks.” I am aware of a lot of good Christians who would not rob a bank, but every week they ROB God of their TITHES and OFFERINGS.

I’m sure one of the highest goals for each of us parents is that our children and grandchildren develop into godly Christians, totally committed to Jesus Christ. Over the years I’ve learned that the biggest single factor that determines their commitment is what our children observe our PRIORITIES to be. Our priorities speak more to children than anything we can say to them.

I’ve also observed that perhaps a principle indication of our PRIORITIES is our giving. After all, that which we give represents the tangible fruit of our time and our talents. Our children are quick to observe this and to sense where we really place our PRIORITIES.

Get them to understand that one tenth of what they earn or receive belongs to God. Instruct them to put that in the offering plate. It’s ok to give them some of your money to put in the plate, but it’s far better to encourage them to put their own money in the plate.

I am being very serious about what I am about to say: ‘DON’T GIVE YOUR CHILDREN SPARE CHANGE, THAT IS THE COINS, TO PUT IN THE OFFERING PLATE. GIVE THEM THE PAPER MONEY (the ones, the fives, the tens and the twentys). You may say: "Come on pastor, all you want is more money." NO, I SAY, WHAT YOU TEACH THEM TO GIVE NOW, THEY WILL THINK THAT’S ALL GOD IS WORTH LATER.

Now there is no acceptable excuse for withholding your tithe. However your giving must be in keeping with Biblical principles. If you are wondering what those principles might be, look with me at the phrase, "TITHES and OFFERINGS" in Malachi 3:8.

There are the TITHES which God DEMANDS. In verse 10 we are instructed to "bring ye all the tithes." To do any less is to rob God. Tithing is a scriptural way of saying "THANK YOU" to God for all that He has done for you. The principle of tithing is timeless; it is appropriate for every man in every age and every dispensation.

BEFORE the giving of the Law of Moses, TITHING represented the PRINCIPLE OF GIVING.

Interestingly the principle of the Sabbath is similar to that of tithing. The Sabbath was given by God and practiced by man from Creation. In every age God has demanded one-seventh of man’s time. This timeless principle was not first given with the Law of Moses. It was, however, incorporated into that Law. The wording of the fourth commandment reminds us of this principle, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). Later, this same principle of one day in seven was by common consent adopted by the New Testament Church.

The Lord’s Day and the Lord’s tithe stand or fall together. The New Testament Church assumes that all enlightened and obedient Christians will at least set aside both one-seventh of their time and one-tenth of their income for the Lord.

AFTER the giving of the Law of Moses, TITHING represented the PRECEPT OF GIVING.

Most Christians think God limited TITHING to the required 10%. This is a gross misconception. God actually required several TITHES from Israel. Every year they were required to give 20% and every third year they were to give 30%.

FIRST, there was a tithe called "the Lord’s tithe" found in 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 unto the LORD.” Ten percent of the people’s produce and animals were to support the Levites in their full-time ministry. It was not optional. A man who didn’t pay it was robbing God.

SECOND, there was a tithe called "the festival tithe" found in Deuteronomy 12:10, 11, “But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; (11) Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:” This tithe, also 10%, was to be shared with the family and others in celebration at Jerusalem. It simulated family unity and devotion to the Lord.

THIRD, Israel had the "poor tithe." This was required every third year as found in Deuteronomy 14:28, 29, “At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: (29) And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.” These three tithes:

Funded the priesthood for the needs of God’s house,

Financed a national feast, for the needs of the Government, and

Aided the poor as the social security of those who had need.

Tithing is giving the FIRST PART of what I earn, not the LEFT OVERS.

The tithe is the first 10% of one’s income. It is not just 10%, but rather the first 10%.

One who pays all bills and then presents to the Lord 10% of what is left over would not actually be tithing.

The tithe is giving to God His 10% before we use any of our income. In Proverbs 3:9-10 we read, “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: (10) So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Someone said, "God never leaves us to guess, when it comes to matters of faith and practice, so why should he abandon us to our own decisions and devices when it concerns one of the most important areas in the whole human existence? Outside of eating, drinking, sleeping and playing we spend the greater part of our lives earning money. The inescapable issue which follows this observation concerns the management of our money, once we acquire it. It is at this point that God breaks in with those words of prior claim: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse."

WITH the coming of the Church age, TITHING represented the PRACTICE of giving.

Turing to I Corinthians 16:1-2we read, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

Please notice the TIME of the giving is "Upon the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK." This teaches us that upon the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, we are to bring to Him our Tithes and Offerings.

Please notice the PLACE of our giving. “Lay in STORE" The word “store” in the Greek is the same as the Hebrew word found in Malachi 3:10 for “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse…"

Now the storehouse in the Old Testament was the TEMPLE. It was the place where the TITHES and OFFERINGS were given. It was the place of WORSHIP. It was the HOUSE OF GOD.

In the New Testament the HOUSE of GOD is the CHURCH where we come to worship and to where we bring our TITHES and OFFERINGS for His glory in order to carry out His work.

Please listen carefully, I sincerely believe:

If every Christian was honest in their giving, there would be no need to plead for funds, nor would there be any lack of funds to take care of the house of God.

God gives to the church what they need and what they deserve. I believe at times the lack of funds are due to the lack of honest tithing on the part of believers and sometimes due to the church wasting its resources. The church has a budget which gages its expenditures and that budget ought to be carefully monitored by the trustee or finance team along with the Pastor. As your Pastor, I will not count the money, bank the money or write and sign the checks. But I will watch carefully the spending in light of the budget.

God gives the church increased funds in direct proportion to the increase in its giving to missions. That is, as we increase our giving to missions, there will be an increase to the general fund toward the budget as well.

Turning to II Corinthians 8, 9 I want you to notice the TESTIMONY of the saints in their giving.

They gave GENEROUSLY. “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves: Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” II Corinthians 8:3-4

They gave with a PURPOSE. They “…first gave their own self to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God,” II Corinthians 8:5 and they gave "As God hath prospered him…" II Corinthians 9:6-7

They gave WILLINGLY. “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” II Corinthians 8:12

They gave EXPECTANTLY. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” II Corinthians 9:6

They gave JOYFULLY. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity:. for God loveth a cheerful giver. II Corinthians 9:7. The word “cheerful” means hilarious.

Roger Babson, the great statistician, declares that; "If Christian people would tithe, the Church in all of its varied activities could be the mightiest power for all the world. Yet professing Christians, instead of giving one tenth of their incomes, actually give an average of less than one half of one percent to Christian causes! Do Christians believe God? If the injunction concerning tithes is followed by God’s promise to pour out blessings beyond their capacity to receive, what might not be experienced by Christians willing to give as God prospered them!" Can we doubt that such desire to please God would mean revival? You should have noticed by now that God has given instruction as to:

The amount that was to be given, the TITHE.

The Time it was to be given, “Upon the first day of the week.”

The place that it was to be given brought to the “House of God.”

The Attitude in which it was to be given.

There are the OFFERINGS which God DESERVES. Please return with me to Malachi 3. In Malachi’s day, the Lord had to rebuke His people Israel for withholding their OFFERINGS as well as their TITHES. Notice again verse 8, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”

The OFFERINGS were gifts that were brought to God over and above the TITHES.

An Israelite who loved God voluntarily gave the FIRSTFRUITS of his crop to God. FIRSTFURIT giving was giving the best to God and trusting Him to bring in the harvest. It was giving by faith.

When we render our TITHES, we look up to the Throne of Divine Government and say: “O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Ruler of the universe and, therefore entitled to our tithes. We are grateful that in Thee, and in Thee alone, we live and move and have our being. Amen!"

When we bring our OFFERING, we kneel in worship before the Throne of Divine grace and pray: "Our Father in response to Thy redeeming mercy, revealed in Jesus Christ, we bring the offerings of our sacrificial love and surrendered lives. Amen!"

Now that we have seen the GRACE of GIVING, in summary:

Giving makes me LIKE GOD, “For God so loved the world (that is this world of people) that He GAVE His only begotten Son…” John 3:16

Giving draws me CLOSER TO GOD, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21

Giving is the remedy to MATERIALISM, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate (give unto the needy);” I Timothy 6:17-18

Giving reminds me that EVERYTHING was given to me by God! “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth…” Deuteronomy 8:18

Giving expresses my GRATITUDE. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” Psalms 116:12

Giving strengthens my FAITH, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart… Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase;” Proverbs 3:5, 9

Giving blesses me IN RETURN, “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” Proverbs 11:24-25 the writer is saying that, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” In Acts 20:35 we are told, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Again in Malachi 3:10 we read the promise of God,“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of host, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

I believe God is saying, you give as I have told you to give, and I will guarantee your every need will be met.

God is saying you give to me and I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. I PROMISE YOU!

I don’t believe we can expect to see God send revival to this nation, unless we have a spirit of sacrifice and a willingness to GIVE God everything in order to defy the god of materialism in our age. When I speak of sacrificial giving, I mean giving that is measured and motivated by the CROSS OF CHRIST. It is nothing less than GIVING AT ITS BEST!

II Corinthians 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.”

Our Song and prayer must ever be:

When I survey the wondrous cross,

On which the prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And poor contempt on all my pride.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

DEMANDS my SOUL, my LIFE, my ALL

My prayer is that God will motivate you and me to be givers, giving extravagantly of our TIME, our ENERGY, our FINANCES, our LIVES, so that others may be brought to Christ and made spiritually rich in Him.

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Have you Robbed God this Week?” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”