Tithing and New Testament Christianity (7-10-22)

James Weidner III - July 10, 2022

Introduction:

Devotions Story: I told you the story of one time I was leading devotion for our Shanghai team… and one team member became so angry and said they were going to quit because I targeted them in devotion… I explained that I was only continuing from where I left off the week before and they settled down.
I am glad I was able to preach the offering message I did on January 16th.
There has been a question raised in the Church, once again, as to the NT validity of the practice of tithing.
This is a fair question and one that should be continually explored by every Christian.
I personally soul search on this topic in January each year when I teach on tithe commitment.
So to begin answering this question I am going to preach parts that teaching and we will see where this takes us in the weeks ahead.
The main points of my message this year on January 16, 2022.

1. #1 above all else I am a Christian saved by grace.

Ephesians 2:8 (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

There is nothing I can do or need to do to earn my eternity in Heaven.
Not water baptism, not tithing, not coming to Church every Sunday, or fulfilling the call on my life can earn me what Jesus freely gave.
Salvation is by grace.

2. I am a tither.

(Excerpts from a message preached on January 16, 2022)

I believe and have personally witnessed the provision of the Lord in my life for the past 29 years and I attribute much of this to the grace of God being able to be a faithful tither.
Similarly to if a person wants to hear God’s voice that person should be reading their Bible.

3. The tithe is taught in the Bible as: Tithe, tithes, tithing, and tenth are mentioned 53 times in the Bible with 9 times in the NT.

Tithing began with Abraham over 400 before the Law of Moses.
Genesis 14:18-20 (ESV) 8 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Tithing was last mentioned in the OT in the last book of the OT in Malachi.
Malachi 3:10 (ESV) Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

4. Jesus cam to fulfill all the OT.

Matthew 5:17-18 (NKJV) 17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled

Not one jot or tittle by no means pass from the law.
Everything that was required in the law pertaining to the blood Jesus fulfilled, to righteousness Jesus became sin so we could be righteous, pertaining to living for God the Holy Spirit now empowers us.

5. NT teachings on tithe…

Matt 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Jesus affirmed tithing though not before weightier matters.
Do not neglect the weightier matters.
A life of religious obligation and self-elevating works would have you giving money in exchange of doing weightier (more important) parts of our walk with God.
Justice, mercy, faithfulness.
Giving monetarily in place of giving your heart or being faithful or showing mercy can be just an act of religion.

Hebrews 7:9 (ESV) One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,

And if Levi paid tithes through Abraham being in his loins then we pay tithes by faith through Abraham just as Abraham believed God and it was pointed to him righteousness.
So we can conclude that tithing originated in the OT in the time of Abraham but also taught in the NT making it a NT teaching.
Though, we can also conclude that the way Jesus and Paul taught tithing was different then in the OT.
Different how?

Jan 16th…

6. The emphasis in the NT, in terminology, has shifted from that of tithing life to a giving lifestyle though the principles remain unchanged.

Luke 6:38 (ESV) give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (ESV) 1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

Romans 12:6-8 (ESV) 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

And one could deduct that a giving lifestyle requires even more than that of the just being a tither, checking that box each week or month and calling it a day.
It should not matter wether today we call it tithing or generously giving it is indisputable that GIVING is the Christian’s way.
I call it tithing and return a minimum of 10% to the Lord.
Tithing has become like a starting point to unlocking a giving lifestyle… understanding that all the provision comes from the hand of God.

7. A giving life starts with the giving of ourselves to the Lord.

How would you value your life?
Our life is the largest gift one will ever give.
No amount of money ever given to the Lord can compare to the actual cost of you giving your life to Jesus.
Each one of us were bought at a price.
After you have given the biggest gift you could ever give all other giving from there becomes easier.

8. Giving then becomes an individual response from a humble heart as a result of having relationship with Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Giving is not a means to achieving a goal but the response of a thankful life.
Let each man give as he has purposed in his heart.
Because of grace and so great of a salvation the requirements of ones giving life have actually increased…

9. Not every person has had or has come to the same revelation or conviction pertaining to generosity, tithing, and a giving lifestyle.

The Lord meets us where we are.
The only Spirit begins to teach us all things.
We trust that the Lord will take care of His House.
Let us open our hearts to the Lord and His Word.

My Conclusion:

I am a Tither.
Mainly because I have a conviction that Tithing in the OT carries over into Jesus’ fulfillment in the NT.
I tithe and I sow seed to engage in a generous lifestyle of giving.
Reading and obeying the Word of God, Coming to the House of God weekly to worship, bringing my tithe and seed into the House of God, preaching the Gospel, Loving my family, caring for the people of God are all aspects of my personal devotion to Christ.
The heart that is committed to Christ does not desire to lack in any areas.
What are your convictions…?