Stir The Pot, Pt3: By Giving Generously and Proportionately

 

September 22, 2024                  NOTES NOT EDITED
Stirring the Pot, Pt3: By Giving Generously & Proportionately
Selected (Esp. Lev. 27:30; 1Cor. 16:1-3)

SIS: We Stir the Pot and aggravate the Devil when we give generously and proportionately.

I read a very sad story this week. A young couple decided to elope and get married in Las Vegas. On the way to the chapel they were in a violent crash and died. When they met St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, they told him their story and said they would really like to get married if possible. St. Peter said, “I’ll see what I can do.” A month went by. Then two. Three. Four. The couple never heard back from St. Peter. Finally, after a whole year had passed, St. Peter said, “I’ve found a preacher and you can get married.” It was a lovely ceremony. About six months went by and things weren’t working out for the couple. So, they looked up St. Peter again and said, “We’d like to get a divorce.” St. Peter almost jumped out of his tunic and shouted, “What? It took me a whole year to find a preacher up here to marry you and now you want me to try to find a lawyer!”

OK. Maybe there are some theological issues with that story. But, I wanted to start this morning off on a lighter note because our topic today is about “giving money to the church.” The sermon is about much more than that because “giving to the church” is much more than just an issue of “money.” In fact, there are three major issues involved with “giving generously and proportionately” to God’s work that I want to talk about. First, there is the issue of PERSPECTIVE. This addresses the matter of “Who Is Giving All About?” Second, there is the issue of PRINCIPLES. This addresses the broader issue of How and What Do We Give As Christians? Third, there is the issue of PRACTICALITY. Regarding this issue we will ask the question: “What Does Our Giving Actually Do?”

We are going to look at a lot of verses this morning but as our foundation we are going to read one important verse:

Leviticus 27:30 (NIV84):  “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.

Circle in your Bible the words, “it is holy.”

As we examine these three issues regarding “Giving Generously and Proportionately,” keep in mind that we are walking on “holy ground.” This is a very, very, very, very important part of Christian living. You will never experience the full blessing of God in this life if you do not grasp the “holiness” involved in giving generously and proportionately to the Lord’s work.

1.  ISSUE #1: A Proper PERSPECTIVE on Giving

     Question: Who Is Giving All About, Really?

The Book of Hebrews amplifies and clarifies the meaning of an encounter Abraham had with a mysterious priest named, Melchizodek. The Book of Hebrews tells us of a “change” or a new application of the story of Abram and Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:15-17 (NLT):  ¹⁵ This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. ¹⁶ Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. ¹⁷ And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

I choose the New Living Translation to express this text because the more precise language of more formal translations are difficult to grasp in the context of a morning sermon.

It is clear from Hebrews—Jesus is a High Priest superior in every way to Melchizedek. But, I’ll bet most of you are saying, “OK. But who’s this Melchizedek?

To understand the significance of Melchizedek in Scripture you have to understand how “types and ante-types,” or what Hebrew refers to as “substance and shadow,” works in the Bible.

Melchizedek is introduced to us in the Bible in Genesis 14:18-20.

(NIV84)  ¹⁸ Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, ¹⁹ and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. ²⁰ And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Melchizedek is well-represented in ancient literature, both as a man and as a myth. In this text in Genesis, he mysteriously appears. He is almost a god-like figure. Many interpreters see Melchizedek as a “theophany”—an appearance of Jesus in the O.T. I don’t think there is any merit to draw this conclusion from Genesis.

However, because of Melchizedek’s high honor and position, and the fact he received an “offering” from Abram, Psalm 110 uses Melchizedek as a “ante-type” (ante meaning prior) for Jesus, the Messiah (the “type” in the N.T.).  The Book of Hebrews expands upon this “ante-type” in Psalms and applies it to Jesus.

Hebrews 7:1–3 (NIV84)  ¹ This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.

Verse 3 should be taken as a whole meaning, “Melchizedek had no recorded earthly lineage, LIKE (circle that word) the Son of God Whose lineage was heavenly and His life, eternal.”

It is not that Mechizedek did not have a mother and father or did not die, but that nothing is recorded of his beginning or end, and little of the time between. This is how he serves as a “ante-type” (or in Hebrews, a shadow) of Jesus.

But note carefully what all passage in Hebrews carries over from Genesis. Both mention the giving of a “tithe,” or a “tenth” of one’s possession in recognition of Melchizedek’s position as an exalted king, and the Lord Jesus as the “eternal Priest and King.”

The ”tenth” (or KJV, tithe) is primarily a worshipful act of devotion recognizing Who God is, as Creator, Sustainer, and Everlasting Redeemer. Giving an offering is not about “what” (or how much) is given but about “Who” it is given to.

Bottom-line: we do not give because God needs it but because WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS! Giving is an ACT OF WORSHIP AND DEVOTION!

2. ISSUE #2: PRINCIPLES Associated With Giving
    Question: “How and What Do We Give?”

1Corinthians 16:1-3 (NIV84):  1 Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.  3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. 5 After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. 6 Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.

(1) The Principle of REGULARITY (2a)

“the FIRST day of EVERY week”

(2)  The Principle of PROPORTIONALITY (2b)

“in keeping with his income” (NIV); “as you may prosper (NASB)”; “to the extent God has blessed you” (NET)

A helpful concept to guide the size of your offering is what I call, “The Giving Continuum.” Our giving has a fixed point to begin but it should be continually increasing as our blessings in life increase.” The basic minimum was established by Abram’s example BEFORE the Law of Moses and was codified in the Law of Moses. The basic offering to God’s work Leviticus 27:30 teaches is a “tithe,” or tenth.

That’s where everyone’s giving STARTS but it is not where it should end. The Principle of PROPORTIONALITY states that our giving should continually increase until we have given EVERYTHING (Luke 14:33). That means we should even leave a generous gift for the Lord from our estate when we die—or maybe, all of it. Giving should reflect “your financial growth in life—as you prosper.” For most people, a mere tithe, or tenth is far too little to give.

(3) The Principle of GENEROSITY (3)

“to carry your gift to Jerusalem.”

At this time, Jerusalem—God’s Holy City—was experiencing a desperate famine. The Principle of Generosity teaches us that we want others to share in the blessings that God has given us. Christians should NEVER have a hoarding mentality of collecting more and more stuff and building bigger and bigger barns to hold that stuff (Luke 12:16-21). We want to be a “generous flow of God’s blessings to others.” Not a Dead Sea with an inlet but no outlet, a lake of living water with both and inlet AND an outlet.

(The Dead Sea has no fish life because water flows in from the Jordan but has no outlet).

(4) The Principle of RECIPROSITY (Sowing and Reaping)

Luke 6:38 (NIV84) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Malachi 3:10 (NIV84)  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

3.  ISSUE #3: PRACTICALITY:
     Question: What Does Our Money Do?

(1) Money is the “FUEL” of missions (Jerusalem was in a famine)

The physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the world have never been greater in the history of the world. People are literally starving, but not only for food, but moreso for the “Living Bread of Life, the gospel.” Our gifts FUEL the rockets that carry the message of Hope and Grace into the world.

(2) Money is the “OIL of commerce.” To put quite clearly and even bluntly, “money keeps the lights on!”

(3) Money is a “MEASURE of devotion”
Luke 21:1–4 (NIV84)  ¹ As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. ² He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³ “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

The true measure of our giving is not how much we put IN the plate but how much we keep in our POCKETS.

(4) Money “MOVES the Ox” (1Tim. 5:17-18)

1 Timothy 5:17–18 (NIV84) ¹⁷ The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

I’ve been preaching now for over 48 years. For most of those years I had at least one other job to pay the bills. In my early churches they were just to poor to support me financially. I’ve been blessed to have loving, caring, generous people, and I’ve never starved to death. Even little children have loved me and wanted to support me with their offerings. I remember one little boy. His family had been in the church for many generations. When I first came to the church I was young and most people accepted I was still in the learning stage but this little boy’s Dad just didn’t gel with me.  This little boy came up to me after one service. He and I were great friends. He said, “Pastor, when I grow up I’m going to give you a lot of money.” I said, “Well thank you. But what made you think of that today?” The little boy said, “Because, last night at dinner I heard my Daddy tell Mommy that you were the poorest preacher the church has ever had!”

OK. Maybe that never really happened, but it is true that even the “least gifted servants” have to eat. The Bible is not bashful about teaching the support for “those that tread the grain.”

The word for “honor” is τιμή timē (ti may). Honor means respect. But it also means “support,” or to “pay compensation.” Double Honor highlights the importance of this Christian duty and also shows both the spirituality (respect) and practicality (paycheck) of giving.

We’ve covered a lot of ground this morning regarding the main issues of giving to the church. We Stir the Pot and aggravate the Devil when we give generously and proportionately. The main issues are a matter of PERSPECTIVE—knowing that our giving acknowledges Who God is and what He has done for us in Christ. In regard to PRINCIPLES of giving, we see four main principles:  REGULARITY, PROPORIONALITY, GENEROSITY, AND RECIPROCITY. Finally, we examined the PRACTICALITY of our giving an all the important things our money can do from FUELING missions to FEED our ministers.

As we learned in Leviticus 27:30, the first tenth of all our income is something “holy and sacred.” It belongs to God and is not ours to do with as we please. The Holy Tenth is where our giving should start, but certainly not where it should end as we grow and mature in Christ.

I want to sum this “Stirring the Pot” lesson up with a story about the true meaning of giving in the church. It’s not about how much we give. It is about how much we love the Lord and His work. It isn’t a matter of what’s in our wallets, but what’s in our hearts.

Quite a few years ago, a young preacher graduated from a small Baptist College. He got a job with the small fledgling college that had been started and still supported by a local Baptist Church. His job was to go door to door recruiting students for the school and also asking for donations. Not an easy job nor all that pleasant. He came to one house in the town and knocked on the door. A pleasant-looking, elderly widow answered the door After giving his well-practiced presentation, the dear elderly lady explained, with a note of regret in her voice: “Young man, I believe in what you are doing. I would like to help but I barely have enough to live on.” Then she excused herself from the room and presently returned, holding in her hands a jar of pickled peaches. “Would you accept this as a reminder of one who loves the church and the college but is unable to give at this time?

The young preacher carried that jar of pickles back to the school like it was a satchel of money with a million dollars in it. His heart was forever changed by that elderly lady’s generosity.

Giving doesn’t come from your wallet or checkbook. True giving comes from your heart as an act of gratitude to a Creator who loves you so much He sent His only begotten Son to die on a cross for your sins so that you could escape hell and spend eternity with Him.

If we are going to “Stir The Pot” and aggravate the Devil, we need to be willing to give as much as we can—even if it is only a jar of peaches.