Tithing Truths

Tithing Truths

“Tithing Truths”

(Matthew 23:23)

Series: God on Giving (1 of 3)

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

First Baptist Church Henderson, KY

(1-11-09) (AM)

 

  • Take God’s Word and open to Matthew chapter 23.

 

It has been our practice now for several years to begin the first month of a new year with about three messages from the Bible on Christian giving.  We do this at the beginning of every year because it is fitting and proper to begin a new year making certain we have our priorities right in the matter of financial stewardship.  This is not the only time we preach and teach on Christian giving.  We do so every time the topic is in the text of Scripture or is a legitimate application of the text as we make our way through books of the Bible.  Those times notwithstanding, it is to our benefit to have a few messages at the beginning of the year where we devote our time to the exclusive study of financial stewardship.  And so we will have a very short series—just three sermons—a series entitled, “God on Giving.”  And we’re going to be looking at what Jesus says about giving in the Gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

 

So here we are this morning in Matthew’s Gospel and chapter 23.  I have chosen this particular text because it records one of the only two occasions where Jesus mentions tithing.  The word “tithe” means “tenth” so tithing, as most of you know, is the returning of a tenth, 10% of our income, to the Lord.  Now the context of chapter 23 is Jesus’ speaking against the self-righteousness of the very religious Jewish people, particularly the Scribes and the Pharisees.

 

  • Stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

 

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

 

  • Pray.

 

Introduction:

 

It is not our usual practice to preach just one verse, but again, this verse records one of just two times Jesus speaks specifically on the matter of tithing.  The other occasion is when He is speaking of the self-righteous Pharisee who prayed in the temple: “I thank you God that I am not like this tax collector over here—I fast twice a week and give a tithe of all I possess (Luke 18:9-14).”  And then Jesus mentions tithing in the verse before us also recorded in Luke 11:42.

 

One of the reasons I wanted to deal with this text is because people sometimes ask whether Jesus had anything to say about tithing.  Most of us know the Old Testament has a great deal to say about tithing.  Perhaps the most famous text is Malachi 3 where God says, “Bring all the tithe into the storehouse.”  We studied that passage together a couple years ago.  Tithing is clearly taught in the Old Testament and it is clearly taught here in the New Testament, as well, though admittedly more implicitly than explicitly as this verse shows.

 

Now before we look at the two sides of this verse, let me say another thing or two about the context.  The context is Jesus’ addressing the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  There is no mistaking the fact that Jesus is angry with these teachers of the law who were self-absorbed in their religiosity.  He says to them in this verse, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”  He calls them hypocrites!

 

Because Jesus is speaking with the scribes and Pharisees in mind some have suggested that this verse does not apply to the Christian.  Or, they may say that this verse is addressing an Old Testament custom or law that no longer applies.  Some will even say that these words are spoken before Jesus dies on the cross and is raised for our justification so therefore they do not apply to us today.  All of these arguments are unconvincing to me.

 

When someone says, “Well, this verse addresses the Jew and not the Christian,” I would simply say that the majority of the New Testament was written to Jews.  Shall we just disregard all of Jesus’ words because his audience was primarily Jewish?  I mean let’s just disregard the whole Bible since it was written to specific people in their original settings.  Romans 15:4 says, “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

 

When another says, “Oh, but this tithing addresses a people who were “under the law” and we Christians are “under grace,” I would ask what we have against this particular law?  Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “If your so-called grace (which you say you have received) does not make you keep the law, you have not received grace.” (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Eerdmans, 172).  Now perhaps I wouldn’t say it quite like that, but I do think Lloyd-Jones was stressing the fact that if we are Christians then we will show we are by the way we live.  True justification leads to sanctification.  We cannot merely “be saved” without this salvation utterly changing our attitudes, including our attitudes about giving.

 

So I do not understand the zeal with which some contemporary preachers and commentators hasten to proclaim that we Christians are “under grace” and not “under law” and so, therefore, we need not worry with the tithe.  Tithing is a good thing.  God gave tithing to His people.

 

In fact, the Old Testament actually commanded several tithes amounting to over 10%.  We won’t go into all of the different types of tithes, but just recall that the Jews were commanded to give primarily to support the ministry and to help the poor.  Given this Old Testament practice, 10% seems to be the minimal expectation of Christian giving.  No we are not “under the law” in this matter.  We must not expect God to “zap” us if we do not tithe.  But surely will we not appreciate that while this matter of tithing may not be a “law” to be kept that it is certainly a principle to be followed?  Let us allow that tithing is part of the Old Testament law and that we are not bound to keep the law.  Let me now ask this: What of the principles upon which the law is based?  What of giving to the ministry and aiding the poor?  Why would we Christians who are under grace ever entertain the idea of giving less than 10% if 10% was the minimal expectation required under the law?  No, it seems that tithing is a good place for the Christian to start in his giving, returning back to God at the very least 10% of that which God has given him.  We have two main points from this text, this verse of Scripture.  First:

 

I.  There’s a Danger in Tithing (23a)

 

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

 

There’s a danger in tithing: You can tithe and still be a hypocrite.  These teachers of the law were so meticulous, so careful in the matter of tithing.  They followed it to the letter.  They even tithed off their garden herbs, Jesus says, giving back a tenth from their mint, anise—or dill as some translations have it—and cumin.  Greek scholar A.T. Robertson records that the Jewish Talmud tells of a donkey whose rabbi had trained it so well that it refused to eat corn of which the tithe had not been taken.  That’s being pretty meticulous!

 

But Jesus says there’s a danger in tithing.  You can tithe and still be a hypocrite.  Jesus condemns these teachers of the law not for what they did, but for what they did not do.  He says they were careful to tithe from the smallest of garden herbs—the light stuff—but they neglected the heavier stuff, the stuff Jesus calls the “weightier matters of the law.”  And what are they?  Justice, mercy, and faith.

 

So they were hypocritical.  By tithing they were acting like they were very religious and morally upright, but they failed to demonstrate true justice, mercy, and faith.  They failed to demonstrate and promote justice for the person who had been wronged.  They failed to extend mercy to those who had done wrong or offended them.  They failed to show true faith, faith in the Lord and faithfulness to the Lord.  They were hypocrites.

 

While they looked very religious because of their tithing, because of their doing the little things of tithing off garden herbs, they were hypocrites in that they left some pretty big things “undone.”  They failed to demonstrate justice, mercy, and faith.

 

The same danger exists for you and me.  You can leave this building this morning committed to tithing, but if you ignore the case of a person who has been wronged, then you are a hypocrite because you fail to show justice.  If you are a tither but you do not forgive the person who offends you this week, then you are a hypocrite because you fail to show mercy.  If you say, “Oh, I believe in tithing,” but then you worry all week about whether God is going to meet your needs, then you are a hypocrite because you fail to show faith.

 

There’s a danger in tithing.  You can tithe and still be a hypocrite.  Paul builds upon this idea in 1 Corinthians.  He says that we are to give generously and not as a matter of grudging obligation (1 Corinthians 9:5).  He says, “So don’t give grudgingly or of necessity because the Lord loves a cheerful giver (9:7).”

 

If we give grudgingly, if we’re like, “Man, I’ve got to tithe.  Here it goes,” then we’re giving the wrong way.  We’re hypocritical, acting like our heart is with God when our heart is really with our money.”  I’ve got a short video clip I want to share with you.  Have we got this?  Check this out.

 

**Video Clip [Man giving grudgingly in worship service; 00:41]

 

Don’t give grudgingly or of necessity, for the Lord loves a cheerful giver.  There’s a danger in tithing.  This verse teaches not only that there is a danger in tithing, but Jesus also teaches that:

 

II.  There’s a Duty in Tithing (23b)

 

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

 

The key phrase here is where Jesus says, “These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”  Jesus is saying, “You all should be doing these things of justice, mercy, and faith but you should be doing them without leaving the other things undone—tithing from the harvest God has given you.”  You see there’s a duty in tithing.  It’s an expectation.

 

Jesus had every opportunity to dismiss tithing altogether right here.  He could have said, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done and left off the matter of tithing altogether.  It’s not important anymore.  Be done with it!”  But Jesus doesn’t say that.  He says, “These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

 

At the very least we must say that at least at the moment Jesus spoke these words, there was a duty in tithing.  Don’t leave it undone!  Do it!  Jesus could easily have said, “Now this tithing matter of course will not apply to the church,” but He does not say that.  In fact, it seems most reasonable to assume that the principle of tithing is carried over into the church, especially given what Paul says in 1 Corinthians.  In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul is speaking to the matter of Christian giving and he mentions the Old Testament pattern of giving where God’s people brought their tithes into the Temple to support the ministry of the Levites.  He writes in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14:

 

“Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?  Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.”

 

In these verses, Paul seems to show that the Old Testament pattern of giving continues in the New Testament.  Jesus never speaks out against the matter of tithing.  He speaks out against only the manner of tithing.  But since Jesus nowhere condemns the matter of tithing we would be wise to continue its practice.

 

Now having said all of this, let me conclude our time together by sharing a few practical reasons to tithe.  There are five.  Let me suggest you write these down for further reflection and discussion this afternoon after lunch or sometime later this evening.

 

**Five (5) Reasons to Tithe:

 

1) Tithing Honors God as Owner of Everything

 

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and they who dwell therein.”  God owns everything.

 

We must correct ourselves when we accidentally say, “Well God owns the tithe and we own what’s left.”  No, God owns both the tithe—10%—and what’s left—90%.  He owns it all.  He is owner of everything.

 

So when we tithe, we are acknowledging that to God.  It is a matter of worship.  We’re saying, “God, You own everything.  I am grateful for everything you have entrusted to my care.  I want to be a good manager, a good steward, of the things you have given me and so to acknowledge that you are owner of everything I am returning to you what is rightfully yours in the first place.”

 

And here is a reminder that we really don’t “give” the tithe.  We “return” the tithe.  It came from God.  We’re returning it back to Him.

 

2) Tithing Guards us from Covetousness

 

We’ve been talking about this lately from 1 Timothy.  1 Timothy 6-8 says, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”

 

Tithing serves as a means by which to guard us from the sin of covetousness.  We are less likely to covet things when we are in the habit of gratefully and cheerfully return to God the tithe.

 

3) Tithing Supports the Mission of the Church

 

We have a heating bill that needs to be paid.  Do you enjoy the warmth of this sanctuary?

We have the finest children’s ministry in all of Kentucky.  We have youth leadership and volunteers to teach and lead young people—camps and events throughout the year—those things cost money.  Wednesday evenings the choir practices, the ensemble practices, the praise team practices.  We have teaching materials.  We have a great ministerial staff and a support staff to guide, direct, and lead for the glory of God.  All of these things require the generous giving of others.

 

Imagine going to an all-you-can eat buffet.  And imagine going there 2 or 3 times a week and you just take from that buffet.  It costs you nothing.  You just come and eat.  A free lunch 2 or 3 times a week!  Unfortunately, that’s how some people regard the church.  It’s like a buffet.  You come and take from it, but you need not worry about giving anything to it.

 

But what a joy and delight to support the ministry and mission of the church!  What a joy to give knowing that our gifts are going to further the kingdom in Henderson, in Kentucky, across North and South America, and across the seas!  Tithing supports the mission of the church.  Number four:

 

4) Tithing Brings Blessing from God

 

I’ll leave it to you to review Malachi 3 where God says, “Try me in this matter of tithing and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out upon you such a blessing that you will not be able to contain it.”

 

That is not a promise to make you rich.  That is a promise to meet your every need.  That is a promise to those who worry about tithing, wondering how they’re going to make ends meet if they start returning 10% to the God who gave them 100%.  God says, “Try me in this.  Put me to the test and see whether I speak the truth.  I’ll meet your need.  I’ll bless you.”  This principle is actually tied closely to number five:

 

5) Tithing Strengthens our Faith

 

Paul was able to proclaim confidently in Philippians 4:19, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

 

How could he say that with such confidence?  Because he had learned it himself.  He wrote in the verses preceding how he had seen God meet all his own needs.  Tithing strengthens our faith.  You want to grow as a Christian?  Tithe.  It will strengthen your faith.

 

Conclusion:

 

Let’s conclude our time together in prayer.  Let me ask you to remain seated and just bow your head and close your eyes.  Remember, the tithe is only the beginning of our giving.  It is not the end.  I need to grow more in this area myself.  I don’t believe in preaching something to you that I am not willing to do myself.  While I tithe, and have for many years now, I’ve got a lot more growing to do in this area.  So let me invite you to bow your heads with nobody looking except God.  Heads bowed and eyes closed.  I’m bowing my head and closing my eyes, too.

 

If you are presently tithing, would you thank God for the grace He gave you sometime past for being obedient to this teaching and being blessed by it?  Just take a moment and thank Him.  Now ask Him, “Recognizing that tithing is the minimum you expect, how do you want me to grow in this area?”  Augustine said, “Love God and do what you want.”

 

If you are not presently tithing, talk to God in your spirit, every young boy and girl, young moms and dads, senior adults.  Tell God you want to begin to be obedient right now to His teaching.  Tell Him that.  Commit to beginning right now to tithing.  Tell God the next opportunity you have to give you will return the tithe to Him.  Amen.

 

  • Let’s stand

 

Invitation:

 

If you’re not a Christian, God doesn’t want your tithe.  He wants you

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