SERMON #9 TITHING

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Pastor Josh

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Dec 24, 2014, 2:03:57 AM12/24/14

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SERMON #9 TITHING

Tithing is a very difficult subject to teach about, not only for myself but for most people out there who are teaching the Holy Bible. The reason it is difficult for us to talk about it is because it has something to do with peoples personal incomes, properties and assets and just like when the taxman comes every year to take his cut from your earnings most people do not like to think about giving away their hard earned money to taxes let alone a church or ministry. Many people do not give money to their church nor do they offer charity to their community. Most people don't even help their own families when they are in need because they feel that they will never get their money back. Well for those of you who fall under any of these types of catagories I feel really sorry for you. The fact of the matter is that you should always help someone in need if possible. And you should help them without expecting any kind of reimbursement or pay back of any kind. But what is great about giving to your church or your ministry is that you always get paid back with great dividends...no I am not talking about money but I am talking specifically about being fed with the Precious Word Of GOD. Many of you viewers and subscribers out there watching these videos hunger for the Word and yet, you continue to watch these Bible study videos without giving anything back to God! The more you give the more you are going to get out of what is being taught. When you give unto the LORD hilariously He will Bless you greatly. You will not only be able to understand these Bible studies better but you will be able to read between the lines and your eyes and ears will be opened and so that you will receive keys of knowledge that will unlock the doors of truth and wisdom for the rest of your lives. When you tithe, donate or give a love offering to a church you are not giving to the church but you are actually paying God his portion of your goods. If it weren't for Him you would not have the wonderful gift of life neither would you have the ability to earn an income in the first place so it just makes sense to Give unto God what is rightfully His. I know there are a lot of people with questions out there about where should you tithe or donate to, and truthfully the answer is very simple. You tithe where you are fed. You may go to one church or you may go to several or you may only attend by watching a television broadcast, a radio show or watch videos on internet websites or networks like YouTube. But wherever you are fed with God's Precious Word is where you need to be tithing. You also want to make sure that the places your tithes and donations go are actually teaching the Bible and not just dishing out feel good sermons on salvation and love. Being a Christian is much more dynamic than that. You should be taught the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Not like these would be preachers who spend an hour on one verse; taking it out of context to fit their so called lesson they are trying to convey. I am not telling you to send me your money, I am not handing around a collection plate and I am certainly not begging for money because that would be wrong and would go against the teachings of Christ. What I am trying to get across to you in this sermon is that if you are being taught the Bible verse by verse and you feel that your Pastor is rightfully dividing the word and doing his or her duty in feeding the sheep and tending the flocks by directing you to better grazing then you owe it to God to give to that church or ministry. Not only Give but give hilariously and do it with love because if you are doing it without love it means absolutely nothing to God. We all know that God does not need anything from us for He is the Almighty and The Creator of Life and this World and the least that you can do is to show your appreciation by giving Him your first fruits, the first of your increase and the first of your love for you should Love Him above everything and everyone. If you are one of the 2000+ people that study with us and watch our videos then I want you to think about giving where you are fed. Hey if you are not being fed by our ministry then give where you are fed with the Word. Because it is not about me, this ministry or you or anyone else it is about God and I hope we please Him here at the Fellowship Of The Living Word by Teaching the world about Him, His Word and what He expects from us. We here at the Fellowship would like to step things up by making videos with better production quality, an easier means of uploading videos. We would also like to re-vamp our website and make it a fun place where everyone can learn and socialize. We also want to move our ministry into an actual facility where we can have church services and in person bible studies and it would be great for people to be able to stream our services live. It would also be great to build up a great staff to help run things and maybe even have more than one pastor to run the operation. Without your tithes, donations and love offering we cannot do these things. So with all that being said let us learn today what the Bible has to say about tithing, but before we begin let us open up in prayer!

What does it mean to tithe? According to Smith's Bible Dictionary:

The proportion of property, devoted to religious uses, from very early times. Instances of the use of tithes are found, prior to the appointment, of the Levitical tithes under the law. In biblical history, the two prominent instances are --

Abram presenting the tenth of all his property, or rather of the spoils of his victory, to Melchizedek. Gen_14:20; Heb_7:2; Heb_7:6.

Jacob, after his vision at Luz, devoting a tenth of all his property to God, in case, he should return home in safety. Gen_28:22.

The first enactment of the law, in respect of tithe, is the declaration that the tenth of all produce, as well as of flocks and cattle, belongs to Jehovah and must be offered to him; that the tithe was to be paid in kind, or, if redeemed, with an addition of one fifth to its value. Lev_27:30-33 . This tenth is ordered to be assigned to the Levites as the reward of their service, and it is ordered further that they are themselves to dedicate to the Lord a tenth of these receipts, which is to be devoted to the maintenance of the high priest. Num_18:21-28. This legislation is modified, or extended, in the book of Deuteronomy, that is, from thirty-eight to forty years later.

So in other words or in laymen's terms a tithe is the giving or taking of a tenth or ten percent. In modern society we for the most part are an industrialized society and very few of us are farmers therefore our main form of tender is currency and for those of us in the U.S.A. it is the standard dollar. So what I am going to do is to clearly explain how to properly tithe in today's world. If you do not have a job or you are living on welfare or social security you should be exempt from having to pay a tithe in my opinnion. If you are a in need person, handi-cap, or unemployed you should not have to pay a tithe and the reason for this is 10 percent of nothing is less than nothing so there is no point in making someone suffer even more than they already have to if they fall under any of the previously mentioned catagories. Now if you are employed and you are paid a wage or a salary and you pay taxes then you are liable to pay a tithe where you are fed the Word of God. Now how do we determine a tenth to give? Many make the mistake and give a 10th of their paycheck to the church which is unfortunate and probably leads to unnessesary hardships for many families out there. The way to figure out your tithe to your church is by first paying all of your bills, buying all the groceries that you need until your next paycheck, pay any debts you owe, put a little aside in your savings or for emergencies and then add up all that you have left over. Then you subtract 10% from what is left over and that is what you are obligated to give to God as your tithe to Him. If you have nothing left over then you are not obligated to pay a tithe; however, if you want to you can make a love offering of any amount and give that for your tithe you can but that is not necessary. Take care of you and your families first. You should also keep in mind that you can give any amount even all that you have if you choose to do so but that is also not necessary. The way the economy is now makes things tough on everyone and ministries need to understand these things and put them into consideration before asking money from their congregations. No matter what, if you give you will always be blessed for your kindness and generosity.

Dr. Strong considers a tithe to be a tenth of one's income or more accurately of one's increase. Abraham gave a tenth of all his property to Melchizedek whom was the high priest and a type of Christ

Heb 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

Heb 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

G1183

δεκατόω

dekatoō

dek-at-o'-o

From G1181; to tithe, that is, to give or take a tenth: - pay (receive) tithes.

Heb 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Heb 7:4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

Heb 7:5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

Heb 7:6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

In Genesis We know that Jacob Promised to Tithe

Gen 28:19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

Gen 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

Gen 28:21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

Gen 28:22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

It is said that Tithes belong to the LORD

Lev 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.

Lev 27:31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.

Lev 27:32 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.

Lev 27:33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.

Lev 27:34 These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

Tithes were originally given to the levites first

Num 18:21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Num 18:22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.

Num 18:23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.

Num 18:24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

The Levites would then give to the Priests

Num 18:25 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Num 18:26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.

Tithes were taken to the temple according to scripture

Deu 12:5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

Deu 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

Deu 12:7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

Deu 12:8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

Deu 12:9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you.

Deu 12:10 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;

Deu 12:11 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:

Deu 12:12 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.

Deu 12:13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:

Deu 12:14 But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

Deu 12:15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

Deu 12:16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.

Deu 12:17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:

Deu 12:18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

Deu 12:19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

What are the rules regarding tithes

Deu 14:22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.

Deu 14:23 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.

Deu 14:24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:

Deu 14:25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:

Deu 14:26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

Deu 14:27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.

Deu 14:28 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:

Deu 14:29 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.

Honesty in Tithing is required by God

Deu 26:13 Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:

Deu 26:14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.

Deu 26:15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

A tenth of all animals was to be givin'

Lev 27:32 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.

Lev 27:33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.

In Nehemiah we see recognition of tithes by the jews

Neh 13:5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.

Neh 13:12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.

What does God promise regarding tithes

Mal 3:7 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?

Mal 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Mal 3:9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Mal 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.

Mal 3:11 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.

Mal 3:12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

H4643

מעשׂרה מעשׂר מעשׂר

ma‛ăśêr ma‛ăśar ma‛aśrâh

mah-as-ayr', mah-as-ar', mah-as-raw'

From H6240; a tenth; especially a tithe: - tenth (part), tithe (-ing).

The pharasies where religious hypocrites and their legalism on tithing was condemned according to Luke in the New Testament

Luk 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

G586

ἀποδεκατόω

apodekatoō

ap-od-ek-at-o'-o

From G575 and G1183; to tithe (as debtor or creditor): - (give, pay, take) tithe.

Closing: So there you have it beloved you should now have a basic understanding of what tithing means, why it is important and how to properly do so according to scripture. Remember that what you are giving already belongs to GOD anyway and while help you out in the long-run by ensuring that you are fed daily by GOD's precious word. May God Bless those who love him and may peace be with you always. I am Pastor Josh signing off.