The mission is to see lives transformed through the simple Way of Jesus. And guess what – the mission costs money, time, energy, passion ,and did I mention money? That’s right, MINISTRY COSTS MONEY. And if we want to be a part of something BIG for Jesus, which I know I do, then we must understand that BIG MINISTRY COSTS BIG MONEY.

Now, I realize that times are tight, I get that, but God hasn’t been caught off guard and the cross of Jesus Christ doesn’t become any less important, and Hell doesn’t suddenly get any colder because the economy is hurting. This is all the more reason we need to trust Jesus and rely on Him fully for every bill, every decision, and every relationship. People’s hearts are more open when there is pain and suffering in the air. We don’t need to step back from Jesus’ call on our lives, we need to continue to step up!

LET’S BECOME A TITHE-LOVING CHURCH!

ARE YOU IN OR OUT? Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of room for being neutral with Jesus. Jesus said it Himself, You are either with me or against me (Matt.12:30).
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Bring this tithe to the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored, and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to fear the LORD your God. (Deu 14:23 NLT)

A thought I have been dealing with is this: Am I as the senior communicator of this faith community not elevating the tithe in the way Scripture does? I don’t believe I have been. That will change. I don’t want to be disobedient by lowering or minimizing even indirectly the standard of tithing. Tithing is one of God’s standards and it is no wonder why the mission and the vision are so closely tied to it.

TITHING IS ABOUT OBEDIENCE, WORSHIP, & MISSION

Tithing first and foremost is about OBEDIENCE.
We are commanded in Scripture to tithe. I love it when people say that tithing was only for the OT Law, that is such an indicator that they have no idea what they are talking about. Jesus not only said that we should tithe, but that it was a minimum requirement for being a God-follower (ouch)! Not only that, but the tithe started way before the Law of Moses was ever introduced (boom-sha-ka-la-kah)!

Tithing is about WORSHIP.
By bringing my 10% to God I am putting Him first. I am revering God more than money and anything else tangible or intangible in this world. If you want to continue to grow in your worship of God, in your love of Jesus, then tithing is the prescription.

Tithing is about MISSION.
God doesn’t want us to rely on bake sales, bingo nights, or car washes to fuel the proclamation of His Son, but He wants us to rely on Him and His word. His word says that we should tithe, and from this tithe we operate the expenses of the church – the expenses of the mission. If we don’t tithe, we can’t push the mission of Jesus forward, the church shuts down, and the gospel doesn’t get preached, and people don’t get saved, and our loved ones who die without Christ go to hell. I don’t want that, and you don’t want that, so let’s pull together and really show Jesus that He is worthy of our best and that He is worthy of our total obedience.

How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things. (Mat 23:23 NLT)

I just love it when I hear someone say, “WELL, THE TITHE IS JUST FOR THE OLD TESTAMENT, YOU KNOW UNDER THE LAW.” When I hear someone say that I realize right away that they don’t have a clue what they are talking about; and I say that with all humility and compassion. Honestly, they are missing out on a clear command of Scripture that always follows with a blessing.

First of all, the Tithe is not just for the OT. Just because God first talked about something in the OT doesn’t mean that it is now obsolete or unnecessary, or is no longer His desire for our lives. In fact, since He started talking about it from the very beginning it makes it all the more important. The Old Testament is not obsolete, it is every much the Word of God as the New Testament is. But even more importantly is this: GOD COMMANDED THE TITHE TO TEACH US HOW TO FEAR HIM, REVERE HIM AND TO WORSHIP HIP HIM.

Bring this tithe to the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored, and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to fear the LORD your God. (Deu 14:23 NLT)